Bahamas Oil Refining International Co. Ltd., dba as Vopak Terminal Bahamas, recently announced recipients for the 19th edition of its scholarship programme that affords Bahamian students educational opportunities at the College of The Bahamas and colleges and universities overseas.

The scholars pictured above are, 1st. row Amara Jones; 2nd row, Davon V.J. Edecombe and Korodo St. Cyr; 3rd row, Chanika R. Hanna, Sadera Rolle, and Barrack Stubbs; 4th row, Brooke M. Sherman and Samantha Munnings; and 5th row, Berrando A. Mackey, Ashleigh C. Lockhart, and Brendira Bannister, Not pictured are Ryan Woods and Infante Lowe-Grant.

Twelve students nationwide, and the child of a Vopak employees, were selected from 133 applications in the broad categories of Accounting, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Natural Science, and Business. Six students will study at the College of The Bahamas and seven overseas.

Raymond Jones, the new Managing Director at Vopak Terminal Bahamas said “Education today is as unique as is our students, and these thirteen new BORCO Scholars continue a tradition that began in 1991. Vopak Terminal Bahamas is happy to continue to award these educational opportunities to deserving Bahamian students.

Matriculating at the College of The Bahamas will be Brendira Banister of St. Augustine College, Nassau (Accounting); Chanika R. Hanna of Bishop Michael Eldon High, Freeport (Biology); Berrando A. Mackey of St.Ann’s High Nassau, (Business Administration); Sadera Rolle of Mt. Carmel Prepratory (Business/Accounting); and Brooke M. Sherman of Freeport (Tourism Management).

Awarded a four year oversea scholarship was Davon V.J. Edecombe of C.V. Bethel Senior High, Nassau, who will study Architectural Engineering at the New York Institute of Technology. Infante Lowe-Grant of Freeport was recommended to receive a four year Grant to pursue a degree in Industrial Engineering at Kettering Univesity.

Three years awards were granted to Amara Jones of Sunland Baptist High School, Freeport, to study Marine Science at Savannah State University, Georgia; Ashleigh C. Lockhart, Freeport, to study Chemical Engineering at North Carolina State University; Barrack Stubbs of Freeport who will study towards a degree in Chemical Engineering at Kettering University.

Ryan Woods of Freeport was named as an alternate recipient on a needs basis for a Grant to study Mechanical Engineering at Florida A & M University, and Korodo St. Cyr of Nassau received a two year Grant to study Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas.

Samantha Munnings, daughter of Sidwell and Margo Munnings received a scholarship to Nova Southeastern University, Florida as the child of a Vopak employee. She will study towards a degree in Anastiology.

Maxwell Sweeting, Executive Vice President said,

“Beginning this year Vopak Terminal Bahamas has upped the amounts of the annual scholarships offered to students going to the College of The Bahamas to $4000, and to $9000 to those matriculating overseas.
“Several of our students having completed their studies are now employees of BORCO, and we’re pleased that their areas of study allowed them to return to us,” said Mr. Sweeting.

The Scholarship programme began in 1991 with 10 scholarships to the College of The Bahamas and four international. Since its inception, The BORCO Scholarship programme has service an average of 20 scholarships annually with some 17 students currently studying on BORCO awarded scholarships.

Source: Bahamas Island Info

The Road Traffic Department has embarked on several initiatives to curtail rising traffic fatalities.

“It's a very serious problem,” said Ms Karen Mortimer of the Transport Policy and Planning Unit. “We have a population of just over 300,000 people and we have lost over 500 lives to traffic fatalities alone in the last ten years.

Members of the Road Traffic Department along with representatives of the Transport Policy and Planning Unit finalize plans for Road Safety Month in November. Pictured from left are Sonia Thompson, Margo Adderley, Jerome Bethel, Karen Mortimer, Road Traffic Controller Philip Turner, Consultant and Transportation Specialist Albie Hope, Assistant Controller Brad Smith, Human Resource Manager Shannon Thompson, and, Assistant Controller Ernestine Fernander.

“And this figure does not represent the amount of people who have been seriously injured in road accidents and accidents that resulted in major disabilities to victims.”

Categorization of licenses for drivers of cars, heavy duty vehicles and motor bike riders; revamping of theory and practical examinations for drivers; and car pooling and a unification of the public transportation system are among the plans that the Road Traffic Department has embarked on, said Ms Mortimer.

