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By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us)
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A
motion to raise the retirement age goes up for debate today in the House of
Assembly. Legislators heard on May 10 about plans to increase the retirement
and pensionable age at the same time from 65 to 70 over a ten-year period, with
the retirement age to move to 68 inside a five-year period. A more transparent
arrangement for the hiring of advisers and consultants by the Government will
also be discussed. If approved, the Premier and Opposition Leaders Personal
Staffs Act will require all appointments and salaries to be published annually.
A report on work to boost the Government’s efficiency is to be tabled, and
Wayne Furbert, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, will update MPs on the work
of the Efficiency Committee. Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of
Public Works, will give a ministerial statement on the island’s railway
trails. MPs will hear about TN Tatem Middle School, which is closed for
renovations after repeated outbreaks of mould, from Diallo Rabain, the Minister
of Education.
Delegates
from 15 different countries came to Bermuda this week for the Biennial Caribbean
Ombudsman Association Conference. Victoria Pearman, Ombudsman for Bermuda
and outgoing CAROA president, said the results were positive with public
sessions tackling issues such as Ombudsman independence and climate change. Ms
Pearman said: “One noteworthy result was Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch’s
commitment to encourage the Bermuda Government to invite the Ombudsman to join
in disaster management efforts at the planning stage. This would allow for more
direct sharing of lessons learnt across the region. CAROA invites other regional
governments to consider such action.” In addition to conferences, the 32
delegates watched a special performance by a Gombey troupe, enjoyed a boat ride
to Harbour Nights in Hamilton and took a walking tour of the town of St
George’s. Ms Pearman added: “The feedback we’ve received from delegates,
local participants and members of the public has been extremely positive. By all
accounts, the conference was a great success.” Ms Pearman announced that she
would not put herself forward to continue as president of the CAROA Council,
with Rosemarie Husbands-Mathurin, Parliamentary Commissioner for St Lucia, voted
in as her successor. Ms Pearman added: “I will continue as Regional president
for the Caribbean and Latin America of the International Ombudsman Institute,
which is the largest global body representing ombudsman from 199 countries and
associated bodies. This role and the work of our own office will keep me
sufficiently occupied and engaged.”
Almost
30 bus services were cancelled this afternoon after industrial action by drivers
was announced. The Government’s alerts, issued at about 4pm, showed a list
of 29 services across the island that would not run. Bus drivers started a work
to rule at 6am yesterday. The Ministry of Tourism and Transport said the
Department of Public Transportation was notified of the industrial action by the
Bus Operators and Allied Workers Division of the Bermuda Industrial Union on
Wednesday. A ministry spokesman said then: “Bermudians of all walks of life
depend on the public transportation system. We are determined to resolve this
impasse and restore full service for our passengers.” He said the transport
department apologized for the inconvenience. Chris Furbert, the BIU president,
told ZBM on Tuesday that bus operators raised a number of concerns during a
meeting on Monday. He added that the division had sent the head of the civil
service a letter expressing a lack of confidence in the senior management team.
The
Bermuda Union of Teachers has called for an emergency meeting of members to take
place this morning. But the Department of Education said the union had not
requested for members to have time away from work for the meeting. A spokeswoman
for the department said: “Therefore teachers are not authorized to absent
themselves from work but are expected to report to school for the regular school
work day. However, the Department will work with the BUT in alignment with
correct protocols to find a more suitable time to hold a general membership
meeting rather than disrupt the teaching day for students.” The meeting as
announced was to take place at the Heritage Worship Centre on Dundonald Street
at 8.30am.
St
George’s residents caught a glimpse of a high-end visitor — the 70-metre
superyacht Elysian. The Cayman-registered luxury vessel stopped by
the island briefly on Wednesday to refuel as it travelled to Gibraltar. The
ship, bought by billionaire John W. Henry in 2016, has six guest rooms, a
helipad, a massage room and an infinity pool among its many amenities. Mr Henry
is also the principal owner of The Boston Globe, the Boston Red Sox and
Liverpool Football Club, who play Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League
final tomorrow afternoon.
An
angry homeowner claimed that he was “beating his head against a wall” after
a road roller was dumped opposite his house almost a year ago. Everett
Gibson said the machine blocked access for trash trucks and prevented the use of
parking spaces at a public dock. The 72-year-old added that the problem of
dumping at Jews Bay, Southampton, was not new but that other trash was
“nothing” compared to the roller. Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the public
works minister, said people caught illegally dumping goods would be prosecuted
“to the fullest extent of the law”. Mr Gibson contacted The Royal Gazette
after he read about waste dumped at Ely’s Harbour this month. Discarded items
at the Sandys site included a washer, a dryer, a mattress and an oven. Mr Gibson
said: “Jews Bay has become a dump and it’s ten times worse. Someone has
abandoned a road roller. It has been there for a year; this is a huge piece of
equipment. There is a platform where the three dumpsters sit and the road roller
is parked right in front of there, so the trucks that come to pick up the
dumpsters can’t pick them up.” Mr Gibson, a retired BTC employee and former
Reserve Police officer, said that dumping at the spot had been a problem “on
and off” for years. He added: “They started off with a mattress and box
spring, now it looks like car seats over there, but that’s nothing compared to
the roller. I just paid thousands of dollars to have my house painted. I try to
keep my place looking nice then I’ve got to look across the road to this.
It’s ridiculous, no one seems to want to take it in hand. “It’s a car park
for people going out on their boats. You could probably put three more cars
there if that road roller wasn’t there. It’s an ongoing problem. I’ve
complained for years and it’s like I’m beating my head up against a brick
wall.” Mr Gibson said he had contacted the public works department about the
problem more than once and had written to Leah Scott, the MP for Southampton
East Central. The One Bermuda Alliance member said she expected the roller to be
removed soon. She added: “I’ve been in touch with the Ministry of Public
Works and they have confirmed that there have been ongoing inquiries. They’ve
been trying to contact the owner. The department is still working on it and
trying to have it resolved in short order.” The spot is close to the Fairmont
Southampton’s Waterlot Inn and a spokeswoman for the company said its
environmental sustainability group was scheduled to launch a blitz on trash at
the site next month. She added: “Anything that is going to be unsightly for
our tourists is obviously of concern for Fairmont. Our Planet 21 team has gone
to that public dock in previous years and, in fact, we will be going back down
there to do clean-ups on Saturday, June 8. But she said: “We’re not in a
position to remove a roller. We think it should be taken care of by the people
who look after the public docks.” Colonel Burch said he was aware of the
problem of illegal dumping and people “placing household garbage and large
items at bus stops, marine docks and other unauthorized locations”. The public
works minister added: “We will seek to identify these persons and prosecute
them to the fullest extent of the law. Fines can be as much as $10,000. We are
mostly disappointed that individuals who continue to engage in this behaviours
take no personal pride in maintaining and preserving the beauty of our island
and our environment.” Colonel Burch said: “This activity is putting an
unnecessary burden on the government collection system and the taxpayer. Those
witnessing such abuse have a responsibility to also report such activity so
corrective measures can be taken.”
Warwick
Academy has held a ground-breaking ceremony for its new marine science facility.
Pupils will be able to take advantage of the school’s dock and develop their
understanding of the ocean at the facility next to Hamilton Harbour. It is being
built after a $300,000 fundraising campaign by the school. Head of science
Jessica Young and science technician Roz Wingate came up with the idea of a
marine research facility, but pupils have played a key role. Principal David
Horan said: “Significantly, it was students who inspired the thinking behind
Jess and Roz’s design and who continue to inspire us. Of particular importance
is the Warwick Academy Natural History Club. It has been this student agency
that has accelerated at Warwick Academy in the last few years where students
have been the agents of change.” Pupils have already been involved in
environmental initiatives such as reducing waste, cleaning up beaches, switching
to recyclable plates and composting. He added: “They have recently started the
landscaping and growing the endemics that will be planted to regenerate the
property. A big thank you to all of them. You inspire us.” Mr Horan said
numerous partners within the community had contributed to the project. Colin
Smith, the chairman of the board of governors, said: “We are truly fortunate
to witness this milestone following almost three years of mapping out the best
possible use for this property, while being sensitive to the environment. None
of it would have been possible without our donors and we are grateful to every
single one.”
Huckleberry
Restaurant is holding a grand soirée tomorrow evening in honour of World
Ocean’s Day. Aquatic creatures of various kinds including shrimp and crab
feature heavily on the menu, but the star promises to be lionfish. The invasive
species will be served up as won tons in sweet chilli sauce at the event on the
Rosedon Hotel’s front lawn on Pitts Bay Road. “Lionfish is something you
don’t see a lot of on local menus,” said Rob Bruni, assistant general
manager of the hotel. “It is a slightly more expensive fish because it is so
much more rare, and more difficult for restaurants to take on. In that sense, it
is a delicacy in how it is prepared.” The lionfish is being provided by
Atlantic Lionshare, a local company that uses submersibles to catch the invasive
species of fish. “World Oceans Day is technically June 8 but they really
celebrate it the whole month,” Mr Bruni said. The theme suited the restaurant
and hotel well, because they have been going through a process to make
themselves more environmentally friendly. “We have eliminated plastic
straws,” Mr Bruni said. “We now use bamboo straws. I am looking at getting
our own custom-made ones.” Huckleberry has been trying to eliminate plastic
waste in its kitchen and is looking at how it can recycle more. “We even now
have our own garden on the property that we utilize strictly for the restaurant,
so it is all natural and organic,” Mr Bruni said. “It pairs really well now
with the wine list that we have. We now offer the most extensive wine list in
the country of organic biodynamic and vegan and naturally sustainable wines.
That pairs really well with our farm-to-table concept. We are definitely moving
in that direction of trying new ideas that help us promote that green and
eco-friendly atmosphere.” At the soirée there will also be all you can eat
canapés, a charcuterie station, tapas and a barbecue. In terms of drink, there
will be an open bar provided by Goslings, a Moët & Chandon champagne
station and Absolut Elyx speciality cocktails. Bermudian-born musician Taylor
Rankin and his violin Leroy will provide music for the occasion along with
Devils Isle Audio. “Mr Rankin even has some songs geared to World Oceans
Day,” Mr Bruni said. The soirée will be the first in a summer series at the
restaurant, the next one being on July 13. Huckleberry Restaurant first opened
two years ago and was run by Take Five Ltd. In January the Rosedon took it back
to run themselves. General manager Nagma Walker said since then, they have taken
Huckleberry to a higher culinary level, and are now paired up with Relais &
Châteaux, a global fellowship of individually owned and operated luxury hotels
and restaurants. Ms Walker said one of their biggest problems has been keeping
up with demand. “Huckleberry has been more successful than we thought it would
be in the first eight to ten months,” she said. “Right now, we are turning
away business because we don’t have the staffing to deal with it. We are
looking at expanding our kitchen at the end of the year, so that we can cater to
the higher volume we are getting. I would say 80 per cent of our clients are
local. We have a huge local following.” But Mr Bruni said he still meets
locals who have no idea the Rosedon is still open, and haven’t heard of
Huckleberry. The hope is that the soirée series will get the word out there,
about the hotel and restaurant. “The general exposure in itself will be
good,” Mr Bruni said. The soirée will kick off at 7pm and run until 11pm.
Tickets are $250 per person, available from ptix.bm. The soirées later in
the summer will be a little less expensive. The one in July will be $175.
“That one won’t have Taylor Rankin, but it will have DIA and an open bar
provided by Goslings,” Mr Bruni said. “It will be similar.”
A
Bermudian planted the island’s flag at the top of the world after a grueling
60-mile ski expedition to the magnetic North Pole. Saltus Grammar School
alumnus Richard Talbot endured extreme conditions before he completed the
remarkable journey to the remote and icy landmark. The 55-year-old, raised in
Southampton and based in Toronto, spoke to The Royal Gazette about his
nine-day adventure during which temperatures, intensified by brutal wind chill,
plummeted to -30F. Mr Talbot said: “It was a very proud moment to be able to
unfurl the flag of Bermuda. Bermudians are extensive travelers and this is
another place that has been visited. I certainly thought often of the island.
There was a lot of time to reflect and you can’t help but admire the early
explorers and how strong they must have been to endure similar conditions
without the gear and equipment that we have today. It is the toughest thing I
have ever done, in the sense of the endurance, and also the mental fortitude
required to be in an environment that cold for as long as we were without a
break.” Mr Talbot and eight other people took part in the Outward Bound
Canada’s 50th anniversary expedition from April 26 to May 4. The magnetic
North Pole is where the planet’s magnetic field points vertically downwards.
Its exact location is slowly moving; the spot Mr Talbot reached was registered
as the magnetic North Pole in 1996. Mr Talbot reached so far north that his
compass dial began spinning, but highly skilled guides were on hand to navigate.
He said: “We had been in whiteout conditions for several days and the GPS was
giving us two slightly different directions. Both guides had to come to the
front to compare notes and figure out our direction. We had complete confidence
but it was a challenging time.” He said the conditions prompted him to recall
Bermuda’s Latin motto Quo Fata Ferunt, which means “Whither the Fates
Carry [Us]”. Mr Talbot trained for two hours a day for nearly four months to
prepare himself mentally and physically for the challenge. The team skied in six
one-hour blocks, covering about 11 miles each day, while dragging 80lb sleds.
They could not stay still for more than ten minutes while on skis. Mr Talbot
said: “Moisture is your worst enemy because it will freeze.” While they did
not encounter polar bears or other animals in the vast wilderness, weather
conditions presented many threats. They wore multiple layers of socks to ward
off frostbite, and consumed at least 5,000 calories a day — 250 calories per
hour — because of the intense exercise combined with the cold. Mr Talbot said:
“Everything is freeze dried. We had oatmeal, granola and maple syrup and hot
chocolate with butter for breakfast. For dinner, we had things like beef stew,
chicken and rice, macaroni and cheese, and for snacks we would eat nuts, dried
fruit and cheese.” It is uncertain how many have ventured to the magnetic
North Pole. The first recorded European to visit the area was Gunnar Isachsen,
in 1901, and the last organised trip was in 2014. Expedition leaders said that
it was unlikely there would be many more organised trips because planes are
reluctant to fly there. “I think it is safe to say that very few people have
seen this place with their own eyes,” Mr Talbot said. The avid runner, alpine
skier, and intrepid traveler, who has worked in the financial services business
for 30 years, said he was lured by a combination of adventure and good will.
“There was a fundraising component for the group to raise $200,000 to help
Outward Bound Canada’s activity. I think it was also the sense of challenge,
both physical and mental, and to do something that very few people have the
opportunity to do. Looking at the terrain, in a rustic sense, it has got to be
one of the most beautiful places that I have had the opportunity to go to. The
remoteness and in the clear blue, the views were absolutely stunning. We don’t
always appreciate the beauty that nature can offer. It was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience — it exceeded all expectations.”
The
Government’s legal bid to ban same-sex weddings is likely to cost taxpayers as
much as $3 million, marriage equality campaigners suggested yesterday. LGBTQ
charity OutBermuda estimated the final cost after the Government confirmed it
had been given permission to take the case to the Privy Council in London, the
island’s highest court of appeal. OutBermuda said it expected the Government
to lose the case, meaning legal costs for both sides would come out of the
public purse. “To be perfectly clear, today in Bermuda, same-sex couples are
fully permitted to secure marriage licences and have their marriages recognized,”
the charity said. This right was declared by the Bermuda Supreme Court in 2017 and upheld by two
subsequent court decisions. The ongoing legal battle and final hearing in the
Privy Council, however, is necessary to make this basic human right permanent
and lasting for all Bermuda citizens.” The charity added: “Once we are
successful at the Privy Council, we estimate that the Bermuda Government will
incur approximately $3 million in covering their own legal expenses, as well as
ours.” A Ministry of Home Affairs spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette: “The
Government has received leave to appeal. The Government’s position concerning
the appeal has not changed.” She added that the ministry “cannot and will
not speculate” on the cost of taking the case to the Privy Council.
Bermuda’s Supreme Court ruled in May 2017 that gay couples could marry but six
months later the Government passed the Domestic Partnership Act, outlawing
same-sex weddings. A challenge was brought against the Act by Bermudian Rod
Ferguson, with OutBermuda and others joining the legal action. Former Chief
Justice Ian Kawaley ruled on their case in June last year, finding that the
parts of the legislation that restricted marriage to opposite-sex couples were
unconstitutional. He agreed to a request from the Government for his decision to
be “stayed” pending an appeal, meaning gay couples could no longer wed. The
Court of Appeal upheld Mr Justice Kawaley’s ruling in November and allowed
same-sex marriages to take place again. The cost so far to taxpayers of the case
brought by Mr Ferguson and OutBermuda is not known. David Burt, the Premier,
told MPs in December that it cost about $14,000 for legal advice on whether to
take the fight against marriage equality to the Privy Council and that appealing
Mr Justice Kawaley’s decision in the Court of Appeal cost about $52,000. Home
affairs minister Walter Roban had previously said the legal costs for the Court
of Appeal matter were estimated to be about $61,000. The House of Assembly heard
in March that the estimated legal costs “to date” of defending the case
brought by Mr Ferguson and OutBermuda and appealing the outcome was “likely
between $120,000 and $150,000”. Health minister Kim Wilson, speaking during a
debate on the legal affairs budget, told MPs: “The cost to appeal to the Privy
Council and the cost of responding to the appeal has not been finalized at the
moment.” It is understood that Mr Ferguson’s lawyer, Mark Pettingill, and OUTBermuda's
lawyer, Rod Attride-Stirling, are seeking costs of about $800,000 each.
OutBermuda said yesterday: “OutBermuda, as well as Rod Ferguson and the other
successful plaintiffs, are proceeding to enforce the Court of Appeal’s order
against the Government for legal costs incurred.” The Royal Gazette made a
public access to information request for records related to the cost of the
Court of Appeal case from the Ministry of Legal Affairs. The ministry rejected
the request and did not respond to a request for a review of that decision.
Information commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez ordered
the ministry yesterday to provide the newspaper with a final decision on whether
it would release the records by July 10. OutBermuda said law Lord David Panicky
QC — “a pre-eminent human rights and constitutional advocate in the United
Kingdom, with extensive global experience” — would represent the charity and
Mr Ferguson at the Privy Council. The Government of Bermuda this week received
their consent from the Court of Appeal in Bermuda to submit their formal Notice
of Appeal to the Privy Council; that action will set into motion the rest of the
steps and processes and the timing of the hearing in London,” said the charity
in its statement. OutBermuda is applying for their case to be expedited and
heard in the Privy Council as soon as possible, to validate the will of
Bermuda’s highest court and to give absolute certainty to all Bermudian
citizens and same-sex couples.” Mr Ferguson said: “We always knew this road
might take us all the way to the Privy Council. Our team is committed. The
support for equal marriage for LGBTQ Bermudians is strong. Our faith in the
fairness of the courts has been reaffirmed at every step along the way and we
are optimistic about the outcome in London.” OutBermuda director Adrian
Hartnett-Beasley added: “Love ultimately must win. While Bermuda’s same-sex
couples have been able to celebrate their vows equally under our laws — again
— for over six months, we cannot take this hard-won right for granted. This is
also the time we prepare well for our final push and bring our case not only to
the Privy Council but for the rest of the world to hear.” The home affairs
spokeswoman would not say who will represent the Government at the Privy
Council. Between May 2017 and June 2018, 20 same-sex couples tied the knot —
14 on the island and 6 at sea. There have been two more same-sex marriages since
the Court of Appeal’s judgment. Three couples have entered into domestic
partnerships since June 1 last year, with one more union pending.
Policies
will limit the use of special taxi permits when they are introduced, according
to Zane DeSilva, Minister of Tourism and Transport. Mr DeSilva said that
while the announcement of the permits was met with an “overwhelmingly
positive” response from the public, he said he was aware of concerns among
taxi operators. He said: “We are looking at the options very carefully and
have already decided to make the permits subject to an annual fee and
assessment. Our goal is to get these taxis on the road and running before the
end of July. I also wish to make it clear, to existing and potential taxi
licence owners, that the new permit will be restricted to working times that
fill the identified service gaps — the proposed hours are from 3pm to 6am and
this will be finalized soon. To ensure all regulations are adhered to, the
special permit taxis will be required to register with a dispatcher who will
send them work only during the permitted times.” Mr DeSilva added that once
launched, the programme would be carefully monitored to determine if any
additional special taxi permits were required. He said as part of the creation
of the Transport Green paper, the Government had looked at the data from three
of the four dispatching services on the island and were able to identify times
and locations when the public could not secure transport. Mr DeSilva explained:
“There are a number of individuals willing and able to drive taxis, but they
are unable to do so because some owners have declined to make their taxis
available for rent. This, along with other factors such as some drivers choosing
not to work during unsociable hours, results in a shortage of taxis,
specifically at certain locations and times of the day. “It is for this reason
we are looking to introduce special taxi permits.” He added that the
Government would implement many of the ideas recommended during the Transport
Green Paper consultation period as it seeks to address shortcomings in the
system, but the special taxi permits were the quickest and most efficient way to
get more taxis on the road to provide transportation during the summer season.
Mr DeSilva added: “I look forward to working with stakeholders to fix these
problems which have festered for years without resolution. In tourism and
transport, we cannot let attachments to the past prevent us from modernizing the
future. We were elected to fix problems and must move forward to make
transportation better while providing more Bermudians the opportunity to earn a
living and benefit from our growing tourism economy.”
Bus
drivers were set to begin a work to rule from 6am today, according to the
Ministry of Tourism and Transport. A spokesman said the Department of Public
Transportation was notified of the industrial action by the Bus Operators and
Allied Workers Division of the Bermuda Industrial Union yesterday. The spokesman
said: “As part of our mandate to provide safe and reliable transportation, we
are committed to meeting with the members to find common ground and work
together to resolve the issues raised. Dialogue is open and a meeting is
scheduled for tomorrow to address the concerns. Bermudians of all walks of life
depend on the public transportation system. We are determined to resolve this
impasse and restore full service for our passengers. The DPT apologizes for the
inconvenience to the traveling public and will provide updates as new
information becomes available.” Chris Furbert, the BIU president, told ZBM on
Tuesday that bus operators raised a number of concerns during a meeting on
Monday. He added that the division had sent the Head of the Civil Service a
letter expressing a lack of confidence in the senior management team.
Magistrate
Khamisi Tokunbo pleaded not guilty yesterday to refusing to provide a breath
sample after a car crash. Mr Tokunbo and Allen Robinson, both 64, were taken
into custody after a collision on South Road, in Paget, on January 19. The car
the men were in left the road and plunged down an embankment near the public
entrance to Elbow Beach. The pair were helped out of the car by a passer-by and
Robinson was taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for treatment for
minor injuries. Robinson, from Warwick, pleaded guilty to the same offence in
Magistrates’ Court yesterday. He was fined $1,000 and disqualified from
driving for 18 months by magistrate Craig Attridge. Mr Tokunbo, also from
Warwick, who was represented by Charles Richardson, is due back in court on June
24. It is understood Mr Tokunbo, who has been a magistrate since 2005, has not
sat on the bench since his arrest shortly after the incident. Government House
has repeatedly failed to confirm his professional status. The Royal Gazette
approached the magistrate after the hearing to ask whether he would resume his
career. Mr Tokunbo declined to face questions and said: “I’ve got nothing to
say.” Government House, Director of Public Prosecutions Larry Mussenden and
senior magistrate Juan Wolffe also remained tight-lipped over the matter
yesterday. The media were advised Mr Tokunbo would be appearing in
Magistrates’ Court at 9.30am. He was seen outside the door to Courtroom 1,
where first appearances are typically made, at about 10.15am, but did not appear
inside before proceedings finished at about 10.45am. Court staff later indicated
that Mr Tokunbo and Robinson had appeared in another courtroom. A Department of
Public Prosecutions employee later confirmed that Mr Tokunbo and Robinson had
appeared in Courtroom 2 and provided details on what took place. Magistrate
appointments are made by John Rankin, the Governor, who is responsible for their
conduct. Government House declined to answer yesterday questions about Mr
Tokunbo’s professional status, including whether he was still a magistrate and
if he had served as an acting senior magistrate in February, as previously
announced. A spokeswoman said: “His Excellency does not comment on personnel
matters.” The same questions were sent to Government House in March and went
unanswered. Mr Mussenden was asked why the matter was not heard in Courtroom 1
and who made the decision to hear it in Courtroom 2. He responded to both:
“You have to ask the senior magistrate this question.” Mr Wolffe, who sat on
the bench in Courtroom 1 yesterday, did not respond to questions by press time
yesterday. Mr Tokunbo was named Bermuda’s first Director of Public
Prosecutions in 2000. The Royal Gazette was not in the court room, but
the Department of Public Prosecutions provided the information after the
hearing.
No
decision has yet been made on the deployment of Fifth Generation technology on
the island. Widely known as 5G, it is the next generation of mobile internet
connectivity, and is said to offer faster speed and more reliable connections.
The Regulatory Authority of Bermuda, which oversees the telecommunications
industry, said it was disappointed that Horizon Communications had said it would
be ready to launch services using 4G and 5G technology in Bermuda. The company
mentioned its 5G ambition in an announcement yesterday, when it said it was
waiting for the RA to release new integrated communication operating licence
application forms so that it could apply and, if accepted, host fixed wireless
internet services on the island. There has been a six-year moratorium on the
issuing of new ICOLs, however the Bermuda Government lifted the moratorium this
year and the RA subsequently conducted an extended public consultation last
month and earlier this month to establish conditions and requirements for new
licences. That process is ongoing. Denton Williams, chief executive of the
Regulatory Authority, said: “We are disappointed that Horizon Communication
chose to publish their intent to deploy 5G based technologies, as the RA very
recently advised them that there would be no consideration given to 5G at this
time. Our position is that deploying 5G will result in a significant change of
technology and its use. To make a comprehensive assessment of its viability for
Bermuda will require the input of the public and our stakeholders, through our
normal public consultation process. Until such time, 5G will not be deployed in
Bermuda.” The first substantial deployment of 5G technology was made in South
Korea last month. While today, the first 5G service in the UK was rolled out by
the company EE, although the network is limited to six cities. Also today,
Sprint became the third major US telecoms carrier to launch a 5G network; that
network serves four cities, including Atlanta and Dallas.
A
man accused of murder told jurors yesterday that he did not kill the victim. Under
cross-examination Kiari Tucker maintained that he was in the Curving Avenue area
when Morlan Steede was fatally shot and denied that he was the man caught on
CCTV near the murder scene. The 22-year-old said: “You are just assuming
things. It’s not me.” Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Tucker chased and
fatally shot Mr Steede in the Deepdale area of Pembroke on November 3, 2017. Mr
Tucker denies murder and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence. On
Tuesday, he told the court that on the night of the murder he had gone to
Deepdale to buy cannabis and saw Mr Steede. The defendant said that he knew Mr
Steede by his “street name”, “Clappa”, while he was known as
“Blocka”. Mr Tucker told the court that after he left Deepdale he returned
briefly to Court Street before he walked to Curving Avenue to prepare crack
cocaine to be sold. As the trial continued yesterday, Carrington Mahoney, for
the Crown, suggested that Mr Tucker had actually only walked towards Elliot
Street, where he got a ride back to Deepdale. Mr Mahoney said mobile phone
evidence had suggested the defendant’s phone was in the Deepdale area shortly
after he was seen walking away from Court Street. He said: “You were either in
the Deepdale area, Cemetery Road or you were in the vicinity of the junction of
Parsons Road and Deepdale.” But Mr Tucker responded that he did not have
enough time to make it from Court Street to Deepdale. He said: “You are saying
it takes 20 seconds to get from Fish n Tings to Deepdale? That’s what you are
saying.” Mr Tucker added: “I was on Curving Avenue.” He also denied any
suggestion that he was the figure seen on CCTV cameras in the Deepdale area
before the murder, or that he was the man caught on camera chasing after Mr
Steede. Mr Mahoney suggested Mr Tucker left the area, put jean pants over his
trousers and changed his shoes before he carried out the shooting, and then
removed the additional clothing before he returned to Court Street. Mr Tucker
denied the claim, and asked why he would leave the jeans and shoes in his
bedroom after the shooting. However, he said he had no explanation as to how gun
shot residue could have ended up on the clothing. Mr Mahoney also played footage
from Court Street after Mr Tucker returned to the area without his jacket and
asked the defendant if it appeared like he was sweating in the recording. Mr
Tucker agreed that his head looked “moist”. Mr Mahoney added: “Like you
were running for your life.” The defendant denied the suggestion and
maintained he had nothing to do with the murder. Mr Tucker said: “I did not
kill Clappa, I didn’t. I tell you I did not kill Clappa.” The trial
continues.
A
crash between Stephen Corbishley, the Commissioner of Police, and a female
motorcyclist on the streets of Hamilton last year was reviewed and the case
dropped by the Department of Public Prosecutions. A file was completed and
the DPP concluded that “no further action was necessary”, a police spokesman
said last night. Sources told The Royal Gazette that Mr Corbishley had been
referred to the police’s professional standards department as a result of the
collision, in which the female rider sustained minor injuries. The vehicles
collided at 11.20am on September 17, at the junction of Church Street and Wesley
Street. The spokesman said a traffic collision investigator had conducted
inquiries and examined the scene and that the commissioner had remained to
assist before returning to duty. The Gazette asked the commissioner last week
about the accident, including whether he had been ticketed as a result. The
commissioner replied: “I can answer that one now as the matter you raise is
incorrect, other than I was involved in a collision back in 2018 as described
and indeed was reported in the media at that time.” The incident was covered
by ZBM. Mr Corbishley added: “The collision was investigated, as is the case
with all such collisions, and the outcome was no further action and not as some
third party has suggested to you.” The commissioner said he had asked his
staff officer “to address this non-story”. Our queries included whether
there was a professional standards inquiry into the incident. There was no word
last night on whether it had been referred to the department.
A
company that intends to bring fast internet speeds and competitive pricing
options to Bermuda customers, is waiting to get its hands on an application form
to proceed. Horizon Communications has secured initial investment funding,
said to total millions of dollars, and that has allowed it to pivot away from
its previous plan of an initial coin offering to raise capital. When licensed,
it intends to provide an island-wide fixed wireless internet service, renting
space on established telecommunication towers and masts for its transmission and
receiving equipment. It anticipates employing 30 staff, mostly Bermudians, in
the next three years. Gilbert Darrell, chief executive officer, who founded
Horizon Communications two years ago, said the goal is to be competitive in
speed and pricing in the home market and the business service market. Speaking
to The Royal Gazette, he said: “With our technology we will be more reliable.
Our number one goal is to have a truly wireless solution that removes a lot of
the issues you have with current wire line provisions, be competitive and be
that third pillar of telecoms in Bermuda.” To proceed, Horizon needs an
integrated communication operating licence from the Regulatory Authority of
Bermuda. A moratorium on the issuing of new licences has prevented new entrants
into the Bermuda market for six years. However, a decision by the Bermuda
Government to lift the moratorium was followed by an RA public consultation to
establish conditions and requirements for new licences. The month-long
consultation ended on May 3. The RA’s decisions and recommendations on
required policy and regulations are due to go back to Walter Roban, Minister of
Home Affairs. Mr Darrell said: “We participated in the consultation process
and now eagerly await the opportunity to submit our application for a new
licence. " He added: “We would like to apply as soon as possible. I’ve
been working on this business for a number of years now. The moratorium was just
opened up earlier this year. Hopefully, the RA will have an application for us
to submit soon. Of course, as someone running a business, the sooner the better
for me, but the RA has a process to go through. I hope that process is coming
quickly to fruition.” Once it has secured an ICOL, Horizon intends to acquire
and test equipment to launch its “fast, reliable, wireless internet
service”. It said the equipment has been proven in other markets and will be
tested and validated for the Bermuda topography. High-speed connections of up
top 200 Mbps to home customers, and 1 Gbps to business are envisaged. Horizon
said its service will come “without the hassle and unreliability of cable
installations” and that will be ready to launch services using 4G and 5G
technology. Regarding the funding for the project, Mr Darrell said that as the
company went through the process of applying for an initial coin offering it had
continued seeking investors, and found a Bermuda-based investor keen to provide
capital. “We came to an agreement on terms late last year. At that point we
had all our capital promised through our investor, so we did not have to pursue
the ICO any longer,” he said. Mr Darrell could not yet reveal who the investor
was, but said Horizon has secured “multiple millions of dollars” for the
initial round of capital to launch the business and get equipment. He added:
“The firm is a household name in the private-equity world. It’s a pretty big
firm that has interests here locally.” The Horizon team features Elizabeth
Schaefer as chief operating officer. She previously held senior management
positions at CellOne, which is now One Communications. Horizon’s chief of
business development is Ross Barkwell, who has 30 years of experience in
telecommunications senior management, worked for Digicel Panama, and has held
senior positions in Bermuda with Digicel and One Communications. Mr Darrell said
that once Horizon has an ICOL it would need four or five months to have its
first customers operational.
Tawanna
Wedderburn, former chief executive of the Bermuda Health Council, will tackle
workplace ethics in an upcoming Bermuda Chamber of Commerce discussion. The
chamber announced today that Ms Wedderburn will give a lunch-and-learn tackling
the meaning of ethics in the workplace, the ideal ethical workplace and dealing
with unethical colleagues. It was not said whether Ms Wedderburn would discuss
her experiences at the BHeC, where she alleges there was political interference
leading to her termination last December. She is now the executive director of
Transcendence, a company promoting emotional wellbeing for individuals and
companies through counselling, consulting, and human resource support services.
A press release from the chamber said real-life scenarios would be used in the
talk to enable participants to practise ethical decision-making skills.
“Examples may include situations involving confidentiality, discrimination and
harassment and conflicts of interest,” the chamber said. Ms Wedderburn said:
“Every ethical dilemma we face gives us many opportunities to improve a
company’s success and promote the degree to which an employee feels happy and
fulfilled at work.” The chamber said this lunch-and-learn is the first time
this type of training is being offered to companies in the non-profit and
private sectors, by a local senior professional with experience in ethics
consultations, who has led ethics training for several years. Ms Wedderburn has
more than 20 years’ experience in the field of mental health, having worked in
hospitals in Canada and Bermuda, before leading the island’s health regulator
for several years to improve the quality of healthcare in Bermuda. She sat on
the hospital’s ethics committee for ten years, assisting with the
sub-committee for ethical consultations, reviewing ethical policies within the
hospital setting and receiving annual training from the Department of Bioethics,
Dalhousie University in collaboration with the Bermuda Hospitals Board. In
addition, Ms Wedderburn has taught ethics in the workplace for senior managers
and managers for three years in the public sector. This session will be held
on-site in the chamber boardroom at 1 Point Pleasant Road, Hamilton on June 11,
from 12.30pm to 2pm.
The
Portuguese Association and Vasco Da Gama Club claimed top prize at the Bermuda
Day Float Awards. The group won the Natural Heritage Float Category award
for its design which depicted traditional Portuguese life. CedarBridge Academy
and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs came second and third in
the Natural Heritage contest. City of Hamilton won first place in the Art Float
Category, with Lotus Mind Body Wellness second and Cybertips third. Controversy
was the Upcycled Float Winner. Special Awards went to:
Community affairs minister Lovitta Foggo said: “From the dazzling costumes and energy showcased by the various dance groups, to the wonderful display of tradition from the Gombey troupes closing out the parade, it was a fabulous day. We want to acknowledge and highlight the float participants who spent many long hours creating remarkable displays of tradition and pageantry. I am very grateful to the judges who had to make some very difficult decisions this year. Congratulations to you all and thank you once again for your contributions in making this year’s Bermuda Day Parade another successful and enjoyable occasion.”
Pupils
at TN Tatem Middle School will not return to the building in September, the
education minister announced last night. Diallo Rabain told parents at a
meeting held at Bermuda College that work at the school to tackle mould and
other issues would take at least ten months to complete. He added that the
required work would cost $3 million. Mr Rabain told parents: “It’s
unfortunate we find ourselves where we are. Once we received a letter from the
PTSA on behalf of the teachers, it invoked a certain line of incidents that had
to happen. One was that the health and safety officer had to do an inspection.
Based on the report that he came back with — and at that point we looked back
at previous reports that have been done all the way back up to 2012 — it was
determined that repairs that should have happened in previous years did not
happen. We could have done exactly what has been done all of this time — go
in, clean, a fresh coat of paint, replace a few things — but the issues that
we are facing now would have reappeared a few years from now.” Mr Rabain said
that because of the time needed to make the repairs, the decision was made to
close the school for the upcoming school year. He told attendees that he could
not say what will be done with the school in the long run because the Government
intends to reform the wider school system. Mr Rabain said: “That involves what
the curriculum needs to look like, what teaching is going to look like moving
forward in Bermuda, the phasing out of middle schools in Bermuda and going back
to a two-tiered system. All of this is being looked at, so TN Tatem is now in
that conversation that we are having and as we move forward, we will be in a
better position to make a decision as to how to utilize TN Tatem within the new
system. At this point, I can tell you TN Tatem will not be open this academic
school year. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen beyond this academic
school year coming up because it is part of the restructuring programme we are
looking at for our entire school system.” He promised that any decision about
the future of the school will be made after consultation with stakeholders,
including parents and teachers. Parents were told that as soon as next week they
would receive forms so they can indicate which schools they would prefer their
students to attend in the upcoming year. The placement of the students will be
based on the responses from the parents, along with capacity at the requested
schools. The students will be fully integrated into the schools for the year. TN
Tatem teachers will also be moved to other schools based on where the students
have been placed. Asked about school uniforms, Mr Rabain said: “We are looking
at how we can fund uniforms, or provide some sort of funding for all incoming
M1, current M1 and M2 students.” Some parents questioned the effect of the
move — along with the challenged introduction of standards-based grading —
would have on the students and their academic records. After the meeting, one
parent said: “I think the disruption is a factor. It takes them a little while
to adjust to a new school. The thing they forget is that kids are kids. They
have friends, and social life is a big part of going to school.” The parent
was not surprised by the news, but said: “It should have been done the first
time around, how many years ago.” Another parent said: “I’m glad that next
year we won’t have to worry about them being uprooted in the middle of the
semester again. Every time that happens, it sets them back a few steps. It’s
not a great situation, but I think everyone knows that something had to be done
eventually.” The school, which is in Warwick, was shut last month after a
walkout by teachers and pupils over health fears. The closure order was sparked
by a letter from the Parent Teacher Student Association to education officials
that highlighted “grave concerns about the health of the learning
environment”. The school was previously closed in late 2016 and students were
temporarily moved to Clearwater Middle School because of concerns about mould.
TN Tatem reopened in February 2017, but a 2018 report found water leaks, windows
that would not open, inappropriate storage, an accumulation of waste, inadequate
housekeeping and faulty mechanical systems at the school.
A
lawyer and former Progressive Labour Party Senate leader has been appointed to
head of the Liquor Licensing Authority. Marc Daniels, the new chairman of
the LLA, said the work of the board was “hugely important for the collective
wellbeing” of Bermuda. He added: “We all appreciate the overarching balance
that must be struck between ensuring the safety of the members within our
society and the need to encourage economic activity and provide platforms for
economic growth for existing business and new entrepreneurs.” Kendaree
Burgess, the chief executive of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, will act as
deputy chairwoman of the authority. Mr Daniels said Ms Burgess’s “vast
experience ... has already proven invaluable”. He was speaking after the new
line-up for the authority was announced in the Official Gazette earlier this
month. The appointments were made by Kathy Lynn Simmons, the Attorney-General
and Minister of Legal Affairs. The other five appointments were Clyde Darrell,
the former general manager at Grotto Bay Beach Resort and Spa; Tanya Esdaille;
Christopher Famous, a PLP backbencher; Anthony Santucci, the chairman of
anti-substance abuse charity Cada; and Kevin Smith, of GET Security. Ms Esdaille
and Mr Famous have served on the board before. Mr Daniels, who also sits on the
board of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, said the pair had “been
instrumental in ensuring that we all understand the process involved in a short
time”. He added that the group was in the process of making sure that
applications approved earlier by the LLA were “circulated to the necessary
entities and individuals”. Mr Daniels said: “Our administrator, Kenneth
Scott, has worked diligently to respond to all queries that we are receiving and
commence the requisite action and follow through to reduce the impact to our
local businesses and cause as little disruption as possible overall, which often
happens with such transitions.” He added that the authority was also focused
on applications that must be considered before the end of the month. Mr Daniels
said: “Once we have ensured that all pending applications have been properly
considered and or adjudicated, we will focus our attention on obtaining as much
feedback from within the industry and all stakeholders and provide additional
recommendations to the minister that will assist to progress the current state
of the law, while upholding our mandate.” Ms Simmons announced this month that
a single authority would be created. She said at the time: “This replaces the
predominantly geographical focus of the previous three licensing authorities
with three members for each of the three districts, plus a predetermined
chair.” Ms Simmons added the members would represent sectors such as the law,
security, drug treatment, social work, hospitality and retail.
Bus
drivers could begin a work-to-rule as soon as this afternoon over longstanding
problems. Chris Furbert, the Bermuda Industrial Union president, told ZBM
News that workers had a divisional meeting on Monday evening, when they
agreed to give the management team 24 hours to address a range of matters. If
the issues are not addressed, Mr Furbert said the operators may launch a
work-to-rule. Among the concerns raised by drivers are health and safety
problems at the Dockyard bus depot, non-working radios, job descriptions and
even cockroaches in the buses. He added that the division had sent the Head of
the Civil Service a letter expressing a lack of confidence in the senior
management team. The Government had not responded to the comments by press time
last night.
American
Airlines will begin a new weekend route from New York to Bermuda this winter,
Bermuda Skyport announced today. The new service will kick off in December
with a weekly flight from LaGuardia Airport every Saturday, year-round. Zane
DeSilva, the tourism and transport minister, said his ministry continues to work
closely with Skyport, the Bermuda Tourism Authority and the Bermuda Airport
Authority to identify and pursue air services opportunities that will help
sustain air visitor arrival growth. “American Airlines’ new LaGuardia
service helps us achieve that by ensuring increased seat capacity out of New
York, our largest visitor market, and it demonstrates the confidence that our
airline partners have in Bermuda,” she said. Vasu Raja, vice-president of
network and schedule planning for American, said: “As we looked at our Latin
America and Caribbean network, we saw some unique opportunities to grow,
providing more service to the places our customers value most. We know that
customers who travel for business during the week are seeking Caribbean
destinations on the weekends, and we’re looking forward to providing new
opportunities for that this winter.” The flight will begin service on December
21. It will depart LaGuardia at 8am and arrive in Bermuda 11.30am before
departing at 12.30pm to fly back to LaGuardia. Aaron Adderley, president of
Skyport, said: “It’s good to once again have a direct service out of New
York LaGuardia ensuring that each of the three major New York City airports now
has non-stop service to Bermuda. LaGuardia has long been a favourite for persons
living in Manhattan given its immediate proximity and we believe it will no
doubt appeal to Bermuda residents for that same reason. Expanding airlift out of
the Northeast has been a repeated request of the BTA and this certainly helps in
that regard. With this new service now secured, there are other opportunities
that we are actively pursuing, and we hope to see those brought to fruition
soon,” Mr Adderley said. The LaGuardia service cements American Airlines as
Bermuda’s largest carrier, bringing its total number of flights to the island
to six, adding to its daily service to Miami, Philadelphia, and New York’s
JFK, and seasonal service to both Charlotte and Washington D.C
Desperation
could lead people to get in over their heads with fast-cash lenders, an MP has
warned. Leah Scott, the deputy Opposition leader, said that people who were
struggling financially were attracted by personal loans that might become
difficult to repay. She raised concerns after The Royal Gazette reported
that court summonses were issued to 26 borrowers in a single day by lawyers for
Caribcash Bermuda. The borrowers had failed to make monthly instalments of up to
$1,180. The amounts owed — from loans dating back as far as December 2016 —
ranged from about $400 to almost $25,300. Ms Scott, also the One Bermuda
Alliance shadow minister for regulatory affairs, said that the economic climate
could tempt some people to get into debt. She said: “We’re in a place where
people are desperate; that’s when people do desperate things.” Ms Scott
added: “All of us need to tighten up our purse strings because I think we’re
going to be entering into some really challenging times. If you don’t have to
spend money on anything frivolous, save your pennies because the rainy day is on
its way.” The Royal Gazette reported on Monday that Caribcash Bermuda,
based on Victoria Street, said that since the summonses were issued last month,
21 of the people had contacted either the company or its lawyers, Carey Olsen,
to resume efforts to settle their accounts. The company’s website said that it
offered consumer loans and debt consolidation up to $25,000. Taiwo Ogunyemi, a
director and business development manager at Caribcash Bermuda, said earlier
that the firm’s operations in the eastern Caribbean had proved successful and
that it was launched in Bermuda “to help the economy because we know there’s
very much a need out there”. The former head of business banking at
Butterfield Bank explained that there were “comprehensive” steps for
compliance to ensure that customers had the ability to repay. He added: “The
majority of our loans go to responsible borrowers who need liquidity for the
events life deals them, like medical needs, education, construction and other
unanticipated expenses.” Mr Ogunyemi said the company would “love” to be
licensed but that the Bermuda Monetary Authority did not have a suitable
classification in its Money Service Business licence category. He added today
that the firm submitted “relevant registration” documents — including
anti-money laundering and antiterrorist financing policies and procedures — to
the BMA last November. However, Mr Ogunyemi said the regulator had not completed
the processing needed before Caribcash Bermuda could be listed on the BMA
website as a non-licensed person. A Ministry of Home Affairs spokeswoman advised
potential borrowers earlier this month to consider the complete costs of a loan,
including fees and interest. She added people should also look at how interest
was calculated, when it started to be charged and the minimum monthly payments.
The spokeswoman said that the Government had highlighted concerns about
predatory lending practices in the 2018 Throne Speech and that its consumer team
would work with the BMA to develop a consumer protection Bill, similar to the
Debt Collection Act 2018, “devoted to much needed transparency and equitable
treatment of consumers who use banking and insurance services”.
A
man accused of a gun murder told a jury yesterday he was selling crack cocaine
on the night of the shooting. Kiari Tucker, 22, said he saw Morlan Steede in
the Deepdale area hours before he was shot, but he had nothing to do with his
murder. Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Tucker chased and fatally shot Mr
Steede in the Deepdale area of Pembroke on November 3, 2017. Mr Tucker said that
at some time on the afternoon of the shooting, a friend gave him a ride to Court
Street, where he sold crack cocaine. Mr Tucker added: “It was just a regular
day. I go up there on a daily basis.” He said he could not remember how long
he was there, but by the evening he had sold all the drugs and decided he wanted
to go to Deepdale to buy cannabis for himself. Mr Tucker added: “At the time,
those guys had some good weed. I like smoking good weed, so I go to whoever has
it at the time. I was asking a friend if I could borrow his bike when my friend
pulled up and said he was going to go down there and that he would take me.”
He said they rode to a vacant house near Deepdale and found a man he had bought
cannabis from the previous day. Mr Tucker added that there were about ten men at
the building, including Mr Steede, who he knew on a casual basis. He told the
court: “We would speak to each other in passing. I don’t really know him
like that where I would go to his house or he would come on over my house, but
we did know each other.” Mr Tucker said he bought some cannabis and rode with
his friend back to Court Street and walked to a spot on Curving Avenue where he
stored his crack cocaine and a scale to prepare more for sale. The defendant,
who took the stand in Supreme Court in his own defence, added that he heard
music coming from a “gambling spot” in Middletown as he returned to Court
Street and decided to stop by. Mr Tucker said: “I don’t really gamble down
there. I use it as a chill spot. I can’t say exactly how long I was there for,
but it was probably about an hour or 30 minutes. It had been a long day. I
can’t say if I got a drink when I first got there, but I did get a drink, I
rolled up some weed I got earlier and watched them play a poker-type game.” Mr
Tucker added that he left his jacket at the Middletown property because just
before he left he went to call a friend on Court Street and got “caught up”.
He told the court he walked back to the Court Street area and stayed there until
he heard that there had been a shooting in Deepdale. Mr Tucker said: “When
there’s a shooting, no matter where it is, police get hot. Business slows up.
No one’s coming out to buy anything. At the end of the day, it didn’t make
much sense to stay around Court Street.” He said he was at his godmother’s
apartment the next day, next door to his own apartment, when he saw armed police
and heard them shout his name. Mr Tucker added that he decided to hide under
clothes in his godmother’s closet because he was scared. He added: “I was
afraid of the police in general and also of going back to jail. I was out of
jail not even two months.” Mr Tucker said he had no idea at the time why he
was arrested — and could not explain how gunshot residue was found on his
pants and handkerchief. Mr Tucker told Carrington Mahoney, for the Crown, that
he had sold drugs since he was 13 or 14, but only became involved in the drug
trade in a major way when he returned home from Alabama in the US in 2013. He
also admitted he could see himself make at least one drug sale in the CCTV
footage seen by the court, but denied a suggestion that he was “fearless”.
Mr Mahoney asked why Mr Tucker was scared of the police, but was prepared to
sell drugs while he was recorded by police CCTV cameras. Mr Tucker said: “The
police aren’t right there at the time.” He rejected Mr Mahoney’s
suggestion that the difference was that he knew he had murdered Mr Steede. The
trial continues.
Reinsurers
are “holding the line” on price as the clock ticks down on June 1 renewals
for Florida property-catastrophe coverage. Analysts from JMP Securities said
after meeting with reinsurers in Bermuda last week that they expected rates will
largely be up by between 15 and 20 per cent, as carriers aim to drive a hard
bargain after some heavy storm losses over the past two years. They added that
“the majority of renewals were not complete” and that “with only five to
six business days to go before June 1, we found things to be eerily quiet”,
risk transfer website Artemis.bm reported. The analysts added that reinsurance
capacity providers appeared “remarkably relaxed”, while brokers were busy,
but not panicked about getting renewals sealed. “Ultimately, we believe that
all major programmes will clear the market, but that private layers and/or price
increases on certain layers may be necessary to get some to the finish line,”
JMP analysts stated. Meanwhile, loss estimates from Typhoon Jebi continue to
climb and could settle at between $15 billion and $16 billion, Bermudian
industry participants told the JMP analysts. This would make it the most costly
insured loss from a typhoon in Asia on record. The cyclone caused widespread
damage in September last year when it became the strongest storm to hit Japan in
25 years. Three weeks ago, Swiss Re estimated the Jebi industry loss at $13
billion.
Courses
should be offered for caregivers to help people recover from strokes, a
campaigner for the physically disabled said yesterday. Willard Fox, the
chairman of the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association, welcomed news that a
specialist stroke centre was to be opened at the King Edward VII Memorial
Hospital. A spokeswoman for the Bermuda Hospitals Board said four to five
Bermuda residents suffered a stroke every week — between 208 and 260 people a
year. Mr Fox said that he hoped the new centre would lead to more emphasis on
therapy for survivors of strokes. He said he had talked to stroke victims over
the years whose treatment was delayed because their physiotherapists had left
the island for weeks at a time. Mr Fox said: “Therapy does not necessarily
heal you, but therapy gets you back as far as you can go, but it has to be
consistent. Doctors should work with therapists and therapists should work with
caregivers because you don’t want caregivers damaging your patients.” He
added that caregivers should get basic training on how to work with patients who
have suffered a stroke to help them recover. Mr Fox said caregivers or family
members often had no specialist knowledge and the condition of patients could
worsen as a result. The KEMH unit is to be opened in partnership with
Maryland-based Johns Hopkins Medical. Victor Urrutia, of Johns Hopkins Medical,
said a stroke unit in Bermuda could reduce mortality and disability. Dr Urrutia
added that stroke units had been proved to cut deaths by at least 14 per cent
and the number of people left disabled by a stroke by 18 per cent. He said KEMH
already had the staff and equipment to do the job, but the Johns Hopkins team
would provide expert guidance on how to best treat stroke victims. Dr Urrutia
explained that all healthcare staff involved in the recovery of stroke patients
would work together to ensure the best treatment possible. He said: “We will
develop a protocol to ensure that all patients are treated faster.” Dr Urrutia
added that treatment of a stroke patient worked better the faster it was
administered. He said: “Bermuda is already taking care of stroke patients, but
we will enhance the process so we can formally work as a stroke centre. The
hospital is ready to become a stroke centre.” Dr Urrutia added: “We will be
measuring the outcome and process on an ongoing basis so it can be optimized and
improved.” He said the collection of information would allow healthcare staff
to assess how effective the process was and help improve the level of care for
patients. He added that the risk factor for a stroke was high in Bermuda because
about 20 per cent of the population was aged over 65. Dr Urrutia said: “The
older you are, the more likely you are to have a stroke.” Strokes can affect
anyone, but those who have high blood pressure, heart disease, are obese, smoke
or use illegal drugs run a higher risk. Studies have found that black African,
black Caribbean and people of South Asian origin on average suffer strokes ten
years earlier than white people. Strokes are the second biggest cause of death
worldwide.
A
42-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the theft of a Dunkley’s
Dairy truck. The truck was taken from Reid Street, near Washington Lane,
while its two staff members made deliveries on Monday, at about 3pm. It was
later recovered by police unoccupied in Riviera Road, Southampton. The man was
arrested and was in police custody pending further inquiries yesterday.
Witnesses should call 295-0011.
A
Bermudian grandmother committed to diversity is to be honoured with an award for
her work for racial inclusion by a Canadian university. Judith Brown,
formerly from Pembroke, was said to be a “longtime champion for change” in
her adopted home town of Kingston, Ontario, as well as at Queen’s University.
Now she is to be given the Jim Bennett Award from the school’s alumni
association to mark her “outstanding achievements”, which include decades of
mentoring students. Ms Brown said yesterday: “I was simply shocked when they
called to tell me. Everybody’s saying, ‘Judi, you deserve it because you do
so much. When you do these things, you simply do them because you believe in
them; you don’t do it to get awards.” The Queen’s Alumni website said that
the honour was presented every two years by the Kingston branch of the
association to recognize “outstanding achievements in careers, sport, the
arts, or volunteer endeavors, contributing to the betterment of Queen’s or
Kingston”. It added that Ms Brown, a retired teacher, was picked for the
honour for her outstanding service. The website said: “The award is being
presented for her role in advancing ethnic and racial inclusion and for being a
longtime champion for change in Kingston and at Queen’s.” The grandmother of
five, whose maiden name is Wellman, was pleased by the accolade because of a
personal connection to the man it commemorated. She explained that Dr Bennett
had been her neighbour and had led a committee to compensate people whose homes
were damaged in a 1998 ice storm. Ms Brown said: “This Jim Bennett called me
and asked me if I would serve on that committee. Kingston is pretty well a white
city so for this man to call me and ask me, I just felt validated. I thought, he
knows about diversity and inclusion. It really gave me warm feelings towards
him.” Ms Brown, a former teacher at Francis Patton Primary School in Pembroke,
started a psychology and English degree at Queen’s University in Bermuda when
a link-up meant lecturers from the university visited the island to teach. She
said it was a course requirement to spend a year on campus in Canada and
Kingston became her long-term home. Ms Brown was involved in efforts that
encouraged greater inclusion and took part in workshops to combat racist
language in a teaching career that lasted more than 30 years. She considered
retirement when she hit 55 but instead took teaching posts in Egypt and then
China, where she stayed for seven years. Ms Brown said: “When I came back to
Kingston I was still hearing things about how black people were being
discriminated against. This was about 2011. I thought, this is ridiculous, so I
took up the cause again. I began giving talks and prodding people. I became
involved in doing black history work; this became a hobby of mine and it led to
so many things.” Now in her seventies, she was recently elected to represent
the public on the Limestone District School Board of Trustees because she
thought more non-white people were needed in influential roles. Ms Brown said:
“I’ve lived here almost 50 years. I just don’t see enough diversity
involved in making plans and making decisions for the city. As they say, if you
want to be a part, you’ve got to be at the table.” The Queen’s Alumni
website said her “tireless work supporting Kingston’s black community is one
of the reasons she was named this year’s recipient of the Jim Bennett
Award”. It explained that Ms Brown was nominated by the university’s Black
Alumni Chapter’s leadership team “in recognition of her decades of
mentorship to students”. She will be presented with the award at a gala dinner
next Wednesday. John Hindess, a member of the Bermuda alumni association, said
he hoped congratulatory messages from friends and family on the island could be
presented to Ms Brown at the ceremony.
A
shark paid a surprise visit to the waters off Pompano Beach on Monday.
However, marine expert Choy Aming said startled visitors at the West End beach
had experienced a lucky encounter and were in no danger. He said: “It’s such
a rare event. It’s pure luck to be able to see a shark inside the reef.” A
video of the shark, shared online, showed the shark pass the swimming platforms
on the sandbar off the Pompano Beach Club in Southampton. Two bathers climbed
out of the water on to the platform while the shark passed. The hotel said the
guests seen in the video were part of a family from the United States who have
since returned home. Mr Aming said it was difficult to identify the species of
shark from the footage. He said it could have been a hammerhead as one was
spotted several times close to shore last summer. Mr Aming added: “Whether it
was a hammerhead or a nurse shark, there is no need to panic.” He recommended
“keeping as calm as possible and keeping an eye on them” if anyone was
approached by a shark. He said: “If you’re genuinely nervous, just head
calmly back to shore. I do quite the opposite, but if you’ve never seen one in
the water, stop, watch, and do everything slowly and deliberately.” Larry
Lamb, one of the owners of the hotel, said the shark’s visit had been brief.
“Our water sports centre spotted it and called me on the radio. I saw it maybe
200 yards offshore. It just swam in and then swam out. Perhaps it followed the
seaweed in.”
A
15-year-old schoolboy said that he would use his experience of a sea expedition
and conference to encourage his peers to combat plastic pollution of the oceans.
Andreaz Glasgow said: “I feel that I need to educate our youth of today that
they cannot continue their wasteful behaviours and must literally clean up their
act or, in a few years, drastic changes will start to become noticeable.” The
Berkeley Institute pupil said all Bermudians should take the problem seriously.
“We are the future and if we do not combat the problem now, our grandchildren
and future generations will suffer.” Andreaz. from Sandys, was speaking last
Thursday after he returned from the Ocean Plastics Leadership Summit. The
five-day event, held on board a ship in the North Atlantic Gyre, brought
together representatives from key organisations in the plastic supply chain,
including Clorox, Coca-Cola and Dow. Executives from nature publications National
Geographic and Outside also took part. The event was designed to
highlight new ways to help combat the problem of plastics in the world’s
oceans. Andreaz said the chance to meet other participants was “amazing”. He
added: “The best part was being able to present in front of about 160 company
executives and media from around the United States and other parts of the
world.” The summit was hosted by SoulBuffalo, which organizes expeditions to
help corporations learn about global problems and work with organisation to
solve them. Dave Ford, the founder of SoulBuffalo, said the event “was
spectacular and Andreaz was amazing. He was incredible and added such a
wonderful dynamic to the cohort.” Andreaz was one of several island pupils who
took part in the summit. Micah Richardson, 17, said that his experience had
cemented his desire to “make this my life’s work”. The Berkeley Institute
pupil plans to study environmental studies at university. Micah, from
Devonshire, said that he also wanted to help to motivate other people his age.
He added: “Those leading now can only do so much. At some point, the next
generation must further the current efforts.” Mr Ford said it was important to
have representatives from the “next generation” involved. He added: “The
Bermuda students and a group from Stanford University filled this important
dynamic.” Bermudian environmentalist JP Skinner said that the youngsters from
the Berkeley Institute, Bermuda College and Bermuda High School had shone at the
summit. He added: “I was extremely proud of their contribution and the poise
and maturity they displayed — especially presenting in front of hundreds of
adults from around the world.” Mr Skinner, from Paget, said the issue of
plastic ocean pollution was of vital importance to Bermuda. “This issue
will affect us greatly in coming years and the more awareness our population has
of the issue, the better able we will be to tackle it.” He said that there had
been more than a dozen similar events that had brought scientists and others to
Bermuda over the last ten years. “These events represent the huge potential
for Bermuda to capitalize on such eco-tourism opportunities, to showcase the
commitment of our island to ocean health and to provide education experiences
for local students. We can and should be the global leaders in ocean education
and research.” Andreaz said it was important that he attended to help spread
the word about the impact of plastic pollution in the seas, and that young
Bermudians should be particularly concerned. He added: “This is reality and we
have to deal with this problem now. If we can make changes today, we can affect
our future tomorrow. Young Bermudians must come to realize that trash doesn’t
clean itself up. Plastic is already in the ocean and affecting our marine life.
Bermuda may not look the same in 20 years.”
Bermudians
must come first in any changes to the immigration law, the national security
minister said yesterday. Wayne Caines said: “All reform must centre around
the premise of Bermudians having a place of primacy in their homeland. We
believe any and all immigration reform should increase opportunities for
Bermudians.” He was speaking after the Supporting Fair Immigration Reform
group questioned the pace of change last week. Mr Caines said in January that he
hoped to have “key elements” of immigration reform debated and passed in the
House of Assembly by the end of July. The advocacy group, which formed during
2016 protests over the One Bermuda Alliance government’s plans for changes to
immigration law, criticized the “endless consultation” over immigration. Mr
Caines has vowed to introduce legislation this summer on mixed-status families
— a pledge from the Throne Speech last November. Cases of mixed status include
families where one parent holds Bermuda status or a permanent resident’s
certificate, while a spouse or children do not — despite being born on the
island. Mr Caines said the ministry was now “in the data-gathering phase and
legislation for this amendment will be presented to the House during the summer
session”. He has also unveiled plans to make changes to work-permit categories
to strike “the right balance between the legitimate expectations for
Bermudians and the labour needs of businesses”. Mr Caines said yesterday that
he appreciated the concerns raised by the group and that he wanted to “assure
Bermuda that Government recognizes the importance of immigration reform”. He
added the bipartisan parliamentary committee for immigration reform, set up in
October 2017, was still examining “policy issues around reform”. The
committee, headed by Mr Caines, is made up of Progressive Labour Party MPs Renée
Ming and Christopher Famous, and OBA MPs Ben Smith and Leah Scott. Mr Caines
said the committee looked at “the various immigration efforts” and Cabinet
would decide on “all-new policy and legislative changes”. He added the
review of work permits was aimed at tightening restrictions on categories
“where it appears that there may be Bermudians capable of filling those
posts”. Mr Caines said comprehensive immigration reform was “a work in
progress” that would be “phased in and executed systematically”. He added:
“The timetable will be announced when it is practicable.”
Taxi
law and regulatory changes suggested in a Green Paper on transport are already
on the books but not enforced a former president of the industry’s association
said yesterday. Leo Simmons, who headed the Bermuda Taxi Owners Association
from 2014 to 2017, said that proposals by interested groups in the government
paper to tackle a “taxi crisis”, including making it illegal for drivers to
refuse rides based on distance or route, were in force. Mr Simmons added: “It
is an enforcement issue. It has been an enforcement issue for years. The change
has got to start from the top. You have people who sit behind desks making
decisions but some are not practical and they have no clue how to enforce it.
The law also has a lot of loopholes — the taxi association in the past was
looking to bring the taxi regulations into the 21st century.” Mr Simmons
highlighted part of the Motor Taxi Regulations 1952 Act which said a “driver
of a taxi shall not, while the taxi is standing or plying for hire, refuse to
accept a passenger for a lawful journey”. Another suggestion in the Green
Paper was to revoke the licence of any taxi owner whose vehicle was not on the
road for the legal minimum of 16 hours a day — which is also already in force.
The Transport Control Department has the authority to enforce regulations but
admitted last year that it had not monitored taxi operation times since 2010
because of a “policy decision”. Mr Simmons said that there was a reluctance
by cab drivers to lend out their vehicles to cover the mandated time period
because if the substitute driver damaged the car, the insurance bill was the
responsibility of the owner. He added if the second driver was found to have
broken the law, TCD would revoke the owner’s permit. Mr Simmons said: “The
offence goes against the car and not the person. If I have a car and my driver
commits an offence, my permit can get suspended but it doesn’t affect the
driver. These are antiquated laws. We tried to get operator’s liability
insurance so every operator can get their own insurance but it didn’t
happen.” Shari-Lynn Pringle, a taxi driver for more than 20 years, added: “I
don’t think that TCD has the resources to monitor it — TCD could not tell
you how many taxis are on the road driving right now, they don’t have any way
to accurately monitor who is on the road and for how long. Finding a second
driver to fulfil the 16 hours that is going to respect your business is the
difficulty. GPS would help to give the dispatch companies a reporting facility
but TCD has to enforce that.” Mr Simmons and Ms Pringle agreed that a central
dispatch operation would help tackle the problems faced by the industry. Ms
Pringle added: “Central dispatch is the only way that they are going to be
able to pull consistent reports and it would result in better reporting and
accountability.” Mr Simmons said: “Governments have talked about central
dispatching for years where all the information comes to one company and all the
drivers are all connected.” Phil Barnett, the president of Island Restaurant
Group, said that improvements to the taxi service was a matter of urgency and
that a central dispatch system should be a priority. He added: “Because the
taxis in Bermuda are run mostly by a group of individual entrepreneurs, there
does need to be a centralized dispatch system that holds them accountable to
their public-service licence. The bottom line is if taxi drivers don’t wish to
adhere by the term of their public-service licence, they should give it up to
someone who would be willing to do so. Transport minister Zane DeSilva certainly
has our industry’s full support — he mentioned to the restaurant division
that the Green Paper was coming out and that he truly wanted to do something
about it because it is killing our business. Since the sobriety checkpoints, it
has been absolutely horrific. When there is no choice people make poor
decisions.” Mr DeSilva has promised to release 20 special taxi permits to
operate during restricted hours to help boost taxi numbers as only 556 out of
600 taxi licences issued are being used. The Green Paper reported that some had
complained that passengers were “verbally abused” by taxi drivers. But Mr
Simmons and Ms Pringle said that incidents where taxi drivers were offensive to
customers were rare. Mr Simmons said: “There are many drivers who do a good
job. We do have the odd incident where taxi drivers behave badly, but most are
courteous.” Ms Pringle added: “We shouldn’t forget about the driver who
stood around with two women after midnight waiting for the Airbnb person to turn
up or the driver who helped your 18-year-old daughter get home drunk. There are
problems but there is so much goodwill out there.” The Bermuda Taxi Owners
Association declined to comment until after a meeting with the Government this
week. A transport ministry spokesman said regarding the plans for a central
dispatch service: “The Government is committed to ensuring that taxis and
other public service vehicles support a strong public transport system that
provides consumers with safe travel choices and is fair to owners and drivers.
“In the first instance, we will assess the current model and considering what,
if any, changes are required to respond to feedback from the 2019 Transport
Green Paper; the introduction of new technologies and systems; and the needs of
our visitors and the broader community. A central dispatching service is one of
the options being considered.” The transport ministry said last night it would
comment further on the taxi trade’s views today.
A
handkerchief seized from the bed of a man accused of murder had gunshot residue
and his DNA on it, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday. Barbara Llewellyn,
an expert in forensic DNA, told the court that the handkerchief contained DNA
from a “mixture of two people”. She added: “The major component of this
mixture matched the profile of Kiari Tucker.” Mr Tucker, 22, denies the murder
of Morlan Steede in the Deepdale area of Pembroke on November 3, 2017. The trial
earlier heard that several pieces of men’s clothing had been taken by police
in a search at Mr Tucker’s home the day after the shooting. Dr Llewellyn said
that probability of the DNA being from anyone other than Mr Tucker was “one in
at least 192 octillion individuals”. She added: “This would be 192 plus 25
zeros.” Dr Llewellyn said that an analysis had also been carried out on a
cutting from the pocket area of a pair of pants that had been seized. She added
that the material had a “low-level mix DNA profile”. However, Dr Llewellyn
said: “It did not contain enough information for me to make a comparison.”
She said that a swab from a seized sneaker did not contain any DNA. Dr Llewellyn
said the lack of DNA from the shoe could be explained by the owner wearing
socks. She added that bacteria that could grow in shoes could also degrade DNA.
Dr Llewellyn agreed with Susan Mulligan, for the defence, that just because
someone’s DNA was found on clothing did not necessarily mean that it had been
worn by that person. The jury earlier heard that police had also seized a mobile
phone from Mr Tucker’s home. John McWeeney, a radio frequency expert, said
that activity on a phone could be used to help locate where it had been used. He
explained: “A record is made identifying the cell site that the customer is
located next to.” Mr McWeeney said that there were about 30 cell site
locations across Bermuda. He said that a call on the seized mobile phone at
about 9.51pm of the night Mr Steede was killed had been picked up by a cell site
at Prospect, “meaning the user has to have been in the location served ...
which includes the area of interest at the junction between Deepdale Road and
Parsons Road”. But lawyer Elizabeth Christopher, who also appeared for Mr
Tucker, said that the Prospect cell site covered a larger area. She added:
“That phone could be anywhere ... and not just the murder scene.” Mr
McWeeney said she was correct. Ms Christopher asked if that cell site evidence
gave a precise location for a phone user. Mr McWeeney said: “The location
information is more generic. It is an area — it is not a pinpoint location.”
