WEATHER TRY OUR DOUBLE McFISH HIGH 78F LATEST NEWS ON WWW.TRIBUNE242.COM LOW 65F The Tribune SUNNY AND THE PEOPLE’S PAPER WINDY BIGGEST AND BEST Volume: 107 No.91 FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 PRICE – 75¢ (Abaco and Grand Bahama $1.25) CARS FOR SALE, Simone Pratt completes S E T D HELP WANTED I R S O N P I AND REAL ESTATE successful COSAT tour S THE BAHAMAS’ BIGGEST SEE SPORTS IN SECTION E PARENTS OF BABY WHO DIED IN PMH ‘UNABLE TO GET COMPLETE MEDICAL RECORDS’ By TANEKA THOMPSON Tribune Staff Reporter ‘Criminally-minded’ [email protected] THE parents of a prema- ture baby who died in the Princess Margaret Hospital claim they have been unable to obtain their son's complete medical records – documents they need in order to get a second opinion on their child's illnesses and cause of death. For more than a year, Pan- paid in BTC protest telis and Claudia Tsakkos SEE page eight Police association claims STUDENTS PONDER CAREER MOVES AT JOB FAIR r some demonstrators were e h c r A e ‘advancing political groups’ i n n o R By NOELLE Police Staff Associa- / o NICOLLS tion (PSA) president. t o Tribune Staff The association yes- h P Reporter terday called on politi- nnicolls@ cians to stop politicis- tribunemedia.net ing the issue, because the observation of CRIMINALLY- these participants by MINDED people police was simply a were overheard to say part of their job to they had been paid to maintain law and participate in the BTC DWIGHT SMITH order and to ensure mass protest of Febru- the safety of protest- ary 23, according to ers and observers. the Police Staffers Associa- Mr Smith said the police tion. had a difficulty with partici- And it is also undeniable pants in the protest who had there were people in the “nothing to do with BTC,” crowd with potential criminal motives, said Dwight Smith, SEE page eight URCA APPROVES ACQUISITION OF BTC THE Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority last night approved Cable & Wireless Communications’ (CWC) acquisition of a 51 per cent stake in the Bahamas Telecom- munications Company (BTC) on the grounds it would not lessen competition in any of the services the state-owned incumbent currently offers. THE FIRST STEP: College of the Bahamas students line up to fill out job applications at a career and job fair yesterday. Norma The industry regulator rejected concerns that CWC would use Turnquest, co-ordinator of the fair, described it as a networking event for both students and businesses. the extended three-year cellular monopoly to “impede the • SEE PAGE FIVE growth of competition” in other markets. • SEE BUSINESS SECTION FOR FULL STORY POLICE CALLED AFTER ROAD WORKERS ROAD CLOSURES ‘UNAVOIDABLE’ AS TOLD PAY NOT IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS IMPROVEMENT WORK CONTINUES By TANEKA THOMPSON and remained outside until By CELESTE NIXON the eastern corridor, some Tribune Staff Reporter officers quelled the rowdy Tribune Staff Reporter road closures and diversions [email protected] crowd, police said. [email protected] are necessary and unavoidable. However, a representative The roadworks on Fox Hill POLICE were called to from the company – which A TOP official at the Min- Road and Prince Charles Dri- calm a group of road workers was hired by the government istry of Works says road clo- ve are part of the $120 million from the Jose Cartellone to carry out the New Provi- sures will be unavoidable as New Providence road Construction Company who dence road improvement the government works to com- improvement and infrastruc- were outraged that they programme – said the whole plete several road improve- ture project. ment jobs for the benefit of the could not collect their wages ordeal was a "misunder- However, business owners entire island. in the area became angry over from the bank yesterday. standing" because the men During a press conference the loss of trade on Tuesday The group of more than 20 went to the bank a day early. held yesterday to address con- after contractors closed a por- workers caused a scene at the After officers explained cerns expressed by business tion of the road. Shirley Street location of that their wages would be owners in the Prince Charles But Mr Higgs insisted the Bank of The Bahamas after available at the bank today, Drive and Fox Hill Road area, works are necessary, not only they were told their pay was the men left the scene peace- Permanent Secretary Colin to improve road networks and not in their bank accounts. Higgs explained that as a result The men then left the bank SEE page nine of the physical constraints of SEE page nine NASSAU AND BAHAMA ISLANDS’ LEADING