Bahamas News
Bahamas Press Club Deeply Saddened By Death of Journalist Eldred (Ed) Edison Bethel
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Bahamas Press Club is deeply saddened over the death of the veteran noted journalist Eldred (Ed) Edison Bethel who died Monday, March 13, 2023. He was 82.
“His death certainly leaves a void in journalism – broadcast and print – in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” said President Anthony Capron.
“He was a consummate professional, a gentleman and was instrumental in preserving the integrity and standard of the profession, characters which his peers and upcoming journalists strived to emulate,” Capron said.
For him, being honoured with the Etienne Dupuch Lifetime Achievement Award capped off his long and outstanding career, for which he sincerely thanked the Press Club and his peers during the awards ceremony in 2020.
“Ed will b sorely missed by all in the profession locally and regionally,” said Capron. “Our condolences to his family.”
Journalist and Diplomat Eldred Edison “Ed” Bethel received The Etienne Dupuch Lifetime Achievement Award – the highest honour presented at the Fifth Annual Bahamas Press Club Media Awards held on Saturday, February 29, 2020, at the British Colonial Hilton. He was also a Past President of The Bahamas Press Club.
Ed Bethel began his journalistic career in 1959 at the Nassau Tribune under the tutelage of Sir Etienne Dupuch and Sir Arthur Foulkes. He went on to join ZNS in 1963, and spend many years there, working at JCN and other news
agencies; at Bahamas Information Services as its Executive Director and served as Consul General to New York and as High Commissioner to the Court of St. James’s, London, and Ambassador to the European Union.
Moving on to broadcast journalism, Bethel joined ZNS as a sports reporter in 1963. He has had a busy media career in which he was active until his retirement in 2012.
Bethel covered many of the major events in The Bahamas namely the 1962 Nassau Conference which included the United States President John F. Kennedy, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker; the 1962 General Election in which women voted for the first time; the 1965 disastrous fire and sinking of the SS Yarmouth Castle; the 1965 “Black Tuesday” demonstration by the Progressive Liberal Party when then Opposition leader Lynden Pindling threw the mace out of the window of the House of Assembly, and the 1967 General Election when the Progressive Liberal Party became the new Government of The Bahamas defeating the United Bahamian Party.
As coordinator of ZNS coverage of the 1973 Bahamas Independence, Bethel along with the late Sir Charles Carter and Carl Bethel were the broadcasters at Clifford Park on the historic night of July 9, 1973, who told the world that a new nation named The Commonwealth of the Bahamas was born.
In 1975 Bethel provided blow-by-blow coverage of the Elisha Obed vs Miguel de Oliveira championship bout from Paris, France.
Bethel along with Charles Carter and the late Calsey Johnson inaugurated local television, ZNS, Channel 13 in July 1977.
He was the coordinator of ZNS coverage of the 1985 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) hosted by The Bahamas Government in Nassau.
Bethel also served as Deputy General Manager of the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and Manager of ZNS Northern Service.
He served as Sports Editor at The Counsellors, Executive Director of Bahamas Information Services (BIS), News Editor at Love 97 FM and The Bahama Journal, and News Anchor of the Evening News at Star 106.5 FM
As a diplomat, Bethel served as Consul General to New York, The Bahamas High Commissioner to the Court of St. James’s in London, and Ambassador to the European Union.
Bethel is also a founding member and president of then, The Bahamas Press Club, during the late 1990s.
Bethel is married to the former broadcaster Dawne Adderley. He has four adult children and 10 Grandchildren.
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.