The trial continues.
Two
Puerto Ricans have admitted conspiracy to steal cash and take it out of Bermuda.
Juan Carvajal, 21, and Avik Rivera, 25, pleaded guilty in Supreme Court
yesterday to conspiracy to steal cash from HSBC-owned cash machines in Bermuda
and elsewhere. The pair also pleaded guilty to attempted money laundering. The
theft offences were committed between a date unknown and January 19.
Magistrates’ Court earlier heard that Carvajal and Rivera were stopped by US
Customs officers at the airport when they tried to leave the island on January
19. The court was told that the men had about $2,000 in Bermuda currency in
their possession. The two were remanded in custody for sentencing.
Two
Bermuda police officers have been honored by the Association of Caribbean
Commissioners of Police. Superintendent Na’imah Astwood was named first
runner-up in the ACCP’s Top Caribbean Career Move prize at the
organisation’s 34th Annual General Meeting and Conference. Constable Cerepha
Bridgeman was named the second runner-up in the Top Caribbean Community Policing
Officer category. The ceremony was held in the Cayman Islands last Wednesday.
The awards were designed to pick the top three officers in each category and all
nominees were invited to an all-expenses paid trip to the conference to receive
their trophies. Commissioner of Police Stephen Corbishley attended at the Cayman
Westin Grand hotel to present the officers with their trophies.
A
thief stole a Dunkley’s Dairy truck from Hamilton yesterday afternoon — but
the vehicle was recovered about three hours later. Michael Dunkley, owner of
the business and a former One Bermuda Alliance premier, said the management team
at the dairy told him the truck had been taken at about 2pm. Mr Dunkley said:
“There was a driver doing his route through town with a helper. They parked
somewhere on Reid Street and both got out of the vehicle. From what I was told,
one was on one side of the road and the other was on the other side, and when
they came back the truck was gone. The manager went to the police and then I put
it out on social media.” The vehicle was found before 5pm on the Railway Trail
in Riviera Road, Southampton. Mr Dunkley was happy that the truck was recovered
and that no one had been injured. He said: “Vehicles are not cheap, and that
truck is probably worth about $75,000. It’s a refrigerated vehicle with a lot
of product in it. Then you have a person driving the vehicle who might not have
experience with that kind of truck, and there’s a real risk to other road
users. Thankfully, it appears that everything is all right.” He added: “We
are very grateful to the police for their quick response and everything they
have done to return the truck.”
A
Bermudian in Britain who turned his life around after years of crime has told
the story behind his change of heart. Tyevon Bean, 29, told the Hull Daily
Mail of his arrests and prison time in Bermuda and England. He admitted a charge
of affray in Hull Crown Court in February after he was caught waving a BB gun
around on a busy street in the Yorkshire city in 2017. He was sentenced to 180
hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community-service order. Mr Bean,
from the Bransholme in Hull, said he had joined a church group at the city’s
Trinity Methodist Church, and had backed a campaign against knife crime in
Britain. He said he had been arrested in Bermuda “multiple times” and came
to a “dark time” in his life when he arrived in Hull in 2014. He added:
“Everything felt like it was going wrong in my personal life. I wasn’t
getting the jobs that I wanted, I didn’t have a place to stay and I was
struggling financially.” Mr Bean said he had had a good upbringing, but that
he had struggled with mental health problems and had fallen into “making
stupid decisions and not listening to anyone”. He said he was 22 when he
“woke up in prison and had a dream that I was free and thought, ‘What am I
doing with my life?’”. Mr Bean added: “People say you cannot change
overnight but I felt I could.” He later met Mo Timbo, a pastor, who he said
was “instrumental” in the creation of the #NoMoreKnives campaign, and
started going to church after his last arrest. Stabbings and knife crime have
surged in Britain in recent years. Mr Timbo, from London, was a stabbing victim
when he was a teenager. Mr Bean is now a member of Mr Timbo’s church and has
joined the #NoMoreKnives tour of schools in East Yorkshire and North
Lincolnshire. He said that his mission was “to be the best man I can be”. Mr
Bean added: “I still have struggles, particularly during seasons like
Christmas, my son’s birthday and Father’s Day when I should be spending time
with my son, but I speak to Mo and the church and the youth group there and they
help. They’re all really strong and I get advice and tell myself, ‘You can
do this’.”
Opinion.
By Vic Ball, a One Bermuda Alliance senator from November 2014 to July
2017. "On May 10, 2019, it was reported by The Royal Gazette
that the Tawanna Wedderburn judicial review court documents allege that there is
a connection between her termination and David Burt and others interfering in
the day-to-day management of the Bermuda Health Council to push taxpayer funds
to Ewart Brown. The judicial review also alleges that other members of the
Progressive Labour Party government benefited. Mr Burt said: “The allegations
are strongly denied, and they will be defended in the appropriate forum.” By
way of history, Dr Brown held an epic press conference in January 2018 when he
aired his grievance against the BHeC. He singled out Mrs Wedderburn among others
to be “remembered” — as if to mark them for some future event. We then
recall that in early December 2018, a press release circulated that Mrs
Wedderburn had “separated” from the BHeC. At the time, many eyebrows were
raised in surprise and rumors began to spread for months after. Her husband then
published a sensational letter (“A
husband’s outrage”) at the end of January 2019 to express his
displeasure over how she was “mercilessly fired”, contradicting the official
announcement that the separation was amicable. He was not only incensed, but it
seemed like the system was trying to muzzle a man with vicarious knowledge of
where the bodies are buried and the next heist. He also asked a very pertinent
question: “Why the rush to get rid of her now? Why now? Why now?” That
question should be resonating with all of us now because of the controversial
Health Insurance Amendment Bill 2019 that has just been passed by the PLP
government in super-quick time. The Government rammed this Bill through the
Parliament unusually fast. With a 25–11 majority in Parliament, Bermudians
should be asking, why the rush and why now. The Wedderburn case should cause us
openly to pay attention. We cannot simply bury our heads and wish away its
unpleasant and inconvenient implications. In fact, when these types of
allegations are made, we should all be on high alert as a nation. A few of the
allegations made by Mrs Wedderburn are:
Additionally, she alleges that the health minister approved her termination before investigating why the recommendation was made. Her husband summarized for us what she was told during her termination meeting. He said she was told, “Our future plans require new leadership, so here’s the 26 weeks’ maximum settlement you would get at the Employment Tribunal. Take it before we change our minds. You have one week to decide and a few minutes to clear your things from the office.” This is the same PLP government led by Mr Burt who said on the TNN Facebook page last month, after Butterfield Bank staff were made redundant: “My heart goes out to those persons who intended on going to work today to provide for their families and found out that they no longer had a job.” The Premier added: “This was not in keeping with best level of corporate responsibility.” His response seems quite contradictory when comparing what happened with Mrs Wedderburn while she was under his leadership and what he expects of other employers towards their employees. To make matters worse, the PLP replaced Mrs Wedderburn with an expatriate. Shocking, I know, but true. Didn’t the PLP promise to fight for Bermudian jobs? I am sure that if the One Bermuda Alliance did this, it would be rightfully called anti-Bermudian. However, the PLP government can do this and everyone turns a blind eye and becomes mute. The PLP backbenchers, who used to stand up and march for Bermudians while in opposition, are all asleep at the wheel or complicit. In her role as the chief executive of the BHeC, Mrs Wedderburn held the highest position in the watchdog agency of paramount importance to Bermuda’s healthcare system and our economy. She is highly respected for how she carried out her role at the council and highly regarded for her integrity. This suggests that there were very persuasive reasons for her dismissal or a dangerously nefarious one for her termination. The Premier responded to the allegations by stating that the council is subject to ministerial direction and is not an independent regulator. Legally, I do not claim to know how that term is defined, but I do know that quangos provide an essential service. Governments deem them so by creating them and then funding them to be autonomous and free of political interference as those circumstances allow. For the Premier to respond to the litigation allegations in such typically dismissive defiance is telling. Arguably, the political opposition and the PLP backbenchers play the most important watchdog role of all. They are supposed to sound the alarm loudest when evidence suggests that our Cabinet has breached the public trust and sirens should be blaring when there is evidence it has been flagrantly violated. When credible allegations are made that public servants are fired because they will not yield to pressure to line the pockets of politicians, we should be in overdrive. If the BHeC debacle does not qualify as a national scandal, it is looming as a national disgrace with serious consequences for our political culture, our government leadership and our country. This matter is before the courts and we must respect the process. However, we should not be complacent, silent and immobile with important issues when the stakes are so high. We should all be paying very close attention. Our media and politicians should relentlessly, albeit responsibly, communicate with the public to ensure that the outcome exonerates us for getting to the bottom of it. “Corruption” is an ugly word. We should all be very wary of using it. However, as a nation, we can ill afford to be complacent about it with our economy in such a fragile state. We were recently blacklisted by the European Union and moved to a grey list. Never has our government’s reputation been more vital to our future as a nation. Amid the roar of silence, the Wedderburns have their home up for sale to fight this alleged injustice. The Health Insurance Amendment Bill so hastily passed will cause our health insurance premiums to significantly increase from June 1, 2019. Is this the PLP that the country voted for? I have asked this question before.
A
teacher at a private school has become the second-longest serving educator in
its 357-year history. However, Shelly Grace, a health and wellbeing teacher
at Warwick Academy, admitted that when she started the job 40 years ago, she
expected to be there for no more than three years. Ms Grace, 62, said: “I
never dreamt it, but it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here 40 years — it
feels like ten to 12 when I look back on it.” The veteran teacher, originally
from the United States, did not plan to become a teacher when she was a student
at Springfield College in Massachusetts. She said: “I started in medical
technology, but then did a bone marrow test one day during my rounds and decided
that was not for me. Thankfully, there were several Bermudians at Springfield
with me at the time, and one of my good friends was Shane Marshall, whose father
was the headmaster at Warwick Academy. He said ‘you could be a health
teacher’ because I had a science background and I was a water-safety
instructor at the time, so I had always taught students.” Ms Grace was
speaking after she and 18 colleagues were given long-service awards at a
ceremony at the school last Friday. She had doubts about teaching when she
started in 1979, but the profession was put into perspective for her when she
was involved in a road crash a month after she joined Warwick Academy. Ms Grace,
who lives in Warwick, said: “I was just going over to visit a friend by
Harrington Hundreds and a car came on the wrong side of the road and hit me then
took off. I hurt my leg quite badly; I had to have grafts. I can remember
students who, when I was in the hospital for six weeks, came and visited me
every week.” She said one visited her when he came to the hospital for his own
appointments and another brought her food “because the food was so bad
there”. She added that Mark Pettingill, who went on to become an
attorney-general and a prominent barrister, also visited every week after he
took his dog to training class. Ms Grace said: “They were so kind and helpful
to me that it made me feel like this was home.” Ms Grace added that, as the
only health and wellbeing teacher at the school, she taught all age groups about
child-rearing, family relationships and dealing with loss. She said she had been
to the weddings and funerals of former pupils and now taught the children of
former Warwick pupils. Ms Grace added: “I would say 30 per cent of the
students I teach, I taught one or both of their parents. And she admitted:
“I’m dreading the day the grandchildren get in.” The long-service record
at Warwick Academy was achieved by Gabriel Rodriguez, who retired in 2002 as
deputy principal after 41 years at the school.
Bermuda’s
current account surplus in the fourth quarter of last year was $233 million, up
$42 million, or 21.9 per cent, on the same period in 2017. However, the
deficit on the goods account, which makes up part of the overall total,
increased $41 million to $276 million. There was a $116 million surplus in
services transactions, while the surplus on the island’s primary income
account grew to $430 million in the fourth quarter. A balance of payments and
international investment position bulletin, issued by the Department of
Statistics, noted: “The rise in the current account surplus reflected mostly a
higher surplus balance on the services account and the primary income account,
which offset a widening deficit balance on the goods account.” Year-over-year,
the value of imported goods increased to $280 million, up 17.1 per cent. This
was reflected in a $39 million rise in imported goods from the United States,
Bermuda’s largest trading partner. Imports from the United Kingdom grew $2
million, while imported goods from Canada and the Caribbean declined by $3
million and $2 million, respectively. Imports of fuel grew by $26 million, while
imports of machinery and finished equipment increased by $5 million and $4
million respectively. Imports of food, beverages and tobacco rose $1 million.
Revenue from exports during the quarter remained unchanged at $4 million.
Bermuda’s net international investment position decreased to $2,571 million, a
drop of $510 million compared to the third quarter of 2018. The IIP is a record
of Bermuda residents’ investments abroad and non-residents’ investment in
Bermuda, including government, financial and non-financial corporations.
A
British MP with family ties to Bermuda has called on the island to tackle its
fears over same-sex marriage and give gay couples the right to marry. Gillian
Keegan, whose husband, Michael, is descended from the Gosling rum family, told The
Royal Gazette the United Kingdom should not have to force Bermuda to
introduce marriage equality, in line with a recommendation in a report
from the British parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. Ms Keegan,
Conservative MP for Chichester and parliamentary private secretary to the
Ministry of Defence, said: “I think Bermuda is better than that.” She raised
Bermuda’s record on same-sex marriage in the House of Commons this month in a
debate on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. Ms
Keegan told MPs: “Our country is a leader in the world, much respected for our
influence and the example we set. I am proud that it was a Conservative prime
minister who put same-sex marriage on the statute book, but, as many colleagues
have said, there is much to be done in the wider Commonwealth countries. I was
particularly disappointed to see what was happening in Bermuda, which still
seems to have a problem with LGBT rights. I mention Bermuda as my husband is the
grandson of a Gosling, a very well-known Bermudian family, famous for
Gosling’s rum.” One would think that a wealthy and important British
overseas territory would take a more enlightened and tolerant approach, and I
call on it to do so.” Bermuda’s Supreme Court ruled in May 2017 that gay
couples could marry but six months later the Government passed the Domestic
Partnership Act, outlawing same-sex weddings. A legal challenge was brought
against the Act and then Chief Justice Ian Kawaley ruled in May last year that
the parts of the legislation that restricted marriage to opposite-sex couples
were against the Constitution. The Court of Appeal upheld his decision in
November and same-sex marriages were once again allowed to take place. But the
Government has said it would appeal to the Privy Council in London. Walter
Roban, the home affairs minister, said the case was important to Bermuda’s
people and the Government wanted to go to the highest court of appeal to “get
it right”. Ms Keegan said in a phone interview that she and her husband, whose
grandmother Armine Gosling was Bermudian, visited Bermuda fairly regularly but
had only recently discovered, through research on LGBT rights, how the island
had seesawed on the question. She added: “Both of us are very concerned about
LGBT rights. My husband’s two brothers were gay. We have a sort of natural
interest. During our research, we were very disappointed to see that in Bermuda
they passed an Act to remove the right of same-sex couples to marry. It
surprised us, from what we knew about Bermuda. We thought it would be a little
bit more enlightened than that.” Ms Keegan said: “We were surprised to see
Bermuda on the list of countries that were taking regressive steps.” She added
that Britain did not issue “diktats” to its Overseas Territories on a
regular basis and should not necessarily force Bermuda’s hand on the question.
But she added: “I think it should definitely be encouraged. It’s a very
important human right. I think it would be a shame if the OTs didn’t move into
the 21st century.” Same-sex marriage has been allowed in most of the UK since
2014, but not in Northern Ireland, which has civil partnerships that offer many
of, but not all, the rights of marriage. Ms Keegan said she had spoken to many
voters at the time, including Conservatives and Christians, who were “very
fearful” of the change but who now accepted that “it hasn’t had any impact
on their lives at all”. She added: “It hasn’t devalued marriage.” Ms
Keegan said there should be a “breaking down of barriers” in Bermuda so an
honest and open discussion could be held on why sections of Bermudian society
feared same-sex marriage. She added the status quo was “not ideal” because
Bermuda was now seen around the world as a regressive jurisdiction on marriage
equality. Ms Keegan said: “I think they need to clarify the law. I think
it’s important that it’s enshrined in law, the right to love.” The
Ministry of Home Affairs did not respond to questions on the status of its Privy
Council appeal.
An
expert told the Supreme Court that Kiari Tucker had a similar stride to a
suspect caught on tape before the murder of Morlan Steede. Barry Francis, a
British forensic gait analyst, said he spotted several similarities in CCTV
footage between the way Mr Tucker walked and the way the suspect walked. But Dr
Francis accepted that forensic gait pathology was still in its infancy and that
only one scientific study had been done on the methodology he used. Mr Tucker,
22, denies murdering Mr Steede in the Deepdale area of Pembroke on November 3,
2017. The court heard earlier that police tracked Mr Tucker’s movements on the
night of the shooting through police and private CCTV cameras. Dr Francis told
the court on Thursday that he had been sent footage of the suspect in the
Deepdale area along with surveillance footage of Mr Tucker from the same
evening. He explained that as a podiatric surgeon, he had spent years in
observation of the gait — the style of walking — of patients. Dr Francis
said that forensic gait analysis was the process of making observations in video
footage to compare and identify individuals. He said: “I look at unknown
footage and identify any features and flow. When that is completed I review
known footage, custody or surveillance footage, look at the features or flow
found there and see whether there is any comparison between the two sets of
findings.” Dr Francis added: “Forensic gait analysis at this time can only
be classified as class identification. It doesn’t make a unique identification
as DNA or fingerprints would.” He said he made several observations about the
suspect seen in the Deepdale area, identified in court as Man X. “As he
walked, I observed a lowering of the left shoulder as the left foot came
forward. I also observed a turning out of the left foot and noted that the feet
were close together. As the subject turns to the left, I observed a long stride
or step length.” He also said that when the suspect’s left foot moved
forward, he noticed an inward swing — or “slight collapse” — of the left
knee. Dr Francis said he noticed the same traits in surveillance footage of a
man identified as Mr Tucker, recorded the same evening. He said: “In with the
left knee, lowering the shoulder as the left leg goes forward, and the pattern
continues. You can see the close gait, feet close together, the turning out of
the left foot.” Dr Francis told the court under cross-examination by defence
counsel Susan Mulligan that the majority of his career had been spent in
clinical work and he had been involved in forensic work since 2004. He said
there had only been one published study on error rates associated with his
analytical techniques and it had found a 27 per cent error rate. However, Dr
Francis added: “A closer review of that study will show that the people
involved were students, not current practitioners.” He also accepted that
cognitive bias was an issue as analysts usually receive only the “question”
footage and recordings of identified police suspects. Dr Francis said:
“There’s no way to guard against the fact that the police are saying
there’s some connection between the two. That’s why in my particular
practice I get a verifier and ask them to review the footage independently.”
The trial continues.
A
lack of progress has been made on promised immigration reform, a pressure group
has claimed. A spokeswoman for Supporting Fair Immigration Reform said that
group members were concerned over the lack of headway. She said that Wayne
Caines, the Minister of National Security, said in January that the latest
report from the bipartisan Immigration Reform Group would be considered by
Cabinet. The spokeswoman added that Mr Caines had said that key elements of
immigration reform would be debated and passed in the House of Assembly by July.
She said: “As of today, we have yet to hear what the Government’s plan is
for immigration reform other than looking at the categories of work permits. If
the Minister expects to keep his word and have the key elements passed by the
end of this parliamentary session, it should be public knowledge by now of what
is expected of immigration reform, especially if there is to be public
consultation. All that is ever mentioned is that they are in the consultation
process.” The spokeswoman said that the consultation process had taken place
for years. She added: “In 2016, the first consultation group was put together.
Now in 2019, we are still in the consultation process. There is only so much
consultation that can take place before our leaders need to commit to resolving
an issue. Endless consultation on the same topic and ideas will become
repetitive and contributes nothing to advancing the debate. If we do not move on
from consultation there will never be a resolution.” The spokeswoman said that
the group had expected the Government would have made “much more progress”
on immigration reform given “the activities being planned to commemorate the
arrival of Portuguese immigrants. The best way to honour this community is to
embrace substantive action on such an important policy file. It is surreal that
the Government can mark a holiday to celebrate a group of immigrants but fail to
expeditiously resolve the issue of divided immigration status within families,
which affects that very community so disproportionately. This holiday for many
Portuguese is seen as a consolation prize when it should be a celebration of
their inclusion into our Bermudian community. We once again implore and urge the
Government to fulfil its own stated promise of comprehensive bipartisan
immigration reform to correct the injustices and divisions that exist within
many families in Bermuda and to not let this holiday pass without concrete
action.” Mr Caines said last month that changes to legislation to tackle the
problem of mixed-status families will be tabled this summer. He said: “We
believe that by the end of this parliamentary session, we will definitely be
able to have legislation that will go through the parliamentary process on
mixed-status families.” Mr Caines added that the Government would also be
“looking closely on dealing with the belongers issue. We will be looking at
the issue, specifically on this occasion, of children that are born to Bermudian
parents overseas. So we’ll be looking to pass legislation on those things
specifically this parliamentary session.”
The
rebirth of the former St George’s golf course has been welcomed by an East End
MP. Kim Swan, the Progressive Labour Party MP for St George’s West and a
former professional golfer, said the work, being carried out for the new St
Regis Hotel, had made “good progress”. He added: “It’s made a huge
difference to the aesthetic of the community.” Mr Swan said: “I would go so
far as to say it’s increased people’s property values in one fell swoop.
It’s certainly made the area more appealing. A finished product will add a
great economic benefit to the community, when you factor in that a good golf
course can play between 20,000 and 40,000 rounds a year depending on the
marketing.” Mr Swan highlighted deterioration of the course after it closed in
2008. Hotelco Bermuda, the developer of the new hotel, said clearance work at
the course started in February and the job was 90 per cent finished. The
developers will begin the reconstruction of main features such as greens, tees
and bunkers, as well as starting to install a water-efficient irrigation system,
over the next three months. Two new holes and a change in the play route will
also be created. The course will be a par-60 to allow for a shorter play time.
A
St George’s jewellery shop owner said it was “ridiculous” that the Olde
Towne did not have a police station after his store was burgled for the second
time in less than two weeks. Jan Card, owner of Vera P. Card, said
yesterday: “How can you claim to be a tourist town and not have a police
station? It’s just ridiculous. Dockyard has its own police substation in
addition to the Somerset Police Station. Why St George’s doesn’t is beyond
me. All of the foolishness about old buildings and mould is red herrings. We all
work in old buildings in St George’s.” A police spokesman said burglars
targeted the Water Street shop at about 4am on Friday. He said: “It appears
that three suspects wearing dark coloured, hooded tops gained entry into the
store and stole a quantity of jewellery before making good their escape on foot.
The scene has been processed and efforts continue to locate the culprits. Three
burglars broke into the store at about 3am on May 11, less than two weeks after
the business reopened for the season. Mr Card said both burglaries appeared to
be “exactly the same”. He added: “It’s pretty clear this time from the
timing that these guys waited until the patrol vehicle left St George’s and
then went to work. For someone selling precious metal jewellery in St George’s
— and there are only two of us left — it makes you very nervous and it makes
you consider no longer selling precious metal jewellery.” Mr Card said that
between the two burglaries, the business had lost “thousands of dollars”
less than a month after opening for the season. He wants action to be taken to
prevent more burglaries. Mr Card said: “Increasing the security will require
us to put bars on the windows and doors, and that’s not exactly inexpensive.
Financially, the numbers don’t work, so we can’t do that. If something
doesn’t change, we have to take away the items that they want to steal, the
jewellery, and the result of that to the business would be disastrous. If
there’s not a change in the level of deterrence, then we cannot continue to do
the business that we are doing in St George’s. That will leave only one jeweler
for them to prey on, so you know what will happen next.” Police have urged
anyone with information about the offence — or who may have seen suspicious
activity in the Water Street/Barber’s Alley area of St George between 3.30am
and 4am on Friday, to contact Detective Constable Seymour Foote on 717-2282 or
Acting Sergeant Ian Taitt on 717-2371. Those with information can also contact
the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.
Court
summons were issued for 26 people on a single day after they racked up thousands
of dollars worth of debts to an unlicensed fast-cash lender. Lawyers for
Caribcash Bermuda filed a string of writs against people who it was claimed had
defaulted on loans dating back to December 2016. The amounts owed ranged from
about $400 to almost $25,300 and came after borrowers were said to have failed
to make monthly repayments of up to $1,180. Caribcash Bermuda said that since
the summonses were issued last month, 21 of the people had contacted either the
company or its lawyers, Carey Olsen, to resume efforts to settle their accounts,
which would halt court proceedings. The Ministry of Home Affairs urged the
public to think before they entered into loan agreements. Caribcash Bermuda
explained on its website that it offered consumer loans and debt consolidation
up to $25,000. Taiwo Ogunyemi, a director and business development manager at
the company, said the firm was an affiliate of the Fastcash Caribbean Group. Mr
Ogunyemi added that the business was successful in the eastern Caribbean and
added: “We have brought it to Bermuda to help the economy because we know
there’s very much a need out there.” The former head of business banking at
Butterfield Bank said that in “robust” economies, several finance options
were available, but in Bermuda the market was limited to banks. He added:
“Caribcash comes in to help with that void. Maybe the banks don’t have the
appetite — especially in a recession — to lend, and they restrict their
terms. We’re able to provide funding. The Caribcash that you see is not just a
fly-by-night — it’s part of an organisation with established procedures and
established practices in different jurisdictions.” Mr Ogunyemi said the
lending process was “very structured, like a bank” with “comprehensive”
steps for compliance — such as provision of payslips and bank statements —
to ensure that customers have the ability to repay. The company’s website
said: “Days? Weeks? Months? Not here! We live up to our name with same day
approvals and get you fast cash in as little as two hours once all requirements
are met! Let’s get you yours now!” It added: “We give access to your cash
in as little as two hours.” Mr Ogunyemi said that the risk lay with the
company because the loans were not secured against assets. He added: “The
majority of our loans go to responsible borrowers who need liquidity for the
events life deals them, like medical needs, education, construction and other
unanticipated expenses. We are there to help our customers in all instances.”
Mr Ogunyemi pointed out that he would “love” the company, which has an
office on Victoria Street, to be licensed but said the Bermuda Monetary
Authority did not have a suitable classification under its Money Service
Business licence. But he said: “We are, however, registered with the BMA as a
non-licensed person under their anti-money laundering and antiterrorist
financing supervision and enforcement.” The 26 summonses were published on the
Offshore Alert website and alleged customers had promised to pay sums of money
with monthly interest rates set at between 1 and 1.25 per cent. They claimed
that payments were to be made in monthly instalments — ranging from almost
$200 to about $1,180 — but that the individuals had failed to do so on a
certain date, sometimes within three months of the agreement. The writs added
that the defendants agreed if they failed to make payments and did not rectify
within a week, the company could “declare the whole amount ... then
outstanding to be immediately paid”. Mr Ogunyemi said the annual percentage
rate of interest — known as APR — was between 22.3 per cent and 31.2 per
cent and the company had to “charge a premium for the risk involved”. The
APR on a credit card, among the highest rates of interest charged by banks, is
set at 19.95 per cent on a typical personal card at HSBC. One of the borrowers
last week said that Caribcash Bermuda had twice changed the account into which
repayments were made and that the company could have made it easier for
customers to monitor their accounts. The 38-year-old added: “I knew I had the
payments, I knew I was responsible but I didn’t have any communication from
them.” She admitted she had been sent e-mails but added: “A registered
letter would have been fine, something more formal to say, ‘this hasn’t been
paid in a while, can you give us a call? With a lending facility I expect
better, as far as dealing with your clients.” The woman said she appreciated
the help she has since received from Carey Olsen and agreed with the lawyers to
have the money repaid by the end of June. Mr Ogunyemi confirmed that there had
been “initial changes” to the collection accounts before the company settled
with a local bank last June and that customers were assisted through the
adjustment. He added: “Any missed repayments during the account transitioning
period were not taken into account or used in the determination of
delinquency.” He also explained that the company provided balance statements
on request and an app allowed customers to check the status of their accounts.
Mr Ogunyemi added that correspondence was sent by registered mail “where
required”. He said borrowers signed contracts that set out rates, fees and the
company’s rights to seek repayment in a clear way and that the legal action
came after “proper processes” were followed. He added: “The last thing we
want to do is go down the collections route, but when all else fails and
there’s no response, we have to try to collect that debt and that’s exactly
what the banks do.” The firm explained that communication after a missed
payment could include a telephone call, e-mail, letters from the company then
its lawyers and it was after those options were exhausted that legal action was
taken. A Ministry of Home Affairs spokeswoman declined to comment on specific
cases. But she said that loan arrangements were “governed by the terms and
conditions found within the loan contract”. She said earlier this month:
“Caveat emptor — ‘let the buyer beware’ — is one of the key elements
of consumer law. Businesses are generally free to do whatever is not explicitly
prohibited by law.” The spokeswoman advised potential borrowers to consider
the complete costs, including fees and interest, how interest was calculated and
when it started to be charged, as well as the minimum monthly payments. She
said: “Do not borrow more than you can repay. Understand your loan agreement
before you sign it. Make your payments in full and on time.” The spokeswoman
added: “Keep records in case questions arise about your loan agreement or
repayments.” She said that the Government had highlighted concerns about
predatory lending practices in last year’s Throne Speech and that its consumer
team would work with the BMA to develop a consumer protection Bill — similar
to the Debt Collection Act 2018 — “devoted to much needed transparency and
equitable treatment of consumers who use banking and insurance services”.
Ignite
Bermuda’s first cohort of entrepreneurs has received advice from one of the
United Kingdom’s leading businesswomen. During a question-and-answer
session at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Jenny Campbell told the
audience about the need to be careful about who money came from. “Think very
carefully,” she said. “If you get your first funding wrong, you will scupper
investors coming in behind. She added: “A lot of businesses are born from
scrimping and saving and not borrowing any money. There is a balance to be made
between jumping straight in and asking for ‘X’ amount.” On good
entrepreneurial attributes, she said: “Having good self-confidence and good
self-esteem. You also need to accept your weaknesses, build on your strengths
and put people around you who can help with those weaknesses.” Ms Campbell was
the founder and chief executive officer of automated teller machine provider
YourCash Europe. She sold the business in 2016 for £50 million. She starred in
the UK television series, Dragon’s Den, until leaving the show earlier
this year. The event at the BUEI was co-hosted by the Bermuda branch of the
Institute of Directors and KPMG. IoD Bermuda chairwoman, Rochelle Simons, said:
“I have known Jenny for some years and the branch thought we would invite her
for a fireside chat and at the same time provide an opportunity for Ignite to
present its platform to the membership. We hope that branch members will be
inspired to support the Ignite initiative as mentors and/or sponsors, and who
knows, the event may even encourage members to dust off their business plans.
Ignite cohort members made the most of the networking reception making their 60
second pitch to IoD members. The atmosphere was a buzz, business cards were
exchanged, the environment was very inspiring.” Sean Reel, the first executive
director of Ignite Bermuda, said: “The entrepreneurial spirit in Bermuda is
truly impressive. Being connected to the IoD network is a critical part of
creating the right ecosystem for them. I have had the pleasure of working with
our first local cohort and seeing the growth just through Ignite’s boot camp
programme makes me excited for their future.” Ignite is the island’s first
privately funded business accelerator programme. The six-month initiative is
designed to enhance the island’s ecosystem for start-ups and small businesses
by providing entrepreneurs with access to a formalized network of mentors and
advisers, and developing an investor network to match-up with start-ups.
Organisers say the programme will teach entrepreneurs about cultivating the
right mindset and the most effective behaviours to unlock their entrepreneurial
potential. The customized-for-Bermuda curriculum is presented in partnership
with British-based consultancy Entrepreneurial Spark.
Bermudian
actor Kristen Darrell was caught off guard when a stranger in a London cinema
asked her if she was in the upcoming Spider-Man blockbuster after she appeared
in the movie’s trailer. The answer was “yes”, but she had been sworn
to secrecy. Ms Darrell said: “I got a bit flustered and wasn’t sure how to
answer because I had signed like three non-disclosure agreements and wasn’t
sure if I could say anything. I very quickly pulled up the trailer on my phone
while still in the theatre and, sure enough, I was in it. I was so excited. I
think I texted so many people to let them know and then realised I should
probably talk to my agent and make sure I could talk about it — she quickly
wrote back that it was fine and so I started to tell everyone I knew about it.
It was all a bit surreal and absolutely hilarious.” Ms Darrell, who works as
an actor in London, got an audition for Spider-Man: Far From Home last
year after she finished filming a role in the Amazon Prime series Hanna
in Budapest. She said: “I was literally on the train from the airport when my
agent sent me an e-mail asking if I could make it to an audition for an action
film the next afternoon. I said sure. I had no idea what the film was until I
got there. I was pretty excited about it. I did the audition, but didn’t hear
anything for about a month, so I had put it behind me. As an actor, you get many
auditions, but you don’t usually hear anything back unless you actually get
the part.” In July she got a call from her agent to ask if she would be back
from holiday before the second week of August because she had landed a role in
the Spider-Man film. Ms Darrell said: “I almost screamed, but I was working
somewhere else, so I had to be quiet. But I sure did a dance. As a comic book
fan, it’s a dream come true.” Spider-Man: Far From Home, starring Tom
Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Jon Watts,
follows the superhero as he fights super-villains across Europe. Ms Darrell, who
played a New York City police officer, said she had worked with Mr Holland on
the shoot and that he was very welcoming. She said: “Tom was lovely. He made
sure to introduce himself to all of us, and would have conversations here and
there, but was pretty professional. The shoot was pretty cool, the director was
really cool and fun and the cast and crew were really easy to get along with.
The whole process was amazing from start to finish. We had a lot of freedom to
make jokes and stuff, the director loved it when we improvised.” Ms Darrell
added the shoot was also “pretty secretive” as the film was shot after the
release of Avengers: Infinity War — which concluded with a cliffhanger
ending — and before the follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. She said: “We
couldn’t print our lines out and we didn’t get them until we started
filming, like at the beginning of the day when we came to set. I don’t even
think the words ‘Avengers’ or ‘Endgame’ were even spoken on set.”
Argo
Group International Holdings Ltd said that, based on a preliminary count
provided by its proxy solicitor, shareholders have voted to elect all five of
its Class III directors to the Argo board. This comes after a months-long
proxy battle between the Bermudian-based insurer and reinsurer and activist
shareholders Voce Capital Management LLC. “We appreciate the strong support
from our shareholders,” said Gary Woods, board chairman. “The board and
management value the conversations we have had with our shareholders in recent
months regarding our strategy, governance, and plans for continuing to create
shareholder value. We deeply value their perspectives, and we plan to maintain
an active and productive dialogue with our shareholders as we continue to
integrate their feedback and execute on our strategy.” Voce Capital is a San
Francisco-based hedge fund that is the beneficial owner of about 5.6 per cent of
the shares of Argo. Earlier this year, it attacked what it called a
“spendthrift culture” and “inappropriate corporate expenses” at Argo.
Argo rejected those claims. Voce was pushing for the removal of a number of the
Argo board, and had put forward its own nominations to replace them. However, it
withdrew its nominations a few days before Argo’s annual meeting on Friday
after two out of five state departments of insurance in the US that had
previously given permission for it filing of a definitive proxy statement,
reversed their position. In a statement following the annual meeting, Argo said
that, prior to Voce’s withdrawal, its nominees and proposals had received
limited shareholder support. Argo said that as of the evening of May 20,
Sedgwick Browne, Argo’s Class III director targeted for removal by Voce, had
received support from shareholders holding over 80 per cent of the submitted
proxies. Additionally, almost 80 per cent of the submitted proxies had voted
against the removal of Argo’s chairman, Gary Woods and more than 80 per cent
of the submitted proxies had voted against the removal of the other directors
targeted by Voce. Argo said that, based on preliminary votes, the non-binding
advisory resolution on executive compensation received 50.53 per cent of the
votes in favour, with 49.47 per cent against. “We will work with our
shareholders to fully understand the concerns that influenced the vote regarding
the compensation of our executive officers and are committed to taking the
necessary actions to address those concerns,” said Mr Woods. “Our board will
carefully consider these results, as well as future shareholder input, in
determining executive compensation going forward. We thank our shareholders for
their continued feedback and support.” Final voting tallies from this year’s
annual meeting are subject to certification by the company’s inspector of
elections and will be included in the company’s report to be filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission once certified.
Thousands
of people took over the streets of Hamilton yesterday for the Bermuda Day
Parade. Parade watchers took up their staked-out spots with family members
and friends for the annual event, which marks the official start of summer. The
theme of this year’s event was “Bermudian Excellence”. Shelly Fubler, 57,
said the theme meant doing the best you can. She added: “No matter what your
situation, look at the best of it, and try and put your best foot forward.”
The Warwick resident and self-described “parade veteran” said that the
music, Gombeys and entertainment were part of what drew her back year after
year. Ms Fubler said her message to Bermudians was to love each other. She
added: “Be kind to each other, be respectful of each other — because you
don’t know what your fellow person is going through.” Cindy-Ann Douglas, who
is “over 50”, said that the theme was one close to her heart. She added:
“This is where I was born and raised and schooled. This is where the majority
of my family is.” The Sandys woman said that her message to Bermudians on the
holiday was to “stop the violence”. Ms Douglas added: “Everybody wake
up.” She said that she would like to see more events held throughout the year
to bring people together. Her husband-to-be Mark Robinson, 50, said that
“Bermudian Excellence” meant a recognition of the past and working towards a
better future. Mr Robinson, also from Sandys, added: “It’s about coming out,
bringing your best, being your best, and doing what you have to do to make your
life a lot better.” He said the parade’s atmosphere and the chance to see
people he had not seen in a while was what brought him back to the event year
after year. Mr Robinson said his message to Bermudians was “live the life you
love and love the life you live”. Tricray Astwood, of gospel group Last Call,
said the theme was a celebration of “the best of the best”. He added: “I
believe that Bermudians can compete on any level, in any market, in any field.
Right now, we are seeing more and more people winning. We are at the forefront
of our industries. It’s just that celebration of the excellent island that we
are.” The 32-year-old, from Hamilton Parish, said it was an honour for he and
Adrian Jones, 29, the other half of Last Call, to perform in the parade for the
first time. Mr Astwood said: “It’s such a great way to give back to the
community and to celebrate. We’re just glad to be a part of it.” Mr Astwood
said a sense of community was Bermuda’s biggest asset. He added: “We do our
best when we stick together. We are a small island. In unity we can really
conquer anything, as we are proving.” Jim and Christine Osborn, American
tourists aged 62 and 60, said they had stumbled on the parade by accident. Ms
Obsorn said: “It’s wonderful.” Mr Osborn added: “It’s a great bash.”
He said the retired pair travelled full time and had sailed to Bermuda from
North Carolina on a yacht. Mr Osborn said the pair had received a warm
reception. He added: “Bermuda is incredibly kind, and polite, and open. It’s
a wonderful place.” This year’s parade included more than 50 different
groups, including bands, dance troupes and Gombeys. The parade started on Front
Street near Albuoy’s Point. Participants travelled along Front Street, up
Court Street, left on to Church Street, down Cedar Avenue and ended at Bernard
Park.
A
social and sports clubs was told to deal with its management problems internally
at a Liquor Licensing Authority hearing. Alan Smith, a former Hamilton
Workmen’s Club president who has made a string of complaints against the
handling of club affairs, launched an objection to its licence renewal on the
grounds of management problems. But Liquor Licensing Authority chairman Marc
Daniels told a hearing on Wednesday that some of Mr Smith’s complaints had to
be dealt with by the club, not by the authority. Nigel Burgess, the club
secretary, admitted there were administrative problems at the club and that it
had not held a general meeting for six years because it did not have a quorum.
The authority heard that the quorum was 25. Mr Burgess, a long-serving
goalkeeper for the club’s football team, said the number of paid-up members
had gone up from six to 27 in recent times. Mr Smith questioned the integrity of
the club’s leadership earlier this year and asked for financial statements to
be made available. But the request was denied on the basis that he was not a
paid-up member. The authority also heard 40 people, including Mr Smith, had
applied for membership at the club, but been unsuccessful. Mr Burgess said
applicants would be considered for membership if they filled out the required
form. He added that revenues from bar sales had dropped but the club had been
able to take care of its finances. Mr Burgess said that the club had paid off
mortgages on its three properties over the past few years and now had the deeds
for the buildings. He said rental of parts of the club had helped to cover
operational costs and that bar sales were used to fund the football programme.
Primary
school principals have met their teachers to discuss the threat of class
mergers. A primary school staff member said that teachers at the island’s
primary schools were this week asked by principals to supply information on the
potential to merge their classes. It is understood that principals met on
Thursday and were to report their findings to the Department of Education. The
teacher said: “Many of the primary schools have been low on numbers.
Principals told classroom teachers that they have to determine whether or not
they want to be moved and they had to let the principals know by Wednesday. It
is not just Primary 1 classes they are looking at — it includes all primary
levels and it depends on how many children are in the classes.” Danielle
Riviere, a former member of the Score committee on schools re-organization,
which examined the state of the island’s 18 primary schools and looked at the
potential for primary school mergers and closures, said there had been “a far
lower” registration of primary school pupils for September. Ms Riviere, a
former president of West Pembroke Primary School PTA and a parent of a primary
school pupil, added: “When I was part of the Score Report committee we decided
that schools had to be looked at individually rather than across-the-board
statements being made. We have to look at class sizes and school sizes. If the
Government look back on that Score Report, they might find some information that
helps them to look at this.” St David’s Primary School, Heron Bay Primary
School, Prospect Primary School and Gilbert Institute were all listed as
candidates for closure in the report, published under the former One Bermuda
Alliance government. The meeting of schools staff came after it was announced
that the Primary 1 class at Elliot Primary School in Devonshire could be axed
because of low enrolment numbers, although a decision has still to be made. Ms
Riviere said that the requirements of pupils with learning problems had to be
considered if classes were merged. She added: “There are always concerns
because they need to have enough teachers’ assistants and Para educators to be
able to support children who need additional help. There is a shortage of Para educators
— they need more.” The teacher backed Ms Riviere’s views. The teacher
said: “If they are mixed in with regular learning students, there will need to
be Para educators or else they will fall behind — they will be more likely to
fall between the cracks. You might not be able to reach those children with
challenges the way you need to.” It is still unclear if mergers would result
in job losses among teaching staff. The Ministry of Education sent a letter to
Kimberley Creighton, the principal at Elliot, on May 17 about an earlier meeting
that had taken place with her and her staff and Diallo Rabain, the Minister of
Education, about Primary 1 enrolment for the next school year. The letter, also
copied to Valerie Robinson-James, the education permanent secretary, Kalmar
Richards, the Commissioner of Education, and Lisa Smith, the interim Director
for Educational Standards and Accountability, said the meeting had been
productive. But it added that it “did not provide an opportunity for
engagement with you and your staff on possible options for moving forward”.
The letter said: “We kindly request that you develop options for the
educational provision of how the P1 students would transition through to P6.”
The letter asked for options and evidence in support of them to be submitted by
Monday. It is understood that next Friday is the deadline for teachers to be
told if they will be transferred to other schools. The Ministry of Education did
not respond to a request for comment.
A
massive logistics ship has been loaded with Royal Bermuda Regiment trucks and
equipment headed for a major disaster relief exercise in the Caribbean. The
Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay will transport the RBR gear to the
Dominican Republic and on to St Vincent & the Grenadines for the
multinational disaster training Exercise TradeWinds, to be carried out over May
and June. Mounts Bay will also act as the hurricane relief ship and carry
out drug interdiction patrols in the Caribbean region and Bermuda over the
hurricane season, which runs from June to the end of November. Captain Gordon
Emmerson, who joined the ship as RBR liaison officer for the exercise, said:
“I’m very excited about it. I’m nervous about sea sickness, but I’m
looking forward to linking up with the crew on the ship and learning about how
they transport different types of cargo.” He added that he would take part in
training exercises with the crew and 24 Commando Royal Engineers, who spent a
week training with the RBR before they joined the ship after it docked in
Hamilton Harbour. Royal Navy Lieutenant Lee Holborn, a Wildcat helicopter pilot
from the Fleet Air Arm’s 815 Squadron attached to Mounts Bay, said:
“This is my first encounter with the RBR, but should the worst happen and we
find ourselves coming back here later in the year, we are really set up. The
32-year-old, from Wiltshire, added: “We know their plans and how we would fit
into them.” Lieutenant-Colonel David Curley, the RBR’s Commanding Officer,
visited the ship on Wednesday, just before it headed for the Dominican Republic,
to brief to RFA and Royal Navy personnel on board. He said: “We have achieved
everything that we wanted to do in equipment preparation and training for the
exercise. I gave an intelligence safety brief to the helicopter pilots on hard
and soft landing sites around the island. If the need arises. I also wanted to
make sure our standard operating procedures were up to date for ground troops
supervising helicopter landings. ” Colonel Curley added: “It’s a very
impressive ship, has tons of humanitarian aid and disaster relief equipment on
board and is equipped with its own powered floating dock. It’s ideal for
dealing with emergencies and using beaches as well as normal dock facilities.
And whenever we have to do an operation together, we have already been
introduced and will be able to integrate seamlessly. I wish Captain Jeremy
Macanley, his entire crew and Captain Emmerson well for their deployment.
Captain Emmerson will be attached to Mounts Bay for five weeks and he
will be met by RBR troops on the second part of TradeWinds in St Vincent &
the Grenadines.” Cub Scouts and Royal Bermuda Regiment junior leaders were
earlier treated to a tour of the ship. Children from the 16th Bermuda Cub Scouts
went aboard the vessel with the RBR junior leaders on Tuesday. Zach Moniz, 10,
said: “I like it a lot because I always play a lot of video games, but this is
way better.” Cara Bernhard, 11, added: “I like it because we probably
wouldn’t be doing it unless we are cub scouts.” Mounts Bay made its
first call on Bermuda in 2017 in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes Irma
and Maria hitting the Caribbean. Captain Jed Macanley said: “There is lots
that we can learn from the regiment from 2017 and from where it went and
assisted so it has been mutual learning. As much as anything, it’s good to
know each other so that if we do have to pitch up we have already made the
introductions, we know who we are working with, how they work, how we work and
how we can synchronize together.” Third Officer Alexander Moore explained how
technology helped to power the vessel or hold its position in shallow water.
Some of the children were delighted by the ship’s rapid fire minigun and the
group enjoyed the chance to get on board the Wildcat helicopter. Day’un Smith,
a 10-year-old Paget Primary School pupil, said: “I like exploring this place
because there’s a lot of fun stuff.” He added: “This is my first time
seeing a helicopter in real life, it’s really good.” Keith Bernhard, a cub
scout leader who escorted the group, said: “We try to show them things that
they don’t otherwise get to experience at school or in sporting activities.”
Arbitrade
is to transfer its purported $16 billion gold bullion agreement to another
company after an unexpected change in its ownership rights. The Bermuda-incorporated
cryptocurrency exchange and coin company will also no longer have any
involvement in the crypto token called “dignity”, which was to be backed by
gold bullion, nor will it be involved in three other planned bullion-backed crypto tokens.
The reason is the discovery that a business deal, announced more than a year
ago, never closed due to timing problems and regulatory approvals. As a result,
Arbitrade’s purchase of partner company Cryptobontix Inc, revealed in March
2018, was not concluded. The two companies have been under the Arbitrade
umbrella for more than a year. Cryptobontix owns the family of
Arbitrade-associated crypto tokens, including dignity, which trades at about
half a cent per token. The nature of the ownership situation between Arbitrade
and Cryptobontix came to light in the wake of Sion Trading FZE announcing in
January that it would become a major shareholder in Arbitrade. Sion Trading FZE
entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the shares in Arbitrade Ltd held
by Leila Holdings Lt d, a Bermuda exempted company owned by Arbitrade founder
Troy Hogg. But after the revelation that the deal between Arbitrade and
Cryptobontix was never closed, Mr Hogg is now working to close the sale of
Cryptobontix to Sion, according to a statement issued by Cryptobontix and shared
by Arbitrade. Cryptobontix said, “Sion Trading FZE’s owners and Troy have
now separated themselves from everyone else to finish the final details
necessary for closing the sale of the company.” The firm added that both
parties had agreed to use Canadian-based law firms to complete the transaction.
The statement said: “The board of directors, employees, and partners of
Arbitrade Ltd no longer have any involvement in this negotiation nor operations
of Cryptobontix Inc, its tokens, or the mining operations.” Cryptobontix also
announced that all the company’s profitable crypto mining rigs have been sent
to CoinMint, a US-based digital currency data centre, and “all previous mining
facilities have been terminated due to lack of service, high fees, or closing of
those facilities”. Arbitrade announced in November it had received title to
395,000 kilograms of gold bullion, worth about $16.2 billion at today’s
prices. It has not revealed the name of the independent public accounting firm
which is said has verified the SKR, or safe keeping record, for the bullion. The
firm said that was because it was bound by non-disclosure and privacy
obligations. The bullion is intended to be used to back the crypto tokens
dignity, namaste, orectic and honour. However, Cryptobontix said in its
statement: “The original agreement for the gold shall be transferred to
Cryptobontix as Sion Trading FZE moves to take over control and proceed with
conducting business. “Cryptobontix, under the new ownership, will continue
procurement of gold, precious metals and further developments of its crypto mining
programme, as set forth when the project began.” It also said that once the
sale was completed it was “understood that Sion Trading FZE would then move
the company to another cryptocurrency-friendly country where they can move ahead
with the plans and operations on the following tokens”. Sion holds a
commercial licence in the Ras Al Khaimah economic zone of the United Arab
Emirates, where its activity is listed as trading non-manufactured precious
metals. It is a subsidiary of Scotia International of Nevada Inc, a mining
equipment supply company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sion has been acting as
precious metals procurement agent for Arbitrade. Arbitrade acquired the Victoria
Hall office building, on Victoria Street, Hamilton, as its global headquarters
last October. It did so, with Bermuda Government permission, through its
subsidiary Arbitrade Properties (Victoria Hall) Ltd. The two listed shareholders
of the subsidiary at the time were Mr Hogg and American James Goldberg. Victoria
Hall remains vacant. Arbitrade’s earlier plans included setting up a
cryptocurrency exchange and cryptocurrency mining operations and said last
summer that it expected to create hundreds of jobs on the island. Arbitrade has
several incorporated entities in Bermuda, but to date it has not listed as a
licensed entity on the Bermuda Monetary Authority website. Arbitrade was asked
for an update on its plans, but the firm did not respond.
Scientists
have predicted a “near-normal” hurricane season this year with the Pacific
El Niño counterbalancing warmer Atlantic waters. The US-based National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Centre said that
the Atlantic would experience between nine and 15 named storms, of which between
four and eight are expected to reach hurricane strength. Between two and four of
the hurricanes could become major. An average hurricane season produces 12 named
storms, of which six become hurricanes and three become major hurricanes. A CPA
spokeswoman said: “This outlook reflects competing climate factors. The
ongoing El Niño is expected to persist and suppress the intensity of the
hurricane season. Countering El Niño is the expected combination of
warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and
Caribbean Sea and an enhanced west African monsoon, both of which favour
increased hurricane activity.” The preseason forecast was released on
Thursday. NOAA also said this year would be the first the organisation was able
to use three new “next generation” satellites, which would help create
better forecast models. James Dodgson, director of the Bermuda Weather Service,
said: “It does not matter what the seasonal forecast is, whether it is
expected to be active or inactive. It only takes one tropical system to make it
an active season for Bermuda. Businesses and the community should be prepared
for a possible significant tropical impact each and every year.” The BWS will
team up with the Emergency Measures Organisation to host Hurricane Preparedness
Week from June 3 to June 7. The 2019 hurricane season starts on June 1, but the
Atlantic has already experienced its first storm with subtropical storm Andrea,
which formed southeast of Bermuda earlier this week before it weakened to a
subtropical depression.
A
couple who honeymooned on the island grabbed a golden opportunity to combine
their 50th wedding anniversary with Bermuda Day. Mary Beth and Jack Murphy,
who married on May 24 and became repeat visitors, said the festivities were a
great opportunity to celebrate their half-century together. The couple, both 74,
have visited Bermuda 42 times and said they would continue to vacation here as
long as they were able to. Mr Murphy added: “We will continue coming as long
as we don’t run out of money.” The couple have visited many countries, but
fell in love with Bermuda. Mr Murphy said: “Compared with most of the
Caribbean, the culture and the infrastructure here, the politeness of the
people, I consider it outstanding. It stands out above all.” Ms Murphy added:
“It’s clean, the people are nice, the food is good. With the
dollar-to-dollar value, there is no moving around of money. It’s very
convenient. You are made to feel very welcome when you come here.” Mr Murphy
first visited Bermuda when he was a student and the couple picked Bermuda as
their honeymoon destination when they married in 1969. Mr Murphy said: “I love
the place to be honest. We play a lot of golf here.” The couple, who live next
to a golf course in the US, have played many rounds here. Ms Murphy said: “We
have been all over the island, from top to bottom.” They played their first
round of golf at what is now Turtle Hill at the Fairmont Southampton and have
since played every major golf course, including the now-closed Riddell’s Bay.
The couple planned to watch the Bermuda Day Parade as part of their anniversary
celebrations. Mr Murphy said: “I like to watch the Bermuda Regiment Band.”
They will also spend much of their time playing golf. The couple, who live in
Sarasota, Florida, have stayed at 15 different hotels over the years. They love
the South Shore of the island. Mr Murphy said that there had been changes on the
island over the decades — but not many. He said: “The stalwarts remain —
Elbow Beach, The Princess and the famous restaurants including Four Ways,
Waterlot, Henry VIII and the old standby Portofino.” One change he had noticed
over the years was that fewer ships docked in Hamilton. He said: “Front Street
used to be booming because most of the cruise ships would pull into Front
Street.” The couple have taken back a lot of Bermuda souvenirs to the US over
the years. Mrs Murphy said: “I used to go to the linen shop and buy linen in
there. I was a tea cup collector so I use to buy tea cups. I must have 25 or 30
from here.” The couple also brought their young children to the island and
they have all returned to Bermuda as adults. The Murphys are scheduled to leave
the island tomorrow.
Bermuda
featured as Queen Elizabeth toured the British Airways headquarters at Heathrow
airport near London to make its 100th anniversary. The Queen saw artefacts
and photographs at BA’s Speedbird Centre museum related to her 1953 visit to
the island on a Stratocruiser plane operated by BA’s predecessor BOAC. The
museum also features a photograph of World War Two British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill as he prepared to make the first transatlantic flight of a
world leader after a 24-hour stopover in Bermuda in 1942. He made the secret
visit to address the House of Assembly to thank them for allowing the US to
build military bases in Bermuda the previous year. The Queen visited BA’s
Waterside complex at Heathrow on Thursday.
Thousands
of people took to the streets of Hamilton today for the Bermuda Day Parade. Parade
watchers took up their staked out spots with family members and friends along
the streets of Hamilton for the annual event, which marks the official start of
summer. The theme of this year's event is “Bermudian Excellence”. This
parade includes about 50 different groups, including bands, dance troupes and
Gombeys. The parade started on Front Street near Albuoys Point. Participants are
scheduled to travel along Front Street, up Court Street, left on to Church
Street, down Cedar Avenue and finished at Marsh Folly Road/Dutton Avenue in
Pembroke.
Political leaders 40th
anniversary Bermuda Day messages.
More
taxis and minibuses could soon be on Bermuda’s roads after the Minister of
Tourism and Transport announced plans to increase services yesterday. Zane
DeSilva said 20 taxi permits will be offered for new cab owners who will cover
late afternoon and overnight shifts. He added that the number of minibuses
allowed to operate will be increased and at least 20 of them will be wheelchair
accessible. He added: “One of the main issues of concern for many members of
the public and our visitors is the reliability of taxis, especially late
afternoons and into the night. Under the Motor Taxi (Special Permits) Act 1970 I
have the authority to grant up to 88 special taxi permits and I plan to exercise
this law. In the first instance, and as a means to monitor and test the
initiative, an initial 20 permits will be offered to first-time taxi owners to
fill the gap in taxi service levels. I will review the taxi industry on a
regular basis to determine if the additional permits are required and if so, how
many and when. These special permit-holders will only be allowed on the road
between 3pm and 6am Monday through Sunday, including holidays and at the current
taxi rates. Government recognizes that technology is modernizing transportation
globally and that Bermuda must examine those trends when taking into account the
future of public and private transportation.” The minister was speaking after
he tabled a Green Paper on transport in the House of Assembly last Friday. Mr
DeSilva said fees for the permits were under consideration but it was thought
they would be about $2,000 for a four-seat taxi and $4,000 for a seven-seaters.
He added the new vehicles would have special licence plates to identify them and
“to ensure they abide by taxi regulations”. Mr DeSilva said anyone with a
valid driver’s licence who was interested should apply to the Bermuda Public
Service Vehicles Licensing Board. He added later that he had consulted
“many” taxi drivers and the industry’s associations over the additional
permits. “We had some robust conversations, there have been some suggestions
that they’re not needed, there have been other suggestions that they’re
overdue. The decision that I took was to issue 20 of those and then we will
monitor and we’ll assess and then we will make decisions going forward.” Mr
DeSilva added there were “challenges” with the island’s bus service and
that the Department of Transport was preparing a request for proposals for a new
fleet. He said: “In the interim, and to provide some relief to the bus
service, the ministry will increase the maximum number of minibuses allowed to
operate to 180, which equates to about 6,000 seats. Of this number, 20 minibuses
will be wheelchair accessible with a lift or a ramp.” He also pointed out
recent accomplishments in the Project Ride training programme, which included
re-certification of instructors and that 160 students completed the scheme in
the first four months of this year. Mr DeSilva said plans were under way to
donate out-of-use bikes to public high schools to help train motor mechanics.
“On the topic of alternative-powered vehicles, the Government of Bermuda will
set a goal date for Bermuda to go green by eliminating the importation of fossil
fuel-reliant vehicles, cars, bikes and trucks, recognizing the Government ought
to lead by example with respect to its own fleet of vehicles. Through to the end
of this year, the ministry will assess the impact of rental minicars on the
island’s infrastructure and, depending on the outcome of this assessment,
increase the number of rental minicars from the existing number of 300 up to a
maximum of 500.”
Controversial
changes to healthcare financing were passed in the Senate yesterday after two
government senators who had excused themselves because of illness returned for
the vote. The Health Insurance Amendment Act was resisted by the three One
Bermuda Alliance senators, including Nick Kempe, the Senate Leader, who said it
was “rushed” and ineffective. The legislation was passed after Jason Hayward
and Kathy Lynn Simmons attended the debate, despite illness. Joan Dillas-Wright,
the Senate president, said they “got out of their sickbeds to come and support
this Bill”. Mr Kempe’s motion to delay the second reading of the Bill was
also voted down five to four. He argued that there had been insufficient time to
consider the Bill, which was passed by the House of Assembly last Friday. Mr
Kempe’s motion was supported by James Jardine, an independent senator, as well
as the Opposition, but defeated by the government side. The Bill was drawn up to
allow the Government to pay an annual grant to the Bermuda Hospitals Board,
capped at $330 million for the coming year, to replace the existing
fee-for-service arrangement under the Health Insurance Amendment Act. The block
payment will be funded by the Government with a more than threefold increase in
the amount it takes from monthly premium payments to health insurers, up from
$101.97 to $331.97. The legislation will come into effect on June 1. Anthony
Richardson, a Progressive Labour Party senator, earlier tabled the Bill on Mr
Hayward’s behalf. Mr Richardson said the changes to hospital financing would
head off an estimated $20 million increase in healthcare costs. Marcus Jones, an
Opposition senator, said the Bill had been brought to the legislature with
“speed and reckless abandon”. Mr Jones added the legislation failed to
tackle rising costs. He said: “That is where the health costs really hit the
Bermudian public really hard.” Mr Jones added there had been a lack of
consultation with insurance companies. Mr Jardine warned that there would be no
savings if the hospital over ran its $330 million budget. He also read out a
letter he had received from the Association of Bermuda International Companies,
endorsed by the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce, the Bermuda Employers’ Council,
and the Bermuda Hotel Association, that asked him to push for a rethink on the
changes. Michelle Simmons, an independent senator, said the Government should
“go further” instead of “tinkering with one part of the system”. Mr
Kempe said the legislation would not cut costs or bring the island closer to
universal health coverage. He added: “This simply transfers negative claims
from the Government’s books to the private sector’s books”. Mr Hayward
said the legislation was the first in a series of moves to “change our broken
system”. Opposition senators tried to delay approval of the Bill until the
next sitting of the Senate on June 5. Independent senators sided with the
Government on a final vote, and the Bill was passed by seven votes to three.
Blame
for the imprisonment of a man for more than two years as he awaited trial on a
drugs charge does not lie with the Crown alone, a lawyer said yesterday. Tanaya
Tucker, who appeared for the defendants, the Director of Public Prosecutions and
the Attorney-General, told the Supreme Court that the imprisonment of Dennis
Robinson was in part because of delays caused by his lawyer and the defence
counsel for his co-accused, Rebecca Wallington. Ms Tucker said that over a
24-month period there had been 14 adjournments to the trial. She added that
several of the adjournments were as a result of actions taken by lawyers for Mr
Robinson and Ms Wallington and that other delays were because of the court’s
“administrative process”. Ms Tucker said: “For this reason, we submit that
it is not possible to say that there was a significant delay, which can be said
to be both unreasonable and the responsibility of the Crown.” She was speaking
at the second day of a constitutional challenge launched by Mr Robinson and Ms
Wallington. The civil application asks the court to rule that the proceedings
against Mr Robinson and Ms Wallington are unconstitutional and for the case to
be dismissed. The two were arrested on November 15, 2016 and charged with
possession of 418.7 grams of cannabis with intent to supply. Ms Wallington was
also charged with possession of 4.93 grams of cannabis — an amount that has
since been decriminalised by law. She denied both charges and was released on
bail. Ms Wallington is represented by Victoria Greening. Mr Robinson pleaded not
guilty to the charge in February 2017 and the pair’s trial started in May
2018. But magistrate Archibald Warner, after the conclusion of the trial last
October, announced that he had a conflict of interest and was forced to excuse
himself, which meant no verdict was delivered. A new trial date of January 29
was scheduled. The constitutional application against the Director of Public
Prosecutions and the Attorney-General was filed on January 28. Mark Pettingill,
who represents Mr Robinson, agreed that “part, not the majority” of the
delay was caused by the defence. But he said: “The point is this: none of it
is Mr Robinson’s fault.”
An
extra 50 police officers a day will be on duty over the holiday weekend, it was
announced yesterday. Acting Superintendent Tracy Adams said the officers
will be deployed to support Bermuda Day activities and the associated night-time
celebrations. Mr Adams warned: “Acts of antisocial behavior will not be
tolerated.” Officers will carry out patrols and checks across the island and
roadside breath-test checkpoints will in operation from tomorrow until Sunday.
The breath test checkpoints will be in Hamilton Parish, Devonshire, Pembroke,
Paget, Warwick and Southampton. Mr Adams added that some roads will be closed on
Friday from 8.30am for the Bermuda Day Parade, the half-marathon and the Bermuda
Bicycle Association’s Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race. The Bermuda Half
Marathon Derby and the bike race will start in St George’s and finish in
Hamilton. Mr Adams also advised people who planned to travel overseas to be at
the airport by 8am to avoid delays. He added the marine police presence will
also be increased as the weekend marks the traditional start of the boating
season. Mr Adams warned boaters to exercise caution around other vessels and to
be on the lookout for swimmers. He added: “Speed is an issue not only in
maritime collisions, but it also creates a general nuisance that affects boaters
at anchor near the shoreline. To that end, the five knot, no-wake zones will be
strictly enforced.” Mr Adams also asked people not to mix alcohol and boat
use. Mr Adams said members of the public should “exercise patience, tolerance
and caution” so everyone could have a safe and enjoyable weekend. He added:
“We encourage members of the communities that they live in to work together to
keep the peace in the neighborhood in an effort to avoid the involvement of the
police.”
The
Bermuda Day Parade will go back to its roots to celebrate its 40th anniversary
tomorrow. The route has been reversed so that it will start in Front Street,
the same as the first parade in 1979. Lovitta Foggo, the community affairs
minister, said: “Last year, we received considerable feedback about the
parade, which included concerns about the finish and in particular the steep
Queen Street leg to the City Hall and lack of spectators. “The ending was
therefore was anticlimactic for the participants.” Ms Foggo said 47 groups,
including Gombeys, majorettes, floats, dance groups, marching bands and music
trucks, would take part in the parade under the theme “Bermudian
Excellence”. Hosts providing entertainment and commentary in Hamilton include
Nadanja Bailey, Patrina “Powergirl” Paynter, DJ Damon, Kristin White, DJ
Rusty G, Tina Evans and Gavin Smith. An after-parade concert will be held on
Angle Street, where groups will arrange their own displays of floats and
activities. Ms Foggo said: “Bermuda Day is that time of year when we celebrate
all that makes us unique. Our heritage, our culture and our pride as a people,
these are the ties that bind us together. The public can be assured that much
work has gone into co-ordinating this year’s Bermuda Day Parade and it is
hoped that it will be an enjoyable experience for the thousands who plan on
attending.”
Particles
consistent with gunshot residue were found on the hands of the man accused of a
gun murder, a jury heard yesterday. Tarah Helsel, an expert from the
Pennsylvania-based RJ Lee Group, told the court she found evidence of GSR on
swabs taken from Kiari Tucker’s hands. More particles were found on Mr
Tucker’s jeans, his left shoe and a red handkerchief found on his bed. Mr
Tucker, 22, denies that he chased and fatally shot Morlan Steede in the Deepdale
area of Pembroke on November 3, 2017. The court earlier heard police searched Mr
Tucker’s home the day after the shooting and found him hidden in a closet in a
separate apartment of the same house. The jury was told yesterday that evidence
that several items of clothing were seized from Mr Tucker’s bedroom. Police
also collected the clothes Mr Tucker was wearing when he was arrested and
collected swabs from his hands, face and ears to be tested for gunshot residue.
Ms Helsel explained to the court that GSR is a combination of three elements,
lead, barium and antimony, fused together and released in a cloud when a firearm
is discharged. She said particles were usually only formed by the discharge of
firearms, but they can also be produced by a type of firework and one test has
shown the particles can be produced by brake pads. Ms Helsel added that the
particles usually fall off skin within four to six hours with “regular
action” but can remain trapped in clothing for longer. The particles can also
be transferred and retransferred between surfaces. She said she identified one
particle consistent with GSR on a swab taken from Mr Tucker’s right palm and
another two on a swab from his left palm. A swab from the front of Mr Tucker’s
jeans contained four particles consistent with GSR, and a swab from the back of
the pants had another two particles. A handkerchief found on Mr Tucker’s bed
had one particle consistent with GSR, and another two particles were found on
his left shoe. Ms Helsel added she found a series of two-component particles,
which contain two of the three components of GSR, on Mr Tucker’s hands, jeans
and left shoe. She added she was not sent any samples from Mr Steede’s
clothing, so she could not compare particles that may have been there with those
found on Mr Tucker. She said it would be difficult to make comparisons even if
samples were available. She added: “I would be able to compare, but a lot of
primers use lead, barium and antimony so they are going to be pretty similar
across the board. I wouldn’t be able to give a common origin.” Ms Helsel
said she had not carried out tests in Hamilton Police Station to check if any
GSR was present there. Ms Helsel said if there was GSR in the environment, or on
officers in contact with the defendant, it was possible that particles could be
transferred to him. The trial continues.
Retail
sales declined for a twelfth consecutive month in February, with all seven
retail sectors down year-on-year. Adjusting for inflation, the volume of
retail sales fell 4.4 per cent. The January figure was also revised from a 2.9
per cent drop to a 3 per cent decrease. This is the longest spell of consecutive
months of declining sales volume since an almost four-year long period from May
2008 until February 2012. In value terms, retail sales in February decreased 2.5
per cent to $79.8 million. Imports via courier increased $0.9 million to $11.6
million, while residents returning by air from overseas declared $3.3 million of
overseas purchases. Household imports that came by sea were $0.6 million, while
those that were via the post office totaled $0.4 million for the month. Motor
vehicle sales were down 16.7 per cent in volume, and 17.9 per cent in terms of
sales receipts. Apparel Stores saw a 7.2 per cent decrease in sales volume, with
the value of sales dipping 4.6 per cent. Sales at service stations were down 5.1
per cent in volume and 5.6 per cent in value, while building material sales were
down 4 per cent in volume, and liquor sales dropped 3.3 per cent in volume. The
all other store types sector had a 4.8 per cent decline in sales volume. The
value of sales of miscellaneous goods plummeted 41.1 per cent. In contrast,
sales value at pharmacies was up 0.9 per cent, while sales of electronics,
furniture and appliances increased 2.4 per cent. There was a 50 per cent boost
in sales value for marine and boat suppliers as a result of higher sales of boat
and boat engines compared to February 2018. The Retail Sales Index was 80.3,
which is the lowest for the month of February in the six-year snapshot of data
in the latest retail sales bulletin from the Department of Statistics. The
retail sales rate of inflation in February was 2 per cent.
