Turks & Caicos Weekly News by TC Weekly News

Weekly News Volume 26 | No. 11 | March 17 - 23, 2012

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Strike stalls



Governor apologises for radio blunder

GOVERNOR Ric Todd has made a public apology this week after he swore live on national radio. PAGE 

weekend flights – Boyle says firemen will have to shift under TCIAA A wildcat strike called by firefighters at the Provo Airport on Saturday stalled flights this weekend following a disagreement over their transfer from the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) payroll to the Turks and Caicos Airport Authority (TCIAA). PAGE  5 Dr. Myles Munroe with Governor Ric Todd to his left and a section of those in attendance at the National Leadership Conference

Munroe tells Governor to focus on people not paper

Renowned motivational speaker, Dr. Myles Munroe, stepped on a few toes with the uncompromising truths he shared this week ... PAGE  4

Strike cost TCI $5M, Lillian Missick

The exact cost of the strike by firefighters this weekend is approximately some $5M, according to Chair ... PAGE 

Munroe tells it straight in PAGE  8 thought-provoking presentations

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

NATIONAL

Governor apologises for radio blunder – Former premier calls for Todd to quit GOVERNOR Ric Todd has made a public apology this week after he swore live on national radio. The experienced British statesman made the blunder during a debate on Radio Turks and Caicos’ Expressions talk show. Mr Todd said he was sorry for any offence caused and claimed it was a “genuine and human mistake”. Former TCI Premier Michael Misick has hit out at the Governor’s gaffe and demanded that he resign from his post. In a press release he wrote: “It is the first time in our history that the leader of the country has cursed at a caller to a talk-show on national radio. A simple apology is not enough.” The incident happened during the two and a half hour public debate show on Wednesday evening. After talking to host Robert Hall for an hour, Mr Todd began to answer listener’s calls and texts. Some aggressive callers attacked the decisions made since he took on the role and accused him of employing openly homosexual staff. Mr Todd is reported to have stayed calm while being named both a liar and dictator. He claimed the profanity was an accident after he repeated back to a caller a phrase he thought he had heard. “With regard to my participation in yesterday’s Expressions show, I have apologised for my use of a certain word. “In stating this word I believed at the time that I was quoting back at my questioner what they had said to me, when they verbally attacked me, accusing me of having talked ‘a crock’. “In using this phrase I unfortunately used the full phrase that the caller clearly meant.

“I apologised then and I apologise again now for any offence caused. It was a genuine and human mistake.” Corruption accused ex-premier Michael Misick broke a lengthy silence this week to hit out at the Governor’s actions. He said he was “appalled” at his behaviour and called on him to resign from his post. “[The Governor’s] attitude and behaviour is indicative of the lack of respect that he and the British government have for the people of the Turks and Caicos people and the country as a whole,” he wrote. “It is the first time in our history that the leader of the country has cursed at a caller to a talk-show on national radio. A simple apology is not enough.” Mr Misick, who is awaiting a decision by prosecutors on alleged government corruption, said the

Governor disrespected both children and Christians that might have been listening. “We are a Christian country and such behaviour should not be allowed or condoned by anyone especially the leader of the country who has absolute power,” he said. “The Governor should know that with great power comes an even greater responsibility. “If he was in England as a minister or a public servant and had behaved in such a despicable manner on national radio or television, he would have had to resign. “This recent behaviour is consistent with an arrogant and heavy handed approach from this colonial ruler who continues to demonstrate scant respect for residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands.” Mr Misick also hit out at the

Governor for openly declaring the guilt of corruption-accused ministers, demanding $10m from the National Insurance Board and allegedly employing an “openly gay” staff member. “The Governor obviously has no respect for the Christian values that have long been the bedrock of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Enough is enough. “There seems to be no end to the madness of Governor Ric Todd and to pain and suffering that he intends to inflict upon the people of this country. “Clearly it is time to end this repressive British occupation and have elections so that we as a people can once again govern our self and set our path towards independence.” In his statement Mr Misick demanded the Governor’s resignation and said that if denied he would call on the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs the Rt.Hon William Hague to

have him recalled “in the interest of the Turks and Caicos Islands”. The Governor responded to Mr Misick’s statement yesterday (Thursday) by saying his words were hypocritical. “The hypocrisy of Mr Michael Misick in calling into question the morality of anyone clearly knows no bounds. “His alleged disrespect and that of his administration for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands were laid bare in the Commission of Inquiry Report of 2009. “To be clear, this listed in tremendous detail the probability of systemic corruption in the government and legislature of the TCI. “These matters are now the subject of a criminal investigation by the SIPT. “Mr Misick should return to these islands as soon as possible to face the questions that the SIPT has for him.”

Munroe tells Governor to focus on people not paper By Vanessa Narine Renowned motivational speaker, Dr. Myles Munroe, stepped on a few toes with the uncompromising truths he shared this week and Governor Ric Todd was made no exception when Munroe chided him to focus on people, not paper. “Don’t focus on the paper, focus on the people. Don’t focus on the policy, focus on the people,” he stressed during his first night’s presentation, on Monday, at Turks and Caicos’ first every National Leadership Conference.

Published by Turks & Caicos News Company Ltd. Cheshire House, Leeward Highway, Providenciales P.O. Box 52, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI W. Blythe Duncanson – Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Faizool Deo – Sports Samantha Dash-Rigby – Court Cord Garrido-Lowe – Graphics/Production Editor Dilletha Lightbourne-Williams – Office Manager Email: (Advertising) tcnews@tciway.tc, (News) tcweeklynews@yahoo.com, tcweeklynews@gmail.com (Talk Back) tcweeklynews@gmail.com Tel. 649-946-4664 (office), 649-232-3508 (after hours) Website address: www.tcweeklynews.com

Munroe maintained that if the Governor were to aid the empowerment of at least two people to lead the nation at the end of the Interim Administration’s stay, he would have left the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands much better off. He underscored the importance of having prepared people placed in positions of leadership; otherwise what you end up is people with responsibility, but no real leadership skills, power, but no vision and authority, but no character. “Let the people wish you never left,” he urged the Governor. At the end of his presentation, Munroe presented the Governor with two of his books ‘The spirit of leadership’ and ‘The burden of freedom’. CHALLENGE The Governor, adding his bit on Monday evening, noted that leadership is about challenge and being challenged. Todd, in an ardent speech, shared his views on leadership – a position that gained the favour of the hundreds gathered for session. He stated that leadership is about sacrifice and service, not about personal gain, not about personal gain, but about what you leave with the people you have led. According to him, leadership is about standing firm, acknowledging the views of the people you lead, but humbly pointing out an alternative that in the long term would be better. Todd added that leaders cannot

Dr. Myles Munroe presents two of his books to Governor Ric Todd

empower people, they cannot make them do anything, rather a leader can inspire them and allow people to learn and study for themselves. “The greatest disservice we do to our children is tell them that someone can empower them…no one can give you empowerment, you have to do it for yourself,” he said. The Governor stressed that this is an effort that is 10 per cent inspiration and 90 per cent perspiration. On that note, he reaffirmed his commitment to reaching the milestones so that elections can be held this year.

However, Todd pointed out that elections is only the start and what it is, is an opportunity for local leaders to present themselves to the people and address their concerns. He reiterated that leadership is both a challenge and about being challenged, and called for the people to question their leaders; ask them how and where and in what say, demand that the problems of the nation will be discussed, if the country is to move forward successfully. Todd said leaders when they leave their posts should leave the people they served better off.

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NATIONAL

Wildcat strike stalls weekend flights – Boyle says firemen will have to shift under TCIAA By Vanessa Narine A wildcat strike called by firefighters at the Provo Airport on Saturday stalled flights this weekend following a disagreement over their transfer from the Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) payroll to the Turks and Caicos Airport Authority (TCIAA). TCIG’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Boyle, told the Weekly News that the transfer will have to happen, as it is in the best route to go. He said, “They have got to come now and we have to make sure that this happens. “The agreement we reached is that while they still have this expectation of severance, the government couldn’t enter into this. However, we will still do all we can to bring about this move.” On Saturday, all category 5 flights were suspended until further notice due to TCIG Firemen abandoning their posts. Operations were restored on Sunday after the TCIG came to an agreement with Aerodrome Firemen. The Fire services staff committed to returning to their post immediately allowing the restoration of full flight operations at the various airports including domestic flights.

However, this was accomplished only after the TCIG agreed that proposals to transfer firefighters to the TCI Airport Authority would be withdrawn. Boyle said, “We are committed to investing in essential safety equipment; we will review pay as part of the wider civil service review; further assess training needs and develop a plan to maintain training to the highest international standards…I will visit staff in both Provo and Grand Turk airport fire stations this week.” He made it clear that, for now, the firefighters will remain employed by the TCIG, but stressed that their transfer is necessary. “We have to get on with this… we have important issues of safety that we planed to address with this transfer,” Boyle stressed. ADVANTAGEOUS He maintained that the firefighters in moving over to the TCIAA have the guarantee that their benefits and their years of service and salaries are protected. TCIG’s CEO said, “The proposal was to transfer the TCIG firefighters to the TCIAA…this deal would have brought with

Application for taxation without representation case filed The application for the taxation without representation case has been filed this week with the Supreme Court in Grand Turk, according to Mr. Jerzy Kolodziej, a concerned citizen who has taken legal recourse against what has been publicly deemed as unfair acts. Kolodziej told the Weekly News that the papers were filed on Wednesday. According to him, the matter is being monitored by Richard Ottaway, MP, the Chair of the FAC. “His committee has read the documents showing the basis of the case,” Kolodziej said. He maintains that he has all of the necessary precedent law to fully support his case and is

Jerzy Kolodziej

confident that the case is one that has a good chance of success. Governor Ric Todd, however, insists that the taxes are legal. Kolodziej on the other hand contends that taxation without representation is contrary to provisions our current Constitution.

Patrick Boyle

Dr. Rufus Ewing

it capital investment in their equipment and infrastructure…this was investment in new uniforms, in vehicles and other equipment.” Boyle explained that the benefits in moving over to the TCIAAA were greater in terms of facilities and training, as well as other opportunities. He added that the firefighters would be managed directly managed by the Airport Authority and be part of the airport team, as is the case with most modern airports. “This is a dispute from which no winners emerged,” Boyle said. According to him, under the terms of the transfer the TCIG would have given the TCIAA $500,000 for improvements at the family islands airports, such as South Caicos and Salt Cay. “This straightforward transfer would have guaranteed their continuity of service and preserved their terms and conditions, and allowed more coherent management at the airport. To be clear, the job expected of them and how they are financially rewarded would not change,” Boyle said.

circumstances the strike was unjustified. “Responding to their demands today, I said that I would stop the transfer - they can stay as they are if that is what they prefer. However, the fire fighters want to be made redundant from TCIG, for them to receive lump sum compensation payments totaling $3m between them, and then for them to carry on doing the same job for the TCIAA. This is clearly not a good use of TCI taxpayer’s money,” he said.

NO SEVERANCE TCIG’s CEO added that it was made clear to the firefighters that no severance would be paid over. “As we understand severance is what you pay when someone is asked to leave a post without the security of another job…in this case they are moving right over to the TCIAA,” Boyle said. The Turks and Caicos Airport Authority (TCIAA) was established under the Airports Authority Ordinance of 2005, is a statutory body, and is not part of the Civil Service. “There has been some miscommunication when it comes to this because the focus for the firemen was payment of severance… Boyle maintained that in the

CHALLENGE President of the Civil Service Association (CSA), Dr. Rufus Ewing, in a statement challenged the severance amount of $3M that was quoted by Boyle. “The TCIG press release of last week stated that TCIG paid out 2.7 million dollars in voluntary severance to 225 civil servants who were accepted to date. So, it is inconceivable that the payment of regular severance to 84 very poorly

paid Fire Officers can cost over 3 million dollars. “These statements made by the Interim Administration are reckless and deliberately misleading,” Ewing said. He noted that the fire officers, on Friday, were issued letters terminating their services with TCIG and outlining terms and conditions under which they were to be employed with the TCIAA. “These letters did not make provision for Fire Officers being terminated to be paid severance as required by Law. The Fire Officers were unhappy with this offer as it denied them of their severance pay and hence they took the actions that they considered necessary to get the attention of the Administration to deal with them fairly and to address the many issues plaguing the Fire Services that have been neglected since 2008,” Ewing said. According to him, the CSA assisted the Fire Officers in negotiating with the Interim Administration in the interest of resolving these issues and returning the aerodrome to normalcy. However, he maintains that the fire officers are of the position that there were too many promises in the past that were not kept and that despite the letters of termination being withdrawn, they will not let up until the Administration meet with them to discuss their many issues which existed since hurricane Ike in 2008. “They are viewing the withdrawal of the termination letters as a delay tactic in the interest of getting the services back up and running without care to really address the concerns of the fire officers,” Ewing said.

CORRECTING THE CORRECTION In our attempt to retract a news item in our March 3-9, 2012, edition, which wrongly stated that Andrew Aschroft had resigned from British Caribbean Bank, we committed yet another error, for which we are extremely sorry. Under the heading: “Correction, Andrew Ashcroft did not resign from BCB,” we used the name “Michael Ashcroft” where “Andrew Ashcroft” should have been. The lines, therefore, should have read: “we reported that Andrew Ashcroft had resigned his post as managing director of British Caribbean Bank” In a letter to us from Mr. Ashcroft’s attorneys it was pointed out that “Mr. Ashcroft had indicated his intention to resign from a different entity, BCB Holdings. That was announced some time ago and has come to pass. “However, Mr. Ashcroft remains and continues to be the Managing Director of and also director of the Bank.” Again we regret the error and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience that article may have caused.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

A Weekly News column that puts you on the spot for your opinions on the issues of the day

Right to strike?

LAST Saturday firefighters went on strike causing the suspension of a number of flights into Providenciales and other Turks and Caicos airports. The firefighters claim they are being terminated from TCIG without severance pay and are to be transferred to the Airports Authority (TCIAA), a completely separate statutory body, without their knowledge or permission. Do you think the firefighters were right to abandon their posts?

Waste of funds One can sympathise with the firefighters however, it was very short-sighted of the UK Government not to put into legislation that all essential services such as the police, air traffic controllers and fire department cannot strike. We are totally dependent on our tourism and as such we should not allow anything to jeopardise this income. Nor is negative publicity about our country wise at any point, especially now. On the other hand, as this glaring oversight by the British allowed this loophole one can hardly blame the firefighters for taking advantage of this as it certainly got everyone’s attention, which they meant it to do. As for the reason behind the strike, more clarity needs to be shed on this.

If they went on strike as they do not wish to be transferred to another body, but were offered a redundancy package, then they cannot have their cake and eat it too. You cannot take a package and then get rehired by the other body for the same job. That would be an even more senseless waste of funds.

CSA agenda It was revealed by a press release from the CSA that they were the negotiating party and that speaks columns. Our information is that the transfer to TCIAA would not have compromised the firefighters’ seniority, potential severance, vacations or any other benefit. No one was in jeopardy of losing their job.

Therefore why the strike? Whenever there is an issue with employees, a strike is the last resort not the first. First, you negotiate and when you come to an impasse then you threaten a strike. Lacking any resolution then finally, you strike. The CSA has an agenda to use their employees as pawns to prove their leadership can shut the country down. Their leaders need to be held accountable. The firefighters lost two days wages and gained nothing. The TCI economy is now damaged limiting the ability to pay benefits in the future. An ex-pat neighbour of ours had a daughter in transit on the plane. The daughter and her husband paid $ 2,400 for their tickets and they could not land. They have sworn never to try again. Five planes on the airport could not take off, hundreds of visitors stranded. Our tourist industry is damaged for years to come. What travel agent will recommend TCI when these things happen and then are repeated. The Governor needs to do an inquiry into the CSA and he needs to put in place airport contingency plans. Ronald Reagan showed the way when the air travel controllers staged a similar strike in 1981. They are still on strike out of work 30 years later. They were all replaced in days. This is the third shut down of the airport by

Dr Ewing or his associates. Meanwhile his primary duty, which is primary health care, has descended into the quagmire of gross mismanagement. Shame on the whole bunch.

It is their right The firefighters have a right to voice their unhappiness with that. No one should be dealt such a curve ball especially in these hard financial times. However a strike so far has not accomplished anything and it has cost the country hundreds of thousands of dollars, and more so a complete bad taste for potential business and tourism. I do not think these persons were justified in taking such actions. They have a very important role to play. A job that they cannot be taking lightly; that is why there need to be a union in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

 Become a contributor Want to become a contributor or have a suggestion for a Talk Back topic for us? What questions do you think we should be putting to the public? And what are your thoughts on it? Call our news team on 946 4664 or email tcweeklynews@gmail.com

Second round of recruitment to reel in at least four more deputies By Vanessa Narine The first six Deputy Permanent Secretaries have been placed and TCIG’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patrick Boyle, said a second round of recruitment will begin shortly to bring in at least four more new Deputies. “We want to move from six to between 10 and 12,” at a press briefing on Wednesday. LOCAL SKILL Boyle noted that the TCIG will be engaging recruitment consultants in the TCI to fill the remaining posts. He stressed tapping into local skills, from both the public and private sector, will be the focus for the recruiters. The CEO said, “Rather than go out beyond these islands, which we said initially that we would do if we were unsuccessful, is to have another look again, run the program again… let’s try and get into the private sector and other sectors to see if there are people who are interested in coming to work at this level in government.” Boyle stated that he is confident that new deputies can be found among people who live in the TCI. “There must be people out there who’ve got the skills and experience, and TCI people are highly educated,” he said. The CEO added that in his view, the problem in the islands is that people are highly

qualified, but they have not had the opportunity to gain the experience. Boyle said, “You can train people and give them the exposure that you need, but it’s not possible to take people who have just literally come out of college or university to really key posts for the future. All you would be doing is setting them up to fail.” According to him, if the posts cannot be filled by local skill, only then will the recruiters will look further afield. Boyle said, “What we’re trying to do is to grow the talent of the future. We need to be growing some permanent secretaries for the future.” He stressed that the selection is being carefully made to ensure that the right people are assigned to the posts. “You have to admire them for the decision that they’ve taken…they had 18 people in front of them. They could have appointed 14 people from it, but they have decided that the people didn’t meet the criteria, and at this point in time they weren’t ready to take up these positions,” Boyle said. The six new deputies are: Cherylann Jones, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Government Support Services; Desiree Lewis, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Education; Ezekiel Hall, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Border Control and Labour; Ian Astwood, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economics; Sharon Taylor, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of

Environment and Home Affairs; and Virginia Clerveaux, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Government Support Services. The six newly appointed Deputy Secretaries were assigned to their new Ministries by Boyle last Friday and their key tasks will include supporting the Permanent Secretaries in establishing the five new larger Ministries. According to Boyle, the new Deputy Secretaries are taking up senior leadership roles in Government with wide ranging responsibilities for the policies and delivery of services within the areas to which they have been assigned. “They will provide strong, focused support to the recently appointed five Permanent Secretaries, and assist with transforming the efficiency and effectiveness of public services,” he said. TCIG’s CEO maintained that the process of selection was fair and open, adding that this approach to selection will not change. “In the same manner that the new permanent secretaries were chosen in January, the deputies were selected in the same way…I didn’t participate in the process in any shape or form…the permanent secretaries were involved from start to finish. They then made their recommendations to me at the end of the process, and I concurred with those recommendations,” Boyle said. MUCH WORK The Weekly News spoke to three of the

newly appointed Deputies this week and the consensus was there was much work to be done – a task they agreed would take the combined effort of a strong leadership team. Desiree Lewis, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Education, said this Ministry is a leading agency and one that faces many challenges. However, she maintained that with the correct team in place these challenges will be overcome and the mandate of the Ministry met. Ian Astwood, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economics, will be focused in the areas of Trade and Tourism. According to him, moving forward in tourism the TCI needs to look at diversifying its tourism product and market the Islands as a whole, rather than the attractions in Providenciales. “There is much we have to look at in the area of Trade also,” he said. Adding her bit, Sharon Taylor, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Home Affairs, noted that the primary challenges facing the work of her ministry is financing and staffing. “Once we have a strategic plan to move forward we will be better placed to meet the needs of the TCI people,” she said. The appointments are a further step towards achieving the Interim Administration’s milestone of securing public sector reform, leading to new elections later in 2012.

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NATIONAL

Planning meeting scheduled to address changes in TCI trade – Astwood By Vanessa Narine The new Deputy Permanent Secretaries are getting down to business and Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economics, Ian Astwood, told the Weekly News that a planning meeting is scheduled with stakeholders to address the way forward in trade. According to him, the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) has to focus on exploring the potential of regional markets.

He acknowledged that the food import bill, not only of the TCI, but also in the Caribbean is particularly high – something that can be avoided if countries explored the potential of neighboring countries. “There is much potential that we can explore,” he said. Astwood noted that the TCI has traditionally sourced their imports from the United States of America, but agreed that looking at other countries in the Caribbean may assist in brining down costs, as well as improving the

Strike cost TCI $5M, Lillian Missick The exact cost of the strike by firefighters this weekend is approximately some $5M, according to Chair of the Consultative Forum, Lillian Missick. Missick, in addressing the Forum at their meeting on Tuesday, said this does not take into account the reputational damage done by having stranded tourists vent their understandable frustrations in viral messages that went around the world in an instant. She noted that TCI was fortunate that the matter was resolved quickly. “No matter our grievances with our British overseers or how much we sympathize with the firefighters, it behooves us to be ever mindful that any damage done to our tourism product, which is the lifeblood of our economy, hurts only us,” Missick said. TCIG FAILURE The Forum Chair noted that it was a systemic weakness, which led to firefighters going on a wildcat strike and forcing the closure of our airports. She said this weakness is a failure of this interim administration to properly communicate with civil servants. Missick pointed out that this lack of communication has become epidemic, as it is not only a lack of communication with the TCIG and civil servants, but also with the public – a situation that has become almost and constant with the TCIG, which is very costly. “Frankly, I cannot blame the firefighters for having so little trust in this administration duly heeding their concerns when this administration has demonstrated time and again its unwillingness

standard of living locally. FAO STUDY One of the key findings of a study that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conducted on behalf of the region, in January this year, was that the increasing Caribbean food import bill has led to several public concerns, including the impact it is having on domestic food production. The report said, “As the price of shopping baskets increases and as domestic producers lose market share to imported substitutes, there is increasing public pressure on governments to formulate strategies to lower food imports.” It added that many Caribbean governments, private sector and civil society are concerned about rising volumes of food imports from developed economies – particularly where they enjoy the advantage of

large production scales, subsidised inputs and/or sophisticated marketing campaigns. The study noted that the concern is that these high import volumes “have crowded out regional food production and that the region’s competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis imports has led to losses in employment, food security and rural well being. It also found that the region spends billions on food imports and according to the FAO’s data, some countries have doubled their food import bill in the space of 10 years. “The study finds that while the Caribbean continues to produce a large share of several foodstuffs (including fruits, vegetables, pulses, meat, fish, rice and beverages), there are key categories of staples where the region’s food producers have lost competitive market share to cheaper and/or more expensively branded

imports,” the report said. This loss of market share, it pointed out, has fed a vicious circle where lower domestic production leads to higher imports, which in turn, affect consumer preferences through the lower priced and often more consistently available imported substitutes. The report said, “These imports further restrict the domestic market and squeeze profit margins for producers.” The study done in collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat as part of a project on Promoting CARICOM/ CARIFORUM Food Security. The TCI has been an Associate Member of CARICOM since July 2, 1991. Astwood maintains that the TCI has many opportunities that it can explore among other CARICOM Associate and Member states.

