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ALERT # 46 ON TROPICAL STORM HANNA ISSUED BY THE BAHAMAS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY AT 9:00PM E.D.T. THURSDAY 04^TH SEPTEMBER, 2008.

  ?.HANNA IS BEGINNING TO CLEAR THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS BUT STILL WINDY?

 TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST BAHAMAS, THIS INCLUDES, GRAND BAHAMA, BIMINI, ABACO, NEW PROVIDENCE, ANDROS, THE BERRY ISLANDS, ELEUTHERA, CAT ISLAND, THE EXUMAS AND ITS CAYS, LONG ISLAND, RUM CAY, AND SAN SALVADOR.

Last night as tropical Storm Hanna passed over Grand Bahama Island the power company began experiencing isolated problems at 9pm with the majority of our outages beginning at 4am in the following areas.

• The Harbour Area, West End and Eight-Mile Rock.   The West End power was returned by 10:30am and we are hoping to have the remainder areas reenergized by early afternoon.

NASSAU , Bahamas ? Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham told the nation Friday afternoon that Hurricane Ike is a very serious storm that must be taken seriously by The Bahamas.

Mr. Ingraham was addressing a nationally televised press conference held by The Bahamas? National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and indicated that the press conferences are expected to be held daily through to the upcoming week and beyond as necessary.

Heads of various government agencies and Department of Meteorology also took part in the press conference, providing updates on the status of the country?s readiness ahead of Hurricane Ike...

NEW YORK ? September 20, 2008 ? New York City, home to thousands of Bahamian Americans, will be the setting for an elegant event on Saturday, September 20th, to mark the 96^th anniversary of the founding of the Nassau Bahamas Association, now the Bahamian American Association, Inc.

The Black-tie Gala Ball and Awards Ceremony will be held at the Astoria World Manor, 22-25 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria, New York 11102, and is expected to draw over 300 guests from around the Tri-State area and also from the Bahamas. His Excellency Cornelius A. Smith, Ambassador, Commonwealth of the Bahamas in Washington, DC will be the Guest Speaker and The Honourable Carl Francis Smith, Consul General in New York will be Guest of Honour...

Prime Minister the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham expressed concern Thursday night over the impact Tropical Storm Hanna would have on The Bahamas.

At 8p.m tropical storm warnings continued for the central and northwest Bahamas this included Grand Bahama, Bimini, Abaco, New Providence, Andros, The Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Cat Island, The Exumas and its Cays, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador .

The center of Tropical Storm Hanna was located near latitude 26.0? degrees north and longitude 76.0? degrees west 75 miles east-southeast of Marsh Harbour, Abaco. Residents experienced maximum sustained winds near 65 miles per hour with higher gusts...

Nassau, Bahamas ? Ministers Neko Grant, Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and Charles Maynard along with Public Works and Tourism officials toured the Festival Place Welcome Centre at Prince George Dock Wednesday.

The tour was in keeping with the plans by the Government to expand the Festival Place. Plans include the addition of a Junkanoo Museum to address the congestion that presently exists at the Festival Place the conversion of the former Customs Building at Prince George Dock into an Authentic Bahamian Craft Market.

The Market is intended to provide a venue for Bahamians interested in selling indigenous Bahamian foods and craft and also to serve as an informational centre for visitors...

(September 4, 2008) -- As Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike approach, hotels have reported that some guests have made early departures. However, there has not been an overwhelming exodus.

For guests who choose to remain in The Bahamas, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation fully expects that hotels will execute their respective safety and security procedures to the benefit of their guests, as they have always done.

Meanwhile, some travelers have opted to remain in their home cities until the weather

The Ministry of Education wishes to advise the public that specific directives regarding school closures will be announced after obtaining specific direction from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as to the path of Hurricane Hanna.

To be announced as soon as possible please...

Bahamasair wishes to advise its loyal passengers that flights will resume on Friday, September 5 as follows:

• George Town Exuma at 6:30am and 6:30pm
• San Salvador at 11:00am
• Orlando at 11:00am and 6:00pm
• Inagua at 9:15am
• Stella Maris, Long Island at 2:00pm
• Mayaguana at 9:30am
• Marsh Harbour to Palm Beach at 10:35am
• Miami at 12:00 noon, 3:15pm

The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) presents, BIFF's Blues at Luciano's of Chicago  on October 19th from 4:30 to 7:30pm.

