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NATIONAL NOTES
ABACO TOURIST OFFICE UPDATE
ABACO'S COOKNG!
BIRDS OF ABACO
GARDENING
PUZZLE CORNER
ISLAND PLANTS
OLD GRUMPY
EDITORIAL
LEAVE THOSE SEA OATS
ROTARY 25th ANNIVERSARY
14th ANNUAL TC BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
ATLANTIS CHIT-CHAT
BRIGANTINE BAY BITS
HOMEOWNERS' HOTLINE
MARINER'S COVE
ROYAL PALM FRONDS
VILLA VIGNETTES
GOVERNOR-GENERAL VISITS ABACO
ABACO'S TOP STUDENT
Sun International Chairman Sol Kerzner has revealed plans for a $450 million investment on Paradise Island, Nassau, that will create 'the most spectacular resort in the world'.
At the national party conference held in Nassau the ruling Free National Movement Party delegates retained PM Hubert Ingraham as Party Leader in a landslide vote.
During 10-12th October ten travel agents from Carolina visited Abaco on a familiarisation trip. They were escorted by Ralph Lovett, BTO Representative of Carolina. They were able to visit hotels in Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Treasure Cay and Green Turtle Cay.
On October 17th four representatives from Latin America visited for a day of familiarisation and they visited hotels in Marsh Harbour and Hope Town.
From 17-20th October the Abaco Tourist Office welcomed 51 travel agents from the Bahamas Tourism Institute on Fam Trips to Abaco. They visited hotels in Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Guana Cay and Green Turtle Cay.
A film crew from 'Wish You Were Here' in Europe came to Abaco to film sailing in the Abacos. This group was assisted by Sunsail Yacht Charter of Marsh Harbour.
On October 21st an Ecotourism Seminar was held in Coopers Town and some 20 people attended. Speakers for the event were Mr Patrick Bethel, Mr Ross Sawyer, Mrs Nettica Symonette and Mr John Hedden. The highlight of the seminar was the possibility of the island being raped of its fish through overfishing by local fishermen as well as by visitors. Mr O'Donnell McIntosh, a bonefish guide for some 25 years, stressed concern for the overfishing of bonefish. He said bonefishing is becoming more demanding these days and that if something is not done to prevent overfishing there will soon be none left to catch. It was felt that more enforcement was required and local government needed to address the issue.
A further meeting was held in Marsh Harbour on 23rd October. The speakers on this occasions were Mr Frank Kenyon, Mr John Hedden and Mr Patrick Bethel. The concerns voiced included overfishing and illegal fishing, the mass killing of White Crown Pigeons and the felling of native trees to facilitate pigeon shooting.
A three member team from CBS 'Day & Date' visited Abaco from 22-25th October. 'Day & Date' is a one hour news programme that airs daily on CBS affiliates (4pm in New York). They will be producing two 3 - 5 minute segments on the islands of The Bahamas as part of its travel series. Both segments were due to be aired in November. While on Abaco the group visited Marsh Harbour, Hope Town and Green Turtle Cay. At Hope Town they interviewed the lighthouse keeper, Mr Walkes, and Mr Wyner Malone, one of the local boat builders. The film crew promised to send us a copy of their filming in Abaco.
Bahamas Fly In took place from 25-27th October. This attracted seven planes and 25 persons to our shores. The planes originated out of Naples, FL. While here the group enjoyed snorkeling, Scuba diving, fishing and beaching.
There are five reasons why I drink:
Good wine, a friend, because I'm dry -
Or lest I should be by and by,
Or any other reason why.
(Aldridge, 16th Century)
The holiday season lends itself to traditional foods but there's no reason the drinks have to be traditional, especially here on Abaco.
1 46oz can Pineapple Juice
1 12oz can Mango Nectar
1 12oz can Guava Nectar
1 cup Grenadine Syrup
Tea
1 32oz bottle Myers Rum
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 4 tea bags (preferably Earl Grey) and leave to steep until cold. Mix all the ingredients into a punch bowl and decorate with fresh tropical fruits.
