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Anita Doherty Our Warrior

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By Deandrea Hamilton & Dana Malcolm

Editorial Staff

 

#TheBahamas, March 31, 2022 – It takes true determination to master one sport but in true ‘Mrs D’  fashion Anita Doherty mastered five, and then went on to become a legendary educator and pacesetting philanthropist.

Anita started out as De Gregory.  Part of a fabulous close-knit clan.  Later she would become Doherty (thanks to her husband) or ‘Mrs D’ as she was fondly called, revered for touching the lives of thousands of people.

“Anita Doherty committed her life to service; to teaching, to educating our youth, guiding and directing a generation that will be forever grateful.

She had the strength of character molded on the principles of hard work and determination. She was nobody’s fool, and was resolute in her convictions. These were among her qualities that quantified her leadership in the classroom, in the conduct of her civic duties and in her sports prowess.

Arguably, Anita Doherty was among the greatest Bahamian female athletes. From track and field to tennis, she had mastered. Her achievements were high and her performance stellar,” said Hon Obie Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Development and Member of Parliament for West End & Bimini.

Little known fact, Anita Louise Doherty was born in 1949 in Nassau, New Providence but she was a West End girl to the bone.  Her history reports that at the age of five years old, Anita moved to the capital of Grand Bahama just as the island was coming  into its own, a hayday which her family would be intricately a part of through business, sports and politics.

Wallace Groves, an American investor, around the same time little Anita moved into Grand Bahama would begin development on a lumber project which mushroomed to a multi-million dollar lumber industry and led to the population of Grand Bahama and establishment of Freeport.

While education was available in her home, Anita was afforded an education abroad.  She attended Hampton, a boarding school in Jamaica.  This is where her love of sports was cultivated.  From 1960 to 1967 she dominated the Jamaican Hockey and Tennis scenes taking both the Under 16 and Under 18 girls tennis championship titles.

After leaving Jamaica she entered Ulster College of Physical Education in Northern Ireland where she continued her sporting career representing her college in Under 21 Netball Tournaments and Track and Field.

In 1970, Anita officially started what would be a four decades long teaching career.  She entered the noblest of professions while still honing her sporting talent. She took her penchant for mastering multiple sports to the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh Scotland in 1970 where she represented The Bahamas in the Pentathlon.

At the time, she was also teaching at Hawksbill All Age School in Grand Bahama; later the Ministry of Education would shift her to Nassau and the D.W. Davis High School where she would tack on four more years.

Next stop for the tough-love-styled teacher would prove her most enduring; she spent 38-years as a Warrior.  Initially as a P.E. teacher, advancing to Vice-Principal and then to Principal of the school.

“She was a fierce warrior in the truest sense of the word! A former athlete, Educator, Vice Principal and Principal of Bishop Michael Eldon School, her dedication to Education and Athletics impacted the lives of the numerous students she taught, coached and mentored during her stellar 38-year career.

As a proud warrior and Freeport Anglican High School Alumna, I have beautiful memories of my former PE teacher and Educator. I was fortunate to witness her passion for young people firsthand.

Mrs. Doherty left an indelible mark on Grand Bahama, and she will be missed,” said Hon Ginger Moxey, Minister for Grand Bahama and a 1991 graduate of Freeport Anglican High School.

For 38-years, Mrs. D would shepherd youngsters at Freeport High which became Freeport Anglican High which today is called the Bishop Michael Eldon School, an Anglican Central Education Authority run institution.

Among her students, Deandrea Hamilton, CEO of Magnetic Media.  On learning of Mrs. D’s death, Deandrea penned her own tribute, which is posted at Magnetic Media Fanpage on Facebook and at MagneticMediaTV.com, the company’s website.

Anita Doherty was a wife to John Sr, a mother to John John (Jr) and two grand-children.  She was a sister, auntie, cousin, friend, icon, community leader and a member and former governor of Pilot Club International.

“A legend has taken her heavenly wings. Our sincere condolences to the Doherty family, our Pilot family and countless friends and students around the world, who knew and loved  our dear Pilot Anita,” said Karen Ferguson-Bain, Governor, Bahamas District Pilot International.

Doherty was recognized by the Government at a 25th Silver Anniversary Banquet in July, 1998 and by Zonta Club of Nassau Women ‘Living Legends in November, 1998. She was also inducted into the Grand Bahama Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and The Bahamas Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2014 she was honoured by the Kamalamee Organization.

Never one to keep her talent to herself, Mrs. D has been involved in community activities as Director – YMCA Keep Fit, President – Bahamas Netball Association, Secretary – Grand Bahama Softball Association and Treasurer – InterScholastic Sports.

