Grand Bahama and The 2012 Elections Part 1: An Island of Two Tales

Fri, Feb 17th 2012, 11:37 AM

When I first started this column, I
wrote about being a Bahamian. More specifically, I wrote about being
from Freeport--being born to parents who themselves were born in Grand
Bahama. I talked about attending Mary Star of the Sea School and Freeport
Anglican High School, when it was still called that. Even after leaving
for college, I returned to spend my breaks boozing in Bahama Mama's
and partying on Fortune Beach, where many of my childhood memories were
made.  In my mind, Freeport is and will always be home, but it
certainly doesn't feel that way anymore.

Maybe I just happened to fly into Freeport
on a bad day in August 2011, but I have a feeling there was nothing
especially different about that particular Tuesday. The city was quiet--a
ghost town almost. There seemed to be just a few locals about with almost
no tourists to be found. Downtown, stores were shuttered and buildings
seemed abandoned.  The once well manicured grass...

 Sponsored Ads