Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie signed an Exigency Order that will allow residents who have been hard hit by Hurricane Sandy in October to bring in certain goods duty free for a period of three months. The order came into effect Thursday, November 15, 2012. It is pursuant to the provisions of item 12 of Part B of the Fourth Schedule to the Tariff Act, and Item 5 Part B of the Second Schedule the Excise Act.

The urgent need for goods specified in Schedule A, which the minister is satisfied are intended for the relief of residents in the islands of Abaco, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Exuma & Cays, Grand Bahama and Long Island who suffered loss as a result of the storm, and whose claims/applications in respect of such goods are certified by the Director of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, or any of his duly appointed agents.

A special parliamentary session to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement in the Bahamas will be held Monday. "We must continue to tell the story because so many young women do not know," said Minister of Social Services, Mrs Melanie Griffin. "We must make sure that we do our best to ensure that the legacy left behind by the Women's Suffrage Movement does not die."

Mrs. Griffin was a guest speaker at a forum for police officers, reservists, and civilians in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement.

Under the theme "Explosion of Topaz" the Sir Victor (Bahamas) Heart Ball Committee hosted their annual Tea Party & Fashion Show at Government House on Sunday, November 18th, 2012.

Guests flocked to this fun-filled and most worthy event to help to repair the hearts of children. They were treated to an explosion of colour, flora, fauna, and fun. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the sweet aroma of teas. The fashion show featured children, past patients and Heart Ball Committee members in vintage, current and fashion forward pieces.

Residents of Fort Fincastle are hoping that the Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation (AMMC) will fund the multi-million dollar restoration of the world class tourist sites known as the Queen's Staircase, the Water Tower, and Fort Fincastle. The cleanup project is estimated to cost about $5.5 million.

"We are honoured today to talk about some of our touristic sites in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas," said Courtney Strachan, AMMC Chairman at a November 12 press conference. Mr. Strachan said the focus on Fort Fincastle was particularly on the Water Tower, the second most popular touristic site in the Caribbean, which has been shut down for 15 years. He said the project, scheduled for November 24, will be undertaken by the residents of Fort Fincastle and dubbed "It's All About Us."

The Physical Education Centre, the newest building on the Lyford Cay International School (LCIS) campus, is officially complete. The Physical Education (PE) team happily moved into the new 1,086 sq ft facility which includes a large office, brand new changing rooms and bathrooms with showers, as well as an outside shower, and lots of additional storage space. This project was completely funded by donations.

The building was the next phase in the original Board approved Campus Refurbishment Master Plan (2008), which was put on hold when the economic crisis hit. Construction began the day after school closed for the summer in June and was completed on schedule and on budget by Woslee Construction.

On Friday, November 16, Temple Christian High School the Bahamas Red Cross co-sponsored a national speech competition focused on HIV/AIDS prevention at the Bahamas Red Cross headquarters on John F. Kennedy Drive that attracted talented high school students from throughout New Providence and four Family Islands who are committed to ended the spread of HIV and AIDS. The effort was spearheaded by a teacher at Temple Christian, Ms. Claudette Thompson, as part of the school's ongoing HIV/AIDS education initiatives.

The speech competition was made possible through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief's (PEPFAR) small grants program.

It all comes down to where you decide to have your ceremony or wedding reception. The location, size, service and general ambiance of your chosen location will determine the outcome of your celebration. There are factors that you will need to take into account when deciding on a venue which will be recorded in the history books as the location "I had my wedding at ..."

Think about it! When you speak to a couple about their wedding day, what is usually two of the questions you ask? How many attended? Yes! It is one of the first eventhough much money was spent on the dress and other items. The dress details pale in comparison to the most popular question asked: "Where did you have your wedding/ reception?"

At a press conference held outside Solomon's on Queen's Highway, Carl Rotkirch, CEO and Chairman for the Grand Bahama Shipyard (GBS), announced the start of the company's third annual food drive for the holidays.

