Bahamas News

The U.S. developer trying to evict Anna Nicole Smith from the Bahamian home she claims is hers has been given permission to kick her out.

G. Ben Thompson maintains he loaned the former model cash to buy the property earlier this year, after briefly romancing her, but she has failed to pay him back.

Now, after a two-month battle, Thompson has been given official permission to force Smith, her partner Howard K. Stern and her newborn baby daughter out of the house.

In new documents, obtained by TMZ.com yesterday, lawyers for the developer claim Smith, who is listed as a defendant under her birth name Vickie Lynn Marshall, failed to respond to Thompson’s filing by Monday as required by law.

Thompson’s legal team wasted no time–upon obtaining the default judgment in court, his lawyers sent a letter to Smith, demanding she vacate within 48 hours.

Smith won’t be homeless for long - she has bought a new dockside home in the Bahamas.

Anna Nicole Smith has hinted she may already be pregnant again, less than three months after the birth of her baby Dannielynn. Smith let the good news slip during a filmed pre-interview chat with a producer working for news show Entertainment Tonight on Sunday.

Her big revelation was caught on camera and aired on the show last night.

The former model blurted out, “I think I might be pregnant again… Did that just come out?”

She added, “I’m not ready. Howard wants to have another baby… He wants to have a little boy.”

But when the producer attempted to get more information out of the new mother, who lost her 20-year-old son just three days after giving birth in September, she decided she’d said enough.

Smith turned serious and said, “I feel like we should change the subject.”

She later insisted she was only joking about being pregnant.

The number of Florida visitors fell by 516,000 in the third quarter, confirming fears that a hangover from last year’s unprecedented season of hurricanes would afflict the state’s $62 billion tourism industry.

An estimated 20.7 million visitors came to Florida during July, August and September, down from 21.2 million a year earlier, according to Visit Florida, a state-chartered nonprofit that promotes tourism to the state.

In addition to residual unease about hurricanes, Visit Florida officials cited a downturn in business from Europe and the rising promotional budgets of other warm-weather destinations as factors in the decline.

“There’s probably no one easy answer to why we’re seeing the flattening of tourism this year,” Visit Florida president Bud Nocera said. “Certainly the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 haven’t helped us.”

The visitor totals, ann-ounced on Monday, make it unlikely Florida will achieve the 3.2 percent increase in tourism projected by Visit Florida last December. Through the first nine months of 2006, visits are 2 percent off the pace of last year, and the current quarter is traditionally the weakest of the year for Florida.

Visit Florida marketing experts are set to review the numbers and plot strategy beginning Wednesday at a resort near Tampa.

Any decline in tourism to Florida sets off alarm bells because the state’s economy depends on a robust visitor flow. Last year, tourism provided $3.7 billion in sales tax revenue and supported 948,700 jobs statewide.

Nocera said one problem uncovered by Visit Florida researchers is vacationers are taking longer between return trips to the state. “They have such a wide range of warm-weather beach destinations, they really can pick and choose,” Nocera said.

While Visit Florida tracks the number of visitors each quarter, that statistic isn’t kept on a local level.

But both Broward and Palm Beach counties notched declines in their bed tax collections for the third quarter, a sign of distress.

In Palm Beach County, collections of the tax paid by hotel guests were off 5.7 percent during the third quarter. In Broward County, the decline was slight, as a 5.6 percent decline in hotel occupancy was offset by a 9.4 percent rise in room rates.

Nocera said Visit Florida has tried to minimize the hurricane issue through benign neglect. “It has basically been our strategy to let it go away. That is still our strategy,” he said. The agency did step up marketing of Florida to state residents this summer through billboards and other advertising, and sent out 14 million Internet messages to travelers that might be receptive to summer visits.

Nocera said the $24.7 million Visit Florida got this year from legislators included only $3.2 million that could be used for ads that promote Florida alone.

The balance was in funds that are matched by various private or local government entities, but that carry some kind of message referring to those entities as well as Florida. Last year, 16.2 million visitors came in the October-to-December quarter. A Visit Florida spokeswoman said there was no projection of what that figure will be this year. (Sun-Sentinel)

A bright spot appeared on the horizon two weeks into Charles Bellot’s first summer sea term cruise across the Atlantic. Actually, there were several bright spots. Dolphins, scores of them arched into perfect half moons, leapt from the emerald sea bed just outside of France’s Bay of Biscay. The creatures trailed the ship as Bellot, gripping his binoculars, stood stern watch before a light fog, and a sunset that blushed in a crimson prelude to twilight.