2oz fresh Orange Juice
1 oz Banana Liqueur
1 small sweet Banana
Liquidise all the ingredients in a blender and pour over cracked ice. Garnish with cocktail cherries and pineapple cube on a cocktail stick.
CARAMBOLA CUP
3 or 4 Carambolas (Star Fruit)
3 oz Cointreau
1 Tsp Caster Sugar
2 bottles medium dry White Wine
Slice the carambolas thinly and spread over the bottom of a punch bowl. Sprinkle them with the sugar and refrigerate for an hour. Add the Cointreau and wine and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Garnish each wine glass with a thin carambola slice.
The hyoid bones in the skull are exceptionally long and protect the woodpecker's brain during the drilling exercise. The woodpecker's tongue is long and barbed, often covered with a sticky substance that helps the bird catch insects.
Two species of woodpecker - the West Indian Red-Bellied Woodpecker and the Hairy Woodpecker - live on Abaco year round while another - the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker - winters here.
The largest of these is the West Indian Red-Bellied Woodpecker, almost 12 inches in length. The belly is buff coloured and the back and wings barred with black and white. Males have a red crown stripe that extends to the nape of the neck while the females have red only on the back of their necks.
The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and Hairy Woodpecker are smaller, about 8 inches long. The former has a black patch on its breast while the latter has no breast markings and very little red evident.
Woodpeckers like coconut palms and rows of rivet-like scars where woodpeckers have drilled can usually be seen on mature trees. Unfortunately, woodpeckers sometimes take a liking to the wooden faceboards of houses.
The male usually makes the nest by excavating a hole in a tree and lining the bottom with wood chips. Between 2 and 8 white eggs are laid at a time and both parents share the incubation chores.
A few years ago a pair of West Indian Red-Bellied Woodpeckers created a nest in an upright piling above the high tide line at Bahama Palm Shores. The residents of the area followed the progress of the eggs turning into noisy hatchlings and gradually growing feathers. A small mirror was needed to see down into the nest. Along came Hurricane Frederick and swept the piling away. Whether the young birds escaped before the storm is not known.
December is one of the great months for gardening on Abaco. You should be picking your first tomatoes and peppers of the season and should already be enjoying squash, cucumbers and lettuce. Don't forget to keep your vegetables coming by sowing successive crops.
Now is also the time to put in bedding plants and to establish bulbs and rhizomes such as flowering gingers. Cannas and callas are particularly suited to our climate. Once planted, bulbs can stay in the soil all year round.
Your garden should be in full bloom with poinsettias, hibiscus, yellow elder, Pride of Barbados and bougainvillea. Try to avoid pruning any flowering shrubs at this time of the year.
Those fruit trees that are about to flower or bear - mango, Indian jube-jube, carambola - will benefit from an application of fertilizer. Do not fertilize citrus during the winter.
Don't be tempted into taking any cuttings during December. Wait until spring for that exercise.
Brazilian Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), if not quite a criminal, is a rogue. The problem is that its seeds are easily spread by birds and it forms thickets of growth that, once established, can dominate vast areas and take over native growth.
If you go from Treasure Cay to Marsh Harbour and continue on SC Bootle Highway past Kipco Corner and the real city dump you will observe plenty of shrubs on your left hand side sporting clusters of small red drupes. This is Brazilian Pepper, a shrub that has coarse aromatic leaves and can grow into a 25 foot tree. These trees are either male or female.
The females bear what many people consider a tropical substitute for holly berries. Bring them into your home and you will have the responsiblity of disposing of them in an environmentally safe manner. This probably means putting them into a paper bag and incinerating them after a New Year barbecue.
The smoke will be perfumed with a black pepper aroma for the Brazilian Pepper drupes, once dried, are remarkably similar to the peppercorns that are the western world's favourite spice.
