The Bahamas will become a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the U.N. Headquarters in New York (on Tuesday (September 24), joining Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie Sharon Griffin, who will sign the Convention on behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas, said signing onto the Convention will be a precursor to the enactment of Disability Legislation in The Bahamas.

Last week, Neil McKinney, President of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) and Eric Carey, Executive Director of BNT visited Bimini on a fact-finding mission. They had two objectives - firstly to determine if residents were aware of the details of the proposed cruise ship terminal to be placed off the western shore of Bimini and secondly the BNT wanted to dive on the areas that could possibly be impacted by the development.

Both McKinney and Carey went through the community, speaking to local Biminites about their knowledge of the proposed cruise ship terminal. As anticipated, many of the individuals were appreciative of the positive economic impact of Bimini Bay, however, many complained about the huge toll the development has taken on the island.

The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) and government officials are pleased to confirm that Island Outsourcers will begin operations on Grand Bahama Island this fall. As the Jamaican based company expands its call centre services to Grand Bahama, career opportunities for 100 individuals will become available at the onset, with the possibility of further employment for 600 persons.

Island Outsourcers is a comprehensive, business process outsourcing (BPO) solution that manages contact centre and back office functions for local and US-based companies, with the UK and Canadian market in its sights. As a BPO provider, they provide planning, workflow, real-time monitoring and reservation functions for their vendors/clients, many of whom operate within the travel and tourism industry.

Developing further capacity for inclusive education in The Bahamas was one of the matters explored during a three-day conference on autism hosted recently by the United States Embassy and The College of The Bahamas.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects one in 88 children born in the United States. While there are individuals with the autism spectrum disorder in The Bahamas, accurate figures on the extent of the malady have not yet been compiled.

On September 12, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires John Dinkelman hosted a reception to welcome the new Director of the Embassy's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Section, Ms. Kristin Gilmore. INL administers bilateral counternarcotics and law enforcement assistance programs in The Bahamas.

The event, held at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) was in collaboration with the opening of an exhibit displaying the work of 20 National Geographic Photography Camp participants, the result of a joint project between The Bahamas National Drug Council (BNDC) and the INL Section. Among the invited guests at the reception, the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Dr. Daniel Johnson, the Minister of Health, Dr. Perry Gomez, Dr. Bridgette Rolle, BNDC Director and other U.S. and Bahamian officials.

Social media tools that connect strangers in friendship, reunite old friends from school days and synergize professionals and businesses with common interests, are paying off for Palm Cay, a local beachfront real estate development with thousands viewing and hundreds liking what they see on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

"We began, like many individuals and a growing number of businesses do, with Facebook," explained Palm Cay Sales & Marketing Director Zachary 'Zack' Bonczek. "The positive reception started almost immediately with words, images and YouTube postings spreading fast. We got a few, then dozens, then hundreds of views on Facebook with residents posting photos of their boating, beaching, swimming or other recreation and family activities. This prompted us to expand from Facebook to other social media outlets."

The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) presented a scholarship grant to Miss Universe Bahamas, Lexi Wilson on Tuesday. Making the presentation to the newly crowned queen was BTVI's Manager and Consultant, Dr. Iva Dahl, who apprised Lexi of the history of the premier vocational and technical institution and the programs offered.

Lexi expressed interest in the business subjects, particularly as she wants to one day own and operate a dental practice. She added that, "It is always good to accept new learning opportunities."

In keeping with its commitment to give back to the community, Statoil South Riding Point, which has been operating in Eastern Grand Bahama for 40 years, reached out once again to the GB Children's Home with a special donation from the staff.

Staff members from Statoil South Riding Point took the call to give back to the community personally and came up with a special donation of a 42" flat screen TV with built-in DVD player - providing for wonderful entertainment for years to come for the children. "At Statoil South Riding Point, we believe in giving back to our community and we wanted to give the children something special that they could use and really enjoy," explained Mr. Michael Regis.

Recently, board members of the Bahamas National Trust's (BNT) Grand Bahama Regional Branch visited Dr. Michael Darville, Minister of Grand Bahama to discuss proposed national parks for the island. Darius Williams, BNT GB Branch Chairman, d'Shan Mayckock, BNT GB Branch Secretary, and Ellsworth Weir, GB BNT Park Warden represented the BNT at the meeting.

The BNT hopes to expand the two existing parks in Grand Bahama and create two new parks, and as such, updated Minister Darville on their park expansion goals. The proposal includes a mix of reef systems, near shore, open water, mangrove habitat, spooning grounds, creek systems, birding forest areas, blue holes and cave systems.

