Dear Editor,

When Baha Mar developer Sarkis Izmirlian announced on Monday, June 29 that the resort had voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 in a Delaware Court, I think it’s safe to say that the prime minister was not the only one who was blindsided.

In the months and weeks leading up to the announcement, there was no doubt that the ambitious project was severely strained. The opening of the resort, on which the government had largely hung the country's economic future, had been delayed, twice. Izmirlian had publicly criticized the contractor for shoddy workmanship and hit out at the government for not living up to its promises.

There is plenty of blame to go around – for everyone involved. Questions such as ‘Who is at fault?’ ‘Is liquidation or Chapter 11 the best way forward?’, ‘Who insulted whom?’ and ‘Who is misleading whom?’ have been analyzed and commented on heavily in the media. I will leave that to those who are far more knowledgeable and qualified than I.

What I've found disturbingly absent from the mainstream discussion has been the human face of the Baha Mar 'debacle'. It seems that those who are least affected by the resort's troubles have had the most to say – the large majority of it negative, some of it cruel and insensitive. We have heard relatively little from or about the thousands of workers who are among the most impacted by the decisions that many people are simply unable to wrap their heads around.

I don’t know Izmirlian, nor am I an employee of Baha Mar. But I did meet him once, at Baha Mar’s first staff Christmas party in 2013. He was completely disarming. I came away with the impression that he was down-to-earth and friendly. I watched him stand at the entrance of the party with his wife, enthusiastically greeting staff members from all levels. I guess some might dismiss his behavior as posturing, and maybe I am naive to think he was genuine.

Nonetheless, it was obvious to me, from the staff’s reaction, that the Baha Mar team believed in their leader's grand vision. Not only did they appear willing, but they were also excited to go above and beyond to make it a reality. That is not a common occurrence in this country. I think it has something to do with the fact that Izmirlian makes his staff feel like he also believes in them.

In my profession, I have had the opportunity to interact with my fair share of wealthy, powerful and influential people. One that stands out was an interview I did years ago with a well-known developer, who I will not name. For the entire interview, they never once looked at me. I guess I wasn't worth the time or the effort it would've taken to extend even the most basic courtesy of a small smile or brief eye contact. It was not a good feeling and it's one that I will never forget.

Maya Angelou famously once said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel."

I imagine that those Baha Mar employees also can’t forget the way Izmirlian has made them feel – like they were a part of something bigger than filling hotel rooms and casino betting tables. It's my guess that he made many of them feel like they were the best of the best. That’s a good feeling.

I am not naïve enough to think that any businessman undertakes any business venture without profit being a major factor. All I am saying is that it appears, to me, that for Izmirlian there are also other motivating factors. Just look at Baha Mar’s Leadership Development Institute, which has provided job opportunities to high school dropouts and those previously considered untrainable. There is also the visual art program.

I see it most in the art program. Baha Mar has done much for the development of Bahamian art. Apart from pumping millions of dollars into the art community, it has enriched this country's art history and helped to validate creatives in an unprecedented way. No one has ever made this kind of investment in Bahamian art financially, and very few Bahamians believe in the value of our art and culture as Izmirlian has demonstrated. This is but one example.

There is no doubt that job security is a real concern for Baha Mar employees at the moment, especially in these uncertain economic times. The fallout, if the project fails, will be devastating for many. But I get the impression that what many employees find just as troubling about the recent developments is what might become a lost opportunity if a deal is not reached between the existing parties. There is the fear that their hard work up to this point, and so close to an opening, will be left in the hands of technocrats and eventually another owner who will unlikely share Izmirlian's vision. There is also the vilification of their CEO. Many can't reconcile what has been said in the media, some of it by some government officials, with the ‘Sarkis’ they have come to know and respect.

While there are enough negative stories and theories about the developer and the government to fill the newspapers and airwaves – and I am not suggesting that those should not be told – many Bahamians know very little, to nothing, of the good, do I dare say, inspiring, stories coming out of Baha Mar. Those stories have not been told effectively, if at all. I am happy to see that employees have created a Facebook page 'The Real Baha Mar' to share their stories, thoughts and opinions during what has been an extremely challenging time. It is their voice that has been most absent from this story. It is their voice that also deserves a place in this conversation. Together, with other facts and opinions, the public – at least those who are interested – can objectively judge for themselves.

I accept that I may not be sophisticated enough to understand the many nuances of marketing, but I know that perception is everything. Perhaps it is the perception of arrogance, excess and entitlement that has informed some of the public's hostility toward Baha Mar and Izmirlian. Perhaps it is the perception of hostility, backbiting and deceptiveness that has informed some of the public's opinions of the government's handling of this matter.

I would like to believe that most people, despite their political allegiance, ultimately want what is best for this country. I know I do. It is my hope that whatever the result – whether Izmirlian retains control of the project or liquidators are brought in and new owners take over – it will be for the overall good of The Bahamas, and not a chosen few.