She served as President of The Grand Bahama Tennis & Squash Club, President of The Grand Bahama Athletic Association, Vice President of The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations and Secretary of the COED Pilot International.

Anita Doherty ascended to the highest seat as Chief Councilor, which is equivalent to being the mayor of the City of Freeport in Grand Bahama.

She has also been a Wall of Fame honouree at Hampton Girls School, Jamaica where daily she continued to share devotions with the alma mater, just as she did with members of her family and her church.

It was that confirming evidence that until the end, Anita Doherty, was dedicated to being an inspiration and committed to helping to usher people to their fullest potential; that she was a woman of great faith in God and His handiwork.

There would be no sudden pass for Anita.  It was a gradual walk, a trot maybe across that finish line of life… unresponsive at first, then fearlessly with a bit of preparation for those who loved her most, she slipped away.  Gone, but always to be remembered.

Anita Doherty died on Monday March 28 at the age of 73; her funeral is announced for Freeport, Grand Bahama, Saturday April 9, 2022 at the Christ the King Pro Cathedral at 10am.

 

Bahamas News

Walker Confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas: A Partner in America’s Extended Family

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

 

The United States and The Bahamas share more than proximity — they share a bond of history, trade, and culture that Washington’s newest diplomat calls “part of America’s extended community.”

Now, for the first time in 14 years, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau will again be led by a Senate-confirmed ambassador. Herschel Walker, the Heisman-winning football legend turned entrepreneur, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as America’s official envoy to The Bahamas.

Walker, who will oversee one of the Caribbean’s most strategically positioned U.S. missions, told senators during his confirmation hearing that The Bahamas will play a key role in upcoming U.S. 250th Independence celebrations. “The Bahamian people,” he said, “will be included in this milestone year, because our stories are intertwined — through family, trade, and friendship.”

While his nomination was unconventional, his priorities are anything but vague. Walker vowed to counter growing Chinese influence in the Caribbean, calling Beijing’s investments in Bahamian deep-water ports “a direct threat to U.S. national security.” He pledged to work closely with Bahamian authorities to ensure American interests remain the region’s cornerstone.

“There’s a rise in drug smuggling in The Bahamas, and this is a real danger to the United States,” Walker said, referring to the Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) partnership. He promised to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint patrols, and law enforcement coordination to disrupt trafficking routes that have grown increasingly sophisticated.

But Walker also emphasized opportunity over fear — signaling that his ambassadorship will not only focus on security, but on strengthening The Bahamas as a gateway for U.S. investment, trade, and tourism.

“I will advise the American business community of the vast investment opportunities that exist in The Bahamas,” he said. “And I will make sure the Bahamian government maintains an environment where U.S. companies can invest confidently — because America must prove it is still great as an investor.”

For a small island nation sitting less than 50 miles off the coast of Florida, this renewed diplomatic attention carries weight. Since 2011, the post of U.S. ambassador had remained vacant — a gap that many observers say weakened direct ties, delayed joint security initiatives, and allowed other powers to move in.

Walker’s confirmation — approved 51 to 47 — ends that silence. And with it comes the expectation that this former Olympian and business owner will translate his discipline, charisma, and resilience into diplomatic results.

Critics question his lack of foreign policy experience, but Walker counters with confidence: “Throughout my life, people have underestimated me. I’ve always proved them wrong — by outworking everyone.”

As he prepares to take up residence in Nassau, Walker says his mission is simple: rebuild trust, deepen cooperation, and remind both nations that their futures are tied not just by geography — but by shared purpose, mutual respect, and the enduring ties of community.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

 

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Bahamas News

PAY STANDOFF: Prime Minister Cancels Talks as Unions Warn of More Protests

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

Monday, October 13, 2025 — Nassau, The Bahamas – What began as a calm holiday meeting has spiraled into a full-blown standoff between The Bahamas Government and two of the country’s most powerful public sector unions — the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) — after the Prime Minister abruptly cancelled follow-up talks set for Tuesday, blaming public comments made by union leaders.

The announcement of the cancelled meeting came late Monday, just hours after a tense sit-down at the Office of the Prime Minister, held on National Heroes Day, where both BUT President Belinda Wilson and BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson accused the government of dragging its feet on salary increases and retroactive pay owed to thousands of public officers.

Wilson, never one to mince words, said the Prime Minister’s “technical officers” — the very people responsible for executing his instructions — were failing to carry out his directives regarding payment timelines.

“The Prime Minister’s issue,” Wilson said, “is that he has persons working for him who are not following his instructions. If those officers would follow through on what he told them to do, we wouldn’t be here today.”