Green Paper detailing VAT to be made public in April – VAT to replace five taxes

Lillian Missick

to heed the informed concerns of members of this body,” she said. However, the Missick added that this does not augur well for the future governance is civil servants become convinced that the only way to negotiate effectively with government is to go on strike. She said, “We should also be mindful of those in our midst who seem to believe that leadership amounts to little more than inciting people to engage in all manner of civil disobedience and unrest without regard for the consequences.” The Forum Chair added that notwithstanding setbacks, disappointments and distractions, focus must remain on constructive engagement with the British. “Only this approach will foster a relationship between the TCI and UK that is truly based on mutual consideration, mutual cooperation … and mutual respect; more importantly, only this approach will enable us to build a country that can govern itself, protect itself and sustain itself. And as unbelievable as it may seem to many of you, I believe there are some British folks who want this too,” Missick said.

The Turks and Caicos Government (TCIG) will be making public a Green Paper that outlines the details of the Value Added Tax (VAT) in April and the taxes that VAT will replaced have been set:

These include:

• Hotel/Restaurant Accommodation Tax; • Communications Tax; • Vehicle Hire Stamp Duty; • Insurance Premiums; and • Financial services. Governor Ric Todd made it clear last week that the introduction of VAT will definitely happen, giving April 1st , 2013 as the date from which the new tax will be effective. The Green Paper outlines exemptions and thresholds below which businesses will not have to be registered to pay VAT and the social impact assessment that will be undertaken to limit impacts on the poor. According to the TCIG, the introduction of VAT is part of the process of building a taxation system that will restore fiscal balance, a sustainable economy, alleviate poverty and contribute to other critical social development. The Interim Administration maintains that the decision to introduce VAT was reached after extensive studies were carried out and full consideration of the benefits was taken.

He pointed out that VAT is now a common feature within the Caribbean Community and TCIG are working in partnership with CARTAC (Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre) to facilitate all the necessary components of the VAT Implementation plan. According to the Governor, the legislation to facilitate the implementation of VAT will be passed this year. PROCESS However, the Interim Administration, in keeping with this Government’s commitment and obligation to transparency, is expected to see the passage of this legislation through a process that involves a number of consultative steps.

This process will decide on the the rate of VAT to be charged; the threshold at which businesses will be required to register and the goods and services which will be subject to zero rating and exemption status. When finalized, these issues will be captured in the Green Paper on VAT, after which it will be sent to the Advisory Council for consideration. There is expected to be a formal launch of the VAT project and a massive public education and awareness program through radio, TV, brochures, general and specific meetings as necessary. Governor Todd maintains that VAT’s implementation is in the interest of developing the economy.

Cuban cigars roll into the country A CUBAN cigar crafting shop has opened up in Providenciales giving locals and visitors the chance to sample freshly rolled cigars. Cuban Crafters TCI grows all of its own tobacco on private farms and has four highly trained professional rollers ready for any job. Made completely from Cuban Seed and handmade in small batches, the cigars are renowned by aficionados worldwide.

Each cigar goes through a labour intensive seven-step process that makes a world of difference for smokers. The shop offers cigars made fresh for any occasion – from weddings to birthday parties. Cigar fans can find all types of cigars, humidors, cutters, lighters, cases, accessories and other gifts at the new store in Salt Mills Plaza.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

NATIONAL

Leadership conference lauded as major success TCI’s first National Leadership Conference sought to restore, rebuild and revive; bringing inspiration to leaders in every section of society - an event that by all accounts has been deemed a major success. Speaking to the Weekly News several of attendees from different sectors of society gave their view on the conference, which was touted as the beginning of continuous training to empower local leaders.

Governor Ric Todd, left, and others joins hands as the session is opened with a prayer

Munroe tells it straight in thought-provoking presentations By Vanessa Narine Dr. Myles Munroe, told it straight to some 300 gathered for the first National Leadership Conference, Monday evening, and while for some the truths told were inconvenient, the speaker’s messages were well received. The though-provoking presentations surrounded ‘Discovering your inherent leadership potential’ and the engaging speaker made it clear that leadership is a product of struggle. Munroe explained that successful leaders have a different mindset. “Trapped in every follower is a hidden leader,” he said. The speaker pointed out that is an army of sheep are led by a lion they will defeat an army of lions that are led by a sheep, to make the point that the quality of leaders affect the quality of their followers. Munroe urged that a quintessential truth about leadership is attitude; leadership is 90 per cent attitude and 10 per cent intelligence. He said leaders’ problems are not seen as problems, rather they are seen as opportunities. “Life is not what you see, it is what you think,” Munroe said. KEY TRUTHS The speaker outlined what he called quintessential truths, key truths about leaders: they think differently, they work together, they are persistent, they surround themselves with leaders and leadership is never about you it is about the team. According to him the things that destroy leaders are: • Politics without principles; • Pleasure without conscience; • Wealth without work; • Knowledge without character; • Business without morality; • Science without humanity; and • Worship without sacrifice.

“Leadership is a principle,” Munroe posited. Combining his personal experience with facts he shared his perspective of leadership in a clourful way that left its imprint of the mind of those in attendance. Munroe in quoting the words of Nelson Mandela said, “Nothing happens without leadership, nothing changes without leadership, nothing develops without leadership and nothing improves without leadership.” Officially opened on Sunday at the Community Fellowship Centre, the conference has received endorsements of a cross section of stakeholders, including Progressive National Party (PNP) Leader Clayton Greene and others in the political arena, as well as from individuals in other sectors of society. Prior to the evening session, several other speakers were engaged to address hundreds at Brayton Hall

on issues ranging from corporate leadership to family leadership. The daytime speakers included Mr. Leon Williams, Bishop George Fulford, Ms. Charlene Paul, Bishop Derek Browne and Mrs. Tremmaine Swann-Harvey. Pastor Bradley Handfield told the Weekly News that the response to the conference exceeded his expectations, but the level of contributions from the speakers will see the Turks and Caicos Islands better placed for the future. He said, “Dr. Munroe brought to the table everything I expected of him as a renowned speaker…the sessions were informative, inspiring and challenging.” Handfield stressed that this is the beginning of a dialogue on the issue of leadership. The conference was held under the theme empowering leaders to revive the nation.

Dr. Myles Munroe during the first night of his presentation

Leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP), Clayton Greene, said, the conference was timely, coming at a time when leadership in all sectors of society is being challenged. According to him, the conference brought a fresh awareness to the true character of leadership; a person whose vision is trusted, his intelligence is relied on, his struggle is for the people he serves and his service is distinguished by integrity and honesty. “Leadership is a privilege,” he said.

Secretary General of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Euwonka Selver, said, “It was a very informative and eye opening session…a lot of people have untapped strengths and talents that if moulded could see them making a significant contribution to the TCI.” She pointed out that initiatives like this one, which seeks to build up the local people, is quintessential to keep the country moving forward. “Those who attended and picked up Dr. Munroe’s books will have a deeper insight into tapping into their potential and becoming better leaders,” she said. Selver added that the National Conference was an excellent start to create leaders, a great need at this time in the TCI.

Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson of the Consultative Forum said, “The presentations were of high quality those who spoke had the expertise and knowledge to speak and their messages

were well received…I was pleased about the diversity of topics that were covered, everything from leadership in the home structure to national leadership.” According to her, this was an important and fundamental need, expressly if the TCI is to move forward in the direction that is best for the people of the territory. Cartwright-Robinson said, “I applaud Pastor Handfield for this because we have been dancing around the issue of leadership for some time and here is someone who had the guts to bring about action at a time when we needed it. “He acknowledged that we have a leadership problem and offered an avenue where we were able to look at what was lacking.” She maintained that a key thing that came out of the conference was the importance of integrity. “Once we understand that leadership is about integrity, about service before self we will not find ourselves in difficult circumstances we are in now. Integrity is very important,” the Consultative Forum Member said.

Attorney Yvette Marcelin, “It was truly inspirational and provided and informative guidelines and knowledge as it relates leadership…most importantly it stressed that leaders are people who serve.” She added that the conference was timely and is needed on a continuous basis, particularly for professionals. Proprietor of Building Materials, Mr. Ken Adams told the Weekly News that the organizers of the conference ought to be applauded for their vision, as it was a timely initiative. He said, “It was very informative and people were inspired…going forward persons are in better positions as to their role as leaders who can contribute to making a difference in the TCI.” “Dr. Munroe offered much in his teaching and now it is up to us as a people to take up the responsibility as leaders to take TCI to better times.”

Clement Howell High School Principal Lloyd Fearon, said, “The Conference was excellent well organized and all the speakers presented with depth…Dr. Munroe brought a lot to the table. What he had to say inspired everyone.” He added that the initiative was “visionary” and comes at a good time for the TCI. “Teachers who were there, I think, took information that we will be able to motivate students in preparing them for opportunities that will come their way…the conference had something for everyone who was there,” Fearon said.

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NATIONAL

& CrimeCourt

Not guilty plea for malicious injuries A YOUNG woman is set to face trial in the Providenciales Magistrates Court for malicious injuries to property on May 14. Nadine Jaudard was not initially required to plea to the allegation when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Clifton Warner on March 13. This was because the charge was laid indictably. This entitled Jaudard to have her matter heard in the Supreme Court. However, Crown counsel Samantha Glinton made an application to have the matter tried in the lower court saying that the court had sufficient sentencing power. Even though the prosecutor made

the application, the decision laid solely with the defendant. She decided to have her matter tried in the Magistrates Court and pled not guilty to the offence. The court heard that on February 24, 2012, Jaudard went to the pawn shop in Grace Bay to speak to her boyfriend who is also the father of her child. An intense argument ensued and the young woman was told to leave the shop. She went into a nearby bar, grabbed a bottle of rum, returned to the pawn shop and smashed the glass door with the rum. The glass door, valued at $500 has since been repaired.

Fined for phone theft

A FEMALE Horse-Eyed Jack employee was slapped, fired, charged and fined for stealing a Blackberry Torch on February 25. In retaliation, she instituted charges against the woman whose phone she stole because the angry woman slapped her. Genesis Rojas appeared before Chief Magistrate Clifton Warner on Tuesday, March 13, charged with theft. Crown counsel Samantha Glinton said that on the date in question, after a night out, Rojas was getting a ride home with Besma Smith around 5am. They stopped at the Venetian Village and Smith exited the vehicle to speak to someone leaving Rojas alone with her cellular phone and purse. Upon her return, Smith realised that her phone was missing and Rojas denied any knowledge of the phone. Smith searched in vain for her phone and eventually took Rojas home. On March 3 one of Smith’s friends telephoned her saying that she saw Rojas with the phone in her hand at Horse-Eyed Jack. The complainant immediately called the police and drove to the popular bar. When confronted, Rojas attempted to hide the phone in her

bag. Smith tried to take it from her but the accused pushed her. Smith slapped Rojas and was charged for doing so. In court, the defendant admitted to the Magistrate that she did steal the phone and apologised. “I took it,” Rojas said “and I’m sorry I took it”. She then informed the court that she no longer wished to continue the matter against Smith for slapping her. She was fined $750 with an alternative of three month’s imprisonment. Smith appeared in court charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She pleaded not guilty to the charge, expecting it to be dropped immediately. However, when she realised that a date was being set for trial, she indicated to the Magistrate the she wished to change her plea to guilty since she wanted to put an end to the matter that same day. Magistrate Warner did not accept her changed plea and told her to return in May. Meanwhile, Rojas sat at the back of the court with a sad look on her face.

Teen gets six months inside A TEENAGER was sentenced to six months incarceration for attempted burglary after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Clifton Warner in the Providenciales Magistrates Court. Strictlyn Williams Jnr, aged 17, pleaded guilty to the charge. It was alleged that on January 6, Theresa Houseman secured and left her Glass Shack home around 5.30am. Upon her return at 5pm she discovered that someone attempted to break in through the kitchen window.

She notified the police and crime scene investigators visited the home. They dusted the scene for fingerprints and back in the police lab, some of the prints lifted from the scene matched those belonging to the young defendant that was already in the system. Magistrate Warner has since issued a strong zero tolerance warning to all would-be burglars. He stated that anyone else who appears before him on burglary charges could expect to spend some time in jail.

Cocaine traces found on imported cash By Samantha Dash-Rigby

A MAN WHO attempted to smuggle almost $30,000 into the TCI without declaring it to customs is now facing trial but with an added twist. Traces of cocaine were found on some of the cash. Nicholas Kendall Morley was seen at the Providenciales International Airport on Sunday January 30, 2011, acting suspicious. He was returning from the Bahamas after spending two days there. Morley submitted a customs declaration form stating that he had nothing to declare. In fact, he listed clothing and salty sausages as the contents of his luggage. However, an astute female customs officer noticed the accused acting in a suspicious manner and decided to conduct a search of his luggage. It was then that she made the shocking discovery. Large amounts of cash hidden all over the luggage; taped to the inside of a pair of jeans, in the pockets, in a wallet and other places. The police was notified and the cash, $27,982 was seized. A scientific analysis was carried out on some of the cash. It was determined that some of the notes tested positive for high cocaine

while some only had simple traces. Morley was later charged with possession of criminal property and concealing criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Ordinance. Prosecution expert witness Constable Giles Chater of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that he tested the money and made the discovery of cocaine traces. He explained that a simple cocaine alarm might only indicate a background or environmental level of cocaine contamination while a high cocaine alarm indicates that cocaine is present on the sample. During cross-examination by defence attorney Finbar Grant, Constable Chater admitted that simple or an environmental level of cocaine can be found on almost all United States currency. He also admitted that there are other drugs, which contain the same elements like those found in cocaine and that sometimes, the machine used to test the samples, produce false positives. Constable Chater also conceded that the bills were in sequential order and it was possible that the currency counter at the bank could have contaminated them. Another expert witness Sergeant Blair Andrew, also a Canadian police

officer, said that he analysed the results of the test and provided the court with opinion evidence. He testified that in his experience dealing with hundreds of proceeds of crime cases, persons who are involved in criminal activity and are transporting large sums of money between destinations, would not declare to avoid unwanted attention from security, customs, or other regulatory bodies. “If a businessman want to legitimately move cash, he would go through a safer route like wire transfer or money order,” Sgt Andrew stated. However, giving the extenuating circumstances in which the money was packaged and concealed, it was reasonable to conclude that it was proceeds of crime, whether or not a third party was involved. The case will continue in May and Morley remains of $30,000 bail. On April 27, 2011, the prosecution made an application to the court to have the money placed in interest bearing account. The application was granted and the cash was deposited for an initial three months in a local bank. It was has since been re-deposited for a further two years. The interest accrued will be placed in the government’s purse.

Man extradited from Jamaica for murder trial THE MAN fingered by the police as the prime suspect in the December 4, 2009, murder of Dorsette Gardiner was taken to court on Friday, March 9, after being extradited from Jamaica. The suspect is none other than Gardiner’s first cousin SinClair Delancy. Delancy, aged 39, reportedly fled to Jamaica shortly after the murder, and changed his name to Citerson SinClair Missick. He even obtained a new passport with that name, a source revealed. Officers of the Cold Crimes Unit (CCU) of the TCI police force applied to Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough on March 9, for a 14day extension to keep Delancy in police custody as they continue their investigations. The Weekly News understands that several officers from that unit recently travelled to Jamaica for one week where they met and arranged with the Jamaican government to extradite the wanted man. He had been living illegally in

Jamaica and reportedly received assistance from family members here in the TCI. Delancy arrived in the TCI on Thursday, March 8, accompanied by Jamaican authorities who handed him over to police at the Providenciales International Airport. Police spokesman, Special Constable Paul Baker, released a statement saying: “Police, acting on information received, today (Thursday, March 8) arrested a man as he disembarked a flight from Jamaica at Providenciales International Airport. “The arrest is in relation to an unsolved murder that is being investigated by the RTCI Police Cold Crimes Unit (CCU).” The CCU was formed sometime last year and staff have been working quietly behind the scenes to solve several murders and other crimes that have gone cold. To date they believe they have solved the April 12, 2009, murder of 16-year-old Wensley Joseph and the suspects are currently awaiting trial.

The naked body of Gardiner, aged 35, was found two days after he was killed on a remote dirt road at the back of the Providenciales International Airport on December 6, 2009. Nearby, police found his female companion Claudette Rigby, who was barely conscious. She received head injuries and lost an eye as a result. It was widely rumoured that Rigby awoke from a coma shortly after the incident and named three officers as the perpetrators of the gruesome incident sending shockwaves across the Islands. Former Head of CID Rodney Adams, who lead the internal investigations into the claims, admitted to the Weekly News that a handful of cops had been asked to submit reports as to their whereabouts on the night in question. Former Police Commissioner Edward Hall, a relative of Mr Gardiner, said claims that officers were directly involved in the incident were “unsubstantiated rumours and should be treated as such”.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

We welcome letters from all members of the public on a variety of topics.

Letter of the week

Radio attack embarrassing Dear Editor, It was very embarrassing to hear the calls into Expressions, the radio show on Radio Turks and Caicos (RTC), on March 14 when Royal Robinson and Jacky Lightbourne called to verbally attack the Governor. These PNP operatives are doing their best to turn the problems and suffering the people of the TCI are facing into a personal one. It is so ironic that Lightbourne was content to collect a cheque to be an advisor when she did nothing at all as an advisor to ministers of the former government. Royal Robinson, the loudest of the former corrupt PNP regime, is not only part of the problem the TCI faces today; he is one of the biggest problems. There are so many allegations against him such as his role in negotiating the hospital scam as Minister of Health and heaping huge bills on the people of the TCI. Now the comments of the Governor are never justified when he resorts to obscene language and an apology would be in order. A separate apology should also come from Royal Robinson for the economic problems he has placed the people of these islands in. If they would stop making personal

issues dominate the headlines, then the people can focus on why they are paying so much in taxes and why the British had to be here. Royal Robinson and his PNP government negotiated a hospital deal that has plunged the people into huge debt and higher taxes. He cannot account for this. Yes the Governor and the British are wrong for these taxes and the way they are handling decisions in the TCI but these taxes and bad British policy are caused 100 per cent by Royal Robinson and the PNP regime. Robinson and the PNP have yet to explain why the people are paying ten times the real cost of the hospital, why there is a $235m mortgage on the buildings when the contract was supposed to be $128m. They also need to explain why the TCI Government, under the Brits, is paying $60m to Inter-health Canada, because of a hospital deal put in place by Royal Robinson. Most of the debt and taxes the Brits are imposing is directly connected to the $60m, the corruption of the PNP government, the need for the $260m guarantee to pay off the debt caused by the PNP and the suffering all of this is causing the people of the TCI. Yet to focus on personal issues is to

divert attention from the real issue. Now Lightbourne called in and asked the Governor if he was gay and a majority of the people of the TCI are against gay issues and the gay marriage provisions that the PNP government placed in the 2006 constitution. It would be more appropriate then for TC Islanders who did not support that PNP regime who made that the law, to be asking the Governor questions of this nature. The people who caused the problem are now trying to attack the problem. It would be far better for leaders like Pastor Bradley Handfield, Pastor Pedro Williams and others, whose hands are clean, to ask and deal with these kinds of the issues. It does not do for the people who gave the Brits the idea that gay lifestyles are welcome here, ie. the PNP by passing the pro-gay 2006 constitution, to now come out and attack them. If one listened to the line of attack on the Governor and the personal nature of the attack it begs so many serious questions. Yes the issues are relevant such as the state of the economy and the callous way the Governor is running the islands but to sink the debate to a low level, scumbag, streetwise, disrespectful level is embarrassing to

Fuel cost is front page news Dear Editor, I have noticed that the article ‘Governor declines Fortis request for price hike’ did not make the front page despite its implications for all who live and visit the Turks and Caicos Islands. Energy cost has serious ramifications for business and the economy as a whole. Too many things are happening simultaneously and important matters are being buried in rubble without consultation, reply or resistance. I understand the nature of people in general that they do not like to speak in public. However, you can cry in private and hopefully you cry to God because he is the only one who can hear a cry in private and reply in the appropriate manner. We rely primarily on tourism to drive the economy at this time as new construction has been in decline or on hold for years. The Governor is not being honest in his statement when he is reported to say: “I have listened to the feedback of the people of the TCI who have made it clear to me that an increase in their utility charges will not be welcomed...” This statement is credible because a review was conducted coming out of the utility company’s request to hike

the rates. What was NOT a part of that discussion was the granting of further concessions to Fortis TCI to have the sole right to provide electricity to islands that were not a part of their agreement. This was unnecessary because power is not being consumed on these islands because for the most part they are uninhabited. A trade-off of future profits from these islands in return for a deferral of a rate increase until next year makes no sense. If those islands were inhabited and Fortis was providing energy to them and did not have exclusive rights to do so, one could see how the action of the Governor could give Fortis some level of comfort in light of their investment on those islands. Fortis has NO investment on those islands. A sensible government would have taken this opportunity to work out an arrangement in favour of the people. For instance, I would have kept those island out of Fortis’ hands because the potential is still there for a major investment on East Caicos and the other islands such as Joe Grant’s Cay and Sail Rock even Ambergris Cay could have benefitted. Remember the East Caicos Cruise

LETTERS SHOULD BE KEPT TO A MAXIMUM OF 450 WORDS

port project? That project was making cheaper, new generating technology a part of the project. In other words, there was going to be an alternative to Fortis or PPC. Concessions of these other islands were assets with monetary value. What is the long term benefit that was exchanged with Fortis? I would negotiate with Fortis to make government a shareholder of not less than 30 per cent of the equity in Fortis in return for the concession over the islands of interest to them. Not allow an increase to ANY hotel at this time until the economy is more buoyant. Make Fortis pay interest on deposits that people are not likely to recover during their lifetime equal to the rate earned on saving accounts with commercial banks. Fortis charge interest for late payment on overdue bills while still holding deposits on the same accounts. We have lost a golden opportunity to make better choices for the people. It is for reasons like these why we need our own people who are elected to make decision on behalf of the country. Yours truly, Clarence W Selver

the people of the TCI. In dealing with national issues; would the late Sir Lynden Pindling, former Prime Minister of the Bahamas handle issues in this way? Yes and would President Barack Obama, President Nelson Obama even Bill Clinton, handle public issues like this by going personal and making degrading allegations of the nature they did on Expressions? This approach should not reflect and an in any way represent the people of the TCI. The TCI people should be a proud, respectful and noble people and this is not the way they do business. With what people know about the Special Prosecutor, the impending

prosecutions and the need for Helen Garlick to do a complete job, listening to filth, gossip and rumour from the people who caused the problem in the TCI will not do. The people are suffering and it is largely because of what Royal did, what his government did to run up a huge $260m debt, the hospital scam and the payments of $60m per year that caused the Brits to be here and to have them force these taxes on people. It behoves leaders with clean hands, clean hearts and those who are most qualified to deal with gay issues because when it was up to Royal Robinson and the PNP they made it law. David Forbes

No double edged sword Dear Editor, An article appeared in the TCI Post which highlighted me as a man with a double edge sword. Intrepretation is that the man acts as a danger in whatever he is doing. Very much untrue and those sentiments need to be explained for the general public’s opinion. Following, is a reply to the article: In the aftermath of the firefighters’ strike, their subsequent gathering at the negotiating table and their decision to return to work at the Provo International Airport, certain statements were made by the editor of the TCI Post which were not only false and misleading but very damaging. It is very clear that my statements were taken out of context. The text went on to say: “Dr Smith repeatedly called for a stand against the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCIGIR) Interim Regime and when the time came to do so (as the firefighters did), he was the first to criticise those who stood up.” I must say that the editor is very correct in the “stance against the TCIG,” but very much incorrect in “criticising”. Whilst I have always stood and supported all in solidarity, at times, extreme care and good judgment be exercised when qualifying - eminent domain, nationalisation and for the good cause of public interest. For the layperson, these exact terms are employed when states, governments or countries make adverse decisions against a few for the good of many! I support this as long as it is fair, just and equitable compensation. Here in this case, I demonstrated restraint and courage, and I would like to hear and see the ones who would disagree with that position, on this occasion. Here, it must not be inferred that restraint is a weakness, but a quality

leadership attribute, well exercised! A double-edge sword played well here in this instance! Even though my invitation to the meeting was communicated too late for my attendance and participation, I am extremely happy to see that the leadership of firefighters and TCIGIR, with counsel, as I had suggested, did go back to the table, resolve the issue to some satisfaction, and now the country is in some sense of normalcy. And, I must repeat, at the table, and it was worth it. I still stand with the firefighters! For the record my push is against the TCIGIR, and not against the hardworking citizens and residents of TCI. To cripple the tourist industry is wrong! Striking will most definitely kill any industry, especially the more fragile ones, such as tourism, in that the visitor has option of the TCI or any of the neighbouring regions. The strike has many rippling derivative effects - airline seats, tourism, hotels, rooms, fees, employees, salaries, and taxes which directly impacts a very import milestone – balancing or providing a surplus in the budget. This important milestone is attached to the election in 2012! And dare I say we all want and are looking forward to elections in 2012 and will collectively do everything to ensure that elected representation returns to the people of the citizens of the TCI as rightfully expected! All now said I think that the statements made were very untimely and very disingenuous of the TCI Post editor to refer to me as a man with a double edge sword, and respectfully, that an immediate retraction be to restore my good name. Kind regards, Edward E Smith

Please note that all submissions are subject to editing in keeping with defamation laws and newspaper style. Letters should be accompanied by the author’s full name, location and phone number. Names will be withheld if requested.

