The year 2005 was one that brought unspeakable grief for some Bahamian families, unforgettable triumph for others and untold trials and challenges in some parts of the country.
But Prime Minister Perry Christie continued to underscore that there is an irrepressible spirit that always assures that hope and survival triumph over wrenching pain and utter despair.
The Bahamas was again challenged by another ferocious storm when Hurricane Wilma lashed northern islands on October 24. And in December, tragedy struck as Bahamians prepared for the joyous celebration of Christmas. It came in the form of a deadly plane crash, which snatched the lives of 11 Biminites.
On the economic scene, the prime minister said his government has ushered in a new era of prosperity, having sealed several significant deals, like the $3.7 billion Ginn development and the $1.6 billion Baha Mar Cable Beach project.
And on the political scene, the biggest story of 2005 turned out to be the return of former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham, as leader of the Free National Movement. It came during his party’s convention in early November, amid criticism that he had snapped the political neck of Tommy Turnquest, the man he had supported for leader back in 2001.
But during the following week at the Progressive Liberal Party convention, there would be another memorable story of political intrigue.
Not unlike many other years, the year 2005 was one that brought surprises, many of them welcomed, many un-welcomed. The highlights of the year are reflected in what amounted to be the 12 biggest stories of the year.
Ferocious Storm Batters Northern Bahamas
Hurricane force winds reminiscent of Hurricane Frances battered Grand Bahama and other areas of the northern Bahamas on October 24, resulting in the death of a baby boy, destroying more than 100 houses and leaving a trail of destruction in its path.
When it was all over, some residents reported that their homes had been seriously flooded and extensively damaged.
Government officials assessing damage on Grand Bahama the day after the storm said it would take many millions of dollars to restore devastated communities.
Many residents said that the damage they suffered was much more extensive than during hurricanes Frances and Jeanne last year.
After spending nine hours touring Grand Bahamian communities for much of the day on October 25, Prime Minister Perry Christie expressed shock and sadness over the monumental damage caused in certain areas of Grand Bahama.
He said the government will “as quickly as humanly possible bring great focus to the challenges we have seen”.
One woman who lives in Hepburn Town, Eight Mile Rock said her family of 12 was forced to flee the house after the roof caved in.
One of the family members was injured while attempting to evacuate, according to the woman. The extent of the injuries was not known, but emergency workers reportedly took the man away for medical attention.
Another Eight Mile Rock resident, Josalee Benson, reported that her home was flooded.
Ms. Benson said her mother’s home, which is nearby, also experienced surges of more than eight feet deep.
As the menacing hurricane left the coast of Florida during the morning hours, its impact took a toll on Grand Bahama toppling trees and power lines.
Power was knocked out to the entire island, creating a monumental challenge for officials of the Grand Bahama Power Company.
In the end, government officials and many others in Grand Bahama said the road to recovery will be a long one.
Minister of State for Finance James Smith said the government must start to budget for hurricanes because it is clear that they will continue to cause serious concerns.
The Deadly Bimini Crash
Shock and despair ripped through the quaint community of Bimini like a torpedo on Monday, December 19, leaving in its wake a trail of panic and grief that scarred just about every person who called the island home.
On that fateful day, almost in the blink of an eye, 20 souls were lost to a tragedy that blanketed the island and the entire country in slicing sorrow.
It was the day that Chalk’s Ocean Airways flight 101 went down in waters off Miami Beach, known as Government Cut, while on its way to Bimini.
Eleven Biminites were killed, including three infants. Also losing their lives were a missionary who called the island home, along with six visitors, the pilot and co-pilot.
Two days after the crash, U.S. federal investigators said that the wing that fell off the doomed aircraft before it plunged into the watery depths had cracks in the main support beam which had probably gone unseen for a long time.
According to aviation lawyer, Jack London, the aircraft’s age, the addition of a new engine on an old plane and the frequent transportation of passengers made the crash virtually inevitable.
Prime Minister Perry Christie was among those describing the crash of the aircraft as the single greatest tragedy in the history of the island. He said second to the crash was a hurricane around 1935, when 10 people on Bimini lost their lives.