Wilson added that the BUT and other unions are demanding retroactive pay dating back to September 2024, and that all increases be applied and paid by the October payday, not December as previously stated by the Prime Minister.

“Senior civil servants already received their retroactive pay — thousands of dollars — backdated to September of last year,” Wilson charged. “We’re saying the small man deserves the same. This isn’t a gift. It’s money already earned.”

Her comments came after the government publicly insisted that the salary adjustments would be implemented by December 2025, just ahead of Christmas — a timeline unions flatly reject as too slow.

Ferguson: ‘No More Excuses’

Following Wilson, BPSU President Kimsley Ferguson delivered a fiery statement of his own, telling reporters the unions would no longer tolerate delays or mixed messages from the Davis administration.

“The Prime Minister was receptive — but we’re not accepting excuses,” Ferguson said. “If the Prime Minister’s having a memory lapse, we have the Hansard from Parliament to remind him exactly what he promised public officers.”

Ferguson went further, warning that if Tuesday’s meeting failed to produce results, unions would “visit the House of Assembly” and intensify their campaign for immediate payment.

“Public servants, ready yourselves,” he declared. “We are prepared to stand together — all across The Bahamas — until our needs are met.”

Now, with the Prime Minister cancelling tomorrow’s talks altogether, that threat appears closer to becoming reality.

Government Bungles Response

Observers say the administration’s handling of the matter has been confused and contradictory, with conflicting statements on payment timelines and poor communication fueling frustration among teachers, nurses, and general public officers.

The government has maintained that the funds are allocated and will be disbursed before year’s end, but unionists insist they’ve heard it all before — and this time they want results, not promises.

The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the meeting, rather than clarify or de-escalate tensions, has drawn sharp criticism across social media and among rank-and-file civil servants who see the move as punitive and dismissive.

Slowdown and the Threat of Another Mass Protest

Across several ministries, departments, and schools, reports are already surfacing of a go-slow in the public service, as workers express solidarity with the unions’ demands.

Many believe another mass demonstration is imminent, similar to the one staged last week Tuesday when thousands of workers gathered outside the House of Assembly on Bay Street as Parliament reopened after summer recess.

That protest brought parts of downtown Nassau to a standstill as union members sang, marched, and even sat in the street — a powerful show of defiance that now threatens to repeat itself unless the government moves quickly to resolve the impasse.

A Political Flashpoint

What began as a straightforward salary dispute has now evolved into a test of credibility and competence for the Davis administration. With a restless public sector, rising inflation, and unions unified across professions, the government risks not only another protest — but a full-blown industrial crisis heading into the year’s end.

For now, the unions are standing firm: they want retroactive pay from September 2024 and full salary adjustments by this October. Anything less, they warn, could push the country’s workforce from a slowdown into open confrontation.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Nassau Cruise Port Marks Sixth Anniversary with Exciting New Additions for Visitors and The community

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[Nassau, Bahamas, October 8, 2025] Nassau Cruise Port (NCP) proudly celebrates its sixth corporate anniversary by unveiling a series of transformative additions that further enhance the guest and community experience. The anniversary comes at a pivotal moment in the growth of the port, with the opening of a new swimming pool, an expanded marina, and a state-of-the-art ferry terminal that will support transfers to the Royal Beach Club, which is currently under construction on Paradise Island.

Since its $300 million redevelopment, Nassau Cruise Port – the largest transit cruise port in the world – has welcomed millions of visitors and become one of the most vibrant cruise destinations in the world. This anniversary not only reflects its commitment to delivering world-class facilities, but also its dedication to creating meaningful connections between visitors and the Bahamian community.

“This milestone represents much more than the passage of time,” said Mike Maura, Jr., CEO and Director of Nassau Cruise Port. “It reflects our promise to continually elevate the guest experience, contribute to the local economy, and provide opportunities for Bahamians. During our first year (2019) of operating the Nassau Cruise Port, Nassau welcomed approximately. 3.85 million cruise guests, and 2025 will see well over 6 million cruise visitors visit Nassau. Our focus on driving cruise tourism and the $350 million investment in our downtown waterfront is a testament to our vision of making Nassau a premier cruise and leisure destination.”

The new pool offers a refreshing retreat for visitors enjoying Nassau’s waterfront, while the expanded marina will accommodate additional yachts, boosting tourism and local commerce. The ferry terminal expansion enhances passenger flow and supports convenient, seamless transfers to the Royal Beach Club, strengthening Nassau’s position as a hub for Caribbean cruising and leisure.

As part of its anniversary celebrations, NCP will host a series of internal and external activities to celebrate its team and to highlight its ongoing investments in the Bahamian economy, including job creation, local vendor opportunities, and cultural showcases at the port.

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