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Letters

Independent judiciary is essential Dear Editor, In most countries, there is a clear separation between the executive (arm of government) and the courts. Even states that western countries say are oppressive, like China, argue that they have independent courts and they acknowledge that an independent judiciary is essential to good governance. That is because independent judiciaries prevent the executive from abusing its powers, particularly in cases where the executive has a case before the courts. Our executive is one man who makes laws at his whim and as such he is not subject to the law in any meaningful sense. This situation is beyond intolerable but it is even more so because there is no independent judiciary to check this situation. If courts are to be independent there has to be job security for judges, there must be security over the wages of the judiciary, and there has to be a reasonable budget for the courts that are beyond the interference of the Governor. There is none of that in the TCI and when the Governor holds such big stick over the heads of the judiciary what should the public reasonably expect in cases where the Governor has a clear interest in a matter before the courts where he has publically and clearly expressed very strong views on such matters? The recent bail conditions imposed on those charged by the SIPT is a case in point. You only have to undertake some very basic research to appreciate that the bail conditions, particularly those for the developer of the Seven Stars,

are ludicrous by even the most bizarre standards in the world. Likewise when you consider that most of these people have been waiting patiently for more than two years for the SIPT to finally bring these charges, with more than enough time to pack leave, there has to be serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary when they pander to the Governor’s sentiments the way they have with the bail conditions. I am sorry to burst the illusion of the reader that courts are fountains of impartiality and justice, but that is not automatically true and history confirms that justice is not inevitable. The extent that some countries go to secure the independence of their judiciary supports that fact, but if the reader is sceptical, I do not hold it against him. If the reader wants symbolism the recent confirmation of one of the Supreme Court judges was held at the Governor’s residence. On acceptance of her appointment the judge was quoted as saying she was “humbled and overwhelmed” and “grateful and indeed pleased for the trust that has been placed in me”. In the TCI the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) appoints the Governor, it contracts with the judiciary, it selects the AG, and it has contracted with the SIPT and the Civil Recovery teams. All of these people are getting their bread buttered from the same source. Since the Governor is a diplomat who is here to implement the objectives of the FCO, when he speaks we can expect that he articulate the FCO’s objectives. Let us hope that the gratitude that was recently expressed by one of the

new Supreme Court judges does not extend to the judiciary doing what the FCO expects of it, as the FCO and the Governor have so clearly and publically articulated its expectations in matters before the courts. The Governor has had little hesitation about commenting on the mismanagement of past administrations, the wrongdoing of the current accused and the efforts of the SIPT and the Civil Recovery Team. You do not need to read between the lines to know that the Governor thinks that there has been an overwhelming level of corruption in the TCI and that Government will recover a significant sum from those involved. In a recent release he said: “It is worth repeating: we expect that the costs of these investigations will be recovered many times over and will significantly boost the coffers of the TCI Government.” He says this while at the same time denying that he has prejudged those that have been accused by the SIPT and the Civil Recovery teams and he is then surprised that most people think he is a liar. Since the costs of the SIPT and the Civil Recovery teams are expected to be a minimum of $33m the Governor expects that the FCO appointed judiciary will make recovery orders in favour of government of a minimum of $66m, if not substantially more. That type of commentary from the representative of a body that holds absolute power is inappropriate and wholly incompatible with good governance. It sends and puts inappropriate messages in the minds of the judiciary. What would you do if you were a judge and you saw your boss changing

the constitutional right to trial by jury to secure convictions of specific individuals, changing the Proceeds of Crime Ordinance, proposing changes to the rules on hearsay to erode the rights of his targets, changing the law specifically to forgive its debts and then implementing other laws to specifically appropriate $10m from others. The judiciary would certainly be justified in thinking that their boss is a bully who carries and wields a big stick and for having some concern for their careers if they breach the trust that has been placed in them. To be clear I am not suggesting that the local judiciary is more inclined to improper influences than any other group of judges and indeed I understand that there’re at least one or two very fine judges among the group but when you strip a judge of his robes he is just like everyone else underneath and he is given to the same human frailties as the rest of us. The Governor is spending approximately $10m a year to finance the SIPT and Civil Recovery teams, which is substantially more, by many factors, than he is spending on the judiciary. The courts for instance have sometimes been out of toner and could not copy documents and they regularly lack basic office supplies. Staffing levels are appallingly inadequate with the Supreme Court lacking a registrar for some time now. There is no proper library for the judiciary which is unimaginable when you consider that the judiciary is expected to dispense justice. That is like for instance asking a contractor to build you a house without proper tools, and this is only just

scraping at the very long list of ills. China if accused of this type of engineering on one hand and utter disregard for its courts on the other hand would be utterly embarrassed. If the Governor treats the courts in this miserly way it is highly unlikely that any of the SIPT’s defendants who may lack adequate resources to defend themselves will get from Government anywhere close to the type of resources that is being thrown at the SIPT. The question therefore is whether the FCO is looking for justice or whether it is looking for convictions. To that question I think Washington Misick was sensible when he expressed the sentiment that it is highly unlikely that his brother will receive a fair trial. Likewise the current SIPT defendants have every right to be seriously concerned about the judicial system but that is not entirely the point of this letter. Let me ask the other question; the one that is in everyone’s subconscious: Where is Mike and is he going to show up to be questioned and inevitably, given the amount of money that the SIPT has spent on their investigations and the type of overhauling and booby trapping that the Governor has undertaken on our laws, be charged and then convicted? It appears that with all its scheming and after spending $33m of our money on the SIPT with much more to go, the FCO has given Mr Misick the perfect excuse not to show up and take part in this puppet show that it has masquerading as a judicial system. Whether you love Mr Misick or hate him, what sensible person would encourage him to show up? Peter Jennings

COMMENTARY

Rights and the mills of God

Everyday we hear about rights. Woman rights, man’s rights, student’s rights; the right to life, gay rights, the right to health care and free education; and the right to free speech, but free speech can be the tool of a devil or a mill of God. There are limits to rights. While we have free speech, we cannot slander someone and cause his or her reputation to be damaged. The internet has compromised this. May I suggest that any opinion signed by someone who uses a false name, or no name be carefully examined. This does not mean that anything provided by an anonymous writer is wrong or statements published over a name are right.

By David Tapfer Not long ago a sense of intimidation was afoot in the TCI. If you spoke out against what the government was up to your other rights were in jeopardy. Now however we hear and read the most unprincipled outrageous criticism where outright insults replace

logical thought. On British, USA or TCI media, journalists’ opinions are often presented as fact. Stations and web sites promote whole political agendas. They peddle influence, sometimes it is well founded influence, but often it is not. The way to evaluate the journalist or that particular media is to look at the results. I have in mind a certain TCI commentator long in the political arena. First, he supported one party then he moved to the other arena and began to tear down his old associates. Later he left the second party and began anew to attack his former friends from behind a screen. Personal failures in politics and business have painted him into a corner. He seems a bitter, lost soul.

I am also thinking of three private businessmen who felt what was happening in the TCI was wrong. They had their business attacked by politicians who had stepped on everyone’s rights. They took to politics themselves and in one year, these three men brought down a strong administration; one that had overtaken the longest serving government. A government that moving into opposition failed for well over the previous three years to accomplish what the fateful three did in one. The jealous commentator on the outside tried to assume some credit and failing took the low road mounting a sour grapes campaign against these three. The three gave of their time and resources and finally one by one

returned to their business pursuits. They had to address their family responsibilities. The commentators’ destructive manipulation continues including questionable people and a senior with a reputation of being unconnected and used. The country has lost something. Articulate leaders with plans and principles. They have been turned off because of lack of appreciation for their achievement and the distraction of the people from across the sea. Now a strange light has been shown on the manipulator and is expected to pan over his group. The mills of God grind exceedingly slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

NATIONAL

autism awareness By Nicole Cox, a mother living with autism

The ecstatic Enid Capron bunch

Beaches fetes over 100 teachers on appreciation day

Over 100 teachers from Enid Capron Primary and Clement Howell High School visited Beaches Resorts Villages and Spa last week to celebrate Teacher’s Appreciation day in style for the 2012 Education Week. The appreciation luncheon hosted by the resort’s philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation, corporate sponsor for both government schools, saw an exciting group of 32 teachers from Five Cays based Enid Capron and another 52 from the nation’s largest high school along and 3 PTA executives. Principal Enid Capron Primary Rachel Taylor, said, “It is nice to be appreciated for the all the work that we do here at Enid Capron, this luncheon was the highlight of our Education Week activities, my teachers were ecstatic! “A few hours at Beaches made a great difference, the ambiance of the resort’s Giuseppe’s Restaurant certainly allowed my teachers to relax in style and enjoy the decadent meal and desserts options provided by the resort,” she concluded,

The CHHS’ hard working team

“This was a great way to celebrate Teacher’s Appreciation day, we are very grateful.” PTA President for Clement Howell High School, Joan Harry, adding her bit noted that teachers are not the highest paid professionals, but their job is one of the most important jobs in the Turks & Caicos. “Teachers go out of their way to help motivate and inspire our kids, I am glad the PTA was able to collaborate with Beaches and the Sandals Foundation to celebrate their amazing contribution to our children,” she said. This is the first time the foundation has hosted an Education Week teacher’s luncheon for both schools in one week, and the charity is looking forward to working diligently with the group of educators not only to enhance the overall operation of the schools but also work to closely with the teachers by providing support. Organizer of the Luncheon and Public Relations Manager for the Resort, Elanor Finfin Krzanowski, said, “Teachers are the ones who

provide education for pupils and in turn shape the future of the Turks & Caicos Islands and that position deserves to be recognized and most of all celebrated.” “I am so happy the Sandals Foundation was able to host the first of many Teacher’s Appreciation celebration for the wonderful men and women who go above and beyond the call of duty at all of our sponsored schools.” Other tokens included several gift items donated by the Sandals Foundation, The RedLane Spa at Beaches, the Parents and Teachers Association, Digicel, LIME and gas vouchers courtesy of R&J Tire shop. Sandals and Beaches Resorts has adopted a total of 27 schools across the Caribbean and has supported thousands of teachers that are responsible for nurturing future presidents, billionaires, business tycoons, and history makers of the Caribbean. The foundation works closely with them to provide practical support by helping to maintain the school curriculum and education.

Josiah, aged four

Sibling rivalry! PART two

Our youngest daughter, Adaiya, is not nearly as diplomatic as our oldest daughter when it comes to dealing with big brother Jo! Personality plays a huge role in the dynamic between children, and this kid’s personality is the polar opposite of Josiah! Addie is almost three-yearsold and does not always see the point in asking Jo to share food, toys or anything he may have in his possession. She does not always see the point because she has learned from experience that he may not always respond to her requests. As all children would do, seeing that the objective is CLEARLY to get what you want, she simply takes Jo’s stuff and walks off to contentment! OK! Not acceptable. Now fellow parents, here is a teaching moment bonus round! We have several lessons that must be taught between the two children so hang on to your patience for dear life and let’s go! Lesson 1: Jo will come crying to me that he wants whatever the confiscated item may be. I will tell him, go ask Addie for the item. He will most likely NOT want to do it because that requires extra language with a difficult respondent. So, he will go a few steps and then turn back to me in tears. I already gave him the directive, so now I must walk him to Addie for him to follow through. Lesson 2: Once in Addie’s hallowed presence, I will then prompt Jo to beseech her majesty for the item that was his in the first place. This involves making sure that he is looking her directly in the face and gesturing properly with his hands. There must also be full sentences using her name. He must learn that emotional outbursts do not get him what he wants. He must utilize the language he has learned. Lesson 3: I must then instruct her royal highness that she must unconditionally return the item to Jo if he asks for it properly. This will most likely be received with a disapproving scowl and reluctant compliance. Lesson 4: Josiah must be prompted to give eye contact and a “Thank you.” Lesson 5: Her Grace must reciprocate with, “You’re welcome.” Lesson 6: She must then be re-directed to a new toy or activity with the understanding that she must find replacement activities rather than enacting the plan of toy reconnaissance that I KNOW has already been constructed in her scheming preschool mind! Good Times!! Now, this is not reflective of slightly more complicated processes such as actually SHARING the item in contention. Nor is it exemplary of the even more complicated concept of “If you can’t share it, then Mommy takes it away from everyone!” Ah, the variations are endless! The bottom line is that one has to think in broad strokes and fine lines when the unavoidable, perfectly natural, sibling conflicts arise, especially if there is a Typical vs. Special Needs situation. There must be an understanding that social courtesies within the bounds of the skills acquired must always be adhered to. Jo gets no pass due to his disability and Addie gets no pass if he cannot “toughen up” and deal with her independently. It must all be taught. Find more on autism at: DawnProgram.blogspot.com and ILoveABA. blogspot.com Next Week: “Sibling Rivalry!” pt. 3

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NATIONAL

Tamika Dean Handfield is LIME’s Early Pay winner It paid to be the early bird with LIME for Tamika Handfield, who captured the top prize of $1000 cash in the company’s winners in the Pay Early promo. The top winner said, “Thanks LIME for choosing me as a winner in your Pay Early promotion. This just shows what can happen when you can be surprised in doing every day activities like paying bills.” Customers have won several prizes in these kinds of promotion and along with Handfield, Ms.

Thanks LIME for choosing me as a winner in your Pay Early promotion - Tamika Handfield

bring your yoga mat at Graceway Sports Centre every Saturday at 9am and let David Bowen lead you into the wonderful world of yoga! Amazing fees for an amazing class! More info at 442-6348”

Friday, March 16  Danny Buoy’s is Provo’s premier live music and sports destination, serving lunch and dinner daily from 11:30am. It is the perfect place to escape from the heat and hang with friends, all in smoke free air-conditioned comfort. Happy Hour specials from 4-7pm Monday-Saturday

 Mums and Tots Dance Party classes are held every Saturday at Graceway Sports Centre for mothers and their little ones. Mothers, bring your little ones to dance, jump, twist and shake! Children have fun learning movement basics to fun music and mums get a light exercise while spending quality time. Mums and Tots classes begin at 10am and cost just $10. Dads are welcome! Call Shara Bowen on 244-1103 for more details.

Sunday, March 18  Rotary Bingo has a new home at CLUB PILLOWS in the Bight next to Smokey’s (Opposite Veranda Resort) EVERY SUNDAY! Doors open at 7:00 pm

Thursday, March 22

The students are intent as Dr Denise BraithwaiteTennant explains to them the workings of the hospital

‘Career Day is part of Education Week and we hope to make it a regular annual event,’ Mrs RoweBlythe said, adding her bit. One of the highlights of the tour was a demonstration by local EMTs of the ambulance and its functions, and how one becomes an EMT. Two students experienced being

secured on a stretcher and loaded onto an ambulance to the envy of the other students. The tour concluded in the ReFresh canteen, where Executive Chef Michael Williams emphasised the importance of a healthy diet and showed how the food served at the hospital considers this.

Youngsters to name new police boat A group of TCI children have been handed a unique opportunity to make nautical history. The RTCI Police is set launch a new patrol boat next month. The vessel, which was confiscated by customs officials and given to the Maritime Division, is currently in dry dock being re-fitted and painted in police colours. However, it does not have is a name – a task Commissioner Colin Farquhar has turned over to Provo Sailing Club. The Commissioner has invited members of the junior section to come up with a suitable name and is offering a prize for the best suggestion. Farquhar said, “The vessel is a very welcome addition to the police

Friday, March 16 to Sunday, March 25

Pramila Patel received $300 account credit and Mrs. Marie Grenier saw $200 account credit as the third prize. General Manager, Drexwell Seymour commented, “LIME is relevant – we are living in a time when companies need to be proactive about touching the lives of customers. Congratulations to the winners and to those other winners who would enjoy the surprise call of “you are a winner with LIME” in the next promotion.

Career options outlined in school’s Grand Turk hospital trip Students from Newman’s Preparatory School in Grand Turk had career options outlined to them during a visit to the Cockburn Town Medical Centre as part of Career Day. Led by Principal Tracy-Ann Rowe-Blythe, the youngsters, aged between eight and eleven, were given a full tour by Hospital Administrator/ Emergency Medicine Physician Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant. ‘The idea was to show them that there are many more roles in a hospital in addition to doctors and nurses,’ Dr Braithwaite said. ‘For instance, we have a lot of equipment, from medical hardware to computers, so we need engineers and IT Specialists to operate and maintain it. There’s a lot more to a hospital than meets the eye.’ The tour took the children from the reception area through departments including the laboratory, surgical suite, radiography, physiotherapy and the emergency room and they met key staff members along the way, each of whom said a few words about their job and what happens in their department.

this week

service and will be a huge asset in the fight against crime in the TCI. “When it came to naming the boat we wanted to get the community involved and what better way than to enlist the help of the young members of Provo Sailing Club. “I am delighted they have accepted the challenge and we look forward to seeing what I am sure will be some very innovative ideas.” The boat, which was previously known as the Tia Marie, is a 35ft Triton, powered by three 250hp outboard engines. It is a fast response craft capable of reaching speeds up to 50mph. The refurbished vessel will be used for search and rescue operations, patrolling territorial waters, combating illegal migrant

trafficking, fighting drug and arms smuggling and providing other logistic support. Provo Sailing Club secretary, Robin Spruce, said the organisation is “honoured” to be asked to help name the vessel. He said, “This is an excellent craft and one that is sure to be of great benefit to the police. The club is very honoured to have been asked and the juniors are already thinking long and hard about a name. “The club’s junior section is thriving, with children from all corners of the island coming together to learn to sail. “The community is at the heart of what we do and working on an initiative like this with the police further strengthens that relationship.”

 Get into the weekend mood with the intense and electrifying Tae-Bo class at Graceway Sports Centre from 6pm to 7pm. Free for fitness members, $12 for non-members. Visit www.gracewaysports.com for more information or call 442-6349.  Craig Archibold gets the party started at the Regent Palms from 7pm on Friday nights with the sound of classic Caribbean and Motown tunes. Call 9468666 for details Saturday, March 17

 The Weekly Community and Farmers’ Market organised by TCI Red Cross is on at the organization’s headquarters, opposite Lime on the Leeward Highway in Providenciales, from 10am to 2pm. Persons will be able to purchase freshly grown produce and locally sourced items. For more information on the Weekly Community and Farmers’ Market call (649) 247-8911. With regard to the TCI Red Cross’ services or how you can volunteer or donate, contact our Provo office on (649) 941-8056 or email redcrossprovo@tciway.tc OR for Grand Turk call (649) 946-2761 or Email:tciredcross@tciway.tc  If you’re looking for a serene and relaxed way of starting your weekend,

 Weekly Foreign a Fare night every Thursday at the Bohio Dive Resort (Grand Turk) from 6:30 p.m. Each week different dishes from a different region in the world. Previous nights have included Italian, Spanish, English, Indian, Chinese, Moroccan, South African and Thai. For details, call 946-2135 or go to www.bohioresort.com946-2135

Friday, March 23  Mr. & Miss Clement Howell High Pageant, 2012, is on starting at 18:00hours at the Clement Howell High School’s Auditorium. Refreshments will be on sale and the first 10 males are free!

Sunday, March 25  Ashcroft School presents their ‘EASTER FAIR’ at the Ashcroft School. Bring the kids out and enjoy a Sunday afternoon there will be an Easter egg hunt, cookie and egg decorating, bounce houses, BBQ and drinks! A great way to spend time with family and friends in anticipation of Easter! See you there!”

Got an event you wish to advertise? Call us on 946 4664 or email tcweeklynews@ gmail.com for a free listing.

Lifestyle...

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

Mind, Body & Soul 

Joanne is a Registered Psychologist in Canada and in TCI. Joanne has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. Joanne holds certificates in marriage counselling, crisis interventions, autism treatments, and play therapy. She is a board member on the Canadian Association for Child & Play Therapy and does assessments and counselling for all ages.