Mr. Christie led a team of government officials to Bimini a day after the crash where he met with families of crash victims and members of the community, all of whom were touched by the tragedy.
As grief-torn Biminites struggled to come to grips with their loss, the government soon stepped up its response to the tragedy, creating two special task forces headed by cabinet ministers to address the needs of families and friends of the dead.
On Wednesday December 28, the first in a series of memorial services were held on Bimini ahead of funeral services.
The Bimini crash victims included Jacquelyn Stuart and her daughter, Nyesha Fox; Don Smith and his grandson, Jervis Stuart; husband and wife, Barto and Sabrina Dean along with their baby, Sabrea; Sophia Sherman and her daughter, Bethany; sisters Genieve Ellis and Salome Rolle; and Carolyn Burke.
Among the crash victims who were on their way to visit Bimini were husband and wife Sergio and Jackie Danquillecourt; father and son Lawrence and Eric Johanes; and Marlin Nochtigal and Richard Rutecky.
The plane’s pilot was Michelle Marks and the co-pilot was Paul Desantos.
Prime Minister Suffers Stroke
On May 3, the day after the governing Progressive Liberal Party celebrated its third anniversary since coming to power, the nation woke to news that Prime Minister Perry Christie had been rushed to hospital in the wee hours of the morning.
At first the diagnosis from his team of doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital was that the nation’s leader who was slightly disoriented, was suffering from severe hypertension. He had at first complained of numbness in his hands. But it soon emerged that he had actually suffered a stroke, slight by medical definition.
It landed Mr. Christie in the intensive care unit with cardiologist Dr. Conville Brown saying that he was going to need a month of convalescence.
The prime minister’s medical team, which consisted of Dr. Brown and Mr. Christie’s personal physician, Dr. Perry Gomez, along with Minister of Health Senator Dr. Marcus Bethel kept the nation posted with regular press briefings about the prime minister’s progress while he was in hospital.
He was discharged a few days later to the relief of thousands of supporters and other well- wishers.
While Mr. Christie was incapacitated, his deputy Cynthia Pratt assumed the role of acting prime minister. She even delivered the budget communication weeks later in his stead.
Mr. Christie was expected to take at least a month off to convalesce. In mid June, the prime minister left the capital for Baltimore, Maryland where he was scheduled to undergo tests at Johns Hopkins hospital before being cleared by his physicians to return to a full work schedule.
His physicians, doctors Gomez and Brown, as well as his brother, Gary, traveled with him. When he returned, he reportedly continued his regular routine of a proper diet and an exercise regimen.
The prime minister continues to speak of the ordeal as a great personal challenge that gave him a wakeup call. Through it all, he said he became stronger in his faith, knowing that the Lord never puts on you more that you can bear.
Ingraham Returns As FNM Leader; Nottage Goes Back To PLP
In November, the front pages of the local dailies were swamped with political news – non-stop action that sparked debate on two significant happenings: the return of former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham, as leader of the Free National Movement and the return to the Progressive Liberal Party of Dr. Bernard Nottage.
The story of Ingraham’s return actually stretches back to September – if not earlier – when FNM members of parliament approached then FNM Leader Senator Tommy Turnquest and told him that they wished for Mr. Ingraham to replace Alvin Smith as leader of the Official Opposition.
It was a plan Mr. Turnquest strongly opposed, but on the night of September 29, they took their case to the party’s Central Council, which sanctioned Mr. Ingraham as the new leader of the FNM in the House of Assembly during a closely-watched vote.
But in the days that followed, there was no resignation from Mr. Smith and growing confusion regarding whether Mr. Ingraham would indeed become leader of the Official Opposition.
Within days, then party chairman, Carl Bethel, released a statement saying that the FNM had decided to leave things the way they were until the party’s convention in November.
As anticipation built ahead of the convention, it remained unclear whether Mr. Ingraham would seek the leadership of the party once again.
The day before the convention started, he released a statement saying he “would accept the will of the people” if they wanted him to lead.
