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BAHAMAS: Government Remains Firm on August 10 Transition Date for Shanty Town Residents

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#Nassau, August 3, 2018 – Bahamas – The Government intends to “fulfil” its Christian duty and make the eviction exercise for shanty town residents in New Providence as seamless as possible said Minister of Labour, Senator the Hon. Dion Foulkes.

Senator Foulkes affirmed that the transition deadline of August 10, for all residents to leave shanty towns in New Providence is “firm” and “irrevocable” as he urged the residents to move by the deadline which was extended from July 31.

All of the land in the shanty towns is owned by the government and was previously leased for farming. “Most of the leases have expired,” said Minister Foulkes. “It is crown land; the people’s land and the government holds the land in the name of the Bahamian people.”

Minister Foulkes, the Shantytown Action Task Force and representatives of the Red Cross, Haitian Pastors League and Haitian associations addressed a press conference at the National Training Agency, Gladstone Road, Wednesday, August 1.

A utility disconnection exercise for Bahamas Power and Light, Cable Bahamas and Water and Sewerage will take place before August 10.

Furthermore, Minister Foulkes revealed that all animals including dogs, cats, and chickens in the shanty towns will be removed during an exercise on August 8 by the canine units of the Bahamas Humane Society and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Minister Foulkes said the members of the task-force have been working on a full and part-time basis and have taken into consideration every aspect from a technical and human point of view.

Representatives of some of the sub committees gave brief reports of inspections in the shanty towns.  Pastor Jean Paul Charles, leader of the Haitian Pastors League, said his association is assisting 150-200 families who are willing to move but are experiencing challenges with finding sureties and funds for rental purposes.

“We in the Haitian community understand that the government should be able to protect and preserve the health care of the people and the environment of the shanty towns,” he said.  He appealed to the government to have the law in one hand and compassion in the other hand.

Among the challenges faced by the government are homes in shanty towns, which are code [building] worthy and have connections for BPL and Cable Bahamas, but are surrounded by homes that will be demolished.

“There is a nice home off of Bacardi Road, which is built to code and owned by a Bahamian of several generations.  The problem with the second [home] is that it does not make the offsets for the Building Control division in terms of [its] distance from other homes. That is a decision that Cabinet has to make in terms of how we approach that,” said Senator Foulkes.

With the exception of the two areas, all of the other shanty town areas will be demolished.

Another challenge is that parents of children who reside in the shanty towns prefer them to attend schools in the neighbourhood where they are presently enrolled.  Senator Foulkes said 10 of the 11 shanty towns are in the Carmichael Road community and most of the children in the shanty towns attend primary and high schools in the area.

Moreover, he said many of the residents are employed at jobs in the Carmichael Road community which makes relocating to find rental options in areas outside of Carmichael Road the least option.

 

By: Kathryn Campbell

Release: BIS

Photo Caption: Minister of Labour, Senator the Hon. Dion Foulkes spoke at a press conference at the National Training Agency, Gladstone Road, Wednesday, August 1.  (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)

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Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

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Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.

The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.

With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.

Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.

Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.

Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!

After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.

The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.

At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.

Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.

Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.

The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.

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 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival.                                                                                                                                                                              Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.

As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.

Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole, with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.

Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.

Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the listening booth.

Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.

For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!

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CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

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Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.

Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.

The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members.  Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.

Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine.  To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking in the comfort of the chic lounge.  In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.

The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.

To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.

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