By all means use sprays of Brazilian Pepper for Christmas decor purposes, but afterwards dispose of them in a way that will guarantee they will not spring and produce new plants. It is no accident that they congregate near dump sites. The first and largest Brazilian Pepper tree on Abaco (that I know about) used to stand in the yard of what is now Triple J Marine in Marsh Harbour. There are several mature trees within a hundred yards of that original tree, which has long been cut down.
Beware, too, of rashes and allergies if you handle Brazilian Pepper. It is family to both Mango and Sumac, a pair of irritating sap producers.
Bah, humbug!
Our regular editorials are written by a man whose father was in the RAF and was killed in action in 1945. The following was written as a letter to the Journal by Patrick J Bethel of Marsh Harbour and we are proud to present it as a Guest Editorial and ignore the traditional third person style of writing.
I worshipped at Epworth Methodist Church, Cherokee Sound, on Remembrance Sunday, 10th November, and what a beautiful service it was. From start to finish the emphasis was on those who gave their lives in the service of their country, not just the two World Wars but others who sacrificed so we might have a better Bahamaland.
The way the children participated in bringing in and taking out the flag, the singing of the National Anthem at the end of the service, those old time hymns of citizenship and world peace, all blended to make it a challenging experience.
There was a lump in my throat as we sang:
Land of our birth, our faith, our pride,But what bothers me is that I fear such services were few and far between in our island nation on that special Sunday. On Friday and Saturday I tried to find a single poppy to wear in my button hole for the service, but without success.For whose dear sake our fathers died;
Bahamaland we pledge to thee
Head, heart and hand through the years to be.
When I was a boy and, it seems, right up until ten or so years ago, Remembrance Sunday was observed at school and church. Poppies were sold in the village by children the week before in an attempt to raise a few dollars to assist afflicted veterans, widows of fallen heroes, upkeep of war cemeteries and other valuable services. This seems to have gone by the wayside. How unfortunate.
I wonder how many of our teenagers know what the British Legion is. How many of them have heard of war veterans such as the late Sir Etienne Dupuch, Basil Johnson, Audley Humes, Capt Leonard Thompson, Harrington Albury and others. Surely these men deserve a special place in our history for all they sacrificed so that we today can be free men and women.
Sometimes we wonder where we have gone wrong when we evaluate the crime situation and the changing system of values that have evolved over the past thirty years. It appears to me we are failing the younger generation when we do not hold up those heroes of past generations as role models for our young people to emulate.
I challenge church, school and state to put greater emphasis on this important part of our history.
Lindsay Scott was a retiree resident of Man O' War Cay and gathered men of similar thinking to bring about a Rotary chapter on Abaco. He also founded the Abaco Chamber of Commerce, Regatta Time in Abaco and the publication Abaco Life. All who knew him were attracted by his personal magnetism, insight and enthusiasm.
The Guest Speaker Dr Davidson Hepburn was introduced by Veronica Saunders. Dr Hepburn took as his theme 'Change and Unity' and drew on references to literature, religion and Twentieth Century history to show that change was inevitable and unity the source of strength needed to accommodate change. He ended by congratulating the Club on its first 25 years and urged the members to work even harder towards making the organisation the leader in espousing brotherly love.
The 1996 fishing season in Treasure Cay produced some spectacular catches, including a 1,030 lb blue marlin which was the second largest ever caught in The Bahamas. This 'grander' was brought in on May 20 by angler Rick Smith of Titusville, FL. Another Abaco record was set the same day when angler Scott Morrison Jr of Boca Raton, Fl, caught a 115 lb white marlin. Prime Time from Texas won the TCIBT last year with two blue marlin releases and a 375 lb blue marlin boated.
Registration, including early entry discounts, has been set at $990 per team if registered by December 31, $1,100 by March 1 and $1,200 thereafter. The fee includes an entire package of meals, events and tournament souvenir packages. Land accommodations have been reduced to $49 per room or $89 per suite for tournament participants. Due to last year's tremendous season the resort advises participants to register as soon as possible.
Registration forms may be obtained from Treasure Cay Services Inc by calling 1-800-327-1584.
