February marks the 43rd anniversary of World Wetlands Day (WWD), and to commemorate it, the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) hosted activities in both Grand Bahama and New Providence. "This was an important activity for our youth program" said Shelley Cant, BNT Education Officer. "We are always trying to give students the opportunity to help their environment as well as do some research and have fun at the same time. The students definitely enjoyed themselves and we hope they learned that looking after wetlands is important for all Bahamians!"

Wetlands are extremely vulnerable to agricultural practices. Frequent use of fertilizers and herbicides impact these fragile environments. There is also the constant threat of dredging and land reclamation. Even some wetlands that are currently protected continue to face these threats.

More than 100,000 people experienced a destination wedding in The Bahamas last year, and the country wants to attract even more in years to come, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe told seasoned travel writers and business partners today as the Ministry of Tourism launched its latest niche market promotion.

The 16 Weddings, 16 Islands, One Priceless Day invitation was extended to engaged couples throughout the United States in a launch event held at trendy Per Se Restaurant, which is ranked among the world best's restaurants by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. The invitation will allow the couples to learn about the 16 major islands of The Bahamas online then use the selected website to enter to win a destination wedding on one of those 16 islands.

As part of the Inter-American Bank (IDB) loan to improve the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) services and capabilities, WSC recently signed a one million dollar contract with Adin Holdings Ltd., an international water consulting and solutions company based in Israel.

This loan follows an international competitive bidding process, focuses on New Providence and supports WSC in non-revenue water reduction, WSC Institutional Strengthening, Rehabilitation and upgrades of wastewater infrastructure and preparation of a Wastewater Treatment Master Plan and Upgrading the legal and regulatory framework.

This past Saturday the patrons of the Fiftieth Annual Heart Ball were treated to a glorious evening celebrating the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation's Fiftieth Annual Heart Ball.

This year's Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award went to Shelagh Farrington- Pritchard for her work with children and the elderly in need of assistance. In presenting the Lady Sassoon Golden Heart Award to Mrs. Pritchard, R.E. Barnes, Chairman of the Sassoon Heart Foundation said that the Award was started as a way to recognize members of our community who give of themselves selflessly to help their fellow man. He noted that the nominations come from the public and it is the people's award for recognition of work done to assist those in our community.

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Michael Johnson a senior at C.R. Walker Secondary High School and achiever of Commonwealth Bank won the 2014 Junior Achievement (JA) New Providence and Toastmasters International's Annual Speech Competition held at The British Colonial Hilton on February 12.

There were 15 finalists in this year's completion which started with over 200 achievers. Jordan Prince Williams student Juan Pratt placed second followed by St. Anne's student Jamielle Davis, both achievers of Deloitte. 'Empowered to Succeed' was the theme of this year's competition.

Sandals Royal Bahamian has ramped up its 'Luxury Included' offering another notch with the newly constructed Crystal Lagoon Butler Suites.

Just in time for the month of love, Sandals Royal Bahamian is close to completing the swim-up rooms, which is set to make the resort the envy of the islands. The rooms welcomed their first guests this week, treating them to a luxurious suite adorned with the finest amenities that opens up to a coral stone patio that leads into a river pool that is in a Zen Garden and comes complete with butler service.

The West End Eco-Fishing Camp is pleased to announce their year (6th) year of environmental education programs designed for local children who are immersed into a number of activities to get them thinking about their role as "caretakers of the earth and living seas". The camp is held in partnership with the Royal Bahamas Police Force who saw the need to initiate signature community programs to encourage children to learn about basic first aid, water safety, and swimming, introduction to boating, ecology, kayaking, hand line fishing, and fly fishing.

Led by a group of adult volunteers from the local community and officers from the West End police station the children are kept busy learning about "Esprit de Corps" or group spirit that encourages a team effort in each of the planned activities.

The four Rotary Clubs on Grand Bahama came together on Saturday night, February 15th, to celebrate their community service works and raise funds to continue doing more in a glittering event at the Grand Lucayan. After a four-year break from holding an annual ball the return of the event was well received with a packed crowd enjoying great food, wine and entertainment under the theme "Rotary Has Heart 2014".

The Grand Bahama Youth Choir performed stirring renditions of both the American and Bahamian national anthems, MC David Wallace kept them laughing with non-stop jokes, the Police Pop Band kept them dancing to lively Bahamian music, and as evidenced by the photo gallery everyone had a wonderful night including two exchange students from Germany and Slovakia, visiting Rotarians from Florida and a broad cross-section of the Grand Bahama business community.

Management of Bourbon Street Limited have joined with the Ministry of Tourism, Royal Bahamas Police Force and other stakeholders in a new safety campaign particularly geared towards patrons of the Port Lucaya Marketplace (PLM).