"What started as a spur of the moment idea three years ago has become an island wide success," said Rotkirch. "We are very excited to launch this year's food drive. Last year was a huge success and we are pleased to be assisting the Salvation Army once again. The economy is still struggling here and we want to do our part to support those in our community who need some assistance."

On Friday November 16th, the United States Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman visited Grand Bahama to participate in several outreach events.

Chargé Dinkelman's first stop was a visit to the Lucaya International School (LIS) where he held a roundtable with high school students and viewed new security upgrades throughout the campus that were funded through a $100,000 grant provided by the U.S. State Department.

Bishop Michael Eldon (BMES) students Miguel Gibson, Andre Levarity, Robert Cartwright, Joanna Evans, Makarios Rolle, and Matthew Farquharson wrote the following as part of their school religion project. Managing Director of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama was very pleased with the young people's actions and submitted their story.

"All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all"

This well-known hymn is often taught to children to show them that every living thing was made by God. When we generally think of making a charitable donation, we automatically think of the Children's Home, the Old Folks' Home and individuals with financial difficulties. Our group decided to make a donation to the Grand Bahama Humane Society ...

Teachers and students of the Sweeting's Cay All Age School, enjoyed a special treat last week, as members of the Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee (KGBC) took its message of environmental stewardship to the East.

KGBC Chairperson and Environmental Manager for The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA), Mrs. Nakira Wilchcombe, accompanied by KGBC Committee members and GBPA Volunteer members, gave the group a fun filled puppet presentation, while educating them about the environment. This event signaled the wrap-up of a full month of activities, marking the group's 6th year anniversary.

The Board of Directors of The Grand Bahama Humane Society wishes to congratulate Elizabeth 'Tip' Burrows on being the receipient of a lifetime achievement Kamalamee award.

Congratulations Tip!

The cover of 'Freeport Notebook' has a banner row of five portrait photographs that probably only 10% of all Bahamians can fully identify. From left to right they are: Sir Albert Miller, Edward St George, Garnet Levarity, Daniel Ludwig and former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham (face number 4 stumps most people but he is the man responsible for dredging the deepwater harbour and developing Bahamia, the Princess Hotels, the Bazaar and El Casino). He was at the time, the single most important outside investor in Freeport.

When the 'Freeport Notebook' goes through a new edition photo numbers 4 and 5 are perhaps a bit dated and may be re-placed, the new candidates will likely be Li Ka- Shing and Prime Minister Perry Christie. Prime Ministers are well known of course but why Li Ka- Shing?

REMARKS by PRIME MINISTER CHRISTIE AT BAKER'S BAY GOLF AND OCEAN CLUB
NOVEMBER 19, 2012

I am most delighted to be in Abaco again, so soon after the great victory which the good people of North Abaco gave to my Progressive Liberal Party Government in the recent By-election, in returning Mr. Renardo Curry as your new Member of Parliament. I am so pleased to have him in my delegation today, not only as your Member of Parliament, but as Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for all of Abaco, based on this dynamic island with its vast potential for further development.

I have come today to recognise and acknowledge the important investment and accomplishments of the visionary developers of this magnificent Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club.

Construction on a new Mini (Community) Hospital in Governor's Harbour and a state-of-the-art clinic in Rock Sound, Eleuthera, is expected to be "fully underway" within the next 12 months. The Mini-Hospital will be constructed at a cost of "a little over $10 million" and will cover almost 25,000 square feet. The construction of both facilities will take place under the auspices of the National Insurance Board.

The Mini-Hospital is also expected to be equipped with a Heliport to be used for airlift emergencies in addition to the fixed wing aircraft already in use for that purpose, and an Isolation Room with its separate airflow to help deal with potential infectious diseases cases.

This week marks the official launch of the 2012 Miss Universe Fan Vote! Fans will be able to vote for their favourite contestant (Miss Universe Bahamas Celeste Marshall of course!) in order to help her earn a spot in the semifinals at the 2012 Miss Universe competition.