“We are attempting to unify the public transportation system thereby encouraging people to park their cars and use public transportation,” she said. “And we've also produced a manual for driving instructors.”

November is Road Safety Month. The Road Traffic Department is using it to promote road safety and raise awareness of the health impact and economic costs involved.

She attributes the number of traffic accidents to an increase in cell phone use while driving, applying make-up, excessive speeding, and various distractions including loud music.

“The economic impact of traffic accidents on the country, and families of victim's with injuries, permanent disability or death are in the millions.

“We are appealing to the public not to use cell phones while driving, to pay particular attention to traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, to drive within speed limits and to look out for vulnerable road users,” said Ms Mortimer. “We also encourage people to use their seat belts and helmets while driving.”

Among the plans to highlight Road Safety Month are a push, run and walkathon/health fair, a church service to remember victims of road traffic accidents, and speech/essay contests for high school students. A competition will be held for primary, junior and senior students to encourage them to become familiar with the Highway Code.

Through various presentations that will focus on reducing congestion on the streets, the Road Traffic Department will encourage car-pooling and a greater use of public transportation. A special campaign will be launched to tie in with the festive season that will focus on the dangers of drinking and driving.

Source: Bahamas Islands Info

Independence Business Park is comprised of two buildings with units starting at 1,200 square feet.

Island Living Real Estate is assisting businesses interested in securing space in the new Independence Business Park, said Rachel Pinder, a Bahamas real estate investment expert and principal broker of Island Living Real Estate.

Construction of the business park is scheduled to begin in early October and the project is expected to be completed by May 2010 . Businesses will be able to occupy space there beginning in May.

Although occupancy is several months away, Pinder, who also specializes in Bahamas rental property, said Island Living Real Estate is prepared to assist businesses in securing leases now.

“We’ve already had a good deal of interest in the property,” Pinder said. “This will be a great opportunity for a variety of businesses.”

Independence Business Park is located on East Street South and is comprised of two buildings, Pinder said. Building A has 13 units that are 1,200 square feet or larger and are suitable for design or workshop studios, storage units or industrial uses. Larger custom space also is available. Building B includes seven units, which also can be customized to create larger spaces if necessary.

Pinder said the ability to customize the space to accommodate larger businesses is a key feature that differentiates Independence Business Park from other business parks in the Bahamas.

“The spaces are designed so that you could have workshop and showroom spaces in the same building,” she said. “We believe this new business park is addressing a definite need in the business community, and we anticipate that these spaces will go quickly.”

The park features convenient parking; large, hurricane impact windows; lots of natural light; maintained landscaping; and 24-hour security systems.

Source: BigNews.biz

The John Travolta attempted extortion trial ended in chaos last night after an outburst at the PLP convention forced Senior Justice Anita Allen to order a retrial.
Proceedings were sensationally halted after South Andros MP Picewell Forbes took to the convention stage and told delegates that one of the accused, former PLP senator Pleasant Bridgewater, had been acquitted.

He exclaimed: "Pleasant is a free woman PLPs! Pleasant is a free woman PLPs! God is good PLPs! Pleasant is a free woman! God still reigns PLPs!"

But trial jury members were still deliberating, and had been for more than eight hours. No verdict had been reached although convention members celebrated Bridgewater's supposed vindication by singing and dancing to "Oh Happy Day".

An angry Senior Justice Allen discharged jurors from returning with a verdict at 10.54pm last night, informing them that some two hours earlier there was an announcement at a political convention by a senior official, indicating that one of the accused persons had been acquitted.

Some 20 minutes earlier, the jury had been brought into court and the foreman indicated they needed more time to reach a decision.

Senior Justice Allen told the jury: "We are very concerned, in the interest of justice, that it does not appear that there has been a communication from the jury room. Justice must not only be done, but seen to be done."

Noting that the trial has lasted some five weeks, the judge said:

"I am very very reluctant to discharge you but in the interest of justice, having heard the views of counsel, we are concerned. It leaves the impression that there may have been a communication from the jury room.

"I am not going to ask if there was or not."

The judge then ordered a retrial for the accused.

Outside the courtroom, Bridgewater was swarmed by family members and supporters who subsequently went into chants of "Pleasant, Pleasant" as they moved on to Bank Lane.

Bridgewater's attorney Murrio Ducille told reporters: "We were ready for the verdict. I know that we would have won. Everything is positive. There has been absolutely no evidence to implicate this lady or Lightbourne for that matter."

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