'Parents, Don't Neglect to Protect' is the primary theme for a new Public Service Announcement that proactively addresses what has become a common trend in the marketplace, where underage youngsters are dropped off and left unsupervised in the evenings, especially on weekends.

Get your dogs ready to strut their stuff at the Humane Society of Grand Bahama's annual dog show on Saturday, March 1st. Don't have a dog? Come in now or next week to choose a shelter dog to show off for the day! Or just come out and enjoy the big variety of beautiful dogs, from tiny to giant, from Purebred to mixed breed to our amazing Royal Bahamian Potcakes.

There will be plenty to do in between events for adults and kids alike. The Flea Market tent will have some great bargains as always, and you can quench your thirst and get something tasty to eat at the grill or the bake sale. Kids can enjoy carnival games, face painting and pony rides. And of course we welcome everyone to tour our shelter.

If there is one group on Grand Bahama that should be recognized for their voluntary commitment and service in the community involving environmental projects it should be the Royal Bahamas Defense Force Ranger Youths. Over the past year this one team of outstanding individuals has contributed over 1600 hours of community service to Grand Bahama by assisting with the restoration of our national parks, cleaning our beaches and helping with marine conservation projects. This is a group who should be praised, thanked, rewarded, and supported by everyone from individual residents to the large corporations who do business on our island.

The major goals of the Ranger Youth Program are to instill positive attitudes towards self, others, law and order, community and national development. The program also has a conservation educational component and focuses on developing students to become disciplined well rounded responsible committed citizens.

The first question asked of parents-to-be, who have announced the coming of a baby, is "when is the baby due (to be born)?"

The assigned birth day (due date) of the coming offspring becomes the point of reference for the expectant family and the countdown for B-Day begins. As the time of birth approaches, excitement grows! Baby showers are celebrated as family and friends congregate and the parents prepare the "nest." God forbid that the coming progeny should miss her/his "due date." If so, healthcare providers panic, mothers are both disappointed and frustrated, fathers cope with tearful women, and other family members call wanting to know why "the baby isn't here yet." Induction of labor becomes the mantra of the day.

But, how long is pregnancy? How is the birth day calculated? Does a "one-size" guesstimate fit all babies or does the fetus know best when to be born?

What a catch! It's wintertime, fish are jumpin' and the livin' is easy - or something like that - at Romora Bay where local and visiting youngsters along with captains and friends hauled in mahi-mahi, wahoo and barracuda from a recent afternoon's fishing.

Nothing from the near record haul was wasted. The 'cudas went to those who asked and the famed chef at Romora Bay's Sunsets Grille prepared the wahoo and mahi-mahi for guests of the 14-room resort and busy marina.

Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture, Dr. Danny Johnson, last week lauded Sandals Emerald Bay's Hospitality Training Programme (HTP), as an opportunity that will "open doors."

Both Sandals Emerald Bay and Sandals Royal Bahamian offer the HTP to anyone interested in learning about the ins and outs of the hospitality industry. At the end of the programme participants would have worked in and learned about numerous resort operations, including food and beverage, front desk and entertainment, among others.

After the successful grand finale last February 15, 2014, at the Rubén Darío National Theater, Nicaragua, Miss Teen Universe Bahamas - Chloe Campbell - returned home to a heroes welcome.

Being the youngest among all the contestants (14 years old) and her first time at an international pageant, the talented and beautiful teen was able to hold her own among veteran pageant competitors and top countries.

Miss Campbell sang her way to best talent and placed seventh overall.

The successor to Miss Teen Universe 2013 Lucia Osomo Miranda, is Miss Vivianie Diaz Arroyo, a representative from the USA.

For some this is announcement comes as no surprise - Chelsea R. Blues has published a poetry book and just in time for Valentines 2014. But for others, known for her dramatics says, "oh well, it should be expected." Chelsea is an artist in her own right who was born in Grand Bahama but grew up between the Turks & Caicos and Nassau.

She is a graduate of St. Andrews International School in Nassau where she focused her attention on drama. She has been writing poetry for most of her teen years and has shared some on her Facebook page as well as in various spoken word forums. After high school she made her way to England where she enrolled in the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she is looking to receive a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Practice: Performance Arts as early as next year.

This year "Join Me on the Bridge" has added an art competition, in addition to its 2nd annual essay contest, in the hopes of inspiring young women to celebrate, explore and reflect on women's achievements, rights and equality. Female high school students (grades 9-13) in Grand Bahama are invited to participate in the essay or art competition.

One winner in each competition will receive the grand prize of $100 cash each. The winners will also be included in the 5th annual "Join Me on the Bridge" opening ceremony, to be held at the Garden of the Groves, Saturday March 8th at 3 p.m., where their winning art will be displayed and they will read their winning essay.