Guest Host, Lou Gossett Jr will be on hand as all enjoy the sounds of award winning Blues and Jazz guitarist T.J. Wheeler.

Click [Read more...] for further details and ticket information. This event is in support of the upcoming Bahamas International Film Festival which takes place this December 4th to 11th...

Nassau, The Bahamas - The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Bahamas Hotel Association have collaborated this year to jointly present the 2008 Business Trade Show and Globalization Conference October 3rd and 4th. This will bring together two signature events of the various organizations affording the Business community the opportunity to maximize their time.
 
Please see the enclosed flyer with details on the event as well as the registration form (attached below)for persons wishing to exhibit their products or services at the two day event.

Click [Read more..] to view the full paged flyer...

The Bahamas Weekly and City Markets are excited to announce that you can now view City Markets weekly specials right here on The Bahamas Weekly!

Click the City Markets Logo here, and on each page of The Bahamas Weekly to see what's on special at all City Market stores in the country.

You can count on City Markets to make your shopping easier.

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The Industrial Tribunal feels constrained to respond to certain recent press statements made by Mr. Glen Bannister, the managing Director of Morton Salt, which we feel might be misleading to the general public.

A few days ago, Mr. Bannister said on the air that Morton Salt and the Union decided to refer all outstanding disputes between them to private arbitration- in this case to the Industrial Tribunal; and that they have agreed to be bound by the Decisions of the Tribunal relative thereto.

The public should be aware that the Industrial Tribunal is not an arbitration tribunal; it was established in 1996 and imbued with jurisdiction inter alia to hear and determine trade disputes between employers and employees within the meaning of the Industrial Relations Act, Chapter 321...

Due to inclement weather as it relates to travelling plans for our 6 featured artists coming from out of town, we have decided to postpone the Truth-Hip Hop Fest Concert weekend to next week Friday, Sept. 12th, at 7 p.m. at the Rain Forest Theater. As you can see, the time and venue has not changed. We're pleased to say that our special guest artists: Ahmad & Tena Jones, from California, Demetrus from Jacksonville, Monty G and our host Jamie Thomas (from Tempo) remains the same as well and will be LIVE and in FULL EFFECT Sept. 12th!!! Our local guest artists, Manifest, Landlord, Mr. Beeds, Platinum Soldiers, Najie Dun and others will still be blazin it up! So you definitely don't wanna miss it!!!  

Those attending this year?s concert can expect new surprises, especially as this year boasts the first ever Artist Music Workshop,

Click [Read more...] to view the full page flyer...

Grand Bahama Power Company is proud to serve the island of Grand Bahama and it is a responsibility that we take very seriously year round. The hurricane season presents a particular challenge, one which we take extraordinary measures to be prepared for. Today we would like to share details of the preparation. We have a team of 199 well qualified, trained and committed employees, who are also customers, to carry out duties. At this time, our employees hold a genuine concern for the service, safety and protection of all our customers.

Weatherman Al Roker recently took NBC network viewers on an exploration of Bahamian plantation history as he retraced his Bahamian heritage to Exuma on NBC?s Today Show.

As part of the Today Show?s Discover Your Roots series, Mr. Roker traveled to Liverpool, United Kingdom to research his family history. The television segment included significant excerpts of video from his 1999 trip to Exuma for his Travels with Al Roker, which was broadcast on the Food Network.

The Today Show segment aired August 29, the day of the 45^th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr?s famous I Have a Dream speech and the day that Barak Obama accepted a nomination that made him the United States? first major party African American nominee for president...

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Nassau, Bahamas ? The Water and Sewerage Corporation has advised the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that due to the impact of forecasted storms, it will with immediate effect reduce water pressure in New Providence to protect existing storage levels.

"With the current worsening weather conditions, the predicted effects of Hanna, and the impending effects of Tropical Storm Ike, the Corporation is concerned about the possibility of a prolonged period of deteriorated weather conditions," the Corporation said...

Nassau, The Bahamas - The stars will be out in full force, as our three-day celebration 'Bringing Sexy Back' unfolds with a weekend full of fun festivities, culminating with a glamorous VIP opening gala party at the Marley Resort & Spa, in association with Fifth Avenue Marketing & Modeling Agency on September 26, 2008.

Meet Shirley's super model Tyran Richards, along with 30 of our top finalists in a chic Caribbean setting, plus mingle with some of the world's most famous faces, including: Hollywood celebrities, NFL stars, www.goallinefootball.com  International models, Bachelor Guy's Eric Rogell, and top fashion designers.

