Flipping Grand Bahama

So I was going through my Facebook feed this morning and came across a post congratulating this letter and I decided to have a look. I think it's a wonderful addition not only to the editor of The Tribune to whom the letter was written, but to go further. It's from Chris Pane, a businessman in Grand Bahama following the recent General Elections which ousted the Progressive Liberal Party for the Free National Movement and speaks to a better day for Grand Bahama: THE Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has been seen off in spectacular fashion, ending ten years of inept governance and corruption. # The arrogance of Perry Christie and many other ministers is a stark reminder that those elected work for the people, not the other way around. New Free National Movement (FNM) ministers take note. # With a sensible and talented Cabinet in place, Prime Minister Dr. Minnis has the tools to deliver initiatives that could transform the fortunes of the country. With the sagging GDP ...

(copied with permission from Lesley Baptista on Facebook) Hard to believe it has been more than a week since our island was so terribly hit by Hurricane Matthew. Devastation. And hope. I will take the hope. I came home to this picture done by my daughter Amelia (can I get a whoop whoop for no electronics for a bit??!!).  It reminded me that in midst of total devastation, even dead, broken trees and debris everywhere, there is much love. In fact, maybe that is where the most real, true love comes from... out of loss, hurt, devastation. I am thinking it isnt really coming from my a/c house and comfort zone! (Nope, we dont have power lol). We are witnessing tremendous progress (big props to GB Power, BTC, Cable Bahamas... all the stores opening etc...) in such a short time.  I know what it is like to lose all of our material things. It is so very hard. I do, however, also know that much can come from that loss, too. Together, we will rebuild. So, for anyone still readi...

So back in May of this year, a comment came from a reader, Brad Ingersoll on our Facebook. His comment came to a blog on the possible closure of the Grand Lucaya. Brad Ingersoll   At one time thousands worked in Grand Bahama, at resorts, cab tours, food and beverage and such. Now the world has changed and the island needs to re invent itself and it can be done. Cuba will not help with Island tourism as crazy Americans will need to travel to a 3rd world Communist country to see what's its all about! This got me to thinking.... how would we re-invent ourselves? (That's all I took away from what he said. What about you?) What do we want to look like? A thriving metropolis? To reach a standard, we need to set a bar? Is the bar from our past?  I've had a lot of time to think about this. We have been saying over and over again that we want the good old days to come back, but what influenced those days and are they positive and acceptable and adaptable to n...

With emphasis in the blog being on changing the mindset for positive lasting growth in this community Im sure many may wonder why such a title. Is there good in negativity? My grand mother used to say, "there are all kinds of good including no good and good for nothing." In the words of motivator (still motiving even after his death) Zig Ziglar, "some people find failure as if there is a reward in it". I was somewhat put off just yesterday as a lady was talking with a mutual friend saying how bad things are "while some people are walking around saying its all good as if nothing is going wrong".  Maybe she meant me ... maybe she didn't. But I believe you get what you focus on, and if you focus on the bad there is hardly much good coming from that. I choose to believe what I choose to believe and if was the belief of one man in many cases that got the whole world moving in many ways. The one true God did that with creation. The one messia...

So I almost went without putting up a post today but after scrolling though my Facebook account but here is something I came across. Please please feel free to go to this page and like it. I intend to share it because I really enjoyed it. Stop bickering about the PLP, FNM & DNA. Neither has the solution to this country's problems. Truth is, we the ordinary citizens are the solution. Imagine if we could get 50 people in each constituency to form a team that organizes one community event every month inclusive of: 1. Mentors for the kids; 2. Anger-management for the young men; 3. Family planning for the young women; 4. Jobs for residents; 5. Money management talks for residents; 6. Scholarships for students; 7. Events for the elderly; 8. Free legal and medical talks for residents; 9. Breakfast and lunch programs for students. There's no need for politicians or political parties. Let's get ordinary citizens together to do extraordinary things for our...

After my last post and comments made I had to reflect with a very heavy heart. I try to listen to positive things in the morning to get that vibe going. They say thats what makes the successful person continue even with some failures. In a closed Fackbook group I got the response I searched for last year ... the affects on the people/children moving from Freeport after the famous "Bend or Break" Speech. For many of this age including myself, having read the full speech it is hard to see the correlation between what was said and the mass exodus. My last post was supposed to make people see that while some people are still sitting on fence bemoaning the affects of the 2004/2005 storms that there are ways in which they can move forward and gave ideas on entrepreneurial efforts they can try. But the past rose up and spilled great bitterness in response. No, I'm not angry at the comments. They speak a thousand times of the hurt of many people. As I stated in a previous...

In previous posts I have asked the question, what is your passion? I'm looking again at the passion and focus of everyone that is termed a success. So I was listening to a motivational speaker - Anthony Robbins who said something that made me think. His words were: You need to understand the needs,  beliefs and emotions that are controlling you  so that you can give more of yourself and appreciate what changes other people. This is important when thinking of starting a business because it cannot be just about you making money, although it may be the goal; but you need to be able to serve someone else for your idea to be successful. The late Zig Zigler always said you can get what you want as long as you help other people get what they want. The great garage businesses that are talked about are:  Amazon, Apple, Disney, Google, Harley Davidson, HP, Mattel, Microsoft, Dell and Nike. Of course all of these are American, but with the world being what it is you are ...

                                    Over the past two years there has been great nostalgia in Grand Bahama. A feeling one can almost touch. The crazy thing is, not only are the people who once knew Grand Bahama to be "grand" wants those days again, but also the people who once lived here. There are two Facbook groups that Im apart of that I ready often which I mentioned in my last post - "Freeport 60s Kids" and  "You Knew You Grew Up in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas if….". Here I can find great fodder for this blog. We all want the "grand" old days and the magic to return as if by just remembering them will make the hurt of what it is today to change. But what is the real deal? What will it really take to bring this change around? Could it be that by looking back we are all looking for something, one thing, that can hold the trigger to pushing us forward. There...

Sorry for the tardiness of this post but…. to be really honest, its hard to be positive about this island sometimes. These past two weeks have been trying especially when the news showed politicians saying how things are getting better in Freeport as lay offs continue and people are being hired to work for less without benefits but politicians find this to be a good thing. (I always say, if it impacted their salaries…… politicians would feel.) Anyway…. on a positive note, I must report that some projects are being worked on. A little birdie said that there is a possible sale (they are working on it) for the Stone Crab Restaurant. This is a massive undertaking but we do hope it happens. Stone Crab Restaurant as it is today Then to my delight, Red Beards is moving to the old Chart House. Why to my delight? Well, I love their present location on the canal in the old Britannia Pub, but that place needs to be fixed and because of the opposition to this conce...