A
team from Somersfield Academy got to try on the shoes of ambassadors at the
Model United Nations conference this month in New York. The 12 M4 students
attended the Global Classroom International conference as representatives of the
Netherlands to debate tough issues — including the abolition of the death
penalty, the legality of drones as weapons of war, and the crisis greenhouse gas
emissions. The annual conference brings students around the world to learn about
global issues, conflict resolution and the UN’s rules of procedure. Attending
from May 8 to 12 were Nicholas Bonanno, Tatum Brewer, Delia Cooper, Ian Forbes,
Zoe Hasselkuss, Aisling Homan, Kieran Kimberley, Zaire Lodge, Ethan Madeiros,
Gregg Mwangi, Thibaut Stefani and Grayson Toogood. All took part in debates, in
moderated and unmoderated caucuses, and in writing resolutions, which will be
submitted to the actual United Nations committees. Anne-Laure Bazin, a
Somersfield teacher, said the M4 team were “among the youngest in this
conference — but they have showed great preparedness and maturity”.
Robin
Hood and former Bermuda footballer Antwan Russell and two other men appeared in
Magistrates’ Court yesterday over their involvement in fights at a sports
club. Russell, 32, from Warwick, along with Rashaad Cooper, 36, and Joshua
Place, 33, pleaded not guilty to taking part in brawls at the Southampton
Rangers Sports Club. The disturbances are alleged to have taken place in the
early hours of February 2. It is alleged that Mr Russell and Mr Cooper were
involved in the first fight. Mr Place is alleged to have got into a fight with
another man later. Juan Wolffe, the senior magistrate, adjourned the cases until
June 10. He released all the defendants on bail and ordered them to report to
Hamilton Police Station twice a week. Mr Place, from Warwick, and Mr Cooper,
from Pembroke, were also put on a curfew.
Aurum
Fund Management Ltd has achieved remarkable things since it was founded in
Bermuda on August 11, 1994. The fund of hedge funds management firm has won
more than 50 industry awards for earning its investors steady returns,
regardless of market direction, and today has about $2.3 billion of assets under
management. Even more impressively, Aurum has spent many years quietly ploughing
millions of dollars into high-impact environmental and philanthropic projects
and charities. The group has offices in Aurum House, at 35 Richmond Road,
Hamilton, as well as a significant operation in London, where most of its 54
employees are based. Key members of its team are based in Bermuda including
Dudley Cottingham, the president and co-founder, Adam Hopkin, vice-president,
and directors Tina Gibbons, Michael Harvey and Nancy Morrison. Longevity is a
feature among the staff and almost four-fifths of employees have been with Aurum
for more than five years. Aurum held a group meeting on the island this month,
as it does periodically, to make key decisions on the business and its future.
Kevin Gundle, chief executive officer of the group’s London operations, and a
founding member of the group, stressed the group’s commitment to Bermuda, to
its investors and to addressing environmental, social and governance issues.
“We were practising ESG long before it became mainstream,” Mr Gundle said.
“We have a track record of more than 15 years.” ESG is part of Aurum’s
business philosophy on the simple basis that “generating long-term sustainable
returns is dependent on environmental, social and economic factors” and that
“a business that is not in harmony with the ecosystem within which it
functions is doomed to fail”. Aurum’s Impact Investment solution, which
launched in 2002, gives investors the chance to earn investment returns and also
make a difference. One hundred per cent of the advisory fees support several
charities, including Synchronicity Earth, a sustainability-focused charity based
in Bermuda whose founder and chairman is Adam Sweidan, Aurum’s chief
investment officer. The intention is for these dollars to be directed where they
will have maximum impact. “Apple has high ESG ratings, but you won’t have
any impact by investing in Apple,” Mr Gundle said. “Synchronicity Earth
supports physical research projects looking at things like oceans, fresh water,
forests and species regeneration by the most effective non-profits.” Such
research can then guide governments or the private sector on pursuing
environmental protection or regeneration projects, he added. One local example
was a study, funded by Aurum, of Bermuda’s waters based on satellite data from
2013 to 2016, looking for signs of illegal fishing. Aurum also helped to fund
the Ocean Risk Summit, an event held in Bermuda last year that brought together
representatives of business, government and science to discuss responses to
unprecedented changes occurring in the ocean. Aurum also works with Ark
(Absolute Return for Kids), an international, education-focused charity
cofounded by Mr Gundle. Mr Gundle is also a patron of the One to One
Children’s Fund, a charity that aims to rebuild and transform the lives of
vulnerable children. Aurum has cemented its ESG credentials by signing up to the
United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, committing to the six UN
PRI principles and its reporting framework. Mr Gundle estimates Aurum has given
away well over $10 million to environmental and social causes over the years. To
mark the 25th anniversary, the group will ramp up its charitable efforts, with
beneficiaries including the WindReach facility in Warwick. Aurum has no concerns
about economic substance legislation that was brought in at the end of last year
to address EU concerns about companies based in low-tax jurisdictions that
lacked operational presence. Mr Hopkin said: “We are a shining example of what
constitutes economic substance, in the money we spend here, the directors we
have based here, the board meetings we hold here and the strategic decisions we
make here. We do not do this because of pressure from the EU, we do it, because
it’s the right thing to do.” Aurum’s commitment to doing things properly
is exemplified by the firm voluntarily jumping through regulatory hoops to
acquire an investment business licence from the Bermuda Monetary Authority, when
the group is exempt from supervision by the regulator because its investors are
“qualified participants”, that is institutions or high-net-worth
individuals, under the Investments Funds Act. Aurum manages multi-strategy hedge
fund portfolios with the aim of producing returns uncorrelated with the
financial markets that cannot be achieved with traditional investments like
equities and bonds. The group does not fit the stereotypical image of hedge fund
managers, taking big risks in the chase for high returns — just the opposite,
in fact. Not only does Aurum drill down deep into the funds and strategies it
considers investing in, but it also looks carefully at each fund’s operational
risks. Any shortcomings found mean the fund is avoided. The result for Aurum
investors has been steady growth, even through the recession following the
“dot-com boom” in the early Noughties, and suffering barely a blip during
the global financial crisis of a decade ago, when the stock market collapsed.
Avoiding what Mr Gundle described as the “capital destruction” of market
troughs has led to outperformance in the long run, because, as the CEO added,
“when you’re down 50 per cent you have to climb 100 per cent to get back to
where you were”. The approach has proved attractive to many pension funds and
wealthy individuals among Aurum’s clientele and could also work for
Bermuda’s growing cohort of life reinsurers, Mr Gundle suggested. Winning
business from property and casualty re/insurers has proved more difficult,
because regulators and rating agencies treat “alternative investments” as
risky, an approach that seems ironic when Aurum’s track record of successful
risk mitigation is considered.
The
island’s entertainment union yesterday backed the decision to allow a
controversial reggae superstar to perform in Bermuda. The Bermuda
Entertainment Union said that it “encouraged the public” to support the
August concert that will star Buju Benton. A spokeswoman for the union said that
representatives for Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, had made an application
to the union in April. She added: “We were satisfied with the information
received, which included confirmation that local artists would be included on
the bill, along with payment of the required traveler's dues. We had no problem
then and have no problem today with Mr Banton performing here.” Wayne Caines,
the Minister of National Security, said on Tuesday that he had decided to allow
the popular musician to visit the island. Banton was released from a US prison
last December after serving eight years of a ten-year sentence for conspiracy to
distribute cocaine. The musician, 45, has attracted criticism for his song Boom
Bye Bye, written when he was 15 and released in 1992, which called for the
murder of gay men. He has since removed the song from his repertoire and from
sites he has control over and apologized for the “pain” it had caused Banton
is scheduled to appear on August 17 at the National Stadium. Local artists DJ
Chubb, Jesse Seymour and Live Wires are also scheduled to perform.
A
Bermudian woman who lives in Canada and was reported missing has been found safe
and well, police said yesterday. Peel Regional Police said that 32-year-old
Siobhan Dobson had been located “in good health”. Police added: “The
family and police thank the public and the media for their assistance with the
investigation.” Ms Dobson, from Brampton, Ontario, was last seen in downtown
Toronto on May 18, and had been missing for three days.
A
legacy of learning has been left by Elizabeth Kitson, the founder of the Reading
Clinic, who died last week aged 100. She will be remembered as a mother who
taught her children to work hard for their goals and as a “remarkable,
amazing” woman who helped countless others fulfil their potential. Susanna
Willingham, her daughter, said: “She presented ideals to strive for. She loved
learning. She was a leader in so many ways. I learnt that learning was of value
and I learnt that you could pursue your dreams or your ideals.” Mrs Kitson was
born Betty Muriel Gorham in 1918 to Arthur Gorham, a Front Street merchant, and
Muriel Masters. She was the fourth of five children and grew up on Pitts Bay
Road, Pembroke. She got her first summer job at 17 writing a column for The
Royal Gazette and, about then, met the man who became her husband, Commander
Geoffrey Kitson, a Scotsman in Bermuda who worked for the Admiralty. The couple
married on September 17, 1939 and their son, Kirk, now 78, was born the next
year before the family moved to England. They returned to Bermuda a few years
after the Second World War with another son, Richard, now 74, and their
daughter, now 67, arrived later. Mrs Kitson was drawn to a home on Pitts Bay
Road that had fallen into disrepair, which became the Rosedon Hotel that is now
run by her grandchildren, Lee Petty and Scott Kitson. Ms Willingham said: “She
bought Rosedon when it was a derelict, beautiful house, she thought somebody
should do something with that house. She dusted if off and made it into a
B&B. She was happy to start something, she loved to have a project, she
loved to renovate things. She decorated Rosedon for the first 40 years of its
existence.” Mrs Kitson returned to studies in New York in her early forties to
become a reading specialist and started doing reading assessments back in
Bermuda in the 1960s. However, she identified a lack of follow-up services and,
in 1968, launched The Reading Clinic, which offered instruction from her home.
Some students had dyslexia, others had fallen behind in reading and needed extra
help. Ms Willingham recalled: “My father tutored, my aunt tutored, in the
early days they all pitched in and it was a fabulous experience because it was
successful for the kids.” She explained that her mother changed her name “to
the less diminutive form” when she was recognized as a Member of the Order of
the British Empire in 1980. The Reading Clinic moved into its own space on the
Bermuda High School for Girls’ property in 1991. Ms Willingham added: “It
showed us that we should have tenacity too. We observed that she was
hard-working. She also loved beauty a lot, natural beauty, like natural stone, I
think we all learnt a love of beauty from her, she was inclined in that way.”
Ms Willingham said her mother was also a good athlete, played golf competitively
and was even a junior Olympic swimmer. She added: “She was not harshly
competitive but she cared about doing well. I think it gave us all a sense of
striving to do better and also to serve the community, she was also the chairman
of the Committee of 25 for Handicapped Children. I can see my mother on the
tarmac at the airport with three kids with wheelchairs getting them on to the
plane to go to the United States to get help. She was really into helping the
less fortunate in that way.” Mrs Kitson, who had seven grandchildren and nine
great-grandchildren, retired from her work with The Reading Clinic in 2000,
having helped hundreds of children. She continued to back scholarships for
students of the charity as well as at Bermuda College and schools such as
Warwick Academy and Saltus Grammar School. But Ms Willingham said her mother’s
efforts were carried out “quietly”. She added: “Even though she was a
leader she didn’t really like the public eye. She made speeches about dyslexia
because they needed to be given, because it was still a disputed disorder.”
Her death on May 16, which her daughter said was “completely peaceful”, came
more than 20 years after the death of her husband, who died aged 80. Glenn
Faries, the Reading Clinic’s executive director, said: “It goes without
saying that Mrs Kitson was an amazing woman, a remarkable woman and I think that
her vision for children in Bermuda with learning differences was incredibly
influential, it was basically the driving force behind her founding the Reading
Clinic and putting it in place 51 years ago.” He added that Mrs Kitson was
“visionary” in the way she saw children who were otherwise considered “as
someone who is never going to be able to succeed” and provided them with the
tools to achieve and exceed their potential. Dr Faries added: “She was ahead
of her time as far as that goes.” A funeral service will be held on June 15 at
3pm at St Paul’s Church in Paget.
Road training should be mandatory
for all new road users and speed cameras could be introduced, the transport
minister has said. Zane DeSilva added that the training programme Project Ride,
or a similar programme, should be compulsory for all riders, not just
schoolchildren. He said: “I think it should, because the data is out there
that it is not 16 or 17-year-olds that are dying. We want people to do the
training because it will protect people.” Statistics have shown 16-year-old
riders were most at risk of a road crash between 2009 and 2015, but 21 to
25-year-olds were most likely to die in a crash over the same period. Eight out
of the 11 fatalities last year were aged more than 30. Mr DeSilva said: “When
I was 16 years old we didn’t have Project Ride or any of this on board, so we
found our own way and many people picked up bad driving habits.” Mr DeSilva
was speaking to The Royal Gazette’s Drive for Change campaign after he
tabled a Green Paper on transport in the House of Assembly last Friday. The
paper, completed last April, included results of a transport survey completed by
almost 2,500 people, as well as the views of 70 interested organisations. A
total of 58 per cent of respondents said an advanced, mandated, graduated
licensing programme for young drivers should be introduced, but no question was
included about the rest of the driving population. Rachael Robinson, the road
safety officer at the Transport Control Department, is carrying out work to
improve Project Ride, which will include a three-stage re-certification
programme for instructors and the creation of a new off-road training centre in
Devonshire. Ms Robinson, along with Operation Caution, drawn up by the Bermuda
Road Safety Council, is to start road safety education for school pupils
beginning at primary school level. The Royal Gazette’s Drive for Change
was launched a year and a half ago to lobby the Government to introduce a
mandatory, graduated, licensing scheme that included on-road training. The
campaign also asked for speed cameras and legislation to allow roadside
breath-test checkpoints. The first checkpoints were set up last September. Mr
DeSilva said he would consider introducing practical on-road training before
licensing, in line with Britain, the United States and Canada. Project Ride is
at present taught in a car park. Mr DeSilva added: “If things will improve
safety, you will never hear me say never.” Other interested parties asked for
the installation of speed cameras “as soon as possible” and for high
penalties for those caught exceeding the speed limit. Mr DeSilva said the
introduction of speed cameras was largely a matter for the national security
ministry, but he decided to highlight them in his ministerial statement on the
Green Paper. He added: “I thought I would mention it because I have mentioned
it to the national security minister and I think it is something that we should
consider.” Mr DeSilva said: “You can’t have police out with radar guns
24/7, but if people are speeding, they should be penalized.” He also ruled out
an increase in the 35km/hr speed limit. He said: “You do have to decide where
do you draw the line; do you book someone for doing one kilometer an hour over
the limit? I think worldwide police do give you a little grace. I wouldn’t
want to increase the speed limit because then that grace gets larger.” Mr
DeSilva said roads bans should be considered for speeders and that he would also
consider Uber-style ride-sharing services. The Green Paper survey showed 65 per
cent backed a new service to complement taxis, although Walter Roban, the
previous transport minister, has said the Government was “not actively
exploring” that idea. Mr DeSilva said: “I am not the same, I will look at
anything and everything. I am not totally against it, whether or not it would
work for Bermuda, I don’t know. I would be worried about the taxi industry. If
I paid $100,000 for a taxi permit, I would hate to think that someone would come
along that cuts my rates. I would think that it would form part of the debate
that is coming in the house on the Green Paper.” The Green Paper also praised
Drive for Change and other road-safety campaigns. It said: “The Royal
Gazette’s Drive for Change campaign, as well as the film A Piece of the
Rock, have done an outstanding job to help bring awareness to bad driving behavior
and the severity of road traffic collisions, accidents, injury and death on
Bermuda’s roads”. Drive for Change has a paper and online petition for speed
cameras and mandatory road training for all road users.
Highlights of the public consultation process included:
Forty per cent of those surveyed said that Bermuda’s roads are “somewhat safe for driving”. But 37 per cent said they are “not so safe” and 17 per cent believed they were “not safe at all”. Forty per cent disagreed that Bermuda’s roads were properly maintained and 25 per cent strongly disagreed. Seventy-four per cent thought the level of traffic fines and the demerit system were insufficient deterrents.
A
law firm was found in contempt of court yesterday after it continued to
represent patients of Ewart Brown despite a judge’s order not to.
Assistant Justice Kiernan Bell told Mark Pettingill and Victoria Greening, of
Chancery Legal, they had disobeyed a Supreme Court injunction
issued this month to block the firm from acting for the former premier’s
patients because of a conflict of interest. Mrs Justice Bell, who earlier ruled
that Mr Pettingill, a former attorney-general, and Ms Greening, had a conflict
of interest, said: “I do make a finding that Chancery Legal are in contempt of
court.” She added that the firm could “take no further part in these legal
proceedings” unless the Court of Appeal ruled in Chancery Legal’s favour. Mr
Pettingill asked the court if he was to be taken away in “shackles”. Mrs
Justice Bell said: “I wasn’t intending on making any other further
statements.” Mr Pettingill afterwards told The Royal Gazette that
Chancery would “respectfully appeal” the decision. Mr Pettingill’s
firm’s clients were among 265 patients whose health records were seized during
police raids on Dr Brown’s two medical clinics, Bermuda Healthcare Services in
Paget and Brown-Darrell in Smith’s, in February 2017. The raids were part of
an investigation by police into allegations that the clinics ordered unnecessary
diagnostic imaging scans to boost profits. Dr Brown and BHCS medical director
Mahesh Reddy have denied any wrongdoing in relation to the alleged over-scanning
of patients and have not been charged with any offences. Chancery acted for 150
patients who were given permission by the Supreme Court to intervene in a civil
case brought by Dr Reddy and the clinics against Bermuda Police Service. The
patients wanted to stop the police from getting access to their files and to
have the medical records returned. Mark Diel, representing the police, asked the
court last month to bar Mr Pettingill and Ms Greening, a former Crown
prosecutor, from acting for the patients on the grounds that they had access to
confidential information in their former roles on a long-running police
investigation into Dr Brown. Mrs Justice Bell agreed and ruled on May 2 that Mr
Pettingill and Ms Greening had “received confidential and relevant information
of the [Commissioner of Police] and the BPS attributable to their lawyer-client
relationship” and that there was a risk of that information being disclosed to
the detriment of the police. She told Chancery Legal it was “restrained from
acting for the ... patients”. Mr Diel said yesterday that Chancery breached
the order by applying for a “stay” on the injunction on behalf of the
patients, filing an affidavit and lodging a notice of appeal with the Court of
Appeal. He alleged that the court registry had been “communicating” with
Chancery “in order to proceed with the appeal”, despite “knowing full well
of the injunction”. Mr Diel complained that proper procedure for serving legal
papers in relation to the appeal had not been followed and said it was a
“procedural shambles”. He added: “It’s bad enough that Chancery Legal
are in breach, but what has happened is that the court has now been drawn into
this and you will see the mess that has happened.” Mr Diel alleged that court
staff were involved in “cosy chats” with Chancery. He said: “The court is
actively facilitating the breach.” He said the proceedings should be adjourned
until the patients were represented by a law firm with no conflict in the case.
Mr Pettingill told the court that Chancery had sought guidance from the court
after the conflict of interest ruling and had acted on the instructions of its
clients, who did not want to find alternative lawyers. He said it made sense for
the firm to apply for a stay on the injunction and to pursue an appeal. Mr
Pettingill said: “All we are seeking to do is in the interests of fairness. It
doesn’t impact on the respondents one iota to have us deal with the issue of
the stay.” He added that Mr Diel had “openly accused the Registrar of the
Supreme Court” and the Clerk of the Court of Appeal of “being in
contempt”. Mr Pettingill said there was “a degree of a bullying approach”
through e-mails sent by Mr Diel to the court and “the threats going on”. Mr
Pettingill, a director of Chancery Legal who has sat as a Supreme Court
assistant justice, said in his 30-year career at the Bar he had never been
“scolded or been in contempt of court”. He said after the hearing: “We
were candidly surprised at this decision made on the application of Mark Diel,
given that we were encouraged to prepare and attend a hearing for a stay
application on behalf of our clients.” The Registrar of the Supreme Court did
not respond to a request for comment.
The
Government has refused to say if it has suspended a civil servant accused of an
assault on a 17-year-old girl when she refused to board a flight to the United
States. The worker is alleged in an official document seen by The Royal
Gazette to have assaulted the child at LF Wade International Airport on May
8. Police confirmed that a complaint had been made in connection with the
alleged incident and the matter was under investigation. A spokeswoman for the
Ministry of Legal Affairs refused to comment on whether the civil servant had
been suspended. She said: “The ministry will not be forwarding any comment.”
Derrick Binns, Head of the Civil Service, did not respond to a request for
comment. The teenager did not have legal representation at the time of the
incident, but she is now represented by Saul Dismont, a lawyer at Marshall, Diel
& Myers. MDM said in a letter on May 12 that it understood the that the
assault was alleged to have happened “when our client complained that she did
not want to be sent to a secure treatment facility in the US, which is where she
was being sent”. Mr Dismont said yesterday he was unable to comment further.
Sidewalk
barbecues are to be banned from the Bermuda Day Parade, it was revealed
yesterday. Dwayne Caines, the chief operating officer for the City of
Hamilton, said the ban was imposed on safety grounds. Mr Caines said: “With
the congestion expected on the sidewalks along the parade route, one must realize
that the cooking of food, especially with an open flame, is a hazard. At the end
of the event, those coals are still hot and if not disposed of correctly, can
have serious consequences. We’re simply but firmly insisting that people leave
the barbecues at home. We have had discussions with the Bermuda Fire Service and
any barbecues or open flames on City sidewalks or in City streets will be
ordered to be extinguished and removed. A clean city is a safe city. We’re
delighted to welcome people to Hamilton to enjoy the parade as they have done
year after year, but we also want to make sure they exercise caution and act
responsibly for the benefit of everyone. Spectators, who traditionally line
streets throughout the city to watch the parade, should also make sure to take
their trash and belongings away with them. The annual tradition of marking out
family plots on the City sidewalks, while not endorsed by the city, is well
under way and any string or apparatus that has been used, that might impede
pedestrian traffic, will be removed. The city asks those members of the public
who have used tape to mark spots, to please remove it after the parade. Any
spray paint that is used will be removed prior to the parade and, if possible,
persons responsible will be prosecuted for vandalism.”
An
expert on diabetes has been appointed as a consultant endocrinologist by the
Bermuda Hospitals Board. Andrew Jamieson, from, Glasgow, Scotland,
previously worked to tackle the disease in the United Arab Emirates. Dr Jamieson
said: “I am looking forward to serving the community and working to improve
health outcomes for diabetics in this beautiful island.” He will replace
Annabel Fountain, who was director of endocrinology until the end of 2017.
Diabetics in Bermuda have an average age of 57, eight years younger than in
Britain. Health experts have warned the diabetes rate is increasing because 74
per cent of the adult population is overweight or obese. Dr Jamieson, who came
top of his class at the prestigious Glasgow University medical school, has been
appointed on an initial two-year contract. He trained in endocrinology in
Glasgow and worked as a consultant endocrinologist for NHS Scotland for 17 years
before he became deputy medical director of the Valiant Clinic in Dubai. He has
also authored many published articles on clinical aspects of diabetes,
endocrinology and osteoporosis. Michael Richmond, the BHB chief of staff, said:
“We are fortunate to have Dr Jamieson join the BHB team. His knowledge and
expertise in diabetes and his experience in managing the disease in Dubai, a
high-diabetes-prevalence area, will benefit the entire Bermuda community.”
The
trial of a man accused of a gun murder was shown CCTV footage said in court to
show his movements around North Hamilton on the night of the killing. Kiari
Tucker, 22, charged with the murder of Morlan Steede, was said to have been
tracked by the police and private CCTV networks. He is further charged with
using a firearm to commit an indictable offence. Mr Tucker has pleaded not
guilty to both charges. Susan Mulligan, for the defence, questioned how
accurately Mr Tucker, 22, could be identified from police and security videos.
Detective Constable Christopher Sabean showed clips taken on the night of
November 3, 2017, when Mr Steede was chased by a gunman through the Deepdale neighborhood
in Pembroke, and shot three times at about 9.40pm. Mr Tucker, from Warwick, was
shown on Court Street with a group of friends earlier that night, as well as
inside the Spinning Wheel club and walking on Court Street after the shooting.
The court was told that a figure seen on CCTV during the half-hour leading up to
the murder that covered Deepdale was the alleged suspect. Ms Mulligan cast doubt
on identifying the accused by his clothes, such as his trousers, and told Mr
Sabean he had “probably seen a lot of young men wearing Adidas track pants”.
Mr Sabean maintained that a figure caught on camera walking up Two Way Deepdale
at 9.14pm, parallel to One Way Deepdale where the victim was chased, was the
alleged killer. Footage from minutes after the shooting showed bystanders on
Parsons Road, where Mr Steede collapsed. The jury heard that the police cameras
were monitored and could be zoomed in to concentrate on scenes of interest. Mr
Sabean agreed with Ms Mulligan that one of the onlookers “seemed to be running
from the area with a helmet on”. Footage was taken from several cameras in the
Hamilton and Pembroke areas. The jury heard Mr Tucker was arrested the day after
the shooting when firearms officers descended on an apartment in Warwick. Police
Constable Che Young said he and other officers were sent to Mr Tucker’s last
known address, on the parish’s Tribe Road No 1. The court heard that members
of his family and his godmother occupied apartments next door to each other.
Officers went into the home of the defendant’s godmother, Jahnika Young, but
no one appeared to be at home. Mr Young said he found the defendant concealed
under a pile of clothes hidden in a bedroom. Sergeant Minton Gilbert, who was
also at the scene, said he helped as other officers handcuffed Mr Tucker.
Detective Constable Jeffrey Blair told the court he had taken a mobile phone
from Mr Tucker’s godmother’s apartment. He said he later visited Monique
Tucker, mother of the defendant, and his grandmother, Marilyn Franklin at the neighboring
apartment. Mr Blair said he was directed by them to a bedroom and he took more
than a dozen pieces of men’s clothing piled on a bed. He told Ms Mulligan the
officers had “known what we were looking for” and took away only the items
they were instructed to remove. The trial continues.
A
proxy battle between Argo Group International Holdings Ltd and activist
shareholders has been halted, but recriminations continue. Voce Capital
Management LLC had been pushing to have a number of Argo’s directors removed,
and had proposed alternative candidates to replace them. The election of
directors will form part of Argo’s annual meeting on Friday. However, Voce
said yesterday it had “no choice” but to withdraw its nominations after two
out of the five state departments of insurance in the US that had previously
given permission for its filing of a definitive proxy statement
“flip-flopped” and revoked their approvals. It laid the blame for the turn
of events on lobbying by Argo. However, Argo, in its own statement, said: “It
appears that Voce may have failed to take all steps or disclose all information
required by the departments of insurance in a timely fashion.” Voce Capital is
a San Francisco-based hedge fund that is the beneficial owner of about 5.6 per
cent of the shares of Argo. Earlier this year it attacked what it called a
“spendthrift culture” and “inappropriate corporate expenses” at Argo. In
a statement yesterday it claimed Argo’s role in lobbying the various
departments of insurances in the US “is clear and irrefutable”. It said one
of the states to revoke its prior approval, Virginia, had said in a letter it
had considered additional materials and information provided by Argo. In
addition, Voce said the Illinois department of insurance had threatened to
pursue injunctive relief or seek the voiding of any proxy votes cast should the
contest proceed. “Given these disturbing, last-minute developments, it is
clear there is a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the annual meeting and its
potential outcome. Accordingly, we have no choice but to withdraw our
nominations for election of directors and cease soliciting proxies therefore,”
Voce said.
A
convenience store employee had a knife held to his throat in an armed robbery in
Flatts yesterday, a co-worker said. Abdul Shaikh, who was not on duty at the
time of the incident, said: “He came inside the counter, put the knife on his
neck and told him to open the register and give him the money. Then he just told
him to sit down.” He said that his co-worker, who has informed him what had
happened when he arrived for the night shift, complied with the demand and gave
the intruder cash from the register. Mr Shaikh, 35, was speaking after the armed
robbery at Belvin’s Variety in Smith’s at about 11.30am. Police said
yesterday afternoon that a 59-year-old suspect had been arrested in connection
with the incident. A police spokesman confirmed that a quantity of cash was
taken in the robbery. Police earlier said that the raider had left the store
empty-handed. Mr Shaikh said the victim had been the only employee on duty when
the robber entered the store. He added the incident had left his co-worker “a
little stressed”. Mr Shaikh said that the employee had not been involved in a
similar incident before. The store, located on Middle Road, was robbed in
January last year. Police at the time said a man walked into the store and stole
money out of the register before he fled with another other man who had waited
outside on a motorcycle. No injuries were reported in the earlier incident, and
no weapon was seen. An investigation was launched by police after CCTV footage
of the robbery found its way online. The store was also robbed by a man armed
with a knife in January 2013, but no one was injured. Robberies have also taken
place at the other Belvin’s locations. A man armed with a knife escaped with
cash after he robbed the Belvin’s branch on Glebe Road, Pembroke, in December
2017. Police have appealed for witnesses to the latest robbery.
Reggae
star Buju Banton has been granted permission to perform in Bermuda, the national
security minister confirmed last night. Wayne Caines said that he had
decided to allow the popular musician, whose real name is Mark Myrie, to visit
the island. Buju was released from a US prison last December after he served
eight years of a ten-year sentence for conspiracy to import cocaine. He is
scheduled to appear on August 17 at the National Stadium. Mr Caines said: “As
the Minister of National Security, which includes responsibility for police,
customs, corrections, fire and immigration, I am keenly aware of the challenges
that result from the misuse of drugs. As it relates to Mr Myrie’s particular
situation, he has served his mandated period of incarceration, and has publicly
said that he wishes to use his personal experience of incarceration as a way to
uplift, motivate and help others.” Mr Caines said that his ministry backed
“any type of personal, rehabilitation, redemption and social commitment,
particularly as we ourselves engage with at-risk young people on a regular
basis”. He added that Buju has been granted permission to perform in Trinidad
& Tobago, Grenada, Guyana, the British Virgin Islands, St Kitts, the
Netherlands, Belgium, the Bahamas, Suriname, France and Germany.
Brian Duperreault tops the
rankings in terms of executive compensation in the property and casualty
insurance industry. Mr Duperreault, a Bermudian and the chief executive
officer of American International Group, earned $20.8 million 2018, according to
trade publication The Insurance Insider. Evan Greenberg, chairman and CEO of
Chubb, and another well-known character in Bermuda, placed second with
compensation of $20.4 million. The Insider published the top 50 executive
earners, based on its scan of regulatory filings by public companies in the
industry. The highest-paid executive with a Bermuda-headquartered company last
year was Marc Grandisson, CEO of Arch Capital, whose earnings totaled $12.9
million, enough to place him tenth in the rankings. Mr Grandisson took over as
CEO from Constantine “Dinos” Iordanou in March 2018. As part of the
leadership succession plan, Grandisson was awarded options to buy 616,284 shares
worth $4.5 million. Consequently the former chief operating officer’s
compensation surged $5.8 million compared to 2017, propelling Mr Grandisson 27
places up the rankings. Kevin O’Donnell, CEO of RenaissanceRe Holdings was the
next Bermuda-based leader on the list. His $10.8 million compensation package
placed him 15th on the list, up 14 places from 2017. The biggest climber in the
Insider’s rankings was Mark Watson, who shot up 72 places. Mr Watson earned
more than $8.3 million last year, up from $3 million the year before. The
increase was a result of performance awards approved by Argo’s board in
November 2018. The re/insurer has been embroiled in a proxy fight in recent
weeks with activist investor Voce Capital in recent weeks. Institutional
shareholder proxy firm ISS recommended last week that Argo shareholders should
vote against Mr Watson’s compensation deal, the Insider reported. Albert
Benchimol, CEO of Axis Capital, earned $7.8 million last year, placing him 26th
in the rankings, a rise of 13 places. Dominic Addesso’s $7.1 million package
as CEO of Everest Re, placed him 29th in the rankings, down four spots from
2017.
Today
is the 100th anniversary of Bermuda’s first aircraft flight. People lined
the streets and balconies on the Hamilton waterfront to watch the first aircraft
to take flight in Bermuda in 1919. Tom Singfield, the author of Wings Over
Bermuda, said the Curtiss N-9H “Jenny” floatplane was on board the freighter
SS Elinor, which had served in the First World War as the USS Elinor, when it
made an unscheduled trip here because of engine trouble and poor weather. Sir
James Willcocks, the Governor, persuaded the pilots to take to the air to give
Bermudians their first sight of a powered aircraft. G.L. Richard and W.H.
Cushing, two Ensigns from the United States Navy, were at the controls for the
historic flight. In an interview by the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority, Mr
Singfield said: “In front of a huge crowd he was rowed out to the aircraft
waiting near the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Piloted by Richard, they were
airborne at 12.45pm, flying towards Dockyard and returned safely to alight in
the harbour at 1.30pm. A proposed further trip with his wife was abandoned after
the engine began to play up.” Thomas Dunstan, the director-general of Bermuda
Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The aviation industry has come a long way
over the last 100 years, but it is important to remember where it all began.
Everyone at BCAA is excited for Bermuda to celebrate this historic aviation
milestone.” The next flight over Bermuda was made in December 1919, when Hal
Kitchener, son of Sir Walter Kitchener, a former Governor of Bermuda, and Rowe
Spurling, a decorated Bermudian First World War flying ace, flew their Avro 504
floatplane from the new airbase on Hinson’s Island. Mr Singfield, earlier this
year called for the Bermuda Post Office to issue a special stamp to commemorate
the first flight. He said in a Letter to Editor that the 100th anniversary of
the Royal Air Force “was more important”.
Post-tropical
cyclone Andrea is not a threat to Bermuda, the island’s weather agency said
last night. The Bermuda Weather Service said that the storm’s closest
point of approach to Bermuda was expected to be 57 miles to the south-southeast
at 10am this morning. The weather service added: “However, this system may
move closer to Bermuda after this time period depending on its track.”
Andrea’s maximum sustained winds were 30 knots and it was moving east
northeast at 7 knots. A spokesman said that a cold front will move through this
morning and winds were expected to veer to the north in the afternoon as a ridge
of high pressure slowly builds in from the west. Showers and cloud are expected
to continue in the morning and early afternoon, with sun expected by late
afternoon. A small-craft warning will remain in force tonight and possibly into
tomorrow morning.
Police
in Canada are trying to track down a Bermudian woman missing since the weekend.
Siobhan Dobson, 32, of Brampton, was last seen in Toronto at about 11am on May
18. Peel Regional Police said: “Police and family are concerned for her
wellbeing.” She is described as white, slim, with a fair complexion, 5ft 2in
tall, weighing 90lbs, with long wavy dark brown hair. Anyone with information
can contact police on (905) 453-2121 ext 2233.
An
inquiry into a gunshot fired on Sunday night has been launched. Police said
a weapon was fired about 11.30pm on Harbour Road in Paget near Manse Road.
Police have appealed for witnesses or anyone who saw suspicious activity after
11pm, especially involving riders on motorcycles, to contact them. Witnesses can
call the anonymous and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-8477.
Internet
users who access video-streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube, or
calling services like Skype, should not suffer inferior performance as a result
of local service providers unjustifiably managing internet traffic. That’s
the view of the Regulatory Authority of Bermuda, which is seeking public and
stakeholder feedback on net neutrality, also referred to as “open internet”.
The RA believes that internet service providers in Bermuda should not be the
sole decision-makers on how internet traffic and services are delivered. It has
taken a “proposed position” that ISPs should not be allowed to block lawful
internet content, slowdown or “throttle” selected services, nor prioritise
some internet traffic over others in exchange for compensation. The RA
acknowledges that streaming TV and video services, and voice calls across the
internet, known as IPTV and VoIP respectively, which are delivered via privately
managed networks, may require a degree of traffic management during periods of
high or exceptional usage to ensure they meet the quality that customers expect.
This would impact bandwidth available to others. However, the RA’s “proposed
position” is that local companies providing such managed TV offerings via the
internet should disclose to customers if they use “justifiable,
non-discriminatory internet traffic management procedures”. In addition, the
authority said such companies should, in the long-term, invest in their networks
to support the bandwidth capacity that they sell. This is important for those
customers using the internet in other ways, such as for services like Netflix,
YouTube, Skype, or messaging services such as WhatsApp. These third-party
services are delivered as “over-the-top”, or OTT services on the open
network. The RA said: “The authority expects that OTT services should not
perform worse than specialized services where the ICOL’s [Integrated
Communications Operating Licence] internet access service is advertised as
sufficient to carry such levels of internet traffic. The authority may monitor
the performance of OTT services and act if concerns are raised.” This view is
part of a 45-page consultation document now available from the RA website. The
authority is seeking feedback between now and June 28 on issues relating to
maintaining an open internet. Open internet is the principle that internet
service providers must provide the public with access to all lawful websites and
online data without discrimination, for example, access to stream movies, send
e-mails or interact on social media platforms. Denton Williams, chief executive
at the RA, said: “The authority is established to regulate the electricity and
electronic communications sectors in Bermuda and protect consumers. “Our role
in this instance is to develop the rules for open internet and to clearly define
what ISPs can and cannot do with internet traffic. In some jurisdictions, ISPs
influence what their customers see and how quickly they see it, by speeding up
some services and slowing down or even blocking access to legal content or
apps.” The authority has a number of proposed positions on issues such as
zero-rating tariffs, internet traffic management, the right for customers to
chose their terminal equipment, transparency and other obligations for internet
service suppliers, together with technical and contract monitoring. In some
instances the RA is still considering its options. The consultation document
explains each issue and highlights the approaches taken in other jurisdictions,
including the EU, US, Canada and Australia.
A
murder victim was chased and shot three times, at least once in the back, a jury
was told yesterday. Kiari Tucker was accused in Supreme Court of killing
Morlan Steede and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence. The
22-year-old, from Warwick, denied both charges, which the court heard were
alleged to have happened on November 3, 2017 in the Deepdale area. Karen King,
for the Crown, said in her opening remarks to jurors that Mr Tucker was seen in
the neighborhood at about 8pm on the night of the killing. She stated the
prosecution’s case was that Mr Tucker was in the Deepdale area with someone
else on a motorbike for “a little while” and left later. Ms King said that
at about 9.40pm, Mr Steede was in Deepdale “hanging out” with other people.
She added a witness had said in a statement he had seen Mr Tucker in the area.
Ms King said the witness added he had later received a phone call to advise him
to leave the vicinity. Ms King said: “Shortly after, Mr Tucker was again seen
in the area, he had a handgun this time and there was a chase. He chased the
deceased. The deceased ran and he was shot in the back, and he was shot no less
than three times.” Ms King told jurors that Mr Steede ran from One Way
Deepdale in Pembroke and collapsed on nearby Parson’s Road. She said a police
search was carried out at Mr Tucker’s home the next day but officers did not
find him. Ms King added: “They did find him at that residence but in another
apartment and he was hiding in a closet.” The prosecutor told the court that
Mr Tucker’s hands were swabbed while some of his clothes were taken for
analysis. Ms King said: “The testing came back and there were particles
characteristic of gunshot residue on his clothing.” Detective Constable Jewel
Hayward later told the court he was on duty on November 3, 2017 when he was
“called to an alleged shooting scene”. The crime scene investigator said he
saw a maroon house on Deepdale Road East where playing cards were strewn about
and colleagues had marked out what he believed to be blood. Mr Hayward said his
colleagues also pointed out “what appeared to be a spent bullet next to a Red
Bull can” on the same street and he took several photographs. The witness told
the court he went to Parson’s Road where there were more red stains that
looked like blood on the road. Mr Hayward said he later attended the King Edward
VII Memorial Hospital where he took photographs as an autopsy was carried out on
Mr Steede. He explained that during the post-mortem examination three intact
bullets were recovered from the body. Mr Hayward, cross-examined by defence
counsel Susan Mulligan, confirmed he was not present when the alleged crime
scene was marked with yellow tape. Ms Mulligan asked: “As far as when it was
put down or whether the scene had been preserved prior to it being put down,
you’re not able to speak to that?” Mr Hayward said: “That’s correct.”
The trial continues.
A
Bermudian lawyer has blamed his bankruptcy on unpaid client bills of more than
$1.5 million. Rick Woolridge said yesterday: “I’ve got $1.7 million
worth of receivables in the street. Mr Woolridge explained: “I’m in the
process now of suing people that owe me money. I’ve got just over $100,000 in
judgments so far, and I will continue.” Mr Woolridge said “hundreds” of
clients owed him cash for legal services. He added: “Once I get the money owed
to me, I will then be able to pay my bills. I will get out of this; and I’ll
get out of it shortly.” Mr Woolridge was speaking after a bankruptcy order was
made against him by Chief Justice Narinder Hargun. The order was published in
the Official Gazette last week. The practising certificate of a barrister
becomes invalid under the Bermuda Bar Act if they are declared bankrupt. But Mr
Woolridge said that he would apply for a temporary certificate. He added:
“I’m trying to get clarification on the process.” Mr Woolridge said that
he had earlier hired a debt collection agency to try to get money he was owed.
He added: “They had my accounts for a couple of years and couldn’t collect a
thing.” Mr Woolridge said he was not the only lawyer who had faced problems
because of unpaid bills and that the bankruptcy had been sparked by action taken
by Linda Swan, who had been a client. I just happen to have a particular
creditor that brought the action against me. I wasn’t paying her back in
time.” He was ordered to repay Ms Swan after the Supreme Court ruled in 2014
that he had overcharged her by more than $60,000. Ms Swan complained that Mr
Woolridge had billed her at 5 per cent interest a month instead of per year. Mr
Woolridge argued at the time that he and Ms Swan had agreed to the higher
interest rate and that she still owed him more that $24,000. Ian Kawaley, then
the Chief Justice, ruled that Ms Swan and Mr Woolridge had never reached a
binding agreement on the interest rate and awarded Ms Swan $63,498.60. Mr
Woolridge said that he could not confirm the exact amount that he paid back to
Ms Swan. He added: “Money has gotten paid into the receiver’s account and
how they distribute it I don’t know.” Mr Woolridge said the bankruptcy order
was a “temporary setback. If push comes to extreme shove, I can practice in
other jurisdictions.” Mr Woolridge added that his intention was to continue to
practise in Bermuda. He said: “This is my home.” Mr Woolridge got a law
degree at the University of Buckingham in England and completed the Bar
vocational course at the Inns of Court School of Law, now called City Law
School. He was Called to the Bar of England and Wales and is a member of the
Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. Mr Woolridge was called to the Bermuda Bar
in 2002. Elizabeth Christopher, the president of the Bermuda Bar Association,
could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
Belco
held an official launch ceremony for its new Battery Energy Storage System,
which the company believes will cut fuel and maintenance costs by $2 million a
year. The huge lithium batteries at the heart of the Bess provide Belco with
reserve capacity and will kick in within 50 milliseconds of a problem with the
generated power supply. Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Home
Affairs, and Jean Nikolai, the Director of Energy, were on hand to cut the
ribbon yesterday. Dennis Pimentel, president of Belco, said Bess was part of the
utility’s $200 million-plus capital plan “that has one overriding objective
— to better serve our customers with safe, efficient and cost-effective
electricity”. Mr Pimentel added: “We have several ongoing projects to
achieve that goal, and with the completion of this battery storage system, the
company will save approximately $2 million per year. Within a few short years
this investment will be paid for and our customers will benefit from reduced
operating costs at our plant. We continue to make great progress building the
new North Power Station with four new 14-megawatt engines being delivered this
week. AMI [advanced metering infrastructure] meters are being installed across
the island and we have launched a new and improved website that allows customers
to monitor their electricity usage. All these projects are geared towards
building the foundation for the next era of Belco which will leverage technology
to provide a much-improved service to our customers.” The Bess will provide
reserve capacity, in lieu of spinning reserve. Spinning reserve is the reserve
capacity that must always be available to feed into the grid to help maintain
Belco’s power-generating system stability during emergency operating
conditions and unforeseen load swings. Reserve capacity has traditionally been
provided by running engines that are not adding power to the grid, but can do so
at a moment’s notice. The Bess will store up to ten megawatts of power that
can be discharged for up to 30 minutes. The batteries used in the Bess have a
20-year life span and can be recycled at the end of their useful life. Stephanie
Simons, Belco mechanical engineer, said: “Having worked on this concept since
2012 and this specific project since 2017, I’m thrilled that the Bess is now
up and running. We completed successful commissioning of the system in March and
the system has been operating as intended since then. Utilizing battery energy
storage systems on a utility scale is still relatively new for power companies.
This system is one of the first of its kind in the Caribbean and innovations
like the Bess make Bermuda’s entire electrical network more robust and
reliable.” Mr Roban said: “We are encouraged by Belco’s Bess initiative
that aligns with the ministry’s goal to create a more energy-efficient
environment in Bermuda. We are hopeful for the continued strides being made
towards cutting costs for consumers and promoting renewable energy on our
island.”
Argus
Group has acquired One Team Health, a Toronto-based third-party overseas care
administrator. The Bermuda-based insurer said the purchase would bolster its
efforts to reduce healthcare expenses while improving quality of care. Alison
Hill, chief executive officer of Argus, said: “With healthcare costs on the
rise globally, Argus recognizes that we have a responsibility to help drive down
these costs for Bermuda and this acquisition forms part of our commitment to a
long-term solution. The purchase of OTH provides us with data and resources we
can leverage to improve access to quality overseas care at affordable pricing
for all of our clients.” The acquisition, the company said, builds upon the
longstanding relationship between Argus and OTH founder John Park, who has
partnered with Argus for more than 20 years as a senior executive of its
previous overseas health management companies. OTH specializes in medical case
management and offers access to top-quality healthcare providers around the
globe, Argus said. With a patient-centric approach and focus on quality
outcomes, OTH provides 24-hour worldwide medical assistance, including pre-authorization
and emergency evacuation, pursuant to policy benefits. The OTH team is comprised
of physicians, nurses, case managers, facilitators, and co-ordinators with a
combined tenure and experience of servicing Bermuda for more than 50 years,
Argus said. Peter Lozier, executive vice president, Argus Group Insurance, said:
“OTH’s capabilities integrate perfectly with those of Argus. Historically,
there has always been a segregation of local and overseas care when, in reality,
the individual should be viewed and supported through a single lens. As the only
provider in Bermuda to own such an entity, Argus is now uniquely positioned to
provide fully integrated, seamless, continuity of care and record management via
the use of our own local and overseas case managers. While such a holistic view
primarily improves quality of care, it also has significant cost implications.
“This integrated approach not only allows us to acquire care from a refined
set of providers that are renowned for delivering better results, but also
improves access to competitive pricing. We are continually finding ways to
evolve and enhance our business model to better balance quality care and
affordability.”
Subtropical
depression Andrea will bring the chance of thunder and strong winds as it passes
Bermuda. At noon today, the closest point of approach to Bermuda within the
next three days was forecast to be 71 nautical miles to the west-south-west, at
9am tomorrow. Andrea may move closer to Bermuda after that time period,
depending upon its track. Andrea was 242 nautical miles west-south-west of
Bermuda with maximum sustained winds were 30 knots, with gusts of 40 knots. It
was moving north at 7 knots. A small-craft warning is in effect. The Bermuda
Weather Service predicted the system will bring patchy rain and scattered
showers with fair to poor visibility and a risk of thunder. Forecasters at the
US National Hurricane Centre warned the disturbance had the potential to turn
into a “short-lived” subtropical or tropical cyclone. The system was
expected to merge with a cold front tomorrow, but the NHC advised “interests
in Bermuda” to monitor its progress. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to
November 30. September is the peak month for storms that affect Bermuda.
Police
are marking the third anniversary today of a shooting death with a fresh appeal
for anyone with information on the murder to come forward. A police
spokesman said the case was still under investigation. Patrick Dill, 26, was
shot outside his home on Crossland Lane, Pembroke, at 10.45pm on May 21, 2016 as
he got into a car to go to a party. The spokesman said: “The investigating
team would like to speak with witnesses in the Crossland Lane area of Pembroke
that might have seen persons acting suspiciously in the area before and after
the fatal shooting, as well as persons that have information about this callous
murder.” He added that any information could be significant and could help
bring closure to the family and friends of the victim. Mr Dill, a father of two,
was killed a few days before his 27th birthday. Police said that the Elbow Beach
employee was not affiliated to gangs. Anyone who can help the inquiry should
Detective Sergeant Jason Smith on 441-717-0864.
The spokesman said all information would be treated in the “strictest of
confidence”. Anyone with information can also contact independent and
confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.
Bermuda
will host a conference for ombudsmen from across the Caribbean next week.
The 10th Biennial Caribbean Ombudsman Association Conference will take place at
the Fairmont Southampton. Events will include a panel discussion on
“Strengthening Relationships while Maintaining Independence”, which will
feature Jonathan Bell, a senior reporter from The Royal Gazette. The
conference will run from May 28 to 31. The public are invited to the opening
session, on May 28 from 9am to noon. Gitanjali Gutierrez, the information
commissioner, Venous Memari from the Centre for Justice, human rights
commissioner Lisa Reed, and journalist Gary Moreno will also be on the panel. A
second session, which will focus on climate change, will take place on May 29
from 9am to 10.30am. The conference will end on May 31 with a membership meeting
and election of its council for the 2019 to 2021 cycle. Anyone who needs
ombudsman advice during that time should call 536-6283.
Bach,
Bob Marley and Bon Jovi are all on the bill for music fans and the Bermuda
Guitar Festival’s line-up means there is something for everyone. The 16th
annual event opens on Thursday when Tooz Company will perform their own
arrangements of rock classics made hits by bands like Guns ‘N’ Roses. Steve
Crawford, a guitarist, and LaTannia Ellerbe, a violinist, make up the duo, which
has achieved a “small following” thanks the enduring appeal of their cover
versions. Ms Ellerbe said the pair had worked together since September to hone
their act. She explained: “They are rock classics but also we’ve mixed in a
few jazz standards and even one classical piece, it’s a good eclectic mix
between the violin and the guitar. “I think it’s amazing how much of a band
we can create with two instruments ... we’ve managed to cover a lot.” Ms
Ellerbe added the guitar festival offered good opportunities for young people
“to see what’s possible”. Mr Crawford, who launched the event in 2004,
said the Tooz Company performance will mark the first time the festival had
included a concert at the Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society. He added:
“It’s a chance to show people what the guitar is capable of doing, and
obviously the violin as well. You can arrange anything for the guitar and it
sounds different, but at the same time it should still hold the beauty of the
original.” Tooz Company will be followed on Saturday with a show at St
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Church Street, when Jerremiah Smith will
classical guitar favourites and original compositions before visiting artist
Walter Rodrigues Jr takes to the stage. Mr Rodrigues, who is Brazilian and lives
in Miami, is expected to perform jazz standards, hymns and popular songs. The
guitar festival website explained that his 2003 album Beyond Words earned him a
“respected place as a composer, producer, and instrumentalist in the
professional music world”. It added: “With his latest recording, My
Favourite Hymns, and his arrangements for solo jazz guitar being sold to more
than 30 countries around the world, Walter has captivated a new audience. His
ability to reinterpret familiar hymns and give them interest has garnered
worldwide appreciation for his creative approach to otherwise traditional
music.” Mr Rodrigues will host a free masterclass on Sunday at 10am at the
Bermuda School of Music at the Berkeley Cultural Centre on Berkeley Road,
Pembroke. A free student gala will be held from 1pm on the same day at St
Andrew’s Church.
Bermuda’s
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are highlighting the work they do in the
community this week. Join them outside City Hall on Wednesday 22 May from
11am to 2pm. The event will feature EMS members in Bermuda including EMT’s
from Bermuda Hospitals Board and Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service, The Bermuda
Police Service, Bermuda Radio (formerly Bermuda Harbour Radio) and volunteers of
St. Johns Ambulance Brigade. Teams will showcase their vehicles and much of
their equipment and will be on hand to engage with the public and answer any
questions. It’s a part of EMS Week which is observed in Bermuda and North
America. This year the theme is “Beyond the Call” recognizing that members
of this profession typically go beyond their job descriptions in the interest of
saving lives and keeping our community safe.
The
survivor of a brutal machete attack six years ago after a prowler broke into his
home has died. Larry Woolgar, a former manager at the English Sports Shop,
was 66. David Hamshere, the president of Tess Ltd, which owns the English Sports
Shop on Front Street, Hamilton, said Mr Woolgar, who lived on Richmond Road in
Pembroke, was well liked by colleagues. Mr Hamshere added: “Larry was an
excellent person who worked with us in a few capacities; it’s a real tragedy.
Larry was someone who would hold his own in an exchange, and he would push back
if he didn’t feel my view was the right view. There’s no doubt that the
trauma affected the rest of his life. He was a man of principle who would make
an effort to defend himself.” Mr Woolgar climbed the ranks at the English
Sports Shop and in 1980 became the first Bermudian to manage its branch of the
tailoring firm Alexandre of London. He suffered serious injuries in February
2013 during the break-in. He was hit the neck with a machete, which almost
severed a major artery, and also suffered injuries to the face and right hand.
His attacker, a 45-year-old man from Pembroke, was later imprisoned for 13 years
at Supreme Court after he admitted aggravated burglary and causing grievous
bodily harm. Mr Woolgar told The Royal Gazette after the sentencing: “I
honestly didn’t think I was going to live to see another day.” He fought
back after the intruder threatened to kill him, and credited his security
cameras for the intruder’s fast capture. Mr Woolgar added that he felt his
attacker’s sentence should have been longer. He said: “My solace is that
while there was some disturbance in my life, I’m not a drama person. I don’t
dwell on things.”
Film
enthusiasts have another venue to enjoy with the opening of The Media Lounge
cinema and wi-fi café at Royal Naval Dockyard. Situated in the building
that housed the Neptune Cinema before it closed in November, the venue has had a
re-fit. The cinema has a new screen and sound system, while the lobby has been
updated with laminate floors and new lighting, tables, chairs and paint. Patrons
are able to access the venue’s wi-fi in the lobby and in a new lounge area.
While the Neptune featured 118 seats on a flat surface, the new cinema
accommodates 60 patrons in larger, more comfortable seats. Sightlines are better
due to a five-foot elevation difference from front to back. The cinema is now
featuring John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and will screen the Elton
John biopic Rocketman starting on May 31. Tickets, $14, can be purchased
online at medialoungebda.com. The venue has proved popular with cruise
ship staff and passengers, while residents of the West End have also been strong
supporters, a spokesperson for the business said. “Everyone from the West End
has been saying ‘thank you, we needed something up here’. We tried to open
quietly, but word-of-mouth spread the news and people from the West End have
been stopping by.” The theatre, which is available for private bookings, is
open seven nights a week. A liquor licence is planned for the venue, the
spokesperson said.
Bermuda’s
Civil Service has been hampered by an “overly bureaucratic environment with a
weak execution model”, according to Premier David Burt. The Premier was
updating MPs Friday on the tabling of the strategic plan for government reform,
which will call upon five project management teams with union support to boost
efficiency. The report called for a “critical paradigm shift” to strengthen
leadership and address performance gaps, with a restructuring of the Civil
Service’s hierarchy and an assessment of staff’s readiness for change.
Jeanne Atherden, the Opposition MP, questioned Mr Burt on the Government’s
“building blocks to enable the service to move towards a shared vision and
purpose”. Mr Burt said there had been “sobering reflection” on a survey of
the island’s public officers in comparison with other governments. “We were
judged to be under-performing in just about every particular area,” Mr Burt
told the House. Civil servants struggled against excessive bureaucracy as well
as “difficulty in advancing decision-making effectively”, he added. Things
had to go all the way up the chain before they could come back down the
chain,” the Premier said, saying the aim was to “make the Civil Service more
nimble and flatten the decision-making process”.
The
Government will promote “a system of greater fairness and equity” through
its new Cabinet Committee on Social Development, the Premier announced Friday. David
Burt gave the House of Assembly details on the group, which has been tasked with
a focus on social issues invoked in the Progressive Labour Party’s 2018 Throne
Speech. Mr Burt said it met in February to address matters around a living wage,
paid maternity leave, mandatory retirement, seniors’ rights and a unified
family court. The Ministry of Legal Affairs will work on a policy that will
prevent the names of minors who appear before the courts from being identified
in the media. Other initiatives include strategies for students unsuited to
traditional classrooms, affordable housing, and there will be a review of plans
to repurpose the Bishop Spencer School building as a homeless shelter. Mr Burt
said: “This government will use the considerable mandate received from the
people of Bermuda to promote a system of greater fairness and equity, where the
potential of Bermudians is limited only by their individual determination to
succeed.” In response to a question by Susan Jackson, a One Bermuda Alliance
backbencher, Mr Burt said the Government planned to bring change to maternity
leave “in this sitting of Parliament”.
The
Premier said he wanted to end controversy over the appointment of consultants
and advisers to ministers as he tabled legal amendments in the House of Assembly
Friday. David Burt said the Government will be required to publish all
appointments and their salaries every year under changes to the Premier and
Opposition Leaders Personal Staffs Act. The Premier told MPs: “In an era when
phrases like openness and transparency are used more as weapons than genuine
encouragement of best practice, this government has determined to demystify the
appointments and terms of service of those men and women who bring to bear their
talent and expertise in support of ministers and their policy objectives. The
Act will see an end to the ‘gotcha’ nature of ministerial appointments by
requiring the annual publication of all such appointments with details of
remuneration to be tabled in this Honourable House.” Mr Burt said the
amendments were in line with the ministerial Code of Conduct. He added: “This
government is providing the initiative required to move our political discourse
beyond the small politics that so often distract us from the very important
issues of true significance to the people of Bermuda. Bermuda is a complex
society with a delicate economy and is facing equally complex issues around
economic diversification, social change and building a fairer society. We must
ensure that ministers of this and future governments can call upon the expertise
and support required to properly discharge their responsibilities as demanded by
the modern era of public service.” The amendments also changed the name of the
legislation to the Premier, Ministers and Opposition Leader Personal Staffs Act.
He said the Act would also allow the creation of a ministerial private office to
remove some of the burden on permanent secretaries.
A
controversial Bill to change how Bermuda’s hospital is funded was passed last
night. The Government is to pay an annual grant to the Bermuda Hospitals
Board, capped at $330 million for the coming year, to replace the existing
fee-for-service arrangement under the Health Insurance Amendment Act. The block
payment will be funded by the Government with a more than threefold increase in
the amount it takes from monthly premium payments to health insurers, up from
$101.97 to $331.97. Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said that the hospital
would be held “more accountable” in return for the cash. She added that the
Government wanted “better efficiencies and better health outcomes”. Ms
Wilson said: “We are demanding the best from our hospital and they are taking
the progressive and responsible steps to achieve under those demands.” She
said that the Government was also asking insurance companies to “conduct
business differently”. Ms Wilson added: “We are looking for each of those
companies to use more of the money you are paying in health insurance premiums
to pay for your health. We are demanding to put the health of people as a higher
priority to the health of profits.” Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, the shadow health
minister, said the Bill would “turn the healthcare system on its head as we
know it”. She added: “I believe it deserves more than the short shrift that
the Government has afforded it in trying to railroad this legislation through
within one week.” Ms Gordon-Pamplin said that insurance industry
representatives that she had spoken with described consultation with the
Government on the changes as “woefully inadequate”. She added that the
country’s need for quality healthcare would not be achieved through the
legislation. Ms Gordon-Pamplin added: “We will see that there will be more
expense, in terms of premiums outside of the standard health benefit, there will
be no guarantees for efficiencies, and there will be no guarantees for positive
health outcomes.” Wayne Furbert, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, called
the arguments made by Ms Gordon-Pamplin “weak”. Mr Furbert said that the
legislation was “the first step” as part of the Government’s promise to
lower healthcare costs. He added: “Is this the final stage? Nope, it’s part
of the beginning of where we are headed.” Craig Cannonier, the Opposition
leader, questioned how the Bill would combat high costs. He added: “We
haven’t heard that. We still have not answered the question of how are we
lowering insurance costs for Bermudians.” Tinée Furbert, a PLP backbencher,
said healthcare had been allowed to become a “business of profit. We have to
try to figure out how to pull in the reins now, if we don’t we are going to be
in big trouble Bermuda.” Ms Furbert urged the island’s residents to “shop
around” for healthcare needs. Michael Dunkley, an Opposition backbencher,
called the Bill “Sugar Tax No 2”. He added: “Sugar Tax No 1 was
well-intentioned. Sugar Tax No 1 was done without adequate consultation, no
listening, just advising.” Mr Dunkley said that the Government was “quietly
and conveniently putting an increased burden on the private sector”. He added:
“This Bill does nothing to address the fundamental cost of healthcare in
Bermuda.” David Burt, the Premier, said the Bill was a “monumental step.
Transformational change is what this government was elected to bring, and that
is what we will bring to Bermuda.” Mr Burt said that improvements would not
happen overnight. He added: “This is the first step to providing a healthcare
system that puts the people’s interests over the interests of people’s
profits.” The Bill was tabled last Friday. The new system is scheduled to take
effect on June 1.
Wayne
Caines, the national security minister, has given the public extra time to
comment on work-permit policy. Mr Caines told the House of Assembly Friday
that policies would be changed to seek “the right balance between the
legitimate expectations for Bermudians and the labour needs of businesses”.
Closed categories have been established to cover airline ground agents, retail
floor supervisors, general laborers, office receptionists, painters,
salespersons, tourism retail spokesmen, taxi drivers, wallpaper technicians,
grocery packers, cashiers and couriers, pot washers and kitchen assistants. The
deadline for public opinions at www.forum.gov.bm
has been extended to May 24. Mr Caines replied to a question on mixed-status
families from Sylvan Richards, the Shadow Minister of Home Affairs and
Environment, and confirmed that the problem would be tackled this parliamentary
session.
Ottiwell
Simmons, the former president of the Bermuda Industrial Union, has called on the
Government to follow through on its pledge for an arbitration centre in his
name. The labour icon and past Progressive Labour Party MP recalled the
standing ovation six months ago when the plan was announced in the Throne Speech
of November 9. Mr Simmons recalled: “I was showered with applause; I was
surprised at the reaction of people. I have thought little of it since, except
for when I am congratulated.” He added: “The Government should show their
real appreciation for my contribution by completing the building. That’s the
best way I can put it. But at the end of the day I am pleased that the
Government has recognized my contribution and my years with the BIU and
representing the workers of Bermuda.” The Throne Speech promised an
arbitration centre in the old Hamilton Police Station on Parliament Street,
honouring Mr Simmons’s “unrivalled sacrifice in the service of the labour
movement”. The disused building, which closed in 2011, had been condemned
decades earlier. Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works,
told The Royal Gazette on Friday: “We are still a couple of years away
from its actual opening, but we are moving forward with the project.” The
minister confirmed that the building had been assessed by surveyors, and that
its “integrity is sound”. The station interior has been gutted, with the
removal of its old cast-iron cells the next “major project”, he said.
Colonel Burch said initial designs had been drawn up for the arbitration centre,
including extending floor space, and adding an elevator. But the building
overall, was intact, he said, adding: “It’s not a tall order to fix it up.
If that was the case, I would have knocked it down.” Mr Simmons said that
arbitration had proven its worth many times during his tenure as BIU president
from 1974 to 1996. He also served as MP for Pembroke East from 1976 to 2007. Mr
Simmons said: “I have had an almost exhaustive amount of compliments about the
BIU’s ability to arbitrate situations. We had more arbitration settlements
during the period of the 1960s through to the 1990s than we have had since. We
learnt the skills. People have to know about the skill of argument. Trade
unionism is a professional undertaking, and arbitration is a skill that people
do not use every day, but have to be taught or learn — to get to a settlement,
rather than extending disputes.” He said that teachers and prison officers
today faced longstanding and “crazy” standoffs over their gripes. He added:
“The Government, union and employers have got to get together and discuss what
is best to settle a dispute, rather than it just lingering on.” Mr Simmons’s
term as BIU president covered some of the most tumultuous episodes in
Bermuda’s modern history, including the General Strike of 1981. Thirty-eight
years ago this month, the industrial dispute built into a national crisis before
the Government capitulated and offered a pay increase to workers. Mr Simmons,
who turns 86 next month, told The Royal Gazette that arbitration could have
averted the standoff. He said: “I was told over the phone by a member of the
Cabinet, who I will leave unnamed, not to worry; we will agree to arbitration.
And there was none. He either would not or could not keep his word. That was
disappointing.” The 1981 impasse built over demands for “phenomenal” wage
increases that were fuelled by rampant inflation, he said. “The wage increase
that the union was shooting for was close to 25 per cent,” Mr Simmons said.
Sir David Gibbons, the finance minister of the day, had envisaged a figure not
exceeding 15 per cent. Again declining to give a name, Mr Simmons said that he
had not felt that “the Government’s negotiator was very truthful”. He
added: “We simply held out. And before you knew it, we got the unsolicited
support of hotel workers, from the Bermuda Telephone workers — it has been
reported that we had no less than 5,000 workers on strike.” On May 7, 1981, a
deal was struck, with the union winning wage increases averaging 20 per cent. Mr
Simmons said: “The difficulty is to get a settlement that is pleasing to the
parties — but granting no one party everything.”
Bermuda’s
international business sector applauded the decision by European Union to remove
the island from its tax blacklist. The EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs
Council confirmed at a meeting in Brussels on Friday that the island is no
longer on the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions on tax matters. “We
applaud today’s decision and appreciate the expedited review by Ecofin,”
said Stephen Weinstein, deputy chairman of the Bermuda Business Development
Agency. “We’re thankful for the efforts of our Premier and finance minister
to engage with the EU and provide transparency into Bermuda’s world-class
regime. Our jurisdiction’s updated regulatory and legislative framework
mirrors existing practices in our international business market, exemplifying
the highest standards of compliance and economic substance. It’s important
that markets worldwide have access to Bermuda’s leading expertise and
capacity.”
A
body representing Bermuda’s leading international re/insurers welcomed the
island’s removal from the European Union tax blacklist and pointed out the
depth of the industry’s relationship with Europe. The Association of
Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers said the island had a commitment to facilitate
tax transparency and compliance with global standards. Abir also gave details on
its members’ thousands of EU-based employees and tens of billions paid out in
claims to European policyholders. EU finance ministers unanimously decided to
remove Bermuda from Annex I of the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in
tax matters at a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in
Brussels on Friday. Albert Benchimol, chief executive officer of Axis Capital
and chairman of Abir, praised the efforts of David Burt, the Premier, Curtis
Dickinson, the Minister of Finance, and Jeremy Cox, chairman of the Bermuda
Monetary Authority, in ensuring Bermuda’s rapid removal from the list the
island was added to just two months ago. Mr Benchimol added that Bermuda’s
Economic Substance Act of 2018 further aligns Bermuda’s statutory and
regulatory framework with both prevailing, world-class business practices and
emerging global standards. “As the global centre of risk transfer, Abir
believes Bermuda’s international business sector meets or exceeds worldwide
requirements,” Mr Benchimol said. “We applaud the Government’s legislative
reform package which further enhances that framework, and its commitment to
ensuring clients and markets worldwide continue to benefit from Bermuda’s
critical financial capacity and leading risk management expertise.” Abir
detailed its impact on the Bermudian economy, highlighting its economic
substance credentials. In 2017, Abir members aggregate direct economic impact to
the Bermuda economy was $842.6 million, including travel, business, charity
giving, construction expenses and compensation paid to Bermudian-based
employees. Similar economic contributions from companies in “relevant
activities” specified in the ESA has potential to greatly enhance Bermuda’s
economy, the statement added. Abir said its member re/insurers operate in 20 EU
countries, with a total of 15,865 employees in the region. The top five
jurisdictions with the most employees included the UK, with 9,762; France, with
1,148; Ireland, with 1,123; Germany, with 814; and Poland, with 453. Abir
members also had 1,011 staff in Switzerland. “The European Union is a very
important market for Bermuda re/insurers, and our members continue to take on
increasing amounts of risk in EU member states,” John Huff, chief executive
officer of Abir, said. “The Bermuda market has paid $72.8 billion to European
Union policyholders and cedents during the past 20 years. Our member companies
remain strongly committed to the European market, European ceding companies, and
European policyholders. Abir looks forward to continuing to work with the
Bermuda Monetary Authority and the Bermuda Government on the Economic Substance
Act regulatory guidance to ensure efficient and fair implementation of the
standards and to avoid any duplicative regulation while supporting the Bermuda
economy”, Mr Huff said. "Abir’s members are good corporate citizens in
Bermuda and in the worldwide markets they serve and are prepared to continue to
address the world’s critical risk needs.”
