Wilson providing quality service at Salty Crab on Junkanoo Beach

SALTY CRAB  PROPRIETOR WARREN WILSON, LEFT, AND GB NEWS EDITOR FRED STURRUP

By Fred Sturrup | GB News Editor | [email protected] 

Situated among a number of similar hospitality facilities on the famed Junkanoo Beach (formerly Long Wharf area) of West Bay Street in New Providence, is the Salty Crab establishment. Proprietor Warren Wilson has carved out quite a special niche which provides delectable cuisine, and extremely friendly treatment, enhanced by a spectacular view of Nassau Harbour.
Others might try to emulate, but the Salty Crab is indeed one of a kind.Wilson’s hands-on approach, connects him very positively to patrons, local and foreign, on a daily basis. It’s an aspect that endears him to repeat customers and cements Salty Crab  as a prime tourism product.
“It’s about pleasing my customers, always. My presence is important, not particularly to watch over my staffers, but more importantly to ensure that the attachment to all who come for service is solidified.
“I take very seriously the role I play with my staffers, for tourism,” said Wilson recently.
For sure he wants to maintain a profit, but he is passionate as well, about interacting with guests to make their stay in his country rewarding in all the ways that Salty Crab can deliver. The menu lists the local favorites, such as conch fritters, cracked conch, cracked shrimp,  cracked lobster, fish steak to chicken quesadilla.
The Ministry of Tourism would do well to embrace places such as Salty Crab, for them to be included in the national marketing/advertising programs.
Salty Crab certainly continues to make a difference!

GBPA Chairman Sarah St. George Lauds Freetown Housing Initiative

By Fred Sturrup | GB News Editor | [email protected]

A “truly magnificent initiative” was how Grand Bahama Port Authority Chairman Sarah St. George described the $50,000 housing ministry project highlighted during a ceremony Sunday, March 13 in Freetown, Grand Bahama. The venerable patriarch of Freetown, Rev. Rufus Cooper and his wife were presented with the new home. On the invitation of St. Cleveland Baptist Church’s Pastor Preston Cooper, St. George was among the dignitaries and christian leaders in attendance. 
“This initiative will continue. I know Pastor Cooper will see to that. This is just wonderful, and may I call you Uncle, Rev. Rufus? I am very happy for you and your lovely wife, Uncle Rufus. I applaud this housing ministry established by St. Cleveland Church. These are the sorts of efforts that restore communities devastated by natural disasters” said St. George.
She spoke passionately to the residents in Freetown, about the pleasure she felt, being among them. “There is the commitment that I adhere fully to, doing more of this, moving through the communities, interacting with really fine people like yourselves. Congratulations to the Coopers and best wishes to you all,” she concluded her remarks.
Housing Ministry head, Pastor Preston Cooper said the residence handed over, was simply the “beginning”. “We are not going to wait for any government administration or any NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Our Housing Ministry will move forward, reaching out for assistance to relocate residents who lost their homes during Hurricane Dorian, to get back to Freetown,” said the St. Cleveland pastor.
Also present were: East Grand Bahama Member of Parliament, Kwasi Thompson; Grand Bahama Christian Council President, Rev. Ken Lewis; Administrator, Gregory Knowles; Chief Councillor, Rev. Marcus Cooper; and Pastor Edwin Pinder. The event was moderated by Ms. Vivian McIntosh.

SEVENTH ANNUAL JONATHAN GOUTHRO MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

The seventh annual Jonathan Gouthro memorial golf tournament was held on Saturday march 5th, 2022 at the Lucayan reef golf course. The event was conducted by the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama Sunrise with assistance from the Gouthro family. All proceeds from the tournament are placed in a scholarship fund under the same name, to be used for the education of Bahamians interested in an accountancy or business career.
Forty-six golfers teed it up for a shotgun start and the weather cooperated to provide excellent conditions for the event.
Brian O’Connell was the winner of the putting and closest to the pin contest (hole #17), Kirk Bowe had the most accurate drive on hole #12. However, there was no hole-in-one on #4 and no winner of the floating target contest, so garmin (obs marine) kept the prizes for next year. Matt Hynes rounded out the pin prizes taking the longest drive on hole #13.
The tournament was conducted under the “pinehurst format’, a combination of best ball and alternate shots in teams of two. The winners were the top three placing two person teams based on net (handicaps) and gross (true) scores.

The winners were as follows:
NET
FIRST- (66) SUE URBAN / MIMI LODS
SECOND – (66) CRAIG O’BRIEN / RUPERT SEARLES
THIRD – (68) MARCUS GOUTHRO / SPENCER GRAHAM
GROSS
FIRST- (75) LYNFORD MILLER / KIRK BOWE
SECOND – (83) JOHN LANE / BRAD CULMER
THIRD – (84) VIC SKINNER / MARTIN BRENT

Wayne Russell of the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama Sunrise thanked the sponsors at the awards presentation at Oceans Blue restaurant in the Ocean Reef Yacht Club & Resort and along with Jamie Sarles thanked the golfers for their participation, especially, Lynford Miller, president of the Bahamas Golf Federation who travelled from Nassau to support the tournament and Allan Gardner who did all the scoring. The event was deemed a success and planning has already begun for next year’s tournament.

UB North Campus Set to Revitalize Freeport

By Fred Sturrup | GB News Editor | [email protected]

One of the great decisions made by Prime Minister Hon. Philip “Brave” Davis and the rest of the hierarchy of the Progressive Liberal Party Government of The Bahamas, was the intense focus on concluding negotiations for buying the Kipling Building, downtown Freeport, Grand Bahama, to relocate the University of Bahamas North Campus.
By all indications, the UB North Campus, ideally situated between Kipling Lane and West Mall Drive in the very heart of downtown Freeport, will revitalize the economy of Freeport. In a short period of time, Freeport could be transformed into a vibrant college town, such as those found in the United States, Canada, and in many other countries throughout the world. The existing surrounding businesses, especially the eateries and other operations, are set to thrive because of the economic energy which figures to result from the campus.
The atmosphere created by the presence of UB North Campus, indeed, will no doubt encourage new ventures in the area. The campus will be a windfall for vendors of a variety of products.
In 2010 when the UB Campus was officially opened in East Grand Bahama, that was historic; but the destruction of the institution, inclusive of the dormitory building by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, gives merit to the notion that good things sometimes come from bad situations. The view here is that the transformation to Freeport, and in particular, downtown, will be magnificent.
The UB Board is headed by a proven deliverer of successes, Chairman Allyson Maynard-Gibson. She sits in the top chair of the board, well qualified, with a background of general excellence, comparable to any other, and on a higher level than most.  She has hit the ground running with a multitude of meetings and a hands-on approach to reshaping, for the better, the UB North Campus.
It’s a safe bet that the campus will now become synonymous with Freeport and the wider island of Grand Bahama like never before. It is anticipated that going forward, through a vigorous public relations program, the UB North Campus and all of its attributes, will become common knowledge in Grand Bahama, the rest of he country and, certainly the region.
It surely is a new day for the University of Bahamas Northern Campus.