There were “just dolphins for as far as I could see from both sides,” remembers Bellot, 21, who is now just weeks away from a Bachelor of Science in maritime transportation and accreditation as a deck officer, the international student’s equivalent to a license from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Amid the banal duties of a Midshipman under Guidance or MUG, as first year students in the regiment at the State University of New York Maritime College are dubbed, the sight of a school of dolphins dotting the horizon was a bewitching break after a long first year.

Three years and two cruises later, the Bahamian student would board the school’s training vessel, Empire State VI, once again but this time as a senior, trading the duties of a MUG for the weighty responsibility of a first class cadet. This time, steeled by years of training, he and other first class cadets aboard the ship would give orders, guiding MUGs and second class cadets on a cruise operated entirely by students who are only guided by the crew.

It has been four long years for Bellot at SUNY Maritime but, “it made me more disciplined. I think you have to go through all of the stages before you realize,” he says.

Bellot and the 16 other Bahamian students at the school in various stages of study seem to agree on the end results of their intense training there. And after such studies, they are fully confident in the skills that they can bring to the growing maritime industry at home when they return.

The desire to find employment after graduation is one of the reasons why the founding members of the Society of Bahamian Merchant Mariners decided to officially organize themselves at SUNY Maritime in January 2005.

“It has always been my intention to go back home,” says the society’s founder and president, Rebecca-Ann Darling. Darling, a former senior personal banking officer at Scotia Bank in Grand Bahama, will graduate in December with a Master’s degree in international transportation management and accreditation as a deck officer. She and the other members of the society want to quash the notion that there are not enough qualified Bahamians for jobs in the industry. “The investment in education,” she says of their studies at SUNY Maritime, “has to be put to good use.”

For at least 20 years Bahamians have attended the college located in Throggs Neck, New York, just a few miles from Manhattan. But the current group of 17 students at the college is the largest group of Bahamians to have attended at any one time. This fairly recent concentration of Bahamian students at the school also sparked the establishment of the society.

“We all hung out together anyway,” says Darling, “so we just decided to unite … so that the campus could recognize us as a club.”

The club has since set out on an aggressive path to meets its multifold mission of networking with the Bahamas Maritime Authority and the government, as well as creating awareness about the school and the opportunities that it offers to Bahamian students who are interested in the shipping industry.

One month after it was formed, the society invited Minister of Transportation and Aviation, Glenys Hanna-Martin and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fred Mitchell, to visit the school. The society had been put in touch with the ministers by Consul-General, Ed Bethel, after a reception was held at the consulate in Manhattan in honour of its establishment. The ministers made the trip to the campus last month where they were incorporated into the school’s academic stars ceremony and hosted at a special reception.

The ministerial visit created another avenue for the society to pursue its mission. The school’s provost, Dr. Joe Hoffman, invited 25 students from the Bahamas Maritime Cadet Corps’ (BMCC) high school programme to take part in a 7 day summer leadership forum under SUNY Maritime’s National Institute for Leadership and Ethics. Some of the society’s members have volunteered to host, teach and chaperone the students, who will also be lectured by professors at the school.

The society will also kick its recruitment mission into gear with a two-day workshop to be held at the British Colonial Hilton in the capital this Thursday and Friday. Twelve of the group’s members will give presentations on the areas of study offered at SUNY Maritime to 100 students from the BMCC. SUNY Maritime alumni will also be present to give talks on their experiences in the industry.

The lessons the society’s members say that they have learned from their Maritime College experience go far beyond the classroom. At the school where applying the lessons that they have been taught in class plays a big role in the practical aspects of the curriculum such as the summer sea term cruise, experiences that teach them the importance of teamwork stick with the students as much as their book work does.

You “become like family on the ship… and you have to learn to work with other people,” says second class cadet, Philip Thomas, 18.

The society’s members also take particular pride in the formation of a club that represents not just themselves but their country as well.

Weeks away from completing her degree, Darling, the club’s president, wants what the Society of Bahamian Merchant Mariners has started at SUNY Maritime to continue and to even extend to the Pacific coast. The Society wants to start a chapter at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, California.

