Bahamas News
Reading Garden opened at L.W. Young Junior High School
By: Kathryn Campbell
Bahamas Information Services
#TheBahamas, March 31, 2022 – Students at L.W. Young Junior High School now have a beautiful, tranquil space where they can delve into books and explore the world.
The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training, officially opened the
Reading Garden located on the school’s Bernard Road campus recently.
Bridgette Seymour, vice-principal and coordinator of the event said the school began a rebranding phase during the pandemic with a mandate to “change the landscape.”
“I believe that when you change the landscape of the environment it changes the mindset. If we can get the mindset of our children, teachers, support staff and administrators to change we would have positive changes in this school. That was the background behind all of this.”
In addition to the contribution of teachers and students, Ms. Seymour acknowledged the work of the hygiene technicians in helping to decorate the school’s entrance, create murals, plant flowers, paint trees, design and build seats and more for the garden.
“Some of them went beyond the call of duty coming in on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. We changed the landscape and rebranded the school.
“We got a donation of 1,000 tires. We painted them, mixed cement and filled the tires. We used the tires and palettes to create seats around the school.
Ms. Seymour said the occasion was also an opportunity to thank corporate sponsors who have contributed to the project.
In remarks, the Hon. Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs recollected his eighth grade Reading Club experience as a student at St. Augustine’s College.
“Once a week in the afternoons after school we met to read a book and discuss what took place in the book,” said
Minister Mitchell.
He fondly remembered reading “The Dubliners” by James Joyce and while in university “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston and “Put on More Speed: A Bahamian Journey to Majority Rule & Sovereignty” by Sir Clement Maynard.
“It is still a profound adventure for me to pick up a book and read. It improves your knowledge of the world, it improves your vocabulary and your social sense of being because after all we’re social creatures.
“I encourage you to read and inwardly digest. You can learn a lot by reading and I commend it to you,” he added.
Minister Hanna-Martin, whose first degree is in English Literature, also shared books that she has read including “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway.
“Reading books is important because it’s inspiring in a lot of ways,” she said.
“I want to encourage you to read. Some of you will one day write books and we hope more Bahamians write books. We don’t have the kind of library of books in this country written by Bahamians that I would like to see.
“I would like to encourage you young people who are interested in that to feel empowered. Prepare your mind as you move through life to record your story,” said Minister Hanna-Martin.
BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
Header: A view of the school’s newly renovated Reading Garden.
insert: The Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training officially opens the Reading Garden at L.W. Young Junior High School. The Hon. Fred Mitchell, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, is also shown.
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.
