The College of The Bahamas Oakes Field campus was abuzz as students new to The College attended new student orientation for the Spring 2016 semester. The number of students accepted to the Oakes Field campus in Nassau and the Northern Bahamas Campus in Grand Bahama was in total 368 students.

President of The College of The Bahamas Dr. Rodney D. Smith told the incoming students that they are among the best in the world. "You have to understand that you are among the best in the entire world, all of you in here. That is a fact. There is no mistake, I think that God put all of us on this little small piece of the world and called it The Bahamas. There is no mistake that you are sitting in this room today. There is no mistake that you are hearing me remind you that you are among the best in the world," said Dr. Smith.

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The Government of the Bahamas officially launched its E-Services Business Registration Platform at Registrar General's Department on Shirley and Charlotte Streets, January 5, 2016.

Registrar General Deirdre Clarke-Maycock described the initiative as a "collaborative" process between public and private sector agencies that allows The Bahamas to compete "effectively" with international jurisdictions and demonstrate its leadership in the region.

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This is the fourth time seasoned sailors Mike Fish and Martha Garczynski made the crossing from Ft. Lauderdale to The Bahamas aboard their 47-foot sailboat Layla, but this time was different from all the rest. Fish and Garczynski made a bit of maritime history, becoming the first vessel to clear Customs and Immigration at the Palm Cay Marina.

"It was a milestone for the marina and Mike and Martha were so pleased that they could sail directly into Palm Cay without having to clear at another destination or marina first," said Demaro Demeritte, Manager of the 194-slip marina that continually reels in rave reviews and is now the only marina in New Providence to carry the highest possible ranking on ActiveCaptain.com, the TripAdvisor-like site for boaters.

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The Ranfurly Home for Children got some added cheer just in time for the holidays this year when CIBC FirstCaribbean demonstrated its commitment to Bahamian Youth with a donation to help cover the home's holiday activities. A long-time sponsor of Ranfurly Home, the Bank commended the home for the profound impact it makes on the lives of young Bahamians who need it most.

"Our young people are the country's most valuable resources but also our most vulnerable," said CIBC FirstCaribbean Managing Director Marie Rodland-Allen. "We consider it doing our part to nurture our youth when we support organisations like The Ranfurly Home who do incredible work to improve the lives of many Bahamian children."

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Palmdale Veterinary Group recently held an Open House Mix 'n' Mingle Pet Affair to mark the opening of its newest facility, the Caves Village Veterinary Hospital in Western New Providence. The sister practice to Palmdale Veterinary Hospital offers a complete veterinary service from routine examinations, vaccinations, advanced diagnostics, pet medications and specialised food supplies.

Attendees were invited to enter a raffle before the draw date of December 21st to win $500 in goods and services from the Veterinary group. Dr. Peter Bizzell who with his wife Sylvia purchased Palmdale Veterinary Clinic from Dr Gary Cash 15 years ago, said that the new facility aims to bring greater convenience to western clients and a higher level of pet care.

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Over the holidays, Deep Water Cay was featured in 'Nashville Lifestyle' magazine, which reaches 86,000 Nashville residents as well as visitors to the Tennessee city. The article featured a view into a slice of Bahamian paradise located in the far east of Grand Bahama.

Deep Water Cay continues to highlight the beauty and draw of the island and the magazine highlights the resorts fishing as well as diving amenities. Pictured are photos of the coverage from the magazine which clearly shows off the beauty of the historical resort.

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Although the holidays may be over, the memories of Festival Noel are still lingering for Agave, who captured the Chef Noel title for a third time - two times back-to-back! Seven restaurants competed in the 2015 Chef Noel culinary competition, which is a record entrance for the event. Despite the bad weather on the night, the turnout was excellent, garnering the event one of its best financial results too.

"I was very pleased to hear we had won the Chef Noel competition," said Jasmine Sands, Sous Chef at Agave. "We're thrilled that the BNT provides this opportunity for us to show off our skills each year. We would like to thank the BNT for inviting us to participate again and the guests for selecting us as the winners for the second year in a row."

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There are going to be some positive economic changes taking place in Grand Bahama during 2016 says the Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville. Dr. Darville's comments came Wednesday morning as he officially welcomed the new Administrator for the City of Freeport, Preston Cunningham to Grand Bahama.

Mr. Cunningham replaces outgoing Administrator, Charles King, who has been transferred to New Providence having received a more senior position as Deputy Director at the Department of Local Government. Director of Local Government Alexander Williams has confirmed the new appointments.

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Happy New Year from the Humane Society of Grand Bahama to all our friends and supporters! We are kicking off 2016 with our annual President's Cocktail Party and invite all our current members and supporters to attend - it's a modest yet sincere thank you for your contributions last year. We would welcome any potential new members on the night so please join us!

Bring your chequebooks and wallets for memberships and a small silent auction with some real treasures up for grabs. Delicious appetizers will make this a fabulous cocktail party not to be missed. Current (2015) members will receive two free drinks and new members who sign up on the night will receive one free drink. There will also be a cash bar.

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Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville on Wednesday announced that they are in the final stages of planning to supply neighbouring settlements in High Rock with fresh potable water. The committee, under the direction of the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry for Grand Bahama Melvin Seymour, has been meeting for the past three months to come up with best method of providing water.

The project is expected to cost around half-a-million dollars. They are pictured discussing their plans with Minister Darville.

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Rhonda LC Hull, resident Attorney at LC Hull & Co., was recently selected as the featured lawyer in the United Kingdom's 'Lawyer Monthly' expert insight article. As part of the feature, the magazine took a look at the world of Residential Real Estate in The Bahamas and spoke to Hull a native Out Islander, working and practicing in Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

Hull has over 18 years experience representing international developers, vendors, purchasers and global financial institutions in the purchase and development of upscale dynamic real property in The Bahamas Cays including subdivision development, condominium development, purchase and sale of private Cays and Islands. The Bahamas born, Swiss, Canadian, US, Trinidadian and Swedish educated attorney, believes that 2016 will be a benchmark year for purchasing property in the Abacos.

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Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie, left, greeted Opposition Leader the Hon. Hubert Minnis and his grandson during the New Year's Day 2016 Junkanoo Parade on Bay St., Nassau.

Results available HERE from the Tribune.

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The 2016 New Year's Day Junkanoo Parade on Grand Bahama again was a huge success according to Co-Chairman Allyson Smith. During a press conference, January 5, 2016 at the Ministry of Youth Sports & Culture on Grand Bahama, Ms. Smith stated that she was pleased with the participants and the improvement in creativity of Junkanoo costumes. According to officers from the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the crowd was an estimated 7,000 spectators.

Overall Scores: A7 Swingers 2243 - 1ST, A6 Platinum 2148 - 2nd, A5 Superstar Rockers 2094 -- 3RD, A4 New Life Classic Dancers 1879 - 4Th, A8 Kingdom Culture 1613 -- 5TH, and A3 Top Performers 1258 - 6th. A1 Showtime and A2 Western Star Titans, Disqualified. The Rotary Club won the B Division.

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NASSAU EVENTS

January 9: Rugby Bahamas vs USA South - The winning side will be promoted into North Caribbean Division 1. Click HERE for info.

GRAND BAHAMA EVENTS
 

 

Get your Family Island event listed in the Bahama Islands Info Calendar for free! Just write to info@bahamaislandsinfo.com with all the relevant information.

NOTE: All dates, times, locations and other details are subject to change.   

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