Bahamas News
Schools inspected ahead of opening; Ministry of Works to pursue ‘preventive’ year-round maintenance
By Kathryn Campbell (BIS)
#TheBahamas, January 11, 2-22 – The Ministry of Education and Technical & Vocational Training is anticipating a “paradigm shift” in the delivery of education as teachers, students and administrators prepare for public schools to reopen on a fully virtual basis.
“It’s quite an experience because you know this is the place where our nation’s children will come and gather, where their intellect will be stimulated, where there [is] camaraderie with fellow students, where teachers will impart. It’s such an incredible, dynamic space. We’ve tried very hard to make it as facilitative as possible. 
“The contractors have worked very hard, and the Ministry of Works — we’re very appreciative of the work being done and we look forward to a paradigm shift in the delivery of education in terms of the outputs of our children.”
The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin made the comments as she, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis; Minister of Works and Utilities the Hon.
Alfred Sears; and Minister of State for Education and Technical & Vocational Training the Hon. Zane Lightbourne inspected several primary and junior high schools in New Providence, January 10, 2022.
Schools visited: Uriah McPhee Primary, Claridge Primary, L.W. Young, Ridgeland Primary, Yellow Elder Primary, C.W. Sawyer Primary and Sybil Strachan Primary.
The Hon. Zane Lightbourne looks forward to students returning to face-to-face learning: “I’m also looking forward to the completion of all of these projects around our Family Islands. The work doesn’t stop here, the work continues,” he said.
The Hon. Alfred Sears said his Ministry will be in consultation with Minister Hanna-Martin regarding maintenance of schools.
“There needs to be, as the Prime Minister has directed us, preventive maintenance. We cannot wait until the physical plant is collapsing and we know that the summer period is a very short time especially when we’re dealing with years of neglect and structural challenges for many of the plants.
“We will be looking and talking to colleagues [for a] proposal for a preventive maintenance program so that we can have year-round repairs, small repairs, so that we are not faced with this very short window with major structural effects, the result of neglect,” said Minister Sears.
“I also want to thank the contractors, especially some of the contractors who came in on emergency basis and have been working over the Christmas holidays, also working 24 hours in shifts; we’ve seen within the building industry this extraordinary professionalism and excellent craftsperson-ship as we have viewed some of the projects. I’m very happy due to this collaboration that the [school physical] plants are ready under these extraordinary circumstances to meet the objective that the Cabinet set and the Minister of Education has announced.
“The physical plant was not ready in September and therefore we’ve had to redouble our efforts but we’re looking forward to improving the way we address these issues of maintaining physical infrastructure through preventive maintenance.”
Minister Sears also acknowledged the architects, engineers and quantity surveyors who have also served in many instances as project managers.
The Ministry of Education has decided that all public and private schools (including preschools and daycare facilities) may open in January 2022 on a fully virtual basis, only. The decision would be revisited in short order following a further assessment in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Photo Caption: Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training the Hon. Glenys HannaMartin inspects schools, January 10, 2022 in preparation for re-opening.
(BIS Photos/Eric Rose)
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.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
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!
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.
