bahama island geography
Bahama Islands News, Articles and Information
Hidden Valley Revisited
Jean Pepe works most weeks as a labourer on Abaco's construction sites. That's when he can find a job. When he can't, you can see him weeding yards for $50 a throw.Mr Pepe isn't afraid of hard work. In fact, the Haitian expatriate is used to it.
As a sprayer at Bahama Star Farms, he toiled long hours in the sweltering sun, showering lemons, oranges, tangerines and grapefruit with insecticide from 1991 until the plantation shut down after a citrus canker outbreak in 2004.
Those were hard days. But a few months after the farm closed and refused to pay him compensation, Mr Pepe decided he had seen enough citrus fruit for one lifetime and quit the grove.
Along with five other plantation workers, he decided to build a house a few miles up the Farm Road on Crown Land.
Chalk's in last-ditch bid
Chalk's airline GM, Roger Nair, was yesterday involved in last-ditch efforts to get the grounded airline into the air. In an emergency meeting in Nassau with officials from the Civil Aviation Department, Mr Nair was trying to overturn the decision on Monday to stop the American company from resuming flights.A Public Relations worker at the company said General Manager, Roger Nair, flew into The Bahamas to negotiate with officials, so that Chalk's airline could be able to once again resume flights to and from the jurisdiction.
"I believe we're going to have that problem sorted out by then. The General Manager is in Nassau today meeting with the proper authorit[ies] but I can't say right now what's happening with that. But hopefully, we will fly [today]," he said.
Case Financial Inc. Enters Into Pact to Develop Real Estate ...
CARLSBAD, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- August 21, 2006 -- Case Financial, Inc. (OTCBB: CSEF) today announced it has entered into an agreement with Management One Ltd., a property management company located in Nassau, The Bahamas, to form a new jointly owned company, The Great Andros Land Company Ltd.The company is being formed to develop a plan to acquire and/or assume operational and developmental control of approximately 4,000 acres in Fresh Creek, Andros, which is owned by the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas (HCB), a government agency that holds title to the Crown Lands of The Bahamas. The acreage includes a hotel, marina, and extensive beach frontage.
The Great Andros Land Company Ltd. intends to develop world-class resort facilities and residential communities on Andros.
Andros, the largest island in the Bahamas, features pristine beaches and one of the largest coral reefs in the world.
Cash System Signs New Deals
-- New contract with Lakeside Inn and Casino to provide the casino with a complete line of cash access services including the all-in-1 atm, debit card cash advance, credit card cash advance, and check cashing. Lakeside Inn and Casino is located in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada and provides a mix of slot machines and table games as well as hotel facilities.-- Renewed contract with Normandie Casino in California. Cash Systems provides the casino with a complete line of cash access services including the all-in-1 atm, credit card cash advance, debit card cash advance and check cashing. Normandie Casino is located in Gardena, California and includes fifty-three table games and two restaurants.
-- Renewed contract with the Isle of Capri Casino at Our Lucaya Resort, located in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.
Players urged to start preparing for tourney
The Bahamas Rugby Football Union (BRFU) is urging players to get in shape for the upcoming Caribbean Zone 7's Championship being hosted in Barbados. The tournament will include men's and women's teams from most of the Caribbean nations as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Training camp begins before the end of this month, with about 10 weeks left to prepare for the tournament."If we are going to mount a serious challenge at this tournament then the vast majority of the team need to work on their weaknesses, be it their fitness, strength or skill level, or even a combination of all three," said training camp co-ordinator Andrew Davies.
He has indicated to players that while they were lucky enough to qualify for the Caribbean Zone Championship with sub-par fitness, they won't be as fortunate in the upcoming event if their levels aren't improved.
Mad dash for water!
Grand Bahama residents are readying themselves for whatever Tropical Storm Ernesto brings their way, stocking up on hurricane supplies and buying stores out of gallons of water.In fact, residents have made a mad dash for the item, which has become the hottest commodity and folks are being advised to stock up early.
With a tropical warning and hurricane watch remaining in effect for Grand Bahama, Bimini, Andros and the Berry Islands, Grand Bahamians are not taking Ernesto lightly.
Yesterday, Andros, the Berry Islands and Bimini experienced four to six inches of rain as rain bands continued over the northwest Bahamas and the Florida keys.
A better organized Ernesto had formed and forecasters say tornadic activity is possible.
As of 5:00 p.m.
Minister on a Mission
Alfred Sears and Bradley Roberts are on a mission to upgrade, renovate and repair educational facilities throughout The Bahamas. After much pressure by the public to bring government-run educational facilities up to par, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology and the Minister of Works and Utilities said the government is presently undertaking the mammoth task of bringing all schools up to the "state-of-the-art" level. Both Ministers met in Abaco on Thursday to sign off on a contract worth roughly $700,000 for the renovation and repair of the James A Pinder primary school in Sandy Point. Despite the fact that school only houses 70 students at this time, the Ministers said every new school to be built, or old school to be repaired by the government will become a state-of-the-art facility.
Bahamas' marina demand rises on S. Florida boat-slip shortage
FREEPORT, Bahamas - South Florida boaters have long escaped to the Bahamas for its laid-back lifestyle -- remember the slogan, ``It's Better in the Bahamas''?But now some boaters are fleeing to the 700-island archipelago out of economic necessity. As condominium towers continue to rise where marinas used to be, local boaters are scrambling to find dock space, an increasingly expensive luxury that can cost as much as the boat itself.
Some believe the Bahamas could soon rival South Florida as a boating destination with new marinas promising lower prices, swank amenities -- everything from landing strips for private planes to 18-hole golf courses -- and lots of available slips.
''Florida is sold out,'' said Eddie Lauth, a developer who plans to build two marinas about 240 miles southeast of Miami, on the island of Eleuthera.
Love Course at Barefoot Resort makes top 100 list
The Grand Strand has added a third course this year to the Golf Magazine rankings of "Top 100 You Can Play" public courses in the United States.Caledonia Golf & Fish Club has moved up one spot to No. 25 and The Dunes Golf and Beach Club has dropped 11 spots to 46th. The new addition is the Love Course at Barefoot Resort, which debuts at No. 95 on the biennial list published in the magazine's September issue.
Pebble Beach was supplanted as the No. 1 course for the first time since the list originated in 1996 by Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore. The new rankings also include a record 20 courses debuting on the list.
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort climbed to No. 3 from No. 8 to be the highest ranking Carolinas course, and Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island moved up to No.
Chris may be dying
Tropical storm Chris is expected to weaken into a tropical depression as it continues its journey towards the southern islands of The Bahamas.However, Chief Meteorologist at the Department of Meteorology, Arnold King, said a tropical storm watch still remains in effect for the islands of Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and Ragged Island. "Chris is weakening and will become a depression later today. It is a minimal tropical storm right now. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 45 miles per hour and it's likely going to weaken," he said. With the approach of the Tropical Storm Chris in the northern Bahamas, residents living in low-lying areas should prepare for flooding as Chris is expected to dump a significant amount of rainfall on the islands.
"We expect it to affect the northern Bahamas but only with cloudy conditions with scattered showers and thunderstorms.