Once again, the Garden of the Groves family is pleased to announce its participation in the annual International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) activities. Along with the Society for Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB) we will spend the entire month of October educating our community.

The main objective is to heighten everybody's awareness of the thousands of migratory birds that pass through the Bahamas or spend the winter here and find ways to protect their habitat. Co-ordinator, Mrs. Marilyn Laing, states: "We want to share the message of bird conservation with everybody and due to the interest by so many schools to participate we do not only limit our activities to one day. It has become a tradition at the Garden of the Groves to host fieldtrips, lectures and art competitions throughout the whole month of October!"

Prime Minister the Rt Hon. Perry Christie, was in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Sept. 16, for the official launch of Urban Renewal's G.E.D. Programme. Urban Renewal 2.0 Grand Bahama office, headed by Deputy Director Mrs. Michelle Reckley has teamed with Terreve College in this new initiative.

The G.E.D. which is often called the GEHSED (General Education High School Equivalency Diploma) is designed for those students and individuals who did not graduate from high school or did not achieve or obtain their high school diploma. The programme is planned for one year and three months and students will be offered courses in Computers, English, Maths, Biology, History and Life Management Skills.

Here are the top ten reasons to adopt a cat from the Humane Society of Grand Bahama this month:

10. It's good for your health. Studies show people with pets have lower blood pressure and less anxiety. Having pets in the home can even boost your immune system, and children who grow up with pets from birth are less likely to develop allergies and asthma.

9. Our cats come in a wide variety of colours, ages and sizes. From the wee kittens to the mature mellow adults, we have the perfect match for you.

8. Our enthusiastic experienced staff can help you find that perfect match. Tell us about your lifestyle and how much time you have to spend with your new friend. Whether you want super active and playful, or a more chilled out couch potato or something in between, we have a cat for you!

2000 Mercedes 230SLK, 55,000 miles, automatic transmission, hard top convertible.
Duty Paid - $9,000 OBO.
Located in Freeport. Call 727-0112.

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Click HERE for additional view.

An episiotomy is a surgical incision made to enlarge the vaginal opening just before birth. It was initially believed that this artificial "widening" of a woman's birth canal and perineum (the space between the vagina and the rectum) would shorten the second stage of labor, reduce the over-stretching of maternal tissues, preserve the function of the pelvic floor muscles, and ease fetal stress.

In reality, research outcomes have documented for years that cutting an episotomy does not decrease anal injury rates but it does cause more postpartum pain than a spontaneous tear does. The cutting of an episiotomy neither prevents nor relieves shoulder dystocia (the challenge of birthing a large baby with big shoulders). No research outcome has demonstrated a protective effect of an episiotomy on fetal well-being.

Recent surveys of the Bahama Parrot on Inagua conducted by Dr. Frank Riviera, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Zeko McKenzie, lecturer at College of The Bahamas, indicated that the Bahama Parrot population on Inagua is on the rise reaching an estimated 14,000 parrots.

"In my view, the parrot population on Inagua is at the highest estimated level since 2003," said Dr. Riviera in his report to the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) this year. In September of 2008, Hurricane Ike hit the island of Inagua as a category five hurricane. The flamingo population weathered the storm with a small loss of life but the Bahama Parrot population was heavily impacted. The BNT undertook long term monitoring of the Bahama Parrot on Inagua with the assistance of Dr. Frank Riviera and Caroline Stahala for over 10 years.

After more than eight weeks of participation with over thousands of entries submitted, one lucky winner took the coveted grand prize package featuring a three-night trip to space camp in Amsterdam, a $10,000 pre-paid card and 10 cases of Heineken. Michael Rolle of George Town, Exuma was officially selected as the top winner of 'The Voyage: Legendary Travelers Wanted' during the campaign's finale.

"Every place I saw a Heineken cap, I took it," said Rolle, who operates a restaurant in Exuma. "I wasn't even thinking about winning, I was just hoping to get a free Heineken every now and then. Knowing I have the grand prize and that I will be going to space camp in Amsterdam is very exciting."

The Bahamas shone bright at this year's World Travel Awards and North American Gala Ceremony (WTA) as Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma took a top spot as "Leading Conference Hotel", making this the first resort in Sandals' brand to ever clinch the category at these awards.

Also, for the third consecutive year, Sandals Emerald Bay was named the "Caribbean's Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort". It also came away with the award for being the "Bahamas' Leading Golf Resort".

