And since they (Minnis dem) taking the risk and buying the hotel, the prime minister must now find some intestinal fortitude (basketballs) and deliver another bend or break speech to the Port Authority and other stakeholders in Freeport. G’Get up of y’all wallets and invest in Grand Bahama or sell your stakes (and steaks) to someone who will. Else the government will have to move and cancel your concessions.

I am not doing a turncoat on my position about the government purchasing this hotel. But to try get a clear understanding of what they are trying to do. Freeport is currently a dead log in the water and somewhat submerged. In order to bring life to Freeport, the government must bring this log back to the surface and then attempt to revive it. And in order to bring quality tourist to the island, there must be good accommodations. The Lighthouse beach is open but is almost operating at full capacity, so it would be useless to attract more tourist to Freeport, with nowhere for them to stay. Now, remember it was the owners of the Grand Lucayan property that chose to close the hotel down and not the operators. In fact, the operators were in negotiations for over a year with Hutcherson Whampoa in efforts to get them to get them to initiate repairs to the property after the hurricane damage, unsuccessfully. So by purchasing the property, and probably doing some repairs to it, the government not only hopes to attract a potential buyer for the sale of the property or, at least, an operator for part or all of the hotel. This will not only create jobs but make more rooms available for persons visiting the island. And with tourists numbers up by 10 percent, the chances that the occupancy numbers can stay above 80 percent are great. for the sake of the people of Grand Bahama and the Bahamian taxpayer, lets hope and pray this plan works out. Maybe they already have a operator or buyer on the table. And if the deal is a quick, fast and hurry one, it must then move on to get more properties up and running and the port authority to get involved.

Heard about this on the 1 o'clock news. Then thinking how he was just barely appointed and to die so so soon. Then to hear the sounds of pap, pap, pap pap..and to see the police in live and living color shooting at a suspect on a motorbike. Determined in their effort to stop him in his tracks. Obviously having committed some crime, I would guess. And just being barely a few feet away from the shooting. Then more police arrive ..these set with the big guns that go rat-a -tatt, tatt-tatt, and more ratt-a-tatt-tatts., The uncertainty of life, but the certainty of death! No matter how timeless! May his soul continue in its well-deserved rest in peace.

Maybe your spirituality is dead!

If the (PLP) Government did not rape and rob BoB sending the Billion dollar bank into bankruptcy, this would have been the perfect opportunity to bring together a contingency of businessmen and local Bahamian investors to partner with government to purchase and manage this hotel property. Eventually Bahamians must look for more than just employment in the tourism industry. They must take ownership.

Meanwhile retail stores are singing ‘the Blues ‘ about Back/to-School sales. Some are wondering if it will be last minute or if everyone has already shopped online and in Florida. Just ride past R. M. Bailey Park and see for yourself.

ILet us hope for the sake of the Bahamian people, and especially for the residents of Grand bahama, and more specifically, those in Freeport and surrounding settlements,who expect to get a job at this hotel, that Minnis and K P Turnquest is right on this one. Maybe they already have a secured buyer in their periscope and, for reasons unknown to us, they are facilitating the sale. Let us hope and pray.

Paying for make up and a security gate. This is very seriousness. Especially if Mrs Osborne had to go get her makeup done elsewhere because the power was off at her house. And more serious if she installed a security gate that could not operate when the power was off.

Obvioulsy BTC is winning the battle with its rival Aliv, almost hands down. Even though it has been a tug-of-war of sorts between the two companies, Aliv seems to have run out of steam and , like Bahamians who travel and don't like to go too far or stay too long, BTC customers are coming back home after their flirts and fling with Aliv. The new phone company just can't seem to keep its customers, especially the ones that migrated from BTC.

Most of America’s major retailers including Walmart, Macy’s, k-Mart, Kohl’s and Home Depot are reporting strong earnings to earnings better than average. And shoppers are going back to the malls and brick and mortar stores. A strong indicator that Americans have more money to spend and have more consumer confidence. This is while Amazon also continues to stow strong earnings and venture into the medical field. Time to fix Bay Street and maybe the PM is not off base in trying to get Freeport’s major hotel up and running. Then there’s the Chinese who are also traveling the world in droves. And they have lots of money to spend. Chinese tourists love historical sites and Culture. Are we ready?