The new stylish jewelry emporium on Retail Street at the Grand Lucayan Hotel, Paradise Jewels, was the place to be the evening of February 13th. Local residents and international guests mingled to enjoy strawberries, champagne and art. The festivities were celebrating the opening of WEARABLE ART meets WALL ART Exhibition.

Since the earliest times human societies adorned themselves with WEARABLE ART to decorate and beautify their body. The acquisition and displaying of WALL ART also has a long history, not only to record former times. but also to please the aesthetic senses. The spectacular selection of adornments and artworks were chosen by hosts Chris Paine and Del Foxton.

The Grand Bahama Artists Association began this 2014 year with a bang! They have a newly elected board, a membership of new and returning persons, and a wonderful array of new and original paintings, ceramic vessels, sequenced tapestries, beaded images and illustrations.

There are small delicate paintings of children and birds, or larger images of boats, people and flowers. All are on display at the Gloria Banks Gallery, Rand Nature Centre. There is something to fit everyone's tastes, in colours and imagery, as well as budget!

One of the taglines for this movie: The Story Of A Nobody Who Saved Everybody. When an ordinary construction worker is confused for a Master Builder, he is brought on a quest to save his universe from being placed in permanent suspended animation. Along the way he finds the courage to discover his potential and the secret behind the origin of his universe.

I knew I was going to enjoy this film, but I had no idea the level of enjoyment I would get from watching it. The voice cast is on point and the animation flows in such a way that you can't help yourself from being swept up in it. The script is surprisingly clever in its use of standard movie action tropes that are used in such ways that it makes them seem fresh. I understand that some will say that this is just a commercial for the toy brand, but seeing that this flick doesn't sink into cynicism it would be best for anyone watching to go in with an open mind. Unlike a fad like Flappy Bird, Lego has endured the test of time and this movie based on the construction toys created in Denmark is well on its way to becoming a cherished family classic.

The St. Valentine's Regatta was the first sculling race for the Sands Man in the Boat 2014 sculling season, and was the highlight of the regatta weekend. The Sands team had two wonderful days at Montagu beach, with the E-class sailing races taking place on Saturday and the sculling races on Sunday. The E-Class sailing race winners were Reuben Knowles in Ole Faithful, Clayton Bain in Strong Back taking second and Sheldon Gibson in Sands boat placing third.

For the Sands sculling race, over twenty men registered, and for the first time in the history of the Sands Man in the Boat Sculling Race there were four women sculling too. The sculling races were fiercely competitive.

Grand Isle Resort & Spa and The Bahamas shared an unusual world first last week when professional hockey players, decorated Olympians and hotel guests faced off in a road hockey game on the tiny island of Farmer's Cay.

The road hockey game was perhaps the highlight in a number of sporting events at Grand Isle. One day later, the property hosted a "mini-Olympics" on the beach at Emerald Bay. Olympians and NHL players led a series of events throughout the day, such as a 9 a.m. jog, beach volleyball and swimming.

The super bowl of billfishing is fielding a stellar squad of NFL Hall of Famers and Legends for a one-of-kind tournament that matches the country's best anglers and greats from the National Football League for some hard-hitting blue water action off this tiny Bahamian out-island.

The Tournament Committee today released the names of those former stars scheduled to participate in the tournament, which will be based at the historic Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina in Alice Town.

Report as of February 12, 2014

The islands are swarming with big mahi!

Nassau: All of the local captains report catching large mahi offshore this week along with lots of skipjack tuna. This usually indicates that there are also yellowfin tuna around.

North Exuma, Highbourne Cay: Last week end was epic! It is a bit earlier than usual but there were large mahi everwhere. Big fish are still being caught as of this morning! There are also sailfish being caught along the edge.

North Eleuthera: Large mahi, yellowfin tuna and wahoo are being caught at the Dutch Bar and Shallow Ground.

I have just returned from the 16th Visual Arts Exhibition Awards Ceremony for Senior High Schools at the Mall at Marathon where I was invited by Pamela Chandler, Senior Education Officer - Art and Design, to be the Guest Speak on the topic "Exploring the Wonders of Art and Design". I am very happy and proud to report that the students' work was absolutely fascinating and their musical talents awesome. I must commend them and their teachers for a magnificent job! Unfortunately this is the last day for the exhibit and for those persons who were not able to view it, you will miss a definite treat!

I promised the attendees that I would sit at my computer forthwith and pen this letter expressing my extreme disappointment (but not my surprise) at the fact that there was NOT ONE POLITICIAN in attendance to show their support for the students and their talents, and to encourage their efforts. Let me hasten to say that I was not present at the Opening (if there was one), but if the amount of applause I received on pointing out this blatant disrespect is any indication, I doubt if any of them were present then either!