“We’d like to ensure that every Bahamian that comes here… as a result of our efforts, would survive the school and graduate with future prospects,” says Darling.

The society’s reward, the president says, is in its decision to unite. “Whatever comes out of that, if it doesn’t benefit us directly, we’d like for it to benefit the Bahamian community in general,” she says.

Dazzling the judges with their beauty while competing for the opportunity of a lifetime to wear the Miss Commonwealth Crown were nine youth Bahamian ladies on Sunday Evening.

The event which was held at the Rain Forest Theater was filled with pageantry, art and talent which at the end of the night led to the crowning of two queens. Miss Commonwealth 2006-2007 and Miss Teen Commonwealth 2006-2007.

Each representing one of the lovely islands of The Bahamas, the ladies performed at their best for the local and international judges in their Bahamian costumes, swimsuits and evening gown apparel. Although all won the hearts of the audience, only two new reigning queens left the Rainforest Theater that evening.

Securing the first runner up for the Teen competition was Miss Teen Exuma, Latera Nixon. The winner and new Miss Teen Commonwealth was Miss Teen Inagua, Ashanteh Bain.

“I am so relieved. I was in two pageants before and I made it up to first runner-up but never won. So I guess it was just my time. But I never gave up,” Ashanteh said.

The blushing teen queen said that she had had several doubts about entering the competition but decided to push one more time at the opportunity of wearing the crown. “Everyone was saying ‘Not another pageant?!! Give up and leave it alone!’ but I said within myself that I could do it and I did.”

However, though one queen was crowned, wonder and intrigue filled the hushed Theater as the commentator announced the runners-up for the Miss Commonwealth division of the pageant.

The second runner up was Miss Eleuthera, Laquell Albury and the first runner up was Miss San Salvador, Lorraine Cartwright.

That announcement left a crowd full of cheers as the new reigning Miss Commonwealth, Miss New Providence, Reneka Knowles was crowned.

“I feel ecstatic. However its a bitter-sweet feeling that I have because all of the girls and I have become very good friends and I wish we all could have won, but hopefully the friendship that we have developed will shine through,” said the new Miss Commonwealth.

The Nassau Guardian spoke to the Chairperson of the pageant, Dr. Rhonda Hanna who was thrilled at the outcome of the event. She said that although the event was planned on short notice, it came off beautifully and with class.

The winners are expected to vie for the international Miss Commonwealth crown in London, England, in July 2007.

By VIRAJ PERPALL
The Nassau Guardian

The Bahamas will be losing the weekly airlift from a popular European airline that has decided to discontinue flights after two years of service.

Virgin Atlantic Airways announced yesterday that a decision has been made to suspend the airline’s direct service between London and Nassau effective March of next year.

According to the airline executives, the decision was made following extensive consultations with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, The Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Holidays.

It is understood that all the stakeholders are in “mutual support” of Virgin’s decision.

“The suspension follows a drop in available hotel room capacity, in particular all-inclusive rate room availability, due primarily to property closures associated with the multi-million dollar BahaMar development in Cable Beach,” said a release issued to The Nassau Guardian. “The all-inclusive accommodation option is typically better suited to the budgets of long-stay visitors, to whom Virgin’s service is most appealing, with once weekly flights obliging stays of at least seven nights.”

The release went on to note that the hubs of Miami and Orlando are popular with the European market traveling onward to the islands, and Ministry of Tourism officials continue to explore potential additions to these services. Reportedly, the “increased flexibility in scheduling would better accommodate the short stay passenger, and allow for increased two-centre options.”

In July, BahaMar announced that Osprey Developers, a Bahamian-owned construction company, was awarded an $80 million contract for renovations to transform the Radisson Cable Beach Resort into a world-class hotel.

The signing marked the start of plans to mobilize the touristic Cable Beach strip (Radisson, Wyndham Crystal Palace and Nassau Beach) into BahaMar’s $2 billion mega-resort.

In the meantime, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism said it is pleased to carry on its work with Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Holidays which continue to provide valuable airlifts between the UK and the Bahamas, having brought some 12,366 passengers in the first full year of operation.

However, local tourism officials said they are confident that ongoing talks with the Virgin Group will yield plans that will ensure a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship, and are committed to working very closely with them toward that end.

Since its inaugural flight on June 28 last year, Virgin Atlantic Airways has operated a weekly service each Monday between London’s Gatwick Airport and the Lynden Pindling International Airport, on a 430 passenger seat Boeing 747 aircraft.