Digitize
or die” sums up the future for insurers. That is the view of Laura Hay, global
insurance leader for professional-services firm KPMG, who believes industry
players must harness cutting-edge technology or face losing out to tech-savvy
rivals. Ms Hay, who visited the island for a meeting with insurance clients
last week, said many insurers around the world were struggling with the pace of
change. Among the strongest trends in the industry recognized by KPMG is
“digitise or die. Digitization is hard, but it’s already here,” Ms Hay
said. “It’s a today thing, not a tomorrow thing.” She cited the example of
Zhong An, a Chinese online insurer launched jointly by insurer Ping An with
Chinese e-commerce giants Alibaba and Ten Cent. “It started in 2013,” Ms Hay
said. “Today there are more than 500 million customers and it has premiums of
more than $1 billion. The average premium size? $1.49. It reaches the
underserved market — 60 per cent of their policyholders are aged between 25
and 30 and they’re buying insurance through their phones.” Such businesses,
based on partnerships between insurance companies and technology firms,
unencumbered by legacy issues, could increasingly become competitors for
established insurers, Ms Hay said. Efficiency is one of the most pressing issues
for the industry that technology can help to address. “On average, 25 cents of
every dollar in premium is going to operations,” Ms Hay said. “It’s an
area that needs to be fixed. You can see it’s a challenge for the industry.”
Of more than 1,500 insurtech start-ups, more than 300 were focused on
infrastructure and back-end parts of the value chain, she said. Companies
grappling to make technological advancements were rethinking their business
models and “moving from do-it-yourself to working with others”, she added.
An indication of this was that CEO respondents in a KPMG survey saw more
likelihood of cross-border partnerships and alliances in their future than
cross-border M&A activity. “Insurtech funding rose from $2.2 billion in
2017 to $4.2 billion last year,” Ms Hay said. “In the US, 75 per cent of
that funding came from insurance companies. That’s important because it shows
that one, we get we have to partner, two, insurtech’s the right way and three,
we’re putting money behind it.” Many companies had introduced technology,
but tactically rather than strategically, while two-thirds said they were
struggling with the pace of change. The big challenge with insurtech was
building up to scale, she added. A related trend in the industry is the growing
importance of data, described by KPMG as “the new oil”. Ms Hay said that
Traci Gusher, principal, data and analytics for KPMG in the US, estimated that
on average insurers use about 20 per cent of their data, the structured data
stored in rows and columns. “They spend a lot of time on that 20 per cent,”
Ms Hay said. “But the big competitive advantage is about capturing the
unstructured data, which is about understanding behaviours better, moving more
towards risk prevention and data from call centres, social media, and all of
these areas we are nowhere near harnessing.” She said there were several tools
available in this space, citing KPMG’s intelligent underwriting engine, which,
she said, receives 13,000 exogenous signals in real time and brings the data
together with a cognitive algorithm to support underwriting decisions.
“That’s an example of technology used to capture the data and make sense of
it to make it useable,” she said. “More of this is coming in the next three
to five years and the tools are already there.”
A 48-year-old man was injured
in an industrial accident in the City of Hamilton yesterday morning. Police
said a man was refueling a power washer on Church Street, near Washington Lane,
when fuel spilt and caught fire. Two men on the lift were uninjured. A spokesman
for the Bermuda Police Service said: “Apparently fumes from the fuel ignited
and some fuel spilt, which also caught fire, with flames spreading to a nearby
hydraulic lift. However, colleagues of the worker involved managed to quickly
move the hydraulic lift and extinguish the fire. The 48 year old man is
understood to have sustained minor burns to his hands — but declined medical
treatment at the scene.” He added that the fire was extinguished before the
Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service arrived. A video circulated on social media
showed flames at the base of what appeared to be a hydraulic lift and thick
black smoke in the street. The police spokesman said that the Government health
and safety officer had been notified. Temporary traffic diversions were in place
as a precaution. The Government Health and Safety Officer has been notified.
Dellwood
Middle School students were dismissed early at 1.15pm today after a broken water
line shut off the school’s supply. Plumbers were called to the Pembroke
school and the water pumps was restored at 1.35pm. School will resume tomorrow
according to the regular schedule. To prevent a recurrence, the Buildings
Section of the Ministry of Public Works has repaired two defective water pumps
and will use water from the school’s tanks, according to a spokeswoman from
the Department of Education.
A
Royal Fleet Auxiliary cargo ship, RFA Mounts Bay, has called on Bermuda
this weekend. The vessel, which is visiting the island until Wednesday, is
on hurricane season patrol. It is part of Britain’s rapid response aid for
British Overseas Territories in the region. Mounts Bay made its first
call on Bermuda in 2017, in the aftermath of devastating hurricanes Irma and
Maria hitting the Caribbean. It delivered humanitarian aid to the Overseas
Territories of Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands and British Virgin Islands,
along with Dominica. During its visit, the Mounts Bay will be briefed on
the island’s emergency planning arrangements, as well as key points requiring
support in times of need. The ship is to liaise with the Royal Bermuda Regiment,
and members of the Bermuda Cub Scouts and RBR Junior Leaders will also have the
opportunity to visit. Twenty soldiers from the British Army 24 Commando Royal
Engineer Regiment will join the ship, along with Captain Gordon Emmerson of the
Royal Bermuda Regiment. John Rankin, the Governor, said he was “delighted”
at the visit. Mr Rankin added: “The ship is a key part of the UK’s
commitment to providing disaster relief to Bermuda and the Caribbean Overseas
Territories in time of need. Mounts Bay is hugely well-equipped and her
crew have the skills to make a real difference in assisting local emergency
services in time of crisis.” The ship’s cargo includes tractors, diggers,
trucks, quad bikes, command and all-terrain vehicles. The vessel will also take
part in anti-drug operations in the Caribbean later this year with partners in
the region.
The
annual Festa do Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres festival was celebrated at the
weekend. Hundreds of participants took part yesterday in the annual parade,
which began at St Theresa’s Cathedral and proceeded through the City of
Hamilton. Revellers later took to the car park at the Bermuda Athletic
Association for traditional Azorean food, entertainment and prize draws. Eddie
Medeiros said that he had first come to the event as a child with his family
more than three decades ago. The 37-year-old Smith’s resident was joined at
this year’s event by his wife, Katherine, and young daughters, Sienna and
Tatiana. Mr Medeiros said that introducing his own young family to the event was
a way to “keep the tradition going”. He added that the event helped to recognize
the important contributions the Portuguese people have had on the island. Mr
Medeiros said: “Portuguese played a big part in the Bermudian community.” He
added that the event provided an opportunity for Portuguese community members
“and all of Bermuda” to celebrate. Mrs Medeiros, who said it was her third
year coming to the event, said that it was a good way for their children to
learn about Portuguese culture. She said that the food, particularly the
malassadas, provide a big pull to getting her back year after year. Headliners
Tony Borges & the Euro Band were supported by performances by Caroline
Araujo, Jessica Frias, Sarah Medeiros and Amalia Ponte. Music was also provided
by DJ Nelson Pavao. The celebration, whose title translates to “Festival of
the Christ of Miracles”, originated hundreds of years ago on the island of São
Miguel, in the Azores. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Portuguese
School of Bermuda.
European
Union finance ministers removed Bermuda from a blacklist of non-cooperative tax
jurisdictions yesterday. Representatives of the 28 EU countries struck
Bermuda from Annex I of the EU list — the “blacklist” — and put the
island in Annex II of the EU list, the “greylist”, at a meeting of the
Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels. Curtis Dickinson, the
Minister of Finance, said: “I am pleased with the rapid conclusion of the
Ecofin de-listing Bermuda at its very first meeting after March 12. This is by
no means the end of the work required to continue strengthening the framework in
this area. Bermuda continues to be a leader in insurance and other financial
services and so that comes with a responsibility to be ahead of the curve in
terms of regulation and best practice.” He added in a ministerial statement at
the House of Assembly: “The Premier and I, on behalf of the people of Bermuda,
wish to thank the members of Ecofin, as well as the EU officials that we met
during those critical end of March, early April meetings, for their work in
progressing Bermuda’s removal from the list at the earliest opportunity. “We
will build on our experiences to date and appropriately take the required steps
to ensure that Bermuda remains a jurisdiction of choice for quality and
compliant business that positively contributes to the economic and social
development of Bermuda.” The greylist is reserved for jurisdictions that have
“tax regimes that facilitate offshore structures that generate profits without
real economic activity”, but which have undertaken sufficient commitments to
reform their tax policies. Bermuda is on the greylist because of EU concerns
about the island’s legislative framework for collective investments funds. The
island has committed to address those concerns by the end of the year. Bermuda
was added to the blacklist of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax matters at a
meeting of the EU ministers on March 12. The move came after what David Burt,
the Premier, said was a “drafting error” in the economic substance
regulations submitted to the EU. The international business community welcomed
the move to the greylist. Stephen Weinstein, deputy chairman of the Bermuda
Business Development Agency, said: “We’re thankful for the efforts of our
Premier and finance minister to engage with the EU and provide transparency into
Bermuda’s world-class regime.” Craig Bridgewater, chairman of the
Alternative Investment Management Association network in Bermuda, said:
“Bermuda has always sought to adhere to the highest standards of tax
transparency and other global regulatory standards and sees this quality as a
key aspect of the manner in which it conducts business presently and into the
future.” But Nick Kempe, a senator and the shadow finance minister, added:
“Bermuda has consistently demonstrated its commitment to combating money
laundering and terrorist financing, therefore it was regrettable that a “minor
technical omission” led to a major fail. He added that “despite being
removed from the blacklist, we will remain on a greylist for issues relating to
collective investment funds”. The Ministry of Finance said more than ten EU
countries export about $6 billion in goods and services and annual two-way trade
is normally $30 billion. Bermuda and Europe partner primarily in reinsurance and
finance. Barbados was also moved from the blacklist to the greylist and Aruba
was removed from both annexes. A total of 12 jurisdictions remain on the list of
non-cooperative jurisdictions: American Samoa, Belize, Dominica, Fiji, Guam, the
Marshall Islands, Oman, Samoa, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Arab Emirates,
the US Virgin Islands and Vanuatu.
The
introduction of speed cameras and a reduction in the use of fossil fuels were
among the recommendations in a Green Paper on Transportation tabled yesterday in
the House of Assembly. Zane DeSilva, the transport minister, said other
suggestions included 20 new special taxi permits and increase in the number of
rental minicars to 500. More than 2,400 residents contributed to a survey which
was used to draw up the paper, the first comprehensive review of transportation
since 2002. Mr DeSilva said the “overarching themes” that came out of the
public consultation were safety, reliability and “the desire for frictionless
transport experiences”. Almost 40 per cent of residents surveyed criticized
the condition of the island’s roads and said they disagreed that they were
properly maintained. A total of 40 per cent ranked the roads “somewhat safe”
for driving and 37 per cent said they were “not so safe”. Respondents
suggested the use of technology to speed up the fines process for driving
offences and that the Transport Control Department should be linked to the court
system so drivers with unpaid fines could be blocked from renewing their
licences. And about 75 per cent of those surveyed said that the fines and
demerit points system was not enough to deter bad drivers. A total of 40 per
cent of respondents said they were prepared to carpool on their way to work or
school to cut down on congestion. Tourists surveyed said that not enough taxis
accepted credit cards and that more minicars should be available to rent. The
paper agreed that there were several problems with the taxi that also affected
residents. It added: “It is known that taxi drivers do not all ensure their
taxis are on the road the mandated 16 hours per day. They do not all have second
or part-time drivers to cover the 16-hour day.” The Green Paper added: “The
take up of credit card facilities by drivers has been slow. The East and West
Ends of the island, as well as the airport, can be critically short of lift
capacity.”
Repairs
to a cruise ship terminal in Dockyard were completed ahead of schedule, the
House of Assembly said yesterday. King’s Wharf was refurbished before the
April 10 deadline that marked the start of the cruise ship season. Failure to
finish on time would have incurred a $500,000 penalty for every ship that was
unable to dock. The team, which at one stage was three weeks behind schedule,
completed the work in time for the arrival of the Carnival Pride. The new
deck at the terminal has an expected life of 75 years because of technological
advances since the wharf was built 30 years ago. Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch
told MPs that a new terminal building was expected to be completed in July. He
added a temporary structure would be in place until the new building is ready.
Colonel Burch said the dock is also to be extended to take larger ships, with
extra gangways. He praised the team involved in the work. Colonel Burch said:
“This is to be our standard going forward.” The work was carried out by a
team from the ministry, with Dockyard owners West End Development Corporation
and Crisson Construction.
A
British Army general responsible for commissioning more than 1,000 officers and
who wrote the book on military leadership has shared his expertise with the
Royal Bermuda Regiment. Major General Patrick Marriott, a former Commandant
of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, the training school for British Army
officers, visited Warwick Camp while on the island to speak about ethical
leadership at a conference organised by asset management firm Schroders. He met
RBR Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel David Curley, other RBR officers and
senior non-commissioned officers. General Marriott said: “The regiment is
unique and I think it does an incredible job in a situation that’s changing
and evolving. It’s evolved very well under Colonel Curley’s leadership. He
consults people, that’s very obvious and that will make the evolution of the
regiment so much better.” The RBR has re-organised to create two main
companies, one trained for humanitarian and disaster relief and the other for
more traditional military roles. General Marriott said: “Essentially, the RBR
is going to be focused on real public service — disaster relief and crises.
There will be great rewards when, sadly, they do need to respond to a hurricane.
I think the island is very fortunate to have them here.” General Marriott was
speaking at the Officers’ Mess at Warwick Camp, just before he spoke at the
Schroders conference at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club last weekend. He
said: “If I was a young lad or young girl on the island, joining up is a
really good thing to do, even if only for a few years. It’s putting something
into the island in a really good way.” General Marriott was Commandant at
Sandhurst, where RBR officers are trained, between 2009 and 2012. Captain Paolo
Odoli, the new RBR Adjutant, who attended Sandhurst when General Marriott was in
charge, said: “It was a real pleasure to once again be able to attend one of
his talks on leadership having done so nine years ago at the academy. ‘Do as
you ought, not as you want’ speaks to the heart of ethical leadership, which
is a guiding principle for officers who earn a commission in the RBR. We are
pleased that he enjoyed his visit to Warwick Camp and thinks so highly of the
RBR and the success of our reorganization. We strive to be a modern,
forward-thinking organisation that is focused on preparing ourselves for the
challenges that we are likely to face in the future.” Captain Odoli added that
the RBR was still accepting applications for places on the next Recruit Camp,
due to be held in July. General Marriott joined the British Army in 1977 and was
commissioned from Sandhurst into the 17th/21st Lancers. He has served in combat
hotspots like Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Northern Ireland and also held
senior staff command positions, including Director-General of Leadership, and
was responsible for the creation of British Army’s leadership doctrine. He is
still a serving soldier in the British Army Reserve. Schroders made ten spots at
its conference available to the RBR free of charge. Lana Desmond, the firm’s
managing director, said: “I am extremely grateful to Major General Marriott
for being the guest speaker at our investment conference last week, and was
delighted that we were able to connect him with the Royal Bermuda Regiment
during his time here, which allowed him to share his personal experiences with
Bermuda’s soldiers. It was also our pleasure to be able to host some of the
Royal Bermuda Regiment personnel at our investment conference.”
Big-hearted
Bermudians have helped a father-and-daughter wheelchair team return to racing
after the duo crashed out of MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda last month. Now
Stephan Couture will be able to buy new equipment for his 13-year-old daughter,
Chloe, and himself to ride because donors smashed an $18,000 fundraising target
to replace their custom-built bicycle and wheelchair combination. The pair, who
race as Team Ladybugs, charmed the island’s residents when they took to the
streets of Hamilton to compete in the event on April 27. But their machine was
written off after they crashed on Park Road, Hamilton. Mr Couture heaped
gratitude on Bermudians yesterday and said he hoped to show supporters the new
equipment during a planned return next year. He said: “As Chloe is fond of
saying, ‘wow’, how can we possibly thank the people of Bermuda enough for
all they have done?. Not only have they been so generous in their words of
support, but also in less than a week they have achieved the target needed to
replace Chloe’s racing equipment. Everything is on order and we are hoping to
have it all ready to be able to take part in the next ITU World Triathlon Series
race in Leeds in June.” Mr Couture added: “We loved Bermuda, we loved the
warmth, generosity and friendliness of everyone we met. Thank you from all of us
seems so little to say but it is said with truly thankful hearts. We hope we
will have the opportunity to show you all in person the new kit in action as we
hope to return next year to take part in the ITU World Triathlon Bermuda
2020.” Team Ladybugs’ mission was set up to highlight disabled people’s
ability to take part in sports events safely with the right equipment and
experience the excitement of competition. The pair compete in triathlons in the
specially built combination, but the set-up was damaged beyond repair in the
crash. Mr Couture suffered a broken rib and Chloe, who has cerebral palsy,
suffered minor injuries. He said the pair, who travelled 3,500 miles from their
home in Warwickshire, England, to compete in the event, received an outpouring
of support from members of the public and organisations, who asked how they
could donate towards a new bike and wheelchair. A GoFundMe page was launched on
Monday and the $18,000 target was passed by Wednesday afternoon. Comments left
by donors included: “I met Stephan at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill two days
before the Bermuda triathlon after reading all about him and Chloe. Absolutely
gutted by what happened. Let’s get them back on the road as soon as
possible.” Another wrote: “Seeing the joy on Chloe’s face when she was out
and about was so infectious she spread her joy around the City of Hamilton.”
Donations from MS Amlin Bermuda and the Green family, which owns the Hamilton
Princess & Beach Club, also fuelled the fundraising drive. Mr Couture and
his wife, Diane, who have both worked with disabled people, adopted Chloe when
she was five after they read her story in a church bulletin. The father said
that regardless of the time or the weather, his daughter asked to go out racing
in her chair, which she called DD1 — Daddy, Daughter One. Team Ladybugs
started a mission to race in all eight ITU World Triathlon Series events and
their Bermuda effort was sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital, the
Hamilton Princess hotel and British Airways. Mr Couture said: “Chloe is asking
every day to go out in DD1 and soon we will be able to give her the ability to
go out in her new chair DD2 (B) — Daddy, Daughter Two (Bermuda). Wow, thank
you all again.”
One
of Bermuda’s star musicians who performed in what was dubbed “Bermuda’s
answer to the Beatles” has died. Howard “Howie” Rego, a gifted
drummer, was 69. Rego’s music career took him from being a teen heart-throb to
working with Sly and the Family Stone and Peter Frampton at the height of their
1970s fame. As drummer for The Savages, he helped build an enthusiastic
following among island rock fans and thousands of “college kids” from East
Coast universities and he co-wrote with bassist and singer Bobby Zuill what some
musicologists consider a classic example of “garage rock” and proto-punk, >The
World Ain’t Round, It’s Square. Rego died last Saturday and a private
funeral was held yesterday. The graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of
Music in Boston worked abroad as a session musician for more than 20 years. He
returned to his homeland and formed several bands on the island and turned his
hand to teaching music. The long-haired, svelte rocker, who had a flamboyant
stage presence, provided a foundation for all his bands, with a throbbing pulse
and great crashes of cymbals. After the break-up of The Savages at the end of
1966, Rego eventually made his way to Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City,
where he was introduced to many famous musicians and served a stint with albino
rock guitarist Edgar Winter. Bermudian drummer Andy Newmark, who was making his
name on both sides of the Atlantic at the same time, got Mr Rego a slot on
Broadway for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, behind Meatloaf. Tours
followed with jazz and rhythm and blues icon Michael Brecker, a neighbour and
friend, and Englishman Frampton, who had shot to stardom in the wake of the
success of his seminal album, Frampton Comes Alive. The Frampton band
performed before arena audiences as big as Bermuda’s population until the
disco revolution took the air out of his sales. Rego told the Mid-Ocean News
years ago: “Every time my career needed a boost, Andy would pop up out of
nowhere and set me with up something interesting.” It was a call from Newmark
that got Mr Rego a one-year gig with the mercurial funk genius Sylvester
Stewart, aka Sly Stone. Mr Rego said their first meeting was nerve-racking. He
added: “The audition consisted of Sly asking me to sit down behind the drums
and play to some of his recorded music. He liked what he heard, and said,
‘prepare yourself, we are going on tour in the next couple of days’.” But
Mr Rego had to turn down an offer from Swiss pianist Joe Zawinul of the jazz
fusion supergroup The Weather Report to take the job. He said: “I often wonder
where I would be today if that call had come in first.” The Savages formed in
1962, with the amalgamation of The Fugitives, guitarists Paul Muggleton and
Jimmy O’Connor, and The Gents, Rego and bassist and singer Zuill. Mr Rego was
just 12 years old, three years younger than the others. The Mount Saint Agnes
Academy pupil had been encouraged from age 8, by his father, a grocer and
amateur musician. With his friend, Roddy Marshall, credited as an influence on
the band, Mr Rego saw the Vanilla Fudge, with its wild man drummer Carmine
Appice, live in Newport, Rhode Island. Mr Rego said: “Our music immediately
departed to a funkier, R&B sound.” With businessman and producer Eddie
DeMello at the helm, The Savages recorded the local hits No, No. No, No, No
and She’s Gone over the space of two years. Fans lined the streets to
see standing-room-only performances at what is now the Hog Penny on Burnaby
Street in Hamilton, Elbow Beach and other venues around Bermuda. The band met or
played with The Young Rascals, Tiny Tim, The Doors, and at The Scene Club in New
York with Jimi Hendrix. They also allowed Desi Arnaz Jr, an actor and musician,
to sit in at Mr Rego’s drum kit at the Hog Penny, watched by his superstar
mother, actor Lucille Ball. By this time they were also known in the Caribbean,
where they performed for large crowds in Barbados and Antigua, where they shared
a stage with The Wailers, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. Musician
Tony Brannon said last night that Barbadian musician friends still fondly recall
The Savages’ tour. The band split up at the end of 1966, but Live and Wild,
recorded in February that year at The Hub, a club in the Hamilton Princess in
front of an adoring and raucous crowd has survived the decades. Collectors now
pay hundreds of dollars for the grungy record.
Premier
David Burt is to announce the formation of a Cabinet Committee on Social Issues
today in the House of Assembly. The group, which first met in February, has
been tasked with looking at issues ranging from the living wage, extending paid
maternity leave, the mandatory retirement age, seniors’ rights, and a unified
family court and mediation centre. The committee is also examining affordable
housing, with Mr Burt expected to announce projects to meet the demands
identified by a survey launched in March. The group is to propose new services
and care for people with mental health issues. MPs will also debate changes to
healthcare financing as the Health Insurance Amendment Act 2019 comes up for
discussion. Mr Burt will update the House and table a Bill on staffing for the
Premier and Leader of the Opposition. Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the
Minister of Public Works, is expected to deliver a statement on King’s Wharf
in Dockyard, which has undergone extensive repairs. Zane DeSilva, the transport
minister, will table a transportation Green Paper and Wayne Caines, the Minister
of National Security, will make a statement on changes to the immigration
system.
A
$65 million reserve fund will be available for the hospital if costs run over
the block grant to be provided by the Government, a public meeting heard last
night. Jennifer Attride-Stirling, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Health, said she hoped the cash would not be needed and was confident the
provider would work within its budget. She was on a panel with Kim Wilson, the
health minister, and Ricky Brathwaite, the acting chief executive of the Bermuda
Health Council, at a meeting about changes to healthcare financing expected to
be introduced on June 1. The Government is to pay an annual grant to the Bermuda
Hospitals Board, capped at $330 million for the coming year, to replace the
existing fee-for-service arrangement. Ms Wilson explained that the money is to
be drawn from the Mutual Reinsurance Fund. The Government will boost the MRF
because it will more than triple the amount it takes directly from monthly
premiums paid to health insurers from $101.97 to $331.97. Ms Wilson added:
“The administration and profit is nil, so, effectively, what we’re doing
from June 1 is that the Standard Health Benefit premium will be spent on your
healthcare.” James Jardine, an independent senator who was among about 70
people at the meeting at St Paul AME Centennial Hall, asked where additional
funds would be found if hospital costs exceeded the $330 million grant. Dr
Attride-Stirling replied that it would take about a year to determine an amount
that allowed “some flexibility up or down, so that the hospital is not bearing
such risk”. She added: “But for this fiscal year we, together with the
hospital, are confident of the figure and in the event of any slight slippage or
discrepancy, the hospital has $65 million in surplus that may be required to be
used. We certainly hope that’s not the case.” She said that in the event of
a national catastrophe or pandemic “of course the Government is going to step
in”. A member of the public earlier asked if patients would be affected due to
the fixed budget. Dr Attride-Stirling said: “No ... the $330 million revenue
target was agreed very carefully with the hospital to make sure that, over the
next fiscal year, they could continue to provide the services they have been and
we are absolutely confident of that.” Dr Brathwaite explained that a block
grant method could curb overutilisation of services. He said: “It is a
fundamental part of fee-for-service systems that you are going to utilize
additional things because it is advantageous for you to get more revenue for
doing more things. It is not a secret that within fee-for-service systems,
whether it be here in Bermuda or other places in the world, that there are
unnecessary things that are done, there are admissions that are made to the
inpatient wards that are unnecessary because they pay higher amounts of money,
but that is the business of healthcare.” He said the island’s system had
been based on this way of working for “a very long time”. Dr Brathwaite
added: “It doesn’t help from a clinical standpoint, it helps from a business
model so we are now putting constraints on the system and saying, look, this has
to be about healthcare; this has to stop being about business.” He said:
“This cap incentivise people to do the right thing and to be more efficient in
the care that they’re giving.” The panel was asked about the extent to which
insurers will obtain information about the services used by their policyholders.
Dr Brathwaite told the meeting there had been “some misinterpretation” of
talks with the industry over the past two months. He said: “From the very
beginning, our objective was always to make sure that each insurer had all the
data that they currently are accessing from the hospital. There was some
confusion within the ranks of insurers as to whether they wanted the data or
not, considering the change in the mechanics. We have settled on, weeks ago,
that everyone is going to have access to their data based on the services that
their clients get in the hospital.”
The
imprisonment of a man for 2½ years while he awaits trial on a drugs charge is
unconstitutional, a lawyer told Supreme Court yesterday. Mark Pettingill,
who appeared for plaintiff Dennis Robinson, told the Supreme Court that Mr
Robinson’s fundamental rights had been violated. He added that Mr Robinson had
“been in custody waiting to be tried for longer than he would have been if he
was convicted of the offence with which he has been charged”. Mr Pettingill
was speaking at a constitutional challenge launched by Mr Robinson and Rebecca
Wallington. The two were arrested on November 15, 2016 and charged with
possession of 418.7 grams of cannabis with intent to supply. Ms Wallington was
also charged with possession of 4.93 grams of cannabis. She pleaded not guilty
to both charges and was released on bail. Ms Wallington is represented by
Victoria Greening. Mr Pettingill said there had been an “absolute failure in
regards to the constitutional provision for a fair trial in a reasonable
time”. He added that Mr Robinson had been behind bars for as much time as he
would have got if he had admitted the offence. Mr Robinson pleaded not guilty to
the charge in February 2017 and the pair’s trial started in May 2018. However,
magistrate Archibald Warner, after the conclusion of the trial last October,
announced that he had a conflict of interest and was forced to excuse himself,
which meant no verdict was delivered. Mr Pettingill said that in all his years
practising law, he had not come across a similar example of a magistrate
recusing himself after the end of a trial. A new trial date was set last
December for January 29. The constitutional application against the Director of
Public Prosecutions and the Attorney-General was filed on January 28. The
application wants to have the proceedings against Mr Robinson and Ms Wallington
declared unconstitutional and the case dismissed. Mr Pettingill said that delays
to the trial for a “borderline minor cannabis matter” were not the fault of
his client and were unreasonable. He added that the court had to accept, at some
point, that delays to the court case were “just not constitutionally
excusable”. Mr Pettingill said: “You have to draw a line in the sand. It’s
not good enough.”
Financial
services regulator the Bermuda Monetary Authority has partnered with the charity
Tomorrow’s Voices to help raise funds in support of programmes and services
offered to young people on the autism spectrum. BMA staff wore their wacky
socks to work in support of the charity’s annual Autism “Rocks Socks”
fundraiser on Friday, April 26, and the following Friday, members of the BMA
team volunteered their time to help with the Tomorrow’s Voices annual tag day.
As part of the celebration of its 50th anniversary this year, the BMA is
expanding its community outreach and is supporting island charities whose
missions address categories including children and families, arts and culture,
the environment, education and seniors. Tomorrow’s Voices was one of five
charities that was identified as a benefactor for a “BMA Day of Giving” —
community service projects in which staff provide assistance to local charities
through volunteering for specific projects that have been identified by the
charity partner as an area of need. In total, 21 non-profit organisations,
including Tomorrow’s Voices, will benefit from monies raised by staff who
participate in the BMA’s ‘Charitable Fridays’ throughout this year. These
internal dress down days are scheduled twice per month and staff can wear
business appropriate denim in exchange for a minimum donation to the designated
charity partner for that date. Shanna Lespere, chief operating officer for the
BMA, was among the tag day volunteers. She said: “Over the years, I’ve had
the opportunity to interact with several autistic children and most recently
with a neighbour of mine. I know the important role that Tomorrow’s Voices
plays in supporting Bermuda’s autistic children, young adults on the autism
spectrum and their families, and that’s why I chose to volunteer for this BMA
Day of Giving.” Mesheiah Crockwell, BMA’s Director of Human Resources,
highlighted the value of corporate involvement with providing charitable
support. “The non-profit sector in Bermuda is a critical lifeline for the
wellbeing of all residents, especially those who are the most vulnerable. The
more engaged Bermuda’s business sector is with the missions and delivery of
programmes and services provided by our local charities, the better it is for
everyone who calls our island home. With cases of autism and other ‘special
needs’ diagnoses on the rise at alarming rates, it is imperative that we, as a
society, do everything possible to invest in teaching and developing skills for
those whose abilities may be different. No child should be left behind,
regardless of their level of functioning, and Tomorrow’s Voices provides
critical services that influence their clients’ independence and ability to
better interact with others in a variety of settings, including school, work and
social.” Thea Furbert, co-founder and chairwoman for the Tomorrow’s Voices
board, said: “We are so grateful to have been chosen to partner with the BMA
to support two of our Autism Awareness Month initiatives. These fundraising
events are key in helping our centre raise funds for the continued longevity of
our services to children and families touched by autism and other developmental
disabilities in the community. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of
the BMA staff as their giving will truly have a positive impact on our
centre.”
Bank
customers with Bermuda dollar accounts will have up to $25,000 of their money
protected should their local bank collapse. In such circumstances, they will
receive compensation through the Bermuda Deposit Insurance Corporation,
providing they fulfil the eligibility criteria. HSBC Bank Bermuda, Butterfield
Bank, Clarien Bank and Bermuda Commercial Bank, are members of the scheme, and
they are paying in to the pre-funded deposit insurance fund. The scheme provides
a safety net for depositors, insomuch that if their bank fails they will get
some or all of their deposited money returned, up to a maximum of $25,000 per
depositor, per bank. The island is now among 143 countries and jurisdictions
around the world that have deposit insurance schemes. Since the financial crisis
of 2008, such schemes have become increasingly widespread as a way to give some
protection to bank customers. They aim to give public confidence in the banking
system and reduce the likelihood that depositors would panic and withdraw funds
if there was sudden concern about the stability of a bank. In Bermuda, the idea
of an insurance deposit fund was first proposed in 2010, with legislation the
following year and more in 2016. The scheme has been working in the background
for a few years, and was announced today. However, Bermuda’s insurance deposit
fund is still in its early days of building up its reserves from premiums paid
by the banks, and it is anticipated it could take another 15 to 20 years for it
to have sufficient funds to cover its potential financial obligations. When
asked what will happen if a bank fails in the meantime, Stephen Todd, chairman
of the BDIC, said: “We would not wish to see such an event transpire. We would
need to ensure that there is some framework in place, some contingencies to at
least avoid such an eventuality. It is a process that really is a work in
progress. It is not something that we can necessarily safeguard against, but we
wish to ensure we take all the necessary steps to prevent it as best we can.”
An information brochure that explains how the scheme works, mentions that the
Bermuda Government is providing liquidity support to the scheme while the
deposit insurance fund is being built up. The Royal Gazette is seeking clarity
on what this would mean in terms of depositors being compensated up to the
maximum level. The brochure also provides scenarios to show how the scheme works
in different circumstances. A simple example would be if an individual has
$20,000 in a Bermuda dollar account. If that customer’s bank failed, they
would be eligible for $20,000 in compensation through the fund. On the other
hand, if they had $50,000 in Bermuda dollar deposits, regardless of whether it
was split across more than one account at the bank, they would be eligible for a
maximum of $25,000 in compensation. The scheme covers accounts of individual and
joint account holders, sole partnerships, partnerships, unincorporated
associations, registered charitable organisations and corporate small businesses
registered with the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation. It only applies to
Bermuda dollar accounts, and there are no immediate plans to change that. Mr
Todd said Bermuda dollar accounts are the primary and largest concentration of
deposits held with local banks. “We feel it is first and foremost our
responsibility to look after the Bermuda dollar deposits and then proceed
accordingly,” he said. Curtis Dickinson, the finance minister, and Thomas
O’Rourke, of the Bermuda Bankers Association, also spoke at the press
conference where the BDIC and the deposit insurance scheme were announced. In
prepared remarks, Mr O’Rourke said: “Public confidence reduces the
likelihood that depositors of an individual financial institution will panic and
withdraw funds suddenly if concerns arise about the condition of that
institution. We have seen examples outside of Bermuda where concerns about one
financial institution have at times led to concerns about others, resulting in
so-called “contagion runs”. Thus, deposit insurance supports the stability
and smooth operation of the entire financial system by providing insured
depositors with prompt reimbursement or access to insured depositors’ funds.
Delays in reimbursement can also cause financial hardship for depositors, who
may need funds for everyday living expenses. A scheme that provides prompt
reimbursement aids in enhancing public confidence in Bermuda’s financial
sector and economy.” He said the Bermuda Bankers Association fully endorsed
the scheme, which is mandatory for all licensed banks. The deposit insurance
fund is being built up from premiums paid by the banks, currently calculated on
qualifying insured deposits at the rate of 0.25 per cent, per annum, and also
from earned investment income. In addition to the banks, the Bermuda Industrial
Union Members’ Credit Union is being integrated into the deposit insurance
scheme.
Victor
Insurance Holdings, the world’s largest managing general underwriter, has
appointed Anthony Stevens as president of Victor International, effective
immediately. Mr Stevens, who was previously head of international
development for Marsh’s global risk and digital division, will be responsible
for advancing Victor’s insurance strategy outside North America with a
specific focus on innovative insurance products and digital solutions, the
company said. Victor has offices in Bermuda, United Kingdom, Netherlands,
Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Mr Stevens is based in
London and reports to Christopher Schaper, chief executive officer of Victor
Insurance Holdings. He succeeds Paul Drake, who previously announced his plans
to retire from the firm in September. The company said Mr Stevens brings a
unique expertise in technology, strategy and international growth to this new
role, having worked throughout Europe and Asia-Pacific on the carrier,
brokerage, and consulting sides of the industry. Mr Schaper said: “A
technology-driven leader, Anthony’s extensive experience in building
next-generation commercial insurance distribution models, as well as
international development, make him ideally suited to drive Victor
International’s ambitious growth plans.” Mr Stevens said: “Technology,
data, and analytics are globally revolutionizing the way in which the insurance
industry transacts business, and managing general underwriters are at the
forefront of this transformation. Victor is a new breed of MGU, and is now well
established in numerous markets including the UK and across Continental Europe.
I’m excited to develop new opportunities incorporating innovative insurance
products and digital solutions throughout the international insurance market.”
A
multimillion-dollar marine research robot will be based in Bermuda from this
summer. The hi-tech Remus 100, designed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution in Massachusetts, will be used to collect valuable information on
the state of the seas around the island. Bermudians are being trained to pilot
the robot, which is also adapted for minehunting and used by several navies, by
a former navy autonomous systems expert, before the machine is deployed in July.
Choy Aming, a marine conservationist who will be one of the pilots, said:
“This is an excellent opportunity for Bermudians. As a Bermudian, this is a
really exciting project because we have often been at the forefront of
conservation and this is just the latest manifestation of how we will do it in
the future. It is going to open up a complete new world.” Operators in Bermuda
will be trained to programme and process information gathered by the Remus 100,
which is equipped with sophisticated sensor and navigation systems to help it
carry out detailed sonar oceanographic surveys. The Remus 100, which will be
launched from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo in Flatts, can capture
crystal-clear video footage, map fish numbers, identify individual species and
track currents, temperatures, water salt levels and topography to help in ocean
conservation. The machine can collect information at depths of more than 300
feet far faster than human divers. Ocean Tech, a Bermuda-based charity borne out
of the marine conservation TV series Ocean Vet, which starred Neil
Burnie, who died while free diving in 2014, uses the machine to undertake
numerous missions in the waters off Bermuda and donated $70,000 to fund the
latest research project. Mr Aming said: “Neil would love that we are
continuing the work that we started. Understanding our environment is critically
important for our survival so that would have inspired him.” The vehicle, now
manufactured by Hydroid, a leader in marine robotics, is owned by Cerulean, a
Remus 100 leasing company that is run by Henrik Schroder, a joint founder of
Ocean Tech. Andy Smith, a fellow Ocean Tech founder and mission manager, said he
had put five years of “blood, sweat and tears” into the project, which is
sponsored by financial services firm PwC, also a mission partner, and the
Lindo’s retail group. Mr Smith said: “The more data we have about how the
marine system works around Bermuda, the more we are likely to efficiently and
effectively conserve what is here. Understanding is the key to making sure that
we protect our marine environment. There is a huge lack of understanding about
the ocean, so the more we understand, the more we give Government grounds for it
to be protected. The fisheries department needs hard data in order for them to
act on. We are the only charity in the world that can provide subsidised and
free access to a Remus 100. We consider applications from around the world, but
the idea is to bring scientists here to study. It is about bringing people to
Bermuda and we have plans to involve universities in the UK and US and Bermuda
Institute of Ocean Sciences educational programmes.” The Remus has the most
advanced fish finder in the world and can identify species by sonar signatures.
Mr Smith said: “This type of information will be critical for things like
understanding how many grouper there are on the aggregation grounds and can give
us an assessment of the population every year. It can also assess large areas
for the amount and location of invasive lionfish. Lionfish remain a threat to
Bermuda endemic species to this is hugely important.” One of the first jobs
for the Remus 100 will be to map Harrington Sound to produce a
three-dimensional, topographical map. Mr Smith said: “In a collaboration with
BAMZ, the mission has been funded to map ‘the bottomless Harrington Sound’
— finally we will know. Harrington Sound is such an important body of water
and ecosystem. We will be able to see what the basin looks like, where the reefs
are, what the depths there are. Choy will work with scientists, students and
schools because he is so deeply passionate. His background is with Ocean Vet and
he was involved in tagging sharks — programming the tags and dealing with the
data of the tags to understand where they migrate. It is a natural evolution for
him.” Other local pilots will include Tim Noyes of Bios, Annie Glasspool, of
Bermuda Environmental Consulting, and Henrik and Jonas Schroder.
Some
entrepreneurs sell goods they wouldn’t be caught dead using themselves, but
not Jody Place. Three years ago the owner of Nakada Electric Bikes gave up
driving his company van to get around on an electric bike instead. “If I need
something for the construction business I also run, I just get it delivered,”
he said. “I can attach a trolley to my electric bike and can go with a little
tool to any job site and do my work.” He thinks in one year alone he saved
$3,000 in licensing fees and insurance for the van, and thousands more in gas.
“I probably paid about $100 a week in gas,” he said. “And that’s not
even considering what you pay to repair wear and tear on a vehicle.” Now, at
night, he takes the lithium battery from his bike and plugs it in, just as he
would any other device. No special charging equipment is required. So far, he
hasn’t noticed any change to his electricity bill. Nakada started out as Exim
Home Goods in Somerset Village in 2012, then added electric bikes to its product
offerings. “The America’s Cup came along in 2017 and we saw a few,” he
said. “I said I think we are leading in the right direction. We went to a few
trade shows in the US. We decided that this is something we will take
seriously.” So two years ago they got rid of the home goods, and switched
entirely to selling electric bikes. “The trend is leading to green and we
wanted to focus and take a whole new avenue,” Mr Place said. At first he sold
Nakada Explorer foldup bikes. Then customers started asking for all the bells
and whistles you’d find on a gas-powered scooter, mirrors, and indicators, for
example. So Mr Place added the Alpha Nakada to his line-up. For $2,795, the
Alpha Nakada comes with all the goodies, mirrors, road tires, indicators, a more
powerful battery and motor, front and back lights, a brake light and a push
button horn. Mr Place said it took about ten months for the electric bikes to
catch on, now he sees people riding by on bikes he sold them, all the time. “I
would say 75 per cent of the electric bikes out there now were sold from our
shop in the last two years,” he said. Compared to a gas-powered scooter or
motorbike, there’s a lot less on an electric bike to go wrong. But if there is
a problem, Mr Place will service it, or send the defective part back to the
manufacturer. Looking to the future, Mr Place thinks we’ll probably always
need gas-powered vehicles, but he thinks we will see more and more
energy-efficient vehicles on the road. “Bermuda is the perfect place for
electric vehicles,” he said. “In Bermuda we don’t travel that far or for
that long. Unless you’re a truck or a taxi, you’re probably not driving up
and down all the time.” Because there is no licensing or insurance required,
Mr Place thought his bikes might be a good option for a teenager to get used to
the road, before getting a motorcycle. The bike’s top speed is 22mph. “This
teaches them the speed limit,” he said. He also thought it was an option for
people who are off the road due to traffic violations. “They still have to
feed their family, get to work, and save their job,” he said. “These days we
cannot depend on public transportation. It puts them back to basics.” The
folding bikes can take up to 250lbs and the Alpha Nakadas can take up to 325lbs.
Mr Place said the Alpha Nakada has enough power to get up a hill like Knapton
Hill in Smith’s. “With the folding bike you will have to pedal,” he said.
The Alpha Nakada has a low (eco), medium and high-power setting. But Mr Place
said you probably wouldn’t want to try to pedal it entirely without electric
power since it weighs more than 60lbs. Mr Place’s goal is to get an electric
bike into every Bermuda home, and maybe beyond. He’s thinking of one day
expanding into the American market.
European
Union documents have confirmed that Bermuda will be removed from the bloc’s
tax blacklist tomorrow. Finance ministers from the 28 member countries are
due to convene in Brussels for a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs
Council. A background paper for the meeting, published by the European Council,
said: “As points without discussion, the council is expected to approve an
update to the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions: the council should decide
to remove Aruba, Barbados and Bermuda from the list.” The document backed up
Curtis Dickinson, the finance minister, who said in the House last Friday that
he expected Bermuda to removed from the blacklist at Ecofin’s meeting. Bermuda
was added to the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax matters two
months ago, after what David Burt, the Premier, said was a “drafting error”
in the economic substance regulations submitted to the EU. Mr Dickinson said
Bermuda was likely to be moved from Annex 1 of the list to Annex 2, known as the
grey list. He added that EU concerns remained over the island’s legislative
framework for collective investments funds and that the island had committed to
address that by the end of the year. Bermuda will be grouped with the Bahamas,
the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands on the greylist for having
“tax regimes that facilitate offshore structures that generate profits without
real economic activity”.
A
20-year-old man was convicted last night of stabbing a restaurant worker 13
times in an attempted robbery. A jury found Alex Wolffe guilty of wounding,
attempted robbery and two counts of intimidation. Borislav Angelov was stabbed
outside his Paget home after he was chased on his motorcycle along Harbour Road
by two men on a bike in the early hours of October 23 last year. They pursued
the bartender into the yard of his Paget home and attacked him. He was stabbed
as he fought back against one of the attackers. Mr Angelov sustained serious
injuries, including a collapsed lung, and spent ten days in hospital. But he was
able to spot the licence plate number of the bike ridden by his attackers.
Wolffe, from Southampton, earlier testified that he was at home watching
television and listening to music with friends on the night Mr Angelov was
stabbed. He also claimed that he had been robbed by two men — one armed with a
knife — on the same night. The trial was delayed after Wolffe was stabbed in
the shoulder earlier this month. The jury deliberated for almost three hours
before it reached a verdict. Wolffe was found guilty on each count by a majority
verdict of nine out of 12 jurors. Wolffe was remanded in custody by Puisne Judge
Juan Wolffe and a date will be set for his sentencing at the next arraignments
session. Defence lawyer Susan Mulligan told the court that her client planned to
appeal.
Surveillance
cameras could help clamp down on illegal dumping at a public dock, a nature
enthusiast said yesterday. Jessica Riederer added that “repeat
offenders” disposed of waste and that more education would make people think
twice before they disfigured the landscape with trash. She said she was pleased
that a public works team removed material dumped at the dock at Ely’s Harbour
in Sandys last week but that more waste had been left at the spot since then.
The nature photographer told friends on Facebook that waste collection staff
attended “within 48 hours” of the problem being reported in The Royal
Gazette. But she said yesterday: “They went and cleaned it and then when I
went to photograph it on Saturday, there was more dumping. It seems to be
electrical items. The general consensus from people on Facebook is that cameras
would help.” Ms Riederer said that she came across trash at the site in
January and posted pictures on social media to highlight the problem. The images
were widely circulated and featured on ZBM News, but the attention did not spark
a clear-up until last week. She shared the latest photographs on her
social-media page and they prompted suggestions from other users, including an
increase in the number of public waste drop-off points. Ms Riederer, 45, from
Southampton, believed “most of the island” acted responsibly but a group of
people were “the same repeat offenders”. She added: “Education is key and
unfortunately, if we can’t catch those doing it, there are no repercussions,
and I think people are going to continue doing what they’re doing, why
shouldn’t they?” Ms Riederer thanked the team that removed items last week.
But she said: “From their point of view, it’s probably frustrating when
they’re going up there all the time, and it’s an excessive amount of
stuff.” Anne Hyde, the executive director of Keep Bermuda Beautiful, added
that the dock was “one of the problem spots on the island” and public sites
— including schools — where skips are based also attracted illegal dumping.
She said: “It would be great to find out how we can enforce the law against
these illegal dumpers. Some of it might be fairly innocent — people know a
trash truck comes there, there’s a dumpster there and they think, why can’t
I put my TV there?” But she added: “That’s just not correct disposal of
waste.” Ms Hyde explained that trash fell into different categories and the
proper disposal methods were explained in a chart on the Government’s website.
She said piles of trash could encourage other people to dump because some felt
it was acceptable if they saw someone else had done it. Ms Hyde added: “People
are pointing fingers at the Government instead of at the dumpers.” She agreed
that cameras could help to curb illegal dumping, along with better education.
But Ms Hyde admitted surveillance could be difficult as the process to set them
up took a long time and the costs to monitor and maintain the technology could
be high. She added: “Maybe sending notification out to all truckers to remind
them of the rules of what goes where and what’s appropriate there and maybe
also asking for the co-operation of the people who are normal users of the
Ely’s Harbour dock or whatever public dock or public schools to keep an eye
out and help inform people would assist.”
Police
said no data was lost after a system breakdown yesterday. The 911 emergency
service number was knocked out of service when the communications centre at
Prospect suffered a power cut. A Bermuda Police Service spokesman said this
afternoon that “most services” were restored, including the 911 and main
295-0011 numbers. He added: “On initial inspection there does not appear to be
any data loss and full system restoration is anticipated by Monday, May 20th.
However, technicians will continue to closely monitor the BPS data centre over
the coming days to ensure system stability. The BPS would like to sincerely
thank the technical vendors and our staff for all their assistance — as well
as the public, for their patience and co-operation, while the necessary repairs
were made.”
A
digital asset business linked to diamonds that is said to have attracted
millions of dollars in pre-orders from institutional investors, could be cleared
to transact with its token and exchange by the end of this month. That is
according to Cormac Kinney, chief executive officer of Diamond Standard, who
spoke last week at a high-profile finance, economics and thought leadership
conference in Las Vegas. Yesterday, Bermuda-incorporated Diamond Standard Ltd
announced the appointment of James Campbell as its chief financial officer. He
has also been named CFO of sister company Bitcarbon Technologies Ltd, which last
year advertised for more than 20 positions in Hamilton. The company said it will
start recruiting for ten to 12 positions in Bermuda during the coming months,
with further positions to be filled later in the year. Diamond Standard is
building an electronic diamond exchange in Bermuda. Mr Kinney, the founder, is a
celebrated American entrepreneur and software designer with a lengthy track
record in successful start-ups and technology-orientated business. His
inventions have been cited in nearly 4,000 US patents. At the Salt Conference in
Las Vegas last week, Mr Kinney appeared on a panel where he discussed the
concept of the Diamond Standard coins, which contain an equal value of diamonds
and feature an internal wireless encryption chip, a Bitcarbon
Technologies-issued bitcarbon digital token for online trading. Among its
proposed uses, the coin can act as collateral to borrow money or asset-back a
smart contract, such as a down payment on a purchase. The token is said to be
compatible with every blockchain programme. Mr Kinney said more than 90 per cent
of the company’s initial orders have come from institutions that have never
owned a digital asset. He said the majority are multi-trillion-dollar investment
managers and ETFs. He added: “We have a lot of institutional investors in the
equity of the company that also helped us with pre-orders. We now have several
hundred million in pre-orders. We can’t actually launch. We’ve chosen to be
regulated and our tokens and our exchange are both regulated by the Bermuda
Monetary Authority, so we can’t actually transact for about one more week.”
As of yesterday Bitcarbon and Diamond Standard were not listed as licensed
entities on the BMA website. Mr Kinney has been featured in many publications,
including Fortune and Forbes. He is the inventor of the heatmaps,
which graphically depict financial market information and have been used
extensively on Wall Street and beyond since the 1990s. He has raised venture
capital from the likes of Intel, Deutsche Bank and Bank Stearns. Meanwhile, in
yesterday’s announcement of Mr Campbell as CFO of Bitcarbon Technologies and
Diamond Standard Ltd, the company said he would lead its local expansion and
liaise with the Bermuda Government and the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Mr
Campbell, a Bermuda resident, most recently advised the Bermuda Hospitals Board,
and previously was CFO of Counterpartylink Ltd, a financial data company based
in Hamilton and the UK. He is said to have more than 30 years of financial and
operational experience, particularly with technology and telecom start-ups.
Bitcarbon is operating from temporary offices at 55 Par-la-Ville Road. Bermudian
Heather Kitson is also a director of Diamond Standard in Bermuda. Mr Kinney
said: “I am delighted to welcome Jamie to our management team. His impressive
qualifications, and past success in leadership roles at technology companies,
make him ideally-suited to the role. As a Bermudian financial professional, he
is committed to developing the country’s role as a world-class fintech hub. He
will guide our company’s growth in partnership with the BMA and BDA, while
building our local team.” Mr Campbell said: “I am excited to join Cormac and
the Diamond Standard team at this important juncture in their growth. The
company’s unique offering — the first diamond commodity which is also a
digital asset — is the kind of leading-edge fintech investment that Bermuda
wants to attract with our industry-leading digital asset legislation and our
first-in-class regulatory environment, and I look forward to driving its
long-term success.”
A
20-year-old man was convicted last night of stabbing a restaurant worker 13
times in an attempted robbery. A jury found Alex Wolffe guilty of wounding,
attempted robbery and two counts of intimidation. Borislav Angelov was stabbed
outside his Paget home after he was chased on his motorcycle along Harbour Road
by two men on a bike in the early hours of October 23 last year. They pursued
the bartender into the yard of his Paget home and attacked him. He was stabbed
as he fought back against one of the attackers. Mr Angelov sustained serious
injuries, including a collapsed lung, and spent ten days in hospital. But he was
able to spot the licence plate number of the bike ridden by his attackers.
Wolffe, from Southampton, earlier testified that he was at home watching
television and listening to music with friends on the night Mr Angelov was
stabbed. He also claimed that he had been robbed by two men — one armed with a
knife — on the same night. The trial was delayed after Wolffe was stabbed in
the shoulder earlier this month. The jury deliberated for almost three hours
before it reached a verdict. Wolffe was found guilty on each count by a majority
verdict of nine out of 12 jurors. Wolffe was remanded in custody by Puisne Judge
Juan Wolffe and a date will be set for his sentencing at the next arraignments
session. Defence lawyer Susan Mulligan told the court that her client planned to
appeal.
Crowds
lined the streets of Hamilton to watch as a giant engine for the new Belco North
Power Station was transported through the city. The 280-tonne machine inched
its way to the construction site on the back of a remote-controlled transporter,
while staff from the electricity company dressed in souvenir T-shirts walked
alongside. Members of the public also showed interest and took photographs as a
specially imported vehicle crawled along Queen Street to deliver the engine to
its destination on Serpentine Road in Pembroke. The trip was expected to take up
to 2½ hours. Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor, the lead contractor
on the North Power Station project, chartered the Netherlands-registered MV
Jumbo Fairlane to deliver four new engines and their alternators to
Bermuda. A spokesman for Ascendant Group, the parent company of Belco, explained
that each engine is five metres wide, 6½m high and 11m long. The alternators
each weigh 66 tonnes and are five metres long and nearly 4½ metres in width and
height. The 109-metre-long ship has two 400-tonne cranes and used moveable
ballast tanks to help balance the loading of the cranes as it moved the engines
and alternators from the ship’s hold to the dock. He said: “BWSC has taken
the opportunity to use the remaining stowage space aboard the ship with other
materials for the plant, including large electrical transformers, exhaust
silencers, radiator coolers and fans, powerhouse cranes, HV switchgear and air
compressors. There will be many further material shipments through the regular
Bermuda freight lines, as there have been already, as the project progresses.
However, the safe arrival and offloading of this shipment marks a substantial
milestone for the NPS which is due to be commissioned in the first quarter of
2020.” The spokesman said that the engines and alternators were “so heavy
and large” that a special vehicle, imported temporarily, was used to carry the
goods from the dock to the site. The transporter has 112 wheels, is three metres
wide, 27 metres long and moves “at walking speed”. It was thought the
journey between the dock and the construction site would take between two and 2½
hours. The spokesman added: “The management and staff of Belco appreciate the
public’s understanding as we work to build an energy foundation that will be
safe, efficient and cost-effective for our customers.” Engines and alternators
were scheduled to be delivered to the NPS during evenings until May 27. More
information on road closures can be found on the company’s website at
belco.bm.
In
the latest twist in the proxy battle between Argo Group International Holdings
Ltd and activist shareholders Voce Capital Management LLC, a proxy advisory firm
has said “it would be reasonable” for the chairman of Argo to be asked to
leave the board. Glass Lewis & Co also gave support to the idea to elect
to the board two of the five picks proposed by Voce. Voce has trumpeted the
report as strongly in line with its own views about Argo, and as further backing
for its “compelling roadmap” to achieve cost savings and unlock shareholder
value at the Bermuda-based insurer. Meanwhile Argo, while welcoming parts of the
report, defended the contributions made to the company by Gary Woods, its
chairman, and fellow board member Sedgwick Browne. The election of directors
will form part of Argo’s annual meeting on May 24. Voce Capital is a San
Francisco-based hedge fund that is the beneficial owner of about 5.6 per cent of
the shares of Argo. Earlier this year it attacked what it called a
“spendthrift culture” and “inappropriate corporate expenses” at Argo. It
has issued a 66-page presentation, entitled “Righting the Ship”, outlining
its plan for how Argo can reduce expenses, undergo compensation reforms, and
achieve capital allocation improvements, portfolio rationalization and enhanced
corporate governance. Glass Lewis said it believed Voce “had underscored
several inferior corporate governance practices at Argo”, and that it had
raised valid questions about the company’s “high expenses”. Reacting to
the report, Voce also said: “We are pleased that Glass Lewis supports our
multifaceted call for change at Argo and recommends shareholders vote for the
election of our highly qualified nominees Charles Dangelo and Nicholas Walsh and
the removal of its long-serving chairman.” On Tuesday, another proxy advisory
firm, Institutional Shareholder Services, issued its report that gave support to
Argo and its board. Following Glass Lewis’s report, Argo noted its positive
remarks regarding shareholder returns, operational results and a commitment to
board of director refreshment. In a statement, the insurer said: “We are
pleased that both Glass Lewis and ISS recognize the strong results we have
delivered for shareholders, our continued strong operational performance and the
merits of our board refreshment process. We particularly value the support of
ISS, which recognizes the strength of our board’s nominees and our commitment
to strong corporate governance practices.” However, it said Glass Lewis had
failed to acknowledge the important contributions that Mr Woods and Mr Browne
“continue to make as strong and engaged directors”. Argo has previously
described Voce’s claims directed at the company as spurious allegations that
are part of a “misleading” media campaign. Earlier this month, a few days
after Voce’s released its “Righting the Ship” document, Argo published a
68-page document entitled “Argo Group: driving growth and value for
shareholders.” Argo is urging shareholders to vote for all of the company’s
directors.
A
representative from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) will
visit Bermuda on June 4 and 5 to assist with social security and federal
benefits matters. The representative will be available to answer questions
from the public about matters including, but not limited to, social security
number applications, applying for social security benefits, veterans benefits
and any issues concerning monthly benefits..
If you are not able to sign up with the above link, please contact the U.S.
Consulate at (441) 705-0424 between 2:00p.m. - 4:00p.m. Monday through Friday.
After four years of showing Bermuda’s visitors the food, history and even
ghosts of St George’s, Kristin White is taking things further afield. This
summer the owner of Long Story Short will be offering Norwegian Cruise Line
passengers A Taste of St David’s. “I wanted to celebrate the history of St
David’s, the culture and also to tell some stories about the food,” she
said. “I think St David’s has a really strong sense of food history. There
is stuff that is made in St David’s that isn’t made anywhere else across the
island.” Alexandra Battery, Carter House, Clearwater Beach and St David’s
Lighthouse will be featured in the three-hour tour, but the highlight promises
to be Marta and Hans Olander’s farm on Jacob’s Point Road. Ms White said the
farm is a rare slice of old Bermuda. “It’s magical,” she said. “I
wouldn’t have done the tour, if I hadn’t been able to get the Olander’s
farm as part of it.” The farm has been passed down in Mr Olander’s family,
the Brangmans. In previous generations the family grew cassava, but gardening
largely stopped there in recent times. Then a few years ago Marta Olander,
originally from Costa Rica, started things up again. “I started a little farm
only for me, and started to do a little bit of this and that,” she said. “I
was giving what I grew to my neighbours. They would say you’re producing so
much, why don’t you sell the stuff?” The Saturday morning farmers’ market
in Paget was a bit far for her to go, so she started selling her produce out of
the back of her car, on Kindley Field Road. Things didn’t go well, at first. I
remember coming home and thinking I have all these vegetables to put in the
trash,” she said. But as time went on business picked up, and she now has a
loyal following. Janet DeBraga will be a tour guide for a Taste of St David’s,
offering visitors her family stories, and information and history about St
David’s. The tour will also offer information about the St David’s
connection to the Native American community in the United States. “St
David’s is often forgotten by tourism, unless it is Powwow time, or something
that interests them,” she said. Mrs DeBraga’s family, the Foxes and
O’Connors, have lived on St David’s Island since the 1700s. She said the St
David’s of her childhood was a neighborly and welcoming one. She remembers
often coming home to find her grandmother Jessie O’Connor’s house filled
with strangers. “Someone could be walking by and think what smells good?
She’d say come on in,” Mrs DeBraga said. “In the old days, before St
David’s was connected to the mainland, people would come to visit by boat.
Visiting was an all day affair. If you knew a visitor was coming you cooked.”
She remembered her grandmother cooking suck-rock stew, a St David’s Island
speciality, but she confessed though that she never ate any, herself. St
David’s is also known for mullet roe and shark hash. Mrs DeBraga will talk
about them on the tour, but they probably won’t be on offer. “Something like
mullet roe takes a lot of time to make,” Ms White said. “But we will have
Bermuda specialities like fish chowder and fish cakes for visitors to try.”
Tour-goers will also be able to sample Olander produce, and purchase
Olander-made items such as pickled beets. “We want this to be something that
brings some revenue to the farm and introduces people and gives them a glimpse,
but it is the Olander’s farm,” Ms White said. “We don’t want it to turn
into Disneyland.” She said it’s important not to lose the spirit of
something while you’re trying to create a tourism product out of it. “We
don’t want to turn it into Disneyland,” she said. This year, the tour will
be offered only to NCL cruise passengers docked in St George’s. “We want to
keep it really small this year, so we can evaluate if this is something we want
to move forward with,” Ms White said. Next year they might expand it. Ms White
said her other tours have proven to be popular with locals who want to learn
more about Bermuda history, taste the food and see parts of the island they’ve
never seen before.
The
Salvation Army is spreading the message that its work is about much more than
handouts. Beverly Daniels, the charity’s executive director for social
services, said the Salvation Army transformed lives by helping people to set and
accomplish goals through its Pathway of Hope programme. Ms Daniels said: “We
are not just handing out a bag of groceries. Our primary goal is to take you
from where you are to where you potentially could be.” The Pathway of Hope
programme, which was started in January, was designed to help clients overcome
poverty and become self-sufficient. Ms Daniels said people who contributed to
the Salvation Army often asked what was done to make sure people did not become
dependent on the charity. She said staff worked with clients from the emergency
housing complex in Pembroke, North Street Corps and Food Bank, and the Harbour
Light life skills centre. Ms Daniels, speaking to the Hamilton Rotary Club at
the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Paget, explained that the Pathway of
Hope was a strength-based programme, which helped people to gain their
independence. She added: “It means that we look at our clients and the people
we serve and we begin from a position of strength.” Ms Daniels said: “We
have not really impacted a life until we have had the opportunity to move that
person from where they are to where they can possibly be.” She said the
charity helped people achieve their goals in finances, education. housing, and
family life. Ms Daniels added that other programmes in the Salvation Army would
continue even as the organisation worked to get clients independent of the
charity. She added that the Salvation Army could not do its work without support
from the public, including employers and landlords.
May 15
A
government employee has been accused of assaulting a teenage girl who refused to
board a flight to the United States. The civil servant is alleged in an
official document seen by The Royal Gazette to have assaulted the 17-year-old at
LF Wade International Airport. A police spokesman said last night: “The
Bermuda Police Service can confirm that an official report has been made
regarding this alleged incident and the matter is currently being investigated.
As such, no further comment can be made at this time.” The girl had no legal
representation at the time of the alleged assault last Wednesday but is now
represented by law firm Marshall Diel & Myers. MDM said in a letter to The
Royal Gazette, sent in response to questions, that it was contacted by a member
of the public about the alleged assault last Friday and a second person later
reported the same allegation. The letter added: “We were then contacted by
litigation guardian Tiffanne Thomas. She was not involved in the case but had
received the same reports and asked if we could check on the girl and represent
her if required.” The letter said that MDM lawyer Saul Dismont spoke to the
girl on Friday afternoon and she asked him to represent her. It added that the
girl repeated the allegation of assault and claimed that it happened when she
complained that she did not want to be sent to an overseas secure treatment
centre. Three sources said the youngster was being forced to return to the
institution as part of the Department of Child and Family Services’
psycho-educational programme. One source, who spoke to the girl, said the
teenager was earlier at the same US centre but told Department of Child and
Family Services staff she did not want to go back because it was “horrific”.
The source added: “She is not even allowed to whistle, hum or sing.” The
girl was at the airport with two government employees when the assault is
alleged to have taken place. The youngster was using her iPad and wearing
headphones when the civil servant was said to have told her to board the flight.
The government employee was said to have taken the iPad and headphones when the
girl refused to get on the plane. The girl, who cannot be named for legal
reasons, asked for them back and reached out to retrieve them, which is when the
assault is alleged to have taken place. The civil servant is understood to have
called police after the alleged incident and officers attended. The police took
the youngster to Hamilton Police Station and then to one of the department’s
care homes. MDM said Mr Dismont attended the children’s home on Friday
afternoon and was invited in to see her. The letter added: “When he asked the
girl whether she wanted him to represent her, she responded that she did. At
that moment, she became our client.” The letter said that as the child gave
instructions to the lawyer outside the home, a DCFS supervisor told her to go
back inside, told Mr Dismont to leave and accused him of trespassing. The staff
member called police and Mr Dismont did the same in an effort “to prohibit the
department’s attempt to prevent our client from giving him instructions about
an alleged assault”. Police, DCFS director Alfred Maybury and a legal
aid-funded lawyer all arrived at the scene. The legal aid lawyer said he was
there to represent the girl at Mr Maybury’s request. Police brought the girl
back outside and she confirmed that she wanted Mr Dismont to represent her. The
law firm applied on Friday afternoon for the teenager to become a ward of the
Supreme Court to prevent her being taken abroad without representations being
made on her behalf and for Ms Thomas to be appointed as her litigation guardian.
A hearing is expected to take place this week to decide if she has to return to
the US institution. The MDM letter said: “In the meantime, we have asked that
all staff involved in the airport incident be prohibited from having any contact
with our client.” The civil servant and Mr Maybury declined to comment on
Sunday. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Legal Affairs, which includes the
DCFS, said: “The ministry is aware of this incident and takes note of the
allegations raised in the correspondence provided to The Royal Gazette. We will
review and determine the appropriate action to obtain the outcome that is in the
best interest of the child and all involved.” The Family Court has for decades
approved requests from DCFS to send youngsters to schools and institutions
overseas when social workers have decided they had exhausted all available
on-island services. Hundreds have gone abroad but only a fraction of them have
had an independent lawyer and a child advocate, known as a litigation guardian,
to represent them. MPs heard in March that 17 boys and three girls received
treatment at various overseas centres in 2018 for a “complexity of issues”
that involved mental disorders.
The
final town hall meeting to discuss a living wage will take place at the Somerset
Cricket Club tomorrow. The Ministry of Labour, Community Affairs and Sport
wants the views of the public on the creation of a Wage Commission and a living
or minimum wage. Meetings have already been held in St George’s and Hamilton.
Panellists for the third and final meeting, which starts at 6.30pm, include
committee chairman Rolfe Commissiong, a Progressive Labour Party backbencher,
Island Restaurant Group director Philip Barnett, statistician Cordell Riley,
lawyer Philip Perinchief and Bermuda Industrial Union president Chris Furbert. A
ministry spokeswoman said: “The ministry takes this opportunity to not only
thank the panellists for providing their time and expertise on the matter, but
also to thank all those who have attended the meetings thus far. Those who are
able are encouraged to attend the final meeting and be a part of the
conversation.” Anyone who wants to make their views known can visit The
Citizens Forum at forum.gov.bm.
A
call by a patients pressure group for the head of the island’s health watchdog
to be replaced by a “neutral” non-medical figure has been rejected by the
health minister. Kim Wilson said it was “entirely appropriate” for a
physician to chair the Bermuda Health Council after the Bermuda Healthcare
Advocacy Group questioned whether ophthalmologist Alicia Stovell-Washington
should be in the top role. The call came after a member of the public complained
to the patients group about being charged for a visit to Dr
Stovell-Washington’s surgery when the doctor was not present and other staff
conducted tests. The patient, who asked not to be named, said they were
surprised to be charged a “substantial” copay for the visit and told they
would have to return to see the doctor to have their eyes dilated at further
cost. The BHAG said it was difficult to see how the patient could have any
confidence in the Bermuda Health Council to investigate the concern, as Dr
Stovell-Washington was its chairwoman. But Ms Wilson, who appoints the
council’s board, said there was “nothing unusual” about a physician
heading up the council. She added: “This is not the first time the health
council has had a physician as its chairman and it is entirely appropriate, just
as the chair of the Medical Council is a medical doctor and the chairs of other
professional councils are health professionals. Dr John Cann was chairman of
BHeC in 2012. There is also precedent of a healthcare provider as a chair of the
health council, as was the case with Simone Barton of the Bermuda Heart
Foundation in 2015 to 2017.” Ms Wilson said she was aware that the health
council had rules to deal with potential conflicts, including a
conflict-of-interest policy and signed declarations. She added: “I fully
support the chairman’s integrity and transparency. The allegations regarding
billing have not been raised with me at any time by the Bermuda Healthcare
Advocacy Group or by anyone else. As a general rule, complaints about healthcare
billing should be raised with the provider directly in the first instance and,
if unresolved, can be submitted to the health council by the patient. To my
knowledge, no such complaint has been made. If it is, my expectation is that it
would be investigated as with any other complaint.” Ricky Brathwaite, the
acting chief executive of the BHeC, said the council’s board did not deal with
specific complaints so no conflict would arise if a complaint was filed. He
added: “No one is provided preferential treatment in the health system. The
healthcare advocacy group is more than welcome to file a complaint. Every
provider, even Dr Stovell-Washington, would have to go through responding to
that complaint if it’s made.” He said physicians were regulated by the
medical council and the health council had oversight of insurance matters. Dr
Stovell-Washington said in an e-mail: “I have contacted Bermuda Healthcare
Advocacy Group and discussed their concerns. The matter has been resolved
between us. I ask that the one patient who had a concern contact my practice
directly so we can review their inquiries.” The patients group said in a
statement that the issue they raised had been “heard, addressed and hopefully
resolved”. It added: “Bermuda Health Advocacy Group ... agrees that there
should be physicians on the Bermuda Health Council to give valid input. However,
senior positions should remain neutral.”