– CWE

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Under the theme "Positive Energy for Positive Change", an exhibition of art work produced by approximately 50 students of a Summer Art Workshop sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank, in collaboration with Creative Nassau and the North East Pastors Alliance, will open at Doongalik Studios on Friday, July 31 from 7pm-9pm.
The Bahamas Country Office of the IDB launched the Summer Art Workshop as a part of their mandate - 'Improving Lives by Engaging in Local Communities', which leveraged existing IDB outreach in the communities of Kemp Road and West Hill Street. To increase the possibility of success for the venture, organizers involved respected guidance counselors who know and have earned the trust of the children and their parents, owing to their track record of caring and good work in these communities.
To provide easy access for the participating students, the art workshops were held at two community locations: Bethel Baptist Church on Meeting Street, and Gladtidings Tabernacle on Kemp Road. The students, ranging from 9 - 14 years of age, were mentored by art teacher, Yutavia George and architectural student, Kirkwood Deal, respectively.
This project seeks to tap into the creative minds of young Bahamians and provide a channel for expression through the creative arts, and the works they produced during workshop sessions form the basis of the exhibition. The workshop introduced the students to various art forms and techniques, as well as hosted discussions relating to the traditional Bahamian clapboard house. Guest artists included K. Smith from The Place For Art and architectural student, Nastassia Pratt who spoke to the students about their creative disciplines. Patricia Glinton-Meicholas, Vice President of Creative Nassau presented on the importance of Creativity, and Andrew Knowles of Renew Bahamas discussed the benefits of recycling. In addition to the classes, the students took part in a field trip to the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas to view the Central Bank Exhibition. The also got the opportunity to put what they learned in the Art Workshop into practice by producing colourful murals in their respective neighbourhoods.

While in Grand Bahama for a historic cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Minister of the Environment and Housing the Hon. Kenred Dorsett, made the announcement that the Government Housing Project would be advanced on the island. His announcement was at a press conference held at the Grand Lucayan on Tuesday.

Minister Dorsett stated that he was proud to announce the issue of 36 contracts to 13 local Grand Bahamian contractors who will begin construction of homes in Bahamia West Replat.

He said “the first order of business is to build homes where there is infrastructure that keeps the cost of the houses down. In West Bahamia Replat the Ministry does not have to put in water or electricity. All of the infrastructure is there, I’m just building homes and providing keys”.

“I think it is timely to begin the construction of these homes because the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation has confirmed through its Chairman and Deputy Chairman that there are enough bodies to fill these homes, and I feel as long as there is a demand for housing and people can qualify for the mortgage, we will make every effort to make inventory available for Bahamians.

“Not only that, it provides a great injection into the economy of Grand Bahama because some 300 jobs for skilled and some unskilled construction workers.”

Addressing the contractors, Minister Dorsett told them he was happy to work with them, but strongly advised that “the Ministry of Housing believes in meritocracy. If you want more work, then you do good [work]!” The average cost of these homes will be a little over $100,000, depending on the size of the home.

He said the Ministry of Housing looks forward to having an opening of these homes by the end of the year.

Funding for this housing project will be provided by National Insurance Board.

Ramona Wells, national teacher of the year first runner-up used her summer to share best practices with educators and to further her training.

Since the beginning of summer, the educator at C.H. Reeves Junior School has presented at plenary sessions at the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) hosted by The Bahamas, where she spoke on the importance of technology policy as it relates to information and communications technology in the Bahamian classroom. The role was reversed for Wells as soon as CCEM ended, as she found herself returning to the classroom to complete the final phase of her school discipline management certification at Chicago State University (CSU).

The certification covered an intense study on various discipline strategies that are being used to manage student behavior on school campuses across the world. The focus was on ensuring that school administrators set the rules and guidelines from the beginning of the school term. Most of the literature alluded to that fact that students need consistency, and that if they discover that all authority figures are on the same page, then all avenues to “play the system” are diminished.

“This one-year certification was an eye opener,” said Wells. “Problems that you believe are unique to your country are really not, and students throughout the world exhibit many of the same behavioral problems,” she said.

“There are no differences to how students react to certain situations. If they’re in a depression situation, or live in a community where they have to run the household… the father isn’t there or their mother is working two jobs… children kind of have that weight on their shoulders, and so the first thing they ask educators to do is build relationships which is something we basically know. We know that in order to get to know our students we have to build a relationship with them, you just can’t come at them hard and be tough with them. You have to build that relationship with them.”

In doing so, Wells said it is also important that schools set the rules from the beginning and that everyone from administration to teachers be on the same page in enforcing the set rules.

“It shouldn’t be where some teachers are lax, so we have to be consistent with the children across the board, and leave no room for them to escape the rules of the school. No one would baby them or allow them to get a free pass.”

At C.H. Reeves, Wells who is the business studies coordinator said her principal, Greta Brown is looking forward to a more cohesive movement of students and teachers on their campus with the new school term.

“We have to be on one page,” said Wells. “We’ve always worked as a cohesive staff, but you have some loopholes where kids know they can get away with this one a bit more than the next one. But this year moving forward, our principal is excited that we can move forward together as one team.”

At the conclusion of the CSU course, Wells received the highest total score and the best research report award of more than 55 participants. She was the only international educator in the group. Wells also received an invitation from two Florida schools to assist their administrative teams in assessing their plan of action for minimizing discipline issues in their classrooms.

Last summer Wells participated in a summer course at Morgan State University where she delved into technology integration and Web 2.0 for the classroom. This year she spent more than a month in Chicago wrapping up a year-long course, for her, she says it’s all about staying current to ensure her children have the best.

The educator, who has been in the classroom for 11 years, says she has a passion to see students educated in an environment that is conducive to learning. And she is excited to implement the strategies she has learnt.

“Upgrading is very important to me, because as an educator, we should never stop learning. Every year there’s something new. Every term there’s something new, and we’re dealing with students who are in a global world. They’re not just sitting in The Bahamas and not interacting internationally. I find a lot of our students have contacts and friends on social media who are all over the world, people they meet on a daily basis, and we have children who are operating in this global village, so we have to kind of do the same thing. We have to make ourselves better as educators to educate our children.”

Wells’ vision for her future is one that has her working in an administrative capacity.

“I’m hoping to move into the administration part of it because I see where I could be better used and facilitate more sessions and more workshops, and more training for our educators. I aspire to continue to share with my colleagues all of the nuggets I receive, because I firmly believe that education and learning never stop.”