NASSAU, The Bahamas --- The Government of The Bahamas will spend almost one-quarter of one million dollars ($838,820) on repairs and upgrades to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys in order to “modernise” the facility, Minister of Social Services and Community Development, the Hon. Melanie S. Griffin said.    

The figure includes $288,000 already spent on the construction of a new security booth at the entrance; repairs to the roof of the multi-purpose building which houses the kitchen and dining room; new security bars and doors; electrical upgrades in cottages including the installation of tamper resistant lights; replacements of windows and screens (which is still in progress) and the purchase of durable, institutional bunk beds complete with lockable drawers for storage of small personal items.    

Purchases of new mattresses; contracted private waste collection services, new fencing around the pavilion at the front of Cottage 2; and an automatic transfer switch for the generator were all part of the $288,000 allocation.    

“I have no doubt that the money ($288,000) was well spent or rather, well-invested,” Mrs. Griffin said. “We cannot in good conscious have high expectations for juvenile offenders after they are released if they are housed in the type of environment these young men had to endure for the last few years.”    

Mrs. Griffin said the work is not complete.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The country’s leading road marking company, Bahamas Striping, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new headquarters and manufacturing plant last Thursday on land leased from the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation.  

The project, representing a $400,000 investment, is located in the industrial park near Abundant Life Road and will house offices, storage, training facilities and a manufacturing plant for concrete products such as parking lot wheel stops.  

Keynote speaker at the event, the Hon. Ryan Pinder, MP and Minister of Financial Services said he was proud of Bahamas Striping for its determination to succeed and for being concerned about the plight of young unemployed Bahamians.  

Also attending was the Hon. Renardo Curry, Parliamentary Secretary for Abaco and MP for North Abaco, where Atario Mitchell lived as a child and grew up.  Curry said he was proud that a young Abaconian could have achieved so much in such a short time.  

Don Major, Deputy General Manager of BAIC welcomed Bahamas Striping into its park as a great example of what Bahamians can achieve. The manufacturing plant will provide opportunities for many young men to have jobs and trained in manufacturing skills.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Sandals Royal Bahamian donated several bags of linen and towels to the Red Cross last week to aid victims of the recent flooding throughout the Bahamas.

Brenda-Lee Rolle, Welfare Officer at the Red Cross, said some of the donated bedding and towels were given to Urban Renewal offices in the severely affected areas of Pinewood and Nassau Village. She said other items were shipped to Acklins to assist several fire victims.

“We are always looking for bedding and we really appreciate what you have done,” Mrs. Rolle said. “Towels are something we don’t usually get, so we really appreciate that. To purchase towels is very costly.”

Sandals Emerald Bay delivered linen and groceries last week to five families whose homes and property were severely damaged by flood water from heavy rains.

Sandals continues to its commitment to assist the community whenever possible.

Photo: Sandals Royal Bahamian’s General Manager Patrick Drake loads bags of linen and towels to be transported to the Red Cross.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The public is advised that the offices of the Meteorology Department, and the Department of Civil Aviation, located at the Teachers and Salaried Workers Cooperative Credit Union Ltd building, on East Street and the East West Highway, are still closed to the general public as a result of an electrical fire in the building.

All operations at the Lynden Pindling International Airport continue as usual.

BRADLEY B ROBERTS

• (a) A 5-year agreement commencing January 01, 2012 subject to two (2) 5-year extensions for the Corporation to provide Baha Mar with a guaranteed supply of 500,000 imperial gallons of potable water on a take or pay basis.  
• (b) A 15-year agreement commencing December 31, 2013 subject to two (2) 5-year extensions for the Corporation to provide Baha Mar with wastewater services, including commencing January 01, 2015, the receipt and treatment of a guaranteed 450,000 imperial gallons of incoming wastewater from Baha Mar and the return to Baha Mar of a guaranteed 300,000 imperial gallons per day of re-use water for irrigation purposes.