Proxy
advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services Inc yesterday refused further
comment after taking a swipe at Bermuda as a domicile in a report about a
high-profile proxy battle. ISS, a subscription service for institutional
investors, issued a report about the ongoing proxy fight between Argo Group
International Holdings Ltd and activist shareholders Voce Capital Management,
holders of a 5.6 per cent stake in Argo. The two groups have been at odds since
Voce earlier this year attacked what it called a “spendthrift culture” and
“inappropriate corporate expenses” at Argo. Argo has denied Voce’s claims.
Argo and Voce have each put forward a slate of director nominees in advance of
the company’s annual general meeting on May 24. In its report, ISS threw its
weight behind Argo’s slate, citing the strong results that the Bermudian
re/insurer’s board and management have delivered for shareholders. It also
noted Argo’s “good overall governance” and said “the board has
appropriately refreshed itself in recent years”. The report also stated:
“For a business that requires constant risk assessment, it’s ironic that
none of the directors saw the risk in a self-promoting CEO whose interests and
hobbies were inextricably intertwined with Argo’s marketing budget. Some
degree of complacency, perhaps as a byproduct of the company’s Bermuda
domicile, may have played a role here.” ISS yesterday declined to comment
about the company’s view of Bermuda as a jurisdiction, why being domiciled in
Bermuda would lead to a degree of complacency on the part of the board of
directors of Argo Group, and what evidence ISS reviewed that led to it making
the comment about board complacency. Addressing ISS’ comment about board
complacency, an Argo spokesperson said: “We don’t agree that this is the
case.” ISS, in operation for more than three decades, has 30 offices worldwide
in 13 countries, and has more than 1,800 staff. It claims to produce more than
42,000 proxy analyses annually in 115 global capital markets. The proxy battle
war of words continued yesterday with Argo’s independent directors sending a
letter to the company’s shareholders. The letter reviewed the company’s
total shareholder returns over the last five years, and urged shareholders to
vote for the Argo slate of director nominees. The letter said: “We have
provided you with objective facts and reasoned analysis, not ‘flashy
diatribe’.” Global governance firm Glass Lewis, a subscription service with
more than 1,300 clients, is expected to soon issue its report on the proxy fight
between Argo and Voce.
Bermuda-based
Sun Life Financial International has launched Sun Global Sentinel, a permanent
participating whole life insurance product aimed at high net-worth clients.
The company is a unit of Sun Life Financial, the Toronto-based
financial-services company with more than $1.01 trillion of assets under
management as of March 31 this year. Sun Life has strived to establish itself as
a pioneer in ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth life insurance markets. Sun
Life Financial International focuses on high-net-worth life and wealth solutions
for families in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, helping
families and business owners protect their wealth and fund their business
succession plans. “We are pleased to offer Sun Global Sentinel to our
high-net-worth clients,” Paul Courtney, chief commercial officer of Sun Life
Financial International, said. “All our products are a great solution for
global clients who seek to protect and grow their legacy for future generations.
In particular, Sentinel is designed for those clients who seek a guaranteed
lifetime protection combined with potential value accumulation through dividend
earnings that can increase the death benefit and cash value.” Whole life
products — which include a death benefit and an investment growth component
— have become increasingly popular with high-net-worth clients in recent
years. Sun Global Sentinel affords long-term security through permanent coverage
and guaranteed death benefit, offers the potential for growing clients’ legacy
through bonuses that may be applied to the contract, and offers flexibility of
tailoring the contract to one of three benefit plans and choosing a payment
schedule that best fits client needs, Sun Life said. “Sun Global Sentinel is a
great timely addition to our product portfolio,” Niall O’Hare, CEO of Sun
Life Financial International, said. “We will continue working on expanding our
product offerings, creating more product choices for our high-net-worth
clients.” The Sun Global Sentinel product is not available to citizens and
residents of Bermuda, Canada and the US.
Tourists
will become part of the Bermuda Day Parade thanks to a new initiative. They
will get to wave at the crowds from within the procession through Hamilton, or
watch it unfold from a VIP Front Street viewing spot, under the Bermuda Day
Experience from the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Department of Community and
Cultural Affairs. BTA chief experience development officer Glenn Jones said:
“Bermuda Day is one of our island’s most popular cultural events, bringing
every facet of island life to the streets of Hamilton in a vibrant kaleidoscope
of colour and music and Bermudian heritages. “Our new Bermuda Day Experience
gives guests to the island’s two totally immersive options: either watching
from atop our new Official Visitor Services Centre on Front Street or
experiencing the day from beyond the front row by riding on a parade float.”
Options include:
• Beyond the Front Row Bermuda Day Access: A behind the scenes tour of Bermuda Day floats and chance to meet the creative Bermudians behind the floats. Ride in the procession and watch the remainder of the parade in a reserved viewing area.
• Bermuda Day Reserved Viewing: Watch the parade in the Official Visitor Services Centre on Front Street.
The Bermuda Day weekend, starting next Friday, aligns with the start of Memorial Day weekend in the United States. To book the new Bermuda Day experiences, visit ptix.bm/bermudaparade.
Giant
engines and equipment needed to build the new Belco North Power Station have
arrived in Bermuda on a massive cargo ship. The cargo of Jumbo Shipping’s
Fairlane, moored at Front Street in Hamilton by the Number One Car Park,
included four massive generators, spotted yesterday by The Royal Gazette. The
Netherlands-registered ship, classed as a heavy-load carrier, has two 400-tonne
cranes. The Fairlane is a little more than 110 metres long and transportation of
its massive payload will require a series of traffic disruptions to get the
equipment to its destination on Serpentine Road in Pembroke.
A
“thorough investigation” is under way into a weekend crash that involved a
police car, Commissioner of Police Stephen Corbishley said yesterday. A
29-year-old female soldier in the Royal Bermuda Regiment was injured when her
motorcycle collided with the police vehicle at the junction of King Street and
Reid Street at about 12.20am on Sunday. Police said officers were in pursuit of
another motorcycle as it headed the wrong way along King Street when the
incident happened. A spokesman said: “It has been established that the police
vehicle involved had its lights and sirens activated when the unfortunate
collision occurred. The impact resulted in both vehicles coming to a stop just
north of the junction. The injured woman is a Royal Bermuda Regiment soldier and
accordingly the RBR’s Commanding Officer has been notified.” Mr Corbishley
and Deputy Commissioner designate Darrin Simons visited the victim in hospital.
The commissioner said he was monitoring the investigation closely. He added:
“We appreciate the public’s concern regarding this regrettable incident.
Police officers are trained to drive with urgency. However, a thorough
investigation is being done and I await the findings to ascertain the full
circumstances.” A police spokesman added that a 52-year-old man who crashed
his motorcycle into a wall at the north roundabout near Trimingham Road, Paget,
on Sunday afternoon was in “stable” condition in the King Edward VII
Memorial Hospital intensive care unit. Police have appealed for witnesses to
both incidents.
Dedicated
foster parents were celebrated at a special event to recognize the care they
provided to dozens of Bermudian children. The Department of Child and Family
Services held its annual appreciation tea for the people who “open their
hearts and homes”. A Ministry of Legal Affairs spokeswoman explained that
traditional foster parents care for children who are not related to them while
kinship foster parents look after a relative. She added: “Therapeutic foster
parents are fulfilling the very unique role of caring for children with special
needs and respite caregivers perform a vital function and fit well into the
puzzle of the village helping to raise children.” Kathy Lynn Simmons, the
legal affairs minister, was joined by Progressive Labour Party senators Crystal
Caesar, Jason Hayward, Anthony Richardson and Vance Campbell to show their
appreciation for those honoured during the ceremony. Ms Simmons said: “The
Department of Child and Family Services Foster Care Programme would not be
successful without the support of our dedicated foster parents. We salute them
for opening their hearts and homes to care for the 80 Bermudian children who are
in foster care.” Shalisa Smith, a guest speaker at the function, shared her
own personal experiences as an adopted child. She said that she strongly
believed in the quote: “You were born with the ability to change someone’s
life. Don’t ever waste it.” Ms Smith added: “I firmly believe that we are
purpose-filled. We have to learn to look at the small blessings in life and
accept the things we cannot change or control.” Merle Doars, who raised five
foster children, was honoured for her long-term commitment of nearly 40 years
serving as a foster parent. She said: “Although the journey has been filled
with trials and tribulations, I am blessed and thankful for having the
opportunity to care for so many children.” Ms Doars explained that she is
retiring from care now that her last foster daughter is 18 and overseas on an
educational experience in Hong Kong.
Two
donors have pledged a total of $75,000 to transform a former rest home into a
life-changing centre for homeless families since an appeal was launched last
month. The leaders of Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda and the Women’s
Resource Centre said yesterday that they were “overwhelmed” by the
outpouring of support since the project was announced. Their plan for a
Transformational Living Centre for Families will result in the former Pembroke
Rest Home being turned into a haven that can cater for ten mothers and their
children, who would live there for up to a year while they take advantage of
programmes and services to help them move on. The charities said the first large
donation of $25,000 was made by David Ezekiel and David Pickering from the IAS
Foundation. They added that “following that, and again without even making a
request”, they got a call from Jim Stanard, the cofounder and chairman of
Tiger Risk Partners, who pledged $50,000 of his own money. Mr Stanard was a
founding member of Bermuda’s branch of Habitat for Humanity and sits on the
board of directors for the international umbrella organisation. Elaine
Butterfield, the WRC executive director, said: “We have been overwhelmed by
the support that we have received for this project already and we have not even
launched our fundraising campaign yet.” Sheelagh Cooper, the chairwoman of
Habitat for Humanity of Bermuda, added: “Apart from these two very generous
gifts, we have received numerous offers of building materials, doors, windows,
flooring and solar panels as well as pledges to provide labour from so many
companies.” Ms Butterfield and Ms Cooper added: “This kind of enthusiasm and
support from both the local and international sector so early in the game is
hugely gratifying and really serves to underscore the overall recognition of the
need for this kind of safety net for our most vulnerable families. Now that we
have possession of the building, the clean-up has started and we have already
had three corporate teams come to our assistance.” The plan was launched after
a think-tank of 18 charities and government agencies in April last year
identified significant levels of homelessness among mothers and children, as
well as an urgent need to tackle the problem. A steering committee that included
people affected by the problem met over the next year and recommended a TLC for
Families that would offer not only housing, but counselling, rehabilitation,
education, training and other services. Mr Ezekiel, who cofounded professional
services firm IAS with partners Mr Pickering and Terence Power, said: “We were
happy to support the TLC to such an extent at this early stage because it just
ticked a lot of boxes. “Of great importance was that we felt we were
contributing to a project as opposed to a charity, given that the goal in
founding the TLC was to provide a safe living space for women and their children
as a way of enabling them to support themselves. The main beneficiaries from the
TLC will be the children in the families that are being assisted, and that meets
one of the giving goals of the IAS Foundation. I’ve also had the pleasure of
working with Sheelagh Cooper in the charitable arena when I was chairman of the
Family Resource Network and I know that anything she works with has a good
purpose and will have a good outcome for those who are being assisted.” The
total cost of renovations to the former rest home, which is owned by Pembroke
Parish Council, was estimated at just over $1.3 million. But the charity leaders
said they hoped people across the island would get involved and donate not only
cash, but time, expertise and resources to reduce the total cost. Michael Weeks,
a government backbencher, implored the House of Assembly last week to prioritise
a multi-purpose facility to shelter homeless people. He said then: “This is a
bipartisan issue. We can’t continue to beat our collective chests talking
about our standard of living when we have people, largely black men, living on
the streets, doorways and parks.”
Students
from Ms. Wales’ P4 class at Heron Bay Primary School recently visited the
Bermuda Monetary Authority for a lesson in Bermuda’s currency and tour of the
Authority’s Museum of Notes and Coins. The presentation and tour were
conducted by Ms. Tessa Ingham, Analyst in the BMA’s Finance and Currency
Department. Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins,
tokens, paper money and related objects. The lesson, customized for presentation
to primary school children, is aimed at creating a better understanding of
currency in general, and more specifically focuses on the history of currency in
Bermuda. This fun, interactive presentation exposes students to how Bermuda
banknotes and coins are made; reviews the historical landmarks that are present
on banknotes; and teaches about currency circulation in the community. Students
are also treated to an interactive tour of the museum, where they can have an up
close view of the coins and paper notes that were introduced to them during the
presentation portion of their visit. The tour also provides an opportunity for
additional questions to be answered, which equates to students having a better
understanding of the concept of currency. Ms. Wales had this to say about her
students and their experiences: “During our economics unit, we have learned
quite a bit about the role of money and the importance of saving. A part of my
lesson plan this year included introducing the concept of money, so a visit to
the BMA tied in well with teaching the children how money is made and
circulated. My students really enjoyed the presentation and they were excited to
see the money up close. Many had no idea that money is minted in Europe and
shipped to Bermuda. They took great interest in the cultural designs on our
bills and learned what happens to money when it becomes old and worn out. Thank
you to Ms. Ingham and the BMA for hosting us.” Ms. Ingham added “I have
worked in the Finance and Currency Department for 7 years and one of the things
I look forward to every year are visits from the primary schools. The children
are eager to learn and always ask interesting questions. One benefit of the BMA
offering these educational presentation and tours is that it gives the students
a bit of history and knowledge on our island’s currency and for me it is great
to meet new people…and we are happy to partner with Bermuda’s primary
schools in offering this educational opportunity to the community.” Interested
in booking a currency presentation for your primary school class? Contact the
BMA’s Currency Department at 295-5278 ext 286 or ext 231.
A
nursery school shut down after a 12-month-old boy was found to have a serious
head injury was told yesterday it can reopen following the conclusion of a
police investigation. Prosecutors found there was “insufficient evidence
to support any criminal liability” on the part of Heavenly Blessings Nursery
and Preschool, in Pembroke, which was closed by the Government last October. The
owner of the daycare centre, Vernesha Symonds, said she felt “vindicated”
that the order was lifted after police inquiries closed without charges against
her, the nursery or staff. But her lawyer said yesterday that the shutdown was
imposed too quickly and preschool workers had suffered since its closure. Sharon
Rampersad-Ible added: “My client and her employees feel vindicated. It has
been a rough 6½ months. They have had their names sullied in mud and have
suffered immeasurable damage emotionally, financially and professionally. They
have had death threats levied against them. From the inception of this
unfortunate incident, they have maintained their innocence but the powers that
be saw fit to take drastic measures.” Ms Rampersad-Ible said Kim Wilson, the
health minister, wrote to Ms Symonds to inform her that the closure order of
October 30, 2018, was lifted. She added: “As Mrs Symonds’s attorney, I still
maintain that the action taken by the Government was premature in nature and
certainly favored only one side. But, more importantly, it meant that nine
families were placed on the breadline. The repercussions on the owner and her
employees were obviously never considered, or, if they were, they were deemed to
be secondary. So justice was served in the end but at what cost? A small
business is now closed permanently since this late in the school year parents
will be unwilling to move.” Detectives launched an investigation last year
after Department of Child and Family Services staff reported that an infant
received treatment for a head injury at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital
before he was flown overseas by air ambulance for further treatment. Michael
Weeks, then minister of social development and sport, decided to close the
nursery as a precaution on October 30. He said at the time that it was too early
to confirm if the child’s injury had been caused at the daycare centre, which
he did not identify but was named by Ms Wilson at a press conference a few days
later A police spokesman said the case had been “closed pending any new
developments. A completed case file was submitted to the Department of Public
Prosecutions and, following review, it was determined that there is insufficient
evidence to support any criminal liability and/or to pursue this matter through
the criminal courts.” Ms Wilson confirmed the closure order was lifted last
Friday. Ms Symonds earlier launched legal action against the Minister of Social
Development and Sport over the closure order. The Supreme Court held a hearing
on the civil case in February, when a judge heard that the nursery owner was
operating without a licence. However, Ms Rampersad-Ible disputed the claim. She
told the court: “She did have a licence. The only thing that was left to do
... was collect it.” Brian Moodie, the lawyer for the plaintiff, the
Attorney-General’s Chambers, pointed out fees had to be paid before licences
were issued. Ms Rampersad-Ible admitted that Ms Symonds had not paid any fees
and, after speaking to her client, withdrew the appeal. She said yesterday that
Ms Symonds had no plans to reopen the nursery at present. A Ministry of Health
spokeswoman said: “Even though the closure order for Heavenly Blessings was
originally issued by the Minister responsible for Child and Family Services,
this responsibility has now shifted to the Minister of Health. Under Section 74
of the Children Act 1998, the minister may issue an order to an operator of a
day care centre directing them to cease to operate the day care centre within
such time as may be specified on the order and giving the reasons for their
decision. In this case the closure order was for the duration of the police
investigation.” The spokeswoman added that the nursery’s licence had expired
and that anyone who wanted to open a daycare centre had to make an application
in line with relevant legislation.
Insurer
Colonial is disappointed the Bermuda Government’s proposed healthcare reforms
are “rushed” and do not address the drivers of spiraling healthcare costs.
The company is also raising questions about how the new system will work, as it
will eliminate insurers’ role in the administration of hospital-related
claims. The Health Insurance Amendment Bill 2019 was tabled in the House of
Assembly last Friday. The Government is to pay an annual grant to the Bermuda
Hospitals Board, capped at $330 million for the coming year, to replace the
existing fee-for-service arrangement. Naz Farrow, Colonial Group
International’s chief executive officer, told The Royal Gazette that her
company had some concerns about the changes. “We are disappointed the
Government’s initiative does not address the real drivers of healthcare costs,
including overutilisation, healthcare inflation and an ageing population. These
challenges must be confronted if we are to secure a sustainable future for
Bermuda’s healthcare system.” Her concerns echoed those of fellow insurer
BF&M, whose chief executive officer John Wight has further argued that
regulation of healthcare service providers is a necessary part of efforts to get
healthcare cost inflation under control. The block payment to the BHB will be
funded by the Government with a more than threefold increase in the amount it
takes from monthly premium payments — up from $101.97 to $331.97. The money
will go into the Mutual Reinsurance Fund. Under the existing system, insurers
collect the part of the premium that covers hospital benefits — known as the
standard health benefit — and then pay out claims related their clients’ use
of the hospital. Under the new system, due to take effect on June 1, more than
nine tenths of the SHB will go straight to the Government in the form of the MRF
contribution. Ms Farrow believes the Government has failed to consult adequately
with the industry. “We would like to see a more inclusive, more consultative
approach to the healthcare challenge facing Bermuda,” she said. “There is a
lot of experience, skill and compassion in the industry and, going forward, it
should have a place at the table. To date, we believe the consultation,
particularly on the proposed changes, has been inadequate and rushed. The change
will mean the Government taking over responsibility for the administration of
hospital benefits. This has been a responsibility jointly exercised by the
insurance industry and the Government for more than 40 years,” Ms Farrow
added. The MRF charge will be the same for everyone, regardless of their health
status and she argued that this would put upward pressure on premiums for those
covered by private health insurance. “For our clients, it means that their
total claims experience — whether they use the hospital or not — cannot be
factored into their health insurance policies, thereby removing one avenue to
lower premiums,” Ms Farrow said. Because the set government fee is based on
the entire insured community’s experience, the fee will be greater than the
premium many of our clients would otherwise pay.” Under the current system,
when an insurer’s client is treated in the hospital, the hospital files a
claim and the insurer processes it, checking that the treatment or procedure was
appropriate and properly priced. That will change from June 1, when the hospital
will no longer have to make claims. In a letter to clients, Colonial states:
“The change in SHB funding removes two important cost-control elements in the
calculation of premiums: insurers will not be able to factor in their total
claims experience and the MRF charge will not account of whether or how much
privately insured members use the SHB services provided by the BHB.” Ms Farrow
said: “There are also outstanding questions on how the proposed changes will
work in practice for the administration of the standard health benefit, which is
being removed from the SHB and transferred to the MRF. Currently insurers
administer these claims on their client’s behalf and provide value-added
services.” BF&M has similarly argued that the loss of the claims process
removes a “check and balance” from the system. It also deprives insurers of
data that helps them to identify changing health trends, helping them to gear
their products to clients’ needs. Ms Farrow said: “Colonial is making the
adjustments necessary to address the proposed changes to the Bermuda
Government’s healthcare funding plan. Our first responsibility in this
exercise is to make sure the healthcare of our many clients is protected and
provided as seamlessly as possible.” The Government has criticized health
insurers for raising their premiums in response to the reforms. In a statement
last week, David Burt, the Premier said: “For almost 50 years insurance
companies have made millions of dollars in profits from a system that has
rarely, if ever, looked out for the average citizen. This Government was elected
to make Bermuda a fairer and more just society. A company’s only duty is to
its shareholders and its bottom line. This Government’s responsibility, like
its mandate, is owed to the people.” Sources have informed The Royal Gazette
that the industry standard average return in terms of profit from health
insurance is about five cents for every dollar of premium, with 85 cents paid
out in claims and ten cents on operational expenses. An actuarial report for the
Bermuda Health Council showed that government-backed healthcare programmes pay
out more in claims than they collect in premiums. For private health insurance,
the opposite is true. In 2017, based on the SHB, the portion of the premium
allocated to hospital care coverage, private plans had a loss ratio of 89 per
cent, meaning that 89 cents on the dollar were spent on claims and benefits.
Government plans had a loss ratio of 143 per cent, meaning premiums fell well
short of what was needed to pay claims. The new system will pool private and
government sources of funding to spread out the cost of heathcare across the
entire insured population. Insurance sources believe this will effectively mean
the private health insurance system will be subsidizing public programmes.
New
classes of liquor licences have been introduced to widen the amount of
businesses that can serve alcohol at special events. Kathy Lynn Simmons, the
Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, said yesterday that the
revisions to the licensing law would “usher in much needed reform to modernize
Bermuda’s liquor-licensing regime”. Ms Simmons added: “This will enable
more entrepreneurs to potentially participate and provide innovative and
creative events for both locals and our visitors.” The new legislation has
created a special-event licence for private, non-profit events, public events
for profit, or non-profit events held to promote a product such as wine tasting.
The move came after several organisations were denied liquor licences under the
old legislation. Some establishments that did not have a bar could not apply for
liquor licences under the old regime. But charities could apply for occasional
liquor licences granted for social, charitable or benevolent purposes. There are
also new classes of licence in relation to itinerant restaurants and special
events and for restaurants that offer outside catering services. Ms Simmons said
the amendments were the first comprehensive overhaul of the previous Act, which
was passed 45 years ago. She added that the Government wanted to create a
balance between protection of people from the dangers of excessive alcohol
consumption and the need for entrepreneurs to cater to adult customers. A single
Liquor Licensing Authority made up of five members, down from ten, will be
established. Ms Simmons said: “This replaces the predominantly geographical
focus of the previous three licensing authorities with three members for each of
the three districts, plus a predetermined chair.” She added that the members
would represent sectors such as the law, security, drug treatment, social work,
hospitality and retail to make sure all interested parties were represented and
offer a streamlined service for on-time applications. The members of the new
authority have not been revealed yet. Ms Simmons said recommendations from the
senior magistrate, the former chairman of the Liquor Licensing Authorities were
taken into account, as well as social, legal and commercial concerns. People who
earlier applied for liquor licences will have their applications assessed under
the new legislation, which will be run through the Attorney-General’s
Chambers. Stephen Todd, the chief executive of the Bermuda Hotel Association,
said the organisation backed the changes. He added: “This is much welcome news
in terms of making the regulations more streamlined, more efficient.
believe it is going to provide opportunities for our destination partners to
provide the level of amenities and service that are much needed in terms of our
visitors and what they expect.” Last month, magistrate Maxanne Anderson told
several organisations, including the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute
and the Bermuda Tourism Authority’s Visitor Centre, both in Hamilton, to wait
for the new legislation because they could not be granted liquor licences under
the existing law. Wholesale distributors of alcohol were also told they could
not get occasional licences for events such as wine tasting under the previous
Act.
A
200 per cent increase in the monthly maintenance fee for statement savings
accounts, is among a range of fee increases announced by HSBC Bank Bermuda Ltd.
The new fees are effective from July 1, and affect savings accounts, local and
overseas payments, cheque cashing for non-HSBC customers, credit card annual
fees and late payments, and annual rental fees for safe deposit boxes. The
increases, announced in an e-mail to customers, are:
Safe deposit box annual rental fees have also increased as follows: box type 1, $41.25 to $53.50; type 2, $62 to $80.50; types 3 and 4, $103 to $134; type 5, $196 to $255; types 6 and 7, $216.50 to $281.50; type 8, $350.75 to $456; type 9, $412.50 to $536.25; type 10, $464 to $603. The statement savings account monthly maintenance fee does not apply to Premier customers or seniors, provided the senior account holder maintains a $100 average minimum balance, the bank said. The charges for cashier’s cheques ordered manually and drafts ordered manually do not apply to seniors.
The
owner of a burgled jewellery store in the Town of St George fears it could be
targeted again. Jan Card, owner of the Vera P. Card jewelers in Water
Street, said yesterday that the store had been hit by thieves five times since
the Olde Towne’s police station was closed in 2012 and officers moved to
Southside in St David’s. Mr Card added: “Since the station relocated, it’s
ranged from a stupid drunk who picks up a pipe to groups of well-organised young
men with guns. We’ve been in St George’s since 1954. There were no
burglaries, and one theft when a tray of rings was inadvertently left on a
counter.” He was speaking after the store was hit by three thieves at about
3am on Saturday — less than two weeks after it reopened for the tourist
season. Mr Card said: “The consensus among merchants, and anybody who has been
a victim of crime in St George’s, is that if we had an active station in town,
the vast majority of these would not have happened. I wouldn’t have had to
throw hard to hit the police station. The simple reality is that, with it
active, the response to the siren would have been in the order of seconds.”
George Dowling III, elected Mayor of St George on Friday, said he had arranged a
meeting with Stephen Corbishley, the Commissioner of Police, in “the coming
days”. Mr Dowling added: “It’s not too much that goes on here, but it’s
always nice to have a police presence.” He said he planned to discuss with the
commissioner “what we can do to improve our situation here”. The
re-establishment of a permanent police station in St George has been discussed
under successive governments. The House of Assembly was told by Wayne Caines,
the national security minister, only a few months after the Progressive Labour
Party regained power in the 2017 election that the former station, a listed
building, was too rundown and its renovation was “not a likely option”. But
Mr Card said: “It’s not a good picture. Mayors have tried but the merchants
could see this writing on the wall. There have been situations where people have
run amok in town and done things like throw flower pots through store windows.
It’s hard to imagine that would happen on Water Street, no matter what the
state of mind of the perpetrator, if there were a police station with a working
blue light.” Vera P. Card, which has five staff, was closed for three months
before it reopened on May 1 for the summer season. Mr Card said it looked as
though “somebody was paying attention”. The raiders, who escaped on foot,
were said to be three men in dark clothing. Mr Card declined to comment on the
value or types of items stolen, but said the loss was a blow. He added: “We
are breathing through a straw anyway. To lose inventory, especially inventory
which is difficult to replace, affects our ability to pay wages.” Mr Card said
the break-in had increased tension in the town’s business community. “When
it’s not you that suffers, you heave a sigh of relief. It contributes to
unease — the potential financial risk, the potential physical risk.” The
store was robbed at gunpoint in July 2016 and Mr Card said the experience “was
a difficult thing to get used to. It’s not Bermuda. It’s certainly not St
George’s. You’re not talking only about staff. Staff have families, and they
feel the intimidation and fear as well.- That whole second wave of effects from
the actual robbery is not to be ignored. Tracking them down is one thing, but
the horse has bolted. The primary and the secondary effects of this are
happening whether they get them or not. The kind of political will to get the
station back can’t come from an individual. It has to come from a group that
looks at the situation and jointly decides it needs to be fixed. I’m hoping
that becomes a reality.” Police have appealed for witnesses, especially
drivers and others who may have seen suspicious activity around Water Street and
York Street between 2.20am and 3am on Saturday. Anyone with relevant information
can also call the independent and anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.
The
Bermuda Cricket Board will announce Cal Blankendal as its executive director
today, The Royal Gazette understands. Blankendal, a former Bermuda Football
Association vice-president, is expected to be unveiled at a press conference
held at the BCB headquarters at Charities House this afternoon. The BCB has been
looking to fill the post created by the departure of Neil Speight, the former
chief executive. The job first advertised on its website in February. Although
Blankendal has limited background in cricket, he does possess a wealth of
experience in football administration through his former position at the BFA and
established Bermuda’s Brazilian Football School in 2009. He is the BBFS chief
executive. A former Western Stars Sports Club president, Blankendal has served
as the BFA’s youth committee chairman, youth technical director of North
Village and youth director of Dandy Town, his boyhood club. He holds several
football coaching badges and was Dandy Town’s assistant coach last season.
Blankendal has also been helping the development of the island’s
student-athletes through the Bermuda Sports Management Group, which he set up
last summer. The “one-stop” resource offers life-skills training and assists
in securing overseas scholarships, as well as finding employment after
graduating. According to the job description posted on the BCB website, the
executive director will be responsible for the management and administration to
ensure that the board achieves the aims and objectives as set out in its
strategic plan. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree in business
administration or sports management or equivalent, and must have experience
working in national and international sports environments.
A
father-and-daughter wheelchair team who crashed out of MS Amlin World Triathlon
Bermuda last month have inspired a fundraising campaign. Stephan Couture
hopes to be able to buy a new $18,000 wheelchair for his 13-year-old daughter,
Chloe, after it was written off in a crash on Park Road, Hamilton, during the
race. Mr Couture suffered a broken rib and Chloe, who has cerebral palsy,
suffered minor injuries in the crash during the races on April 27. The two, who
compete as Team Ladybugs, said they had been overcome by the outpouring of
support from Bermuda since the accident. Mr Couture said people and
organisations had asked how they could donate towards a new bike and wheelchair
to get Chloe back on the road. He said: “We’re touched by the kindness
we’ve experienced from so many people in Bermuda. Several people have asked us
to set up a fundraising webpage so that they can contribute to Chloe’s new
racing chair. It’s unexpected and heart-warming. We’re humbled. We would
love Bermuda’s help, thank you, we are most grateful.” The GoFundMe page had
raised $1,700 of its $18,000 goal by yesterday. The pair compete in triathlons
in a custom-designed bike and wheelchair combination. Mr Couture and his wife,
Diane, who have both worked with disabled people, adopted Chloe when she was
five after they read about her in a church bulletin. Mr Couture said his
daughter had a passion for the triathlon, including racing, training, the speed
and the outdoors, that it was “her life”. He said: “Regardless of the time
or the weather, she asks to go out in her racing chair DD1 — Daddy, Daughter
One, as she calls it. She just wants to be out, and it warms our hearts that
after every outing she comes home singing and smiling.” Team Ladybugs’
mission is to raise awareness of disabled people so that they can race in events
safely with the right equipment and experience the excitement of competition.
The couple also help other families take part in events and fund all of their
own equipment. Mr Couture said: “We receive no funding from national sporting
bodies because of our very specialized needs and we lack the high-profile races
that usually attracts media coverage.” But he added: “It is a wonderful
feeling knowing that we have made a difference in Chloe and other people’s
lives.”
he
British Government has rejected a parliamentary committee proposal to come up
with a timetable for talks that would give British residents in Bermuda the
right to vote. It said the Foreign Office did not plan to publish any such
schedule but recognized the importance of a “reasonable qualifying process”
to allow expatriates a place at the ballot box in overseas territories. In its
response to a House of Commons committee report, the British Government also
said timetables would be set for the introduction of public company ownership
registers and that it planned to hold workshops on their implementation “in
the coming months”. The Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this year
recommended the launch of a consultation that would bring about a plan for a
“pathway for all resident UK and British Overseas Territory citizens to be
able to vote and hold elected office in territory”. Its report, Global Britain
and the Overseas Territories: Resetting the Relationship, added that the Foreign
Office should set a timetable for the process and “set a deadline for phasing
out discriminatory elements of belongership, or its territory-specific
equivalents”. The UK Government’s response was released by the committee
today. It said: “The UK Government understands the committee’s concerns and
continues to impress upon OT governments the importance of allowing people who
have made their permanent home in the territories the ability to vote and engage
fully in the community, but recognizes the desire of island communities to
maintain their cohesion, hence the need for a reasonable qualifying process. We
understand the OTs’ concerns, sensitivities and historical background on this
issue.” The response added: “In the spirit of a relationship based upon
partnership, we will continue to support and encourage consistent and open
political engagement on belongership and its territory-specific equivalents,
while respecting the fact that immigration decisions are primarily a matter for
OT governments. The FCO does not plan at a future date to publish such a
timetable.” The committee’s report pointed out that relationships between
the UK and territories became strained in May last year when the Sanctions and
Anti-Money Laundering Act was passed, setting out a deadline to produce a
companies’ beneficial ownership register available to the public by the end of
next year. It added that the committee regretted “public registers may not be
published before 2023” and recommended that the foreign secretary, along with
overseas territories’ governments, should — before the summer recess — lay
out a detailed timetable for the publication of registers in each jurisdiction.
In its reply, the British Government said it would prepare an Order in Council,
which is effectively a decree from the UK, by the end of 2020 with overseas
territories “expected to have fully functioning publicly accessible registers
as soon as possible, and no later than the end of 2023 We are scoping the
assistance the OTs will require and will be holding technical workshops and
providing OTs with assistance over the coming months. This will support the OTs
in developing publicly accessible registers. The FCO is not currently in a
position to lay out detailed timetables for each territory and the timetable for
implementing registers in each OT will differ depending on its fiscal position
and business model. However, we will do so when this becomes clear.” The
committee’s report also said the British Government should set a date for all
overseas territories to have legalized same-sex marriage. Expressing its
commitment to equal rights, the British Government added: “Our relationship
with the overseas territories is based on partnership and therefore as policy on
marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility it should be for the
territories to decide and legislate on. As has been demonstrated by recent LGBT
cases, the territories’ justice mechanisms and processes should be allowed the
space to address these matters.” The Court of Appeal in November dismissed the
Bermuda Government’s claim that former Chief Justice Ian Kawaley was wrong to
strike down parts of the Domestic Partnership Act, which banned same-sex
marriage. The Government later sought permission to take the case to the
island’s final court of appeal, the Privy Council in London, which has not yet
said if it would hear the matter. Tom Tugendhat, the Foreign Affairs Committee
chairman, said in response to the British Government’s feedback: “The
concept of Global Britain, underpinned by shared values and commitments, lies at
the heart of our foreign policy. All of the British overseas territories have
their own constitutions but, rightly, share a bond with the UK and a pride in
their deeply rooted British identities.” He believed the report made a number
of recommendations that strengthened the bonds but by rejecting certain
proposals, the British Government risked “weakening messages of core sympathy
for each other’s core values”. Mr Tugendhat added: “We will hold the
Government to their commitment to keep us informed of timetables relating to
fully functioning publicly accessible registers for the OTs.”
Bermuda’s
public bus system experienced a “learning curve” over its problems getting a
new schedule up and running, the transport minister said. Zane DeSilva told
MPs in the House on Friday that the decision to revert to the old bus schedule
“was not taken lightly, but was the only recourse to address the concerns of
our passengers and operators”. Mr DeSilva said that the new 50-bus schedule,
which came into effect on March 18, had been “insufficient to meet the demands
of our commuters, visitors and students”. He added: “Additionally, there
were challenges with the rest times between some trips, presenting health and
safety concerns for bus operators and the traveling public.” Mr DeSilva said
that the scrapped schedule “is an advancement to build on as we move
forward”. He added: “The ministry, unions and Department of Public
Transportation have fostered stronger working relations, demonstrated in part by
our ability to agree the definition of night work and collectively develop and
implement work rosters.” Mr DeSilva said that the replenishment of the bus
fleet remained a priority and that the average in-service bus count over the
last year was up to 65 buses from 50 as a result of new bus purchases, refits
and repairs. He added: “We have taken possession of six new buses in the past
year, with a further six arriving between June and September.” Mr DeSilva said
that the DPT had recently completed a request for information for new buses and
was in the process of preparing a request for proposal. He said: “We are
taking this opportunity to review the bus market and available vehicle types
that meet Bermuda’s needs, as well as international public transportation
standards. This includes consideration for sustainability and the environment,
appropriately sized buses, accessibility, on-board features, and total cost of
ownership.” Mr DeSilva said that the Government would also invest in human
resources. He added: “We are in the process of recruiting for a variety of
posts including vehicle technicians, operators and support staff.” The new bus
schedule was first announced at a press conference last December. It was
originally set to take effect on January 7 but was postponed twice that month
after staff raised concerns about rosters and night work. Canadian company
Schedule Masters Inc was paid more than $1.6 million over 17 years to create the
new bus schedule, which lasted for six weeks.
The
island “desperately needs a multi-purpose facility” to shelter its homeless,
government backbencher Michael Weeks implored the House of Assembly. Mr
Weeks called upon MPs on both sides of the House “with as much passion as I
can muster” to put the issue “on the top of any agenda”. Sylvan Richards,
the Shadow Minister of Home Affairs and the Environment, backed his call and
Martha Dismont, the executive director of Family Centre was “very grateful”
last night that the issue had been raised in Parliament. Mr Weeks, who served as
Minister of Social Development and Sport for nine months last year, cited the
example of “a young man discovered living among the bushes” and displaced by
the construction of a new St Regis hotel in St George’s. The Pembroke East
Central MP added: “Excavators cutting down trees stumbled on his well
put-together space. He had rooms he had created with bedrooms for him and his
children. This man, who was truly an architect in his own right, had been living
in the brush unbeknown to us.” Mr Weeks also pointed to a profile by The
Royal Gazette of Patrick Henderson, a 58-year-old man sleeping rough on the
streets of Hamilton. “Mr Henderson and I are the same age, and he can be seen
trying to avoid the elements in the abandoned building across from Victoria
Park.” Speaking during the motion to adjourn on Friday, he told the House that
“these stories could be repeated 100 times over”. As a volunteer at the
Salvation Army’s shelter on North Street in Hamilton, Mr Weeks said he had
witnessed its poor state and “heard first-hand of the struggles of this
growing segment of our society”. The Progressive Labour Party and One Bermuda
Alliance administrations have both promised to move the Salvation Army to a
newly refurbished Bishop Spencer building on The Glebe Road in Pembroke.
However, that plan, first announced in 2014, has never come to fruition. Mr
Weeks commended public works for repairs to the existing shelter. However, he
said it was “time for us as a country” to invest in a full-time complex to
meet the needs of the homeless. “This is not finger-pointing at our
government, but a clarion call to both sides and the community at large to
assist in addressing this issue of homelessness once and for all. This is a
bipartisan issue. We can’t continue to beat our collective chests talking
about our standard of living when we have people, largely black men, living on
the streets, doorways and parks.” Mr Richards supported the comments and told
the House: “A country is only judged by how we treat and take care of the
least of us, and we have a problem in this country, obviously, with
homelessness.” He spoke about “primarily black men” sleeping on benches
and in bushes. The OBA MP said: “It’s easy to become immune and almost
blinded to the plight of our homeless people, so when the member, MP Weeks, got
to his feet earlier today, he touched me with his comments.” He urged the
Government to provide an update on the Bishop Spencer building, which he said
was proposed to include not only housing but also facilities such as drug
rehabilitation programmes and assistance with mental health or help to develop
life skills. Mr Richards said: “There has been radio silence on that in recent
months. This should be a bipartisan effort, this is something that we all agree
on. We are put here in this place for a reason and taking care of our homeless
is a noble one.” Ms Dismont said last night: “I think all of us who are
actively problem-solving this issue welcome the fact that it was raised in
Parliament. We have multiple needs as a community and this is another one, there
are so many priorities.” She added: “I am certainly very grateful that it
has been raised.” Ms Dismont said some conversations about how to tackle
homelessness had recently covered the possibility of a day centre that could be
run in partnership with the Department of Workforce Development. She said this
could be a less- costly scheme than a stand-alone housing facility because a
number of agencies could offer their resources. Ms Dismont also explained that
assistance could be tailored to individuals so that they could gather skills to
sustain themselves independently.
Annual
reports for the Bermuda Hospitals Board, which have lagged at the
Auditor-General’s office, will “soon be completely up to date”, the health
minister pledged. Kim Wilson tabled the BHB’s annual report for 2013-14 in
the House of Assembly on Friday. Ms Wilson told MPs that the five outstanding
reports would be published over the course of “the coming financial year”.
In her preamble to the 52-page report, Ms Wilson said that “a lot of
accomplishments” were marked by BHB that year, “including improvements in
patients’ experience, preparing for the opening of the new Acute Care Wing,
and careful management of public monies — securing a $46.6 million surplus to
reinvest into the hospitals’ infrastructure and Bermuda’s health system”.
She added: “The Government is proud of our country’s hospitals and indebted
to the 1,800 dedicated staff at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and
Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute who serve our community selflessly —
particularly in times of emergencies. We are indebted to the executive team
leading BHB’s ongoing improvements and cost-containment initiatives.” Ms
Wilson also thanked the board that served at the time for “overseeing
enhancements in governance and policy for the hospital’s leadership”.
Bermuda-based
bond insurer Assured Guaranty played a key role in an bond restructuring
agreement that could enable Puerto Rico’s power utility to stabilize its
finances. Debt-saddled Prepa struck a deal with a group of creditors that
seeks to allow the bankrupt US commonwealth to restructure more than $8 billion
of bonds, according to an announcement by government authorities on Friday. A
group of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders, Assured Guaranty,
along with the island’s government and federally created financial oversight
board, reached a restructuring support agreement that would reduce the
utility’s debt by up to 32.5 per cent. The move paves the way for a plan of
adjustment for Prepa, which filed for a form of bankruptcy in July 2017 after a
previous restructuring deal fell apart. The latest agreement, which requires
support from at least 67 per cent of voting bondholders to materialise, would
shed about $3 billion in debt service payments over the next decade. The deal
also requires the approval of a US judge hearing Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy
cases, as well as legislative action. Under the agreement, investors will
exchange their Prepa bonds at 67.5 cents on the dollar for new Tranche A bonds
and ten cents on the dollar for new Tranche B bonds. The latter would be
contingent on full payment of Tranche A bonds and future electricity demand on
the island. Prepa will pay off the new bonds through a special charge levied on
its customers. The new charge starts at approximately 1 cent per kilowatt hour
prior to the deal’s closing, increasing to some 2.768 cents per kilowatt hour
upon closing and gradually increasing to approximately 4.552 cents per kilowatt
hour during the expected 40-year life span of the bonds. Dominic Frederico,
chief executive officer of Assured Guaranty, said: “We have long made the case
that the solution to Puerto Rico’s difficulties is through consensual
settlements. We believe the restructuring transaction outlined in this new RSA
[restructuring support agreement] can be the foundation for an effective,
consensual plan that assures reliable, affordable electric power for the people
of Puerto Rico. We are committed to continue working co-operatively with Prepa
and other stakeholders to implement such a plan.” The deal still lacks the
support of other Prepa creditors, most notably bond insurer National Public
Finance Guarantee Corp. A spokesman for National declined to comment. National
Public Finance filed an objection last month when a deal in principle was
announced, saying that “until very recently” it was excluded from
negotiations even though it is Prep's largest creditor. National has also asked
the court to appoint a receiver for Prepa, support among other creditor remains
unclear following Friday’s announcement. According to government and board
officials, the privatization of Prepa is under way, with transmission and
distribution contracts with private companies expected to be in place by the
second quarter of 2020. “Now with this agreement we take a monumental step to
provide for the restructuring of the debts and obligations of Prepa and finally
conclude the bankruptcy process,” Governor Ricardo Rossello said in a
statement. If approved in federal court, Prepa’s restructuring would mark the
third major deal in Puerto Rico’s efforts to restructure about $120 billion of
debt and pension obligations. Deals involving the island’s sales tax-backed
bonds and Government Development Bank have been approved by US Judge Laura
Taylor Swain. Prepa’s financial and operational problems were compounded by
Hurricane Maria, which slammed into the island in September 2017, decimating an
electric grid already struggling due to poor rate collection, heavy management
turnover and lack of maintenance.
The
man who cofounded Crowdfunder in the US is one of the entrepreneurs behind a
proposed digital asset-friendly bank looking to incorporate in Bermuda. Known
as Jewel, it aims to be a limited bank that will provide traditional banking
services to digital-asset companies in Bermuda. In addition, it seeks to build
payment and settlement tools that will provide a gateway between the traditional
banking system and crypto assets. American Chance Barnett is cofounder of Jewel.
He has been involved in building technology companies for almost 30 years, and
helped set up Crowdfunder in the US — a high-level equity crowdfunding site
allowing accredited investors to support entrepreneurs and start-ups. Last
month, he staged the invite-only B3 Future Banking Summit in Bermuda. The event
focused on banking, blockchain and Bermuda, and featured speakers from the likes
of IBM, and former executives of World Savings Bank and the London Stock
Exchange. Curtis Dickinson, the finance minister, and Sir John Swan, the former
premier, also attended the summit in Hamilton. Mr Barnett said the goal was to
bring together stakeholders who were focused on bringing the usage and the
impact of blockchain and digital currencies to the world. “One of the big
bottlenecks to that is just allowing people to take the business that is
building part of that impact or usage, to utilize the existing banking and
payment systems to be able to function as a real business. Just that piece of
the infrastructure does not exist in many parts of the world.” The summit
brought together legislators, policymakers, entrepreneurs and investors to
discuss what is working, what is not, and look at the risks and opportunities.
Mr Barnett said participants had valued the experience, the opportunity to
network and the feedback from Bermuda representatives and the Bermuda Business
Development Agency. The problem of securing banking services for fintech
companies has stymied growth in the sector around the world, and been lamented
by David Burt in the past. However, in March, the Premier announced that New
York-based Signature Bank, a full-service bank, was willing to consider
Bermuda-licensed businesses for banking services. The bank was also the first to
launch a New York regulator-approved, blockchain-based platform for managing
money transfers between clients. Brian Sewell, founder of Rockwell Trades, and a
speaker at the B3 summit, explained why traditional banks have shied away from
providing services to crypto companies and many fintech enterprises. He said:
“It has been difficult for banks to move into this space as there has not been
clear regulation for them to act in, so the risk becomes very high for banks.
Bermuda has acted quickly and provided some decent regulation, but the banks
here in Bermuda have corresponding relationships with banks outside Bermuda, in
other jurisdictions that have not opened themselves up to supporting
crypto-related companies.” He said it was the fear that they would damage
their relationship with their overseas corresponding banks that has stopped
banks in Bermuda from providing services to crypto and fintech business. Mr
Sewell has a financial and banking background. He was an executive at World
Savings Bank for eight years, shortly before it was acquired by Wells Fargo.
Along with Mr Barnett, he is a cofounder of Jewel. He added: “The banking is
an obstacle that is getting resolved, and the Bermuda Monetary Authority is
doing a great job in ensuring that Bermuda does it the right way. Bermuda is
seeking to maintain a relationship of trust with all other nations, so they
can’t be reckless in their decisions, so there is a balance between speed and
being conservative.” Explaining the vision for Jewel, Mr Barnett said it would
be a digital-asset-friendly bank to provide traditional banking services to
digital-asset companies in Bermuda. He said: “Alongside that, we are going to
be building a specific set of payments and settlements tools focused on that by
the usage of digital-asset companies.” He gave an example of an exchange where
customers trade cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, and then want to move their
money back in to the traditional fiat banking systems, to convert crypto into
dollars or another currency that can be used for services such as payroll.
“That link largely does not exist from a technical and regulatory perspective,
and so Jewel’s other role is to provide that bridge or gateway between the
traditional banking system for dollars and crypto assets.” He said it is a
challenge not only for Bermudian companies and crypto exchanges, but also for
others around the world. The aim is for Jewel to incorporate in Bermuda as a
limited bank then operate the planned payment and settlements structure for
Bermudian companies and others that will use it more globally in their payments.
When asked how soon that might happen, Mr Sewell said there is a balance to be
struck and “the Bermuda Monetary Authority needs to move at a pace at which
they are comfortable with”. He added: “We anticipate that it will happen
within the next eight months.” As for the B3 Summit in Bermuda, Mr Barnett
said it had been a success. He said: “They [attendees] say they got a lot of
value and met people they did not know before. We feel it was a success from the
feedback we got from Bermudians, some of the legislators here, and the Bermuda
Business Development Agency that was our partner. It brought people here and
helped them understand why this is a good jurisdiction.” He added: “What
attracts me to Bermuda is the legal clarity with Dab [Digital Asset Business
Act] regulations, and the new banking regulations. It’s the right climate and
the right support from the current administration, and other parties here, to
develop businesses in a thoughtful and safe way. I like Bermuda’s approach to
maintaining a pristine reputation, but be a part of driving this innovation in
digital-assets.” The summit was held in partnership with Jewel, Rockwell
Capital, BDA and Fintech Bermuda. Andy Burrows, chief executive officer of the
BDA, said: “This type of highly targeted event aligns with our agency’s
mission to promote inward investment that contributes to Bermuda’s economy and
social development, and strengthens Bermuda’s image as a global strategic
business partner. It also bolsters Bermuda’s hospitality sector by attracting
executive-level business visitors. We were proud to promote an opportunity for
wide-ranging thought leadership that will advance Bermuda’s ambitions in the
fintech arena.”
A
woman needed hospital treatment after she was attacked and robbed by a man on a
motorbike. The 44-year-old was walking on Woodlands Road in Pembroke when
she was approached by the stranger near the junction with Canal Road. Police
said the rider grabbed the woman’s handbag at about 9pm on Thursday. A
spokesman added: “Apparently a struggle ensued and the woman fell to the
ground, striking her head.” He said the rider escaped with the handbag, which
contained money and personal belongings. The woman, from Pembroke, was taken by
ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital where she was treated and later
discharged. The suspect was described as a man with a dark complexion and about
5ft 10in tall. He wore a grey helmet with a white T-shirt and rode a black
motorcycle. Anyone with information was asked to call the Criminal Investigation
Department on 247-1744.
A
woman was being treated in hospital yesterday after an early-morning crash with
a police car in Hamilton. The 29-year-old motorcyclist was hurt in the
incident that happened as police pursued another rider who was reportedly traveling
in the wrong direction on a one-way stretch of King Street at about 12.20am. A
Bermuda Police Service spokesman said the crash happened at the junction with
Reid Street as the woman was traveling towards the city centre. He explained
that it appeared the police vehicle followed a motorcyclist along Front Street
heading east from the junction with Court Street. The spokesman added:
“Apparently the unknown rider then turned on to King Street and continued
through the junction with Reid Street followed by the police vehicle — which
unfortunately collided with the 29-year-old female motorcyclist as she travelled
into the city — with both vehicles ending up farther along King Street.”
Only southbound traffic is permitted on King Street between its junctions with
Church Street and Reid Street, but the first rider — who escaped — had been traveling
north. The spokesman said: “The police vehicle and motorcycle involved were
damaged, with traffic diversions in effect for approximately three hours while
the scene was processed.” Photographs from the scene showed arrow road
markings indicating traffic flow in the opposite direction from where the police
car came to a stop. The woman, from Southampton, was taken by ambulance to King
Edward VII Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be
life-threatening. She was conscious and talking yesterday but remained in
hospital for further checks. The police spokesman said the speed of the vehicles
would form part of the investigation so “no comment on that aspect can be
provided at this time”. Witnesses are asked to call 295-0011.
Today
the Ministry of Labour, Community Affairs and Sports shared the 2019 Bermuda Day
Parade route – which will be starting along Front Street this year. The
Department of Community and Cultural Affairs notes that currently there are just
over 50 parade entries – this includes Gombey troupes, majorettes, floats,
dance groups, marching bands, music trucks and more. The parade will begin at
1.30 p.m., Friday 24th May. This year, the parade will start along Front Street
near Albouys Point, with participants lining up on Bermudiana Road/Par-La-Ville
Road/Pitts Bay Road. Parade participants will travel along Front Street, up
Court Street, left on Church Street, down Cedar Avenue and conclude at the Marsh
Folly Road/Dutton Avenue. The Minister of Labour, Community Affairs and Sports,
the Hon. Lovitta Foggo said today, “Bermuda Day is that time of year when we
celebrate all that makes us unique. Our heritage, our culture and our pride as a
people – these are the things that bind us together. The Bermuda Day Parade is
considered to be one of the most anticipated events and by far the biggest
cultural event on our calendar. As the public is aware, this year’s theme is
Bermudian Excellence, which offers us an opportunity to show off our national
pride. This is an occasion where we can highlight our excellence in sports,
education, philanthropy, advocacy, business, the arts, hospitality and more.
Bermudian Excellence is about celebrating every individual in our society who
does their part in making Bermuda great. Much work has gone into ensuring that
Heritage Month was an engaging, cultural experience, and this includes the
preparation and planning for the Bermuda Day Parade. I’m excited about
attending this year’s parade, and I look forward to engaging and celebrating
with all those who will be enjoying this special day.”
A motorcyclist was injured in
a crash with a police car at the junction of King Street and Reid Street,
Hamilton, in the early hours of today. The incident happened as police
pursued another motorcyclist along King Street at about 12.20am. Officers say
the police vehicle struck a woman motorcyclist who was driving along Reid
Street. She was taken by ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with
injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. The first motorcyclist
escaped. Traffic diversions were put in place while police launched an
investigation. Witnesses should call police on 295-0011.
Gates
Bay in St George’s was temporarily closed for safety reasons after
fireproofing materials blew down from the nearby hotel construction site.
Renee Ming, MP for St George’s North, told The Royal Gazette that
“wind gusts on made the immediate closing of the beach necessary” on
Thursday. Residents expressed concern after a sign went up outside the beach
warning: “Do not enter water.” Ms Ming wrote in a Facebook post: “I realize
that the sight of the sign caused some angst and I appreciate the 911 alerts
that I received. Your safety outweighs your leisure so the move by the
Government and the hotel developers was a welcomed necessary action.”
Bermudian
artists have been invited to exhibit more of their work in Cuba after they took
part in an exhibition on the streets of Havana. Lisa Howie, an independent
curator and consultant who helped organize Bermudian participation in public art
exhibition, said that Juanito Delgado, the exhibition’s curator, had asked for
more artists from the island. Bermuda artists Jon Legere, Peter Lapsley and
Andrea Sundt are featured in Detrás del Muro, (Behind The Wall) which
opened last month. Ms Howie, the former director of the Bermuda National
Gallery, said the opportunity came after the artists were featured in the
BNG’s biennial exhibition. Ms Howie added: “Juanito Delgado was impressed
with the artists and I will pursue his invitation for Bermuda to return.” She
said she working to install Bermuda art at a specific location Havana for the
city’s next biennial and might be able to the same at Sao Paulo biennial in
Brazil. Ms Howie added: “This is the first time Bermuda has been represented
in the Havana Biennial and they got there thanks to their involvement in the
Bermuda biennial.” The Detrás del Muro exhibition runs the length of
La Malecón, a five-mile esplanade along Havana Harbour and features large scale
works. The exhibition features large scale works. Randy Rodriguez, a Cuban
engineer, Mr Lapsley and volunteers worked to install the island’s
contribution.
Bermuda
will be removed from the European Union’s blacklist of non-cooperative tax
jurisdictions next week, a Bloomberg Law report said yesterday. The news
agency added that its report was based on documents obtained by Bloomberg News.
The report came only hours after Curtis Dickinson, the finance minister, told
MPs he expected the island to be removed from the blacklist next Friday. The
Bloomberg Law report said Bermuda, Aruba and Barbados were to be removed from
the EU blacklist because they had changed their corporate tax laws. Mr Dickinson
told the House of Assembly yesterday that the island was likely to move from
Annex 1, the blacklist, to Annex 2 on May 17. Bermuda and nine other
jurisdictions were placed on the blacklist in March, joining five countries
already on the list. A typographical error in economic substance regulation
documents submitted by Bermuda to the EU earlier this year was given as the
reason the island ended up on the list. Annex 2, the greylist, is not a list of
countries but a list of criteria. Bermuda is expected to join the Bahamas, the
British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, which are grouped together for
having tax regimes that facilitate offshore structures that generate profits
without real economic activity. The EU said that a commitment to tackle concerns
about economic substance in the area of collective investment funds had also
played a part in the decision to move Bermuda and the other three jurisdictions
to the greylist. Mr Dickinson detailed in the House of Assembly the
Government’s actions to get the island removed from the blacklist when EU
finance ministers meet next Friday. He said he and David Burt, the Premier, had
met EU commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who is responsible for economic and
financial affairs as well as taxation and customs. They also met Lyudmila
Petkova, chairwoman of the EU’s code of conduct group on business taxations.
Mr Dickinson added that there had also been meetings with officials from the
German and French ministries of finance. Mr Dickinson said the meetings
“permitted Bermuda to further explain in detail the source and reasons for
which there was a technical omission in our economic substance regulations
submission. This omission was addressed and corrected to the satisfaction of the
European authorities.” An EU source explained: “Annex 1 is the list of
countries that have failed to give sufficient commitments for co-operation with
the EU on tax matters. Annex 2 is not a list of countries but a list of criteria
— for each of the criteria, the jurisdictions that have not delivered on
fulfilling the criteria are listed.” Mr Dickinson told MPs yesterday: “When
Bermuda is removed from Annex 1, we will be placed in Annex 2 of the EU list.
This is because of EU concerns regarding the need for a legislative framework
for collective investment funds that meets their expectations.” He said the
Government had promised to continue to co-operate with the EU over the adoption
of a “proper legislative framework” for collective investment funds by the
end of the year.
Legislation
to change how money is allocated to the Bermuda Hospitals Board is not in the
island’s best interests, a top insurance executive said yesterday. John
Wight, the president and chief executive of BF&M, said that “the
healthcare funding reform brought to the House of Assembly today is not the best
path forward for Bermuda. We remain convinced that dialogue is essential if we
are to achieve improved health outcomes and long-term, sustainable healthcare
funding solutions.” Mr Wight was speaking after the Health Insurance Amendment
Act was tabled in Parliament. The Government is to pay an annual grant to BHB,
capped at $330 million for the coming year, to replace the existing
fee-for-service arrangement. The block payment will be funded by the Government
with a more than threefold increase in the amount it takes from monthly premium
payments — up from $101.97 to $331.97. The cash will be put into the Mutual
Reinsurance Fund. The new system is scheduled to take effect on June 1. Naz
Farrow, the chief executive of Colonial Group International, said the firm had
hoped for a “more consultative, more inclusive approach to the healthcare
challenge facing Bermuda. The situation is complex, with the potential to deeply
affect the lives of thousands of Bermudians across the board. The views of all
stakeholders must be carefully considered in order to achieve reforms that are
sustainable and that bring about better health outcomes.” Insurance firm Argus
did not respond to a request for comment yesterday. Kim Wilson, the Minister of
Health, hit out at BF&M last week over the firm’s claim to clients that an
increase in premiums was due to the Government’s changes to the system. She
said the claim was “unconscionable” and that the premiums hike by BF&M
was “to fund their profits”. But Mr Wight insisted that the increase was due
in part to the proposed healthcare changes. He said that the Government’s
changes were “an exercise in reallocating funds” and failed to deal with the
real factors behind the high cost of healthcare in Bermuda. Mr Wight added:
“Premiums will continue to increase as a result of our ageing population and
the growing number of adults with chronic diseases.” Craig Cannonier, the
Opposition leader, said: “My initial comments are that it appears that proper
consultation has not been carried out as it should have been as people are still
asking questions about this legislation — and we don’t really know what the
full implications on the health system and on jobs will be.”
The
retirement age should be increased to 70 over a ten-year period, a Labour
Advisory Committee report recommended yesterday. The report, tabled in the
House of Assembly, said Bermuda’s ageing population had put pressure on
pension plans and public sector finances. It also recommended that legislation
should be amended or introduced to prevent discrimination against older
employees and that a toolkit to help people prepare for retirement should be
created. An LAC sub-committee compiled the Reviewing the Retirement Age report,
which was tabled by David Burt, the Premier. The sub-committee recommended the
creation of a single piece of legislation designed to:
Pension Fund payments.
Mr Burt told the House: “There is a need to stabilize pension funds, to allow working men and women the benefit of greater capacity to earn and therefore better prepare for their eventual retirement, and to use the longer life span in the modern era to the benefit of society and the people of Bermuda.” He said that a review of the mandatory retirement age of 65 for public service workers was a Throne Speech promise. Mr Burt added that he hoped the report would win cross-party support in the House and the Senate and that the Government could then return with amendments to the Public Service Superannuation Act to introduce some of the recommendations. The report pointed out that, except for public sector workers, there was no legislation that insisted employees retired at 65. But Mr Burt said that was “the generally accepted practice” in Bermuda and most people agreed to finish work at that age when they signed employment contracts. The National Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Act 1998 said that the “normal retirement date” was no more than a year after a pension plan member’s 65th birthday, unless an earlier date was set in the pension scheme. The sub-committee said the island’s ageing population had created “additional stress to public pension plans and public sector finances”. The report added: “Many persons who reach the retirement age are financially unprepared for retirement. The evidence clearly shows that there is a willingness from persons 65 and over to continue to work. Financial assistance outlays to seniors is extremely high and reinforces the point that a growing portion of our seniors are in dire need of additional financial resources.” The sub-committee said: “The reality is that if the problem is left unaddressed, the financial stress on individuals, pension plans and the Bermuda Government will grow.” It added that legislation should be created or amended to prohibit age discrimination in the workplace and to make sure people had equal rights in recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, work conditions and career development. Claudette Fleming, the executive director of Age Concern and part of the group behind the report, said the charity was pleased that the Government had given the recommendations serious consideration. She added: “A variety of industry leaders committed valuable time to consider the issue. The matter of the relevancy of the retirement age in our current existence has been left unresolved for many years.” Ms Fleming said: “Sadly, workplace discrimination based on age was not included in the 2013 amendments to the Human Rights Act. We look forward to seeing the extent and boldness to which the current administration will take in extending the opportunity for older adults to work beyond the age of 65 years, should they so choose.” Craig Cannonier, the One Bermuda Alliance leader supported the proposals. He said: “By not increasing the retirement age we essentially are not taking advantage of the intellectual capital that exists within that age group. The work experience and life experience that they have had lends so greatly to creating effective leadership within companies. Whether you’re in a supermarket, international business, whether you work in the public or private sector, it’s vitally important that we take advantage of that. I know 65-year-olds who have far more energy than 35-year-olds, so I think it’s a great move.”
A
Progressive Labour Party backbencher claimed yesterday that Bermuda’s
longest-serving premier “tap danced” for the “most reactionary and racist
elements” in society. Rolfe Commissiong made the comments in the House of
Assembly and cited two broadcast interviews with Sir John Swan, who lead the
country from 1982 to 1995. He said: “Sir John Swan, when asked about Black
History Month, basically opined that white Bermudians were not like the whites
in the southern part of the US, after all. He went on to say that they didn’t
lynch black Bermudians, for example. If you’re talking about an insult to
black Bermudians, or particularly the black Bermudians of his generation, I
don’t think you can do much worse than that.” He told members that a few
weeks ago Sir John was interviewed about immigration in the presence of two
white, overseas journalists. Mr Commissiong said he was paraphrasing the former
United Bermuda Party premier who had suggested “we need to open up” and
referred to “rich white people”. The PLP MP added: “I mean, you’re 83
years old but you’re still doing the tap dance for the most reactionary,
racist elements in Bermuda’s society.” Mr Commissiong said David Burt, the
Premier, had pointed out the island welcomed investment “from wherever it
comes”. He added: “Indian, Chinese, African — come on guys, Bermuda is
open for business.” But Mr Commissiong said there was a “positive” when
interviews with up to nine members of the public, at least half of them white,
were broadcast. He said: “To their credit, each one of them repudiated what
Sir John Swan said. Every white person they interviewed — no, I don’t think
that should be a litmus test, in other words, like our Premier said, we should
welcome investment from wherever.” Michael Dunkley, a One Bermuda Alliance MP,
later tweeted an extract from Mr Commissiong’s comments and said:
“Bermuda’s revered national hero Sir John Swan should not be referred to
like this.”
The
seconded Commissioner of Corrections will not return to the crisis-hit prison
service, it was revealed yesterday. The news that Lieutenant-Colonel Eddie
Lamb would not go back to the job came as the House of Assembly was told that
Westgate prison had suffered a total of nine months without hot water. However,
Wayne Caines, the Minister of National Security, insisted it was “a false
narrative” that the prison was “imploding” as MPs clashed over conditions
at the West End jail. Mr Caines said that the Prison Officers Association and
the Government were “committed to resolving the outstanding issues”, which
led to a work-to-rule being imposed at Westgate last month. He added that a list
of problems and their priority had been agreed with the POA. Mr Caines
emphasised the need for a specialist health unit to help officers deal with
prisoners with mental health problems. He said that mould problems had “deeply
concerned” prison officers and that a cleanup had been ordered by Acting
Commissioner of Corrections Keeva-Mae Joell Benjamin and an air-quality
assessment was expected by the end of June. But he added that prison officers’
demands for increased salaries and concerns about payments into the Government
Employment Health Insurance scheme would have to go to arbitration. Opposition
MP Michael Dunkley said “any other facility would have been closed” over the
lack of hot water. The former premier and national security minister admitted
that the nine months without hot water had not been continuous, but represented
“periods” without water. He went on the offensive over Colonel Lamb’s
removal, telling the House: “Acting commissioners do just that; they act.”
But Mr Caines said it was “mischievous, if not criminal” to ignore
improvements made in the prison service. Mr Caines said these included:
Mr Caines added that security technology would be introduced to combat drones that have intruded on Westgate’s airspace, but he said it would be “unwise” to give full details. The minister also gave details on the number of staff and inmates in the prison system. The island had 166 people locked up this week, with 129 at Westgate, 11 at the Co-Ed and 26 at the prison farm. There are 186 prison officers, with 32 positions vacant and an intake of 22 officers expected over the next two months. Negotiations with the POA have been ongoing since Westgate staff took industrial action over concerns that ranged from security to infrastructure at the prison. The prison is no longer on lockdown, but classes for inmates are still on hold. Colonel Lamb was transferred to the post of project manager for the National Anti-Money Laundering Committee in February last year for what said at the time to be a nine-month stint.
More
than 20 soldiers from the British Army’s elite 24 Commando Royal Engineers are
to spend a week helping to hone the disaster relief skills of the Royal Bermuda
Regiment in the run-up to hurricane season. The UK soldiers will work with
the RBR to share expertise and experience in humanitarian and disaster relief,
known as HADR, before they join the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay when
it docks in Bermuda next week. RFA Mounts Bay, a near-600ft logistics vessel, is
scheduled to start a six-month deployment in the Caribbean region to provide
rapid assistance in the event of hurricane strikes on UK Overseas Territories.
The hurricane season runs from the start of June until the end of November.