The ins and outs of play therapy What is It? How does it work? Play therapy is to a child what counselling is to an adult. Play

Green Cabbage Caldo Verde

The national soup of Portugal. Classic peasant food that is very quick and easy to make with strong simple flavors. A fast winter warmer. Ingredients • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 onion, finely chopped • 3 cloves garlic, crushed • 6 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced • 1 pound cabbage, thinly sliced • 2 quarts water • 8 ounces Portuguese chourico sausage, casing removed, sliced 1/4-inch thick • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika • 2 teaspoons salt • pepper to taste • olive oil Directions 1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes. Add sliced potatoes and half of the cabbage, cook until the cabbage wilts, about 3 minutes. 2. Pour in water, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, then cover, and simmer until the potatoes have softened, about 15 minutes. 3. Carefully puree the soup in batches until smooth, then return to the stove over medium heat. Add sausage and remaining cabbage; season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover, and cook for 5 minutes until the cabbage has softened. 4. To serve, ladle into large flat soup plates and drizzle with generous amount of olive oil. (Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving Calories: 456 | Total Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 26mg)

therapy is particularly beneficial for those ages 3 to 12. Play therapy includes various methods such as therapeutic storytelling, role playing, puppets, sand trays, art, music, clay, and therapeutic games. Play therapy is an approach that is supported by research to assist children in overcoming their issues and developing their coping mechanisms. There are numerous reasons for using play therapy. To begin with, the cognitive development of children exceeds their language development; therefore, children communicate their world through play, which is their language. Moreover, toys represent words for children and playing with these toys are children’s ways of resolving problems. Play allows children to represent their inner world through toys or art (symbols). For example, a child who has seen a pedestrian get hit by a car would likely replay this situation in play. The therapist then works with the children through play to overcome

Since play therapy does not depend on children speaking, it is a way for those who are resistance or shy to express themselves in a more comfortable format

Joanne Gobeil

Registered Psychologist

their issues. Since play therapy does not depend on children speaking, it is a way for those who are resistance or shy to express themselves in a more comfortable format. Additionally, play therapy is of great benefit to children who have speech delays and who are not able to communicate with words. On the other hand, children will sometimes hide what they are feeling and resist talking about their problems. In this case, for children who use their words to hide their feelings and for those who have advanced verbal skills, play therapy allows their problems to still surface and be dealt with. Allowing children to express their

world through the use of symbols and play provides them with the opportunity to express emotionally charged events in a more relaxed and less threatening manner. Some children find it easier to express their feelings through objects and play. As an example, a child may find it difficult to talk about how they are bullied at school and they may find it easier to work through this problem in play. Thus, play permits children to distance themselves from their emotional experiences by transferring their feelings onto objects. When children resolve their conflicts through play, it improves their coping abilities and promotes healthy living. At the same time, play lets children explore the unknown in a safe manner. Most importantly, play empowers children and frees them from their worries. Play therapy has shown to be

beneficial for a variety of concerns including learning disabilities, abuse and neglect, aggression, attachment difficulties, autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, grief, self-esteem, and withdrawal. If you believe that your child could benefit from play therapy feel free to contact Joanne for further information. Joanne has advanced training in play therapy through the Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Association in Canada and she is on the board of directors for the Canadian Association for Child and Play Therapy. Joanne has certificates in the Play Based Treatment of Trauma, Portable Play Based School Counselling, and Sandplay Therapy. As well, Joanne has a fully equipped play therapy room at her office. Caribbean Psychological Services, #114 Neptune Plaza, Sandcastle Road, Grace Bay, Providenciales, (649)432-6956.

vegetable; it contains lactic acid that acts to disinfect cancer; • It can also be used to reduce headache pain; • It is in its anti-cancer properties

and is also said to be able to treat other skin conditions; and drinking cabbage juice from the stem is a good remedy for ulcers.

health Tip  By Phillip Simmons

Green cabbage According to research, Green Cabbage is a popular vegetable that is used for cooking and is also known for its medicinal properties (it is said to contain chemical that can prevent cancer). The history of its uses can be traced back to the Greek era, where the Greeks used fresh white cabbage juice to relieve sore or infected eyes. During that time, the Romans and Egyptians would drink cabbage juice

before meals to prevent intoxication. Some of the health benefits of green cabbage are:

• It

anti-inflammatory

March 17 - 23, 2012

Lifestyle...

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

The Dentist and you 

YOUR DIET

Mark Osmond BDS (Lond) LDS RCS (Eng). Mark Osmond Dental Clinic - (649) 432 3777, drmosmond@gmail.com or Find us on Facebook

ASK TAMIKA

BY TAMIKA HANDFIELD

Tamika graduated from Florida International University in Miami with a Masters degree in Dietetics & Nutrition. She is a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and licensed to practice medical nutrition therapy in the state of Florida. Email Tamika via tcweeklynews@gmail.com or tamikahandfield@yahoo.com with your healthy eating questions.

RDs and you

Dental emergencies – Vol I

A dental emergency is something that no-one is able to foresee but, like any emergency, if you can remain calm and know ahead of time the correct steps to follow, you are best placed for handling it correctly and minimizing long term damage. In many dental emergency situations the steps you take immediately can have significant consequences. It may be the difference between saving or losing a tooth or teeth. As a general point I would advise having the contact number’s of your dentist, doctor and hospital programmed into your phone. Below I have started to detail common emergency issues and the best way of dealing with them. As there is quite a lot of information to cover, this will be a three part article which will continue over the next few of weeks. Knocked out tooth- this applies to permanent (second) teeth only The tooth should be retrieved. Hold the tooth by the crown (the white part you usually see in the mouth) and rinse it gently in water if it is dirty. Do not attempt to scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If you are able, try and gently reinsert the tooth back into the original hole (socket) but do not force it. If this is not possible, place the tooth in a cup of regular milk or

Dr Mark Osmond BDS (Lond) LDS RCS (Eng)

saline solution (salt water). In either case you need to see your dentist immediately. A tooth that has been completely knocked out and then re-implanted will need to be splinted. It is common that it will require root canal treatment. Teeth that have been knocked out have the highest chance of being saved if the patient is seen by a dentist and the tooth reinserted within a one hour period of it being knocked out. Partially dislodged tooth- this applies to permanent (second) teeth only If a tooth is very loose but not completely out, try to hold it in place and if possible gently push it back into the correct position. You should see your dentist as soon as possible. In the immediate term you can apply a cold compress to the outside of the mouth or cheek to help relieve pain and reduce swelling. You can also take an over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). When you see the dentist an

x-ray will be taken to establish whether the tooth has just moved in the socket or has been broken off at the root. If the tooth is intact the dentist will try to move the tooth back into position and then splint it in order to keep it stable within the jaw bone while it heals. At this stage it is not possible to know whether the tooth has died from the trauma. If the tooth has a fractured root then the prognosis for the tooth has to be carefully assessed; some teeth can survive with treatment but often the only option is extraction. If the patient is young and the root formation not complete (under 9 years), it is possible for a tooth to survive being knocked out and remain alive. If this is not the case a root canal treatment will be commenced. Please note the above information applies to adult teeth only. Do not attempt to re-implant or replace knocked out deciduous (baby) teeth. This could potentially damage the forming adult tooth within the gum. If a baby tooth has been knocked out or has become dislodged, see you dentist as soon as possible. If you are able, bring the tooth with you. Please look out for the next installment of this article which will discuss dental emergencies concerned with loose or lost crowns, bridges and fillings, chipped teeth and toothache.

On March 14th, we celebrated Registered Dietitian Day. It is time when Registered Dietitians (RD) showcase our profession and our scope of practice. This celebration is mainly observed in the United States but as a RD, I would like to join my American colleagues in highlighting some of the areas RDs can be of assistance to you. So many times people ask me “do you give out meal plans?” My answer is usually a reluctant yes because it is such a minute part of my overall responsibilities as a medical professional. There are many dietitians who are involved in Education and Research, Public Health/ Community work, Clinical/Hospital work, Food Industry, Business ventures and so much more! With the help from my colleagues at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), I have compiled a partial list highlighting some of the areas we can help you improve your health. 1. You have pre-diabetes (or any other chronic disease) and want to stave off diabetes. A registered dietitian can change your life by teaching you skills that will help you lose and keep off weight and keep diabetes at bay. 2. Your community has high levels of obesity. A registered dietitian can work with public health, government, school and other local leaders to create wellness programs that promote healthful eating and physical activity for everyone. 3. You are a marketing manager for a large food company and know consumers’ preference for good-tasting food that is healthy. A registered dietitian can make the connection and work with your food scientists to develop new products that will be successful in the marketplace. 4. You want to improve your performance in sports. A registered dietitian can help you set goals to achieve results — whether you’re running a marathon, skiing or jogging with your dog. 5. You have had gastric bypass surgery or other gastrointestinal problem such as IBS or GERD. A registered dietitian will work with you to develop an eating plan for your nutritional needs and minimize painful symptoms. 6. Your mother, who is increasing in age, wants to stay in her home. A registered dietitian can visit the home and do a complete nutrition assessment of the patient and home to ensure she has the necessary tools to prevent malnutrition. 7. You are a new mom and you are very concerned that your baby is not eating enough nutrients to support her growth. A registered dietitian can provide guidance that will ensure you and your infant are getting enough iron, vitamin D, fluoride and B vitamins. 8. You are the General Manager at a major resort and realize many of your guests want great tasting food prepared in a more health conscious manner. A registered dietitian can work closely with the Executive Chef to develop a new menu that satisfies your taste buds but does not send you into a cardiac arrest.

ACCU Medical Nutrition is based in Graceway IGA Plaza, Providenciales. Call 946 8308, 242 3978 or 442 3978.

Regional News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Airlines join fight against Britain’s Air Passenger Duty CARIBBEAN countries opposed to Britain’s controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD) have received support from international carriers and the World Travel &Tourism Council (WTTC) to get London to revisit the measure. The WTTC said new research shows that removing the APD would result in an additional 91 000 British jobs being created and £4.2 billion (US$6.5 billion) added to the economy within a year. “Air Passenger Duty is a completely disproportionate tax on people’s holidays and is hitting business travel hard. When the economy needs help, it is economically illogical to continue with a tax that costs the country some 91,000 jobs and as much as £4.2 billion,” said WTTC president David Scowsill. “This tax is damaging the economy at a crucial time and is having a negative effect on trade with countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. We urge the UK government to recognize the impact

on the overall economy and reduce Air Passenger Duty.” WTTC said that in the next 12 months, the United Kingdom government will collect £2.8 billion in extra tax from air travellers, far more than any other country in the world. On Monday, a number of leading international airlines, including British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osbourne to suspend the planned APD scheduled for April 1, pending the outcome of an independent study of the economic effects of such a tax rise. The airlines said that eight per cent increase will reduce passenger numbers and hinder the UK’s economic recovery. “We are confident such a study would show that APD’s damage to economic activity outweighs the revenue obtained. It is irresponsible of the Treasury, if it is serious about pursuing economic growth, to keep piling on APD increases without

conducting a study of this kind,” the airlines said in a joint The airlines argue that the pending increases would mean that a family of four flying from the UK to the Caribbean would have to pay close to £400 (US$625.08) in taxes. In 2005 such a family would have paid a total of £80 (US$125.06) in taxes. “These endless cumulative increases in APD are pricing families out of flying – both from and to the UK. That means fewer visitors to the UK, which destroys jobs in our tourism, aviation and hospitality industries - and chokes off opportunities for young people at a time of exceptional youth unemployment,” the airlines added. Caribbean countries as well as the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) have been lobbying London to revise the fiscal measure and Grenada’s Tourism Minister Peter David, described the measure as not only negative but discriminatory. (CMC)

For Caribbean Bloc, it’s adapt or perish MORE than a decade of efforts to promote closer socioeconomic cooperation among the 15 nations of the Caribbean Community is threatened by stagnant funding and a grim global financial situation, experts have warned. Their long-awaited report was made public at the CARICOM grouping’s biannual summit that ended in Suriname last weekend. It was written by a team of independent consultants contracted by CARICOM in 2010 to analyse the bloc’s effectiveness and future prospects. But while the report, titled “Turning around CARICOM: Proposals to restructure the Secretariat”, it warned of a grim future.The end of summit communiqué took the “firm view that the integration movement has continued to make great strides ever since the signing of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas” which governs the integration movement in 2001. St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas conceded that the world in which CARICOM was born “is no more” and that geopolitical, socioeconomic, and other global stresses have caused “our operational landscape to be ever-changing, and our problem-solving challenges ever more complex. “CARICOM, therefore, must continue to adapt and re-invent itself – never in terms of our undergirding values, purpose, and principles, of course - but certainly in terms of

St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas conceded that the world in which Caricom was born “is no more”. (Credit:UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz)

how we function, how we operate, the extent to which we are, or are not, efficient, effective, relevant with a sharper focus on being more results oriented.” He warned that “CARICOM must position itself to become more meaningfully engaged, though not subsumed, into other regional groupings.” There are specific reasons behind Douglas’s concerns. The global economic crisis has hit the region hard, particularly as it impacts funding from traditional donors like the European Union. The Caribbean Single Market and Economy, considered CARICOM’s flagship project, is a key area where progress has been slow. The report said that if CARICOM, now observing its 38th year, and other regional institutions continue

to struggle for funds, they could collapse in another four to five years. The operating budget of the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat has remained stagnant at just under 20 million dollars for the past four years, despite inflation and an increasing workload of international travel, commissioned studies and other tasks. Requests for additional funding have been denied as member governments blame harsh economic times, the report noted, adding that many member countries are highly indebted and struggling to meet domestic and international commitments. For example, Belize, the Central American CARICOM member state, is the 13th most indebted country in the world and faces a schedule of rising interest rates over the next 12 months. Suriname’s President Desi Bouterse, who has assumed the chairmanship of the 15-member regional grouping, said that the in-depth analysis of CARICOM institutions “must lead us to a better way of doing things, a faster response to false starts and wrong directions”. Veteran Caribbean journalist Rickey Singh wrote that while the central message of the Suriname summit “is an assurance that the long recognised and recommended overall of the Secretariat should soon get underway”, there is indeed a caveat.

March 17 - 23, 2012

Girl on girl sexual attacks in Jamaican schools a worry – principals THE GROWING problem of sexual attacks on young girls by older girls at some schools has attracted the attention of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS). The issue has also caught the attention of Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon Harrison. Following a local newspaper report on Friday last about the struggles facing the leadership of a prominent Corporate Area allgirls high school in dealing with the problem, president of JAPSS, Sharon Reid, admitted that this was a problem in some schools. Reid told The Gleaner that the matter would be a major item of discussion at its retreat scheduled for May under the theme ‘Facing Challenges of Leadership Together’. However, Reid said the association would not be focusing only on the problem of sexual harassment. She said the principals would be looking at challenges to societal norms in general and the problems these present. “We will be addressing it but in

the wider context of challenges we face in a changed culture. “This is only one tip of the iceberg as we seek to cope with the challenges to societal norms that they (some students) have accepted as acceptable behaviour and the pressures that these young people are getting from a society telling them that there is a paradigm shift now and certain behaviours are OK,” she said. In the meantime, the children’s advocate said while the issue has been highlighted in one school, her office has been getting information that it exists in others as well. She said the issue had been overlooked for too long and it was now time for action. “We want persons to recognise that the problem exists and we need to engage all the stakeholders and craft a policy to handle these issues in schools because homosexuality is becoming pervasive and there are lots of implications,” she argued. According to Gordon Harrison, there needs to be a public-education campaign to sensitise the offenders about the breaches they are committing.

Bahamian PM would not take too long to call elections PRIME MINISTER Hubert Ingraham said this week he does not plan to “take advantage” of the 90-day period available to him after the House of Assembly is dissolved before he calls the general election in the Bahamas. As he remained tightlipped over the actual date voters will head to the polls, Mr Ingraham maintained the House will be dissolved on or before May 23. According to the Constitution, Parliament must be dissolved five years after the first sitting of the House. The first meeting of Parliament after the May 2, 2007, election was on May 23. “I must dissolve the House on the 22 of May,” Mr Ingraham said. “If I don’t dissolve on the 23 of May, the House will be automatically dissolved by itself by operation of the Constitution.” Mr Ingraham said: “The day

Hubert Ingraham said he would not take advantage of the 90-day period after Parliament is dissolved.

after, election must be called within 90 days, three months after the 22 of May. I don’t propose to take advantage of that period, the 90 days, so sometime between now and the 23 of May the House will be dissolved.” (Tribune242.com)

Man charged for raping teenage daughter A BUSINESSMAN was on Tuesday arrested and charged for several counts of sexually assaulting his 15-year-old daughter. The 41-year-old man was collared by cops from the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA) for having

forceful anal sex and raping the child. The businessman, who is of a Chancery Lane address, has also been charged with sexual touching and grievous sexual assault on the teen. He is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. (Jamaican Observer.com)

March 17 - 23, 2012

Regional News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

CARICOM to send delegation to Anguilla, reiterates position on Turks and Caicos Islands

Marsha Hepburn Peters and her children have vanished without a trace.

Mother and four children missing in the Bahamas POLICE are extremely concerned about the safety of a family of five after they disappeared without a trace over the weekend. Marsha Hepburn Peters, 34, and her four children - Joel, 12, Shamar, 8, Charis, 6, and Zion, 2 - became the subject of a widespread police search after they went missing on Sunday between 1am and 6am.

Few details became available, but senior officers said there may be cause to worry. Anyone who may have information concerning the whereabouts of the Peters family, who live on Lottie Tynes Boulevard in Millenium Gardens, is asked to call police urgently on 502-9991, 502-9910 or Crime Stoppers on 328TIPS. (Tribune242.com)

6,060 years in prison for former Guatemalan soldier A GUATEMALAN court convicted a former soldier for his role in a 1982 massacre and sentenced him to more than 6,000 years in prison. Pedro Pimentel Rios is the fifth former soldier convicted of atrocities for the killing of 250 people in the village of Dos Erres during the country’s civil war. Pimentel was extradited from the United States to Guatemala in July 2011. Relatives of the victims said justice was late, but it finally came. “By the grace of God I feel quite happy, because really you can see that justice is being done. ... It was an atrocity, what they did,” said Ramiro Osorio, whose parents and siblings were killed in the massacre. The evidence presented by the prosecution and the testimonies of the witnesses proved that Pimentel was involved in the killings, Judge Irma Valdez said Monday. He was sentenced to 30 years each for 201 of the Dos Erres killings and another 30 on a charge of crimes against humanity. The former soldier told family members of the victims in court that he was shocked by what happened, but denied involvement in the massacre and argued that Guatemalan authorities were influenced by foreign interests in the case.

Pedro Pimentel Rios is the fifth former soldier convicted of atrocities for the killing of 250 people in the village of Dos Erres during the country’s civil war.

“Now a group of liars are graduating, and this trial is the exam, and they passed it. Everything they said was believed,” he said. The judge ruled that Pimentel was part of a special unit known as the Kaibiles, who stormed the village, thinking that residents were hiding left-wing guerrillas. Last year, four other former soldiers -- Carlos Antonio Carias Lopez, Reyes Collin Guali, Daniel Martinez Mendez and Manuel Pop Sun -- were also sentenced to more than 6,000 years in prison for the same massacre.

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, March 12, CMC – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders are to send a delegation to Anguilla “at the earliest opportunity” in a bid to defuse the “public tension” between the Governor William Alistair Harrison and the Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes. At their just concluded Intersessional summit here, the regional leaders said they had also discussed the situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) where London has replaced the elected government pending fresh general elections more than two years ago. Regarding Anguilla, the leaders commented on the “prevailing situation where public tensions between the Governor and Chief Minister persist. “Heads of Government expressed their grave concern at the continuing deterioration in the governance arrangements in Anguilla and expressed the firm view that, at all times, the best interests of the people of Anguilla must be paramount, including due respect for the dulyelected government. “In this regard, Heads of Government called upon Anguilla’s leaders to safeguard public confidence in political leadership through constructive and objective discourse and reiterated the Caribbean,” the communiqué added. Hughes said during the Overseas Territories Conference in London last November, he reported to the delegates “that the Governor of Anguilla is a virtual dictator and that he manipulates every system…to suit his whim and fancy. “He also undermines the economy of Anguilla, but there is a conspiracy with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to make sure that Anguilla does not have a foreign economy. “My only way of sending that message is civil disobedience in Anguilla and this is what we will

conduct until the British government gets the message, because there is no way they will come in Anguilla and create a Turks and Caicos here,” a reference to the decision by London to suspend that island’s Constitution and rule it from Britain. London in August 2009 resumed daily administration of the affairs of this British Overseas Territory, disbanded the locally elected government and suspended the legislature after a Commission of Inquiry said it found widespread corruption under the administration of former premier Michael Misick. The former premier, who resigned in March 2009, after the commission made its findings public, in a statement this week called on all Turks and Caicos Islanders, churches and political parties to put differences aside and “unite to fight the common enemy — the British. In their communiqué, the regional

leaders reiterated “their concern at the continued situation of nonrepresentative government in the Associate Member of Turks and Caicos Islands. “They noted the reports of progress in the achievement of some of the eight milestones established by the UK as pre-requisites for the holding of elections on the islands. They reiterated the critical importance of holding elections at the earliest possible opportunity in order to ensure the return to democratic and representative government in the TCI and to promote the best interests of the people of that country. “They further underscored the importance of ensuring that the people of TCI are given the opportunity to express their individual voices on the process of constitutional reform currently underway, especially with regard to the composition of the electorate,” the communiqué added.

Bishop laments shortage of priests in the Caribbean THE CHALLENGE of attracting priests continues to bedevil the Roman Catholic Church. Recent church scandals and the influence of western culture are factors which have led to a shortage of Roman Catholic priests in the Caribbean, Bishop of St John’sBasseterre, in Antigua, Kenneth Richards has said. He told a recent interview with OBSERVER Media that in some parts of the world like Africa and the Philippines the response to the vocation is overwhelming, but the situation in our region is different. Richards said as bishop he would, “create the environment for young persons to hear that God is calling them.” “One of the obstacles that we

face is that parents do not have the generosity of spirit to allow their children to make such choice and then of course the scandals have not helped,” the head of the Roman Catholic Church here said. The majority of priests serving in the subregion come from Africa and some parts of Europe He said he was confident that “God will provide ministers” but added, “We have to create the means by which to stimulate and allow persons to hear the call and be able to nurture it.” The bishop, who has been on the job since January 5, 2012, said one of his aims, which he has already started working on, is to get more young men to respond to take up positions as priests.