It's that time of year again when we return to Treasure Cay, our tropical paradise in the sun.
On our first evening here David and I took our customary boardwalk stroll and sadly didn't see too many units with their lights on. Building #3 was the busiest with Ray Pearlson busy helping his neighbours get settled. Maureen and Klaus Baldus were here from Germany. Happily, Klaus looks wonderful and went for his customary morning swim in the ocean. Maureen and Klaus have since returned to Germany to await the birth of their first grandchild. Needless to say, they are very excited.
Marion Achter has been enjoying the sun and is also returning to Germany. We will miss her morning flute recitals. Rudy and Gina Bender are here from Colorado and have been playing lots of tennis. Rupprecht Inge and Dr Alfred Kieffer are busy remodelling their unit and it's sure keeping them busy. Dr Kieffer is one of the original Atlantis owners.
Building #2 has only two units occupied: Jean and Phil Read and Irma and Richard Prince. They are certainly wise being here. Even if it is very windy, it sure beats all that snow up north.
Joanne Friederick and her girl friends were here for their 10th annual 'All Girls Vacation'. I understand the Sand Dollar shop in Marsh Harbour did a great business selling gold sand dollars as mementos.
Kathy and Mike Sawyer are the permanent residents in Building #5. When Mike goes fishing I believe he takes along a measuring tape and only keeps the fish that are the same size. When my David catches fish they are all different lengths and kinds. Sharon and Ron Heinzeroth were the only other occupants in that building. They returned to Illinois just in time for that huge snowstorm. During Sharon's visit she got all excited about a large bird on the lawn. Turned out it was a wind sock. We had a good chuckle over that one. Doris nd Ray Chappell are not able to be with us this fall. Ray is not feeling up to par and we certainly miss them both and pray for a speedy recovery for Ray. I'm sure they would love to hear from everyone. It would cheer them up.
Today there is a rage and we presently have wind gusts up to 40mph, but it is 76 degrees and sunny. Fortunately, when we arrived it was nice and calm so my David went fishing and we did a little boating instead of doing our chores. We'll find plenty of time to do our chores later. Claude and Robert Drouin were here from Montreal and managed to get in some sailing. They plan on spending a lot more time in Treasure Cay. Karl and Christa Conrad are new owners and they are happily settling in next door to us in what was previously Velma and Charlie Conger's unit. Marge and Ray Pearlson visited them this past summer and say Velma has not changed a bit and Charlie still has his sense of humour. Karl Conrad and Rudy Bender are the new owners of Lezz Go #1. They are eagerly looking forward to lots of boating and island hopping. We wish you lots of fun with your new boat.
Hopefully, this is the start of a great season with lots of lights on in the condos, lots of boats tied to the finger docks, calm water for our eager fishermen and lots of parties at our Tiki hut.
Hope all of you are well, had a great summer and plan on coming to Treasure Cay real soon. Haste Ye Back for fun in the sun!
Well, we made it to Atlanta in time for the birth of our fourth grandchild (boy - Ian Michael) and the last few games of the World Series with New York. The proud parents, Capt Mike Roach and wife Shawn, and the baby are doing fine and might make it for the wedding in December. Grandma Natalie and Popa Mike plus nurse did most of the delivery until the doctor finally arrived to give it all his blessing. I stayed outside the "birthing room" during this time making sure that nothing bad was happening to the rest of the hospital!
As for the World Series, The Braves did not do as well, but the real downer for me was watching the final game ever played at Fulton County Stadium after over thirty years. I had been one of the nine member board of directors which ran the stadium for over eight years when I was a Fulton County Commissioner and can remember when the stadium was a large circle of sand in the ground in the sixties. Folks thought there would never be a real baseball team in Atlanta and for a long while it seemed that way! We couldn't give away tickets, even for the fancy box seats with all the amenities.
Back to Abaco. The villas have been on the quiet the last month or so with the highlight being TCB residents Tom and Betsy Wheeler reserving four of the villas for the wedding of their daughter Michelle from Columbus OH in early November. Congratulations to the new bride and groom!