A court in the Bahamas has ordered Anna Nicole Smith to vacate the house that she’s living in.

TMZ has obtained a default judgment issued yesterday against Smith (aka Vickie Lynn Marshall). G. Ben Thompson, the owner of the home in which Smith has been living, recently filed papers to evict her. Smith was required to respond to Thompson’s filing by Monday, November 27, but failed to do so.

To view copies of the actual documents, please click on the links below (courtesy of TMZ.com).

Judgement
Attorney’s Letter

Yesterday, the court entered a default judgment, which means Thompson can now force Smith out of the house.

TMZ obtained a letter that Thompson’s lawyer sent to Smith after the default judgment was entered, demanding that she vacate within 48 hours.

Thompson was once romantically involved with Smith and claims she told him he was the father of her baby. Thompson says he put a quick end to Smith’s claim when he informed her that he had a vasectomy several years ago.

Source: TMZ

Charles Duncombe is the new Bahamas Chess Federation’s Senior Champion while Kristian Plakaris was crowned the Junior Champion when the 35th National Championships wrapped up on Sunday at Government House.

In the senior nationals, Duncombe finished the nine-round tournament with the most points, six.

There was a three-way tie for second place as former national champ, Frankly Gibson, Valentine Cox and Ken Gibson finished with five and a half points apiece.

Placing fifth overall was Joseph Ferguson with five points.

Byron Small and Tameko McDonald placed sixth with four points apiece and Leroy McLean was eighth with three and a half points.

Former junior national champion Elton Joseph and Chappel Whymns finished tied for ninth with three points apiece.

BCF President Kean Smith said the championship was the most competitive ever.

“Duncombe just started playing organize chess in January. This is impressive because he was playing against players who have years of experience. So this was quite an accomplishment by him. Charles’ championship is a very good thing because it shows that it does not matter how long you have been playing the game but it is what and how much you know and how you apply yourself.

“Furthermore this would encourage a lot of those senior players who have not played for a while to return with great interest. So we are looking forward to 2007,” said Smith.

Meanwhile the junior championships were divided into five different age categories, with 18-year-old Plakaris winning his division and the overall title.

The other divisional winners include Christoph Storr in the under-20-age group, CV Bethel’s Sanchez Brown in the under-16-age group, St. John’s College’s Jesse Wheeler in the under-14 14-age group and Nassau Christian Academy’s Akini Morris in the under-12-age group.

According to the BCF’s Junior Programme Director, Warren Seymour, the nationals were very exciting.

“There was one setback by having two of the juniors default games. That causes a concern because you would like to see everyone play. The under-12 division was very competitive and things are looking bright,” said Seymour.

The next big thing on the chess calendar is the election of officers set for December, 3.

By Dahlia Smith
Bahama Journal

The sport of cricket is rapidly becoming popular once more amoung the youth in New Providence thanks to the Bahamas Cricket Association’s recently established junior programme spearheaded by John Welch.

Welch, an English Cricket Coach by profession, began his stint in The Bahamas earlier this year preparing the senior national men’s team for the summer’s Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament.

While the team was sent packing from Antigua after losing its first sudden death match, one of the players, Gary Armstrong, made the play of the game in the loss.

Welch was hired by the BCA back in April on a one-year contract for cricket development in The Bahamas.

Shortly thereafter, the BCA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education under the direction of Welch introduced the sport into the schools.

Since then Welch has been busy organizing a junior programme for youngsters under-12, 14, 16 and 19.

Recently the success of the junior programme was proven during the First Primary School Quick Cricket Round Robin Tournament.

Quick Cricket is played using plastic stumps and bats and a rubber ball. The young players are allowed to bat in pairs and every person on the team gets the chance to bowl. Essentially all the players in quick cricket participate in every aspect of the game.

The actual training for this tournament began six weeks in advance as Welch attended the respective primary schools and hosted refresher cricket courses for the Physical Education Teachers.

This was done so that, “All the schools would be in the position to look after themselves in the future,” according to Welch.

In addition, practice sessions for primary school children (boys and girls) were conducted on Saturday mornings by Welch leading up to the tournament.

“Luckily most of the primary school PE teachers attended the course that I taught earlier this year. I taught all of the basic techniques including the correct way to score the game,” noted Welch.