Pakistani UN peacekeepers sentenced in Haiti rape case TWO U.N. peacekeepers from Pakistan have been sentenced to a year in prison for raping a 14-yearold Haitian boy after being convicted in a Pakistani military trial in Haiti, authorities said on Monday. U.N. spokeswoman Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg said judges from a Pakistani military tribunal came to the impoverished Caribbean nation to hold the trial that resulted in the conviction last week of the peacekeepers. They were found guilty in the rape of the boy in the northern city of Gonaives on Jan. 20. The two soldiers, who have

not been identified by name, were summarily discharged from the military and sentenced to a year behind bars in their homeland, the U.N. spokeswoman said. “The U.N. was informed last week by the Pakistani officials about the verdict, but MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti) did not have any involvement in the military judicial process that was led by military judges from Pakistan,” she added. It was the first time that members of the U.N. military on deployment in

Haiti have been tried and sentenced within its borders. The U.N. peacekeeping mission has faced a growing image problem in Haiti, with some of its members accused of responsibility for introducing a deadly cholera epidemic in earthquake-stricken country in 2010. Several peacekeepers have also been accused of rape, in addition to the Pakistanis, in cases that have fueled public protests and demands that members of the U.N. force be stripped of their immunity and face trial in Haitian courts. (Reuters)

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NATIONAL

High tea for charity GUESTS at a Grand Turk tea party enjoyed live performances, delicious food and a fun fashion show this weekend. Turks and Caicos Islands Red Cross hosted Saturday’s fabulous event at The Atrium at The Osprey Hotel on Pond Street. TCI Red Cross director Courtney Robinson said: “The TCI Red Cross is thankful to all that ventured out to support this fundraising initiative. “The High Tea and Fashion Show was a successful one - owing to our team of dedicated volunteers, the attendees who provided their custom and those that assisted with seeing to its success.” Guests were treated to a vocal performance by Renate Hinds, dance from The New Testament Church Fabulous Boys and Officer Dexter Landy who not only performed solos on his saxophone but also provided the event with DJ music. But the highlight of the event was the fashion show, with clothing provided by the TCI Red Cross thrift shop and Kaylee’s Boutique, situated

at the Grand Turk Inn. Attendees gave rousing rounds of applause as the models glided down the grand staircase, and made their way through the gorgeously decorated tables. The early evening filled with sophistication and civility combined with TCI Red Cross’ usual elegance and excellence in service. There was an assortment of cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pies, turnovers and scones, and plenty of exquisite teas. Spa Turquoise also put on a dollar raffle, in which the prize was a spa treatment valued at $100. It was won by Anna-Mae Williams and all proceeds from the raffle went to the Red Cross. Mrs Ann Dempsey won the second raffle, a gorgeous mirror valued at $150. Mr Robinson said: “We would like to express a profound thank you to The Osprey Beach Hotel, Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort and Spa, Grand Turk Methodist Church, Grand Turk Inn, Spa Turquoise, Turks and Caicos Islands Business College, HJRH high school home

economics students and teachers, the models, performers, Sandy Williams and Florence Bennett, our mistress

Discussing the effects of striking on tourism BUSINESS owners and hoteliers gathered together this Wednesday to discuss the effects of strike action on the tourism industry. Representatives of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA) held a meeting with government representatives to talk about a way forward. President of the TCHTA Karen Whitt said: “More than ever, we must work together as a community to preserve the tourism industry and protect our core missions. “I am determined that we will emerge from these times on course, united, and with a renewed focus on excellence.” Attendees were divided into groups and given an opportunity to collectively discuss the recent firefighter strikes and generate effective solutions for similar future challenges. Each group nominated a team leader to act as spokesperson and present their ideas.

The team leaders were Clayton Thomas, Dr Carlton Mills, Reonardo Harvey and Ramon Andrews. The groups communicated several ideas and courses of action, but there were three common threads which all groups mutually agreed would become the priority focus for the new committee. These were regular meetings with CSA leaders, annual job fairs and apprenticeship programmes, and community outreach projects. Following the presentations, a liaison committee was formed to work as a mediator between the civil servants, the tourism industry and the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Dr Carlton Mills will spearhead the new committee. Ralph Higgs, Director of Tourism at the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board, said: “We are pleased with the support that this new committee is purposed to provide, when our tourism industry and indeed our nation is faced with similar challenges in the future.

“The Tourist Board is also excited about its membership on the committee, which hopes to work with the CSA and the government to help prevent any future industrial action or lessen the fallout from them on our guests, our residents and the economy. “The Tourist Board believes that having improved lines of communication between all parties is critical for survival of the Turks and Caicos economy.” Mrs Stacy Cox, association executive of the TCHTA, concluded the meeting. She said: “On behalf of the TCHTA I would like to thank everyone who has come here this evening and participated in tonight’s discussions. “I look forward to working with the new committee toward the three new initiatives that were brought forth by all of you. “The TCHTA remains committed to acting on behalf of all its members and being the voice of unison.”

of ceremony. “We trust that the public supports all events that the TCI Red Cross host,

as we strive to provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

wishes

Congrats Christine Congratulations Christine Morden on earning the prestigious Master of Photography degree from Professional Photographers of America (PPA). Christine Morden is an award-winning Master and Certified Professional Photographer. Her images have been seen in the U.S. and around the world. Her work is sought after and published in publications such as Caribbean Travel & Life, Islands magazine, London Times, Destinations Wedding & Honeymoons, Elite Traveler, Real Life, Destinations Turks & Caicos and Discover magazine.

Send your special occasion to: Rebecca Bird, Weekly News, Cheshire House, Leeward Highway, PO Box 52, Providenciales or email to rebecca-bird@hotmail.com. Free of Charge!

Please limit your messages to 150 words.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

NATIONAL

The all-day event featured many games and activities for the enthusiastic fathers and sons.

The event was designed to encourage fathers to build a stronger relationship with their sons

Precious Treasures holds second boys day event Some say it takes a village to raise a child and while this may be true, the Boys Day Event at Precious Treasures was organized in an effort to maintain that fathers should be the ultimate example in the lives of their sons. The female students at Precious Treasures had a day off last Thursday as they made way for the male students and their fathers who were all dressed in t-shirts that read ‘Boys Day 2012’. It was the second annual event of its kind, designed specially to encourage fathers to build a stronger relationship with their sons. It is one of the many events held in observance of Education Week here in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

“This venture was on behalf of fathers and for fathers who assisted in the planning,” a female teacher proudly said. Mr. Chung, another teacher at precious Treasures pointed out that “we know where the problem lies; the reality is that our boys are in trouble and we really want to address that.” During the all-day event, enthusiastic fathers and sons played games, exercised, had lunch and spent private time together. They also participated in a discussion aimed at addressing questions and concerns from the boys. “Each activity was aimed at fostering a closer bond between fathers and sons” said Wilbert

Jennings, a parent on the committee involved in the execution of the event. Contributions were also made throughout the day by some fathers and respected members of the community including Pastor Bradley Handfield and Dr. Prince, a psychologist, who shared their views on how to be better fathers and even step fathers. Dr. Prince emphasised that boys sometimes pattern themselves after their fathers and having an active father in a child’s life results in many positive outcomes. He urged fathers to be more involved and not say “if you have a problem, go to your mommy.” He also urged fathers to be aware of their response to difficult

Jews gather in celebration of Purim Jewish people in Providenciales gathered last Thursday evening at the beautifully decorated Blue Note Longue at the Atrium in celebration of Purim Purim is a holiday that celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people from near annihilation in ancient Persia. The story told in the Book of Esther, speaks of how Queen Esther, with the persuasion of Mordecai, saved all the Jews from being destroyed by Haman. Rabbi Sholom Bluming from Chabad of the Turks and Caicos opened the evening’s events with the traditional reading of the story of Purim from the Scroll of Esther, also called the Megillah. “Although you might think that the story is one of nature, we are reminded of the great miracle that it is,” said Rabbi Sholom Bluming from Chabad of the Turks and Caicos. During the chanting, each mention of the evil Haman’s name was met with the loud crackling sounds of ‘graggers’ or noisemakers which the guests vigorously shook. This custom is meant to express their dislike of him. The other commandments in observance of this holiday include sending gifts of food to family and friends, giving charity to the poor and

For Jews, this day of deliverance is predominantly about feasting, rejoicing and giving thanks for the miracles in life

eating a festive meal accompanied by abundant drinks. Jewish music set the tone of this festive event as guests took part in various activities including dancing and face painting. In celebration, the adults wore additional party embellishments including hats and colourful garlands while the children were dressed in various costumes. Traditionally, attendees dressed like people from the Purim story but over time that has changed to include costumes like batman, a Pirate or even a Zombie.

As with any Jewish holiday, the evening’s celebration would only be complete with an abundance of food. The guests enjoyed a festive meal and traditional Hamantaschen cookies, as these are most popular to the Purim celebration. For Jews, this day of deliverance is predominantly about feasting and rejoicing as they express thanks for the miracles in life and try to bring joy to the world around them. Rabbi Bluming highlights that “Purim reminds us never to lose hope and to be grateful for the blessings we have in life.”

situations in the presence of their children saying, “Whatever you say and do, you are being modeled.” He also addressed health issues and encouraged healthy living habits. With an almost 90 percent turnout by fathers, the organizing committee was very happy with the response

and success of the event and hope that the event catches on throughout the Islands. A seemingly delighted Mr Jennings added “it is very important and it was really good that the father’s sacrificed the time as they are all working men.”

Society

By Kayla .D. Higgs

The divided team, Where the dead lives, Everyone wants but no one gives. The divided team, Who’s only mission is to shatter dreams, The place where people are worst than they seem, No one is nice, Everyone is mean, They saw what happened But no one came clean, They watched him suffer, They sat there and contributed to another broken dream. This team, Made up of so many, And the you’d think there’s some positive coming from this, There’s not even plenty, Dig your grave, then put flowers on it, Say a prayer, Then spend hours on it, and by saying it I mean YOU, A common chat is oh so very cheap, Trust me there will be something new on the street, So don’t find time to weep.... At the end of the day, None will say “my child you have done good, I’ll continue to pray” Silence, The team still continues to win, Many of its members will forever live in sin. (The Weekly News invites budding poets to submit their pieces for publication at tcweeklynews@gmail.com )

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NATIONAL

Grier Davis strikes a mean pose under the watchful gaze of executive producer Courtney Robinson

Patrick Caraballo holds for the camera

Vielka Salvador holds her pose

Michael Raird with an elegant gaze

Models prepare for big show YOUNG models were put through their paces at the weekend as they begin preparations for a huge spring show. The contenders for the upcoming 2012 TCI Top Model Contest and Fashion Extravaganza showed that they are fit for the catwalk this May. They strutted their stuff before executive producer and former model Courtney Robinson who gave them some tips and techniques.

“In just a matter of weeks, new fashion stars will emerge from our third instalment – Carnivalé: Culture. Music. Fashion!,” he said “Each week models will take on different techniques and style of runway presentation as it’s our aim to give them a full reservoir of walks, turns, stops, poses and tricks that they can use at any show they may be employed as a model.” The models are not only being

groomed for the catwalk and photo-shoots, they will also receive training on the fashion industry, personality and self-esteem, presentation skills, networking and interviewing skills, being a spokesperson, fitness and healthy eating and life in the media. “The workshops are fundamentally important as they will give these young persons the tools they will need for this industry and

meeting new people who can and will make a difference in their lives,” Mr Robinson said. “This training will go a long way whether they stay in fashion or wherever life takes them. “It is our endeavour to assist with the development of well-rounded individuals.” The 2012 TCI Top Model Contest and Fashion Extravaganza takes place at The Williams Auditorium in

Police post visit a thrill for youngsters

Over the weeks youngsters have been learning all about life as a Royal Turks and Caicos Police officer and this week a group of K2 pupils from the Mills Institute enjoyed a visit to the Police Post at Saltmills in Grace Bay. The excited students were shown around the operations room before getting a chance to climb aboard an emergency vehicle. They then inspected the new police bicycles and were given a talk about the role of a community officer. The highlight for the children was seeing the cell, which is used as a holding facility. Police officer, Kevin Clarke, explained: “The children were

keen and enthusiast and they really enjoyed their visit. “They had a lot of fun looking at the equipment and testing out things like the lights and sirens on the police vehicle, but they were definitely most fascinated by the cell. “One little boy said he’d like to go in it but after an officer locked me in as part of a demonstration, he soon changed his mind. “These visits are designed to encourage better relations between the community and the polic,e and the children left with plenty of knowledge about what we do on a day to day basis…It was a pleasure to host them and they were all a credit to their school and their families.”

Inspector Nigel Couch, second from left, and the community police team with the Mills Institute’s students at the Saltmills Police Post

Providenciales on Saturday, May 12, and tickets are already available for sale. General admission is $50, VIP $75 and TopModelSkyLounge is $200. For more information call 3477261 or email tcitopmodelcontest@ gmail.com. Find more details on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tcitopmodel or follow on Twitter @tcistopmodel.

Entertainment

Prince Harry has just completed a 10-day four-nation tour in honour of the queen.

Prince Harry’s Confession: Royal Love Life Is No Fairy Tale ATTENTION, all Kate Middleton wannabes: Your country needs you. In particular, your country’s most eligible bachelor. Prince Harry, fresh off of completing a 10-day, fournation tour in honour of the queen’s Diamond Jubilee, sat down with CBS News this week for a surprisingly candid series of interviews. And it turns out the interviewer didn’t even have to ask any probing personal questions to get to the good stuff—because while chatting

about his royal duties, Harry took it upon himself to share a little bit about his love life. Or, to hear him tell it, his lack thereof. While asked a seemingly standard question about the world’s fascination with royalty and how it feels from the privileged inside, Harry veered slightly off track. “No, not at all,” he said of whether or not his life matched the fairy tale ideal. “As any girl will tell you. It’s that sort of, ‘Oh my God, he’s a prince,’ but, no.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Jennifer Aniston spends over $141, 000 per year on her looks.

March 17 - 23, 2012

Rihanna parties too much according to her former pastor Bishop Vibert Lowe.

Jennifer Aniston spends almost $400 a day on her body, report says Pastor urges Rihanna JENNIFER Aniston was recently dubbed the “Hottest Woman of All Time” by Men’s Health magazine but, according to a new report, the “Wanderlust” spends $141, 037 a year maintaining her appearance. That breaks down to almost $400 each and every day. The website Shine has broken down what Aniston spends to retain her youthful glow, her golden locks and her taut body, based on the products and services that the star has sung the praises of.

Aniston recently revealed to Conan O’Brien that she is a fan of expensive laser peels, which cost $295 a pop, even if they leave her looking like a “battered burn victim for a week.” In addition, Aniston reportedly uses a $450 neck ointment by Euoko, and Mila Moursi Rejuvenating Serum which costs $350. She also regularly splurges on Tracie Martyn Red Carpet Facials that costs a reported $450. The star also uses a slew of other products, in addition to cosmetics.

to clean up act RIHANNA has been urged to clean up her act, by her former religious mentor. Fears have grown for the Good Girl Gone Bad star in recent months. Now family friend and Barbados pastor Bishop Vibert Lowe says Barbados is “praying for” the singer. The 64-year-old clergyman preached to Rihanna and her family at church every week before she left Barbados for the international stage.

He told The Sun: “A lot of people have been praying for her and hoping that she will drop these bad habits. “We feel it’s wrong for her to behave like this. As a young lady she’s not setting a good example,” he said. Lowe said young people look to Rihanna as a mentor, and regard her as an idol and copy her lifestyle. “There are people on the island who think she parties way too hard.” (Barbados Nation)

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

World News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

Twenty two children die in Switzerland’s crash BELGIUM is mourning the deaths of 28 people - 22 of them school children - in a coach crash in Switzerland. The coach, carrying 52 people back to Belgium following a skiing trip, struck a wall in a tunnel on Tuesday. Relatives of the victims have flown to Switzerland - with many unsure about the fate of their children. Belgian PM Elio Di Rupo called it “a black day for all of Belgium”. King Albert said his thoughts “go out to the victims and their families”. The bus crashed shortly after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday near Sierre, in the Swiss canton of Valais, close to the border with Italy. The Belgian foreign ministry said most of the children were aged around 12, and the bus was one of three hired by a Christian group. The other two reached Belgium safely. The children had spent a week skiing in Val d’Anniviers in the Swiss Alps. Those on board the bus that crashed were from the Stekske primary school in Lommel, near the Dutch border, and from St Lambertus in Heverlee, near Leuven, with the numbers roughly even. Ten of the children involved are Dutch, the Dutch foreign ministry

Carlotta Brett Pierce and her mother, Loretta Brett, are accused of killing Brett Pierce’s 4-year-old daughter. (JESSE WARD/FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)

The ill-fated vehicle which crashed in a tunnel was carrying 22 children.

said, with all but one of them living in Belgium. The injured have been taken to hospitals in Sion, Bern and Lausanne. Belgian media say many are in a critical condition and the death toll could rise. A helpline for families has been set up. Early on Wednesday distraught relatives attended meetings at St Lambertus school, where they were given the names of pupils known to have survived. “Parents who know their child is alive are relieved, but for the others it’s terrible,” said parish priest Dirk

De Gendt. Speaking outside the primary school in Lommel, local bishop Patrick Hoogmartens said the families were feeling powerless. “None of the parents knows what has happened exactly, if their child has been affected or not,” he said. Relatives later flew to Switzerland on board a government plane. They were comforted by the royal couple as they left from a military airport near Brussels. Prime Minister Di Rupo - who also travelled to Switzerland - said a day of national mourning would be observed, but gave no details. (BBC)

Afghan mission into final phases, says David Cameron THE mission in Afghanistan is moving into its “final phases”, David Cameron has said, at a joint press conference with US President Barack Obama. Speaking at the White House, both leaders stressed that progress had been made in the country despite losses of US, British and Afghan lives. International forces will take on a support role from 2013, and Afghans will fully take over security in 2014. The PM said they would not “give up on this mission”, despite its “high cost”. Tensions are high in Afghanistan after an American soldier shot dead 16 Afghan civilians. On Wednesday, a truck was reportedly driven onto the runway at Camp Bastion, the main British military base in Afghanistan, where it burst into flames. ‘REAL PROGRESS’ Speaking after talks with Mr Cameron at the White House, the US president said the tragic events of

The Obamas and Camerons at the White House.

recent days were a reminder of how difficult the mission was. But he said: “What we can never forget is our forces are making very real progress.” Mr Obama said troops were making headway against the Taliban and al Qaeda and were training Afghan forces. He said details of the next stage

of transition to Afghan control would be set out at the upcoming Nato summit in Chicago, but added: “This includes shifting to a support role next year in 2013 in advance of Afghans taking full responsibility for security in 2014. “We are going to complete this mission and we are going to do it responsibly.” (BBC)

Six-year-old to testify against mum in sister’s death A BROOKLYN mother accused of killing her 4-year-old daughter ranted Friday against prosecutors’ plans to put her son on the stand when the highprofile trial begins next month. “He needs to be left alone, just leave him alone,” Carlotta Brett Pierce blurted out as lawyers and the judge discussed whether the 6-year-old should testify on closed circuit TV or in open court. Assistant district attorney Jacqueline Kagan made it clear that the boy, who previously told authorities that his mother forced pills down his sister’s throat and beat her with a belt, will be a key witness. “This child offers information that no one else can offer,” she said. “This is the witness that shows the depravity and the reckless conduct in this indictment.” The Daily News is not identifying the boy because he is a minor.

His sister, Marchella Brett Pierce, weighed only 19 pounds when she died September 2010, with large amounts of allergy medication in her system and signs of abuse on her body. Her mother is charged with murder and her grandmother, Loretta Brett, with manslaughter. Two city caseworkers who supervised the family were separately charged with not preventing the death. A social worker who has been treating the boy testified in a preliminary hearing that seeing his mom in court for the first time since his sister died might stunt his psychological progress. “It will be traumatic,” said Maria Rivera. “He could freeze.” Defense lawyers argued that in-camera testimony is typically allowed only when the child witness was the victim of a sex crime.

Goldman Sachs director in London quits ‘toxic’ bank A MANAGER at US banking giant Goldman Sachs in London has quit, saying he could no longer work there “in good conscience”. Greg Smith, who headed Goldman’s equity derivatives business in Europe, said it was common to hear talk of ripping off their “muppet” clients. “The environment now is as toxic and destructive as I have ever seen it,” he wrote in the New York Times. Goldman said it disagreed with what Mr Smith wrote. “We disagree with the views expressed, which we don’t think reflect the way we run our business,” a Goldman spokeswoman said. “In our view, we will only be successful if our clients are successful. This fundamental truth lies at the heart of how we conduct ourselves.” Mr Smith said in his editorial that he appeared in Goldman’s

recruitment video, shown at universities around the world. “I knew it was time to leave when I realised I could no longer look students in the eye and tell them what a great place this was to work,” he wrote. “It makes me ill how callously people talk about ripping their clients off. Over the last 12 months I have seen five different managing directors refer to their own clients as ‘muppets’, sometimes over internal email.” Following the financial crisis, Goldman was among those bailed out by the US taxpayer and came under fire for its business practices, including accusations that it helped Greece hide some of its massive debts. Rolling Stone magazine once likened Goldman to “a vampire squid wrapped round the face of humanity”.

March 17 - 23, 2012

World News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Bolivia’s Morales to UN: Legalise coca-leaf chewing HOLDING up a coca leaf at a U.N. meeting on narcotics Monday, Bolivian President Evo Morales defended the practice of chewing on the leaves as tradition and urged the body to reconsider its decision to declare it illegal. Coca leaves, the raw ingredient used in the making of cocaine, were declared an illegal substance under Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, along with heroin and others. “I want to ask the assistance of the international community in correcting a historical error that was committed against the Bolivian people when it unreservedly ratified the Single Convention Against Narcotic Drugs of 1961,” Morales told the 55th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria. Bolivia has withdrawn from the convention, but said it would rejoin if the traditional consumption of coca leaf is allowed to continue. Morales, a former union leader for coca growers, told the body his country has designated $20 million to fight cocaine trafficking -- but cultural “producers of coca leaf are not drug dealers; consumers of coca leaf are not drug addicts,” he said. “I want to stress that at no time Bolivia acts untimely or irresponsibly,” he said. Coca is widely used in the Andes as a mild stimulant and herbal medicine. Advocates say the leaves, which contain small amounts of cocaine, have several health and social benefits and dismiss claims it is dangerous.

Evo Morales defending the chewing of the coca leaves.

Morales has said “sacred” coca in its raw state is not an addictive drug and emphasizes that it has had a legitimate medical purpose for hundreds of years. But coca remains the raw ingredient for the purified forms of cocaine, which are illegal for non-medicinal, non-governmentsanctioned purposes in virtually all countries. And for almost half a century the chewing of coca leaves has been banned internationally. Bolivia is currently the world’s third biggest coca producer after Colombia and Peru, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. It has much to gain if its campaign to legalize coca leaves is successful. Energy drinks, flour and even toothpaste derived from the leaves could be sold around the world. One of these, Coca Colla, which trades on the name of the more famous U.S. soft drink that originally contained coca, has been a hit since its launch last year in Bolivia in 2010.