Award Winning Mandt Bros. Production will be on hand to shoot segments for ESPN...

The U.S. Department of State today officially authorized non-emergency American citizen personnel and all family members to depart post, due to the possibility of adverse weather conditions as a result of Tropical Depression Gustav, and Tropical Storms Hanna, Ike, and Josephine.   The authorization takes effect immediately.

Under authorized departure, non-emergency personnel and family members are permitted to leave their post of assignment to return temporarily to the United States .   The decision to depart is their choice; they cannot be compelled to leave.

The Embassy has taken this precautionary step in order to protect the welfare of American citizens and to lessen the potential demand placed on disaster relief resources in the Bahamas...

Hurricane Gustav has been downgraded to a tropical depression following its landfall in the State of Louisiana in the United States of America yesterday where considerable destruction has been reported.

Before entering the Gulf, Hurricane Gustav impacted the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean wreaking havoc, destroying property and taking lives. We especially regret the reports of numerous deaths resulting from the storm in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Louisiana but welcome reports that no lives were lost in Cuba and the Cayman Islands.

In Jamaica, a Member State of the Caribbean Emergency Disaster Response Agency (CDERA), the Hurricane took several lives while thousands lost their homes and other property. Widespread damage and destruction of infrastructure has also been also reported...

The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce will hold it?s Business Excellence Recognition Awards Ceremony on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at the Regency Theatre, commencing at with cocktails at 7:00 p.m., followed by Awards Presentations at 8:00 p.m.

During the Ceremony, which will be an exciting red carpet affair, several persons from the business community will be recognized for their commitment to excellence and the development of and contribution to our community.

Nomination forms are attached below.

The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the categories for nomination as follows...

The Department Of Civil Aviation has advised the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), that airports in Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayagana and Inagua remain closed due to the impact of Hurricane Hanna, which has been since downgraded to a tropical storm.

Meanwhile, the airports in San Salvador, Exuma, Cat Island and Long Island Remain Open for domestic flights, until further notice.

NEMA would continue to notify the public on the condition of the storm and its impact on the Bahamas...

The amendment to the Stamp Act which provides for exemption from payment of stamp duty on certain financial transactions involving licensed lending institutions became effective July 1, the Ministry of Finance has confirmed.

Application may be made for exemption from stamp duty for any of the following: purchase of a dwelling home; purchase and financing of a dwelling home and mortgage; purchase and financing of a dwelling home combined with other domestic loans and mortgages; purchase of vacant land for the construction of a dwelling home; transfer of a home mortgage; and, transfer of a home mortgage combined with other domestic loans.

Simms, Long Island ? The signing of a contract for the reconstruction of the Simms Dock in North Long Island is a confirmation of the Government?s strengthening of infrastructure for the development and continuous progress of the islands of The Bahamas, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources the Hon. Larry Cartwright said.

Minister Cartwright was addressing persons at the Simms Primary School who witnessed last Friday?s signing of the dock?s $251,325 reconstruction contract.

Minister Cartwright said it is ?unfair and really shameful? that the people of North Long Island had been forced to wait so long for the dock to be repaired. He commended Works and Transport Minister the Hon. Neko Grant for his efforts to speed up the project and bring relief to the residents who rely on the services of the mail boats that once berthed at Simms Dock...

September PACKED with events for you at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas in New Providence.  There is something for everyone!  

The Global Cinema Series continues with two more shows; architect Anthony Jervis speaks in the Historic Spaces and Places series; and the next Issues Forum is on "Copyright and Creative Intellectual Property in the Age of Globalism."

Click [Read more...] to view the full information poster...

(September 1, 2008) -- Weekend cruise arrivals went according to schedule, but some cruise berths for the Bahamas have been rescheduled through the middle of this week.

Just one of eight scheduled cruise calls was cancelled over the weekend. Carnival?s Glory cancelled her voyage to Nassau on Sunday, August 31. The Glory replaced her port call with a sea day. However, Royal Caribbean?s Majesty of the Seas and the Regal Empress kept their calls on Sunday. The day before, five ships ? Norwegian Sky, Carnival?s Fascination and Triumph and Royal Caribbean?s Sovereign and Enchantment ? made scheduled calls at Nassau...

The Public Hospitals Authority is in the process of upgrading our Information Systems Technology Infrastructure in order to better serve the health- care needs of our clients.

A major of this upgrade has been the completion of a State-Of-The-Art Data Centre to host all of our information technology applications and networks.