Fans can vote online at www.missuniverse.com or www.telemundo.com up to 10 times per day per email address. The vote ends on December 18th.

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) announced Monday that actress Syndey Tamiia Poitier ("Death Proof", "The List"), daughter of legendary Oscar winning actor American/Bahamian Actor Sidney Poitier and actress Joanna Shimkus, will be honored with BIFF's signature Shining Star Tribute. The announcement was made by BIFF Founder & Executive Director Leslie Vanderpool.

The Festival's prestigious Shining Star Award is given to an actor or actress whose noteworthy performances have put them on the path for elite and lasting stardom in the industry. Syndey Tamiia Poitier will be on hand for the special award tribute presentation on Saturday, December 8th at the Atlantis Theater on Paradise Island at 7pm.

Bahamian dancers are taking over world stages, with the Bahamas Salsa Social Network team recently dancing away from Florida's Youth Ballroom Blitz with nearly half a dozen prizes and awards, including one of the most coveted: Top Dance Team.

Held in Orlando earlier this month, The Bahamas' 15-member team brought home several of the top awards in categories including participants from around the world. The prizes include Top Studio 2012 and have sparked invitations for local dancers to travel more frequently to perform against other studios in the U.S. "This was a marvelous achievement for the Bahamas since the dance team competitors have only been competing abroad for three years," said Indira Francis, co-founder of the BSSN.

The Alliance Francaise des Bahamas is delighted to participate in the 3rd Edition of the International Photo Contest organised by the Fondation Alliance Française in Paris, France. The theme this year is "Les Métiers du Monde" or "Jobs Around the World". The Grand prize winner will win a week's stay in Paris, round-trip airfare (economy) to Paris and an exhibition of their works in a Parisian gallery chosen by the Fondation.

The Alliance Francaise des Bahamas is organising the local contest for The Bahamas. The photos of the local winner will be submitted to Paris for the international contest. They will be selected by a local panel of judges comprised of photographers, artists and well-known personalities. Participation in this contest is free.

Lyford Cay International School's (LCIS) Senior Girls football team successfully defended their Championship title in the 3rd AISK SportsFeva Tournament held in Jamaica. SoccerFeva, a two day football tournament, hosted International Schools from The Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Jamaica on Nov. 16 & 17, 2012.

The LCIS girls have won the Championship for the past two years, and this year our strong team consisted of six returning players (Emma Cousin, Lucille Cousin, Emma Hall, Kasia McCartney, Lily Everett and Tiera Ndolvu) and three rookies (Samantha Wilson, Rose- Marie Butler and Natanya De Jong) who competed in six matches over four days. LCIS girls won five matches and tied in one and emerged as tournament champions again.

The Bahamas Coastal Awareness 6K Fun Run and Walk was held in Fresh Creek, Andros on Saturday November 17, 2012, along the beautiful Andros shoreline from Lighthouse Point to Calabash Bay.

Pictured are the runners, walkers, and winners enjoying the day.

Only one tournament series can lay claim to 40 consecutive years of fun-filled, action packed tournaments and that is the Bahamas Billfish Championship. Although the BBC doesn't officially turn 40-years young until 2013, celebrations are starting early. Here is just a glimpse of what's in store for BBC XL ...

For starters, popular sportfishing writer Jan Fogt is doing a series of articles about the BBC's past forty years. The articles go beyond the history of the Championship to include interviews with past anglers, captains, crew members and sponsors.

The community of Matthew Town, Inagua opened the Inagua Fitness Centre in partnership with Morton Bahamas Ltd., Inagua Sporting Council, Inagua Local Government, and the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture. The Official Opening was held on Monday, November 19th.

While on Inagua, Hon. Alfred Gray, Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources & Local Government and the Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture the Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson also inspected sea walls, docks, and buildings damaged by Hurricane Sandy and met with students from the Inagua All Age School who performed for them.