Captain Tom Booth of 24 Cdo RE, which provides engineering support for the Royal
Marines 3 Commando Brigade, said the visit was arranged after RBR Sergeant Major
Pete Ramm met soldiers from the unit at a planning meeting for this summer’s
Exercise Tradewinds, a multi-national disaster relief exercise based in the
Dominican Republic and St Vincent & the Grenadines. Captain Booth, 30, from
Harrogate, Yorkshire, added: “The RBR seems like a very professional unit and
takes its role very seriously, which is very promising. What we can do is give
them a different look at how to do things – the RBR has far more experience
than we have in hurricanes, but we have a different skill set and it’s always
good to exchange knowledge. We were extremely keen to do it because we have HADR
capabilities that we’re constantly developing and Pete was very keen to get
the best training for the RBR. We have a wide skill set, from building bridges,
demolishing bridges, laying mines, clearing mines, construction and water
supply, which makes us ideally suited for the HADR role.” RFA Mounts Bay will
also transport all the RBR equipment needed for Exercise Tradewinds, including
trucks, to the Caribbean at no cost to Bermuda. The 21 soldiers, who arrived on
Friday, will work with the RBR’s HADR specialists in B Company. RBR Private
Va’shonte Wilson, 23, from St George’s Parish, said he looked forward to
working with the British soldiers. He added: “I think there’s a lot we can
learn from them and we can help them with hot weather conditions. We’re more
used to a tropical environment, as well as hurricanes.” Soldiers from the RBR
and 24 Cdo RE worked together in Operation Ruman, the 2017 relief effort in the
Turks & Caicos Islands after they were devastated by Category 5 Hurricanes
Irma and Maria. Captain Gordon Emmerson, 36, Commandant of the Junior Leaders
programme, who will join RFA Mounts Bay for five weeks as the RBR’s liaison
officer, said: “I’m very much looking forward to it. It’s a great
opportunity for growth and development for me and for enhancement of the skills
and experience of the RBR. At the end of this, we will be better equipped and
with more knowledge, which we can pass on to our soldiers in the future to
prepare us for HADR operations at home and overseas.” 24 Cdo RE Staff Sergeant
Mohan Thapa, 40, from Devon, said he and the rest of the contingent were
delighted to be in Bermuda. The former Royal Gurkha Rifles engineer, who
transferred to the Commandos in 2010 and is a veteran of Afghanistan, added:
“We were told when you wear your uniform here, you’re welcomed. We are over
the moon to be working with the RBR – for 70 per cent of our soldiers, it’s
their first time in the Caribbean region. We understand what the RBR is and what
they proved they could do during Operation Ruman. I believe we will definitely
work well with them and help them out with HADR capabilities.” Lance Corporal
Matthew Hemmings, 29, from Newport, South Wales, said: “It’s a beautiful
island – very picturesque. I’m looking forward to working with the RBR and
hoping to swap some badges.” He added: “The RBR is obviously more
experienced in dealing with hurricanes because of the constant threat of them
and our only dealings with them are when we’re overseas. But we can help with
the general running of operations, the control of situations and how to deal
with unexpected problems in a methodical way. We also have a lot more specialist
equipment.” Lieutenant-Colonel David Curley, the RBR’s Commanding Officer,
said: “This is a golden opportunity for us to enhance our HADR capabilities.
These UK soldiers are trained up and ready for deployment in the Caribbean. The
end state will be both units will enhance their HADR knowledge and will continue
to focus on unit development. We are on line for Bermuda first, but there may be
a time when both our units are working hand in glove on HADR operations if the
call comes and we are deployed anywhere in Caribbean after the approval process
is completed.”
A
former soldier called to the Bar yesterday said he was impelled to become a
lawyer after his Royal Bermuda Regiment brother was killed on duty in a car
crash in Britain. Julian Wheddon said his family felt helpless and lacked a
sense of closure after the court case six years ago against the British soldier
at the wheel of the vehicle when Major Christian Wheddon died was called off
when the driver admitted causing death by careless driving. Mr Wheddon, 44,
pursued a career in law to prevent himself, and his family from having to go
through a similar experience again. He said: “The circumstances of the Crown
Prosecution Service case led them to dropping their case on the morning of the
trial and accepting a plea. When we were informed, the family had a sense of
helplessness and despair, we never really had the opportunity to find out what
happened. That was the catalyst that made me vow not to allow myself or anyone
in my family to be put in that situation again.” Major Wheddon, a 43-year-old
father of one, was a passenger in a Mitsubishi Warrior 4x4 that crashed on the
A34 in Oxfordshire in September 2012. Driver Netani Kepa was at first charged
with causing death by dangerous driving and pleaded not guilty. But he later
admitted the reduced charge of causing Major Wheddon’s death by careless
driving. Mr Wheddon said yesterday: “We were never wanting to see the guy
punished or dragged over the coals.” But he added: “Because the plea was
accepted there was no trial and therefore no closure in that regard.” Mr
Wheddon, from St George’s, served in the British Army for nine years and left
in 2007. He returned to Bermuda and joined the RBR and was serving as a training
officer when he left in 2012. Mr Wheddon worked as a financial adviser before he
began his legal studies in London and Bristol in the UK. He is employed in
corporate law at insurance firm Argus where he has learnt from George Jones, the
group’s general counsel and a family friend. Mr Wheddon was admitted to
practise yesterday in a ceremony at the Supreme Court in front of family and
friends — including his parents David and Margaret, brother Mark, sister Kim
and girlfriend Julia Stephens. Major Wheddon first joined the Bermuda Regiment
in 1987, but later moved to the UK for education reasons. He served in the
Bermuda Police from 1997 until 2004 and left with the rank of Sergeant. Major
Wheddon was the Adjutant at the regiment between 2004 and 2008, and aide-de-camp
for the Governor between 2008 and 2011 and was expected to take over as
commanding officer. He died while in the UK for final command training,
including the British Army command training course, and served as part of the
massive military security operation for the 2012 London Olympics.
There
has been a recall of frozen Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips and Tyson Fully Cooked
buffalo chicken strips owing to potential contamination by metal fragments.
Tyson Foods Incorporated decided to expand a voluntary recall originally issued
on March 21, 2019 of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken strip products made at one
location between October 1, 2018 and March 8, 2019. Local distributors
Butterfield and Vallis have recalled the following material codes:
The products were shipped to Bermuda between November 6, 2018 and March 11, 2019. During that time period, Butterfield & Vallis brought in 184 cases of the buffalo and 253 cases of the crispy strips. Between stock and returns from 21 stores across the island, Butterfield and Vallis have 184 cases of the crispy chicken strips and 86 of the buffalo strips. If consumers have any product with the indicated UPC code, they should return it to the place of purchase for a full refund or exchange.
May 10
Bermuda
will be removed from the European Union’s blacklist of non-cooperative tax
jurisdictions next week, according to a report by Bloomberg Law that was based
on documents it has obtained. The report came only hours after Curtis
Dickinson, the finance minister, told MPs he expected the island to be removed
from the blacklist next Friday. The Bloomberg Law report said Bermuda, Aruba and
Barbados are to be removed from the EU blacklist as a result of them changing
their corporate tax laws. Curtis Dickinson, the finance minister, addressing the
House of Assembly earlier today, said the island was likely to move from Annex I
to Annex II on May 17. Annex I is the blacklist. Bermuda and nine other
jurisdictions were placed on it in March, joining five countries already on the
list. A typographical error in economic substance regulation documents submitted
by Bermuda to the EU earlier this year was given as the reason the island ended
up on the list. Annex II, the grey list, is not a list of countries but a list
of criteria. Bermuda expects to joins the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands
and the Cayman Islands who are grouped together for having tax regimes that
facilitate offshore structures which attract profits without real economic
activity, according to the EU, and for having committed to addressing concerns
about economic substance in the area of collective investment funds. Speaking to
MPs, Mr Dickinson detailed the Bermuda Government’s subsequent actions aimed
at having the island removed from the blacklist when EU finance ministers meet
next Friday. He said he and David Burt, the Premier, had met with EU
commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who is responsible for economic and financial
affairs as well as taxation and Customs, and that he had also met with Lyudmila
Petkova, chairwoman of the EU’s Code of Conduct Group on business taxations.
In addition, there have been meeting with the officials from the German and
French ministries of finance. Mr Dickinson said those meetings “permitted
Bermuda to further explain in detail the source and reasons for which there was
a technical omission in our economic substance regulations submission. This
omission was addressed and corrected to the satisfaction of the European
authorities”. Explaining the difference between the blacklist and the
greylist, an EU source told The Royal Gazette: “Annex 1 is the list of
countries that have failed to give sufficient commitments for co-operation with
the EU on tax matters. Annex 2 is not a list of countries but a list of criteria
— for each of the criteria, the jurisdictions that have not delivered on
fulfilling the criteria are listed.” In his statement to MPs, Mr Dickinson
said: “When Bermuda is removed from Annex I, we will be placed in Annex II of
the EU list. This is because of EU concerns regarding the need for a legislative
framework for collective investment funds that meets their expectations.” He
said the Government has committed to continue to co-operate with the EU with
respect to the adoption, by the end of this year, of a “proper legislative
framework” for collective investment funds.
The
former chief executive of the Bermuda Health Council claims in an application
for judicial review pending before the Supreme Court that the Premier interfered
in the running of the watchdog to push taxpayer-funded payments to Ewart Brown. Tawanna
Wedderburn alleges in the proceedings that intervention by David Burt also
benefited at least one Cabinet minister and some Progressive Labour Party
supporters. She also claims as part of the proceedings that Kim Wilson, the
Minister of Health, and Alicia Stovell-Washington, the BHeC chairwoman,
interfered with the day-to-day operation of the council. The notice of
application that started the proceedings was released by the court after a
formal request from The Royal Gazette. The document was submitted to the court
as part of Ms Wedderburn’s attempt to win an order to quash her termination as
BHeC chief executive last December. Mr Burt said last night: “The allegations
are strongly denied and they will be defended in the appropriate forum.” A
Ministry of Health spokeswoman added that the respondents in the case
“vigorously denied” the allegations and were “robustly” defending
themselves in the proceedings. The case started with a hearing last week in
chambers. Ms Wedderburn asked for permission to apply for a judicial review
against the three individuals and the council in March, which was granted last
month. The application shows that Ms Wedderburn sought relief from what she
alleged were “continuing” decisions by the Premier, the health minister and
the BHeC chairwoman “to interfere with the functioning and day-to-day
management of the Bermuda Health Council”. The application adds that she
wanted an order to quash the BHeC’s decision to recommend that she should be
removed as chief executive, Ms Wilson’s approval of the recommendation, the
termination itself, or all three. Ms Wedderburn also wants a ruling that alleged
interference by the Premier and the health minister was “unlawful because the
council is intended to be an independent health regulator, performing its
functions without party political interference”. But Mr Burt said: “For the
avoidance of doubt and for the information of the public, the Bermuda Health
Council is not an independent regulator. This statutory body is, by law, subject
to the directions of the Minister of Health.” Ms Wedderburn “further or
alternatively” asked for the court to rule that the alleged interference by
the Premier, the health minister and Dr Stovell-Washington was unlawful
“because it was done for the purpose of controlling the council’s policy
decisions, and/or facilitating government payments and/or other pecuniary awards
to specific Progressive Labour Party supporters, a former premier, at least one
Cabinet minister, and/or others”. Ms Wedderburn’s tenure at the BHeC ended
in December last year in what the health watchdog said was a “separation of
employment”. She served as chief executive for nearly three years and had
worked at the organisation since 2007 in other roles. The BHeC is responsible
for setting MRI and CT scan charges for private healthcare providers. The former
One Bermuda Alliance administration slashed fee rates in June 2017. The cuts
affected the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital as well as two clinics owned by
Dr Brown, a former PLP premier. Compensation expected to total $3.6 million —
$2.4 million to Bermuda Hospitals Board and $1.2 million to Dr Brown — is to
be paid out by the PLP government. Records released under public access to
information in 2018 by the Ministry of Health showed how Dr Brown, the owner of
Bermuda Healthcare Services in Paget and the Brown-Darrell Clinic in Smith’s,
sent a string of angry e-mails and letters about the fee cuts to Ms Wedderburn.
He also named her and two other public servants when he announced the closure of
the scanner unit at the Brown-Darrell clinic because of the fee cuts in January
2018. Dr Brown said at a press conference: “Remember these names. Jennifer
Attride-Stirling, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health. Tawanna
Wedderburn, CEO of the health council, and Ricky Brathwaite, so-called health
economist. I want you to remember those names.” He was not named in the
application for leave form that was submitted by Ms Wedderburn, and provided to
the Gazette after it asked the Supreme Court registry for access to records, but
it is understood he is the “former premier” in the documents. Ms Wedderburn
also asked for declarations from the court that the recommendation to terminate
her as chief executive was unlawful because the council was “tainted by
bias” and that she was not notified of the proposed decision or given the
opportunity to make representations on it. The notice added that she wanted:
“Further or alternatively, a declaration that the recommendation was unlawful
because it was made for improper purposes, namely: because Wedderburn was
perceived to be obstructive to certain political intentions; to safeguard a
series of unlawful decisions in favour of specific individuals and/or healthcare
providers; to make it likely that specific politically motivated policies would
be imposed upon the council without any or any adequate obstruction; and/or
because of personal animosity against Wedderburn.” It was also alleged that Ms
Wilson’s approval was unlawful for the same reasons or because she did not
fully investigate the recommendation before it was carried out. Ms Wedderburn
claimed that the alleged refusal of permission for her to join a trade union was
unlawful and she said she wanted damages “for the Premier’s, minister’s,
chairman’s and/or council’s misfeasance in public office”. A Ministry of
Health spokeswoman said: “The respondents in this matter vigorously deny the
applicant’s allegations in their entirety, and are robustly defending their
position through the proper court process, adhering to its rules. Therefore,
further comment cannot be made at this time.” Juliana Snelling ,of Canterbury
Law, who is acting for the BHeC and Dr Stovell-Washington, said it was
“entirely inappropriate” for the council or the chairwoman to comment as the
case was before the courts. Canterbury Law said in January that Ms
Wedderburn’s employment was “terminated lawfully by the council in full
compliance with section 18(1)(b) of the Employment Act 2000, the Bermuda Health
Council Act 2004 and her contract of employment which calls for one-month notice
of termination”. The BHeC lawyers added that Ms Wedderburn was paid for her
notice period and also offered six months’ pay and benefits “in good
faith”. Eugene Johnston, who represents Ms Wedderburn, declined to comment.
Bermuda’s
education commissioner has asked schools to let the business world know how they
could boost education. Kalmar Richards, in a contribution to The Royal
Gazette’s Bermuda National School Salute, said public schools could not
function or meet the needs of pupils without backing from businesses. Ms
Richards said the schools had to provide information about their needs to
potential partners. She said: “Businesses do not always know which schools are
in need, or what those schools need. Potential partners can use the information
to access whether they have the resources to match the needs. Next to support
from parents and guardians, public schools need unwavering and sustained
business and community support if they and our students are to be highly
successful. These business and charitable organisations, many of whom have
sustained partnerships with our schools over the years, are helping Bermuda’s
public schools to meet the diverse needs of students by expanding the variety of
teaching and learning resources and establishing programmes to support increased
levels of student achievement.” The Bermuda National School Salute has focused
on sport, academics, the arts, and science, technology, engineering, art and
maths this week. Today’s edition, which includes Ms Richards’s article, was
designed to highlight community service.
Police
overstepped their authority when they handcuffed a 15-year-old schoolboy in the
care of the Department of Child and Family Services and locked him up at the
Co-Ed prison last week, a Supreme Court judge has ruled. Assistant Justice
Mark Pettingill’s written judgment said that police had taken “the draconian
step of effectively incarcerating a minor” after the boy skipped his flight to
a care institution in Utah and that they had acted unlawfully. The boy, who
cannot be identified for legal reasons, was represented by Tiffanne Thomas, a
litigation guardian, who asked for the court to rule that he had been unlawfully
detained. Mr Justice Pettingill wrote that the boy had been suffering from
“family challenges” in March, when Magistrates’ Court put him under the
care of the DCFS. The boy was placed in a residential centre, but found to be
“noncompliant”. The DCFS applied to the court to transfer the boy to a Utah
institution on April 29. The judgment said the boy at first complied, and
“arrangements were made for his immediate transport to the airport”. Mr
Justice Pettingill noted in his May 3 ruling that the boy had asked to be
allowed to pick up personal items. The request, which the judge found was “by
no means unreasonable”, was denied for time reasons. Mr Justice Pettingill
wrote: “It is a significant measure to remove a child out of the jurisdiction
to a foreign country, and consideration should be given to anything that may add
comfort to such an action.” He added the refusal appeared to have “tipped
the pebble off the cliff”. The boy left the DCFS van at the airport, went to
the bus stop, returned to the residential centre and went to school the next
day. Three police officers and two social workers went to the school and the boy
was handcuffed and taken away. Mr Justice Pettingill found that despite a
recovery order being issued, police lacked the legal authority to take a minor
into custody. He added that “the court is aware that this is not the first
instance of the police acting beyond their powers at the request of the DCFS”.
By agreement with the Commissioner of Prisons, the boy was taken to the Co-Ed
facility on May 1. Mr Justice Pettingill questioned why an emergency application
had not been made at Magistrates’ Court that same day for an order to send him
to the Co-Ed facility. Ms Thomas gave an affidavit that the boy was being held
unlawfully in a prison environment. Lawyer Adam Richards appeared for the boy,
with Ms Thomas as litigation guardian at the May 3 hearing. Brian Moodie of the
Attorney-General’s chambers represented the Commissioner of Prisons and the
Director of Child and Family Services. Mr Moodie told the court that DCFS staff
were sent to the prison to supervise the boy and that he was not under the
control of prison guards. Mr Justice Pettingill, although he said that was
“some amelioration”, said that holding the boy at the Co-Ed amounted to
detention in prison — not in an approved residential centre. He added that the
circumstances had highlighted the importance of the independent role of
litigation guardians. Mr Justice Pettingill said he accepted that the
Attorney-General had found the Co-Ed acceptable as a housing facility but he
disagreed that that was “sufficient or correct in law”. The boy was held at
the Co-Ed for several days before he was taken to court last Friday. Mr Justice
Pettingill said that by then “the proverbial horse had well bolted”. The
judge agreed that DCFS had major responsibilities that on occasion required
“out-of-the-box thinking”. But he said that stronger “checks and
balances” were needed. Mr Justice Pettingill added that practical problems
that involved minors should be tackled through amendments to legislation rather
than “giving a broad interpretation to the existing law”. He added that
“would be to grant a licence to the authorities involved to act outside of the
proper guidelines of the law, allowing for injustices to occur and civil
liberties to be violated”.
A
volunteer police cadet base in Britain is to be named after a Bermudian teenager
who was murdered last year. Keishaye Steede, the mother of 17-year-old
Lyrico Steede, said it was an “absolute honour” to have the centre named
after her son. She added: “I believe that this is a great start for those
young individuals who are looking for change. It’s a really positive
movement.” The new volunteer cadet base, aimed at youth aged 12 to 15, is to
open in Bulwell, Nottingham, near where he was stabbed. Chief Inspector Suk
Verna, the head of Nottinghamshire Police’s citizens in policing department,
said the decision to name the building for Mr Steede was “to create a legacy
for Lyrico and help people to remember him in a positive way”. Mr Verna added:
“We want to help young people in the area to become good citizens and to make
positive life choices. I am excited for this base, as I believe that it will
offer a valuable opportunity for the police and young community to build strong
relationships for the future.” Mr Steede was stabbed 18 times after he was
lured to a park at Stock Well, in the Bulwell area of Nottingham on February 13,
2018. He died in hospital five days later. Two teenagers were given mandatory
life sentences in January for the murder. Three other teenagers, including a
16-year-old girl, were found guilty of manslaughter. The new centre is for
junior volunteer police cadets aged from 12 to 15 from Bulwell and surrounding
areas. The cadets are a voluntary youth programme which includes learning about
the police, personal and community safety, as well as offering sports events and
travel opportunities.
Hamilton’s
administration remains unchanged after last night’s municipal elections. Charles
Gosling stood unchallenged as mayor with residential councillors George Scott,
Henry Ming, RoseAnn Edwards and Jenefer Brimmer, who replaces Carlton Johnson.
Michael Branco, who threw his hat in the ring for business ratepayers, fell just
short of success, with sitting councillors Larry Scott, Nicholas Swan, John
Harvey and Dennis Tucker remaining in place. Mr Branco told The Royal Gazette
he was “very happy” with last night’s result, and said he looked forward
to working with the administration “in any way I can”. He took 119 votes
while Mr Harvey secured 138, Mr Scott, 124; Mr Swan, 147, and Mr Tucker 136. Mr
Branco added: “A big part of me running was for the next generation. But as a
business owner in this city, we all face the same challenges — the rising cost
of doing business, and trying to get involved to help those businesses
thrive.” Earlier, outside the Seventh-day Adventist Hall on King Street, a
jovial mood prevailed as the close of polls neared at 8pm. Despite their assured
seats, Mr Gosling and the Hamilton councillors turned out to show their support.
Mr Gosling said: “Our team believe very much in the importance of local
governance. That’s why we are here.” The administration is to be sworn in
today at 9.30am at City Hall.
George
Dowling III has been elected Mayor of St George beating Kenneth Bascome by 234
votes last night. The announcement was welcomed with loud applause, as the
41-year-old former town councillor earned 363 votes to the veteran
politician’s 129 votes. Four hundred and ninety-two votes were cast out of
1,388 eligible voters. Speaking at Penno’s Wharf, a beaming Mr Dowling pledged
he would stand strong for the people of St George regardless of the Bermuda
Government’s attempts to replace the island’s two municipalities with
quangos. He said: “Whether Government takes over or not we are still required
to be good trustees of our town.” Mr Dowling said that finalizing a town plan
is his first priority, and could take between three and four months to complete
and said that he hoped to work with the Government on revenue-raising ideas.
“There are a few MPs in the crowd tonight so I hope we can network and come to
a resolution. We need to generate dynamic revenue sources for our town,” he
said. “Cruise ships are always a good idea to have in our town.” Mr Dowling
continued: “I hope that we can get into a position where we are courting
smaller cruise ships, we used to have two cruise ships and they used to stay
here three to four days at a time, and St George’s was booming. If we can get
to that space, we will be in a good position to do whatever we need to do going
forward.” Philip Seaman and Andrew Roberts stood uncontested for the two
business ratepayers’ councillor seats in St George. Returning unchallenged to
resident councillor roles are Elizabeth Christopher, Cyniqua Anderson and Lloyd
Van Putten. They will be joined by Andrew Smith Jr and Tania Stafford. The
vacant sixth seat will be filled after an extraordinary municipal election to be
held within the next two months. Mr Dowling said he was proud of the work he did
overseeing the docks and ensuring that parking was available at Hunter’s
Wharf. His family business, Dowling Marine, is based on the waterfront. He
added: “A police station would be good for the town and I will speak with the
Commissioner of Police. I have spoken to him previously at the Peppercorn
Ceremony and he invited me to meet with him. We are also going to continue to
support planning with the Unesco World Heritage Site Management Plan and then we
will look to take over the management of the site.” Mr Bascome, a former mayor
who stepped down to become a One Bermuda Alliance MP, said in an interview this
week that a police station would be a priority. He also said that he wanted to
improve Duke of York Street as well as late night transport to the town. Mr
Bascome said last night: “Remember that I am a St Georgian and I will assist
wherever it is possible. I will always be in the mix.” Quinell Francis, who
endorsed Mr Dowling, recently announced she was to step down as mayor to focus
on her surveying business. Ms Francis, who headed up the Corporation of St
George for four years, said she would be willing to sit on any committee as a
resident. In March, the Government voted in favour of reforming the
municipalities by turning them into unelected quangos but senators blocked the
move.
OJ
Pitcher will make a long-anticipated return to cricket this weekend with St
David’s, 658 days after collapsing in an Eastern Counties match at Lord’s
with a heart issue that looked like ending his career. Pitcher has faced
many uncertainties since that life-changing day on July 22, 2017 when the St
David’s and Bermuda captain collapsed on the field with chest pains against
Bailey’s Bay in a first-round match. St David’s eventually lost the match by
61 runs after Pitcher was taken to hospital. He endured a series of tests and
doctor’s visits in his battle to recover, after missing last season in its
entirety. Dr Shane Marshall, his cardiologist, gave him the all-clear late last
year. “I’ve been seeing Dr Marshall for the past year and a half, going to
him around every three months for different tests and follow ups,” said
35-year-old. “With the condition I had, it was about building my strength back
up. In order to do that I started off with light stuff and then over a period of
time gradually building it up to get stronger and stronger until it gets to a
point where they felt I was strong enough to get back out there. I found out in
November that he was very pleased and confident enough to say ‘I feel you are
able to get back out there playing some cricket. Obviously I was over the moon
about that, since then I’ve been doing my extras and have been feeling really
good. I’m looking forward to getting back out there playing some cricket. I
still have passion and love for the sport; it is something I was brought up on,
coming from St David’s, and it feels really good to get back out there and do
what I enjoy doing.” Pitcher, a professional golfer, used that sport to keep
active, playing in the Johnny Walker Classic last weekend on his home course at
Ocean View, where he tied for third with Daniel Augustus, just two strokes
behind Dwayne Pearman and Chaka DeSilva, who won in a play-off. “I’ve been
competing in some local professional golf events and did pretty good in them,”
Pitcher said. “It helped keep my hand-eye co-ordination going as well. As we
know, golf is nowhere as strenuous as cricket but there are some similarities to
golf, like the swing when it comes to batting.” Pitcher will feature for St
David’s against Bailey’s Bay on Sunday in a match that will certainly bring
back some memories. “I’ve been putting in a lot of time on my own, the body
feels good, I’m in good shape right now and ready to,” Pitcher said. “I
obviously missed it a lot, it was very hard to be on the side watching. But they
can tell you, I was at every game supporting, no matter where the game was. I
work weekends in the mornings, but as soon as a knocked off I would go straight
to the games and help out in any way that I could. It was hard, but I made sure
I was there, backing the boys and supporting them.” Pitcher was there last
year at Sea Breeze Oval to witness the exciting victory over Cleveland County in
the Eastern Counties Cup final, ensuring that St David’s will be the defending
champions when they host this year’s series at Lord’s, taking on Bay in the
opening round. “Winning the county cup back was a great feeling, great to see,
even though we didn’t win it back from Bay, but Cleveland,” he said. “I
was also proud of the boys, too, with how the entire season went. We won not
just county, but the T20 league and the Premier Champions Cup between the top
two teams in the league, St David’s and Rangers. We won three trophies overall
and in the 50 overs we won more games than everybody else. It was just the bonus
points, which Rangers got a lot of, which helped to carry them ahead of us on
points. It shows the depth that we have in St David’s when it comes to
cricket.” Pitcher is hoping to make up for lost time, as he sets his sights on
not only reclaiming a place in the St George’s Cup Match team but also the
Bermuda team, maybe even for this summer’s ICC T20 Americas Qualifying
tournament, which Bermuda will host in August. I have been training with St
David’s and have also been to a training session with the [Bermuda] squad,”
Pitcher added. “I have made myself available for that, as well as for Cup
Match, God willing, and if all goes well. I’m anxious to get back out there
and really looking forward to it.” Pitcher has been moved by the support shown
by so many fans following his illness. “The support shown from friends and
fans was really something,” he said. “It wasn’t just the fans and friends
in St David’s but the entire island. Still today, at times people will ask,
‘How you feeling, how you been’, especially if they haven’t seen me in a
while. At one point it did get a bit overwhelming, but I know people meant well.
I just want to thank everybody for their support and concerns. I want them to
know that I’m doing very good and back doing what it is I love to do. There
was a point when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get back out there
again. I’m looking forward to being out there with the boys, whether it be St
David’s, St George’s in Cup Match or Bermuda.” The St David’s match
against St George’s, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been rearranged to
May 18.
A
20-year-old man was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday after he admitted
to taking part in a chain snatching that ended in a road accident. Jerome
Bailey told Magistrates’ Court that the act was a “mistake” that he
regretted making. He added: “I’m just asking for a second chance.” The
court heard that Bailey and another accomplice targeted Tre Simons during an
incident that occurred on September 23 of last year. Crown prosecutor Nicole
Smith said that Mr Simons was riding through Middle Road in Paget when Bailey
rode next to him on a motorcycle. His accomplice, a passenger on Bailey’s
bike, then snatched Mr Simons’s $2,400 gold chain and pendant from the back of
his neck. The force of the action caused the victim to swerve into oncoming
traffic, which stopped before striking Mr Simons, and eventually sliding out.
Magistrate Tyrone Chin heard that Mr Simons sustained injuries to his arms,
hands and elbows as a result. Mr Chin also heard that Bailey was fixed with an
electronic monitoring device during the time of the incident, which allowed
police to place him at the scene of the robbery. Bailey was later arrested on
September 29 at his Devonshire home on suspicion of robbery. Ms Smith said that
the incident was an escalation of antisocial behavior, explaining that he
committed the offence 41 days after being released from prison for wounding. She
added that imprisonment would be necessary to “assure people in this community
that there will be no tolerance for these types of offences”. However, defence
lawyer Kamal Worrell said that his client should be recognized for taking
responsibility for his actions and attempting to change. Mr Worrell explained:
“This is a person who, outside of peer pressure and society’s limitations,
is someone who’s bound to flourish. This was a stupid mistake that he made
because of peer pressure. It was not a plan he tried to mastermind; he was just
the driver.” Mr Chin sentenced Bailey to two years in prison, with an
additional two years of probation after his release. Tyree Greene, 21, who
appeared alongside Bailey, denied charges of taking part in the robbery with
Bailey. Greene will reappear in Magistrates’ Court next Wednesday.
Tourist
air arrivals in the first three months of the year dropped compared with the
same period in 2018, the Bermuda Tourism Authority said yesterday. But the
BTA said the 8.5 per cent drop was partly offset by a 9.1 per cent rise in
business air arrivals, but total arrivals fell by 4.9 per cent. Total air
arrivals fell from 40,326 in the first three months of last year to 38,349 in
the first quarter of 2019. But the figures showed cruise ship numbers almost
doubled, up 137 per cent to 11,000 in January to the end of March. The BTA
earlier said that it hoped to boost high-value air leisure arrivals, which Zane
DeSilva, the tourism minister, said in February should be a priority. Air
visitors spent more per person this year, but the overall drop in leisure air
arrivals meant total estimated spending was down 2.5 per cent to $32 million.
Loss of air capacity, which fell 3.5 per cent, played a role in the drop. The
reduction in the number of seats included a 12 per cent drop in capacity from
New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The city is the island’s largest source
for visitor arrivals. The BTA said the leisure air visitor spending and arrivals
for the first quarter of 2019 marked the sector’s first down quarter since the
fourth quarter of 2015. Fewer visitors also led to lower hotel occupancy, which
declined 5.6 per cent. But hotels had “marginally” higher rates, up 2.6 per
cent, over the first quarter of last year. The BTA said vacation rentals
performed well with a slightly greater share of visitors who opted to stay in
private homes, up from 7.8 per cent in the first three months of 218 to 8.2 per
cent in the same period this year.
The
Bermuda Government’s singling out of BF&M for criticism over health
insurance premium increases is clouding the bigger picture of the ramifications
of healthcare financing reform. That is the view of BF&M executives, who
said there was much uncertainty about how the new system would work, with just 3½
weeks to go before its planned implementation. Kim Wilson, the health minister,
said last week that it was “unconscionable” that BF&M should blame the
impact of government reforms for an increase in premiums. She added that a
letter from BF&M to clients was “misleading” and inaccurate. In an
interview, John Wight, BF&M’s chief executive officer, said the letter to
clients was intended to clarify what went into premium rate decisions. “Our
primary objective was to educate our customers,” Mr Wight said. “This is a
normal part of our discussion with clients and we want to be fully
transparent.” He added that the imminent reforms did nothing to address the
drivers of healthcare cost increases. A new system for funding the hospital is
scheduled to kick in on June 1. It involves the Government paying an annual
grant to the Bermuda Hospitals Board, capped at $330 million for the coming year
to replace the existing fee-for-service model. Mr Wight said there seemed to be
a lack of understanding in the healthcare industry about how things would
operate under the revamped system. To fund the block hospital payment, the
Government will more than triple the amount it takes directly from the monthly
premiums paid to health insurers from $101.97 to $331.97, with the proceeds
going into the Mutual Reinsurance Fund. BF&M has characterized this as an
“indirect tax”, a description Ms Wilson rejected. Michelle Jackson,
BF&M’s senior vice-president, group lines health and life, said public
discussion should not focus on the Government’s attack on BF&M. “There
is a much, much bigger picture,” Ms Jackson said. “There are wider questions
about the $330 million cap and what happens as healthcare costs continue to go
up and what that means for future years.” The Government had informed BF&M
of the planned financing reforms only about three months ago, she said, and now
the reforms were just weeks away from being implemented with much uncertainty
about many aspects. Ms Jackson said under the present system, insurers manage
and process their clients’ hospital claims. This gives the insurer data,
allowing them to analyze trends, as well as creating a check and balance in the
system to ensure treatment of their clients is appropriate and efficient. Under
the new system, insurers will no longer manage claims or receive information on
claims from the hospital when its clients receive treatment, according to Ms
Jackson. Ricky Brathwaite, the acting chief executive of the Bermuda Health
Council, said last week that insurers would receive data on their clients’
hospital care. Ms Jackson said BF&M had received no guidance on what claims
data would be shared. She said health insurance premiums include two components.
First, the standard premium rate, which is set by the Government and which
covers most hospital services, diagnostic imaging and support of
government-administered plans. This component is made up of the standard health
benefit, managed by insurers, and the Mutual Reinsurance Fund contribution, paid
straight to the Government. Under the reforms 93 per cent of the SPR will go to
the MRF, leaving just $23.34 of the total $355.31 be. The second component is
comprehensive coverage, the extra non-hospital benefits provided by insurers on
most policies, such as prescription drugs, dental care and mental healthcare. In
its letter to clients, BF&M states: “We will be increasing comprehensive
coverage premium rates by more than in years past as a result of our
significantly reduced SHB premiums (approximately 90 per cent less than
current). Given current health trends and healthcare cost inflation, we project
premiums will not be sufficient to pay expected claims for 2019-20 without this
increase.” Healthcare cost inflation was running at 6.5 per cent, well above
general inflation, a rate that would likely accelerate as the population aged,
leading to greater use of health services and higher claims, Ms Jackson said. The
Royal Gazette approached health insurers Argus and Colonial, asking whether
they had increased premiums and for views on Ms Wilson’s comments about
BF&M. A spokeswoman for Argus said adjustments to premiums “take into
account a number of factors, including but not limited to the rising cost of
healthcare”. She added: “As per the Aon 2019 Global Medical Trend Rates
Report, global medical inflation is currently trending at 7.8 per cent, however,
Bermuda traditionally experiences greater increases due to our high incidence of
chronic disease and utilization of services. It is important to understand that
adjustments vary by corporate client as they are based on the respective claims
experience for each client and their particular benefit package. Regardless of
changes to legislation, we know that a healthy lifestyle, supported by
healthcare professionals, is the key to keeping premiums low and driving down
overall costs.” No one at Colonial was available for comment.
East
End voters will choose a new mayor at the polls in the Town of St George today.
The race is down to Kenneth Bascome, a former mayor, and George Dowling III, a
councillor, after Quinell Francis announced she was to stand down from the role.
Hamilton’s businesses will pick four representatives for its corporation out
of the five contenders. Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton, was unopposed,
along with the four councillors elected by residents, and will be sworn in
tomorrow at City Hall. Ms Francis, who had headed the Corporation of St George
for four years, said she was dedicated to the rejuvenation of the Olde Towne,
and would “sit on any committee as a resident”. She was elected in May 2015
after she was a councillor and alderman for the municipality, but decided
against re-election to focus on her surveying business. Ms Francis said last
week that the highlight of her service had been getting more people from the
Olde Towne involved in its revitalization. She added: “It has always
historically been a different type of person involved in the corporation. When I
came on board, so many people knew me or my family that they were eager to reach
out and ask how they can help me and work with the corporation to bring new life
into the town.” But she admitted financial constraints had held her back from
“a few projects I would have loved to have seen done”. These included the
renovation of the upper level of the Town Hall, improvements at Somers Gardens,
and the resurfacing of streets. Ms Francis said the Government had pledged to
help with infrastructure problems to allow the corporation to concentrate on
running the town. But she added she was unsure about the municipality’s
future, in the wake of the Government’s drive to change both Corporation of
Hamilton and St George into unelected quangos. Ms Francis said there should be
more consultation on the plan. She said: “St George’s needs the assistance,
and it needs change, but it needs to be a collaborative change.” Ms Francis
added the two municipalities were different and suggested the creation of
separate Acts, which could help the Government get public buy-in for the change.
She also praised the corporation’s relationship with the Bermuda Tourism
Authority. She added: “There are many organisations in the town and we should
be working together. Everyone is working towards their own goal. We have started
to come together more, but there is still more that we have to do.” In
Hamilton, five people put themselves forward for the business councillor
contest: sitting councillors Larry Scott, Nicholas Swan, John Harvey and Dennis
Tucker, businessman Michael Branco. Business voters will choose four names out
of the five to represent them on the city council. Four resident councillors
were uncontested on Nomination Day: sitting councillors George Scott, Henry Ming
and RoseAnn Edwards and newcomer Jenefer Brimmer. Polling stations will be open
from 8am to 8pm at the Seventh-day Adventist Church on King Street, Hamilton,
for the city elections and at Penno’s Wharf in St George. The count is
scheduled to start as soon as the polls close and the results will be posted on
the Parliamentary Registrar’s site.
One
of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges, Binance, which has a Bermuda
company, has been hacked and an estimated $40 million worth of bitcoin stolen.
It has temporarily suspended all withdrawals on its platform as it investigates
the breach, and said it will replace the lost money from a secure asset fund.
The company's Bermuda unit is Binance (Bermuda) Ltd, and has plans to develop
its global compliance base on the island, creating 40 jobs, and to develop a
digital asset exchange in Bermuda “as soon as practicable”. Binance signed a
memorandum of understanding with the Bermuda Government in April 2018. In a
statement this week, Binance said hackers withdrew 7,000 bitcoin from its
exchange in a single transaction, having patiently waited to execute
“well-orchestrated actions” through a number of accounts. In a social-media
video on Periscope and Twitter, Binance chief executive officer Changpeng Zhao
said: “We are covered on the funding side. It does hurt very much. Throughout
this instance we will try to maintain high transparency.” He asked people to
forgive the company for the temporary block on withdrawals, which is expected to
last for a week. “We want to make sure we are secure and have solved
everything before we turn things back on,” he said. Trading will continue on
the exchange, which is the world’s biggest in terms of volume traded, but
withdrawals and deposits will be suspended until all security checks are
complete. The bitcoin theft is the sixth largest cryptocurrency exchange hack.
As part of its MOU with the Bermuda, the company said Binance’s foundation
will spend up to $10 million on training for Bermudians in blockchain technology
development, and the trading company’s labs will make up to $5 million
available for investment in new Bermudian blockchain business.
The
owners of a controversial dairy farm accused of causing a stink could face legal
action from neighbours if they fail to meet a June 30 deadline to clean up their
act. Almost 400 people have complained about Green Land Dairy Farm in
Smith’s and problems, including a foul smell, flies, rats and pigeons they
claimed were caused by the farm’s manure pit. Allan Pelvang, who lives near
the farm, said: “There have been 364 complaints since the beginning of the
year and it is accelerating quickly, I suspect we will have 500 by the end of
June. If they don’t do anything by then, the next stop would be a court
process. Everyone’s quality of life has just dropped. People have said they
will not purchase in the area and it has an impact on property values. The
schools are affected, Whitney Institute has been active throughout this process.
The whole area is contaminated because of this air-quality issue. There is a
real feeling that this cannot continue.” Mr Pelvang said: “We have been
working very closely with the Department of Health and there is now an online
complaints procedure." Valter and Lidia Medeiros, who own the farm, said
they are confident any problems would be rectified by the deadline. Ms Medeiros
said: “We have engineers working on it. We have got word that we will be able
to use the top we have on it which is adequate because it is going to be sealed
and vented — it has to be vented, as it is explosive. In the long run, the
farm will smell, but this may help with some of the smell.” The health
department said it had imposed the deadline on April 3 because of the volume of
complaints and “outstanding planning conditions which had not been met”.
Residents have complained about problems with the farm for two years and claimed
the area around the farm was infested by flies, rats and pigeons as a result of
the pit, built to hold manure and urine from the farm’s 100-plus cattle. Mr
Pelvang said that a residents’ group, after a public access to information
request, found that the Department of Health had been concerned over the use of
an open sewage pit, but the Department of Planning had given planning permission
in 2015. But planners said that if there were complaints inside six months of
the pit’s construction an application for revision should be submitted for the
installation of a top to the pit with vents for gas to escape. A top was
installed, but area residents said it had made no difference and enzymes used in
a bid to minimize odors did not help the problem. A spokeswoman for the health
department said: “Unfortunately, no application has been made to the
Department of Planning for a revision to the pit. Only a partial certificate of
completion and occupancy has been issued from the Department of Planning. No
comprehensive manure management plan has been submitted. The operators agreed to
research potential solutions and submit a comprehensive manure management plan
in an attempt to mitigate this problem. A letter confirming the outcome of this
meeting was sent to the operators on April 3. This letter advised that the
actions agreed to must be initiated by June 30 at which point the situation will
be reviewed. A similar letter has been sent to the operators from the Department
of Planning.” Residents have photographed and videoed swarms of flies in the
area and other footage showed pigeons, some dying. Ms Medeiros denied claims
that the waste pit had caused an infestation of flies and rats but said that it
might be responsible for some pigeons. She added: “Rats are an island-wide
problem, if they have palm trees they will have rats. I have never seen a swarm
of flies. We have seen some pigeons at the farm, but the environment department
came by to deal with them.” The health department spokeswoman said that its
vector control team would investigate complaints about infestations of pests.
The
cancellation of a school’s Primary 1 class could split up brothers and sisters
or force parents to move them to other schools to keep children together, a
worried parent said yesterday. Teretha Talbot, whose daughter, Brialla, 4,
was due to join brother Chanse, 6, and sister Charm, 9, at Elliot Primary School
in Devonshire in September, said she was now looking to move all three to
another school rather than split them up. She said: “They will all be in the
same school together. Truthfully, I’m trying to figure out if I should move my
other children.” She was speaking after she got a letter that warned that the
P1 class at the school could be axed next year because only four children had
been enrolled. Ms Talbot said the letter was a surprise. She added: “I was
actually in shock, because I had heard quite the opposite.” Ms Talbot said
that she had heard suggestions that there had been too many applications
received by the school. She added she had been happy with the quality of the
education her older children, two of whom have now moved on to Whitney Institute
in Smith’s, had received at Elliot. The letter, from Valerie Robinson-James,
the education ministry’s permanent secretary, said that the “Minister of
Education determines the maximum enrolment for primary schools based on school
registration”. She added: “While he has not yet made a decision on the
maximum enrolment for Elliot Primary School, it is his provisional view that
Elliot Primary School should not have a P1 class due to low enrolment in
September 2019.” Potential Elliot parents were offered places at another
school. Ms Robinson-James said that Diallo Rabain, the education minister, would
consult parents who decided not to accept alternatives before he made a final
decision. Ms Talbot said that she had not accepted the placement offer and she
had not spoken to Mr Rabain. Staff at the school said yesterday they had been
kept in the dark about the threat to the P1 class and that “morale appears to
be at all-time low” due to fears over the school’s future. A statement said
staff were not told until April 23 that the class might be cut — a month after
the letters were sent to parents of potential pupils. It added that staff had
“grave concerns about the manner in which we were informed. The school
principal, Ms Kimberly Creighton, and the school staff body were not informed of
this plan and have not been part of the consultation process.” It added that
Ms Creighton and other staff members only learnt of the possible class
cancellation “due to irate parents who spoke to some staff members about their
concerns”. The statement claimed that the actions of the education ministry
“has led to heightened concerns about the future of the students, school and
employment status”. It also questioned why staff were not consulted about the
possible loss of the class, plans for the future of the school and the possible
impact on staff members. The Government announced in March that there was to be
a delay in school registration for preschool and P1 pupils because of low
enrolment. The education ministry did not respond to a request at the time for
the number of applicants this year and last year for the island’s 18 primary
schools and ten preschools. A government report released last February showed
that enrolment numbers for public primary schools were 2,431 in 2016-17, down
from 2,585 in 2014-15. Preschool enrolment in 2016-17 was 320 pupils, down from
330 in 2014-15. Plan 2022, the Government’s blueprint for education,
published in November 2017, listed total enrolment at Elliot at 172 pupils. Mr
Rabain did not respond to a request for comment by press time yesterday.
Mobile
phone, computer and games repair company iRepair Bermuda has changed its name to
CPR Cell Phone Repair Bermuda, and it is more than just a rebranding. By
affiliating to the CPR Cell Phone Repair network, it joins more than 750 stores
around the world that are part of the network, which is says will bring “new
and improved services to customers”. In addition, the Washington Lane business
has secured the rights to expand the CPR Network in to the Caribbean, which is
sees as an opportunity to open additional stores or convert existing small
businesses to the CPR brand. Alex Jones, store manager, described CPR Cell Phone
Repair as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing mobile repair
franchises. “CPR franchise locations specialize in a wide variety of
electronics repairs ranging from cracked screens and water damage to battery
replacement and more. Bermuda has a large demand for quality device repairs, so
we are happy to improve our services with the CPR Network. We are incredibly
grateful for all of our customers who have enabled us to grow into this great
location in the heart of Hamilton and build one of the best technical teams at
any store in North America. The business’s apprentice programme is
succeeding in providing an entry into IT careers for Bermudians. We believe that
the CPR Network will offer buying power, training, and marketing efficiencies,
bringing higher quality services to both Bermudian and Caribbean customers. The
CPR partnership and our participation in the upcoming Ignite programme will
allow us to build a business across the Caribbean from our Bermuda
headquarters.” Mr Jones’s company has come a long way in the last four
years. It started as a small kiosk in Washington Mall, when the business was
known as direct.bm, before acquiring the iRepair business — and name — and
moving in to the shop premises on Court Street. Two years ago it relocated to
Washington Lane. The company does various repairs, including cracked screens,
water damage, battery and charging port replacements. Mr Jones said that joining
with Florida-based CPR would not change the business being 100 per cent
Bermudian owned, and said there will be more training opportunities for staff
and managers. As for the impact on customers, he said: “By joining the CPR
network, we are able to provide our customers with higher-quality replacement
parts, an easy-to-use website, and budget-friendly repair services.
Additionally, we have completed CPR’s corporate ISO certified training
programme in order to improve our workmanship and expand our repair
capabilities.” CPR Bermuda will honour existing warranties.
• The company is encouraging entrepreneurs interested in opportunities in the Caribbean to contact it at its Washington Lane premises, call 297-6464, or visit cprcaribbean.com/bermuda.
A
celebration of Azorean culture will be held at the BAA Field later this month.
Portuguese-American band Tony Borges and Euro will headline the Santo Cristo
festival on May 18 and 19. Local acts include Sarah Medeiros, Jessica Frias,
Amalia Ponte, Caroline Araujo and the Vasco da Gama Folklore dancers. DJ Nelson
Pavao will play music. The event will be begin on May 18 at 9pm. A mass in
honour of Santo Cristo will take place the next day at St Theresa’s Cathedral,
at 1.30pm, followed by a procession of the sacred image of Christ to BAA Field,
where an evening of activities will take place. That will include musical
performances, a bazaar with prizes, an auction of animals and produce,
refreshments and Portuguese doughnuts. The festival is jointly organised by
Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese Cultural Association and the Santo Cristo
Committee. Proceeds will go towards the Portuguese School of Bermuda and the
Portuguese Pastoral Council of the Catholic Diocese.
Britain
is to reduce the amount of information available publicly on its companies
register after thousands complained their data could be used by fraudsters.
The move is part of an overhaul of operations at Companies House, which oversees
the UK registry of more than four million businesses, after claims that scammers
and money launderers are taking advantage of flaws in the system. A report by
anti-corruption group Global Witness found that Companies House did not make
basic identity checks, meaning criminals could set up a UK company with false
details. The reforms come as Britain is preparing to issue an Order in Council
at the end of next year. British Overseas Territories, including Bermuda, will
have to provide public beneficial ownership registers in operation by 2023. In a
statement released on Sunday, the British Government said companies and their
owners would be better protected from fraud under a slew of Companies House
reforms. “In the last three years there have been almost 10,000 complaints to
Companies House from people concerned about their personal details, with worries
including fraud and use of personal details topping the list,” the statement
added. Last year the register was accessed about 6.5 billion times. One of the
proposed reforms aims to better protect personal information on the register.
The British Government stated: “In a minority of cases the register can be
misused to identify personal information, which can then be used for criminal
purposes. Under these proposals, directors will be given additional rights over
their information, for example personal home addresses, while ensuring this
information is still available in a transparent manner to public authorities
where appropriate.” The Bermuda Government has kept a beneficial ownership
register for more than 70 years. It is not open to the public, but its contents
are available to government authorities under international information-sharing
agreements. David Burt, the Premier, has said Bermuda will be happy to comply
with the British demands when public registers become “a global standard”.
The Government has also argued that the Order in Council from the UK, if not
approved by the Bermuda Parliament, would breach the island’s constitution.
Global Witness’s report said the lack of ID verification at Companies House
has helped UK companies to become “a conduit for scandal. In among the
millions of companies and partnerships created in the last few decades, there
are thousands that seemingly exist for no other purpose than to launder money,
on a mind-boggling scale. Once incorporated through Companies House, these
companies are able to control bank accounts, own property and move money around
the world in much the same way as a private person.” Under the reforms,
Companies House will get greater powers to verify and corroborate identities and
submitted information. Global Witness found that about 8 per cent of UK
companies declared no “person with significant control”, the description
given to an owner of a stake of 25 per cent or more. According to Britain’s
National Crime Agency, “there is a realistic possibility that the scale of
money laundering impacting the UK annually is in the hundreds of billions of
pounds”. On its website, the agency states: “Virtually all high-end
money-laundering schemes, and several cash-based ones, are facilitated by the
abuse of legitimate processes and services.” UK shell companies were found to
have played a role in the Danske Bank and “Troika Laundromat”
multibillion-dollar money-laundering scandals.
The
Department of Communications has remained tight-lipped over fallout from an
erroneous statement that drew the ire last week of Curtis Dickinson, the
Minister of Finance. However, its protocols were said to be under review to
head off a repeat of the incident. The statement, issued last Thursday,
incorrectly said that, starting on Monday, a fee would be imposed at a variety
of government departments for using a credit card to pay for service. Calling
the mistake “inexcusable”, Mr Dickinson said on Friday that the release had
been issued without approval, and that the charges would be applied only to
payroll tax payments. The move had been announced in Mr Dickinson’s maiden
Budget speech of February 22, when the minister said it was aimed at cutting
costs incurred by the Government for credit card charges. The minister said the
incorrect statement had hampered the ministry and created “confusion” for
the public, and that he expected the code of conduct for the public services to
be applied. A spokeswoman for the department told The Royal Gazette: “A
regrettable error was made and a press release issued without the minister’s
approval. Processes and procedures are being reviewed and reinforced to ensure
this type of mistake does not occur again. Beyond this, we will not comment on
human resources matters.” Last night, a former member of staff from the
department, who asked not to be identified, said the statement was unlikely to
have been sent out without some form of higher approval. The former
communications officer said DCI staff were frequently at odds with the code of
conduct; as civil servants that meant they are supposed to be apolitical and
avoid having direct contact with ministers of government — when, as
speechwriters, such contacts were “tough to avoid”.
Stroke
patients will have access to “the best possible chance at full recovery”,
thanks to a link-up between the Bermuda Hospitals Board and Johns Hopkins
Medicine. The move, welcomed as a “dream come true” by campaigners, will
see a primary stroke centre established in Bermuda, with accreditation for acute
stroke care in place by 2021. The clinical affiliation with the Maryland-based
medical institute will also include improvements in psychiatric care, a
continuing medical education programme for physicians in Bermuda and a residency
programme. Michael Richmond, Chief of Staff at the BHB, told a press conference:
“Stroke treatment and rehabilitation is a key focus. We have four to five
stroke cases come to the hospital per week. We want to ensure we are giving
every stroke patient the best possible chance at full recovery, and also
identifying people at risk even earlier to try and prevent one altogether. We
are also looking at psychiatry for opportunities to improve and find more
effective ways to structure and deliver our services.” Dr Richmond said the
aim was to provide treatment that matches “the best of the best”. The
agreement with Johns Hopkins will cost $1.6 million over two years. Mark Selley,
chairman of the Bermuda Family Stroke Association, said of the plans for a
stroke centre: “It would be like a dream come true.” Mr Selley said that he
had lobbied for 26 years for a stroke unit that also deals with road traffic
accidents and neurological problems, but that they were “placed on the back
burner”. He added: “I am happy to see this arrangement. If the BHB can team
up with Johns Hopkins, we would be so far ahead in the game.” Mr Selley
pointed out that the longer it took for stroke patients to get the help needed,
the less likely they were to recover. He said rehabilitation by trained
specialists was important in the first few days after a stroke. “Like chemo is
key to cancer treatment, rehab is key to stroke treatment,” he said. Mr Selley
said a local centre that addressed all the needs of a stroke patient would also
reduce travel costs. Mr Richmond said quality access to education for doctors
was also an important part of the agreement. He said: “Our Continuing Medical
Education programme is now accredited by one of the world’s best known and
highly respected healthcare providers, and our first CME was held last night.”
Venetta Symonds, CEO of the BHB, said: “I’m excited that we are on this
journey to improve on-island care for our families, friend and communities with
them. It is BHB’s vision to deliver exceptional through strong partnerships
and support a healthy community. We ran a robust and lengthy RFP process for our
clinical affiliate and six highly acclaimed hospitals applied and went through
extensive review. Johns Hopkins won not only due to their quality and status in
the healthcare world, but their deep affinity to and understanding of
Bermuda.” Mohan Chellappa, executive vice-president and president of Global
Ventures, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, said: “We are honored to
contribute to the Bermudian healthcare journey. Johns Hopkins Medicine’s
mission is to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the
standard of excellence in medical education, research and patient care. And the
unique community of Bermuda holds a special place in our hearts at Johns
Hopkins.” He pointed out that one of Johns Hopkins’ best doctors, Malcolm
Brock, was from Bermuda. He said: “We will support BHB staff with education
and training and, together, we’re now in the process of establishing a primary
stroke centre and preparing for accreditation in the area of acute stroke care
in 2021.” The affiliation includes a programme for medical doctors who have
graduated from an accredited medical school and are completing additional
specialist training at Johns Hopkins. Those doctors will complete four-week
rotations to Bermuda to perform short-term clinical and quality improvement
projects. Dr Chellappa said: “Our clinical affiliation with Bermuda Hospitals
Board is an important part of Johns Hopkins’s vision to enhance healthcare
around the world, by sharing our latest clinical advances and research findings
in a way that contributes to local healthcare needs and goals, for many years to
come.”
Patients
whose medical files were seized during police raids on Ewart Brown’s medical
clinics are likely to appeal a judge’s decision to remove two lawyers from the
case. Mark Pettingill and Victoria Greening, of Chancery Legal, were barred
from representing 150 patients of Bermuda Healthcare Services in Paget and the
Brown-Darrell Clinic in Smith’s by Assistant Justice Kiernan Bell, in a May 2
judgment. The judge agreed with lawyers for Bermuda Police Service that Mr
Pettingill, a former Attorney-General, and Ms Greening, a former Crown
prosecutor, had a conflict of interest because they accessed confidential
information about a long-running police investigation into Dr Brown while in
their previous roles. Mr Pettingill told The Royal Gazette yesterday he
had spoken with several patients who indicated they wanted to appeal the
judge’s decision. “Having been contacted by a few patients, they are
certainly wanting us to remain on the case and are hopeful we will appeal,” he
said. “We are very disappointed for our clients who we have worked with for
some time.” Dr Brown, a former premier, expressed “shock” at the judge’s
decision in a statement issued yesterday. He said: “We will appeal this
surprising decision. Our fight will continue as long as our enemies are
committed to the destruction of my business and the assassination of my
character.” Chancery Legal’s clients were among 265 patients whose health
records were seized during police raids on Dr Brown’s two medical facilities
in February 2017. The raids were part of an ongoing investigation by police into
allegations that the clinics ordered unnecessary diagnostic imaging scans to
boost profits. Mahesh Reddy, medical director at Bermuda Healthcare Services,
contested the seizures in a series of closed court hearings and the medical
files were sealed on the orders of a judge. The patients intervened in the civil
proceedings brought against Bermuda Police Service by Dr Reddy and the clinics
in an attempt to ensure their files were not accessed by the police. In her
judgment, Mrs Justice Bell said: “I find Chancery Legal, through Mr Pettingill
and Ms Greening, have received confidential and relevant information of the
[Commissioner of Police] and the BPS attributable to their lawyer/client
relationship, arising from their positions as Attorney-General and Crown
counsel. I am not satisfied that there is no risk of disclosure of this
confidential and privileged information and any disclosure would be adverse to
the interests of the [Commissioner] and the BPS. In the circumstances, Chancery
Legal is restrained from acting for the ... patients.” Dr Brown said: “The
decision to remove lawyers Mark Pettingill and Victoria Greening from their
roles as advocates for the patients has come as a shock. Chancery Legal,
beginning with the late Shawn Crockwell, has represented our patients for more
than two years. The police did not raise the issue of conflict until Chancery
Law questioned their integrity. We are surprised that the judge considered
[there] to be ‘conflicts’ justifying the removal of the patients’ lawyers
— situations which are commonplace in Bermuda.” Dr Reddy and the clinics are
represented by Delroy Duncan, of Trott and Duncan law firm. Jerome Lynch QC, of
Trott and Duncan, has represented the patients, alongside Mr Pettingill and Ms
Greening. Dr Brown said it was true that Mr Lynch remained on the case, adding:
“But he has always taken instructions from Pettingill and Greening.” He
said: “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” Dr Brown and Dr Reddy have
denied any wrongdoing in relation to the alleged over-scanning of patients and
have not been charged with any offences.
A
Bermudian, Toronto Darrell, is to be sentenced in Nottingham Crown Court in
Britain after admitting he drove dangerously through a housing estate in the UK
city. Nottingham Magistrates Court heard that Mr Darrell, engaged in “a
high-speed police chase through a built-up area over a substantial distance”
in the Bestwood Park neighborhood. Mark Fielding, the prosecutor, added that Mr
Darrell, 54, ignored stop signs and drove at 80mph in a 20mph area. Mr Darrell,
who also admitted having no insurance, reportedly told the court: “I don’t
know England".. Mr Darrell was disqualified from driving, and given a sentencing
date of June 11. No date for the incident was reported yesterday by The
Nottingham Post, but Mr Fielding told the court it had occurred at 10pm when
pedestrians were “likely to be about”.
Hiscox
Ltd reported rate increases for its reinsurance and London market businesses
during the first quarter. The Bermuda-based insurer and reinsurer said its
gross premiums written grew by 3.3 per cent to $1.165 billion from $1.157
billion in the same period a year earlier. Hiscox Re and ILS, whose main
operation is based in offices in Wessex House, on Reid Street, saw rate
increases of about 2 per cent across its portfolio, with retrocession and risk
excess accounts achieving the highest rate increases. “Rates in US
catastrophe-exposed business are up low single digits, while pressure continues
in the international book where rates are down slightly in aggregate, despite
increases of more than 25 per cent on loss-affected Japanese business at the
April renewals. The division’s gross written premiums fell by 4.6 per cent to
$342.8 million. The main driver of the decrease was a reduction of capital
available to be deployed by Hiscox’s insurance-linked securities funds after
significant losses last year, the company said. For Hiscox London Market, rates
rose by about 4 per cent year to date. Hiscox said the cumulative impact of two
consecutive years of heavy market losses and the Lloyd’s “Decile 10”
directive continued to drive rate improvement in the majority of classes.
“Cargo, marine hull and US public company directors and officers’ have seen
the most significant rate rises, all up double digits, while pricing in property
lines continues to firm,” Hiscox said. “Pricing in cyber and terrorism
remains competitive.” The company’s investment return for the quarter was
$84.2 million, or 5.3 per cent on an annualized basis. Assets under management
at the end of the quarter totaled $6.334 billion.
Prison
authorities failed to reach a decision on whether to release records about sex
offenders under Bermuda’s public access to information law. But the
Department of Corrections said it was now working with the Information
Commissioner’s Office to “address this matter” after being ordered to
provide a proper response to the requester. A spokesman told The Royal
Gazette that the department “will be in the position to provide further
details at a later date”. The Pati request for “records and information
relating to sex offenders” was submitted to the Department of Corrections in
March last year. The department did not respond with a decision within the
statutory six-week time frame. The head of the department, Collin Anderson, the
permanent secretary at the national security ministry, also failed to respond to
a request for an internal review. Information commissioner Gitanjali Gutierrez
said the department failed to comply with the Pati Act in a decision released in
February. She ordered the permanent secretary to issue a decision to the
requester, whose identity is not known, by April 11. Ms Gutierrez declined to
comment on whether the authority met that deadline. She said public authorities
generally had to comply within six weeks of a decision and if they did not she
would “evaluate whether judicial action is required to compel compliance”. The
Royal Gazette submitted a Pati request to the Department of Corrections in
November 2016 that asked for a list of all sex offenders released from prison in
the previous ten years. The department denied the request and Marc Telemaque,
then permanent secretary at the national security ministry, said
that “careful, individual consideration” needed to be given in each case
involving disclosure. He added: “I’m not satisfied that disclosure of the
information, as requested by the applicant, is in the public interest.” That
request is still under review by the ICO.
Medical
cannabis will come under the spotlight at an information session today.
Debra Kimless, an anaesthesiologist and chief medical director for
Maryland-based medical cannabis grower ForwardGro, will discuss medical uses for
the drug at a free event organised by Northshore Medical and Aesthetics Centre
in Devonshire. Kyjuan Brown, the medical director at Northshore Medical, said:
“A significant number of patients in Bermuda suffer from a plethora of
conditions that are treatable or can be assisted by way use of medicinal
cannabis. For many years, I have advocated on behalf of the many suffering
Bermudian patients who can benefit from medicinal cannabis. To that end, we at
Northshore Medical believe it imperative to educate the general public on the
uses and benefits of medicinal cannabis. We are excited to welcome Dr Kimless to
Bermuda. We are both passionate about finding alternative solutions to address
the needs of our patients and I invite everyone to come out.”
• The presentation will be held at 6pm in the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium at CedarBridge Academy at Prospect
A
man who raided his mother’s home three times to feed his drug habit was
ordered to attend drug treatment court. Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday
that Paul Williams, 40, stole a 32in television from the Southampton home of
Paulette Godfrey on Friday. Magistrate Maxanne Anderson heard that Williams also
entered the house on April 25 and 26, but took nothing. But she was told
Williams, also from Southampton, caused $130 worth of damage on April 26 when he
broke a cordless phone. Williams, who is of no fixed abode and assaulted two
police officers on Friday, admitted three charges of trespassing, two charges of
assault on a police officer, wilful damage of property and theft of the
television. Simone Smith-Bean, who appeared for Williams, said the crimes were
committed as a result of his drug problem and asked for court-ordered treatment.
Ms Anderson ordered Williams to attend drug treatment court. She adjourned the
case and remanded Williams in custody.
The
Bermuda Society for the Blind has rebranded and will now operate under the name
Vision Bermuda. The charity said the shift will more accurately reflect the
services now being offered. David Petty, president of Vision Bermuda, said:
“There is a growing population of not only people who are blind, but also low
or decreasing vision. Living with vision impairment can be isolating and
complex. Our new name is a testament to the support that we pledge to help guide
people who are experiencing vision impairment of all forms through their journey
to regain independence and make social connections” The registered charity
began as a social group in 1954 for the blind and visually impaired before being
established as the Bermuda Society for the Blind in 1957, operating a sheltered
workshop. After 50 years, the charity has developed the infrastructure to
provide public awareness and educational events, rehabilitation services and
social activities. Tinée Furbert, Junior Minister of Disability Affairs, said:
“It gave me great pleasure to be able to be a part of this recent change and
bring forth the private members amendment bill in the House of Assembly. I would
like to thank the newly renamed Vision Bermuda team, executive and service users
for all of their vision, insight and assistance for the visually impaired
community over the past years and the years to come.” Senator James Jardine,
who supported the name change, said: “Perhaps the most important change was
the amendment to recognize a wider more inclusive name to encompass not only
those who are completely or partially blind but also others who have some form
of vision impairment.” Appleby provided its services on a complimentary basis
to assist with the legal aspects. Laura Burns, an associate at the firm, said:
“It has been a pleasure for Appleby to provide legal pro bono services to the
society and to work closely alongside its leadership over the last several
years. We wish the society continued success as it now operates as Vision
Bermuda.” For more information on Vision Bermuda including its work to assist
the visually impaired you can follow them on Facebook. The charity plans to
launch the island’s first assessable website for the visually impaired utilizing
the latest technology, which allows the visually impaired to read the
website.
Pupils
and parents were given advice on asthma when they gathered at an awareness event
at City Hall. Asthma charity Open Airways organised “Helping Bermuda
Breathe” to mark World Asthma Day and spread the message about the condition,
which affects more than 8,000 people on the island. Organisers handed out free
pillows, spacers and microfibre cloths.
Teachers
not informed of a possible class cut at their school were disrespected, the
shadow education minister said yesterday. Cole Simons said that parents had
not been provided with adequate information about public school enrolment
problems. Mr Simons said: “The ministry could have been more transparent when
they received the March data from all of the year one primary school intakes
across the island.” He said that Diallo Rabain, the Minister of Education,
could have held a press conference to share enrolment numbers with the public,
as well as the Government’s plan. Mr Simons added: “The parents could have
been put on notice, the teachers could have been placed on notice, and they
would have been better prepared for any decision. As a matter of fact, our
teachers should have been advised first.” He was speaking after some parents
were warned in a letter that the primary one class at Elliot Primary School
could be axed next year due to low enrolment. The undated letter, from Valerie
Robinson-James, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, said that
the “Minister of Education determines the maximum enrolment for primary
schools based on school registration”. She added: “While he has not yet made
a decision on the maximum enrolment for Elliot Primary School, it is his
provisional view that Elliot Primary School should not have a
P1 class due to low enrolment in September 2019.” Ms Robinson-James said that
only four pupils had been enrolled for the P1 class for the next academic year.
Mr Simons said that he did not know the letter had been sent to parents. He
added that he had been “reliably informed” that teachers at the school,
located on Hermitage Road, Devonshire, had been told of the possible class cut
by the Parent Teacher Association at the school — not by the principal and the
Department of Education. Mr Simons said: “This demonstrates the height of
disrespect for those teachers.” Jamee Jones, the president of the PTA at
Elliot, declined to comment yesterday on the possible loss of the P1 class. She
said: “At this moment, I am not in a position to have this conversation.” Mr
Simons said he was not aware of any similar letters having been sent out in
regards to other schools. But he added: “It has come to my attention that the
P1 numbers are down in a few other schools as well.” The Government announced
in March that there was to be a delay in school registration for preschool and
P1 pupils owing to low enrolment. The education ministry did not respond to a
request at the time for the number of applicants this year and last year for the
island’s 18 primary schools and ten preschools. A government report released
last February showed that enrolment numbers for public primary schools was at
2,431 students in 2016-17 down from 2,585 in 2014-15. Preschool enrolment in
2016-17 was at 320 pupils down from 330 in 2014-15.
Hosting
the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in 2021 could be a springboard for
improving accessibility, with the Bermuda Tourism Authority aiming to welcome
more disabled visitors in time for the event’s grand final. A BTA
statement said the two-year deadline was “significant because Bermuda will
welcome a number of triathletes in 2020 and 2021 who have visual impairments or
use a mobility device like a wheelchair”. Two disabled teams participated last
month in MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda: Team Ladybugs from Britain, Stephan
and Chloe Couture, and ThumbsUp International, consisting of Kerry Gruson and
her coach, Erinne Guthrie. Both were interviewed by an Accessibility Working
Group assembled under the National Tourism Plan to draw up an accessibility plan
to be released to the public this autumn. The WTS Grand Final is set for October
2021. Tinée Furbert, the Progressive Labour Party MP and chairwoman of the
group, said it aimed to “leverage the triathlon events to focus the
country’s attention on solving a longstanding deficiency in our
infrastructure”. Ms Furbert added that improving accessibility would leave the
island with a “legacy benefit” after the races end. Aided by the BTA, the
group will examine accessibility at local hotels and restaurants this month. Its
surveys are to show how many establishments can cater to customers of different
ability levels, allowing the group to set a target for how many accessible
facilities the island could work on for 2021. Transport and vacation rentals, as
well as attractions and excursions, would also get a review. At present,
visitors arriving by cruise ship faced limited options ashore, and difficulties
in getting around Bermuda were also likely to deter potential air visitors, the
BTA statement added. LaKiesha Wolffe, an accessibility consultant and activist,
called the announcement “awesome”. But she added: “Why wait all this time
and then fix things only because an event is coming to Bermuda? Why just wait
for a tourist event?” She said there were popular restaurants too small for
patrons in a wheelchair, adding that many supermarkets had wheelchair ramps that
were “far too steep”. “I would love to be contacted,” Ms Wolffe said.
