Flipping Grand Bahama

Hope! Many things are said about hope: Hope reigns eternal. Hope is the last to die. At the end of last week's post it appeared that there would be no hope but there is always .... hope. In the midst of the water and food shortage following the hurricanes in 2004 and the damages from the hurricane in 2005, there was hope. Then the economic destruction of 2008/2009 was no surprise but just another blow to this small island. By 2010, that glimmer of hope still held and even in 2014 the people are still hoping. Some question in the midst of rising fuel costs, and persons being left in the dark because of lack of jobs and high power bills, what is there to be hopeful about? Hmmm..... We have arrived at that junction where just the thought of being alive is something to be grateful for... and yet.... Where to from here! Where to from here? Its time to wake up the sleeping giants in the island. The retired from ages past were put back to work but the young people co...

Flipping Grand Bahama: What about the 90s and into 2000s? : Grand Bahamas has seen a series of ups and downs and I think one of the hardest was during this era. As we came into the 90s there was gre...

Grand Bahamas has seen a series of ups and downs and I think one of the hardest was during this era. As we came into the 90s there was great political upheaval all around the islands, but particularly here. The champion of Grand Bahama and leader of the then official opposition - the Free National Movement, died just before we came into this era. But it is reported that on his death bed he asked a former member of the ruling Progressive Liberal Party, who had been kicked out, to take on the leadership role of the Free National Movement. This was the only position that the ousted man could pridefully take considering the fact that in previous times he stated that he could never join this party. So with elections fresh in the air in beginning of the 1990s, this buck gave it all he had and together in 1992 they won the election from the 25 rule of the Progressive Liberal Party. It would have been the second time I was eligible to vote and yet, I was still unregistered and cared ...

In a recent discussion with an acquaintance who is a long time resident of Grand Bahama, he said he hopes Freeport turns around to which I quickly reminded him of the days when we thought Freeport was going down. After the rush of the 50's and the 60s that ushered in a lot of constructions and the building of Freeport which pushed the natives to the outer areas, there came the 70s and the smaller investors leaving quickly. However, in the late 70s and early 80s there was still a lot of activity here. There were over ten big hotels on the island and two casinos. Also there was Sir Laker who came in to add Laker Airways to the airlift to this island. The industrial side was holding its own but things were beginning to taper off. Around this time there were calls of a diversification of industries in the country and to stop relying only on Tourism. Some complaints were flying that there were too many foreign croupiers and well qualified Bahamians who could do that same job Th...

In all the years of the development of Freeport, Grand Bahama a lot has been said about the way to brand it. Some say its just an industrial city and we should just focus on that. Some are of the view that along with an industrial city, we, like the rest of The Bahamas, are a tourism destination. Well….. over the years we have seen many industrial businesses come and go and made quite a profit. At present we have the Bahamas Oil Refinery become a holding facility but it is still in operation. The Freeport Harbour has been dredged several times and is touted as a wonderful expansion for many of the largest ships built. Our airport of course is large enough for most aircrafts. On the tourism side we have seen many hotel chains come and go and now we have the large staple of the Grand Lucayan in Freeport. Not leaving out the rest of the island, we have the Old Bahama Bay in West end and numerous other smaller resorts from West End to Sweetings Cay. Some of the best I woul...

Freeport is a company owned town. When it was established it was not a unique concept. Business visionary Wallace Groves, tired of his life in the United States moved to The Bahamas first moving and taking over the lumber business in Abaco then moving to Grand Bahama. He shared his vision and got others to see something what there only stood many pine trees. He enthused other business people and even the Bahamian government that approved his vision and began what became known as the first company town in The Bahamas. Now this came about in the mid 1950s, but it was back in 1903 that Milton S. Hershey broke ground n the first company town that began his chocolate empire. In an article from Forbes Magazine, it was stated by Croft Associate Professor of History and International Studies at the University of Mississippi, Oliver J. Dinius that employers had practical reasons for company towns. It was said that in response to the industrial revolution, they needed large work forces...

On this the last Tuesday in this year, we present to you that last of Sir Jack Haywards speech as presented on December 18th, 2013 during the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce Luncheon. According to him, the vision of Freeport is still hopeful. We believe that as well and we look forward to the ordinary people of Grand Bahama to come together with their own ideas to make 2014 a year of great change and more hope in this island.