In the end, five primary schools participated in the tournament with Naomi Blatch winning overall. Yellow Elder placed second, TG Glover was third, Mable Walker placed fourth and Albury Sayles finished fifth.

According to Welch the short-term goal for the junior programme is to reawaken interest in the sport amoung the youth and establish strong programmes in the different age groups for a long-term objective of fielding stronger senior national teams.

“When I began the junior programme I realized that cricket was the national sport with matches being played at different venues in the various Family Islands 15-20 years ago. However with the popularity of American sports, the interest in the sport fell off. But there are still a lot of Bahamians who are passionate about the cricket. With the kids showing more interest now hopefully it will blossom again,” said Welch.

Response to the programme has been so great that there are sufficient junior participants to field four teams to begin a league. Welch added that this junior cricket league is scheduled to begin in January.

Until that time junior practices (in all divisions) will continue on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. at Haynes Oval.

By Dahalia Smith
Bahama Journal

Leaders of a group comprised of Bahamians in support of the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) warned the PLP government on Tuesday to fulfill its campaign promise to implement the health scheme or face being ejected from office in the upcoming general election.

Attorneys Paul Moss, Fayne Thompson and several members of the Bahamians for National Health Insurance group, said if the government allows itself to become sidetracked in its quest to deliver national health insurance for Bahamians it risks its dismissal in 2007.

They criticized insurance companies and doctors that have voiced their opposition to NHI, saying they are only opposed to the scheme because they have a selfish, vested interest in safeguarding their bottom line.

“We are demanding that the PLP government do what they promised in ‘Our Plan’ and pass National Health Insurance legislation at warped speed. This is what we require. This is one of the reasons we fought hard against CSME. That was not included in the PLP plan. Now, here we have something that was included in its plan, and we want them to carry through and do what is right. It’s a contract between you and us and we look forward to you not breaching that contract,” Mr. Moss said.

“This is all about money for the opponents and they do not really care about the people of the country. I find it perplexing that those who took a vow to fight for patients are now fighting for profits.”

Mr. Thompson said some people are starting to lose focus and are allowing themselves to be manipulated by those who don’t want the health insurance plan to be implemented. He said the NHI plan has become too political.

“One thing that I must criticize the government for is they have a lousy public relations exercise going on insofar as NHI is concerned. Dr. Bernard Nottage, bless his soul, is doing his best. But the individual man cannot achieve this initiative all by himself. The opposition has deep pockets and the campaign which they have launched, to some extent, has been successful,” he said.

“Their campaign is ‘let’s slow it down.’ This is a political season. Perhaps if this had been done before [it would have been better]. Notwithstanding the timing and political season it’s still an initiative that the Bahamian people, if given the chance. . .will look at and embrace. It’s not perfect, but it rescues Bahamians from bankruptcy.”

Mr. Moss said the government is not rushing this plan, but merely delivering on its campaign promise.

“How much more time is needed? How much more time must we allow people to simply walk around dying? It’s not being rushed. I submit that those saying that it is being rushed are simply those who do not want the plan,” he said.

“You cannot say that a commission [Blue Ribbon] that has reported, has done its work and taken the time since 2002 to do its work and report two years later that it’s being rushed now in 2006. It’s not being rushed. In fact, they ought to do it faster than they’re doing it. It has been talked about since 1984. They have been derelict in their duties and they should do it faster.”

Mr. Moss said there is a powerful minority that has voiced its objections to the National Health Insurance initiative.

“This is demoralizing when one recognizes that the objections are from groups and individuals who have access to quality healthcare, those who can pay for quality healthcare and benefit from the status quo remaining,” he said.

“I do not see any person who does not have health insurance coming forth against this plan. This group – and I’m talking about those who control the economic wealth in this country seemingly control tremendous funds and could very easily drown out the majority of those who can benefit from National Health Insurance. We must resist this.”

Mr. Moss accused the National Coalition for Health Care Reform, which includes private businesses, medical and allied health organizations and trade unions, of creating a smoke screen to distract Bahamians from the real issue at hand – providing quality health care for Bahamians who are unable to afford it.

The Coalition has strenuously denied that.

Mr. Moss said the NHI plan is not being rushed, but is timely.

He also addressed calls by some Bahamians to put the NHI to referendum. He said the Bahamian people decided they wanted NHI implemented almost five years ago, when they voted for the PLP in the 2002 general election.