That statement came a day after he had called Mr. Turnquest and told him that he would not be entering the race.
On the first day of the November convention, all speculation was put to rest when the former prime minister allowed his name to enter the race for leader against Mr. Turnquest and Dion Foulkes, the party’s former deputy leader.
The following evening, Mr. Ingraham was met with a roar of approval from hundreds of FNM delegates and supporters when he arrived at the convention centre.
Fliers bearing his signature also surfaced, saying that it had been a humbling experience to realize that so many members of the FNM and thousands of Bahamians wanted him to return as leader.
Later in the week, convention delegates voted to reject Mr. Turnquest and Mr. Foulkes and chose Mr. Ingraham as their new leader.
That night, the former prime minister said at a press conference in a suite at the Wyndham Nassau Resort that he was ready to serve.
“I have a record that I am running on, that I stand on, that I sit on and I never seek to run away from,” he told reporters. “I think the people know that record and because they know it many, many persons would like to have more than they had before.”
The following week, Progressive Liberal Party officials revealed a surprise of their own when former leader of the Coalition for Democratic Reform Dr. Bernard Nottage was brought into the convention hall to a hero’s welcome.
Dr Nottage’s return to the PLP was described as the defining moment of the convention.
“I want to thank you for the tremendous welcome,” said Dr Nottage to the excited crowd, many of whom jumped on their seats to see over the crowd. “I didn’t really know what to expect. This is the day that the Lord has made, we can rejoice and be glad in it.”
Dr. Nottage said that he did not take his decision to return to the PLP lightly. “I’ve never taken my responsibility of public service and representing the people lightly.”
He acknowledged that some of his colleagues who had shared his time in the “wilderness” with him were disappointed with his decision.
“But some of my advisors got so angry with me that they convinced me that this act tonight was ordained by God,” said Dr Nottage, who added that he was born to serve and would put whatever skills that he had into the development of the people and the nation.
“Tomorrow is promised to no man, so I examined my options and I realised that I had come to a crossroads and that I had to make a choice, and I chose the path that I sincerely believe gives me and you the best opportunity to contribute to the betterment of the Bahamas.”
It would not be long before he would be appointed a government senator with many people still speculating that he would soon hold a position in the cabinet of Prime Minister Perry Christie.
Riot In Nassau Village
On the night of January 26 all hell broke loose in the New Providence community of Nassau Village.
An altercation between police and residents of the area quickly erupted into a melee during which time at least five people were injured – three by gunshot – and a police car was burnt to the ground.
Residents said the dispute erupted after police mishandled a minor traffic accident in the village. It led to them shooting Wilson Simeus, 18, whose family maintained that he was innocent in the whole matter.
Police, however, insisted otherwise.
The riot underscored simmering tension among Bahamians and the Haitian-immigrant population and touched off what quickly grew into a national debate about the illegal immigration dilemma in the country.
Although authorities stressed that tension between Bahamian and non-Bahamian residents of Nassau Village was not the trigger for the riot, the discussion took on new dimensions with many Bahamians calling for the government to do more to address the illegal immigration problem.
For weeks after the Nassau Village riot, residents expressed outrage, saying that the police were the enemy.
Government officials, who attended a town meeting in the community appealed for healing and urged better police relations in Nassau Village.
Police officials for their part assured that they would seek to do a better job to foster a spirit of fairness, friendliness and partnership with residents of the area.
In the end, several of those residents were charged before the courts in connection with the riot that grabbed national attention.
Historic Ginn Deal Signed
The government in early December signed the $3.7 billion Ginn development deal for West Grand Bahama, promising that hundreds of jobs would immediately become available.
The heads of agreement signing with the Orlando-based company, which took place at the site of the planned development, came after years of negotiations that Prime Minister Perry Christie said became tedious and difficult at certain points.
Mr. Christie told several hundred invited guests that the Ginn development will “promote a new era of economic progress and prosperity for the island of Grand Bahama and will usher in the redevelopment of West End into one of the most attractive tourist Meccas in the entire region of the Americas.”
