Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Joe Darville:Closure of shelters - Nov 29, 2019 - 10:47:32 AM
 Mr. Franke Campbell Minister of Social Services is a very compassionate
and caring individual. I understand clearly his desire that individuals
who are still housed in shelters need to get back to their homes.
However, what is the condition of those homes? Most of the severely
damaged homes are still infested with mold, vermin and other disease
carrying agents. Therefore, we cannot in good conscience send them back
to such...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: ‘Tis the season to count our blessings for freedom of the press - Nov 25, 2019 - 2:30:20 PM
 We go about our daily lives. We read newspapers in our villages, towns,
and cities. We read newspapers from other countries via internet. But
how often do we stop and consider press freedom? How often do we count
our blessings when we peruse social media news outlets? How often do we
show gratitude to journalists and people that bring us the news?
UN. May 3 was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day the UN General Assembly in 1993.
According
to 2017 report from Freedom House, a U.S. based nonprofit, only 13
percent of the world’s population experiences a free press...
Columns
Nimi Princewill: Removing barriers to access to justice - Nov 18, 2019 - 9:20:19 PM
Patricia Scotland QC, the first female Secretary-General of the
Commonwealth of Nations has reignited the Commonwealth's aspiration of
improving the justice systems of its 53 member countries.
In
edited audio excerpts from an interview with Nimi Princewill, Ms.
Scotland discussed the outcomes of the recently concluded Commonwealth
Law Ministers' Meeting (CLMM) where Law Ministers and Attorneys-General
from 53 nations brainstormed ideas on tackling barriers...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: Disaster diet predictions - Nov 18, 2019 - 6:00:49 PM
If a certain diet worked, everybody everywhere would know about it. Food
fads travel around the planet and back. Weight loss scams come and go.
You lose money and motivation, but not pounds. Or if you initially lose a
few pounds, you gain it back and more. Greedy companies prey on people
with phony promises, bogus beliefs, false and faulty research. They
recruit fanatic followers. Where’s the science, folks? The fitness
industry needs to divorce the fad diet business. We have to be aware of
health hype and question dieting madness.
The following funky diets are a taste of my humorous rederick. So, don’t try them at home...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: Humor for holiday stress - Nov 18, 2019 - 10:00:08 AM
Instead of a frazzled freak-out around the hectic holidays, what about
trying laughter. Not hysterical ‘lose your mind’ chortling or ‘milk
coming out of your nose’ snickering. But, belly-laughing glee with
giggles and guffaws.
Funny
A hilarious holiday tune—sing
along with me. Grandma got run over by a reindeer/ Walking home from our
house Christmas Eve/ You can say there’s no such thing as Santa/ But
for me and grandpa we believe...
Columns
Melissa Martin: Fat-shaming Santa is naughty not nice - Nov 10, 2019 - 11:52:32 AM
The jelly belly of jolly olé St. Nicholas is bothering the
diet-obsessed. And they are fat-shaming Santa Claus. Fat phobia has
reached the North Pole.
The Keto crowd want children to put steak
instead of cookie carbs on plates for Santa. Don’t forget the bacon.
And a bucket of lard.
The Paleo people want kids to leave nuts for Santa. A fitting food for a group of hunters and gatherers.
The Vegan group suggest broccoli to go, tied up in a bow for the chubby icon. And a relish plate under the tree.
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: ‘Tis the season to thank newspaper people - Nov 4, 2019 - 8:00:29 AM
Whether you read your news in the morning, afternoon, or evening;
whether you read your newspapers in print or digital; whether you read
national or local newspapers—take time to sprinkle a few words of kudos
in an email, text, or card to the dedicated folks in front of and behind
the printing presses.
Think about the many employment positions
at newspaper offices. From the publisher to the delivery employee, each
person needs appreciation for the teamwork it takes to publish a daily, a
weekly, a monthly, print or digital newspaper. From the paper version
to the online version, it takes diligence to report on events, stories,
and happenings...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: Clemency for battered women in prison - Oct 27, 2019 - 10:30:55 PM
Kill or be killed. “On the night he died, after a day of heavy drinking,
Andrew Harris sexually and verbally assaulted Mia. When the abuse
became physical, Mia told Andrew “No,” and told him to leave her home.
Instead, he cut her. When she tried to escape, he strangled her until
she passed out. Before she passed out, she was able to grab a knife and
stabbed him with it. When she awoke, Andrew continued beating her, and
poured hot sauce in her eyes. Mia swung the knife at Andrew to keep him
away, causing 22 wounds over his body. One cut sliced Andrew’s femoral
artery behind his knee causing him bleed to death.” www.ohiojpc.org...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: When adults bully adults, kids suffer - Oct 27, 2019 - 12:05:18 PM
October is National Bullying Prevention Month on some parts of the
planet. “Every day thousands of young people experience bullying from
their peers while at school, after school in their neighborhoods, and
even when they are at home, through social media and texts,” PACER
points out. Founded in 2006, PACER is a National Bullying Prevention
Center. wwwpacer.org.
But, here’s my question. How do we as
adults hope to prevent bullying among our youth when adults can be some
of the vilest verbal word-villains?
Columns :
Screen Scene
Joker - Movie review by Rouén Robinson - Oct 15, 2019 - 2:30:53 PM
A mentally-troubled aspiring stand-up comic deals with disappointment as
he struggles in a fragmenting society. When a bad decision at his day
job as a clown-for-hire brings about a dire chain of events, he embarks
on journey of self discovery that parallels the city’s revolt along
class lines. As his downward spiral consumes him, he finds his true self
in a persona that will baptize him though bloody crime.