She called the 2021 deadline a realistic one and said: “Many of these things
are not as costly to fix as you think. It’s not stuff that takes a long
time.” Glenn Jones, the BTA’s chief experience development officer, said
that “a more accessible visitor infrastructure equals more visitors”. Mr
Jones said: “If local businesses lay out the welcome mat for this audience,
they will come, they will spend money and they will bring their families. But if
there are barriers to a good experience for one member of the family in a
wheelchair, the whole family chooses to go elsewhere.” The working group’s
findings are to be posted on the GoToBermuda.com website, and highlighted in the
authority’s marketing materials. Keith Simmons, the vice-chairman of the
working group, said that equal time would be given for solutions as well as
defining “where the issues are”. He added: “Oftentimes a solution is less
costly than business owners think and can generate more revenue for them once
the improvements are in place.”
Dozens
of cameras collected by an enthusiast have been used to create a display to show
how photographic technology has evolved. Collection owner Dieter Wälzholz
said he wanted to share his hobby with a wider audience and found a home for his
cameras at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. He said the focus during more than
30 years of building the collection was equipment that was the first of its
kind. Mr Wälzholz, 83, explained: “What interested me particularly was the
technical development of the cameras. I tried to buy cameras and accessories
that had something for the very first time. It didn’t have to be an expensive
camera, very often the idea came from very small manufacturers. Sometimes you
find those cameras for $20 and the next time you buy them for $100. I found it
far more interesting than buying a certain expensive brand because this is the
expression of human creativity in the technical sense.” He estimated that he
had given more than 90 cameras to Masterworks, but more have since been bought
and the number is expected to rise. Mr Wälzholz said the collection had
outgrown the Pembroke home he shared with Jennifer, his wife of 47 years. He
added: “I couldn’t display them, I was the only one who could look at them
and see anything of them and I thought it was a bit of a waste.” Mr Wälzholz
and Tom Butterfield, the Masterworks founder and creative director, talked about
the cameras and Mr Wälzholz agreed to hand them over to the Paget museum on the
condition that the collection would not be sold or split up in his lifetime. A
showcase beside the museum’s entrance includes examples of the first Polaroid
cameras and the first disposable cameras, both from 1948. The earliest camera in
the display is thought to be from about 1907. Mr Wälzholz said he hoped the
collection was “just the beginning” and that more cameras would be added. Mr
Butterfield added it was important for the museum to find “more creative”
ways to use its galleries. He said: “It is wonderful that a couple have been
so generous to pass on what’s essentially their life’s work for other
generations to enjoy.” Mr Butterfield added: “The idea of keeping it intact
is exactly in line with what we are all about so future generations really do
have something to inherit. It’s really as significant as it gets as it’s
really about passion.”
Debris
has languished for months at a West End dock with the Government failing to
tackle illegal dumping, a Southampton resident has complained. Jessica
Riederer said that debris at Ely’s Harbour Dock in Sandys had yet to be
removed, despite her flagging up the problem almost four months ago. She added
that the initial mess, a discarded washer and dryer, had since gained a mattress
and an oven, along with plastic and trash. Ms Riederer said: “It’s
unsightly, we’ve got a rat problem, we’ve got a roach problem and nobody
wants to walk by massive piles of rubbish.” The nature photographer posted
images of the trash heap on her Facebook account yesterday. She wrote in the
caption: “I seriously can’t understand how the large dumped objects
haven’t been removed by now. I seriously don’t understand how people think
it’s OK to dump their personal s*** on a public dock [or a national park ...
ongoing]. I’m so sick of the excuses.” Ms Riederer blamed the growing mess
on the Government’s inaction, which she said encouraged others to dump at the
site instead of using waste management facilities. Ms Riederer added:
“Unfortunately, we seem to live in a society where people see someone doing
something wrong and they think it’s OK to do the same thing. From what I’ve
seen, if trash is allowed to accumulate in an area people, unfortunately, are
going to continue to add to that area thinking that it’s someone else’s
problem.” Ms Riederer said that she came across the debris in January, sharing
pictures of the trash on social media to spread awareness. The images were
widely circulated, and eventually featured on the ZBM news, but the attention
had not prompted any crackdown. She added: “It’s the same thing with every
public dock. If you were to get into your car right now and go down to the ferry
terminals and most of the public docks, you would see the exact same situation.
I find it embarrassing when I’m in a public space and talk to tourists, guests
of this island, and I feel the need to apologise. We’re supposed to live on a
beautiful island.” Anne Hyde, executive director at Keep Bermuda Beautiful,
said illegal dumping on docks had been a constant for years. Ms Hyde said both
KBB and the Department of Works and Engineering took frequent dumping
complaints. “Waste management may be overburdened with lots of other
reports of dumping everywhere else, because Ely’s Harbour is not an isolated
case.” Ms Hyde said that waste pileups were also a public health hazard,
drawing pests such as rats and mosquitoes, while trash could migrate to the
ocean. “It’s not just an aesthetic blight — it’s a lot more complicated
than that.” The Ministry of Public Works did not respond by press time last
night to a request for comment. Reports of illegal dumping can be reported to
Karlos Burch, of the Ministry of Public Works, at 278-0563 or Keep Bermuda
Beautiful at 295-5142.
Bermudian
author Lorene Phillips will return to the island at the weekend for a book
signing. Ms Phillips, who wrote 29 Keys to Unlocking your Faith at Work and
Win and 29 Keys to Parenting and Win, will sign books at Brown & Co at 2pm
on Friday. Ms Phillips’s husband, Eugene Phillips, will join her for the book
signing. The books, available online and at local bookstores, detail paths to
success both at home and at work.
A
string of communications over cryptocurrency firm Arbitrade’s bid to set up in
Bermuda revealed “an embarrassing shambles”, the Opposition leader said
yesterday. Craig Cannonier added he feared the island’s reputation had
been put at risk after a worried managing partner of a US-based spice company
and investor in Arbitrade wrote to David Burt, the Premier, and asked if
Arbitrade was working with Bermuda and in operation on the island. Mr Cannonier
said: “The Arbitrade saga has become an embarrassing shambles that cannot be
good for Bermuda’s reputation.” He was speaking after The Royal Gazette
revealed that a government official asked Arbitrade to keep its promise to
donate $1 million for fintech development on the island. Correspondence received
in response to a public access to information request also showed apparent
confusion among Cabinet Office figures over whether or not a memorandum of
understanding with the company was ever reached. The One Bermuda Alliance leader
said: “It is astonishing that there was confusion within Government’s own
fintech unit about whether an MOU was signed or not. “It [beggars] belief that
this specialist department could apparently not find a record of any
agreement.” Last night, David Burt, the Premier, said: “We are preparing
Bermudians for the technology jobs of the future and I will not be deterred by
the Opposition leader’s myopic focus on one of 80 tech companies that have
incorporated in Bermuda since we took office.” Mr Cannonier asked: “Why was
Government seeking $1 million from the firm when it did not even have a licence
to operate? This was clearly an act of desperation as Government knew that
without that money, it could not fulfil a key promise on its only economic plan
— the creation of a fintech centre, which was, indeed, later scaled down.
Government’s excuse that it wanted to exercise ‘fiscal prudence’ over this
scheme was clearly an extremely disingenuous statement to cover a failure to
deliver on its promises.” He added: “I am also extremely concerned that it
appears that at least one investor was worried enough to contact the Premier
suggesting that Arbitrade was trading on its relationship with Bermuda and
asking ‘if they are inappropriately trading on a false relationship’ with
the island. Is this the kind of reputation that Bermuda wants — on top of
being blacklisted by the EU due to a basic error in drafting legislation?” Mr
Cannonier also asked about the status of other MOUs signed with the Government
more than a year ago and how much the companies involved had invested in
training schemes. Arbitrade announced plans for the island last summer when it
talked about a $1 million contribution for a fintech incubator. The company also
said it wanted to donate $125,000 to a variety of projects, including a gang
violence reduction scheme that involved young people working on chicken farms,
the Mirrors programme, Family Centre, and a programme for active shooter
preparedness in schools and charities. Copies of correspondence provided to The
Royal Gazette last week showed Wayne Smith, the head of the fintech business
unit, wrote to Len Schutzman, the Arbitrade chairman, to ask that “in
accordance with the public announcement of July 2018” the company proceeded
with its “commitment of a $1 million contribution to Bermuda Fintech
Development Fund”. The documents revealed that Cherie-Lynn Whitter, the
Cabinet Office permanent secretary, earlier asked Mr Smith for a “copy of the
MOU that speaks to the commitment”, but he replied that he could not find an
agreement. They also included an e-mail from Zach Bobker, a managing partner of
a US-based online spice delivery service, who said he had invested in Arbitrade
cryptocurrency token dignity, or Dig, since February 2018. He asked Mr Burt if
the Premier could clarify whether Arbitrade was working with Bermuda and was
operating on the island. He said it seemed the company had “completely
disappeared” on token holders since January. Mr Bobker added: “Or, if you
can’t speak directly on the matter perhaps you can gently encourage Arbitrade
to get in touch with their token holders.” Mr Bobker added: “If they are
inappropriately trading on a false relationship with Bermuda, this would be
important for us remaining token holders to know.” Mr Smith told Mr Bobker
that Arbitrade had not been granted a licence to launch an initial coin offering
or to conduct digital asset business in Bermuda. He added that the company could
not operate from its Victoria Hall building on Victoria Street, Hamilton, until
it obtained the required licences. Mr Cannonier said there were questions Mr
Burt should answer “urgently”. He asked: “Does he still expect Arbitrade
to donate $1 million to the fintech centre? If so, when? What about all the
other donations that Arbitrade promised, such as the chicken farm? Has it
donated the $45,000 it promised? Has the fintech centre started yet? If so, what
is happening? Did the Premier reply to the concerned investor? If he did, what
did he say?” A government spokeswoman said on Saturday that no money had been
paid into the fintech development fund. The Premier explained: “We have an
extremely high standard and the Government, in conjunction with the Bermuda
Business Development Agency, will continue the work of attracting companies to
our shores that can meet the Bermuda Standard. I am fully confident in the
Bermuda Monetary Authority’s ability to scrutinize companies who wish to
operate digital asset businesses in and from Bermuda, and look forward to the
pace of job creation in this industry to accelerate as more companies become
licensed.” Senior executives at Arbitrade have not responded to requests for
comment.
Ryan
Specialty Group (RSG) and Nationwide have teamed up to form a new Bermuda-based
reinsurance company called Geneva Re. Michael O’Halleran will be the new
company’s executive chairman. Mr O’Halleran is well known in the industry,
having previously served as executive chairman of Aon Benfield and as president
and chief operating officer of broker Aon. Nationwide is an insurance company
based in Ohio, while RSG is a Chicago-based holding company for insurance
brokerages and managing general agencies. Each company will have a 50 per cent
stake in the venture. Ryan Re, an RSG-affiliated company led by Brian
Boornazian, the chief executive officer, will act as the exclusive underwriting
manager for Geneva Re. Mr Boornazian is a 37-year veteran of the insurance
industry, having previously worked for Gen Re, Guy Carpenter, Cologne Re, NAC
Re, XL Re and Aspen Re. In a statement, Geneva Re said it will have the
financial strength to immediately accept a diversified portfolio of reinsurance
business from Ryan Specialty Group’s underwriting programmes. It is
anticipated that Geneva Re will be able to begin underwriting business on July 1
this year subject to the approval of the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Nationwide
will also appoint Ryan Re as its exclusive underwriting manager for third-party
property and casualty treaty reinsurance business flowing through Geneva Re. Mr
Boornazian said: “I believe we are bringing an unprecedented proposition to
the reinsurance market. Combining the quality and balance sheet strength of
Nationwide, the innovation and market presence of RSG, and the well respected
and experienced underwriters will uniquely position Ryan Re to provide the
security and underwriting insight to our brokers and clients.” RSG said the
strategic partnership will enable it and Nationwide to grow in the specialty
lines market, while expanding upon an already strong relationship. Patrick Ryan,
chairman and CEO of RSG, said the companies “share a similar culture, which is
critical to entering into a long-term relationship”. Mark Berven, president
and COO, Nationwide property and casualty, said: “We look forward to
furthering our relationship with RSG, who is today one of our largest
E&S/specialty distribution partners. This relationship will create new
opportunities for both organisations to expand our reach and serve additional
niche markets that are currently underserved.”
Everest
Re Group Ltd made a profit of $348.9 million, or $8.54 per diluted share, for
the first quarter. That was up from $210.3 million, or $5.11 per share, a
year ago. After-tax operating income was $282.4 million, or $6.91 per share,
compared to $219.7 million, or $5.34 per share, for the same period last year.
This beat the $5.91 per share estimated consensus of analysts tracked by Yahoo
Finance. Dominic Addesso, chief executive officer, said: “During the first
quarter of 2019 Everest produced very strong financial results while continuing
to expand our market profile with growth in both our reinsurance and insurance
businesses. The company delivered $8.54 of net income per diluted common share,
equal to a 17 per cent annualized return on equity, driven by both solid
underwriting and investment returns. Our underwriting operations are
strategically balanced between reinsurance and insurance, allowing us to quickly
respond to market conditions across virtually all classes of business and
territories in building the optimal portfolio of risks.” Gross written
premiums were $2.1 billion, up 10 per cent, while worldwide reinsurance premiums
were $1.5 billion, an improvement of 7 per cent. The company’s combined ratio
improved from 93.3 per cent to 88.7 per cent, year-on-year. Catastrophe losses
were $25 million, related to the damaging rain and floods in Townsville,
Australia. Net investment income was $141 million for the quarter, an
improvement of 1.9 per cent. Book value per share rose from $194.43 at the
beginning of the year, to $206.68 at the end of March.
The
trial of a man accused of knifing a bar worker was delayed last week — because
the defendant was stabbed. The Supreme Court heard yesterday that Alex
Wolffe was stabbed in the left shoulder last Monday and was unable to appear in
court for several days. Mr Wolffe said he was stabbed when he opened his door
after someone knocked on it at about 3am. The court was told he needed medical
treatment and was given a medical certificate to cover his absence. The
prosecution suggested Mr Wolffe’s injuries were self-inflicted in an attempt
to gain sympathy. But Susan Mulligan, Mr Wolffe’s lawyer, said there was no
evidence that Mr Wolffe had stabbed himself. She added Mr Wolffe was prepared to
come to court two days after he was stabbed, but doctors recommended more time
to recover. Ms Mulligan said that concerns were also raised about Mr Wolffe’s
ability to give evidence only two days after he was injured. Borislav Angelov
was stabbed multiple times in an attempted robbery outside his Paget home after
he was chased on his motorbike along Harbour Road by two men on another bike in
the early hours of October 23 last year. Mr Wolffe, from Southampton, is charged
with wounding Mr Angelov, attempted robbery and two counts of intimidation. He
denies the charges. Mr Wolffe earlier told the court that he had been in
Southampton at the time of the attack on Mr Angelov and that he had been
attacked by two men who had taken a borrowed motorcycle from him. The trial
continues.
The
future of a primary one class is under threat after only four pupils were
enrolled for the next academic year. Parents were told in a letter that the
class at Elliot Primary School could be axed. The undated letter from Valerie
Robinson-James, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, said:
“Each year, the Minister of Education determines the maximum enrolment for
primary schools based on school registration. While he has not yet made a
decision on the maximum enrolment for Elliot Primary School, it is his
provisional view that Elliot Primary School should not have a P1 class due to
low enrolment in September 2019.” The letter is believed to have been sent in
March to parents of potential P1 pupils at the Hermitage Road, Devonshire
school. Ms Robinson-James said that Diallo Rabain, the education minister,
believed that a full-sized P1 class would give pupils a “more suitable
education and that having a class of only four students would not be an
effective use of human, facility or financial resources”. Ms Robinson-James
told the parents: “However, being in a class of more than four children would
allow for an enhanced educational experience, and your child would also have
greater opportunities to form relationships that would enrich their
interpersonal skills, and help them to learn how to be a member of a team. These
are all skills which are acquired from their entire school experience.”
Potential Elliot Primary parents were offered an enrolment place at another
school. But Ms Robinson-James told them: “However, it is your choice whether
or not to accept the offer.” She said that the Department of Education would
arrange for parents to visit other schools and cover the cost of school
uniforms. Parents were given a week to accept or decline alternatives and were
asked make their decision by March 28. Ms Robinson-James said that Mr Rabain,
whose daughter is an Elliot Primary pupil, would consult parents who decided not
to accept alternatives before he made a final decision. A spokeswoman for the
Ministry of Education said yesterday that the education department was
“looking at further options” because of low enrolment numbers at preschool
and primary-school levels across the public school system. She added: “We are
in the process of consulting with the potentially affected schools and parents
who have applied for enrolment into P1 for September 2019. Once that
consultation process has been completed, we will inform the relevant
stakeholders of the decisions.” The spokeswoman declined to comment on whether
a decision on the future of the Elliot class had been made, or when the decision
would be announced. She also did not respond when asked if similar letters had
been sent to parents whose children were due to attend other schools. The
Government announced in March that there was to be a delay in school
registration for preschool and P1 pupils owing to low enrolment. The education
ministry did not respond to a request at the time for the number of applicants
this year and last year for the island’s 18 primary schools and ten
preschools. Questions sent to the Parent Teacher Association at Elliot Primary
were not responded to by press time. The Bermuda Union of Teachers also did not
respond to a request for comment.
Janice
Mullings-George has won the Nurse of the Year award. Ms Mullings-George, 35,
who works in the post-anaesthesia care unit at the King Edward VII Memorial
Hospital, said she was “humbled” by the accolade. She added: “There are a
lot of people who deserve this award who have put even more years of service in
so I am very humbled. With pride I will do the very best that I can to hold the
baton of nursing and to make a change.” Ms Mullings-George said one the most
important parts of her job was to work for a high level of health for everyone.
She added: “I don’t like talk. I like action, so my goal is to be that voice
and to see that action.” Jamaican-born Ms Mullings-George, from Pembroke, has
been a nurse for 13 years. She was awarded a bachelor’s degree in nursing from
the Northern Caribbean University in Jamaica in 2006. Ms Mullings-George later
achieved a master’s in public health specializing in healthcare systems from
Liverpool University in Britain in 2013. She said she was born to be a nurse. Ms
Mullings-George added: “I love to help people. It was a God-given thing placed
in me. I am very caring and compassionate. I always say to my colleagues,
despite the challenges, because nursing is a very challenging profession, keep
shining because the world needs more stars just like you. I say always put the
patient first. We often get busy hurrying around, but the patient usually knows
best so listen and offer compassionate care. I am a supervisor also. It is also
important to listen to your staff because if you get a good work/life balance
you get more productivity out of your staff. She said her interest in the
profession was sparked listening to friends of her mother who were nurses. Ms
Mullings-George said Mattie Crockwell used to tell her and her mother stories
about nursing. Pauline DeShields, a nursing assistant, gave Ms Mullings-George
her first stethoscope and familiarized her with disabled patients. Ms
Mullings-George beat Janice Sealey-Khan, Renée Faulcon and Roxanne
Kipps-Jackson for the Nurse of the Year award. Godfrey Nichols, president of the
Bermuda Nurses Association, said: “She is the perfect choice. She is
respectful, a woman of substance, a woman who is energized and ready to serve
the executive and to serve as a nurse to the community. She is a perfect role
model for young Bermudian nurses,” Mr Nichols explained. The award was
presented last Sunday at a special lunch at Blu in Warwick attended by Kim
Wilson, the Minister of Health.
A
candidate in the race to be Mayor of St George said a police station in the Olde
Towne was a priority. Kenneth Bascome, a former mayor who stepped down to
become an MP for the One Bermuda Alliance, said he would seek the support of
councillors to tackle problems in St George’s, and a police station would
help. He said: “I have been talking about this for the last nine years. It’s
something that is needed for the community, and with the development of a hotel,
a five-star hotel development, it’s even more necessary. My belief is that if
you have police on a continuous basis, a lot of problems could be nipped in the
bud.” The previous police station was closed in 2012 for repairs but never
reopened and the area is now covered by the Southside station in St David’s.
Wayne Caines, the national security minister, said in 2017 that the old station
had deteriorated so much it was unusable. Mr Bascome said he decided to throw
his name in the hat for Thursday’s election when he heard Quinell Francis, the
outgoing mayor, was to stand down. He said: “I don’t believe that the
corporation has done anything other than what was already put on the table by
myself and Garth Rothwell. I and other One Bermuda Alliance MPs worked very
diligently for the community of St George’s in Parliament. The Progressive
Labour Party has been in power for two years now and they haven’t given St
George’s anything.” Mr Bascome added he had backed the construction of a new
St Regis hotel in St George’s, despite criticism, which was an example of the
OBA’s work to boost the East End. He said: “I have gotten all sorts of flak
with that project, but now that it’s in full swing everyone seems to be
embracing it.” Mr Bascome added Duke of York Street was in “a deplorable
state” and he wanted it resurfaced, as wall as improvements to disabled access
around the town. He said he hoped to tackle the problem of late night transport
to and from St George. Mr Bascome said: “I will also attempt, with the
committee, to meet with all the restaurants and those responsible for
transportation to try to bring some sort of resolution to the fact that at night
it’s very difficult to find transportation to leave St George.” He added
that he wanted to make better use of the town’s World Heritage Site status. Mr
Bascome said that finding cash for improvements had always been a problem, but
he had worked in the past to overcome obstacles. He said: “I served on the
corporation from 1994 up to 2012, and we were always complaining that we
didn’t have any funding. I spoke to the Minister of Finance and the minister
responsible for the municipalities, and they were able to come up with heritage
funding through a tax on the fuel coming into the island.” He added it was
important to aim for goals that were “tangible and achievable”. Mr Bascome
said he was prepared to work with the Government, which wants to turn the
corporations of St George and Hamilton into un-elected quangos. He added: “We
will cross that road when we get to it, but I believe it would be to the
Government’s benefit to work with whoever the Mayor is to make sure the
municipality doesn’t slide into any more of a state of disrepair.”
Watlington
Waterworks Ltd made a full-year profit of $2.77 million in 2018. In its
full-year financial statements posted on the Bermuda Stock Exchange website,
Watlington said comprehensive income fell from the record $3.17 million achieved
in 2017. Watlington’s utility division sells water via its network of
pipelines to the central and western parishes, while its bottled water division
prepares and distributes the Pure Water brand. Revenue climbed slightly last
year, to $12.15 million from $12.06 million in 2017. However, production,
administration and distribution expenses all rose to a combined total $9.42
million, up from $8.91 million in 2017. “The company experienced increased
operating costs across the complete spectrum of its operations,”
Watlington’s board said in a statement to shareholders. Watlington said it had
invested in upgrades at its seawater reverse osmosis plant and its retail sales
and administrative facilities at its Devonshire headquarters. “Future
investment to strengthen bottled water infrastructure is planned through the
current year,” the statement added. Watlington held $8 million in reserve as
of the end of last year: $7 million of it earmarked for infrastructure
improvements and a further $1 million as a contingency for unexpected future
expenditure. Watlington plans to build a reservoir in the West End. “A search
for a site on which to build a significant reservoir to improve overall water
production, storage and distribution efficiency was found and the company has
been steadily making progress as it goes through the regulatory process to
receive permission to develop the site,” Watlington stated. “It is
anticipated that the sale will be completed this year.” Watlington added that
it had “benefited from having a long-serving, very able team of Bermudians”
and that turnover among staff at all levels had been low. “The board feels
investment in human resources is even more important to the ongoing long-term
success of the company than its physical infrastructure strengthening policy. It
is fully committed to the recruitment and development of its personnel. Costs
attributed to salaries and benefits for employees are expected to increase in
the short-term because of this policy of human resource development and
succession planning.” Directors declared a bonus dividend of 20 cents per
share based on 2018 results to all shareholders of record on March 15, 2019. The
dividend was paid on March 29, 2019. Watlington’s shares closed at $21.50 on
the BSX yesterday, giving the company a market capitalization of $22.84 million.
After an 18-month hiatus
Western Union money transfer services are once again available in Bermuda.
The company launched a new office in the City of Hamilton on Friday under agents
Blue Nile Ltd, run by Jerome Dill and Sasina Mekonnen. Andre Largie, Western
Union global money transfer head for the Caribbean, said there was a lot more
coming down the pipeline. “Over the next two years there will be a robust set
of innovations brought to the market.". He wasn’t ready to say what all
the new additions would be yet, but he said digital was the most obvious area
for development. “Venturing into the digital money movement, the business has
traditionally been person to person and cash based. Now globally we work with
banks, dotcoms, and phones. Technically, you could even send money through
social media.” The new office shares space with telecommunications company
LiveNet at 1 Burnaby Street. But Mr Largie hinted that the company was already
scouting out locations to set up other offices. Typically, Western Union likes
to be no more than a ten-minute walk for its customers. “This is the first of
a very strong effort to expand the network,” Mr Largie said. Western Union has
had an on-again, off-again relationship with Bermuda for more than ten years,
but Mr Largie was confident they would be able to provide uninterrupted services
“from this point forward”. Mr Largie said his company was pleased to partner
with entrepreneurs who had the right mental toughness, attitude and overlying
values. Mr Dill is a corporate lawyer and former United Bermuda Party education
minister, and deputy premier, who has worked for companies such as Appleby
Bermuda and Validus Holdings Ltd. Ms Mekonnen has been president of Emperial
Management (Bermuda Ltd), and co-owner of companies such as Genet Lure and Muse
Restaurant Ltd. “They both came to our attention over two years ago and
expressed an interest,” Mr Largie said. “Over the course of doing due
diligence, we felt they had put together the right team that included anti-money
laundering experts on their board, and also because of the interest they have in
building out other services and businesses and expanding a footprint of
financial services here in Bermuda.” With the opening, Western Union launched
its direct-to-bank service in Bermuda. “It is not something that is currently
available on the island from any other player,” Mr Largie said. “It acts
like a wire transfer, but you can start it from a Western Union office. You
bring the account number and routing number, and you can send money to an
account. Depending on where you are sending money to a bank, there are fees that
not only the sender receives but also the receiver. With us, the only fee that
is charged is the fee that is at the point of sending. The receiver has no
obligation to pay fees to that bank.” He said this service is also faster
taking only 24 hours, compared to the week it requires for someone to receive
money, in some jurisdictions. “Also we have an attractive fee,” he said.
“It is $10 to send up to $10,000 from here. That’s not a promotional fee,
that’s the fee.” He said customers look like “you and me”, but typically
might be migrants sending money home, parents sending money to students
overseas, or people sending emergency funds to friends or relatives. “We serve
a generally under-served community,” Mr Largie said. “We’re aimed at the
blue collar worker who can’t necessarily leave the job and get to a banking
hall before 3pm when the bank closes. We are aimed at the small business person
that is dealing in cash. There is a need globally for services that provide for
financial inclusion. Western Union certainly sits right in the middle of that.
Ultimately, I think if there is a focus on financial inclusion, economic
empowerment and enablement, there is a strong role we can play to further that
for individuals and communities, and the country as a whole.” The service is
available Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
One
of Bermuda’s most expensive waterfront properties has hit the market. The
Residence, an eight-bedroom home on 5.5 acres in Hamilton Parish, is listed for
$21.5 million by agents Rego Sotheby’s International Realty. Situated next
door to luxury resort The Loren on South Shore Road, the home features ten full
bathrooms, three powder rooms, gym, pool with Jacuzzi, tennis court and what the
listing agent says is the largest private beach in Bermuda. A covered bar,
outdoor kitchen and verandas allow the homeowner to enjoy the home’s
exceptional ocean views, a statement said. Exclusive listing agent Penny
MacIntyre said: “For those looking for the ultimate privacy within a spacious,
relaxing setting, The Residence provides ideal refined living. Sports
enthusiasts to spa-minded residents will enjoy the property and grounds whether
with family and friends or entertaining guests. The Residence was designed for
creating an ambience worthy of private world-class experiences and benefits from
a professional chef’s kitchen, private pool and media room.” The property is
the most expensive home listed on the Rego website. Property Skipper, a website
that lists properties for sale by multiple agents, features two properties for
sale in excess of $15.9 million, but the prices are only available “on
application”. The properties in question, both in Paget, are an eight-bedroom
home overlooking Grape Bay and a 15-bedroom waterfront property on 14 acres.
After that, buyers may consider Windsong House, in Warwick, listed at $15.9
million.
The Residence. see above article
A
two-month fishing ban is today to be enforced over an area of water off St
George’s to protect a breeding ground for blue-striped grunts. A notice in
the Official Gazette said that the minister responsible for the environment was
satisfied that there was an “immediate need for the prohibition of fishing”
in the spot off the North Shore “for the conservation and protection of the
blue-striped grunt”, or Haemulon sciurus. Environmental matters are in the
portfolio of Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier and home affairs minister. A
ministry spokeswoman explained: “Since 2007, an area off Fort St Catherine has
been closed to fishing during the months of May and June to protect a spawning
aggregation of blue-striped grunt, Haemulon sciurus. Blue-striped grunts are an
important prey species for larger predators, therefore, the closure of this site
was deemed a necessary step in preventing the overfishing of this species.
Significant issues arose in 2001 when it was reported that large quantities of
grunt fillets were entering the local market. Investigations by fisheries
officers revealed that there could be as many as 50 vessels fishing on the
aggregation during peak fishing times.” The “fish aggregation area” is
closed every year during May and June under the Fisheries Act 1972. The
spokeswoman said: “Research was conducted on the site by the marine resources
section for many years after the issues arose and results suggested that the
aggregation formed primarily during the new moon in May. However, this time
period was variable and fish were also taken at the site in June. As a
precautionary approach to the management of this important species, it was
recommended that no fishing be allowed at the site during May or June.” The
Official Gazette notice explained that the affected area is a rough rectangle
with a north-east border from St Catherine’s Point to southern channel marker
number 12. The prohibited area runs along the southern boundary of the southern
channel to marker number 16, then southwest to a point 32 degrees 23.4 minutes
north, 64 degrees 41.4 minutes west, and is completed by a line running
south-east to Fort George. Studies by a team from the marine resources division
found samples of blue-striped grunts, which are also known as bull grunts,
collected from Bermuda between 2001 and 2008 ranged in age from two to 23 years
and their sizes varied from about 18cm to 35cm in length. Researchers Joanna
Pitt, Tammy Trott and Brian Luckhurst explained in a paper for the 62nd Gulf and
Caribbean Fisheries Institute conference in 2009 that the species was
“presumed to be relatively important in the local recreational and subsistence
fishery”.
A
spice trader who invested in an Arbitrade cryptocurrency token wrote to the
Premier seeking assurances about the company’s operations in Bermuda after it
“disappeared on” backers earlier this year. Zach Bobker, a managing
partner of online delivery service My Spice Sage, told David Burt he feared the
firm could be “inappropriately trading on a false relationship” with the
island. He said in an e-mail to Mr Burt that he had invested in dignity, or Dig,
since February 2018 and had followed Bermuda’s emerging fintech industry. Mr
Bobker said he had listened to more than 200 hours of Bermuda Parliament
sessions and was “impressed”. He wrote: “I reach out because of the
strange situation Dig/Arbitrade investors are currently in. The few of us
remaining that is. Arbitrade has been trading on their relationship with Bermuda
since last year.” Mr Bobker added: “Unfortunately, the company has gone
completely quiet since January. It is impossible to get a response from anyone
at the company.” He said: “I know this isn’t your problem and I’m not
trying to make it your problem, as I know listening to Bermuda Parliament you
have much more pressing matters at hand. However, given that Arbitrade has
traded on the Bermuda name for close to a year now, I was hoping you can clarify
if they are in fact working with Bermuda and are still in operation in your
country. Or if you can’t speak directly on the matter perhaps you can gently
encourage Arbitrade to get in touch with their token holders. I would imagine
Bermuda does not want companies falsely capitalizing on the Bermuda name,
especially in this emerging space. They have completely disappeared on us token
holders since January. If they are inappropriately trading on a false
relationship with Bermuda, this would be important for us remaining token
holders to know so we can both move on with our investment lives and also pursue
any appropriate legal remedy.” The e-mail was among Arbitrade-related
correspondence released to The Royal Gazette by the Government after a public
access to information request. Denis Pitcher, a technical consultant in
Bermuda’s fintech business unit, forwarded the e-mail to Jane Walker, a senior
lawyer at legal firm Trott & Duncan, which acts for Arbitrade. He told her
his official position was not to disclose the status of applications to protect
the privacy of companies. Mr Pitcher wrote on April 1: “Arbitrade at this time
have not been granted a licence either to launch an ICO in Bermuda or conduct
digital asset business in Bermuda.” Mr Pitcher added that getting a licence
could take some time and that Omega One, an agency brokerage for
cryptocurrencies, had acquired one only two weeks before after it signed a
memorandum of understanding in May last year. He pointed out that was
“testament to the high standard of requirements”. Ms Walker said Mr
Bobker’s inquiry was not the first and revealed that Mr Burt and Wayne Caines,
the Minister of National Security, who had responsibility for fintech at the
time, had earlier recommended that public statements about Arbitrade should be
limited. She wrote: “As with the Government’s policy of non-disclosure in
relation to the status of applications other than to regulators or the
Government as required we advise our clients [on the advisement of the Premier
and minister Caines some months ago] keep all statements in relation to the
company to a minimum.” Mr Bobker received an e-mail reply from Wayne Smith,
the head of the fintech business unit, on April 8, who also said that Arbitrade
had not been granted a licence either to launch an initial coin offering or to
conduct digital asset business in Bermuda. He added that the company had
“successfully passed the vetting process” for permission to buy Victoria
Hall, its intended global headquarters on Victoria Street, Hamilton. Mr Smith
said: “However, they are not permitted to operate their business from the
premises until they have obtained the appropriate licences. We do note that
Arbitrade lists on their website that Victoria Hall is the home of their future
office, not their current office.” A government spokeswoman said the Bermuda
Monetary Authority should be contacted for information on digital asset business
licences. Omega One is the only DAB licence-holder listed on the BMA website.
The Gazette e-mailed senior Arbitrade figures for comment, but there was no
response.
An
acting Registrar of Companies found “no obvious deficiencies” in a business
licence application from cryptocurrency firm Arbitrade, but compliance checkers
said there were problems with the company’s plan to combat money laundering
and terrorist financing. Correspondence provided by the Government to The
Royal Gazette in response to a public access to information request showed
concerns outlined by a Registrar of Companies team, that found three
requirements in Bermuda’s initial coin offering regulations were not
satisfactorily met. A note to the Fintech Advisory Committee sent from Sameera
Hasan Swan, the assistant registrar for compliance dated January 7 said the
ROC’s compliance unit considered an Arbitrade application to carry out ICO
business in December last year. An ICO is an offer by a company to the public to
buy or acquire digital assets. The letter said Gladwina O’Mara, the acting
registrar, “conducted a review of the application package for completeness”.
It added: “Noting no obvious deficiencies in the application package as a
whole, on 27 December 2018, Ms O’Mara forwarded the application package to
Cheryl Mapp, chairperson of the Fintech Advisory Committee to circulate to the
whole Fintech Advisory Committee for consideration and review.” The letter
advised the fintech committee of the compliance team’s comments after
consideration of Arbitrade’s anti-money laundering and antiterrorist financing
compliance programme outline, which was dated December 18, 2018, and submitted
in relation to the ICO application. It added that responses were based only on
the documents reviewed and did not include “an opinion on the quality of the
business model” or other matters. The compliance unit said the company should
submit a final version of its AML/ATF plans “containing no place holder or
bracketed parts”. It found the compliance programme outlined by Arbitrade Ltd
“sufficiently” addressed regulations on identity verification, measures to
cease transactions with an ICO participant if necessary and record-keeping. But
the unit said the AML/ATF compliance programme outline did not properly address
“how the company will apply enhanced due diligence to business relationships
on a risk-sensitive basis” or how it intended to use third parties. It advised
that Arbitrade should submit an outline that contained information which had
been referenced in brackets to rectify the two issues. The unit also found that
the proposal did not sufficiently address requirements to audit the ICO. Two
pages of the document were among a number of items provided to The Royal
Gazette but the note had no closing remarks or signature, so it was unclear
if it was written by Hasan Swan or whether the original included further pages.
No response was received to a request for clarification on Friday. The Pati
disclosures also contained an e-mail from Troy Hogg, an Arbitrade founder, that
revealed he was considering the introduction of a Bitcoin exchange traded fund
on the Bermuda Stock Exchange that would make it easier for investors to gain
exposure to the cryptocurrency. Mr Hogg told Wayne Caines, the Minister of
National Security, who had responsibility for fintech at the time, that he was
“curious” as to whether there would be any objection to him “launching
another crypto asset in Bermuda”. He added in the e-mail on January 14: “If
not, I am interested in launching a Bitcoin ETF on the BSX. Since it’s an
actual traded commodity on the stock exchange, would I need to obtain a digital
asset licence in order to launch that on the exchange if the BSX was willing to
do it?” The request was forwarded to David Burt, the Premier, Wayne Smith, the
head of the fintech business unit, and Moad Fahmi, a senior adviser for fintech
at the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Mr Smith suggested a digital asset licence
may be needed for Mr Hogg’s proposal, but if Arbitrade had already applied for
one it might not be necessary. Mr Fahmi said the regulator could not disclose
whether or not any such applications had been received. He added that issues
related to a bitcoin ETF were “not simple”. Mr Fahmi added: “I find the US
experience with Bitcoin ETF very telling of the complexity of such products that
should be deployed with great care by a sophisticated ETF provider.” Several
attempts to establish a Bitcoin ETF in the US have been blocked by the
Securities and Exchange Commission, the US financial services watchdog, over the
past three years because of concerns about a lack of transparency and the
potential for fraud and price manipulation. Mr Hogg did not respond to a request
for comment on his Bitcoin proposal.
Cryptocurrency
firm Arbitrade were urged by the Bermuda Government to keep its promise to
plough $1 million into fintech development, despite not having a licence to run
a digital asset business on the island. Correspondence obtained by The Royal
Gazette showed apparent confusion among leading Cabinet Office figures over
whether or not a memorandum of understanding was signed with the cryptocurrency
exchange and coin company. And one feared a planned incubator set-up for the new
sector would “fall off the radar” if there was no written commitment to
donate the money. Arbitrade Ltd is incorporated in Bermuda, along with four
subsidiaries, and revealed bold plans for operations here last summer, including
a seven-figure contribution towards a fintech development hub later named
Project 44 and earmarked for Church Street, Hamilton. It emerged earlier this
year that the project was shelved and the Government said in February it wanted
to guarantee “fiscal prudence” and to make sure that the proposed centre,
expected to include sleeping pods and a gaming area, were not already available
in the private sector. Copies of communication received by The Royal Gazette
last week in response to a public access to information request showed that
officials asked Arbitrade in January to follow through with its $1 million
announcement. A government spokeswoman confirmed last Saturday no payment had
been made. Wayne Smith, the head of the fintech business unit overseen by the
Cabinet Office, wrote to Wayne Caines, the Minister of National Security, who
had responsibility for fintech at the time, on December 12, 2018. He asked:
“Do we have anything in writing from Arbitrade? Project 44 is about to fall
off the radar and the list of initiatives if we cannot find anything. I have
nothing.” He said “Cherie”, understood to be Cabinet Office permanent
secretary Cherie-Lynn Whitter, had a sample cheque that was attached to the
e-mail. Mr Smith added: “That’s not worth anything.” A photograph included
in the documents provided to The Royal Gazette showed a mock cheque dated June
29, 2018 that suggested $1 million would be paid to The Bermuda Fintech
Innovation Hub. It had no payee name and made no reference to Arbitrade, any
other company, or individuals. Mr Caines replied: “Yes, we have to ask them
directly if they have completed the KYC [know your customer] process and when
they will give the money.” He directed Mr Smith to Delroy Duncan, the director
and head of litigation at Trott & Duncan which acts for Arbitrade, but no
correspondence between the pair was included in the documents. Jane Walker, a
senior corporate attorney at Trott & Duncan, declined to comment on the
exchange when she was approached last Friday. Mr Smith wrote in an e-mail to
James Goldberg, an Arbitrade founder, on January 9: “Further to our
conversation last evening, we wish to write to you to formally request that you
deposit the one million dollars that Arbitrade promised to donate to Bermuda
into the Bermuda Fintech Development Fund.” Mr Goldberg forwarded the e-mail
to Len Schutzman, Arbitrade’s chairman and chief executive, Troy Hogg, another
founder of the company, and Max Barber, who is understood to be a manager at
Sion Trading FZE, a business partner of Arbitrade. Mr Smith also asked for an
address where he could send a letter. He added: “I could also bring a hard
copy with me next week when it is hoped we can all meet in Miami.” Mr
Schutzman responded two days later with his Florida address and agreed a meeting
could be held the next week. A reply from Mr Smith the same afternoon said he
would e-mail the letter that day and deliver a print copy in person. He proposed
to meet the following Tuesday at the Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami before lunch.
Mr Smith was also in an e-mail exchange with Ms Whitter over the same period —
January 9 to 11 — when he sent her a draft of the letter to review. She
answered: “Please amend the language. We cannot write to a company and ask
them to ‘make good on your promise’. Do you have a copy of the MOU that
speaks to the commitment? Your letter should refer to the document that sets out
the commitment and direct them accordingly ... please send a copy of the MOU.
Wherein the commitment is referenced. Needed urgently.” Mr Smith replied:
“I’m looking but don’t see an MOU anywhere. I will have to check with
others but I don’t see an MOU. All we have is the check picture you sent and
the media coverage.” A letter from Mr Smith addressed to Mr Schutzman, said:
“Further to our communication over the past few days, I am writing as a
follow-up to formally request that in accordance with the public announcement of
July 2018, Arbitrade proceeds with its commitment of a one-million dollar
contribution to Bermuda Fintech Development Fund.” He added: “As also
discussed, I plan to be in Miami next week and would like to meet with the
Arbitrade team to obtain an update on your progress.” Nothing in the documents
provided to The Royal Gazette confirmed receipt of the letter or if the Miami
meeting took place. A government spokeswoman confirmed that Mr Smith had met
Arbitrade representatives “to obtain an update on the status of the Arbitrade
Bermuda project”. She said that no money had been paid into the fintech
development fund and added: “An announcement will be made when it has.” The
Royal Gazette asked the Government on the evening of January 8 about a
procurement notice issued last September that sought architectural and interior
design services to transform 44 West Church Street “into Project 44, a premier
fintech hub”. The e-mail was sent about the same time that Mr Smith spoke to
Mr Goldberg on the phone about the $1 million donation. A spokesman said a
$74,000 contract was awarded to Clarico Ltd for work on the West Church Street
project but the project was “on hold” in a response to The Royal Gazette
about 16 days later. Jamahl Simmons, the Minister without Portfolio, later said
the Government decided to reallocate funds from the proposed building project to
provide fintech training for Bermudians. Mr Schutzman, Mr Hogg, Mr Goldberg and
Mr Barber did not respond to a request for comment.
As
the Bermuda Electric Light Company (BELCO) prepares to receive new generators
for its North Power Station (NPS), the Company today notified the public about
traffic delays that will be necessary for the engines’ transportation. Canal
Road will be closed from May 8 until May 27, 2019 with no access for the
duration of this time period. The closure is essential to allow temporary
reinforcement of the railway bridge under Cedar Avenue. There will also be some
traffic delays and parking disruptions in the City of Hamilton due to the
special slow-moving vehicle needed to transport the engines. These delays will
take places from 7:00pm to 11:00pm between May 14 and May 27. The affected roads
are Front Street, Queen Street, Dismont Drive, Victoria Street, Washington
Street, Elliot Street, Cedar Avenue, and St. John’s Road. Motorists are
advised to use alternative routes during these times. Please see belco.bm for
the affected route. The NPS is part of the Company’s capital plan with the new
power station comprising four 14 Mega Watt (MW) dual-fuel engines that can run
on traditional fuel or natural gas and will provide 56 MW of power. Construction
on the new plant began in October, 2018 and is expected to be completed later
this year with commissioning early in 2020. Other aspects of the capital plan
include the 10 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that was successfully
brought online in April, as well as comprehensive upgrades to the transmission
and distribution system across the island that are ongoing. BELCO President
Dennis Pimentel said: “These new engines represent our commitment to building
a foundation for the future and will ensure we can continue to serve the people
of Bermuda with safe, reliable and cost-effective electricity for many years to
come. The engines that they will replace are between 40 and 50 years old and are
becoming increasingly costly to maintain. The ultimate goal is to bring down
prices for our customers and these new engines will assist in achieving that
goal.” BELCO wishes to apologise for any inconvenience and to thank members of
the public for their cooperation. Further details are available at www.belco.bm.
Bermuda’s
Green family have acquired Sugar Beach, a luxury resort on the Caribbean island
of St Lucia. Alexander Green announced the purchase on Instagram. A
spokesperson for the Green family said: “We can confirm that the Green family
has recently finalized the purchase of five-star resort in St Lucia, Sugar
Beach, a Viceroy Resort. They are pleased to be in the process of expanding
their portfolio, investing at home in Bermuda, with the recent purchase and
development of Point House, and expanding abroad with luxury acquisitions such
as this one.” Sugar Beach sits on more than 100 acres of rainforest on the
site of an 18th-century sugar plantation in the town of Soufriere, on St
Lucia’s west coast. Views are of the Caribbean Sea, and the Unesco World
Heritage-listed Val des Pitons, twin volcanic mountains on either side of
Jalousie Bay. Resort amenities include plunge pools in every room, butler
service and 24-hour in-room dining. The Green family’s property portfolio
includes Hamilton Princess and Beach Club, the Point House office building on
Hamilton’s waterfront as well as the Overbay and Waterloo House developments.
The Greens purchased the Princess from Global Hospitality Investments in 2012,
and embarked on a three-year, $100 million renovation that included a new
marina, two additional restaurants, new spa and pool facilities, a revamped
retail corridor, renovated rooms, and an original art collection that includes
works by Andy Warhol, Banksy and Damien Hurst. Last month, the Greens announced
the purchase of the HSBC building on the Hamilton waterfront. Re-named Point
House, the 80,000 square foot property is to be re-designed and renovated with a
target completion date of December 2020.
Bermuda-based
mortgage re/insurer Essent Group Ltd reported net income of $127.7 million for
the first quarter, up from $111.1 million a year earlier. Earnings broke
down to $1.30 per share, topping the $1.25 consensus estimate of analysts
tracked by Yahoo Finance. As of March 31, Essent had insurance in force of
$143.2 billion and consolidated stockholders’ equity of $2.5 billion, the
company stated. “We were pleased with our strong financial results for the
first quarter as our operating environment remains favourable and credit
continues to perform well,” said Mark Casale, Essent’s chairman and chief
executive officer. “Also, we continue to make solid progress in strengthening
our franchise as we successfully rolled out our risk-based pricing engine
EssentEdge. Our outlook on our business and housing remains positive and we
continue to believe that we are well positioned to continue growing our
company.” New insurance written for the first quarter was $11 billion,
compared to $11.4 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018 and $9.3 billion in the
first quarter of 2018. Net premiums earned for the first quarter were $177.8
million, compared to $152.6 million in the first quarter of 2018. The expense
ratio for the first quarter was 23.1 per cent, compared to 22.8 per cent in the
fourth quarter of 2018 and 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2018. The
provision for losses and loss-adjusted expenses for the first quarter was $7.1
million, compared to a provision of $5.3 million in the first quarter of 2018.
The provision in the fourth quarter of 2018 included a $9.9 million release of
the $11.1 million reserve associated with loans identified as related to
hurricanes Harvey and Irma that was established in the fourth quarter of 2017.
The percentage of loans in default as of March 31, 2019 was 0.65 per cent,
compared to 0.86 per cent as of March 31, 2018. The combined ratio for the first
quarter was 27.1 per cent, compared to 28.5 per cent in the first quarter of
2018. The consolidated balance of cash and investments at March 31, 2019 was
$3.0 billion, including cash and investment balances at Essent Group Ltd. of
$73.8 million. In February, Essent said it obtained $473.2 million of excess of
loss reinsurance coverage on mortgage insurance policies written by Essent in
2018. The reinsurance is fully collateralised by ten-year mortgage
insurance-linked notes issued by Radnor Re 2019-1 Ltd, an unaffiliated special
purpose insurer.
The
hundreds of people who have died as a result of road crashes will be remembered
as part of Road Safety Week. The week, which starts today, will feature road
training and education and Bermuda’s road fatalities will be remembered on the
last day. Dennis Lister III, chairman of the Bermuda Road Safety Council, said:
“We want to invite families and friends of those we have lost to come out. We
will be lighting candles to remember them, having a moment of silence and a
prayer. We will have signs for each year listing the names.” The BRSC and the
Transport Control Department’s road safety office joined forces to make the UN
Global Road Safety Week from today to Friday under the theme “Taking the Lead
on Road Safety”. Road Safety Week will be launched on the lawn of City Hall in
Hamilton at 1pm with speeches from Mr Lister and Zane DeSilva, the transport
minister. Representatives of The Royal Gazette’s Drive for Change
campaign, anti-substance abuse charity Cada, Benji’s Driving School and
motorbike safety training scheme Project Ride will also be at the event. Rachael
Robinson, the road safety officer, will tour schools with members of the BRSC
and a representative of Rubis Energy Bermuda to discuss road safety on Tuesday.
Projects will range from art programmes at primary school level to discussions
on traffic law in more senior schools. They will also promote their Draw 4
Change road safety school art competition. Police officers and EMTs will join
the Bermuda Water Safety Council to highlight water safety at Harbour Night on
Front Street on Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm. A “Remembering the Angels” event
at City Hall will be held next Friday from noon to 2pm in memory of victims of
crashes. Mr Lister said: “Each day there will be different exhibits and booths
to help educate the public and change culture. For example, on Monday Benji’s
Driving School will be giving some basic driving instructions to members of the
public. We invited Cada because we want people to be responsible when drinking
by using a designated driver, getting a cab or a bus or Cada’s free taxi
service. Traffic officers will be educating the public on traffic infractions
and Drive for Change will be highlighting its campaign and work with A Piece of
the Rock lobbying for speed control and more robust road training. Mr Lister
added: “The campaign has had a big impact on the driving culture in Bermuda.
We want to go into the schools because the earlier the better. Children grow up
seeing bad behavior from young and we want to counteract that. The theme of the
week is Taking the Lead so we are asking all business leaders, sport leaders,
political leaders to not only be a leaders in their field but to be leaders in
road safety. It is important that as many people, young and old, come out so
that everyone can be educated and be aware on road safety in Bermuda and learn
how they can do their part.” The Road Safety Week tagline is: “Be a piece of
the puzzle to be part of the solution.” Ms Robinson added: “We are reminded
that it takes a community to promote and encourage best practices on our roads.
Let’s move forward together by supporting each other, curtailing bad practices
and educating.”
A
crowd of hundreds came out for the Axa End-to-End event at the weekend. Fewer
than 100 people set out on the 40-kilometre route from St George’s to Dockyard
at 7am, but the crowds swelled because of hundreds who laced up for the
Middle-to-End, which started in Hamilton. Tricia Rice, from New York, said she
came to the island to celebrate her 50th birthday and decided to tackle the
event. She said: “I heard about it and thought it would be a great way to see
the whole country. I’ve been doing a lot of work to get ready for it, I’ve
been doing about 15 miles a day. I did a test run on Thursday, and that went
perfectly. I’m very excited. I have done some walks in New York, but nothing
as big as this.” Angie Benbow, from Manchester, England, said she did the
Middle-to-End last year and decided to come back this year to do the full
course. She said: “I have been training all year. I’ve been over to the
island a few times to do walking, but I have not done more than about 16, 17
miles in a go. I have done some walks back home, but we don’t have quite the
same view in Manchester.” Sally Penrose, from Bermuda, said she wanted to come
out to support the End-to-End and promote Bermuda High School. She said: “I
think it’s going to be a great event with a good atmosphere. We’re
excited.” Keri and Tim McKittrick, who cycled the full distance, pulled in at
a water stop at Ariel Sands to honks of encouragement from passing cars. Mr
McKittrick said: “It’s fantastic — we love this. We ride for pleasure, but
we do this every year for the camaraderie.” He said he had walked the route
five times in the past. Ms McKittrick said: “You see people of all different
abilities, but everybody is cheering along the way. I’ve done this every year
since I got here in 2014.” Armand Trew, 13, a Warwick Academy pupil, was out
for his second year for “the rush, and the exercise”. Ethan, originally from
China and a guest worker from the United States, said it was his first time out
walking the End-to-End. He said: “I did it because it’s my first year in
Bermuda and I wanted to do something different. The End-to-End is amazing —
I’ve never been in a country so small. I’m running on May 24 as well.”
Claudette Fleming, the director of the charity Age Concern, did the End-to-End
on a bike for the first time. She said: “Age Concern is a beneficiary this
year, and I always try to participate when that happens, It’s a wonderful,
beautiful day.” Her husband, Keithlyn, added: “We’ve walked it a few
times. I just like meeting new people. Bermuda is still friendly. It’s like
the island just comes together for this. I’ve already said ‘good morning’
a thousand times.” Volunteers said many people started from Kings Square in St
George early or later than the official start time in a bid to avoid an
anticipated crowd. One water stop volunteer said: “We kept on waiting for the
rush to come, but it didn’t. We were definitely prepared for larger numbers.
Maybe more people decided to do the middle to end, but it’s a
disappointment.” Hundreds more walkers and cyclists joined in at the
Albuoy’s Point start line for the Middle-to-End. Water stops in Paget and
Warwick were crowded and walkers were treated to music and Popsicles, as well as
water and traditional snacks. Volunteers from financial services firm Deloitte
adopted a Star Wars theme at Somerset Bridge in celebration of the End-to-End
being held on May 4 — Star Wars Day The water stop featured rows of inflatable
Imperial storm troopers and volunteers dressed as characters from the famous
film series. Participants were welcomed at the finish line in Dockyard by Ed
Christopher, the Hamilton town crier. Chrisanthi Waldron, who cycled with her
family, said: “We have been doing this for almost ten years. My son just got a
new bike, so we though it was a great time to try it out. The hills were a
challenge, but the heat was okay. We kept hydrated and stopped often and now
we’re here at the finish line.” Irving Romaine said the End-to-End was an
annual tradition for his family. He added: “It’s a little bit of exercise
and it leads into May 24. It’s just something we have been doing for years
now. It’s a leisurely ride. It’s not a race or anything, so it was great to
come out and enjoy it.” Mr Romaine said: “There weren’t enough water stops
on South Shore, I was looking for more doughnuts and cookies.” His son, Zuri,
said his main concern was hills, especially Scaur Hill in Sandys. The Axa
End-to-End has grown from its small-scale start in 1988 and more than 2,000
people took part last year. The event has attracted a total of about 50,000
participants in its 32 years and has raised more than $5.65 million for good
causes. This year’s recipients will be youth charity Raleigh International,
WindReach outdoor centre for the disabled, Age Concern and Friends of Hospice.
A
woman who dedicated her life after a cancer diagnosis to help others fight the
disease has died. Giovanna Watson, who was 42, died on Saturday after a more
than four-year battle against colon cancer. Patrina “Powergirl” O’Connor,
a radio host and close friend of Ms Watson’s, said yesterday: “She was my
guardian angel. No matter what she was going through, she was always looking out
for me and others,” Ms O’Connor said. “She helped me through some really
tough times in my life and for that I will be for ever grateful.” Ms
O’Connor said the way that Ms Watson had made public her illness and battle
against it so that she could encourage people and families touched by cancer
“had never been done before” in Bermuda. She added: “She wanted to educate
people and help them understand what it was to have and to deal with cancer. I
believe she inspired a lot of people. I think she inspired people to be strong,
to be encouraged to continue to live their lives. She travelled, she lived her
life, she still danced salsa. She didn’t let it define her life at all. She
had cancer, cancer didn’t have her.” Ms Watson, who worked at insurance firm
Arch Capital, wrote Dear Cancer, Let Me Introduce Myself, which was
published in 2017, which detailed her battle. She was the Bermuda Relay for Life
anticancer charity Purple Couch Ambassador in 2016 and one of just 37 people honored
with the Global Relay for Life Hero of Hope award last year. Ms Watson was just
38 when doctors broke the news in early 2014 that she had the disease, but told The
Royal Gazette a few months later she was a fighter — not a victim. She
added: “People hear the ‘c’ word and automatically think death. But life
goes on — it has to. I want people to see what I am going through and through
it all I’m still me. I don’t want cancer to define me, to change who I
am.” Ms Watson, who said she was told she was the youngest person in Bermuda
to have colon cancer diagnosed, decided to hold an announcement party and to
share her battle to help others. She added: “I had an announcement party and
documented everything. I put a lot of time into taking pictures and recording
everything. That was important to me because you always hear of people talking
about their experience after the fact and not during and especially not from
someone who is so young with a type of cancer that applies to both men and
women. My thought was ‘this is all new to me, so why not all of us learn
together what it’s like together?’” Big-hearted Ms Watson, a keen dancer,
donated money raised by salsa dancer friends at Latin Vibes Bermuda to Kamala
Smith, who died aged 33 in 2016 of leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of smooth
muscle cells found in her uterus, and to the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre.
Friends of Ms Watson left messages on her Facebook page at the weekend. Yanique
Miller wrote: “You were a star that sparkled brighter than most, we will miss
you and love you always. My heart goes out to your family. Rest in Peace,
love.” Wanda Watson added: “Words are so inadequate right now because now
you have left us to move forward in life no matter what it brings. And when you
get the choice to sit it out or dance ... I hope you dance. Gone too soon.”
A
new Western Union Agent location is now available and is located on Burnaby
Street in Hamilton at the junction with Church Street. The company announced
the launch of Western Union money transfer services in Bermuda in alliance with
its new agent, Blue Nile Services. A spokesperson said, “The Western Union
Company, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement, today
announced the launch of Western Union® money transfer services in Bermuda in
alliance with its new Agent, Blue Nile Services. Customers in Bermuda can now
send money in minutes to more than 200 countries and territories, or directly
into a bank account in nearly 60 countries. Western Union’s platform sets
the standard for international money movement as the company serves an
ever-broader array of customers, giving them ease, access and confidence in
every transaction they make, while upholding what matters most to them– speed,
reliability, convenience and trust with multiple channel choice. Western Union
is pleased to offer money transfer services in Bermuda once again, enabling our
customers to access our much-needed services with convenience and ease. We are
excited to collaborate with Blue Nile, truly representing the Bermuda
community,” said Western Union Global Money Transfer Head for the Caribbean,
Andre Largie. We believe that when money moves, better things happen. A world of
opportunity becomes available to those with economic backing: small businesses
grow, a child goes to school, economic aid arrives the moment it’s needed and
economies bloom,” he said. The new Western Union Agent location is located at
1, Burnaby Street, Hamilton HM11, Bermuda. Operating hours are Monday – Friday
9am – 7pm, and Saturdays 10am – 4pm.
Sean
Trott confirmed he will be one to watch in the Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby
after winning the “Sir” Stanley Burgess 5K road race and sealing the overall
men’s title in the Swan’s Running Club Legends four-race series. He has
twice finished runner-up in the island’s signature half-marathon and he is
closing in on the form that earlier this decade established him as one of
Bermuda’s best long-distance athletes. Trott has a string of top five finishes
in the Bermuda Day Half-Marathon Derby, including runner-up in 2012 to Chris
Estwanik, and again last year when Lamont Marshall won. Two-times champion
Marshall has indicated he will race on May 24, while six-times winner Estwanik,
who won a 10-mile race on the island last month, is waiting to see if travel
arrangements will allow him to compete. After winning the “Sir” Stanley
Burgess 5K in Devonshire, Trott is now focused on the Bermuda Day race. When
asked if he can recapture the race times that once set him apart from almost
every runner on the island, he said: “Looking at some of the times in training
and the fast race times this year, I think I’m finally starting to touch some
of those times again, so it makes me excited for the future.” Trott and Gayle
Lindsay were impressive winners in the 5K, and in the process they respectively
secured the overall men’s and women’s titles in the Swan’s Running Club
Legends race series.
A
press release that gave wrong information on the imposition of credit card
service charges for payments to the Government was “an inexcusable error”,
the Minister of Finance said. Curtis Dickinson added: “Contrary to
established protocols, the release was issued without my approval and without
that of the minister responsible for communications. This is compounded by the
fact that the release provides incorrect information to the public.” He added
that he expected that conditions of employment and the code of conduct for the
public services would be “applied as necessary”. The release, issued on
Thursday, said that charges would be applied to people who used credit cards to
pay taxes to government authorities such as the Transport Control Department,
public works and parks, the Department of Public Transportation and some areas
of healthcare. Mr Dickinson said: “In the 2019-20 Budget Statement, I referred
to the fees incurred by the Government through the payment of taxes with credit
cards. Payroll tax payments are the issue and my intention and the
Government’s policy is to recover these fees by way of a recharge fee for this
convenience. The extension of this policy to other areas where members of the
public pay for permits and other government services was not authorized by me or
at all.” Mr Dickinson said the finance ministry had been affected by the
release and “confusion created for the public”.
The
Azores’ representative to its diaspora was welcomed to Bermuda this week as
celebrations of the anniversary of the first Portuguese immigrants continue.
Lovitta Foggo, the Minister of Labour, Community Affairs and Sport, met Paulo
Teves, the director of Regional Communities for the Azorean Government, who came
to the island to open an exhibition of art, called Azores, in the
Washington Mall. Ms Foggo said Dr Teves’s visit was “fitting and timely”
as the island launched Heritage Month. Ms Foggo said: “In 1849, Portuguese
immigrants first arrived on Bermuda’s shores from Madeira and the Azores. They
have played a significant role towards the social, economic, political and
cultural advancement of Bermuda. Our discussions centred around furthering and
strengthening relationships between Bermuda and the Azores”. Ms Foggo
concluded: “We have much in common and against the backdrop of highlighting
May as Heritage Month, I was very pleased to join with Bermuda’s Portuguese
community to welcome Dr Teves and our friends from the Azorean Government to
Bermuda.”
Sport
in Bermuda is to be promoted as part of a drive to boost tourism in the winter
months. The Bermuda Tourism Authority said it was working to bring sports
conferences and team-training trips to the island, as well as international
events. Victoria Isley, the BTA chief sales and marketing officer, said: “We
know we can never host the World Cup here, but having teams coming down and
training ... we know we can play in that field.” She was speaking at a public
forum on Tuesday at the National Sports Centre, Hazel Clark, the BTA director of
sports business development, said the BTA had looked at what sports would be
suited to the island, based on what sort of events could be staged, which sports
were most popular in target demographics and what sports are suitable for
Bermuda’s conditions. She added that island sports bodies was a key asset,
along with environmental factors like weather. Ms Clark said: “We found out
that it’s very important to organisers that they have a resource to go to, so
we need to make sure we have strong national governing bodies and resources they
can work with.” The BTA said it found golf, sailing, endurance sports like
triathlons and tennis to be the best for Bermuda. Ms Isley said: “There are
some sports that the team can come and do something on their own, like golf.
However, there are others like rugby where they want multiple teams here at the
same time so they can practice against other teams.” The BTA identified
showcase events like the Triathlon World Series or the US Open that could be
used to highlight Bermuda. Other highlighted sports included rugby, football,
swimming, track and field, field hockey and lacrosse. Ms Isley said the BTA had
also looked into cricket, but the sport is less popular in Bermuda’s American
target market and Barbados had already established itself as a cricket
destination for the UK market. But she added that work to bring an international
cricket conference to the island was under way, along with an international
sailing conference in November. Ms Isley said that when the BTA aimed for a
minimum of a five-to-one return on investment in events. She added that tourism
authority also considered the value of brand exposure, the level of engagement,
the environmental impact, the legacy value and the inclusivity of the events. Ms
Isley said that partnerships and events that would invest in on-island sports
clubs would be difficult to arrange. She added: “There are some opportunities,
and I would say they are limited, where if we brought an event with a foundation
attached and their job includes diversity, inclusion and legacy, then there
might be an opportunity. Realistically, sports bodies are looking to take out of
a community. They want to come here and have a soccer field or baseball diamond
that is ready for them. They want to play a sport.”
At
least eight people could have died in incidents at sea last year if rescue
missions had not been mounted, it has been revealed. The rescues were among
405 “incidents of concern” logged by the Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre
and were highlighted to warn sailors to put safety first in the summer boating
season. A spokesman for Marops said: “It is important to remember that boat
users need to be familiar with the operation of the boat and how to handle it
safely. It is important to understand the ‘rules of the road’, safety
equipment, the navigation markers, and to know your limits with regards to going
offshore, the limits of the boat and your own capabilities.” Major incidents
included a sinking sailing yacht whose crew had to abandon ship 500 miles
north-east of Bermuda last December and a disabled fishing boat with two on
board six miles offshore in September. Others included a man who fell overboard
during the Round the Island Seagull Race in June, and another man overboard a
mile offshore in August. The figures covered incidents logged by the centre, but
did not include those dealt with by the Marine Police, the Royal Bermuda
Regiment’s Boat Troop or the Department of Parks lifeguard service. More than
7,000 people were assisted in marine incidents in 2018, which included about
2,500 people who were on board the P&O cruise ship Arcadia when it broke its
moorings in high winds in Dockyard in December. A total of 76 marine incidents
were caused by disabled vessels, which Marops said were “our bread and
butter”. There were also three collisions and 18 groundings. Forty medical
incidents were recorded, but the majority were caused by pre-existing medical
conditions. Marops recorded 217 incidents inside Bermuda’s reef line, 70
outside the reef line and 174 more beyond the 12-mile limit. The number of
marine incidents increased from 353 to 405, almost 18 per cent, between 2017 and
2018. The 2017 figures were said to have been much lower because of a higher
emergency-response readiness as a result of the America’s Cup races that year.
Marops said the number of marine incidents had been in decline since a high
point of almost 600 in 2009. The spokesman added it was important that sailors
checked that their boats were serviced before they are put in the water. He
said: “Ensure that everything is in good working order: the engine, the
battery, bilge pumps, check there is sufficient fuel. Check your moorings; a lot
of boats break free, run aground ... some of it is lack of experience. There is
mandatory safety equipment when vessels go inshore and offshore. Make use of
marine VHF communications. When you go offshore, a lot of people forget that it
is a requirement to carry a VHF radio. It enables you to monitor VHF channel 16,
the distress and calling channel. Having a VHF on board makes it easier for you
to be able to call in an emergency. It also helps if you have it turned on at
all times when you are on the water, so that you can form part of the marine
community and can offer assistance to other vessels if they are in peril or need
help. We also encourage people to call us and file float plans if they are going
offshore. It is simple, but it gives you an added layer of safety.” The
spokesman added: “You can drive a recreational boat without a licence in
Bermuda. In many jurisdictions there is compulsory licensing, but that is not
the case in Bermuda. There is no doubt that if there is mandatory boating
education and licensing, it will make people more aware and less of a
liability.” Waypoint Marine Consulting will host a water safety session today
at the Bermuda Sailors’ Home on Richmond Road, Hamilton, from 9am to 11am. The
Bermuda Water Safety Council and the Marine Police will hold safety
demonstrations at Harbour Nights on Wednesday from 6pm to 9am. The police and
the Department of Parks said they would release their marine incident figures in
due course. The RBR was not immediately able to provide figures. The Bermuda
Water Safety Council did not respond to a request for comment. Mandatory
safety equipment for boaters. Safety equipment requirements for a 20 to 30-foot
boat going offshore:
A
group of tourists have notched up a total of 256 years of visits to Bermuda. The
eight couples, from the United States and Germany, have been visiting the island
for more than 20 years. Peggy Slade and husband Scott, from New England, have
been annual visitors for 34 years. Mrs Slade said: “We celebrated our 20th
anniversary here and have been coming ever since.” She explained that they met
the other couples, who now call themselves the Long Tales, when they stayed The
Reefs hotel in Southampton. They hit it off and the group, with people between
40 and 90 years old, started to plan their vacations for the same time each
year. Mrs Slade said: “As we leave, we sign up to be here at the same time
next year. Some of us are in touch when we are not here. We have always been
pleased with The Reefs’ hospitality and the country.” She added: “The
things that keep us coming are that there are minimal changes at The Reefs so it
feels like we are coming home.” She said some staff members at the hotel were
there when they made their first visit. David Dodwell Jr, general manager at The
Reefs, said: “It’s always a pleasure to have all our guests, but it’s a
real pleasure to have repeat guests. We always enjoy seeing them every year and
enjoy helping them to have a great Bermudian experience. We feel so honored that
they chose to vacation with us. This speaks to the hard work and commitment of
the staff.” Mrs Slade said the safety of the island and the short journey from
New York was an attraction for many of the couples. She added: “The island
being as safe as it is, my husband and I always have a scooter so we cover much
of the island.” Mrs Slade said some of the Long Tales visited Bermuda more
than once a year. She added two of the couples had health problems last year and
considered missing this year’s trip but “pushed” themselves to join their
friends. Mrs Slade said: “It speaks highly of the attraction of Bermuda and
the desire to be with the group. We have become quite close and look forward to
seeing each other.” She added the group had grown to love Bermuda and that a
German couple got married here seven years ago after years of visits. Mrs Slade
said that the couples hoped to continue the tradition of the annual visit for
years. She added: “There have been others who have passed, but hopefully we
will continue this group for the next few years.” She said the group also
organised a special reunion dinner at The Reefs every year. Mrs Slade and her
husband added they also attended services at the Anglican church of St Anne’s
in Southampton while on the island. Nora Bell Kast, who is from Southampton and
met the Slades at church, said: “They have been coming for 34 years. I thought
that a record. I was thrilled to have been able to meet them.”