On Saturday September 6^th at 12:30 AM to Monday, September 8^th, 2008 at 10:00 AM. We shall be shutting down our Patient Information System at The Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial Hospital, in Freeport, Grand Bahama; and the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre from (Friday September 5^th at 7:00 PM) to continue our upgrade and consolidate the databases of the three hospitals...

Paradise Island, The Bahamas - 177 employees of Kerzner International have been recognized for their outstanding commitment to the organization and several top performers now have their names entered into the hat in a bid to win the coveted employee, manager, and leader of the year titles given out at the Annual Crystal Awards Ceremony in February 2009.

Last week, as a part of the quarterly recognition exercise, the employees filled the Grand Ballroom at Atlantis, Paradise Island as they cheered-on those stand-out employees in their departments...

Colonel Hill, Crooked Island --- Chronic, non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) such as diabetes, strokes and hypertension are accounting for almost fifty percent of the more than 1500 clinical and home visits conducted by medical personnel in the Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay areas, Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis said.

The same can be said of Eleuthera, where health professionals there report that the two ?most common? chronic, non-communicable diseases are diabetes and hypertension, which has resulted in increased demand for medicines to treat these diseases.

Dr. Minnis? disclosure came during a recent visit to the Acklins, Crooked Island and Long Cay areas at which time the Minister, accompanied by senior health officials from the Ministry of Health and the Department of Public Health and on-island healthcare teams, toured community healthcare centres/clinics in the area...

Paradise Island, Bahamas- Many remember the late Howard ?Butch? Kerzner not only for his business acumen but also his benevolence to the people of the Bahamas , especially the youth of this country. Butch?s widow Vanessa Kerzner has pledged to see that legacy continue. She has initiated the Butch Kerzner Summit Foundation with its first programme, ?Sky Climbers? now ready to reach thousands of Bahamian students, aspiring them to rise to success.

The Sky Climbers programme is designed to teach the safety and performance of rock climbing to students in grades 7 through 12. Vanessa Kerzner says the reason they chose rock climbing is because of the interest they received from it during the Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Tournament earlier this year and also, her late husband?s interest in the sport. ?Nick Sagar, Operations Consultant for the Butch Kerzner Summit Foundation, introduced Butch to climbing. He found it both physically and mentally challenging. That?s why we thought it would be good for the students...

Buzzing toward the shore of San Salvador in a dinghy, it's hard to imagine what Christopher Columbus felt when he spotted this island after 33 days of nothing but the endless blue of the Atlantic.

No doubt he saw the same turquoise water, lime green vegetation and mostly flat, scrub-covered land. But he certainly didn't climb out of an inflatable boat onto the dock of a small marina, where I now await the arrival of a tour bus that will show me around this 12-mile island.

Many visitors to the Bahamas never leave the bustling confines of places such as Nassau, where banks and designer shops cram city streets. But of the 700 islands in the Bahamas archipelago, only 50 are inhabited. And of those that are populated, some are just sleepy outposts that most tourists never see...

LAKE WANAKA, New Zealand  ? The Bahamian Snowboard Team will make its debut on the world stage this week at the first stop of the LG FIS Snowboard World Cup Halfpipe at Cardrona Alpine Resort on September 6 and 7.

Known more for its Caribbean culture than snowboarding, the tropical nation?s snowboarding team has just one member, Korath Wright, born and bred in the Bahamas but with many years spent growing up in Whistler, Canada.

Two years ago, after taking third place in his first-ever FIS World Cup the Bahamas High Commission approached him, enquiring if he would ride for his home country. This contact has not only provided Wright with an opportunity in snowboarding,..

The Hon. Larry Cartwright, MP for Long Island and Ragged Island and Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources (1st from left) signs a $251,325.85 contract at Simms Primary School for reconstruction of the Simms Dock in Long Island as Leo Knowles, contractor; and the Hon. Neko Grant, Minister of Public Works and Transport look on.

The Hon. Neko Grant, Minister of Public Works and Transport congratulated Leo Knowles of G and L Construction, contractor hired for the reconstruction of Simms Dock in Long Island.

Click [Read more...] for more photos...

Andros - The government is expanding home ownership for Bahamians in South Andros and Mangrove Cay.

The Ministry of Housing wants to revive and expand the Money Rock community and begin occupancy of the Mangrove Cay subdivision outside Moxey Town.

The cost of packages in those subdivisions is still to be determined. Resident Androsians will be given first preference. Application forms were left with Chief Councilors...