Arthur Fleck
is a down on his luck mentally unstable man working at a clown-for-hire
business with dreams of becoming a famous comedienne if he could
overcome his current condition...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Allyson Gibson, " Why should illegal persons in The Bahamas be treated differently?" - Oct 6, 2019 - 7:30:29 PM
 Dear Editor,
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day.” – Genesis
1:31
You and I enjoy democracy and everything that goes with it
because there were women like Georgiana K. Symonette (my Grandmother),
Mary Ingraham, Bertha Isaacs, Eugenia Lockhart and hundreds of others
who sacrificed so that the equality and dignity of women and black men,
would be recognized by their enfranchisement. I remember bursting with
pride and thinking, “I want to be like her”, the day I witnessed my
Grandmother stand up to the campaign general of the most powerful man in
the country – Stafford Sands...
Columns :
Style Drama - Edward Quan
Escape to Canada's Pacific Coast Rainforest to discover Tofino’s finest tables - Oct 6, 2019 - 6:39:38 PM
With its extensive network of hiking trails through stunning
old growth forest, Tofino is one of the greatest wilderness vacation
spots in British Columbia, Canada. But there’s more to this gem of a
coastal retreat than outdoor adventures. Aside from its wild and
adrenaline-fueled surfing excursions and intimate lover’s strolls along
deserted white sand beaches, you can now add exceptional dining and
outstanding lodgings to your list of reasons to visit Tofino. For those
desiring a more luxurious experience after a day exploring this vast
outdoor playground, Tofino is coming into its own.
For my last travel assignment to Tofino, I visited in fall to write
about storm watch season for a women’s magazine, but for this late
spring visit we arrived to sunny skies...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Pamela Burnside: Power to the People NOW - Aug 17, 2019 - 10:36:50 AM
 Electrical power is a necessity and a priority! Any modern country in
the 21st century cannot run effectively and efficiently without it –
period!
This electricity crisis has been decades in the making,
because basic planning and commonsense is not being utilized by the
‘powers that be’ with regards to development and nobody is seeing the
big picture and nobody is paying attention to the small details...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Pamela Burnside: The greater good - Aug 2, 2019 - 7:45:35 PM
Navigating through life can be a very simple process, but we human
beings, although positioned at the top of the evolution chain, are
amazingly dumb animals when you think about it, especially if we haven’t
been properly prepared and sufficiently anchored to a firm foundation.
Three
simple words – i.e. “the greater good” that can be extracted from the
firm...
Columns :
Screen Scene
Veronica Mars - Movie review by Rouén Robinson - Aug 1, 2019 - 8:30:00 AM
A former teenage sleuth is pulled back into a life she thought she had
left behind when a message from an ex-lover causes her to return to her
home town. While there she reacquaints herself with family & friends
but old habits die hard when things don't seem right and she finds
herself in the midst of a mystery needing to be solved.
Veronica
Mars is a law student on the verge of getting a job at a high-end New
York law firm but a call from her past boyfriend brings her to her old
stomping grounds of Neptune to use her background in investigation to
help him find the right attorney for his case...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: Listen on World Listening Day - Jul 14, 2019 - 11:45:00 AM
Shhh…do you hear that? Close your mouth and eyes. Open your ears and pay
attention. It’s the sound of World Listening Day approaching; an annual
global event held every July 18. www.worldlisteningproject.org.
The
2019 theme is “Listening With” created by internationally acclaimed
sound artist Annea Lockwood. “Listening with an awareness that all
around you are other life-forms simultaneously listening and sensing
with you – plant roots, owls, cicadas, voles – mutually intertwined
within the web of vibrations which animate and surround our planet.”
The
World Listening Project (WLP) is a not-for-profit organization devoted
to understanding the world...
Columns :
Screen Scene
Stranger Things (Season 3) - Movie review by Rouén Robinson - Jul 11, 2019 - 2:40:20 PM
During the Summer in a small town that has dealt with intrusions from
other dimensions, the opening of a mall may not only lead to the closing
of local businesses but could also be the harbinger of something more
sinister. As a group of friends on the cusp of adulthood deal with how
the blossoming of romances has begun to complicate their relationship
dynamic, they are unaware of the danger looming which was thought to be
cut off from them and their town...
Columns
Tri-Valley Wine Region: California Wine at a Slower Pace - Jul 10, 2019 - 10:00:57 AM
To the delight of many of the region’s vintners and restaurateurs,
Northern California’s wine country is world famous. Unfortunately, with
that fame comes two-lane rural roads congested with tour bus traffic and
wine tasting venues crowded with Instagram-crazed tourists scrambling
to snap the perfect picture.
For those looking to escape the
throngs of tourists, a more luxurious vacation experience can be had in
the Tri-Valley wine region. There, you can visit historic wineries, meet
the owners of family vineyards, sip boutique wines, savor stellar
dining choices and indulge in designer fashion shopping...
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Melissa Martin: Hip hip hooray for newspapers - Jun 25, 2019 - 11:09:58 AM
“For the times they are a-changin'” sang Bob Dylan. And the digital
age has changed the way information is eaten, swallowed, and digested.
We can’t stop progress, but we must maintain the salience of our
newspapers (in print or digital). Why? Newspapers, whether country,
state, or local serve significant roles in societies and cultures. And
residents like hometown news.
“Print newspapers are suffering
declining readership and revenue in most of the developed world, such as
in Europe and Australia, though in general the problems are not as
severe as in the United States, particularly when it comes to revenue.
Columns :
Letters to The Editor
Dennis Dames: The FUSION DELUSION - Jun 25, 2019 - 8:00:04 AM
 Dear Editor:
The Fusion Super-plex complex complains about BPL
and its power outages impact on their business. It's a 42 million
dollars investment with no obvious thought about reliable power in the
absence of BPL's power cuts. I cannot sympathize with their plight, as I
find it totally foolish and imprudent to construct a 42 million dollars
entertainment complex without reliable backup power...
|