“Over the 20 year life of the project, it is estimated that it would inject a cumulative GDP contribution of over $4 billion in the Bahamian economy,” the prime minister said.
“It is projected that during construction over 3,700 persons would be employed and upon completion of the project over 4,000 new jobs will be created. In return, the government has agreed to grant reasonable and appropriate concessions to energize this mega and unique development.”
The Ginn Company, which is headed by Bobby Ginn, has acquired the extensive Sammons holdings at West End comprising almost 2,000 acres and has committed to carrying out the development in line with world class standards.
The project includes: 4,400 condominium/hotel units; 870 single family residential home sites; two championship golf courses and clubhouses; two large marinas; a private airport; a casino; swimming pools and water park facilities; tennis complexes; beach clubs and spas and various commercial undertakings and retail businesses which will be operated by Bahamians.
An enthused CEO Bobby Ginn explained that he plans to spend a lot of money building up the area designated for the investment. In fact, his company has committed to spending $80 million to $100 million preparing the property for construction to take place.
Many residents of the West End community were anxious for the promised benefits of the property, especially since the assessments of the economy of Grand Bahama were not so good.
In fact, Sir Albert Miller, a noted businessman and former chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, called the economy “flat.”
But he was confident that within the next six months it would be back on track. He said to have this kind of development outside the Freeport area means tremendous growth, the sharing of opportunities on the island and it means that the whole island will come alive.
But taking a shot at the deal that the government sealed with Ginn, former prime minister and FNM leader Hubert Ingraham demanded that Prime Minister Christie tell the Bahamian people all his government is giving away. He accused the prime minister of not being fully transparent and accountable, claiming that while he reports the details of investment agreements concluded by his government in the house of assembly, but he doesn’t table all of them.
The opposition posed several questions about the project including the projected level of investment in the first phase, the participation of Bahamian and foreign contractors, the construction of marina facilities on low lying land at west Grand Bahama and stamp tax concessions.
Baha Mar Deal Sealed
After many months of intense negotiations, Prime Minister Perry Christie said in April that he was tremendously relieved to sign a heads of agreement with the Baha Mar Development Company Ltd.
“It has been without doubt the most complex, comprehensive and time consuming process ever undertaken in The Bahamas on such a major project,” Mr. Christie said at the official signing ceremony which took place at a packed Cabinet Office in downtown Nassau.
“This historic development, which envisages an expenditure of not less than $1 billion in Phase I, will completely revitalize the entire Cable Beach resort area in accordance with my government’s bold economic vision and plans for world class touristic development.”
The agreement, which includes the purchase of the Radisson Cable Beach Resort from the government-owned Bahamas Hotel Corporation, came seven days after the group announced its purchase of the Nassau Beach Hotel and Wyndham Nassau Resort & Crystal Palace Casino from American developer, Phil Ruffin.
Sarkis Izmirlian, chairman and CEO of Baha Mar, said he has long been aware of the potential of Cable Beach.
The Izmirlians have lived in The Bahamas for the past 15 years.
Prime Minister Christie said, “They have set out to create a must-see, one-of-a-kind experience, using the creative genius of the best international and Bahamian professionals, supported by what I believe to be an invaluable Bahamian human resource team now employed at the Cable Beach hotels, and those who will swell their ranks as expansion takes place.”
The development will be “the best resort development in the world”, Mr. Izmirlian said at the time of the signing.
“Today, I am very happy to begin the process of development of the new Cable Beach, which will be called Baha Mar,” Mr. Izmirlian said.
“We will create a one of a kind resort which in Phase I will be the single largest investment at $1.2 billion in the history of The Bahamas.”
The major redevelopment and construction of the properties is scheduled to being in 2007, although management has announced immediate plans to make substantial investments in improving guest and employee areas.
Baha Mar officials said the project will create a world-class resort and gaming destination incorporating globally recognized hotel and casino brands with their enormous marketing power and high service standards.
Phase I of the multi-property mega resort will accommodate 2,700 guest rooms across a broad spectrum of price points and multiple hotel experiences; 175,000 square feet of meeting and convention facilities; and a new 18-hole championship golf course.