And speaking of weddings, our daughter Theresa and fiancé Bill are to be married on Dec 31st (yes!) here in TCB at 1 PM with the reception at the Tipsy Seagull from 2 to 4 PM and then New Years Eve! All of the villas plus many other places have been reserved for expected family and friends. The bride and groom are going to try to make it to Green Turtle Cay by boat for their honeymoon.
Local potcakes beware! They're back! Some of you may remember that our Boston Terrier, Tootsie, gave surprise birth to three puppies early last New Year's morning here in Abaco. They will all be back to the land of their birth for the wedding but are now fully grown with teeth strong enough to toss and open up coconuts (a favourite pastime). Theresa and Bill have kept two and we have one.
The Roach family extends to all of our Abaco family a Happy, Holy and Safe Holiday Season!
John and I left this year's wonderful and early fall colours in Minnesota somewhat earlier than usual. We returned to Treasure Cay on 6th October to find very few homeowners yet arrived from their summer sojourns elsewhere. It was a delight to walk the beach each morning and find no footprints in the sand but ours. It was an even greater delight, as October matured, to greet daily old friends who came back to join us in this small corner of Paradise.
Our reason for getting back so early was to enjoy two weeks with eleven members of my family from England - my sister, brother-in-law, their children and grandchildren - whom we housed in three Garden Villas. We all enjoyed their stay despite the threat of Hurricane Lili at the end of their first week.
I had hoped to write a Homeowners' Hotline or two from Minnesota but we got very busy with a two-month visit from our daughter and grandson from Singapore, and with John producing the Treasure Cay Property Owners Association Directory. Besides, there didn't seem to be much good TC homeowner news to write about. We were saddened during that time to learn of the deaths of Sue Taylor and Jeanne Ives, two gallant friends who fought the good fight to the end. We will all miss their caring companionship.
Jerry and Cynthia Meizer, John and Ellen Williams, Sinclair Frederick and Barbara Farnan, Bill Hertz, Doreen and Bruce Barth, and Cynthia Vernell were here when we arrived. Ron and Jackie Wilson were away on a well-deserved vacation in Austria and returned at the end of the month to resume their permanent residence here. Brian and Nadine Sheehe were early arrivals from Ohio. They have both been a great help to John in doing his Fleet Captain job for the Yacht Club. Molly and Peter Plumb have returned for the winter, both having successfully negotiated heart surgery. Tom and Helen Bourne are here for a few weeks to get Tom's winter garden in order. More recent arrivals include Joy and Chris Fowler, Bob and Trudy Collins, Ron and Hilary Cole, Gerry and Helen Shelly, Judy and Jerry Beck, Bill Bulger, Irv and Dorothy Mindel, Jim and Lou Willis, and Bill and Dorothy Rodgers.
It's reported that the Richardsons, Radwans, Englishes, Floyds, Snapps and Morgans will be here in a week or two and we're looking forward to seeing them.
John Williams has transformed the former Marilyn Irr house into a thing of beauty. Thanks so much for improving our street view, John. Bill and Clair Regan's garden is a joy to behold, as always. We're so sorry that Bill is not yet well enough to be here to enjoy it with us. Haste ye back, Bill and Clair. We miss you!
From our arrival at Treasure Cay Airport to the condo, and at all stops around town, we were aware again of the heart-warming experience of being recognised and greeted by so many friends of many years. We would like to name every one we saw, at the airport, the shopping centre, the taxi stand, on the streets, at our Mariner's Cove office, on the grounds - and more - all of them smiling and welcoming us back. That must be why it's like coming home.
A few early birds came in October and found plenty of peace and quiet. Ray Young and the Moore's son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Dianne Gow, kept a few lights burning, soon to be joined by the Channing Wilsons. They enjoyed beautiful weather and many good boating days in calm seas.