NEWSPAPER PAGE 2, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 THE TRIBUNE LOCAL NEWS Minister ‘amazed’ by Christie’s comments on laid-off workers initiative MINISTER of Labour Dion would not say anything pub- those workers. Millions of dol- meet the people. And they Foulkes said he was “amazed” licly about it until the manage- lars we had to allocate in our flew right back to Nassau. by comments made by Perry ment had an opportunity to budget – millions of dollars,” Zhivargo Laing, along with Christie, leader of the opposi- meet with the staff. That meet- said Mr Foulkes. four other FNM parliamentar- tion, about the government’s ing was scheduled for Friday. “The Sea Hauler victims, ians, spent hours there,” said MINISTER OF LABOUR PLP LEADER initiative to support laid-off We did not want staff mem- when we came to power, we Mr Foulkes. Dion Foulkes Perry Christie workers in Grand Bahama. bers or family members of staff had to settle up with them. It He said: “I would have members finding out about this was a ex-gracio payment. We thought that the opposition exercise through the House of were not forced to, but we would have supported this ini- Assembly or through a press thought that was the right tiative and commended the release from the government. thing to do. We thought that MONSTER CRAWFISH various agencies and depart- We thought that request was was the Christian thing to do ments participating including a reasonable request,” said Mr and we gave those families $1 the private sector who came Foulkes. million. forward. He said the government “Whenever you are termi- informed all of members of nated or dismissed, it is a very parliament from Grand Criticism traumatic experience in a per- Bahama, and instructed them son’s life. It is at that time that not to say anything about it “The CLICO employees, they need support and a help- until the staff was first we have settled up with them, ing hand. informed. He said the govern- all of their legal entitlements. ment’s programme was So I think that the criticism approved last Thursday and from the opposition, and in Employees assistance was rendered on particular the leader of the Monday. opposition, is unfair and I “To come out and to criti- “I don't know what Mr think it is insensitive, espe- cise what we did, I thought it Christie is talking about. But cially when people are hurt- was an insult to Grand going on his past record I don't ing,” he said. Bahamas and especially to the think he is in a position to crit- Mr Foulkes noted that a del- former employees of Our icise us in terms of our egation of PLP members went Lucaya,” said Mr Foulkes. response. When hundreds of to Grand Bahama on Monday. He said the government persons were laid-off at Royal He claimed they met only with found out about the layoffs just Oasis here in Grand Bahama, the management of Our over a week ago. He said the the PLP did absolutely noth- Lucaya. matter was discussed in a Cab- ing to assist. Nothing. “They did not take the time inet meeting that same morn- “When we came to power in out to come down to the centre ing, and the government came 2007 we had to complete the and meet with the workers up with a plan. payment of severance pay to who were fired. They didn't “All of us agreed that we take a minute to stop there and A WHOPPING 15-pound crawfish (spiny lob- ster) was caught by fishermen and brought to The Tribune this week. Lllewelyn Fox proudly displays the lobster, which he said his son pur- chased on Potter’s Cay dock. PHOTO/RONNIE ARCHER Vendors say lack of Cabbage Beach bathrooms ‘creating health concerns’ By NOELLE NICOLLS there was a simple resolution,” said Mr Vander- Tribune Staff Reporter pool-Wallace, citing property rights as one of [email protected] the main obstacles. When asked for comment on the issue, Min- VENDORS on Cabbage Beach say a lack of istry of Environment officials pointed out that the bathroom facilities on the beach is giving the beach is not public, so the government is not country “bad publicity” and creating health con- responsible for managing the beach or providing cerns. public bathroom facilities. They claim most of the hundreds of tourists According to an informed Tribune source, who use the Paradise Island beach on a daily legally speaking, members of the public have a basis are cruise ship passengers, who are forced to limited right to “traverse the coast up to the high use the bush as a bathroom. water mark”, but this does not mean all beaches Atlantis and RIU facilities are for guests only, are public – despite the widespread popular belief they say, and bathrooms at the Sunrise Beach to the contrary.