A
69-year-old due to face child pornography charges was yesterday identified as
the man found dead in a car this week. Police confirmed that the body of
David Aitken was discovered by a family member outside a house on Hidden Lane,
Pembroke, on Tuesday at about 12.40pm. Mr Aitken, who lived in Pembroke, was
taken to the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and later pronounced dead by
doctors. A police spokesman said: “Foul play is not suspected and a cause of
death is being examined.” He added that a family liaison officer had been
assigned to Mr Aitken’s family. It was earlier alleged in Supreme Court that
Mr Aitken had accessed child pornography. It was claimed that he used a
peer-to-peer file-sharing network to view 113 videos and 752 images between
March 2015 and November 2017. The case against Mr Aitken, which involved two
charges, was withdrawn by prosecutors yesterday.
MPs and senators were told
they were on “a public platform” and should behave accordingly as part of
talks in a two-day seminar with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Appropriate use of social media and conduct in the House of Assembly were among
the topics covered in sessions lead by both Bermudian politicians and visiting
experts. The final session was on Parliament and Social Media: Is it a menace or
benefit for democracy and parliament? Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House,
explained: “We have to make sure that as elected officials there are standards
we conduct ourselves under, whether that’s just simple interaction with people
or whether that’s using social media. We have to remember that our life is no
longer just a personal life, we’re on a public platform and everything that we
do should recognize that and be respectful of the fact that we’re on a public
platform.” He added: “It was not an attempt to limit their use of it, it was
an attempt to make sure they know how to use it correctly and in a positive way
because it can easily be used negatively and it won’t only just harm that
individual. In a sense, it harms all of us as a body, in that we all get tainted
by any negativity that goes around in our circle as leaders. So all of us have a
responsibility to protect the sanctity of Parliament and the Senate.” The
Speaker said all the island’s parliamentarians were invited to the seminar and
most attended, although some were off-island on government business or were
unable to be there for personal reasons. Mr Lister added after the seminar
closed yesterday: “I’m the old man in the room of Parliament and in my 30
years in Parliament we have never done such a session to help show ways for us
to improve how we function in Parliament, what’s the business of Parliament
and what we should be benchmarking ourselves against. That was a key element for
me. The other piece of it was to make sure that we get members to understand the
relationship between our Parliament and the CPA” The CPA was invited to the
island to help increase understanding of the concepts and standards that help to
create parliamentary democracies. Akbar Khan, the secretary-general of the CPA,
explained that the organisation, founded in 1911, aimed to “promote, develop
and connect parliamentarians and their staff” to help them recognize good
practice benchmarks and encourage parliamentary democracy. He said: “We’re a
community of learning and parliamentarians are no different than any other
professionals who are seeking to make a difference in public life. The public
often forget, in my experience, that parliamentarians come into parliament
without any particular qualification or experience about parliamentary life. We
expect our parliamentarians to deliver to the highest standards serving their
constituents, serving their community, serving their nation, but we don’t
provide any form of training for that beforehand. That’s where the CPA comes
in.” Shirley Osborne, the Speaker of the Montserrat Legislative Assembly and a
CPA vice-chairwoman, said although politicians all over the world can become
“excited” during debates, it was often because they were driven to make a
change. She said: “Parliaments are filled with people who are passionate about
something, who have a cause, who have a policy or something that they’re
really intent on achieving for their constituents, so that comes out sometimes.
One of the older speakers from my jurisdiction warned me ‘Parliament is not
Sunday school’ and I think we need to remember that. Parliament is a place
where there are adults who are trying to get something done and how they manage
themselves in there is managed by standing orders and by the rules of civil
conversation, civil society.” Mr Lister said his role was not to stifle
debate, but to set boundaries for it. He added: “As long as members stay
within those parameters I’ll sit back and be quiet but the moment you step
over, I’m going to deal with that individual and bring them back into line.”
Minister
of Legal Affairs, Hon. Kathy Lynn Simmons, JP, today issued AML-ATF Advisory
1/2019 about the risks in a number of jurisdictions arising from inadequate
systems and controls to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The
Proceeds of Crime (Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing)
Regulations 2008 (POCA Regulations) require the Bermuda regulated sector and
relevant persons to apply enhanced customer due diligence to high-risk
countries.
As the international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) standard-setter, FATF regularly publishes statements that identify high-risk countries based on assessments of their AML/CFT regimes. In accordance with Regulation 11 (1)(aa), the Minister for Legal Affairs would like to draw the regulated sector’s and relevant persons’ attention to the latest FATF publication on high risk jurisdictions.
Action
must be taken to ensure that working Bermudians can live with dignity,
panellists at a public forum on a living wage have said. Rolfe Commissiong,
chairman of the Joint Select Committee on the Establishment of a Living/Minimum
Wage, told the dozens in attendance at St George’s Cricket Club that many in
the workforce struggled to make ends meet. He said he had spoken to a woman who
worked at a restaurant in Hamilton, but still had a hard time getting by. Mr
Commissioning said: “I came to find out she was working as a part-time worker
and she earned $7.50 an hour. As a part-time worker, she had no health
insurance, but she had worked over the previous two weeks 96 hours with no
overtime. She was paid $720 for those 96 hours. That means after you take out
social insurance and payroll tax, she took home $620.90.” Mr Commissioning,
speaking at a forum held on Thursday night, said there had been a global “race
to the bottom” in salaries and the use of low-cost foreign labour had
accelerated the trend. He explained that the Government would create a wage
commission to look at the creation of a living wage — one that ensures workers
a decent standard of living — or a minimum wage. Phil Perinchief, a lawyer,
said the wage commission would hold as series of meetings to determine the best
course. He added that the cost of living should also be addressed as part of the
commission’s work. Mr Perinchief said: “A number of questions will arise,
requiring precise and accurate answers. Issues such as the establishment of a
true and representative poverty data line in Bermuda’s circumstances. What
constitutes cost of living? What is a reasonable profit margin or markup that a
given entrepreneur should make or charge? 100 per cent? 200 per cent? 500 per
cent? What’s reasonable? The idea is that we are trying to bring down or
reduce the cost of living. Then we will be in a better position to pitch the
living and minimum wage at a point whereby the two converge.” Nathan Kowalski,
a financial analyst and commentator, who emphasised that he was speaking in a
personal capacity, said inequality levels were the highest they have been since
1929 and inequality damaged a country’s gross domestic product. But he said it
was crucial for Bermuda to strike the right balance. Mr Kowalski said: “We
cannot benefit from a minimum wage if there is no wage to be had.” He said a
recent study in the US examined the effect of increased wages in restaurants and
found that 43 per cent of restaurants cut jobs, 64 per cent of restaurants
reduced staff hours and 71 per cent increased menu prices. Mr Kowalski added:
“I’m not saying that this will happen for sure, but these are unintended
consequences that can happen.” Mr Commissiong said later that there had been a
lot of discussion about the effect of minimum and living wages, but it was rare
that the worst predictions materialized. He said: “In Germany, the economists
there were saying there would be 200,000 jobs lost as a consequence of them for
the first time putting in place statutory wages about four or five years ago. In
fact the economy went the other way. It went into a boom.” Mr Commissiong
added: “One thing that is always ignored is that fact that when people get
more money in their pocket, particularly at the bottom of income distribution,
for better or worse, they spend disproportionately more of it. And in a
consumer-based economy, that could be good.” The St George’s meeting was the
first of three. The next will be held on Thursday at St Paul’s AME Centennial
Hall in Hamilton. The last will be held at Somerset Cricket Club on May 16. Both
meetings are scheduled to start at 6.30pm.
Bermuda’s
public health sector is on a “guarded” alert after a resurgence of the
measles virus in North America, the Caribbean and Europe, according to Cheryl
Peek-Ball, the Chief Medical Officer. She cautioned that there had been no
cases of measles reported in Bermuda since 1990, but that a threat remained of a
case being imported. The Ministry of Health has advised all residents,
especially if traveling abroad, to become informed about the disease, know their
immune status, and get vaccinated if at risk. If you have travelled and fallen
unwell with fever and body rash, it is important to inform your healthcare
professional of your travel history. If you suspect you have measles, seek
telephone advice immediately from your healthcare provider before traveling to
the healthcare setting. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that
can spread be quickly through the air. Dr Peek-Ball added: “Individuals born
before 1957 are considered to be immune due to high circulation of the measles
virus in that era. Individuals born in 1957 or thereafter, and are uncertain
whether they have been adequately vaccinated against measles should discuss
their risk with their healthcare provider. A blood test can determine whether
you are immune either due to previous infection or through vaccination. If you
are not immune, vaccination against measles offers the best protection. The
combined vaccine, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) is recommended as it is
scientifically proven safe and effective against the three components. In
addition to advising vaccination for all individuals at risk, the Ministry of
Health is collaborating with healthcare providers on island to assure that all
are on heightened alert to the possibility of measles. A suspected case of
measles must be quickly recognized and reported to the Epidemiology and
Surveillance Unit for prompt public health action to control the spread.
Physicians are reminded to immediately report suspected cases of measles to the
nurse epidemiologist, phone 278-6503 or 332-8932. If you or your child has not been vaccinated against
measles, contact your physician or visit the Child Health Clinic located at the
Hamilton Health Centre, 67 Victoria Street, Hamilton.”
The
Minister for the Cabinet Office said yesterday Bermuda was not in a recession. Wayne
Furbert added the bulletin of statistics for the last quarter of 2018 showed
“some positive growth”. He said retail sales had been down, but that could
not be the only indicator of a recession. Mr Furbert added: “The numbers we
have here today are very good news and no we are not in any recession.” He
said visitor spending increased in the last quarter of 2018 and spending by
cruise ship passengers more than tripled from $7 million in 2017 to $23.9
million in 2018. He said the estimated total expenditure by air visitors
increased by 5 per cent to $83.7 million over the same period in 2017. Visitors
spent $2.7 million more on accommodation and food and $1.2 million more on
shopping, entertainment and transport services. Mr Furbert said the statistics
indicated economic progress. He added: “These results are a tangible
demonstration that this Government’s socio-economic policies are bearing fruit
and this is good news for Bermuda.” One Bermuda Alliance leader Craig
Cannonier said visitor increases were due to policies implemented by the Bermuda
Tourism Authority and a rise in employment income on construction was due to
on-going capital projects started under the OBA. He said: “While employment
income rose overall, that is down to two factors: a rise in the number of people
employed by Government, which is being paid for by higher taxes, and a
significant rise in fourth quarter income in the IB sector. The statistics show
that people in international business earned a total of $259.9 million, an
increase of $23.3 million, compared to the same quarter in 2017. But what the
Minister failed to point out was that for the full year, IB employment income
fell by $12.8 million, to $1.14 billion. People are losing their jobs or leaving
the island.”
Legal
arguments in an action brought by the former chief executive of the Bermuda
Health Council against her previous employer were heard behind closed doors
yesterday. Tawanna Wedderburn said in March that she had asked for judicial
review proceedings against the watchdog, as well as David Burt, the Premier, Kim
Wilson, the health minister, and Alicia Stovell-Washington, the chairwoman of
the council. A case listed as Ms Wedderburn versus the BHeC and others was
scheduled to call in the Supreme Court’s civil jurisdiction at noon. However,
after members of the public and media attended, they were advised the case would
be heard “in chambers” and open only to the parties involved. The Royal
Gazette was unable to obtain information from lawyers after the hearing. Ms
Wedderburn’s 11-year career with the BHeC ended last December in what the
health council called a “separation of employment”. She said earlier this
year that she had received “encouraging messages” from people in the
Caribbean, North America and Europe and was “bombarded on the streets of
Bermuda with well wishes”. A law firm acting for the BHeC said in January that
Ms Wedderburn’s employment was “terminated lawfully by the council in full
compliance with section 18(1)(b) of the Employment Act 2000, the Bermuda Health
Council Act 2004 and her contract of employment which calls for one-month notice
of termination”. The watchdog’s lawyers added that Ms Wedderburn was paid
her notice and offered six months pay and benefits “in good faith”.
Prison
officers have accused the Government of a failure to act for two decades over
safety, security and working conditions. The Prison Officers Association
said yesterday that there had been “platitudes, no actions, just promises for
20 years” over “unaddressed adverse matters pertaining to safety, security,
and work conditions”. The association also carried a vote of no confidence
against six senior management staff at the Department of Corrections. The POA
spoke out after Wayne Caines, the national security minister, said on Monday
that Westgate prison faced “indefinite” lockdown as officers work to rule.
The association accused Progressive Labour Party and One Bermuda Alliance
governments of a failure to tackle problems that affected the safety and health
of prison officers. The POA also criticised the lack of notice, or any official
statement, on the secondment of Lieutenant-Colonel Eddie Lamb, the Commissioner
of Corrections, who was moved to another department for nine months. Colonel
Lamb was moved in February 2018 to work as project manager for the National
Anti-Money Laundering Committee. The secondment was said to be for nine months,
but prison officers said Colonel Lamb had been away from the job for more than a
year. The POA added that its collective bargaining agreement dated back to 2008,
with “no increase in salary for a decade, inclusive of any allowance for cost
of living adjustments”. The POA also slammed the Public Service Negotiations
Team, which has been in talks with the association since 2016. A spokesman for
the POA said: “The POA recently discovered in discussions that the PSNT did
not have a mandate to negotiate in 2016-17 and has not met with management of
corrections to discuss the collective bargaining agreement proposals since March
2018.” He added that talks had been held with Mr Caines and Collingwood
Anderson, the ministry’s permanent secretary, and senior managers at the
Department of Corrections about “outstanding matters”. Three prison officers
were attacked by Westgate inmates last Friday and the prison has been on
lockdown since. The POA said a unanimous vote of no confidence in department
leaders had been sent to Mr Anderson. The statement added: “The POA requests
the respect and remuneration so belatedly forgotten and yet well deserved.”
A
flock of Bermuda kites have been selected to decorate the new LF Wade
International Airport terminal as part of a competition. Aecon and Skyport,
who hosted the competition, said the 155 entries and more than 200 designs were
submitted as part of the competition to select ten winning designs. Lily
Mulder-Powell, Mikale Willis and Kiera Wales were named winners in the
12-and-under category, while two entries by Priel Minors were selected as the
winners in the 13 to 18-year-old category. Brian Lightbourne, Matthew Tumbridge,
Abigail Kempe, Steven Harvey and Jordon Every were selected as winners in the
adult category. In addition to seeing their designs hanging in the new airport
terminal when it opens next year, each of the winners was presented with a $250
cheque at a special reception. Frank Ross, executive adviser for infrastructure
at Aecon Construction, said: “We were so pleased with the creativity, use of colors
and uniqueness in each kite. The installation is going to be visually stunning
and we are excited to share it with the public once the terminal opens next
year.” Mikaela Pearman, marketing and communications officer at Skyport,
added: “Our winners include children from both public and private schools and
a diverse group of adults. We were overwhelmed by the large amount of entries we
received in the contest and would like to thank the public for its
engagement.”
A
man who raped a 15-year-old schoolgirl more than 30 years ago was jailed for
eight years today. Morris O’Brien, 53, of Pembroke, was convicted of the
attack on the teenager, said to be a family friend, in Supreme Court in
February. The victim, now 45, had told the court he raped her on the living room
floor as her sister slept in a bedroom. At his sentencing today, O’Brien was
told time already served would be taken into account.
Argo
Group International Holding’s denial that it has an executive penthouse
apartment above its New York City offices has stirred up more anger from
activist shareholders. Because, while the company was correct when it batted
away the claim, it did not mention the corporate penthouse six blocks away in
Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. “Argo should be ashamed for attempting to
mislead shareholders by omitting this material from its response,” said Voce
Capital Management LLC, the San Francisco-based hedge fund that is the
beneficial owner of about 5.6 per cent of the shares of Argo. According to Voce,
Argo’s Manhattan apartment on Ninth Avenue was purchased for $5.79 million,
three years ago. It described it as: “Open views and beaming light from the
continuous walls of glass pull you from the entry through to the large living
room and dining room and out onto the 41-foot-long terrace.” It claimed to
have confirmed that Mark Watson, Argo’s chief executive officer, lives there.
However, this has been disputed. A source close to Argo told The Royal Gazette
that the apartment is not used exclusively by any single executive, but is used
when needed if an executive is in town, or as accommodation during a relocation.
Meanwhile, in a 68-page presentation document released last night, Argo said:
“Yes, we do have a corporate apartment in New York used by many employees, but
it is not the fancy place described by Voce.” Argo has previously described
Voce’s claims directed at the company as spurious allegations that are part of
a “misleading” media campaign. The dispute was turned up a notch on
Wednesday, when Voce said Argo “desperately needs a culture of respect, not
disdain, for shareholders” and that its handling of Voce’s questions about
the “potential penthouse apartment” where the CEO lives while in New York
“demonstrates the company’s disregard for shareholders and lack of respect
for honesty when engaging with investors”. Voce issued a 66-page presentation,
titled “Righting the Ship”, outlining its plan for how Argo can “unlock
substantial shareholder value” by reducing expenses, undergoing compensation
reforms, capital allocation improvements, portfolio rationalization and
enhancing corporate governance. According to Voce, its ideas could increase the
company’s return on equity to 13.5 per cent and reduce expenses by $100
million. It claims an additional $20 million of savings could be achievable by
“reigning in corporate expenses, including corporate aircraft and housing,
vanity sponsorships and CEO compensation”. Voce has previously highlighted its
concerns about the company’s use of corporate jets and its corporate housing
programme. It is seeking the removal and replacement of five directors. In
reply, Argo published an updated presentation titled “Argo Group: driving
growth and value for shareholders”, in which it said: “Voce has deliberately
avoided the truth in order to engage in a campaign of misinformation and
outright falsehoods with the hopes of creating an overwhelming appearance of
impropriety as a means to gain board seats.” It also hit back at what it
claimed was Voce’s “sensationalist claims about corporate aircraft programme
based on fundamentally wrong analysis”, and claimed Voce has “a track record
of destroying shareholder value at the companies it targets”. Argo said its
board was committed to ensuring strong corporate governance practices. It said:
“The truth is that our oversight and governance of the company is strong and
serves investors well. Argo has the right board and management team to continue
our best-in-class performance and stewardship.”
Walkers
in the annual End-to-End will enjoy a string of improvements to the Railway
Trail sections of the route tomorrow. Friends of the Bermuda Railway Trail,
in partnership with the Parks Department and D&J Excavating, have carried
out work to arrest erosion along the paths. Mike Murphy, co-founder of the
charity with his son Tucker Murphy, said work had been done on eight hillsides
between Hamilton and Somerset Bridge. Mr Murphy said: “The slopes were
smoothed and reinforced with a composite material filling geo-cell webbing, then
topped with a skim cap containing minimal cement in the mixture — all the
latest design to prevent, or at least significantly slow, the constant hillside
erosion from heavy rains. The Friends of Bermuda Railway Trail would like to
thank Brad Huntington, Angela Huntington, John Williams and Fiona Williams for
their generous financial support, which led to these improvements.” The
charity rose to prominence in 2013, when work started on a new bridge spanning
Bailey’s Bay in Hamilton Parish. Other crucial bridges for the trail included
crossings at Store Hill, Smith’s, and a bridge now in progress over Flatts
Inlet. The group invests in the trail itself, as well as structures surviving
from the days of train travel in Bermuda. The island’s railway shut down in
1948 after only 17 years in operation, leaving 18 miles of routes for runners,
walkers and cyclists. Mr Murphy said the Bermuda Tourism Authority had matched
funds donated by the Williams and Huntington families for the latest
improvements. The charity said the Ministry of Public Works has installed a
stoplight and crosswalk near Harmony Hall in Paget, and put a new coat of paint
for four former railway stations. Mr Murphy added: “The trail is becoming a
more popular attraction for many tourists seeking a unique and active experience
of walking, running or pedal biking amid the varied and new vistas opened up
along the trail. The Bermuda Hotel Association, and particularly the Fairmont
Southampton in adopting the care for the trail passing by their property, have
been supportive of the efforts to enhance the tourist experience. In the near
future, the Friends of Bermuda Railway Trail hopes to open up and improve some
of the overgrown less-utilized pathways connecting the trail to other tourist
sites on the west side, which may require assistance from volunteers, as a good
portion of the work may need to be done by hand.”
The
Bermuda Government is reminding the public that people who use credit cards to
pay their taxes will incur a service fee to do so. As announced in the
2019/2020 budget, for many years the government has been incurring millions of
dollars in credit card charges due to taxpayers using their credit cards to pay
their taxes. Effective from May 6, 2019, the government will start to recover
these charges by implementing the 1.45% credit card service fee for all payments
made by debit/credit card. The fee will be in effect at the following locations:
The Office of the Tax Commissioner, the Department of Planning, the Department of Customs, and Magistrates and Supreme Courts will be implementing the new service fee in the coming months, after required system upgrades.
The
switch from the existing terminal to the new one at LF Wade International
Airport will happen overnight. It is a daunting logistical challenge, and
even though the change over is more than a year away, major planning is under
way. Construction of the new terminal is on schedule to be completed in July
2020. A date for the opening of the 277,300 sq ft facility has not yet been set.
Aaron Adderley, president of airport operator Skyport, said: “We are right on
target. We are engaging in what we call an operational readiness programme,
working with all the stakeholders in planning the transition from the existing
terminal over to the new terminal. That transition is going to happen overnight,
so there is a lot of planning that goes with facilitating that transfer.” He
said Skyport is working with other agencies, including airlines, the Government,
and customs and immigration, to ready for the switchover. “We are working with
everyone who has a presence at the airport to define exactly what the needs and
requirements are, to ensure that we have a smooth transition in 2020.” Mr
Adderley said everything was going “full steam ahead”, and he was happy with
the progress being made. He said everyone was looking forward to moving in to
the new terminal, and added: “From our standpoint, Skyport and Aecon, we are
committed to delivering the terminal building on time, and we are well on our
way to doing that.” The opening of the new terminal might coincide with
announcements of a new flight, or flights, to the island. Skyport, the Bermuda
Tourism Authority and the Bermuda Airport Authority, are working to attract new
flights, according to Mr Adderley. He said: “Collectively we are constantly in
dialogue with a number of carriers, not only incumbent carriers but also new
carriers. The idea is to look towards getting additional services, whether it be
from secondary markets in the United States, perhaps other Canadian gateways,
and also the UK/Europe. We have a number of balls in the air, and we are
planning and hoping that next summer one of those will materialise and we will
have a new flight, or a couple of new flights, [either then] or shortly
thereafter.”
Bermuda’s
health minister lashed out this morning at a private health insurance provider
which she said had raised its premiums. But the president of BF&M said
that premium hikes were in part due to proposed healthcare changes by the
Government. Kim Wilson said that she had received a letter from a local business
sent from BF&M advising that the company was to increase its insurance
rates. She added: “It is unconscionable that BF&M, who recently reported
heavy profits, would attempt to blame their premium increases on the
efficiencies that the Government is making with respect to healthcare payments
of our healthcare dollars.” Ms Wilson said that the increase was
“significant”. She added: “The letter wrongly blames the Government for
the increase. The letter is wholly misleading and contains serious inaccuracies
that the public must be made aware of. The standard premium rate and the mutual
reinsurance fund premium are not a tax. They are actuarially derived premiums to
pay for healthcare. There is no 225 per cent increase on any tax. This is wholly
untrue.” She said that the premium increases made by BF&M were a
“business decision based on profit margins and shareholder interests. The
extra premium they are charging is not to pay for hospital care, because the
Government is protecting that by not increasing the standard health premium
rate. The extra premiums they are charging is to help to fund profits.” But
John Wight, the president and chief executive of BF&M, said that premiums
were impacted by several factors “including rising healthcare costs, overall
claims experience, as well as the Government’s proposed changes to the
distribution of standard premium rate. The proposed Government reform is an
exercise in reallocating funds and capping hospital funds, and fails to address
the real drivers of the cost of healthcare in Bermuda — the third most
expensive per capita in the world. Premiums will continue to increase as a
result of our ageing population and the growing number of adults with chronic
conditions.” Mr Wight said that the mutual reinsurance fund is embedded in
clients’ standard premium rate and that the firm collected it on behalf of the
Government. He added: “It is a fact that, as part of the changes to the
distribution of the standard premium rate, the MRF is increasing by 225 per
cent.” Mr Wight said the firm wanted to work with the Government to develop
“thoughtful, comprehensive healthcare reform that achieves our shared goals of
stabilizing costs, increasing accessibility, and driving better health outcomes.
We are in the process of presenting the Government viable alternatives and we
are hopeful that those discussions will result in thoughtful solutions.”
Personal
prejudice played no part in the choice for Commissioner of Education, a lawyer
for the Board of Education told Supreme Court yesterday. Delroy Duncan said:
“There was no possibility that this process was affected by bias.” Mr Duncan
was speaking on the first day of a civil case launched against the Public
Service Commission and the BoE by Gina Tucker, a former primary school principal
who has also worked in several other senior roles in education. Dr Tucker
claimed in her affidavit that she had “not been fairly treated or properly
considered” for the job, which was given to Kalmar Richards, the former
principal of CedarBridge Academy, last September. She said that her relationship
with Valerie Robinson-James, the permanent secretary at the education ministry,
had soured after a disagreement over a decision to offer the Commissioner of
Education post to Paul Wagstaff, a British education expert, in 2016. Dr Tucker
added: “It is my view that the permanent secretary has orchestrated this
entire matter.” Mr Duncan said that there no evidence that the clash between
the two had influenced the decision to hire Ms Richards. He added: “It’s an
assertion that has no basis whatsoever.” Mr Duncan highlighted scores awarded
to Ms Richards and Dr Tucker by a five-menber panel when the two candidates were
interviewed for the job last July. He said: “On everybody’s score ... Kalmar
Richards outperforms Dr Gina Tucker. Not by a small margin.” Mr Duncan added
that even if Ms Robinson-James’s scores were taken out, Ms Richards “still
far and away surpasses the score that Dr Tucker achieved”. Mark Diel, for Dr
Tucker, said that there was “clearly bad blood” between his client and Ms
Robinson-James. He added: “We contend that the permanent secretary set out,
and in fact was successful, in orchestrating the appointment of her chosen
candidate for the role.” Mr Diel said that it was not necessary for his
client’s case to focus on unfair treatment. He explained: “The real problem
here is that, whatever the motivation, the process was not followed in any
manner of speaking.” Mr Diel added that Ms Richards did not meet the minimum
academic qualifications for the job. Richard Horseman, for the PSC, said that
the commission had forwarded their recommendation for Commissioner of Education
based on information provided by the BoE. He added: “Their recommendation
cannot be faulted.” Mr Horseman said that if Dr Tucker had a problem with Ms
Robinson-James sitting on the panel that interviewed her, she should have
mentioned it at the time. Dr Tucker wants the appointment of Ms Richards quashed
and an order made for the application process to be held “fairly and in
accordance with the Education Act 1996 and the Public Service Commission
Regulations 2001”, as well as costs. The hearing, which was adjourned to a
later date, continues.
A
water-quality testing programme has started at the island’s most popular
beaches. Environmental health officers started the annual check programme
last month. A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Testing started on April
1 and monthly updates will soon be provided from sampling conducted from now
until the autumn.” The department tests seawater for pollution during peak
summer months and started to publish the results on the Government’s website
in 2014. The move came after reports of so-called “grease balls”, which
contained human faeces, being washed up on south shore beaches a year before. A
2013 report by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences found that the waste came
from the Hamilton Seabright sewage pipeline. The US Consulate later issued a
warning to American citizens that the island’s beaches could be a health
hazard. Last year’s seawater sampling results from 15 different sites showed
levels of enterococcus — bacteria present in human and animal faeces — well
below the US Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum recommended levels. The
Bermuda Government uses the EPA yardstick to measure the purity of seawater
around the island.
The
owners of the Fairmont Southampton confirmed yesterday that they are in talks
with a potential buyer. Kiaran MacDonald, the resort’s general manager,
said: “The hotel has been actively up for sale for quite some time. We are in
advanced discussions with a prospective purchaser,” Mr MacDonald added he was
“not in a position to share details” of who was involved in the sale talks
and dismissed rumors that the hotel had already been sold. Gencom, a Miami-based
investment firm, bought Rosewood Tucker’s Point hotel in 2017 and are said to
have explored additions to their Bermuda portfolio. The company owns, operates
and develops real estate properties worldwide with an emphasis on luxury hotels,
resorts and branded residential properties. A spokesman at Gencom’s head
office yesterday said the principal and founder Karim Alibhai and Alessandro
Colantonio, the executive vice-president for acquisitions, and Phil Keb, the
firm’s head of development, were traveling yesterday and not available for
comment. French company AccorHotels took over Fairmont Hotels, which owns the
Fairmont Southampton, in 2015. The owners are known to have been looking for
buyers for the 593-room hotel, Bermuda’s largest tourism property. The news
came as Bermuda’s tourism industry started a renaissance. A record total of
770,683 visitors arrived on the island in 2018, up by 84,775 people, or 11 per
cent, on the previous year. The Bermuda Tourism Authority said last year’s
tourists pumped more than $500 million into the economy. The Fairmont
Southampton is considered Bermuda’s “convention hotel” as well as being
popular with the tourist trade. The hotel features ten restaurants, a spa, the
18-hole, par-three Turtle Hill Golf Club, the Mid-Ocean Amphitheatre, and more
than 25,000 square feet of meeting space.
The
Prison Officers Association has blasted the Government for “platitudes, no
actions, just promises for 20 years” over “unaddressed adverse matters
pertaining to safety, security, and work conditions”. The group has also
sent a vote of no confidence against six members of the senior management at the
Department of Corrections. A statement sent out this afternoon, after the
announcement on Monday by national security minister Wayne Caines that Westgate
prison faced “indefinite” lockdown, accused both the Progressive Labour
Party and the One Bermuda Alliance of lagging on addressing officers’
“safety and health”. The POA also criticized the lack of notice, or any
official statement, on the continuing secondment of Lieutenant-Colonel Eddie
Lamb, the Commissioner of Corrections, who was moved to another department for
nine months. The officers’ group said Colonel Lamb’s absence was now more
than one year. Members are working from a Collective Bargaining Agreement dating
to 2008, with “no increase in salary for a decade, inclusive of any allowance
for cost of living adjustments”. The POA also castigated the Public Service
Negotiations Team, which has been in talks with the association since 2016.
“The POA recently discovered in discussions that the PSNT did not have a
mandate to negotiate in 2016-17 and has not met with management of Corrections
to discuss the CBA proposals since March 2018,” the statement continued,
saying talks had been held with Mr Caines along with Collingwood Anderson, the
Permanent Secretary, and senior management at Corrections, over “outstanding
matters”. The statement confirmed that members had voted to go on work to
rule, which was announced on Monday by Mr Caines. Last Friday, officers were
assaulted by inmates at the prison, and the POA meeting with the move for
industrial action would result in Westgate on lockdown under a “skeleton
crew”, the minister said on Monday. In the statement today, the POA said its
unanimous vote of no confidence in department leaders had been sent to Mr
Anderson. The statement closed: “The POA requests the respect and remuneration
so belatedly forgotten and yet well deserved.”
Bermuda’s
police helped to snare a man who raped a 15-year-old boy on a cruise ship
berthed in Dockyard. Adam Boyd, from Mississippi, has admitted the offence
in a US courtroom and will be sentenced this year. Boyd, 32, pleaded guilty to
sexual abuse of a minor in a US Federal Court in Massachusetts on Tuesday. He
had earlier appeared in Magistrates’ Court in Bermuda charged with the
offence, but was later extradited to the US. The US Department of Justice said
Boyd and the victim were passengers on the Norwegian Dawn, which was
berthed in Bermuda in August 2017 when the attack took place. Brendan Fogerty,
an FBI special agent, said in an affidavit to the Federal Court that the victim
told investigators he met Boyd on the ship’s deck after he had been drinking
with people he met on the cruise. The teenager asked for help to get back to his
cabin and Boyd agreed, but on the way he asked the drunk teenager several times
to go to his cabin instead. The affidavit added that Boyd, a hairdresser from
Bay Springs, Mississippi, kissed, groped and raped the teenager in a deserted
area of the ship’s 14th deck. Mr Fogerty said the boy was “too drunk and
froze, not knowing what to say or do”. The victim and another witness told
investigators Boyd knew how old the victim was. The victim afterwards told
friends what had happened and they tried to find Boyd to confront him, but
without success. The teenager later told a family member about the rape and they
reported the attack to the ship’s security staff. The crew alerted the Bermuda
Police Service, who arrested Boyd for the offence. Boyd was arraigned in a US
Federal Court after extradition and released on bail. But he was arrested in
Mississippi last November after he violated his bail conditions. He has been
held in custody since then. Boyd is expected to return to the court on August 1
to be sentenced. Sexual abuse of a minor in America carries a sentence of up to
15 years in prison, with a minimum term of five years, up to a lifetime of
supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The
Ministry of Public Works is advising that effective 6 May, 2019, Blackwatch Pass
will be closed to traffic so that construction works to the wall face can be
conducted. The closure is expected to last until 20 May, 2019. While Blackwatch
Pass is closed the public is encouraged to plan ahead and seek alternative
routes to avoid delays. The Ministry takes this opportunity to thank the public
in advance for their cooperation and patience while these necessary remedial
works are conducted.
A
woman has been charged with handling a revolver, a shotgun and 485 rounds of
ammunition. Tonae Perinchief-Leader denied four charges related to the
alleged handling of a Taurus revolver, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and of
ammunition of different calibres at Supreme Court yesterday. The offences were
alleged to have happened in July 2015. The case against the 29-year-old, from
Sandys, was adjourned to later this month. Ms Perinchief-Leader’s $25,000 bail
was continued. James Dallas also appeared in front of Puisne Judge Charles-Etta
Simmons. He faced four counts of throwing a corrosive substance at police with
intent to resist arrest on March 28. Mr Dallas, 69, was also accused of trespass
at a building on Happy Valley Road, Pembroke, and using threatening words. No
plea was entered and the case was adjourned until May 10. Mr Dallas was remanded
in custody.
Bermuda’s
celebrity seal is doing well in her temporary home at an aquarium on the
American East Coast. American Daisy Dohanos, a frequent visitor to the
island and author of the blog Smitten with Bermuda, has been keeping
track of Lou-Seal, who was washed up exhausted and starving at Tobacco Bay in St
George’s last month. She checked on the female grey seal’s progress at the
Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. Lou-Seal, the first of her species recorded in
Bermuda, travelled hundreds of miles from her North Atlantic habitat and made
headlines when she reached the island on March 19. The animal was rescued and
nursed back to health at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. On April 10, the
airline company Cargo Jet donated a flight to the Mystic Aquarium, which is home
to a variety of marine mammals. Ms Dohanos wrote in her April 29 blog that the
seal’s story “struck a chord in my heart, and rattled my curiosity. How did
she wind up in Bermuda? Did she get caught in a current? Did she realize that
she was astray?” Ms Dohanos, who lives in Sag Harbor in New York, decided to
research grey seals and take a trip to the aquarium to learn more. Dale
Wohlbrink, the director of public relations at Mystic, arranged for Ms Dohanos
to pay a visit last week to the aquarium’s Animal Rescue Centre. Danielle
Stone, Mystic Aquarium’s animal rescue technician, took the keen blogger and
photographer on a tour. Seals are kept quarantined from humans to protect them
from catching influenza. Lou-Seal is being prepared for release back into the
wild, so keepers at the aquarium keep their distance to stop her associating
humans with food. Ms Dohanos wrote: “The professionals at Mystic Aquarium
cannot say how Lou-Seal wound up in Bermuda. Any speculation is merely that.
Danielle surmised that perhaps she was simply following food. Sometimes,
sea mammals will turn around when they reach water temperatures that are not
their preferred climate — or they beach themselves. Yet, the veterinarian at
Mystic does not believe that the waters around Bermuda were too cold in
March.” Ms Dohanos reported that Lou-Seal was “still underweight, but on the
right trajectory. Having arrived at Mystic Aquarium at 211 pounds, her healthy
weight is estimated to be between 300 and 350 pounds. Veterinarians will
continue to monitor her weight, and do an ultrasound exam at her next check up
to ascertain whether she is carrying a pup.” The seal will be fitted with an
electronic tracker before she is returned to the sea in the waters off
Connecticut, Rhode Island and Fisher’s Island. Ms Dohanos added that Lou-Seal
“definitely has an uncanny mystique about her”.
George
Dowling III has promised fresh ideas to revitalize the town and community of St
George if elected as mayor. Mr Dowling, who will go head-to-head with
Kenneth Bascome in a municipal election on May 9, said that even if the
Government replaced the municipalities with quangos, the residents deserved
strong leadership. Mr Dowling, 41, said: “Short-lived or not, we are required
to be good trustees of our town. Until that time comes, if it comes, someone has
to do the job and I will do the job.” He added that St George could benefit
from changes, but that the majority of residents wanted to be able to elect
their own councillors and mayor. He said: “At least 95 per cent are in
agreement that they want to elect their town officials. That being said, I’m
here to reflect the will of the people.” Mr Dowling has a long association
with St George and the family business, Dowling Marine, is based on the
waterfront. He said he first ran for election as a councillor because he wanted
to do something to give back to St George. Mr Dowling said: “A vacancy
emerged, I was asked to run and I gave it a shot. It has been an amazing
experience acting as a councillor. Seeing where you can actually make a
difference, sometimes convincing your colleagues that something will make a
difference and pushing them in that direction. I’m particularly proud of
overseeing the work we have done with the docks. At Hunter’s Wharf there was
originally a plan not to put parking back there, but we fought over it and were
able to put it back in.” Mr Dowling added that it was up to the Government to
move the long-proposed St George’s Marina project forward. He said: “It
would be great if we got it, but it’s not necessarily the magic bullet
that’s going to fix everything in the town. We need to be realistic about
that.” He said his platform focused on five main points designed to lay the
groundwork for the town’s future, starting with a new town plan. Mr Dowling
said: “The second thing we want to tackle is to support the Unesco World
Heritage Site management plan with an end goal of taking complete responsibility
for the management of the World Heritage Site, with legislative teeth to protect
our historic town and funding for the same.” Other objectives in his platform
include a bid to reinvigorate the town with residents investing in the town,
finding revenue-raising opportunities and improving communication. Mr Dowling
said: “A lot of people don’t have awareness about the things that are going
on in our town. We can communicate better. There are issues like pipes breaking,
and a lot of our water is piped, so when a pipe is down people don’t want to
find out when they go to flush the toilet. These are things that we can
communicate better. Once we get these core things in place, than everything else
will be possible.” Mr Dowling said he would like to see a return of regular
cruise ships to St George, but in the meanwhile the corporation and the
Government could find ways to encourage more visitors to the East End. “Right
now we have the Spirit of St George’s, the Norwegian Cruise Line tender,
bringing 55,000 to 60,000 people to St George each summer, along with the
government ferries bringing their allotment. Of course, it would be ideal if we
could have two cruise ships in St George. When I came back to Bermuda in 2004,
there were two cruise ships, and they were there Monday to Thursday. Everywhere
was vibrant, the nightlife was vibrant. We could bring that back if we caught
the right ship. I don’t know if increasing the size of the channel is the
right way to go or not, but there are ways to increase the number of visitors
coming to St George.”
A
New Jersey artist inspired by Bermuda’s rugged coastline hopes an exhibition
of his work will lead to more creative opportunities on the island. Jason
Bereswill said he had been “pulled to paint” since his first trip to Bermuda
in 2017 and repeated visits gave him plenty of material for his show, Rocks,
at the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art. Rocks combines oil paintings created
outdoors with larger studio works that draw on sketches and photographs. Mr
Bereswill said: “Close friends of mine, who live here, invited my wife and I
to come down for a little vacation to see the island. They knew that I would be
interested to paint as soon as I got here and I came ready with paints. Most of
my work is travel-based and mainly of islands. The majority of my work has been
of St Barts. It has been great to be able to come here on multiple trips, all
different times of the year, really getting to know the island and discovering
new spots to paint and having people suggest new places to paint. I’m hoping
to really dive in deep and that this is maybe just the start of more work
here.” The artist said he was captivated by Bermuda’s “really dramatic
rocky beaches” and spent much of his first visit at Horseshoe Bay, then
“trying to get farther away from people and into the smaller places. Typically
,the paintings that I make here don’t have people in them, they’re
unpopulated, they’re really about connecting with these incredible geological
formations and using that to chase down some sort of connection with the forces
that shaped the earth. Rocks are a really interesting place to jump in and,
especially, I think about painting being maybe the first method of communication
— drawings on rocks. Making the rock itself the subject — I think there’s
an interesting rhythm to that.” The artist has already dropped off five
paintings at Masterworks, which he said could be “rotated in” during the
course of the exhibition, which is scheduled to run until May 28. Mr Bereswill
said: “From the moment I arrive on island, I’m pulled to paint, that’s why
it feels like this is just the start of something, it’s so exciting. Having
not grown up here and not had the familiarity with the place since childhood, I
think I’m drawn to things that an outsider might be drawn to. There are
curious views and things that I find fascinating, that had I grown up here I
might overlook. That’s one of the really exciting things about making travel
paintings — getting to know a new place and trying to remain open about
whatever you’re confronted with.” He added: “It’s such a beautiful
island ... there’s something about the coastline here that keeps me coming
back. There’s an interesting breadth of flora combined with the rocks and
there’s incredible oceanic life.” Rocks featured as part of a double
opening event, when John Rankin, the Governor, and Constance Dierman, the US
Consul General, unveiled Pairing and Partners: Bermuda and Other Tales,
which covers relationships between different works from the Masterworks
collection as well as pieces on loan to the museum. It includes paintings by
pioneering photorealist Malcolm Morley, who was one of Mr Bereswill’s early
influences and the two artists shared a friend and mentor in Tony Shafrazi, a
New York gallery owner and dealer. Visitors can expect to learn more about the
stories that link two otherwise unconnected items. Tom Butterfield, the founder
and creative director of Masterworks, said that the pairings exhibition would
provide a representative selection of work from the museum’s archives. He
explained: “It’s harking back to the origins of the collection and is a
fast-forward to where we are today because of the things that we’ve been able
to acquire. It’s a pretty comprehensive show without having to bring out all
1,500 works, so it’s a wonderful sample of the whole collection.”
James
River Group Holdings, Ltd made a first-quarter 2019 profit of $22.7 million, or
75 cents per share. That was a 45 per cent improvement on the $15.6 million,
or 52 cents per share, achieved a year ago. Adjusted net operating income for
the first quarter was $21.7 million, or 71 cents per share, beating the 64 cents
consensus estimate of analysts tracked by Yahoo Finance. The Bermuda
re/insurer’s expense ratio was 22.6 per cent, an improvement of 2.3 percentage
points year-on-year. Gross written premiums were $327.3 million, an improvement
of 10 per cent. Robert Myron, chief executive officer, said: “We have begun
2019 with an outstanding quarter, generating a 16.9 per cent annualized adjusted
net operating return on average tangible equity. We also grew tangible book
value per share inclusive of dividends by 10.4 per cent during the quarter. We
had strong earnings contributions across the organisation, as all three
operating segments generated positive underwriting income. We were again able to
achieve rate increases on our core excess and surplus renewals, which were up 3
per cent in the quarter year over year, and submissions increased 17 per cent. I
am pleased that we grew gross written premium 14 per cent across our two primary
insurance segments, E&S lines and specialty admitted insurance, as this is
where we have been focusing our growth efforts.” Mr Myron said investment
income increased 47 per cent over the prior year quarter, as the company
benefited from the investment markets’ rebounding during the first three
months of the year.
Changes
to legislation to tackle the problem of mixed-status families will be tabled
this summer, the national security minister said yesterday. Wayne Caines
said: “We believe that by the end of this parliamentary session, we will
definitely be able to have legislation that will go through the parliamentary
process on mixed-status families.” He added that the Government would also be
“looking closely on dealing with the belongers issue”. Mr Caines said: “We
will be looking at the issue, specifically on this occasion, of children that
are born to Bermudian parents overseas. So we’ll be looking to pass
legislation on those things specifically this parliamentary session.” He was
speaking as he announced the start of a two-week consultation period to canvass
public views about the way work permits are granted. Mr Caines said the request
was to make sure any potential changes to the system had public support. He
added: “It is hoped that any changes made will assist in skills, job
enhancement, training and development opportunities for Bermudians who may be
unemployed, underemployed or are looking for a career change. We believe that
any decision made will affect us all, so it is of the utmost importance that
everyone be given the opportunity and follow through with voicing their
concerns, their opinions and providing their feedback.” Jobs are classified
under four work permit categories: closed, restricted, special and open. Mr
Caines said he was often stopped on the street or contacted about concerns about
particular jobs going to expatriates. He added: “There are a number of people
that have opinions. They believe that certain categories should be changed.”
Mr Caines said that the Government had pledged that immigration policy would
“better reflect our mandate of putting Bermudians first. This includes
ensuring that Bermudians can secure employment in their own country.” Mr
Caines said he had asked the Department of Immigration to make changes to
work-permit policies. “We wanted a policy to strike the right balance between
the legitimate expectations of Bermudians and the legitimate labour needs of
businesses.” Members of the public can register their opinions at
forum.gov.bm. Written responses can also be dropped of or mailed to the
Department of Immigration. The closing date for submissions is May 14.
Millions
of tennis fans around the world will get an introduction to Bermuda this summer
when the island sponsors the US Open Tennis Championships, it was revealed
yesterday. The Bermuda Tourism Authority has been unveiled as the exclusive
tourism sponsor of the event, watched by more than 800,000 people at the stadium
in New York and broadcast to more than 100 countries. Kevin Dallas, the chief
executive of the BTA, made the announcement with the United States Tennis
Association. He said: “This strategic alliance is part of Bermuda’s sports
tourism strategy born out of the new National Tourism Plan. The partnership
kicks off with the 2019 US Open this summer in New York City, which is
Bermuda’s top source market for visitors. Benefits of this new partnership
will include court signage, including the Bermuda logo, which will be visible
for more than 100 hours of live television broadcast in the US, Canada and the
UK, in addition to more than 100 other countries.” The collaboration will also
allow BTA representatives to meet tennis fans who attend the two-week tournament
or the US Open Fan Week. Mr Dallas said the BTA was also working with both the
USTA, USTA Player Development, the USTA Foundation and Bermuda’s tennis world
to bring an event to the island next year, to be broadcast on the Tennis
Channel. He added: “This event will feature a pro-am, exhibitions with tennis
legends and rising American players and kids clinics for Bermuda’s own rising
stars. This will bring additional visitor spending to the island and exposure
for Bermuda as a premier luxury sports and travel destination.” Mr Dallas
highlighted Bermuda’s role in the introduction of tennis to the US — Mary
Ewing Outerbridge, considered the mother of American tennis, was first exposed
to the sport when she visited her family’s home in Bermuda in 1874 and took
the game back to America. Mr Dallas said: “The brand story of Bermuda
introducing the sport of tennis to the United States is just one example of how
we punch above our weight as a small island out in the middle of the Atlantic.
The collaboration also puts Bermuda in the cultural conversation at one of the
must-see events in New York City. As summer comes to a close in the city, we
will leverage this platform to invite New Yorkers to extend their summer season
with active adventure out here in Bermuda.” A BTA spokesman said the total
cost of the marketing partnership has not been finalized. “There is still
activation planning and event budgeting to complete. And even when full costs
are known, there will be some portions undisclosed due to agreement restrictions
that are commonplace in USTA marketing deals. That said, the BTA is confident
this partnership will be fully covered by the organisation’s existing budget
allocation; no increases in funding will be required. Also, as a general rule,
marketing partnerships of this kind must generate at least a 5:1 return on
investment for Bermuda to be even considered, so for every dollar spent the BTA
seeks at least $5 returned in estimated value or economic impact — and in most
cases the ROI is higher than 5:1 when a post-event analysis is completed.” Fortune
magazine in 2017 reported that brands could pay between “the low seven figures
up to eight figures” in sponsorship. The cost was based on the prominence of
signs at the court, the amount of promotional space on the ground and the amount
of hospitality offered. Gordon Smith, CEO and executive director of the USTA,
said: “It’s great that Bermuda and US tennis are back together again. Tennis
really got started in the US thanks to Bermuda and here we have really come full
circle.” He added that Ms Outerbridge’s brother played a key role in the
foundation of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, which created
the US National Championship — the event that became the US Open. Mr Smith, a
regular visitor to Bermuda since 1985, said: “But for Mary and her brother,
who knows if we would even have a USTA or a US Open?” He added: “We are
going to show so many hundreds of thousands, millions of people what a wonderful
place it is. We are confident that the power and the reach of the US Open, both
in the US and around the world, will give so many others the opportunity to know
Bermuda the way I and many others know it.” The 2019 US Open will be held from
August 26 to September 8 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in
Flushing, New York. According to the USTA, a record 828,798 people attended the
event last year. The event was also watched by 44 million viewers in the US on
ESPN and ESPN2 and a further 44 million in Europe through Eurosport 1 and
Eurosport 2 coverage.
Ten
thousand insurance conference delegates in Boston got a surprise as they awoke
to news yesterday that a $1.8 billion insurance and reinsurance start-up is
being launched in Bermuda. For the contingent of representatives from
Bermuda, the announcement was an extra boost to what was already shaping up as
another successful attendance at the Risk and Insurance Management Society
conference and exhibition. As reported in yesterday’s Royal Gazette, Stephen
Catlin, who founded Catlin Group, which later became part of XL Catlin and
subsequently Axa XL, has a new firm called Convex. It will underwrite insurance
and reinsurance in Bermuda and London and is expected to create at least 50 jobs
in Bermuda. Speaking from Boston, Curtis Dickinson, Minister of Finance, said:
“I learnt about it this morning. It is a fantastic endorsement of the
jurisdiction. Stephen has been in Bermuda for a while with his own company. The
fact that he has decided to have another go at it, and bring a number of jobs to
Bermuda — it is an endorsement of his belief in what the jurisdiction has to
offer.” Mr Dickinson was expecting the news to create a buzz at a
Bermuda-hosted reception last night. Rims attracts risk-management
professionals, legal, compliance and finance directors and senior executives
from more than 70 countries. The finance minister was attending the conference
for the first time. In the company of Mary Roth, chief executive officer of
Rims, and the organisation’s president Gloria Brosius, he toured the
exhibition hall and visited Bermuda companies and affiliate booths. He was also
involved in a round of media interviews. One topic raised by reporters was the
island being put on the European Union’s list of non-cooperative tax
jurisdictions in March, as a consequence of a drafting error in its economic
substance regulations submission to the EU. Mr Dickinson told The Royal Gazette:
“They asked what the next steps were. We are just shy of three weeks from May
17 when Ecofin [EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council] will be meeting to
make determinations. We feel confident that at the first opportunity we will be
de-listed.” He also said Bermuda had been well-received at this year’s Rims
event. “Our message is very simple, we are a place that is open to business,
and we have a long and demonstrated track record of collaboration between
industry, government and regulator. When those three things come together it
makes us an ideal platform for anyone who is trying to do good business.” John
Huff, CEO of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers, was also
delighted by the news that Mr Catlin was creating a new firm domiciled in
Bermuda. He said: “It demonstrates that Bermuda is still a place to start and
grow a company. We are thrilled to have Stephen Catlin back and involved. He was
a former Abir president. We’re optimistic that they will be engaged again with
the collective efforts of Abir. Stephen is a great leader, and I look forward to
the excitement of a new company.” One of the themes being talked about at Rims
was cyber-risk. Mr Huff said: “It is the fastest growing line of business, and
the Bermuda companies in particular are so well positioned. If you look at the
top participants with the new data that is out, those are Bermuda companies.
There is energy around cyber growing and emerging lines business.” As in
previous year, Bermuda had a prominent, two-level booth on the exhibition floor
that acted as a meeting place and information point for anyone interested in
what the island has to offer, and to meet representatives of Bermuda’s
business community and institutions. Bermuda’s presence at Rims is coordinated
by the Bermuda Business Development Agency. Andy Burrows, CEO of the BDA, said:
“Interest in the country is good. We continue to be a strategic partner for
the US market in particular.” He said there has been conversations “around
what the next wave of risks are in the world, whether it is trade, cyber or
technology — and how the Bermuda market has always been innovative and forward
thinking in anticipating the next opportunity to expand the market”. US
flooding on coastlines and in the mid-West were among talking points. Mr Burrows
said: “The climate change conversation is now coming to the fore. There is an
opportunity to introduce Bermuda to that space.” Regarding Mr Catlin’s new
venture, he said it showed that mergers and acquisitions did not necessarily
cause a decline in business. “It spurs people who have benefited from the
island and understand the Bermuda story, love the proximity of the market, love
the innovation, and want to continue in this space and are able to reinvent
themselves,” he said. “So, Stephen Catlin forming a new company, staying in
Bermuda and now with a licence to do business and employing 50 people — that
in a nutshell is why Bermuda continues to be a strong presence in this space.”
Another member of the delegation was Jeremy Cox, executive chairman of the
Bermuda Monetary Authority. He praised Mr Dickinson’s handling of media
questions about the EU blacklist. He said: “That question came up, the
minister handled it extremely well. He talked about the goodwill that has been
established on the latest visits to the EU by himself and the Premier, and the
strong hope that very soon Bermuda will be de-listed.” Mr Cox was pleased to
see new faces helping to get the island’s message out at the Bermuda booth.
“It’s wonderful to see such a diverse group representing Bermuda. Having
come to Rims so many times, you get used to familiar faces. Perhaps I’m dating
myself, but I don’t know anyone any more from the booth. It’s a new
generation of people who are stepping up and representing Bermuda and that’s a
positive for the country.” David Burt, the Premier, has joined the Bermuda
group for meetings with media and state and city civic leaders, and members of
the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce this week.
Former
foster children are at greater risk of becoming homeless once they strike out on
their own, a community activist warned yesterday. Gina Spence said that many
homeless young people had been forced to leave their foster homes after they
became adults and ended up on the streets because they could not afford
somewhere to live. She explained that foster families that break contact with
their former foster children may do so because of a lack of space or financial
constraints. Ms Spence added: “I had a situation where a young lady was
staying with a foster parent who had taken her from young and the foster parent
was a senior now. She just was not able to maintain the life of the young person
and herself because it was just the two of them.” Ms Spence said that some
young people had resorted to drug dealing or prostitution to survive, which
could cause feelings of guilt or shame. She added that, because of the situation
they were in, many young people were vulnerable to exposure to the elements and
violence. Ms Spence explained: “Once you’re out there, you’re vulnerable
to all types of danger, whether it be drugs, whether it be abuse physically,
whether it be abuse sexually, whether it be just the threat of somebody knowing
that you don’t have anywhere to live so they say ‘if I give you this space
you’ve got to do this for me’.” Ms Spence said that many young people who
leave the foster-care system sleep at houses of friends or in a derelict house
with others. She explained: “If you have maybe two or three of them that are
all in the same position, they would all meet at this house where they can then
relax, and then they just take up residency there.” A spokeswoman for the
Department of Child and Family Services said that officials took several
precautions before foster children left the system.
These included:
The department spokeswoman said that it was common for foster children to remain with their foster parents even after they became adults. She added: “The department can confirm that all children ageing out in 2019, and most recent years, have remained with their foster families post ageing out.”
A
middle-aged man sleeping rough at an empty office building has a worse life than
“a stray dog”, a Good Samaritan who keeps an eye on his welfare has said. Deborah
Smith, a retired government employee, added that Patrick Henderson, 58, a former
foster child “outgrew the system”. Ms Smith said: “We need somewhere for
these guys to lay their heads and get fed.” She was speaking after the deaths
of four homeless people in the first three months of the year. Ms Smith said:
“Somebody goes to jail for killing somebody or molesting a child and they’ll
get three meals a day. Any medical attention they need, they get. For such an
affluent society, we shouldn’t have anybody laying out in the cold streets. We
have so many empty buildings.” Ms Smith admitted that she sometimes
“couldn’t even sleep — I even feel guilty eating”. She said she had a
family member with special needs who was “blessed because she has me and her
family and the system to take care of her”. She added: “But before her, I
knew Patrick. He is not able to take care of himself. But if you don’t come
under the right umbrella, everybody just passes the buck.” The Royal Gazette
spoke to Mr Henderson last month at the building at the west end of Victoria
Street that serves as a makeshift home. He said he had been on the streets so
long, he could not remember exactly when he became homeless. Mr Henderson added:
“I have to think — it’s been a long time. Probably more than 15 years.”
Mr Henderson said there were “people who help me out”, but that he needed a
pair of shoes. He added that life on the street “sometimes gets rough”. Mr
Henderson used to earn some cash washing cars but now depends on help from
others. He said: “I try to get shelter, especially when it’s cold. Sometimes
I go to the Salvation Army. The people down there are nice.” Mr Henderson,
surrounded by his blankets and bags of possessions, said: “I come here
sometimes, not all the time. Sometimes I’ll stay around by Court Street.”
Martha Dismont, the executive director of the charity Family Centre, estimates
that “hundreds” of squatters rely on derelict buildings for shelter. Mr
Henderson knew homeless man Reginald “Sonny” Furbert, who died in January,
and Keith Peniston, who died in March after he was found collapsed on a city
street. He said: “It’s rough for them all. Sonny was a good guy —
everybody loved Sonny. His mom used to come around Court Street looking for him.
It’s tough.” Mr Henderson said some homeless people were “staying in cars
— and a lot of people were staying down at the dump”. He added: “I prefer
to be on my own. You have to watch out for certain people. The young guys might
take stuff.” Randy Bean, from Pembroke, began to live on the streets in the
1980s after he was forced to leave his foster home when he turned 18. The
55-year-old started to sell drugs after dropping out of school at 15 and his
foster parents threw him out when he became an adult. He said: “I lived on the
land, lived in the bushes and I built something to call home. I felt that
society didn’t really have anything to offer me at that time because I went
into the Rastafarian religion, so I was more focused on living off the land,
repatriation, and learning how to deal with life skills.” However, Mr Bean,
who struggled with reading and writing, said his life took a downward spiral
after he started to use heroin when he was 22. He explained: “Somebody I was
talking to said ‘hey look, try this dope out, it’ll keep your manhood
going’, and so I tried it and I liked it, and I got hooked on it. After the
heroin is in your system, you need a hit every morning. It was disturbing. I was
in a place where I couldn’t read, I couldn’t even really go out there and
get a job because I was embarrassed because I didn’t want certain people
knowing that I wasn’t a good reader. So you’ve got to depend on what you
know — how to get over, how to hustle, how to scheme — just to make ends
meet and I was in that category. It took the best out of me. It took the best
out of my years. And then I hit rock-bottom, I had nowhere to stay.” Mr Bean
said he started on the road to recovery after a married couple introduced him to
the Church when he was 28. “Somebody invited me to a service at the First
Church of God and I gave my heart to the Lord, and from there my life made a
U-turn." He lived in Mission House in Paget to get clean until it closed in
2002. Mr Bean now lives with his family in Pembroke, works as a painter and
gives motivational speeches to at-risk boys. He said: “Something needs to be
put in place so that these guys will hear other guys’ stories that have been
there. It shouldn’t have to take them going to jail to find out that this is
what it is and when they go to jail, they even come out worse. They need to know
that outside of being on the street corner making money, there is more to
life.”
A
drug addict who stole a pack of socks to fuel his habit has been jailed for 28
days after he refused help for substance abuse. Raymond Robinson, 55,
pleaded guilty last month to stealing $24 worth of socks, Magistrates’ Court
heard on Monday. However, Robinson refused to attend drug treatment court or
participate in a Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre report that could help
with his drug problem. Robinson, from Pembroke, said: “The charge that was
read out, that’s not me any more. I don’t need any help.” Robinson had
stolen the socks from Arnold’s Discount Warehouse in Pembroke on March 11. A
social report revealed that Robinson had a history of stealing goods to pay for
drugs. Jonathan White, Robinson’s lawyer, said that the low value of the items
stolen should mean a fine. He added: “It would be an awful shame if we were
sending people to Westgate over $24 worth of socks.” However, Nicole Smith,
for the prosecution, argued that Robinson was a repeat offender and did not take
part in “helping services”, which made prison time a necessary punishment.
Magistrate Maxanne Anderson sentenced Robinson to 28 days in prison and made a
restitution order for $24.
Amid
all the excitement of MS Amlin World Triathlon Bermuda, another of the
island’s top female athletes was back home for a short, unplanned, low-key
visit. Vanessa James, one of the world’s top figure skaters, returned for
the funeral of her grandfather, Carlton James, last Thursday. She spent some
time with her family before departing last weekend to return to her base near
Tampa, Florida. “I came back here maybe three years ago for Bermuda Day; I did
recognize it a little bit,” James told The Royal Gazette. “Before that it
had been, maybe, ten years. I was little and only went where my parents took me.
I went to my old school [Mount Saint Agnes] yesterday and they had some posters
of me up on the wall, which was really nice. I went to talk to some of the
teachers there. I have memories more of my school, my cousins and my home, and
Horseshoe Bay of course. When you live here you don’t get to appreciate what I
appreciate now about Bermuda.” The James family lived in Devonshire and
Vanessa went to Avocado Lodge Preschool and then on to Mount Saint Agnes
Academy. James is the daughter of Bermudian Kevin James and was born in
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, before living in Bermuda up to the age of 10 when
the family first moved to North Carolina and then Virginia when her father
started working in Washington. A lot has happened for the 31-year-old since
those adolescent days. She holds permanent residency in the United States and
because of her Bermuda ties through her father, holds British citizenship and
became a French citizen in December 2009. Her skating partner, Morgan Cirprès,
is French. The pair are the 2019 European champions, the 2018 world bronze
medal-winners, the 2017 European bronze medal-winners, the 2018 Grand Prix
champions and six-times French national champions. They represented France at
the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, while James also competed at the 2014
Olympics with previous partner Yannick Bonheur. She is also the 2006 British
national champion in single skating. She took up skating with her twin sister,
Melyssa, after watching the 1998 Winter Olympics, originally representing the
Washington Figure Skating Club. “I picked up skating at age 11, so it has been
20 years now,” Vanessa said. “It took some time, but I’m very proud and
can see that Bermuda is very proud of my family and very proud of me. It’s
nice to have that support system back home. The season just finished, so thank
goodness I was able to come home. There are many cousins, aunts and uncles that
I hadn’t even met. Tyler Smith, the tennis player, is my cousin. This year was
magnificent, we got our first European title and we were undefeated until the
end of the year when I had a freak accident before the world championships. It
was our first season that we were undefeated in any competition that we
participated in up to worlds. We made history for our fans and obviously for
Bermuda.” James admits she still has a lot of skating left as she looks ahead
to the new season. “In single skating [31] is old, but in pairs skating not
really; you have to take the time to develop the couple,” she explained.
“The women have to be women and not girls and the men have to be developed and
strong. Pairs skating starts at a late age and goes on longer, so 34 to 37 for
men is the maximum we’ve seen in the Olympics. I have about three years left
in me, which is perfect for the Olympics in 2020. The next goal is to keep it
going, keep improving and get that world title and Olympic medal. I can’t let
my family and Bermuda down!” With a British passport, James began competing
for Britain in 2005, showing early signs of her potential by winning the gold at
the 2006 British Championships, becoming the first black British figure skating
champion. James represented Britain in the 2006 ISU Junior Grand Prix and at the
2007 World Junior Championships. Her last event as a single skater was the 2007
International Cup of Nice where she won bronze. In late 2007 James switched to
pairs skating, partnering briefly with British skater Hamish Gaman before
teaming up with French skater Yannick Bonheur in December that year. They made
their international debut as the James/Bonheur team in 2008 when they placed
seventh in the Trophy Eric Bompard. They were ranked tenth at the 2009 European
Championships in Finland and that same year finished twelfth at the 2009 World
Championships in Los Angeles, the result enabling France to qualify for a spot
in the pairs event at the 2010 Winter Olympics. “Since Bermuda doesn’t have
a rink, which I hope eventually they will, I went to skate for Great Britain,”
she said. “I was doing pretty well in single skating, but not well enough. I
was a very good skater in practice, but not quite as strong in competing, so one
day I said ‘Mom, I can’t do it, I’m done skating’. “My mom didn’t
want me to finish skating, but she respected my wishes. At that time, thank
goodness, there was a British boy [Gaman] who asked if I wanted to do pairs
skating and my mom who always pushed me to pursue my dreams, said, ‘Go for it,
try it’. I still loved figure skating, it was harder for me to be on the ice
alone and perform, rather than have somebody next to me and share the stress and
ups and downs. We only skated together for about eight months before I started
picking it up very quickly and exceeded his level. We decided to stop our
partnership and I found Yannick Bonheur, who is originally from Martinique, and
we hit it off quite well. The French federation loved what we were doing and
were like, ‘All right, are you ready to skate for France?’ It wasn’t the
time to think about citizenship, so I went there one week later and started
skating for France. We exceeded everyone’s expectations, won every competition
for France, and then it was time to think about the Olympics because I had moved
to France in 2008 and had two years before the 2010 Olympics. Because of my
British citizenship it was easy, especially at my level and having won
nationals. The federation pushed for my citizenship and I got it in January,
2010, about a month before the Olympics.” Her parents have travelled the world
to see her perform. “She left for France in 2008 not knowing how to speak
French and didn’t know anyone there,” said James’s mother June, who is
Canadian. “I consider that courage. We just came back from Japan to watch her
in the worlds; before that it was the worlds in Milan and before that South
Korea.” James believes the key to her success with Ciprès is having the right
chemistry. “We started skating together in September, 2010, not too long after
doing the Olympics with Yannick,” said James, who speaks fluent French.
“It’s like a relationship, Morgan knows me so well because he is one of the
people, other than my parents, who spends so much time with me. We have good
chemistry and know each other inside out. We were friends first and made each
other laugh on the ice.” Surya Bonaly, a black France figure skater, has been
an inspiration to James. “When I was figure skating I can’t say I had a role
model other than Michelle Kwan, because she was the person I watched,” she
revealed. “What I do respect about Surya is being the only black figure skater
at that time. I can’t say my life would be so easy without her having gone
through so much before me. She is an idol for her persistence and determination
and going through solitude as the only black woman and being discriminated
against. She deserved gold medals, but was only given bronze; she made my figure
skating career easier. It’s an honour to travel, motivate and inspire people
all over the world.” James encourages young female athletes in any sport to
believe in their ability. “Just believe in yourself, believe your parents when
they tell you can do it,” she encouraged. "There were many times that I
wanted to stop skating, but if I did, where would my life be? I don’t have any
regrets today, I’m very proud of my path and what I’ve done for future
skaters of colour. Right now, there are maybe three black skaters, which isn’t
a lot, but I never felt discriminated against. My dad told me, ‘Don’t give
them the benefit of the doubt; you have to be ten times better than anyone else
in order to succeed’. That’s always been my drive. I think I’m bringing a
different dimension to the sport because of my colour.”
A
popular bartender at the Leopards Club in Hamilton has died. Walter Brangman was
64. A packed house paid their respects to Mr Brangman yesterday at a
memorial service at the club on Cedar Avenue. Mr Brangman, a graduate of the
Hotel Training School, was a trained chef and loved to cook, but preferred to
work as a bartender and made it his vocation. He worked at several hotels and
restaurants around Bermuda, including Elbow Beach, the Hamilton Princess and the
Fairmont Southampton, before he settled at the Leopards Club. The memorial
tribute from the Leopards Club said Mr Brangman was a man who “loved being a
bartender”. The tribute added: “It was a career that perfectly suited his
personality. He loved people, made friends easily and had that listening ear
that any good bartender requires.” Mr Brangman was a keen traveler who loved
driving and had friends around the world. He had been planning a trip to
Manchester, England, to visit his niece, Janay, who was due to give birth on his
birthday, and meet his great-nephew, Jace, when he suffered a stroke. The
tribute added: “Hospitality has lost a fine ambassador. However, the Brangman
family has lost an irreplaceable gem. He will always be remembered and
appreciated by all who knew him locally and overseas.
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Authored,
researched, compiled and website-managed by Keith A. Forbes.
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