US soldier kills 16 Afghan civilians in rampage SIXTEEN Afghans, including women and children, were killed in their homes by a rogue US soldier in a pre-dawn rampage on Sunday, plunging relations between the two countries into a new crisis. Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the slaughter as “unforgivable”. “When Afghan people are killed deliberately by US forces this action is murder and terror and an unforgivable action,” Mr Karzai said in a statement. The American soldier entered the homes of civilians in the southern Kandahar province and killed 16 people, including nine children and three women, the statement said. It quoted a wounded 16-year-old, who was shot in the leg, as telling Mr Karzai by phone that the US soldier entered their home in the dark, woke up his family members and then shot them. “The government and the people of Afghanistan demand an explanation from the United States government of this incident,” Mr Karzai said. Nato’s International Security Assistance Force said it had arrested a soldier over the incident, and the commander, General John Allen, condemned “this deeply appalling incident”. He also vowed to hold “fully accountable” anyone found responsible for the killing spree. “I cannot explain the motivation

behind such callous acts, but they were in no way part of authorised Isaf military activity,” his deputy, Lt-Gen Adrian Bradshaw, said in a statement as the US rushed to offer condolences. “The United States extends deepest condolences to the families of today’s tragic shooting and we’re saddened by this violent act against our Afghan friends,” a State Department spokeswoman said. The US embassy in Kabul sent out an alert to its citizens in Afghanistan warning that as a result of the shooting “there is a risk of anti-American feelings and protests in coming days”. An AFP reporter at the scene of the killings counted the bodies of 16 people, including women and children. In one house, an elderly woman screamed: “May God kill the only son of Karzai, so he feels what we feel.” Western sources said the rampage began after a US soldier walked off his base in the early hours of Sunday morning, apparently heavily-armed and carrying night-vision equipment. He was arrested outside the base after the shooting by members of the Afghan National Army, the army corps commander in southern Afghanistan, Abdul Hameed, told AFP. The massacre was the latest in a series of incidents that have badly frayed US-Afghan relations, complicating negotiations on a strategic partnership agreement

between the two countries for when US combat operations end in three years. The treaty would likely cover the legal status of any US troops remaining in Afghanistan to help Kabul with intelligence, air power and logistics in the fight against the Taliban. In Iraq, Washington abandoned its pursuit of a strategic partnership deal and pulled out all its troops, leaving no residual force, after failing to get Baghdad to grant its soldiers legal immunity. Relations plunged to an all-time low last month after the burning of the Holy Quran at a US military base near Kabul, sparking anti-US protests in which some 40 people died and forcing US President Barack Obama to apologise. During the protests, six American soldiers were killed when Afghan colleagues turned their weapons against them. But there was no word on what might have motivated the soldier’s actions in Kandahar. An Afghan government official, who described Mr Karzai as “very angry” over the incident, said the president had dispatched the army chief of staff to head an investigation. US President Barack Obama, meanwhile, called Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday “to express his shock and sadness” over a shooting in Afghanistan in which a US soldier killed 16 civilians, the White House said. (AFP)

ICC finds Congolese warlord guilty in its first verdict THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court on Wednesday found a Congolese warlord guilty of turning children into killers, marking the war crimes tribunal’s first verdict in its decade of operation. Judges convicted Thomas Lubanga of conscripting and enlisting children under age 15 and using them to participate in “hostilities” during a civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He will remain in custody pending sentencing. The verdict marks a milestone for the international court that targets war crimes worldwide. It is the first verdict issued by the Netherlands-based court, which has 14 other cases, three of which are in trial stage. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the verdict.

“Mr. Lubanga’s conviction for the war crimes of enlisting and conscripting children under the age of 15 is an important step forward in realizing the international community’s commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of crimes against children in situations of armed conflict are brought to justice,” he said. Lubanga surrendered in 2006, and his trial started three years later. His was the court’s first trial and its first verdict since it was established in 2002 to address crimes of international concern, including genocide and war crimes. His trial also marks the first time a suspect has faced an international tribunal based solely on charges involving the use of child soldiers, the court said.

“Today’s verdict will give pause to those around the world who commit the horrific crime of using and abusing children both on and off the battlefield,” said Michael Bochenek, director of Amnesty International’s law and policy program. Prosecutors said Lubanga led a rebel force that recruited child soldiers to take part in a bloody conflict. The violence occurred in 2002 and 2003 in the mineral-rich eastern part of the nation. Lubanga coordinated the recruiting of child soldiers and forced some of them to serve in militia roles, including as his bodyguards, the court said. Those testifying against him included former child soldiers, who told the court that he recruited them to kill, rape and rob.

Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of turning children into killers.

“This case represents a huge step in the struggle against these serious crimes against children,” Luis Moreno Ocampo, the court’s top prosecutor, said in a statement posted on its website. “Child conscription destroys the lives and futures of thousands of children around the world. This case will contribute

to exposing the problem and in stopping these criminal practices.” Lubanga is one of more than a dozen people sought by the international court, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and Joseph Kony, the fugitive Ugandan leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Job Listings Services Auto sales real estate STEVEN RIGBY

Classifieds TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

EVAN HARVEY

Is looking for a

Babysitter Mechanic To work 6 days Contact: 231-6153

ANGELA WILLIAMS Is looking for a

6405

contact: 332-1681

6404

per week salary $5.00 per hour.

Must be willing to work 6 days per week salary $300 per week.

FAST SALE 1.3 Acres Of Land Ocean Drive, Turtle Tail Semi-Hilltop

Job Description Summary:

Misick & Stanbrook is looking for a Paralegal for a 6 month period. The successful applicant for this job will perform a variety of paralegal activities related to assisting attorneys and administrative professionals in various aspects of legal work, including researching laws, investigating facts, and preparing legal documents. 6407

6406

Fax: 649-941-5683

WANTED

Seek to fill the following positions:

Masons @ $12.00 per hour

Domestic Worker

NANNY/ BABYSITTER

@ $6.00 per hour

Salesman

salary based on commission

LaboUrer

• 1 year old children • Must have own transportation • Monday – Saturday • From 5pm – 10:30pm Salary $8.00 per hour

@ $6.00 per hour

Contact 231-4162 or 331-1067

FOR SALE

6418

To work 5 days per week

Contact: 331-6101 or 347-5543 For an interview

Misick & Stanbrook

Paralegal

Applications must be submitted via email to: discount@tciway.tc or

VACANCIES

STUDIO APARTMENT FOR RENT Contact: 231-3788

• Must be willing to work six (6) days per week • Must be honest, reliable and proficient • Work is mostly manual and lifting inventory is a must • Hours are from 8:00am-5:30pm some extra hours maybe required at times Salary $6.00 per hour

ERB CONSTRUCTION/ BARESTE ETIENNE RIGBY

Website: tcweeklynews.com

CONTACT: 231-3788

Labourer

Contact: 232-1473

Fax: 946-4661

Email: tcnews@tciway.tc

$300,000 o.n.o. Is looking for a

• Weekends off • 1 month paid vacation • Meals and accommodation included Salary $5.00 per hour.

946-4664

$650.00 per month Gated Community Furnished

CARRIBEAN BEER & SPIRITS

Live-In Nanny

March 17 - 23, 2012

The position requires:

• LLB or LLM in relevant area • Minimum 2 years Experience as a paralegal doing complex crime and public law work • Strong computer and research skills • Knowledge of legal documents and forms • Ability to work with minimum supervision • Knowledge of legal terminology and style • Good communication and organization skills Closing date for applications: Apply with resume, quoting reference “Paralegal” to

Deveraux C. Malcolm MISICK & STANBROOK P.O. Box 127, Providenciales Fax: 946 4734 E-Mail: info@misickstanbrook.tc

6411

6410

Construction scaffold and roof tiles for sale CONTACT: 431-1591 OR 231-3788

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

FAX: (649) 946-4661

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

–CORPORATE/COMMERCIAL Solicitor or Barrister required with a minimum of 10 years post-qualified experience and with the following additional qualifications:

@@Masters in law or equivalent @@International taxation experience @@Experience in large commercial transactions @@STEP member or willingness to sit requisite exams @@Proven ability in, and willingness for, training of junior colleagues @@Willingness to travel to and possibly relocate to the firm’s other international offices

Is looking for:

Turks Islanders only. Salary range $20,000 - $24,000. Position available immediately.

Contact Alan Jardine @ 946-5029 for an interview

• 3 Labourer • Carpenter

Must have at least 5years experience. Salary is negotiable. Belonger only need apply.

Fax: (649) 941 3446

6418

ATTORNEY

EXPERIENCED SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

TDMG Concordia

S.BlueWALKIN & SON Hills, P.O. Box 583, Providenciales Turks & Caicos Islands. Tel: (649) 946-4411

OUTBOARD BOAT MECHANIC • Diagnostic and trouble shooting the following engines: • Suzuki, Evinrude, Johnson, Mercury, Seadoo • To work a minimum of 44 hours per week, holidays and weekends if necessary Salary will be based on experience (10-15 years) and performance

Belongers are particularly encouraged to apply.

Apply in writing, with CV and cover letter to Christian Papachristou via fax to (649) 9464484 or cp@bishopslegal.com with a copy to the Labour Office, Providenciales. 6428

Fax resumes to 649-946-4945

6433

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

6426

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

FAX: (649) 946-4661

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

NOTICE OF SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION Scotiabank (Turks & Caicos) Ltd. of Cherokee Road, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands hereby gives notice of its intention to sell by Public Auction the following properties pursuant to its power of sale as registered Chargee under the Registered Land Ordinance of the Turks and Caicos Islands:

1. Parcel 60907/229/K9

Leeward Going Through, Providenciales. Comprising of a two bedroom townhouse at the Provo Golf Club with kitchen and dinning area, 2 full bathrooms. The property benefits from view of the first tee and comes with half price golf membership and access to a pool which is shared between 9 units. Registered Proprietor: Simon Richard Padgett

2. Parcel 60503/57

Blue Hills & Stamers Run, Providenciales. The subject property provides a range of residential buildings positioned on a prominent site fronting the Blue Hills coastal Road. There is a large single storey retail store in front to f the property. Altogether the property provides a total of 33 rooms; seven living rooms, one dining room, seven kitchen, seven full baths, one part, bedrooms and 1family room. Registered Proprietor: James Calvin Williams

3. Parcel 60900/194

Leeward Going Through, Providenciales. The subject 0.65 acres development is comprised of two buildings. There’s a main two- storey residence providing a three bedroom, two bathroom house and three rental units. The adjoining semi-detached structure provides three apartment units each comprising of bedroom, bathroom, open plan Kitchen/dining/living area. Registered Proprietor: Usril Alexander Morris

4. Parcel 60900/123

Leeward Going Through, Providenciales. The subject property is comprised of a main residential development and a guest house. The main building provides 3 bedrooms, 2 full bath, living room and kitchen. There is a deck and hot tub in the garden at the rear of the property. Registered Proprietor: Carmen Rochelle Brown

5. Parcel 60609/68

Norway and Five Cays, Providenciales. Comprising of a partially completed two storey residential development. The property provides the following completed works; foundations, water cistern under building, internal block walls, internal concrete stair 95% completed , plumbing rough-ins, electrical first fix, formwork and rebar to upper floor ring beam, superstructure walls, concrete slabs to balconies and upper floor slab. Registered Proprietors: Sean Gerald Rodgers and Nyoshi Natasha Rodgers

6. Parcel 60503/83

Blue Hills & Stamers Run, Providenciales. Comprising of a two-storey apartment building. The lower floor provides 3 (three) apartments each consisting of one bedroom, bathroom and an open plan living/dining room. The upper floor provides a 3 (three) bedroom apartment comprising of open plan Living/dining room, kitchen, Master bedroom (with ensuite and walk in closet). Two bedrooms, and external patio. Registered Proprietor: Georgia Rosemarie Williams

7. Parcel 10507/35/K8

South Suburbs Grand Turk, comprising of a one bedroom condominium unit at the White Sands Resort. Registered proprietor: Wilfred Rattery Jr The auction will be held at the offices of Scotiabank (Turks and Caicos) Limited, Grace Bay Branch, Providenciales at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday the 30th day of March 2012. A reserve price will be fixed on all parcels. A deposit of 10% is due immediately upon all accepted bids.

Terms and Conditions of Sale by Auction are available by request from Scotiabank Collections Manager (649) 946-4750.

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

the largest readership in the turks & caicos

6432

GRACE BAY SUITES Is looking to fill the following positions: • Cleaners • Maids • Life guard • Masseuse • Beach/ Pool Attendants • Bartenders • Front Desk Manager • Part-time & live-in positions available immediately Please deliver resume with salary expectations to Front Desk preference will be given to qualified Belongers

6373

GEORGE W. PENN Is looking for a

MCLEAN GARDINER Is looking for a

Painter Labourer To work 5 days To work 5 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

contact: 343-6451

per week salary $5.00 per hour.

Contact: 341-0453

6396

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

March 17 - 23, 2012

6398

VACANCY International Banking Group (TCI) Ltd. a subsidiary of Cayman National Corporation Ltd., is looking for suitably qualified Belongers to fill the position of

Manager Credit Risk Management Support & Compliance The Manager Credit Risk Management Support & Compliance must be equipped to fulfill roles across three areas: Credit, Operations and Merchant Services. With regard to Credit, the Manager Credit Risk Management Support & Compliance is responsible for planning, organizing, scheduling and directing the activities of the Credit Risk Management Department. The Manager is responsible for: • Overseeing all Credit Risk Management functions and related activities and reviewing loan documents and records for evidence of fraud, deficiencies in controls or noncompliance with established policies. • Completing audit functions including verifying and sampling of loan processes and other areas as assigned. • Compiling and issuing reports detailing conclusions and providing recommendations for improvements. • Contributing to the development of credit risk management strategies and policies. • Contributing effectively to the annual planning, overall business development and regulatory matters as required. • Training, coordinating, supervising, and appraising Credit Risk Management personnel. The candidate who fills this position must have an excellent analytical and operational understanding of commercial and personal banking. The candidate must be a well rounded individual who has banking experience at managerial level in the area of Operations, as the candidate will be required to provide support to the Manager Operations, and will have to act in the capacity of Operations Manager in their absence. As a member for the corporate team the Manager Credit Risk Management Support & Compliance must have a sound understanding of Merchant Services and managerial experience within this area as the candidate will have responsibility for driving the Bank’s Merchant Services Business. The candidate will have: • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Commerce, Business or Finance. • At least 10 years experience of retail and commercial banking in a Caribbean context. • At least 5 years managerial experience in Credit Risk. Required skills & experience: • Comprehensive knowledge of Credit Risk Management, Operations & Merchant Services. • Strong communication, organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills • Be a team-worker but also work in isolation without close supervision with attention to detail, prioritization of tasks and time management skills. We offer • A working environment where personal development and growth are encouraged • An attractive and competitive salary, including various benefits. Applicants should submit a resume & cover letter, no later than April 2nd 2012, to: Kellie- Ann.Evans-Hall@ibgtci.com

International Banking Group (TCI) Ltd Graceway Plaza, PO Box 690 Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands Tel 649 941 4424. Fax 649 941 2457. www.ibgtci.com A Subsidiary company of Cayman National Corporation Ltd. 6428

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

RONALD GARDINER

FAX: (649) 946-4661

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

ANGELIQUE CLARKE

Is looking for a

SAMANTHA CHARLES Is looking for a

Is looking for a

Sunny Reef Restaurant Is looking for an

Assistant Manager To work 5 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

To work 5 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

contact: 241-7725

week. Salary $250.00 every two weeks.

6423

6424

contact: 241-0952

Domestic Domestic Worker ToWorker work 5 days per Contact: 346-1068

6430

Labourer

• Must have 15 years experience in restaurant management • Strong leadership skills, able to motivate and influence others, strong communication, excellent written presentation, oral communication and interpersonal skills • A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards • High comfort level working in a diverse environment • Must have experience in accounting, excel, word, QuickBooks, spreadsheet inventory, public relations advertising event planning for large groups, good command in English • Must have good personalities

Belongers only need apply Contact: 946-8200

6429

job opportunity Vacancy Notice INVESTMENT SERVICE EXECUTIVE- AFTER CARE

The Gansevoort Turks & Caicos, a Wymara Resort, is actively looking to fill the following position:

Restaurant Manager

SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position is responsible for managing all activities of the Beach Bar + Grill, beach front and pool food + beverage service areas. The successful candidate would be responsible for the daily operation of these areas including the effective supervision and execution of programs consistent with the needs of the company as communicated by the F & B Director and Resort management.

An exciting opportunity awaits you in the Turks & Caicos Islands Government Service for the post of Investment Service Executive After-Care. The incumbent in this managerial position would have the responsibility to coordinate the Investment Aftercare Services as a core function to the Investment Unit; to enhance retention and expansion of investments in Turks and Caicos Islands. The role will be proactive in verifying the information contained in project files, collect actual information on performance of projects, and collect information on investor concerns and to advice investors on other opportunities for re-investment such as expansion and diversification. This role liaises directly with the lead generator and marketing role to complete the feedback loop and ensure a full service offering from the unit. Duties include reviewing reports and projects; developing investment communication, information, data and other related policies and procedures; preparing annual estimates of expenditure; meeting consultants; supervising staff and overseeing the investment generation for the islands in line with governmental aims and objectives and liaising with other Government Departments. He /She would also be able to set investment goals and strategies for Turks and Caicos Islands Government and prepare advisory briefings on development and investment trends, markets and customers.

Essential duties include but not limited to: • Directs the activities of on-floor restaurant service personnel, Bartenders, Beverage Attendants, Host/Hostess • Directs and ensures the implementation and execution of corporate policies and procedures as communicated by General Manager and F & B Director. • Reports Outlet sales performance on a daily basis and takes required corrective action to ensure operations are in accordance with the company standards and objectives. • monitors staff performance, disciplining and motivating when necessary • ensures customer satisfaction through application of Outlet and Resort service standards • Proactively attends to, and resolves, customer complaints and grievances. • Inspects all aspects of the restaurant and bar environment ensuring compliance with standards of cleanliness and order. Directs respective personnel to rectify deficiencies.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Requirements:

The position requires an Undergraduate Degree in Finance, Investment Planning, Public Sector Management, Development, Marketing or Business related area from a recognized institution. The candidate must have at least six (6) years hands-on experience, five (5) of which should have been obtained from functioning in a similar field of work.

• A minimum of 1-2 years previous Restaurant Manager experience in a 5 star hotel restaurant or similar fine dining environment • Excellent food and beverage knowledge • Excellent wine knowledge. Formal training through a recognized organization such as WSET is preferred. • Excellent communication and management skills • Ability to contribute towards and maintain high standards within the restaurant • Must be able to supervise a large staff • Must be able to effectively train floor staff and constantly refine service standards through staff education • Well groomed, friendly and presentable • Energetic and willing to interact with guests • Ability to work under pressure • Proficient with food and beverage cost controls • Must be hard working and dedicated • Strong knowledge of MIcros POS is an asset • Available immediately

The incumbent must also be knowledgeable in Public Service Development laws, Procedures and Practices as well as be current with Public Sector Developmental reforms and best practices in countries similar to the Turks & Caicos Islands. The successful candidate is required to be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite as well as online management tools and customer contact software. Intermediate knowledge of the use of Graphic Design and other Web Design Software would be preferred. He /She must have excellent communication skills and be a strong ambassador for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

SALARY: $44,820 - $ 47,790 per annum Applicant’s resume including contact number or email address, two letters of reference and a police certificate should be sent to the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Public Service Management, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands. Fax (649) 946-1582. Email: recruitment@gov.tc Extension: 10318

Salary Range: $50,000 - $60,000 relative to experience

Interested and qualified candidates please contact Stephen Garland at stephen@stelletc.com

ONLY SUITABLE CANDIDATES WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED 6435

6417

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BOARD

VACANCY FOR THE POSITION OF

COMPLIANCE SUPERVISOR - PROVIDENCIALES

Job Purpose: The Compliance Supervisor/Legal Officer would provide legal, financial and administrative support in order to ensure an effective, efficient, accurate and timely financial and administrative operation. SCOPE The Compliance Supervisor /Legal Officer reports to the Chief Executive Officer on all financial Issues; legal and other related matters. This includes ensuring compliance with the National Health Insurance Board Laws and Regulations. Providing these services in an effective and efficient manner will ensure that municipal finances are accurate and up to date and that delinquent accounts for Employers and Self Employed persons are settled in a timely manner. Essential Duties: • Effectively delegate delinquent Employer/Employee Accounts to Compliance Officers • Supervise activities of all Compliance Officers on a daily basis. • Meet with Compliance Officers to resolve compliance issues as they arise. • Submit Monthly Reports to Executive Management on all compliance activities • Initiate Prosecutions and Prosecute Employer and Self-employed arrears. • Interpret the National Health Insurance Board Ordinance and Regulations for all staff on a needs basis. • Assess and advise on all eligibility of beneficiaries. • Interpret other Ordinances as it relates to the registration and benefits of NHIB beneficiaries. • Draft legal opinions for advancement to the Chief Executive Officer on all matters arising under the Legislation. • Make recommendations for the amendment to the Legislation. • Conduct ongoing training on the National Health Insurance Board Legislation. • Make recommendations for the improvement of the compliance activities. • Contact Employers in relation to the submission of Contribution Statements. • Prepare spreadsheets illustrating debt owed by Employers and the Self Employed. • Assess, Negotiate and Prepare Payment plans on delinquent accounts. • Conduct field visits to Employer/Self-Employed Establishments, to inspect their books. • Conduct surveillance of all delinquent Employer/Self Employed Business. • Monitor all signed payment plans. • Travel to the other Islands to meet with Employer/Self Employed in relation to collection of arrears and other compliance issues. • Draft daily reports on compliance activities conducted. • Initiate Prosecutions and Prosecute for Employer and Self-employed arrears. • Ensure all agreed targets are conscientiously pursued and realized. • • • •

March 17 - 23, 2012

Provide administrative support in order to ensure effective and efficient office operations. Ensure that all supporting documents are accessible and filed appropriately. Ensure the confidentiality and security of all financial files. Any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

Skills/Qualifications: • Must be able to use Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and Power Point etc.) • Excellent team player with team building skills • Excellent writer and oral communication skills • Ability to deliver to strict deadlines and to work under pressure The successful candidate must have: • Excellent knowledge of the Turks and Caicos Islands Legal Procedures • Excellent working knowledge of Information Systems • General book-keeping knowledge • Minimum of 5yrs working experience (legal/enforcement service experience preferred) • Ability to write reports and business correspondence • Demonstrate a high level of integrity and professionalism • Ability to work as a team Salary • Salary will be reflective of qualification and experience.

Deadline for submission: March 30, 2012 All applicants should be addressed to:

Zaneta Burton Chief Executive Officer, National Health Insurance Board Salt Mills Plaza, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies Email: info@tcinhip.tc or zburton@tcinhip.tc

FAX: (649) 946-4661

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE BOARD

VACANCY

IT Technician FOR THE POSITION OF

- PROVIDENCIALES

SCOPE

As a member of the IT team, this position is primarily responsible for providing support to the Chief Technology Officer. Responsible for configuring hardware and software, setting up peripherals such as printers or routers, repairing equipment and providing daily support for computer network users. Respond to customer inquiries and performs dayto-day administrative/clerical tasks as needed.