At 75,000 square feet, the proposed ‘Las Vegas style’ casino will be the largest in the Caribbean. The resort will also boast a number of unique attractions and activities available to guests of the resort, cruise passengers and the Bahamian public.
Cabinet Minister’s Accuser Drops Rape Charge
Christmas Day 2004 was probably unlike any other birthday Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts ever celebrated. With a growing media storm surrounding him, he continued to maintain his innocence as reports emerged about a rape charge a woman he knew lodged against him.
It would not be long before more and more calls came for his resignation as police admitted that they were investigating the report. The fiery story even made international news and locally it received front-page coverage daily, leading into 2005.
On January 5, Commissioner of Police Paul Farquharson took what was an unusual step and called a press conference to discuss the matter.
At that press conference, he was called upon three times to explain why police took three weeks to question Minister Roberts in connection with the rape claim.
He explained at the time that police did not want to act prematurely and in some instances have waited up to six months to question persons accused in similar matters.
Minister Roberts said in a statement that he had gone to the police voluntarily.
As calls for his (Roberts’) resignation grew, Attorney General Alfred Sears confirmed that police had recommended that Minister Roberts not be charged in relation to the rape claim made against him on December 5.
“I received a recommendation from the Commissioner of Police that based on their collection of evidence and their assessment of the evidence in all of the circumstances that Mr. Roberts should not be charged,” the attorney general said at the time.
Minister Sears, who spoke with reporters during an event at the College of The Bahamas, was also asked whether he could remain impartial in this matter.
He said, “As attorney general I have a constitutional obligation. The constitution guarantees me independence as attorney general and I begin with the very simple proposition that no person is above the law and that guided by the technical experts in the Office of the Attorney General, we will review the evidence in a dispassionate manner and in light of all of the circumstances a decision will be made.”
Though talk of the matter still lingers, the woman involved soon withdrew her claim, bringing an end to a saga that had grabbed much attention for weeks.
The World Loses A Pope
His death shocked and saddened a nation, a denomination and the world.
There is no doubting the extensive impact that the passing of Pope John Paul II had. The loss of the spiritual head of the Catholic Church was a tough pill to swallow for many people around the globe and Bahamians included.
The pontiff, who was the spiritual leader of more than one billion people around the world, died on Saturday April 2, 2005, two days after authorities at the Vatican made known that he was gravely ill.
The charismatic pontiff, who led Catholics for 26 years, died at 2:37 p.m. ET in his private apartment. He was 84.
The pope was known for his energy, intellectualism and activism on the global stage, but he was slowed in recent years by Parkinson’s Disease and crippling arthritis.
Pope John Paul II was remembered as a “champion of human freedom,” a “tireless advocate of peace” and a man with a “wonderful sense of humor” who was easy to talk to.
His death sparked a flurry of condolences from world, civic and religious leaders. Prime Minister Perry Christie joined millions of people around the world in expressing regret and deep sadness over his death. It also lead to protracted debate about a successor.
Weeks after, on Sunday April 24, Pope Benedict XVI, German born Joseph Ratzinger was formally installed as his successor at a mass outside St. Peter’s Basilica in front of an audience of hundreds of thousands and millions of others watching on television.
During his homily, the new pontiff said he wished to reach out to Jews and “believers and non-believers alike” and asked for prayers from the St. Peter’s square onlookers as he assumed “this enormous task.”
Soon afterwards, Bahamian Archbishop Patrick Pinder said the election of Pope Benedict as the head of the world’s 1.1 billion Catholics may very well be a signal of the internationalization of the papacy.
Pope John Paul II visited The Bahamas on February 1, 1979, a few short months into his pontificate and many Bahamians recalled the visit with great fondness.
Prime Minister Christie said the world is richer for his life and the world shall miss this giant of our times.