Nassau, Bahamas - Farmers and animal breeders throughout the islands are busily preparing for the second Bahamas Agricultural, Marine Resources and Agribusiness Expo.

Hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources and the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC), the Expo?s theme is ?Improving Food Security?.

The three-day national event will be held at New Providence?s Gladstone Road Agricultural Centre beginning February 26, 2009...

Nassau, The Bahamas  -    The Bahamian weather pleased us with a sunny Sunday afternoon after days of scattered thunder storms and nearby hurricane warnings. After 2 hours of freestyle battling, 14 year old Terry Delancy ?TJ? was the last man standing at the first edition of Red Bull Street Style in the Bahamas .

Despite the burgeoning popularity of soccer in the Bahamas , numerous freestylers came to entertain the crowd up at Fort Charlotte a National Historical Monument in Nassau built in the 1800?s.

Delancy put on an amazing show with a variety of tricks and lots of style and control. Being one of the youngest in the competition...

J uly 10, 1973 brought the birth of the Bahamas and a lifelong friend for the country. It was the first time that Victoria Simmons, a New Yorker, made a trip to The Bahamas. Thirty-five years later, she is still visiting annually with her friend, Sharon Moss, who has also been visiting the Bahamas for more than 30 years.

Hyacinth Pratt, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, met with the women recently to thank them for their lifelong relationship with the islands of the Bahamas. She presented them with authentically Bahamian gifts and certificates of appreciation.

The women, who both teach in the New York school system, have visited the Bahamas at least once each year for more than 30 years. For several years, they have visited three times in one year...

Nassau, Bahamas -Interim Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Commander Stephen Russell partially activated the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) as the country braced for Tropical Storm Hanna.

On Saturday, August 30, Commander Russell galvanized a ?core team? of personnel at NEMA?s headquarters in the Churchill Building to monitor Tropical Storm Hanna, which was projected to impact the Southeast Bahamas with heavy downpour.

Those islands include Acklins, Cooked Island, Mayaguana, Inagua and the Turks and Caicos Islands, where residents are being advised by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology to take the necessary precautions from massive flooding...

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Georgetown, Guyana ? Minister of State for Culture the Hon. Charles
Maynard (right) receives the Caribbean Festival of the Arts (Carifesta) Handing-Over Scroll from Guyana Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport the Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, during the closing ceremony of Carifesta X, in the National Stadium at Providence, Georgetown, Guyana, on August 31, 2008. The scroll symbolised the passing of the festival from the current host country to the next host country. The Bahamas is slated to host Carifesta in 2010.

View more photos of The Bahamas performing at Carifesta enclosed...

Grand Bahama Island - Our favorite place to hang at Port Lucaya!

Sparky Tuesdays starts August 26th with Salsa all night long from 7pm! Homemade Sangria, Margaritas and Mojitos. Free chips with salsa.  Dance the night away to Salsa, Merengue and Latin music.

Wednesdays we offer $2 Kalik draft, $2 Sands draft and $1 Eclipse beer!

Football Sundays begin again on September 7th...

GMail is a popular email provider, and it has some wonderful benefits. Many persons are moving over to GMail, and even The Bahamas Weekly uses their services.

We'd like to advise our subscribers who receive our Weekly E-Updates that although GMail may be providing you with great service, you are missing about a third of The Bahamas Weekly's content each week and what you see is a reformatted (altered) version of our news updates . How so? Because gmail 'truncates  (clip/shorten) lengthy emails and it reformats our original layout (Click HERE to view the true format of our weekly news updates).

Apparently GMail truncates email messages longer than a few hundred lines. And if you do find yourself with an email that has been truncated, you need to click a link to read it all...

Last Thursday the United States of America , along with the entire world, witnessed a most historic event at the Democratic National Convention in Denver , Colorado .   At approximately 9:15 pm EDT , US Senator Barack Obama, a half black man, accepted the nomination as the Democratic candidate for President of the United States of America .

Never in the history of this country has a man of colour been nominated for this office.    However, it was not for this reason alone that millions paused and  allowed themselves to be a part of history.   The followers and critics alike all agree on one thing, never before has a candidate run a campaign like Mr. Obama...

Grand Bahama Island - End Of Summer Sale!  September 13th and 14th from 8AM  to 7PM.

All men's and women's clothing and swimwear 25% Off;  50% Off selected items; $10+$15 racks...and much more!

Click to view our large poster. For more information call 242-373-1244...