Essential Duties:

• Setup new computers including installation of Operative System and appropriate software used in the operations of NHIB • Install and maintain computer hardware, software and networks. • Troubleshoot hardware, software and network operating systems • Maintain log and/or list of required repairs and maintenance • Troubleshoot and fix networking issues • Provide orientation to new users of existing technology and train staff about potential uses of existing technology • Maintain current and accurate inventory of technology hardware, software and resources. • Monitor security of all technology used in NHIB • Control and post contents to Websites maintained by NHIB. • Control and manage Network Security. • Develop, implement and maintain effective backup strategy and proper documentation of all strategies in order to secure data. • Perform other related duties as assigned by CTO • May perform other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor or any other person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

Minimum Requirements/Skills

• A first Degree in Computer Science/Information Systems from a recognized institution. • At least 1 year experience in maintaining and supporting computer systems and software applications. • Sound Knowledge of network cabling and Operative Systems and security of computer networks • Experience working with Relational Database Systems would be an asset • Must have a good communication and interpersonal skills. • Sound knowledge and aptitude in the use of productivity tools such as spread sheets, word processors, database management and query facilities. • Ability to work on own initiative.

Salary

• Salary will be reflective of qualification and experience.

Deadline for submission: March 30, 2012 All applications should be addressed to:

Human Resource Officer

National Health Insurance Board Salt Mills Plaza, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies Email: info@tcinhip.tc or srobinson@tcinhip.tc

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!! the largest readership in the turks & caicos

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

vacancies

Point Grace

DOLPHIN SPORTS BAR & GRILL Is looking for 2

Waitresses

FOR RENT

To work 6 days per week salary $6.00 per hour

CARIBBEAN CAFÉ

3-bedroom apartment $1100.00 per month it will be available May 1st.

Barmaids To work 6 days per week. Salary $6.00 per hour

Contact: 332-6364 or 231-6364

6412

contact: 232-3508

FLOWER GIRL

IRA BAPTISTE

Is looking for a

Flower CoOrdinatoR • Must know different kinds of flowers • Must know how to treat flowers • Must know how to arrange and take care of flowers

Contact: 231-3788

VACANCY Is currently seeking one

Housekeeping staff We are looking for a trained and enthusiastic housekeeper to join our team. The successful candidate will have several years experience in this position in a luxury hotel. Ability to work well under pressure and good communication skills, including excellent English, are essential; must have a pleasant and outgoing personality. In addition to regular housekeeping duties, the jobs include, turndown service, shifts in laundry, and common areas. Must be willing to work evenings, weekends and holidays. Please send your CV to: Beverly Williams, General Manager, Point Grace, PO Box 700, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands; or email to: humanresources@pointgrace.com; or fax to: 649-946-5097. Wages range: $5.00 to $6.50 per hour (commensurate with experience), plus service charge. Belongers only need apply Closing date: 19th March, 2012

Labourer To work 5 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

contact: 231-4064

6408

is looking for 2

FAX: (649) 946-4661

VACANCIES Rig Truck Driver Applicant must have 5 Years experience driving a tractor trailer with experience in dump trailers. Mechanical ability would be an asset.

POSITION AVAILABLE AT SKINTINUOUS CARE

SPA – SKINCARE TECHNICIAN & MASSAGE THERAPIST • • • • • • • •

Organic facials Ultrasonic facials Oxygen facials Micro-‐dermabrasion Skin analysis Lash & brow tinting Lash extensions Manicure & pedicure

Applicant must be prepared for heavy work, breaking cement bags, loading trucks and stevedoring of cement and gravel. Applicant will also be required to assist mechanics as needed. Applicant must prepare to work long hours. Evenings and weekends as required.

Heavy Duty Mechanic w/Electronic Specialization

SkintinuousCare is seeking to employ a certified spa & skincare technician/massage therapist. The spa offers an array of treatments, such as: • Permanent hair reduction (IPL) • Fast waxing, including Brazilian waxing, using hard & soft wax • Photo-‐rejouvenation with E-‐Light • Chemical peels

Labourers

Applicant should have specialization in electronic wiring with extensive knowledge of caterpillar equipment. Applicant must have 5 years minimum experience in diesel heavy equipment. Applicant must have own tools and transportation and be able to work without supervision.

• Wedding & special occasion make-‐up applications • Body treatments • Swedish massage • Hot stone massage • Shiatsu • And more…

Heavy Equipment Operator

Job Requirements: • Candidate must have a current aesthetician (Cidesco Certification) and/or cosmetology license (Cidesco Certification is a plus), manicure license and massage certificate (CMT Certification). • Candidate must have at least 10 years experience in the industry. • Candidate must posses a thorough knowledge of cosmetics, skincare products and related application procedures in order to boost retail sales of products. • Candidate must be able to perform all of the above listed treatments. • Candidate must be able to perform cosmetic consultations and educate clients on skin care products as well as provide customized treatment plans and skincare regiments. • Candidate must be able to forge new client relationships and ensure client retention through excellence. • Candidate must be able to stand on his/her feet and/or sit for a prolonged period of time and must be prepared to work irregular hours (including evenings), holidays and weekends. • Candidate must have means of transportation at all times. • Candidate must regularly attend educational training seminars in order to stay up-‐to-‐date on new products, equipment and treatments. • Candidate must have excellent organizational skills and posses excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, Spanish and French.

Applicant must have substantial experience in all aspects of heavy equipment operation including Crane Operation. Seven years minimum experience required. A mechanical aptitude would be beneficial.

Professional Welders Minimum Experience-5 yrs. Must be able to weld aluminum and iron. Must be versed in TIG and MIG welding. Applicant must be able to fabricate and manufacture components out of metal. Must be able to work independently. Hours include weekends and evenings as required.

Please reply with reference and clean police and driving records to CBMS Ltd. 941-3400. Wages wil be based on experience. Deadline March 16, 2012

BELONGERS ONLY NEED APPLY

Job applications, resumes, references and copies of certificates should be emailed to info@kl-consultants.tc before March 31st, 2012. 6399

6402

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

March 17 - 23, 2012 FAX: (649) 946-4661

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

VACANCIES

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

the largest readership in the turks & caicos

WILLIAM JOSEPH Is looking for a

HOLE IN THE WALL RESTAURANT

• 1 Waitress

Handyman/ Labourer

UPSTAIRS BAR & GRILL

• 1 Domestic Worker

Is seeking suitably qualified Belongers to fill the positions outlined below. Ideal candidate must possess luxury resort experience, a professional, outgoing and friendly demeanor, and a strong command of the English language (oral and written). Salary is based on experience and qualifications.

• A/C Technician • Pool & Beach Attendant • Commis Chef • Gardener

Resumes can be faxed to 941-3425 and the Labour Department, Providenciales as soon as possible

contact: 245-3720

REQUIRED

PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS

• Bachelors Degree from a recognized University eligible to register wit TCI Health Practitioners Board • Willing to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays if required • Must be highly computer literate with previous experience using dispensary management software and retail POS • Evidence of active continuing education required • Must have a pleasant outgoing personality, reliability and ability to work well under pressure • Salary commensurate with experience ranging from $35k-$40k

Closing Date: March 19, 2012 Suitably qualified candidates should apply in writing or by phone to the following:

6397

CARIBBEAN CRUSIN’ LTD.

Please email CV to islandpharmacy@tciway.tc or fax: (649) 946-4942

6401

M&S TRUST COMPANY LIMITED

Is seeking to hire a qualified person to fill the position of

Operations Manager Duties: • Maintain and review the schedule of services, both prearranged ferry trips and custom charter trips. Check, record and balance the number of guests on all trips whether scheduled ferry or charter. • Monitor and control the receipt of funds and the payment of funds related to the daily operation of the business. Ensure that an accurate record of all receipts and expenditures is kept. • Maintain and review the maintenance schedule of all vessels and vehicles owned by the business. Ensure that all vessels and vehicles are maintained according to company policy. • Supervise Train, Motivate, Discipline, and Review and generally manage all other staff. • The continuity and success of the business relies on satisfied customer experiences. The operations manager is responsible for ensuring that the customer satisfaction rate remains and that scheduled ferry trips and charter schedules are honoured in a timely fashion. • The manager will be responsible for all vehicles and vessels that are conducting company business at all times of the day.

Requires a

Trust Manager/ Accountant Required Duties: • Preparation of financial statements and bank reconciliations for the trust company and a busy law firm • Administration of trusts and international business companies • Supervision of associated staff • Administration of loan/mortgage portfolios • Administration of escrow agreements for developers/clients • Maintenance of accounting software systems (PCLaw) • Preparation and provision of client financial reports & reconciliations Required Qualifications/Knowledge: • University Degree (preferably in Business/Accounting/Economics) • Recognized Professional Accounting Designation • Accredited TEP (Trust & Estate Practitioner) or similar designation • Thorough knowledge of PCLaw software system • At least ten years prior experience in the financial industry • Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Word/Excel and Lotus 123 • Thorough knowledge of investment products

Qualifications • • • • • •

Salary must commensurate with qualifications

Applicant must be honest, hardworking, reliable and willing to work 3 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

PHARMACIST

• Kids Camp Attendant • Restaurant Hostess • Events Coordinator

Bridgette Thomas BNC Consulting Group, Ltd website: www.bnccgroup.com email: bthomas@bnccgroup.com phone: 649-332-2565

• 1 Laborer • 1 Sales Clerk

6403

VACANCIES

GORDON SUPPLY

6392

The suitable applicant should have excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills. The position is full time with starting salary of up to $90,000 per annum dependent on qualifications and experience. 2012.

2 years experience on a Passenger Vessel in local water 5 years experience in Marine Management Proven track record in corporate and personnel management Local Capitan’s license Maritime safety certification Salary commensurate with experience and commission base on revenue gernerated.

Applicants should in writing or by e-mail to Neil R. Coles at nrc@ mslaw.tc with full curriculum vitae. Qualified applicants will be contacted by email or phone. M & S Trust Company Limited PO Box 560, Beatrice Butterfield Building Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands

Hours of Work

The Ferry Schedule is from 6:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Saturday and 9:30am to 5:15pm on Sundays. 6400

6393

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

ANA ARIJO JOHNSON

B & L ENVISAGE BEAUTY SALON

ALCHEMY LIMITED

is looking for a

Seeking experience private contract

Cosmetologist To work 5 days per week. Salary $5.00 per hour.

JOSE JOYERIA Is looking for a

Labourer To work 5 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

chef

Requirements: • 10 years fine dining restaurant and in house catering experience • Culinary Arts Degree • Face to face client interaction • Must be versed in multi-cultural fine dining cuisine • Thorough knowledge of food safety health requirements a must • Thorough knowledge of food costing and purchasing • Menu development skills

contact: 241-9191

6437

Is looking for 2

• Thorough understanding of food allergies and dietary restrictions • All applicants must be hardworking self motivated employees able to work standing for up to 10 hours at a time. • Must be willing to work varied shifts, nights, weekends, and holidays as required by bookings Starting salary $2,000.00 per month plus gratuity

All interested applicants should email resume or CV to: alchemylimited@gmail.com only qualified applicants will be considered for this position

6444

Cosmetologist To work 6 days per week salary $250 per week.

contact: 245-8191 or 331-6991

FAX: (649) 946-4661 GEORGE FORBES NORTH ENTERPRISE WORKSHOP Is looking for a

Carpenter To work in North Caicos 5 days per week salary $8 per hour.

contact: 243-6890

6405

March 17 - 23, 2012

Vacancy Notice job opportunity The Gansevoort Turks & Caicos a Wymara Resort is actively looking to fill the following position:

INVESTMENT SERVICE EXECUTIVE

Food & Beverage Director This position is responsible for managing all activities of the Food & Beverage Departments for the organization. The daily operation of vessel’s Beverage Sales Operation including the effective administration, supervision and execution of programs consistent with the company standards and goals of providing excellent service while generating maximum revenue.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The incumbent in this managerial position coordinates the objective of pre-Investment and Investment services as a core function of the investment Unit; aligned strongly with the marketing role the Candidate will work closely with the Director in the creation of the investment packages, and conception of investment pushes for marketing and development of investment goals. This role “sells” the country and its investment products and opportunities. Providing professional services for the development of the investment project proposals as set out in the project proposal guidelines. This role requires strong communication skills professional mannerisms and to be an excellent ambassador for the Turks and Caicos Islands. This role also liaises directly with the marketing role and after care services to complete the feedback loop and ensure a full service offering from the unit. Duties include reviewing reports and projects; developing investment communication, information, data and other related policies and procedures; preparing annual estimates of expenditure; meeting consultants; supervising staff and overseeing the investment generation for the islands in line with governmental aims and objectives and liaising with other Government Department. The incumbent will also represent the TCIG Investment Unit at meetings, conferences and seminars, and provide impartial, accurate and timely advice to superiors.

Essential duties include but not limited to: • Directs the activities of restaurant service personnel, Bartenders, Beverage Attendants, Host/Hostess. • Directs and ensures the implementation and execution of corporate policies and procedures. • Controls, measures and reports Outlet sales performance on a daily basis and takes required corrective action to ensure operations are in accordance with the company standards and objectives. • Creates new opportunities and maximizes existing ones to generate extra revenue. • Maximizes profitability by increasing turnover (revenue and covers). • Ensures that department’s operational budget is strictly adhered to and that all costs are strictly controlled. • Recommends measures to control/reduce costs. • Works closely with the Controller and provisioning in regards to inventory taking, cost control, loading, ordering and storing. • Ensures that all bars are counted after each shift and investigates discrepancies. Assures correct pouring and ensures proper void handling.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE The position requires an Undergraduate Degree in Finance, Investment Planning, Public Sector Management, Development, Marketing or Business related area from a recognized institution. The candidate must have at least six (6) years hands-on experience, five (5) of which should have been obtained functioning in a similar field of work.

Requirements: • College or University degree in hospitality management, business administration or related field preferred. International equivalent suffices. • 4-6 years restaurant operational management experience in 4/5 star hotels, restaurants • Fluent in English, both verbal and written. A second language is preferred. • Experience in managing a large multi-national staff. • Extensive knowledge of varying brands and quality of liquors. • Knowledge of new and old world wines including food and wine pairing. • Ability to read, interpret and demonstrate the preparation of drink recipes. • Ability to investigate and solve guest complaints, follow up and meet/exceed guest expectations. • Extensive knowledge of Micros POS and Opera

The incumbent must also be knowledgeable in Public Service Development laws, Procedures and Practices as well as be current with Public Sector Developmental reforms and best practices in countries similar to the Turks & Caicos Islands. The successful candidate is required to be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite as well as online management tools and customer contact software. Intermediate knowledge of the use of Graphic Design and other Web Design Software would be preferred. He /She must be able must have excellent communication skills and be a strong ambassador for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Salary Range: Negotiable (relative to experience)

Interested and qualified candidates please contact Stephen Garland at stephen@stelletc.com

ONLY SUITABLE CANDIDATES WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED 6416

6434

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PHONE: (649) 946-4664 T Holdings

Island Stairworks Ltd. Is looking for:

Is currently seeking qualified applicants on behalf of our clients:

One Carpenter

Store Attendant restocking of the stores shelves

@@Must have knowledge of residential, commercial, and industrial construction; techniques, tools, equipment and their maintenance; quality and cost controls; blueprints, drawings, and specifications; and shop/site safety. @@Must be proficient in cabinet, door, stairs, window, furniture and mill-work production. @@Must have PRC or Belonger Status. @@Must be willing to work 6 days/week and the occasional holiday. @@Must have 5 years experience working with large industrial machines. @@Must be completely proficient in the English language.

Handyman

assists in every area of the business

Domestic Workers

to assist in the home and must be good with children

Carpenter To work 5 days

per week salary $7.00 per hour. contact: 232-4336

FAX: (649) 946-4661

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

P & A PRIME AGENCY

Is looking for a

March 17 - 23, 2012

Labourers

taking care of premises and properties Salary starting at $5.00 per hour

Painter:

Must have experience in that field Salary based on experience

For more information contact P&A, IBO Building, Downtown behind the ballpark, Providenciales Monday-Friday 10am-5pm or 341-8754

6443

6442

Salary commensurate with experience.

Interested persons should forward resume to andy@islandstairworks.com.

6431

WARD CONSULTANCY Acting on behalf of our clients: Noel Abougoush, Beach Bar Ltd. is looking to fill the following positions:

MIXOLOGIST

Is responsible for ordering supplies for the bar area, or mixing drink containing a variety of ingredients that need to be measured and mixed in the proper proportions etc. Shift hours salary $7.00 per hour

FULL-TIME NANNY for twins

@@Must speak, read and write English @@Must be available for shift hrs (evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays) @@Must be able to do household chores @@Must be comfortable around large dogs for grooming weekly

Salary $5.00 per hour Contact: 649-332-5533

6441

Vacancy Notice Investment Marketer

SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

An exciting opportunity awaits you in the Turks & Caicos Islands Government Service for the post of Investment Marketer. The incumbent in this position will initially manage the re-branding of the Investment Unit. The promotion and marketing role embodies the lead entity for promotion of investment to the TCI. The role will coordinate and launch timely and targeted campaigns to attract investors into the country. This would be achieved by utilizing modern marketing techniques and strong understanding for branding and creation and maintenance of marketing brand and message. A proven track record of delivering marketing and monitored campaigns with a result driven approach is required. The role also promotes TCIU and builds the units online presence and brand association both regionally and globally creating data capture and strong customer relationship management systems to liaise across the unit for feedback and incremental strategic growth of the marketing message. The role will identify and utilise overseas networks, Embassies and Consulates as key avenues for investment promotions. It will conduct and liaise with the local and private sector to have site visits and on island promotions, in the case of ground breaking and project launches. This role works parallel to the investor lead generator to align service offering and create investment products through feedback and collaboration of information. Duties include reviewing reports and articles; developing communication, information, data protection and other related policies; working with other Information and Communication Departments and other Government Departments preparing annual estimates of expenditure; meeting consultants; supervising staff and overseeing the use of contracted advertising and Public Relation Services.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE The position requires an Undergraduate Degree in Marketing, Public Relations, Communications or a related field. The candidate must have at least six (6) years hands-on experience, five (5) of which should have been obtained functioning in a similar position. The incumbent must also be knowledgeable in Public service development laws, Procedures and Practices as well as be current with Public Sector developmental reforms and best practices in countries similar to the Turks & Caicos Islands. The successful candidate is required to be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite as well as online management tools and customer contact software. Intermediate knowledge of the use of Graphic Design and other Web Design Software would be preferred. He /She must be able must have excellent communication skills and be strong ambassador for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

SALARY: $44,820 - $ 47,790 per annum Applicantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resume including contact number or email address, two letters of reference and a police certificate should be sent to the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Public Service Management, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands. Fax (649) 946-1582. Email: recruitment@gov.tc Extension: 10318 ONLY SUITABLE CANDIDATES WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED 6415

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PHONE: (649) 946-4664

EMPLOYMENT / SERVICES / NOTICES

LEW 1 SHIPPING LTD. Is looking for a

Domestic Worker

To clean office two days per week salary $5.00 per hour

Contact: 941-5707

6438

LEW HANDFIELD Is looking for a

Housekeeper To work 3 days per week. Salary $5.00 per hour.

FAX: (649) 946-4661

VACANCY VACANCY Applications are invited for the position of

Director of Development

Applications are invited for the position of

Director of Projects

The applicant must possess the following: • Worked in multiple countries with Minister level and Heads of State in the development and establishment of new organisations and agencies • Created and negotiated contracts with governments for the development of infrastructure to ensure all laws and ordinances are in compliance with both local governments and the international community • Experience and knowledge of construction and development through post-graduate degree or work experience • Senior executive level experience in government or corporate organisations

Contact: 231-1117

– Leeward Resort and Marina

The applicant must possess the following: • Intimate knowledge of all aspects of the original developer’s concepts and vision • Worked with all previous contractors in order to access information and specifications of previous work • At least 30 years of experience in construction and development with experience in Bellingham dock systems and marina construction • Intimately familiar with the laws and ordinances of construction for the Turks and Caicos Islands • Knowledgeable on all aspects of environmental controls to ensure construction meets environmental standards for certification

Belongers need only apply.

Please Submit Application to: P.O. Box 270 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

6439

6413

6414

SPENCE SECURITY & INVESTIGATION SERVICES, LTD

VACANCY

The Gansevoort Turks & Caicos, a Wymara Resort, is actively looking to fill the following position:

Executive Chef

The leading and trusted security company in TCI is in need of personnel to fill up the following position for our expansion.

Executive Chef who: • will train and manage kitchen personnel and supervise/ coordinate all related culinary activities • estimate food consumption and requisition or purchase food • select and develop recipes • standardize production recipes to ensure consistent quality • establish presentation technique and quality standards • plan and price menus • ensure proper equipment operation/maintenance • ensure proper safety and sanitation in the kitchen • organize and execute function menus for large scale special events.

SECURITY OFFICER

Qualifications: • Minimum of 4 years military/police experience or 5-6 years security officer experience • Must have basic personal safety and other security training certificate • Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills (English)

• Can follow instructions and write comprehensive reports • Must be an excellent team-player Salary starts $6.00 per hour. How to apply: 1. Submit resume’ with application letter, employment and training certificates, police record, passport, proof of residence or citizenship to Spence Security office 2. Wait for Spence Security personnel to call you for an interview

@@ The Chef must have the ability to manage in a diverse environment with focus on client and customer services are essential to success in this role. Previous experience with control food and labor cost, demonstration cooking, menu development, and pricing and development of culinary team is essential. Previous Caribbean experience is an asset. @@ The ideal candidates will possess a bachelor’s degree or related culinary degree with eight or more years of industry and culinary management experience. @@ Salary Range: Negotiable (relative to experience)

Interested applicants should send resume’ and applicable certificates address to:

BELONGER ONLY NEED APPLY. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

6427

‘The Personnel Manager’ not later than March 26, 2012 to: SPENCE SECURITY & INVESTIGATION SERVICES, LTD. P.O BOX #73, Caribbean Place, Leeward Highway, Providenciales Email address: spencesecurity@tciway.tc Fax: 941-3027

Interested and qualified candidates please contact Stephen Garland at stephen@stelletc.com

6436

Responsibilities: • Safe guard the clients lives and properties • Prevent/deter crimes from happening • Crowd management • Write reports

Sports International

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

Beckham’s Olympic football dream still burns bright Angeles Galaxy, if selected. “Obviously I have spoken with Stuart Pearce and he is well aware of how much I want to be involved, but it’s down to me being fit and in form,” Beckham told CNN. Hailing from the east end of London, close to the main

VACANCY Is seeking suitably qualified Belongers to fill the positions outlined below. Ideal candidates must possess luxury resort experience, a professional demeanor, and a strong command of the English language (oral and written), and a passion for hospitality. Salary is based on experience and qualifications.

Executive Chef

The Executive Chef is responsible for directing the food operation of Seven Stars Resort, a luxury all suite resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The ideal candidate will have oversight of a Brasserie Restaurant, Room Service, the Pool Bar & Restaurant, Ocean Front Bar and Banquet operations. You will apply an innovative and creative approach to food, and deliver superior standards of excellence in hygiene, sanitation and service.