COB President Resigns
This summer, the country’s premier tertiary level institution was caught up in a whirlwind of controversy that involved a protracted debate over plagiarism accusations and former College of The Bahamas President Dr. Rodney Smith. It was attention that COB neither wanted nor needed. After the smoke cleared, it was disclosed that College Council member Audrey Ingram Roberts blew the whistle on Dr. Smith after she discovered that he had used a portion of a speech given by the President of New York University Dr. John Sexton without giving him proper attribution.
Soon afterwards Dr. Smith apologized for his oversight bringing the matter to the public’s attention.
He wasn’t prepared for what was to follow.
What came was a volley of retorts, some of them barbed with a range of persons stating quite plainly that Dr. Smith had committed plagiarism and should be made to give up his position because of it. But on the other hand, Dr. Smith had a few staunch supporters who came out in full support of him at a rally held at the Oakes Field campus.
The situation appeared to take its toll on Dr. Smith, who was eventually hospitalized as the furor raged.
The college council had appointed a panel of advisers to make recommendations on how to handle the situation.
Back in September, three days after Dr. Smith lashed out at COB’s council for asking for his resignation, the council released portions of the report submitted by the panel. It stated plainly that it did not see how Dr. Smith would have cause to complain or feel aggrieved indicating that his actions amounted to plagiarism.
According to the report, “nothing that was said to us by President Smith erases that.”
There were actually two occasions on which Dr. Smith had omitted to acknowledge President Sexton – at COB’s honours convocation and at the commencement. Dr. Smith eventually acknowledged that he had sealed his own fate, tendering his resignation as the president in early August.
He communicated his decision in a letter addressed to members of the college community dated August 3, 2005.
In it, Dr. Smith called it the most difficult letter that he had ever written in his life. The letter caught many faculty members at the college by surprise, especially his supporters.
In the days, weeks and months that followed, Dr. Rhonda Chipman-Johnson was named acting president and the head of the College Council Franklyn Wilson has said that she and Dr. Pandora Johnson, a vice president at the college, have applied for the position of president.
No decision has been announced.
Deadly Plant Disease Wreaks Havoc
In late 2004, Ministry of Agriculture officials announced that the devastating crop disease known as citrus canker had been discovered at The Bahamas Star Grove in Treasure Cay, Abaco.
Minister V. Alfred Gray announced that authorities were moving quickly to try to rid Abaco of the disease and prevent it from spreading to other islands.
It would not be long before citrus canker was discovered at the 2,500-acre B. G. Harmon Farm in Marsh Habour with its owner, Ben Harmon, reporting soon after that he expected to lose millions of dollars as a result of the outbreak of the disease.
“It is quite a blow,” Mr. Harmon said when he spoke with The Bahama Journal back in May. “A lot of investments, a lot of money has gone into the project and I have lost millions of dollars. My market was export to the United States and I don’t see the United States allowing me to bring fruits from Abaco back into the states.”
Mr. Harmon has owned the farm from 1985 and said it would be too much to start from scratch.
“It takes five to seven years before you start any production on the grove,” he said. “It is just a lot of money, too much time and then there is the canker disease hanging over your head. I don’t see myself in the citrus business any more. We have got a nursery-we have got the groves and all that is obviously going to be going away.”
Citrus canker is a bacterial disease that causes leaves and fruit to drop prematurely and could pose disastrous consequences for the crop in The Bahamas, which is said to be the third largest in CARICOM nations.
The infestation appears as brown, raised lesions surrounded by an oily, water-soaked margin and a yellow ring or halo appearing on leaves and fruit. Old lesions in leaves may fall out, creating a shot-hole effect, according to agriculture experts.
At the end of 2005, agriculture officials say the citrus industry in The Bahamas remains devastated by the disease, but they remain hopeful about a comeback.
Raging Bush Fire Creates Major Worries
In May, raging wildfires in southwest New Providence threatened to scorch dozens of homes and businesses, singed vegetation and burned perilously close to a telecommunications substation.
It was a major bush fire that covered a very large area.
Teams of firefighters had been dispatched to battle the blazes and traffic was being diverted because thick smoke had blanketed the area.
Firefighters soon moved to evacuate residents of Coral Heights. Some of them claimed the blaze had been burning since a few days earlier.
From: The Bahama Journal