On the actual day of Discovery, Saturday, October 12th, 2013, the 41st annual McLean's Town Conch Cracking Festival will be held.

The long holiday weekend starts in the eastern end of the island where not only the various conch cracking competitive events will be held, including a category for tourists and novices, corporate, as well as the main events of the professional male and female competitions to determine the fastest conch-crackers in the world, but also a full day of fun activities for the whole family.

In line with the 2013 United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation, the 2013 theme for World Tourism Day is; Tourism & Water, Protecting our Common Future. As the most widely celebrated global day for tourism, it represents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of tourism's role in water access and shine a spotlight on the sector's contribution to a more sustainable water future.

In recognition of this, The Bahamas' Ministry of Tourism's Sustainable Tourism Unit in partnership with the Water and Sewerage Corporation, Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association, and the Bahamas Home and Builders Show, will be holding a Photo Competition with an aim to reflect how this precious resource can be conserved. The competition is open amateur photographers of all ages. There will be two categories, Youth (18 years and under) and; Adults (older than 18). Individuals are limited to one (1) entry each and must be submitted to wtdphotocompetition@gmail.com by Sunday, September 22nd, 2013 along with the entry form.

Plans to stage a National Book Fair 2013 Bahamas are in high gear according to the coordinating team. The fair is being scheduled for October 29 to November 5, 2013 at the Kendal Isaac's Sports Center, Nassau.

The goal is ambitious, but imperative - to begin to put in the hands of every school-aged child an appropriate book; and to stimulate and motivate a dedicated cross-section of governmental and non governmental businesses, professionals and care-givers to commit themselves to sustain the momentum over the long run.

Fishing report as of September 12, 2013

NASSAU: Captain Adam Russell reports that the offshore fishing has been slow this week.

NORTH EXUMA, Highbourne Cay: The dockmaster at the Highbourne Cay Marina reports that there are few boats at the marina as they are in their slow season. There are no reports for offshore fishing.

BIMINIi: The fishing off of Bimini has been slow with only a few barracuda caught.

The Minister and Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture extend sincere condolences to the family of the late Basil Neymour who passed away on Monday, 16th September 2013. Our hearts and our prayers are with you during your time of bereavement and we pray that you find peace and comfort in knowing that your father lived a life that was not only dedicated to his immediate family but also to his extended family in the Bahamian sporting community.

Mr. Neymour, a family man, successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, committed much of his resources to the development of sports throughout Grand Bahama and the entire Bahamas.

Ferrari 250 GT Lightweight Boano, chassis no. 0569GT left the factory on November 7, 1956 in the ownership of Jan de Vroom and was shipped directly to the Bahamas from Italy specifically to compete in Speed Week, where Jan drove it in the Governor's Trophy exactly one month later.

Having 'bounced' between New York, Texas, Europe and Puerto Rico, 50+ years later this rare alloy-bodied car once again returned to Europe, in the hands of its current owner.

The need for greater attention to advance a growing core of young female softball players has given birth to the formation of a dedicated development league, The Rising Stars Youth Softball League for junior girls 5-19 years of age.

In an effort to prepare for their first next season, Rising Stars Youth Softball League is hosting a Legends Celebrity Softball Showcase, Saturday September 28, 2013 at the softball diamond of the Grand Bahama Sports Complex, the first game - Pastors vs Politicians faceoff, beginning at 2:00 pm. All games will be three innings.

Another Referendum - Another Rushed Agenda

It was hardly amusing to hear a media house recently report on Prime Minister's Christie's confirmation that he plans to hold a Constitutional referendum in November - less than two months from now. The news report said "but this time, it won't be rushed ...". Won't be rushed?

This is already the middle of September. Parliament doesn't re-convene until October. In order for a Constitutional referendum to be put to the public for a vote, the question(s) must be presented to Parliament and must pass both the House and Senate by at least a 2/3 majority vote. So no matter when the referendum is ultimately put to the people, it would only be at the most a few weeks' space of time between the House and Senate vote and whenever the public's vote is called in November.

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Gov't attempting to influence media reporting

Will media representatives in Nassau confirm that they were recently called to a meeting by the highest Ministers of the Cabinet to speak to them about the news that they report, to advise the press of their displeasure with their news reports about the government, and to "encourage" them to begin to report "more positive news" about the government?

In a democracy, the travesty of this is two-fold: #1 - the government attempting to control the press and influence what it reports, and #2 - the press persons who went to the meeting at Cabinet have kept quiet about what the government did and said to them.

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