The Wilsons spent part of their precious time here with daughter JoAnne and Brian Farley and two active boys, Andrew and Luke - and they enjoyed every moment. It helped that Brian, in the early hours of the morning, pushed the kids around the Marina in their double stroller. We toasted the Farley's fifth anniversary at the pool-side cocktail party, along with the Wilson's other daughter, Mary Ellen.
At that time we were amazed to see the number of our Mariner's Cove neighbours who had arrived. Maybe the weather back home had something to do with it. News breaks told of record-breaking 'spring rains' and winter blizzards - in early November!
Tony Palmentari showed up with Gail, his bride of six months. Their friends, Paul and Marsha Marlo, came for a quick trip from Minnesota. Peter and Barabara Finelli have enjoyed the perfect weather with Tony, and Fred and Stephanie Schatzman.
Ralph Quincy, our friendly fireman, and wife Nancy arrived about the same time as Bill and Marge Kotsch. The Quincys have been busy helping with the preparations for the wedding of Michelle Wheeler which was held on 9th November at the Ocean Boulevard home of Tom and Betsy Wheeler. Nan Gragory said it should be in a magazine.
The bright new look of the Mariner's Cove office was planned by Patty Kay, who is hoping the scheme will be repeated in the rest of Mariner's Cove. Frank just returned to Cleveland. He says it's the best place to be for sledding and snowball fights.
Ohio is always well represented at Mariner's Cove. Besides the Kays, there were other Buckeyes gathered by the pool almost every day. Judy and Corky Solether, Dave and Mary Lynn Banning and Judy Beck held non-stop Yahtzee games every day. Once in a while Sue Young put in her kibitzing two cents' worth. It's strange to see Patty so absorbed in something other than her duplicate stitching. Actually, she is still turning out beautifully decorated sweaters.
Peg and Tom Larder are the personification of perpetual motion, following the progress of their new home on the corner of Windward and Treasure Cay roads.
We don't know how Sheila and Dick Haag know where they are amidst their world travels, visits to family in Houston and Reno and stopovers at Mariner's Cove and Geneva, NY. They sure know how to enjoy retirement.
The Hoffmans, Mabel and Al, who have done many worldwide trips with the Haags, are here after a great trip to Italy. They are another pair from Ohio.
Jane Dixon isn't wasting any time getting bridge games organised. Ron Brown's niece Sue, and Ron Templeman, are here from Toronto to enjoy their new status as owners with Ron.
Sue Young recently came back from a trip to Scotland, England and Jersey (not NEW - Channel Islands Jersey). She couldn't have had a better travelling companion and guide than Joan Appleton, who was visiting many familiar places as well as family and friends. From Glasgow to London and on to Jersey, the weather was sunny and perfect. If you've seen Joy Fowler's garden here at Treasure Cay you can just begin to guess what gorgeous flowers she has in her large yard in Jersey. They were displayed all over her home on the occasion of the christening of their fourth grandchild, Eleanor. It was a treat to be a guest of the Fowlers at that special time.
We hope to be seeing lots more of our Bahamian neighbours as the holidays approach. And we wish you all the best and happiest.
Late October and early November is an exciting time at Royal Palm as owners begin to arrive for the winter season. Out they pop from tiny airplanes, much to the pleasure of taxi drivers and shop owners. Lights flash on up and down the dock and suddenly there's the lovely sound of laughter and 'hailing'.
Here come Mort & Kay; there go Nan & Bud. And look there - Nan & George back on the courts with Jeanne & Bill keeping watch. Who's that in the snazzy new boat? It's BJ & Jerry. Now that is some kind of water toy, Jerry!
Wait a minute, isn't that the Andrew III coming down the channel? Sure enough, with Andy at the helm, 'Fred' navigating and Maribel picking up the pieces after a rough crossing. 'Fred' fell off his perch but survived it all.
New owners Kathy & Jim Brabam came over for a few days loaded down with cartons of dishes which they discovered are now duty free, though 8% stamp tax still applies according to Treasure Cay customs. What luck! Diane & Don Gerlach came to catch their breath after son Kevin's wedding in October. Kevin and his bride honeymooned here for 2 weeks so Mom & Dad had to wait for a bit but are now soaking up the sun and exploring Abaco. Doris & Jerry Gedon are settled in for a spell and we see a smattering of renters about.