COREY’S FUNERAL CHAPEL Is looking for a

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: • 7 Years international experience as Executive Chef in a luxury resort environment with exposure to a diverse range of food operations • Exceptional culinary knowledge • Degree in Hospitality or Culinary Arts • Financially savvy with the ability to deliver on budgeted revenues while maintaining labor and food costs • Analytical skills and strategic thinking toward continuous improvement • Highly motivated and driven • Strong leadership skills with the ability to hire, train, develop and motivate team members

Labourer To work 6 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

In addition to the Executive Chef opening, we are also currently recruiting for the following:

Housekeeper/Room Attendant Handyman Security Chef De Tournant Assistant Maitre Spa Therapist Cost Controller Maintenance Team Leader

contact: 231-1915

David Beckham hopes to be included in team Great Britain for this year’s Olympics.

the GB team will not have to worry about is World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, who helped Argentina to gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His country failed to qualify from South America, with Brazil and Uruguay going through, robbing British fans of the chance to see close up a man who Beckham calls “an incredible talent.” He went on: “Messi is obviously the best player in the world. (Cristiano) Ronaldo, again, is up there as well because they’re both two

stunning talents, they’re both two great players who can change games within seconds. It’s a joy to watch both of them.” Once the Olympics are over, Beckham will return to help Galaxy to what he hopes will be a second straight MLS title, but is taking nothing for granted. “Last season was a great success, but it’s forgotten now. We need to continue to be successful as team, as individuals, as a club,” he added. (CNN)

Teixeira quits as Brazilian football chief RICARDO Teixeira has resigned as both the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and head of Brazil’s organising committee for the 2014 World Cup finals. The 64-year-old Teixeira announced last week that he was taking a leave of absence for medical reasons, although it was not made clear what his health problem was. And, in a statement

released on the CBF’s official website, Teixeira said: “I leave the presidency of the CBF permanently with the sense of mission accomplished. “I did what was within my reach, sacrificing my health. I was criticized in the losses and undervalued in the victories.” His successor has already been named as Jose Maria Marin, who had been acting as CBF president in Teixeira’s absence. (CNN)

Sunny Reef Ltd

WAITER

3-5 years’ experience in an upscale restaurant. Ability to read and write. Communication skills, ability to recite and promote pleasant personality.

COOK

3-8 years in busy in Restaurant/ hotel industry, ability to read and write English. Good team player in busy restaurant. Must know French/ Indonesian cuisine.

Suitably qualified candidates should apply in writing or by phone to the following:

LABOURER/DISHWASHER

Bridgette Thomas BNC Consulting Group, Ltd website: www.bnccgroup.com email: bthomas@bnccgroup.com phone: 649-332-2565 Closing Date: March 31, 2012 ONLY CANDIDATES MEETING MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE CONTACTED

Olympic stadium at Stratford, Beckham says it would be even “more special” should he earn his place. “I’m always proud to represent my country whether in a World Cup or a friendly game,” he said. “It’s a big year with the queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, for myself to be involved with that will be huge,” he added. Beckham captained England 58 times and is being tipped to take the same role with a Great Britain team able to also call on players from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, who normally compete internationally as separate teams. Former Manchester United teammate Ryan Giggs, himself a veteran at 38, is also reported to be interested in playing for the Great Britain team in London as an over-age player, while 32-year-old Brazil superstar Ronaldinho has been named in their provisional squad. But one man Beckham and

Must be able to speak and write English, Receive order when delivered. 3-5 years in busy kitchen. ALL Qualified applicants are kindly requested to respond to the following address below.

6440

Sunny Reef Ltd. Po. Box 811. Providenciales

6447

players over 23 in manager Stuart Pearce’s 18-man squad for the London Games this summer. The former England captain will get special permission to take part in the tournament from July 25 to August 11 from his MLS side Los

6446

DAVID Beckham is determined to go for gold with the Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics, despite being twice the age of some of his potential teammates. Beckham, who turns 37 in May, has set his stall out to be one of the three nominated

March 17 - 23, 2012

Sports International

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Jamaica $45M injected into Champs

The English skipper has solidified his position in the Test side.

Strauss says Test places up for grabs ENGLAND captain Andrew Strauss says fringe players like Ravi Bopara must perform in the warm-up games to make the Test side in Sri Lanka. Bopara is competing with Samit Patel and Tim Bresnan to take Eoin Morgan’s place in the team for the two Tests. But Strauss said: “The challenge for Ravi and others is to put their name in the hat and say ‘pick me’. “You always want to see how people are adapting to conditions and what sort of form people are in.”

England were thrashed 3-0 by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in January and February in their first series since rising to the top of the Test rankings. The road to recovery begins on Thursday with the first of two threeday warm-up games against a Sri Lankan Board XI in Colombo. The Test series starts in Galle on 26 March with Bopara the favourite to replace Morgan if England choose to stick with the same balance of six batsmen and four bowlers. (BBC)

TWO-HUNDRED-AND-SIXTEEN (216) schools will vie for top honours at this year’s staging of the 102nd ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships set for March 28 to 31 at the National Stadium. ‘Champs’, as it is popularly called, is one of the most anticipated sporting events and will this year be sponsored to the tune of $45 million ($US519,330) with hefty injections from title sponsor GraceKennedy ($25.7m), LIME ($7m), CVM TV ($7m) and Puma ($4.4m). This year’s event -- already a media event with interests from Britain’s BBC, America’s NBC, plus other media outlets from Japan, France and Switzerland -- is expected to be the most spectacular and entertaining one of all. Jamaica College and Holmwood Technical are the defending boys and girls champion, respectively, but they will be hard-pressed to retain their titles, with Kingston College and Edwin Allen highly favoured to dethrone them. Colleen Montague, principal of Wolmer’s Girls and chairperson of ‘Champs’, said the event is a momentous one as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence. “This historic event will hold even more significance this year as we celebrate 50 years as an independent nation. We want to make this year’s Boys and Girls Championships one of the best yet and we eagerly anticipate the support of track and field fans all across the region,” said Montague at yesterday’s launch at the Terra Nova Hotel. She continued: “The plans for this staging will surpass anything we have done before. In particular, we

Don Wehby (right), CEO, GraceKennedy, displays his company’s sponsorship contribution at the launch of the 2012 Secondary Schools’ Sports Association (ISSA) Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships set for March 28th to 31st. (Ricardo Makyn/Jamaica Gleaner photo)

are paying attention to the technical, security and entertainment as well as more convenient ticketing for patrons.” Don Wehby, GraceKennedy’s group executive officer, said: “when it comes to Jamaicans, there are three things you just don’t mess with -- our food, our family and our sports; the three are near and dear to our hearts.” “Having said that, when it comes to sports, there is nothing to us like the Olympics, which we have to wait for every four years to watch our own athletes compete and conquer the best in the world... thankfully, however, there is one meet that we don’t have to wait four years for that ignites a frenzy and flurry of excitement in our island and that is the Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic

Championships,” said Wehby, a former St George’s College student. Telecommunication powerhouse LIME, which has pumped $20m into the event since 2010, claims it’s money well spent. Stephen Miller said it is money well spent. “This investment has reaped tremendous returns, particularly among our young people who have continued to display what can only be described as genius on the tracks,” said Stephen Miller, LIME’s sponsorship manager. Puma, through its local representative Alfred Francis, said its support for Jamaicans has provided many opportunities for aspiring track and field athletes working hard within school programmes.

D’Antoni resigns as coach of New York Knicks

Dereck Chisora had a brawl with David Haye outside of the ring.

Dereck Chisora has boxing licence withdrawn by British authority DERECK Chisora’s boxing licence has been withdrawn by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) for his actions before and after his defeat by Vitali Klitschko in Munich. Chisora slapped Vitali at the weigh-in, spat water at his opponent’s brother Wladimir before the bout and brawled with David Haye after the fight. “Dereck Chisora is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence,” said BBBofC secretary Robert Smith. “It has been withdrawn immediately.” Zimbabwe-born Chisora, 28, who lost the WBC heavyweight title bout on points, has 14 days to appeal against the decision. Asked if it was effectively a life ban, Smith said: “There is no set

period for when he can reapply for his license. “Any person is allowed to reapply at some point and the Board will consider any application, but for today, Mr Chisora does not hold a Board licence. What happens in the future, I do not know.” Chisora’s promoter Frank Warren said of the hearing in Cardiff: “I was happy with certain aspects of the hearing and unhappy with other aspects. The fact of the matter is slapping someone and spitting water was not an acceptable situation. “We do not accept for one minute that what happened after the fight was Dereck’s responsibility. He did not throw the first punch. We’ve proved that.

MIKE D’Antoni resigned Wednesday as New York Knicks coach, after a season-long struggle to find common ground with superstar forward Carmelo Anthony. D’Antoni, 60, made the decision official in a meeting Wednesday afternoon with James L. Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman, and Glen Grunwald, interim general manager. Mike Woodson, who joined the coaching staff last summer — and was viewed as the emergency replacement, if necessary — coached the Knicks to a 121-79 rout of the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. Woodson, 53, previously coached the Atlanta Hawks. Two D’Antoni assistants, his brother Dan and Phil Weber, are also resigning. A person with close ties to Mike D’Antoni said D’Antoni initiated Wednesday’s meeting with Dolan and that the decision to step down

Carmelo Anthony was not in favour of his now former coach, Mike D’Antoni, decisions on court.

“was absolutely Mike’s.” Knicks players were said to be stunned and disappointed. Although Anthony has been frustrated by D’Antoni’s system, the vast majority of the locker room supported the coach. He had the strong backing of Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler,

Jeremy Lin, Jared Jeffries and Landry Fields, the core of the team. Entering Wednesday, the Knicks had lost six straight games, jeopardizing their playoff standing and erasing the gains made in an 8-1 stretch last month, when Lin revived D’Antoni’s offense.

Sports National

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

Island Fire Supplies Girl’s Development League:

Pluviose wins skills competition SHINAYDINE Pluviose emerged overall skills champion in the Island Fire Supplies Girl’s Development League’s Skills competition last weekend at the TCIFA Academy Ground. The youngster outperformed over 30 other players to take the bragging title. Technical Director of the local football association Matthew Green described her as a player: “Who always give 100% in everything that she does”. Western Warriors emerged as the most skillful team. The first event saw a very closely fought juggling competition won by 13-year-old Jenny Fluerenvil as she defeated national team player Sarah Cenary in the final. Another rising star, 11-year-old, Guerline Hall won the Crossbar Challenge as she hit the target on her first shot. Pluviose then won the shooting competition ahead of team mate Selena Rigby. The final event of the day was the most competitive as players had to overcome an assault course. Sanardia Forbes put in an impressive time as did Sarah Cenary who was leading the event with a time of 21.75 seconds until Deasia Ewing stunned the crowd with a time of 20.67 seconds. After the events ended the teams played a series of friendly games to finish off a fun afternoon of competition. Technical Director Matthew Green was pleased with the event. “Too often we focus on competing and it is therefore important for players to just have

Douglas Brown and Dane Ritchie

HAB Group/Gansevoort Resort T20 Cricket: The winners of the skills events.

fun sometimes. The events were competed in good spirits and it was good to see some of the younger players dominate the skills events”. Green added that: “Deasia Ewing (who has only just started playing football) did really well today, as did Guerline Hall, Sydnee Campbell and Jenny Fluerenvil but the best overall competitor was Shinaydine Pluviose”. League games continue on Sunday March 18. Winners were as followed:

Juggling - Jenny Fluerenvil (Provo All Stars)

Crossbar Challenge - Guerline Hall (Western Warriors) Shooting - Shinaydine Pluviose (Eastern Eagles) Assault Course - Deasia Ewing (Provo All Stars)

Overall Skills Champion - Shinaydine Pluviose Team Event Juggling - Provo All Stars Crossbar Challenge - Western warriors Shooting - Eastern Eagles Assault Course - Western Warriors Overall Winners Western Warriors

Richie and Brown lead Jam Turk to victory AN all-round performance from medium pacer Dane Ritchie and an aggressive half-century from skipper Douglas Brown propelled Jam Turk to an opening victory over KB Homes in the HAB Group/ Gansevoort Resort T20 Cricket Competition last Saturday. Batting first Jam Turk posted an impressive 183-9 from their allotted 20 overs. Brown smashed 54 runs (10X4s and 1X6) while Ritchie, who was later named the man-of-thematch, and Calvin Aaron chipped in with 26 runs each.

Spinner Craig James led the attack for the rugby players with 4-18 from three overs while Gareth Butler assisted with 2-38 from four overs. KB Homes could not get on top of the bowling and were dismissed for 80 runs from 17.4 overs. Mark Butler battled to 18 runs while Butler added 12. The bulk of the batting succumbed to Richie (3-19 from four overs) and spinner Henry Penant (313 from two overs). Jeffery Bascoe also did some damage with 2-16 from four overs.

Chelsea see off Napoli in extra-time thriller; Real Madrid ease through BRANISLAV Ivanovic scored a superb extra-time goal to put Chelsea through to the quarterfinals of the European Champions League, while Real Madrid also progressed Wednesday. The Serbian defender’s 105thminute strike gave the English Premier League side a 4-1 second leg win over Napoli and passage to the last eight 5-4 on aggregate. Trailing 3-1 after the first leg in Italy, one of the results which cost Andre Villas-Boas his job as Chelsea manager, the home side responded with an all-action display at Stamford Bridge. Goals from veteran players Didier Drogba, John Terry and Frank Lampard -- whose futures had seemed under threat during the short reign of the Portuguese coach -- helped send the tie to extra time. Napoli had looked menacing in the opening exchanges and Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi both forced fine reaction saves from Petr Cech. But striker Drogba’s diving header after 39 minutes tipped the

balance in the home side’s favor. Two minutes into the second half and they were two up and level on aggregate as captain Terry found space to head home Lampard’s corner. Napoli, who continued to be a threat, responded almost immediately with a goal to go ahead again on aggregate as Gokhan Inler swept home from the edge of the area. But Andrea Dossena handled to give Chelsea the chance to take the match past regulation time, and England international Lampard stepped up to smash home the 75thminute penalty kick. Substitute Fernando Torres had two half-chances to end his goal drought before Ivanovic cropped up in the penalty area to smash his shot high into the Napoli net. Chelsea held out comfortably in the second half of extra time to seal a famous comeback and give interim manager Roberto Di Matteo his third straight win since taking over from Villas-Boas. Defender Terry said it had

been one of their greatest every performances. “This could top them all sure,” he told the UK match broadcaster. “The lads put in a great display, really solid, really resilient, with the firepower going forward. “We proved we’re a team tonight. That desire, that togetherness. We showed what Chelsea are made of tonight.” Nine-time champions Real Madrid booked their passage after a 4-1 win over CSKA Moscow at the Santiago Bernabeu, clinching a 5-2 aggregate success. The scoreline was a little flattering for Real, who had some nervous defensive moments before Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain converted Kaka’s cross to put them ahead on the night and on aggregate. In-form Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first of the night early in the second half with a speculative long-range effort which embarrassed CSKA goalkeeper Sergei Chepchugov. France forward Karim Benzema made it 3-0 to Real with his first

Drogba scored in the 29th minute for Chelsea.

touch after coming on as a substitute, then Zopan Tosic scored a deserved goal for the visitors with a crisp strike which whistled past Iker Casillas.

But Ronaldo scored in injury time with his sixth goal in the competition to restore the Spanish league leaders’ three-goal advantage. (CNN)

March 17 - 23, 2012

Sports National

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Golfers go green for a very good cause MORE than 70 players took part in the Bob Graham Classic held at the Provo Golf Club last Sunday. Bob, a popular club member for many years, introduced the competition back in 1997 as a way of raising funds to send TCI teams to take part in the annual Caribbean Championship. It has since become one of the biggest events on the calendar and this year’s showdown saw players wearing green to celebrate St Patrick’s Day on March 17. The team net best ball competition saw a tie for first place (23-underpar). But Ken Liroff’s outfit of Graham Malyan, Harold Williams and Jurgen Wildt claimed the title by beating Terry Erskine, Madelaine Erskine, Carol Wilson, and Carol Brown in a play-off.

Talented 15-year-old junior, Elijah Delancy, teamed up with his grandmother, Agatha Delancy, Bridgette Thomas and Janet Fischer, to finish a close third (21-under-par), while Ciaran O’Neill captained his team of Hugh O’Neill, Craig James, and course superintendent, Jason Bailey, to fourth spot. Meanwhile the low gross men’s champion was Liroff for the second consecutive year, with a return of 76. But it was Paul Little who caught the eye by winning the men’s low net with an amazing 64. Reigning ladies club champion, Dorothy Trocha, shot an excellent gross score of 78 to win the ladies individual title, and it was Madelaine Erskine who claimed the ladies low net prize with a seven-under-par 65. Director of golf, Dave Douglas, said: “Bob Graham’s enthusiasm

The winning team made everyone green with envy: back row from left to right: Graham Malyan, Harold Williams, Jurgen Wildt, Ken Liroff; front centre: Bob Graham.

and generosity has helped many a TCI golfer achieve their dream of representing their country. It has also helped scores of youngsters take up the game in the first place. “This event is special and again we thank Bob for his amazing commitment to TCI golf. “The competition is one of the biggest held at Provo Golf Club and this year’s proved just as popular and competitive as all the previous ones, with more than $5,000 raised.” Other sponsors included: the Wine Cellar, Regent Grand, Gansevoort, Pine Cay, Provo Golf Club, Stelle Restaurant, Bay Bistro, Opus Restaurant, Baci Restaurant, Pelican Bay, Mango Reef, Goldsmith, and Mac Motors.

All set for hockey finals THE finalists of the Provo Hockey League (PHL) have been named and will now battle for the championship trophy in the three age divisions. In the mini-division the Gracebay Car Rentals and Sales Owls will meet the Gansevoort Gators. In the last playoff clash the Owls won 6-5. Dylan Brubaker scored three goals and made two assists for the Owls while the Gators’ Dylan Ayer scored three times and had one assist. The Coco Bistro Lightning will meet the Saunders and Co. Hurricanes in the Bantam Division finals. Livingston Ferdinand kept the

Hurricanes destructive when they edged past the Lightning 7-6 last Saturday. The youngster scored four goals and made an assist. For the Lightning Javiera Bovell showed the fight with three goals. The Carib Gaming Panthers will battle the Twa Marcelin Wolf Pirates in the Midget Division final. The Panthers were ultra aggressive in their last playoff game as they handed the J & W Construction Flames an 8-1 loss. Rajhan Munnings led the Panthers with four goals while Serena Delancy added a pair.

South Caicos rugby tour successful –Approximately 20 students benefit from training APROXIMATELY 20 students from South Caicos now have foundation knowledge of rugby given that they benefited from a TCIRFU awareness session on Monday last. The students (both primary and secondary) were encouraged to be a part of the session by Marjorie Basden High School Principal Mr. David Bowen. Rugby Development Officer Jamie Tait, assisted by TCIRFU President Keith Burant, club member James Hamilton and South Caicos’ own Camiko Lewis took the participants through a selection of exercises that focused on ball handling, passing and communication. The majority of the South Caicos students had never played rugby before and all of the

coaches and 16 juniors from Provo were suitably impressed with the skill and concentration displayed by the new players. After the 45 minute session the players were rewarded with a series of games of touch rugby where they were able to display their new found skills. Information from the rugby union indicates that Provo and South Caicos players were mixed up in order to have some experience in each team, and “again the South Caicos students were impressive in their efforts and showed that there is great potential there for the next Rugby Development Officer’s visit. Given that this session was held while the High School Track and Field

The future of the sport. The TCIRFU continues to spread the game outside of Providenciales.

Nationals were being held, there is a genuine belief that the next session in South Caicos will attract a lot of attention and large numbers of players who are eager to learn about rugby,” an official said.

The Provo junior players were hosted by Sailrock – the South Caicos Sharks rugby club principal sponsor while their transportation to and from South Caicos was generously provided free of charge

by the TCI Ferry. Any questions about rugby are welcome, and can be directed to Jamie Tait, the TCIRFU Rugby Development Officer, at rdo@rugby. tc

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012

Heineken Sevens could include US and Canadian teams next year THE recent success of the Heineken Sevens Rugby Festival has prompted the local officials to make the tournament bigger next year. Information out of the Turks and Caicos Islands Rugby Football Union (TCIRFU) indicates that plans are already in the pipeline to include foreign teams. Public Relations Officer Gareth Butler said that: “The plan is to invite teams from the US and Canada and make it a weekend long event. Sponsor Heineken will likely be on board again as part of their global sponsorship programme”. The inaugural tournament, which was the Meridian Field’s first for the year had four local teams competing. The BCQS Bears triumphed in the final, defeating the Meridian Marauders five tries to one in the Cup competition. The FCIB Lions ran away in the Bowl competition defeating The Vix Warriors. The tournament’s top try scorer was Dean Griffith who picked up a brace in the final. FUTURE STARS Butler pointed out that the juniors, who continue to develop, were the future of Sevens since it is a high paced exciting version of the game, which is growing rapidly in the Caribbean. Each team had at least four juniors.

Rugby continues to grow in the TCI.

“It was therefore appropriate that so many young Turks and Caicos Islanders were represented amongst the teams that competed. They have all graduated from the TCIRFU junior programme that has been going for five years now, and the fruits of that development are starting to be seen with a number of junior players showing their skills on the field to the delight of the large crowd.” TCIRFU Club Captain Blair Mason recently emphasised that, with the new generation of players

HAB Group/Gansevoort Resort T20 cricket:

Defending champs go down in opener DEFENDING Providenciales T20 champs, the Police cricket team, suffered a humiliating 89run defeat to nemesis the Guyana Jaguars in the second week of the HAB Group/Gansevoort Resort T20 cricket competition. Jaguars won the toss and batted themselves into a respectable position at 168-8 before their allotted overs expired. The runs were distributed with Sean Khan hitting 29 (3X4s), George Niles 27 (5X4s) and Sheldon Henry 20

(2X4s). Ira Baptiste showed some hostility to finish with 3-21 from his four overs while Kamar Pitter and Gavin Bruno supported with two wickets apiece. The loss of the openers for six runs restricted the scoring and the lawmen succumbed for a paltry 79 in 16.5 overs. Winick Caleb led the attack with 3-14 while Jawellin Sealey had amazing figures of 2-9 from four overs. Walter Henry and Sheldon Henry supported with two wickets each.

competing for starting positions now, selecting the national team for the upcoming three match Bambarra Test Series against the touring NY Clubs: Brooklyn and Brockport in April will be extremely tough. “This is a great problem for the national selectors to have to address – where to fit all these talented individuals into a national squad of just 22. The competition for spots will be intense and the upcoming trainings in March will be crucial for those wanting to earn the right to represent to TCI in April.”

Luis Turbyfield (number 2) is one of the many youngsters who has grown in the sport and can now compete with the senior players at the highest level.

March 17 - 23, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

March 17 - 23, 2012