Dear Editor,
I am a proud Biminite who stands in support of the development at Resorts World Bimini. As a pastor of a local church, I often share with my congregation the big picture that people miss. For a very long time, the opportunities available to Biminites have been sorely lacking, and it has hurt us as a community. When you don't have sustainable economic opportunities, you lose members of your family, which is what has been happening here in Bimini for too many generations. I can use my family as an example. I have three kids who left here at an early age to get an education and never came back home because of a lack of opportunities. Now that is all about to change. The pier and airport expansion will spin off into opportunities that our children will now be able to stay with us longer because their journey for education will be planned for them to come back.
In addition to that, I am very pleased with what I see happening at the airport because it is going to be a big benefit to Biminites. As it is now, if I want to go to New York, I have to get a plane from here, spend a night in a hotel, then get a connecting flight. In the future, I will be able to get a flight directly from here to New York or Germany, or other places that will come on stream. The same thing applies to the cruise port. It's a win-win all around.
Unfortunately there must be some sacrifice, but as I see it the tampering with the sea bed is only a small portion of resources that we have that will be touched. When we look at the whole equation, both terminals outweigh by far the negative impacts that might be experienced.
Whoever these people are who are speaking against the project, we need to know because most of the people that I talk to here in Bimini are in favor of the work. For all the noise we are hearing through the media, we need to be able to put faces to these names. It troubles us that these people are not a part of us, yet they are speaking on our behalf. We don't know who these people are and they need to stay out of our business.
I am praying for the success of Resorts World Bimini because if it succeeds, Bimini succeeds. As the old saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.
- Oral Ellis, pastor, Born Again Church, Bimini

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