The pile of sand you see running the length of our Marina side dock is evidence of progress. Treasure Cay Ltd is installing new dockside water lines and shut off valves to help solve our repeated leakage problem. Along with this they are replacing TV cable in PVC conduits and enclosing control panels in weatherproof boxes. This was sorely needed and we are very grateful to Mr Evans and Mr Konsten for their assistance.
Because this will appear in the December issue it's time to wish every one of you reading this a very happy holiday season and to encourage all to join us for a Bahamian Christmas. Palm trees with little white lights can be beautiful too.
The anxieties of several months absence, and three brushes by hurricanes, were allayed. Treasure Cay Road has not ohanged! I suppose one dreams that one day the main road and traffic circle will be paved so that visitors and returning Treasure Cay owners will have a wonderful smooth introduction via a new road to our own special Paradise.
Our Manager, David Sands, has been construction superintendent again, and many of us have new sidewalks built to stay above pooling rainwater. The swimming pool area is vastly improved. Pretty new tiles surround the pool and there is a toilet cum change room for those caught short while at this area. We are so pleased by the hard work and attention to our villas provided by David and his helper Israel. The garden and edging work is a bit behind but Eric and crew will whip it into shape as owners arrive.
Fehrenbachs, Birds and Chances enjoyed the excitement of importing a car from home. The intricacies of this manoeuvre had to be experienced to be understood. We were warned to expect high import taxes and that we had to pay tax on the freight and also on the gasoline used to get the car to a port in Florida. As annual residents we are grateful to be allowed to bring our cars here, but 52% duty and stamp tax seems high. What really took the cake was $165 duty on old personal clothing. The clothing had been In and out of the island at least ten times in this case, so residents be warned - do not send your clothes in the car for convenience.
Few of us were here in October but the Cognettas were on hand again as usual, sprucing up their three villas. Sorry to have missed them. It's good to see the villa area filling up with owners. Dr Burczek and his lady were among the first. Freidal and her husband were enjoying wandering dogs and cats and having a good rest. His health always improves here and she was as brown as a berry. (Two doctors enjoying the sun - hardly anyone dares any more!) Kertlands, Kamps, Lotts, and the Al Smiths, Chances, Chases, Snowes, McGraths, Minkhorsts, Pfeiffers, Feeneys and Ackenhausens are all happily here. Last, and very much missed, Peter Masse is back after putting up a great fight with a serious Illness.
How we get here will be in our own time and our own way. We will have left varying cold and clammy climes and bleak skies with clinging fog. Some will come to celebrate Thanksgiving together as families - and isn't this the place for which to give thanks?
The day started in Walkers Cay with breakfast at the Lobster Trap, Walker Cay Beach Hotel. The Governor-General's party then travelled to Grand Cay for a rally at the school, followed by lunch. A Defence Force aircraft was used to transport the party to Marsh Harbour where another rally was held at Abaco Central Secondary School.
There were several presentations by Abaco schools after a magnificent rendering of the National Anthem by Opal Dawkins. Sir Durward spoke briefly with one eye on the weather, as befits a Gold Medal yachtsman. Minister Allen delivered a lively address aimed at the students present and introduced the Governor-General.
Sir Orville stressed that wherever our roots lay and whatever our ethnic origins, we were all one people under God. He kicked off the One Bahamas celebration on Abaco and announced there would be a rally in Marsh Harbour on 29th November at which all schools would march. He also gave the traditional one day school holiday to the students which will be taken on Monday 2nd December.
Presentation of awards was made by the Testing and Evaluation Section of the Ministry of Education & Training on 19th November in Nassau where Govini was represented by her father, Kripanand Mohan, who is a teacher at Abaco Central.
Govini was the school's Head Girl for the 1995-6 academic year and is at present in her first year at Hunter College (CUNY) studying Biochemistry.