Volume 8 Issue 9

VOLUME 8 No. 09

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

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BIG CONTROVERSY AT PROVO AIRPORT Website: www.suntci.com

Email: sun@suntci.com

Tel: 649-946-8542

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BY HAYDEN BOYCE PUBLISHER & EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

A major controversy that is taking place at the Providenciales International Airport, in the Turks and Caicos Islands, could be headed for the law courts.

The row has to do with the decision by the Turks and Caicos Islands Airport Authority (TCIAA) to enter into a jointventure agreement with a US company, Servisair, to provide ground handling services at the Providenciales International Airport.

Albray Butterfield Jnr. of TCA Handling, Lyndon Gardiner of Air Turks and Caicos/Provo Air Centre and Shaun Malcolm and Joshua Harvey of Sky Blue Aviation, have all expressed outrage about this move by the TCIAA. They are even more upset about the fact that their appeals to Governor Ric Todd, Attorney General Huw Shepheard and the Interim Government are not being given urgent, serious or fair attention.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

CAICOS BEACH CLUB IN SOUTH CAICOS

The Caicos Beach Club Resort and Marina which has been under construction in South Caicos for the past few years, is yet to be open.

The private exclusive vacation resort has faced some challenges including the fact that airport in South Caicos is not yet open.

Here, is an exclusive aerial shot of the development.

SEE GSAT PAPER ON PAGE 19

TCI BANK DEPOSITORS TO GET BACK SOME MONEY - PAGE 7

TCI REAL ESTATE ON THE REBOUND - PAGE 9

SKIP BLASTS INTERIM GOV’T - PAGE 10

ROBERT HALL SAYS CLAYTON GREENE SHOULD RESIGN - PAGE 11

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

Controversy at Provo Airport ...Contd CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In fact, Butterfield felt so strongly about the matter that he wrote to United Kingdom (UK) Members of Parliament, including Henry Bellingham, Andrew Rosindell, Sir John Stanley, Mike Gapes and Richard Ottaway, saying that “from August of 2009 when the UK intervened and imposed direct rule over the TCI, and ensuing, installed an interim government to administer the affairs of the country, the local economy has gone from bad, to worse.”

In confirming that it has entered into an agreement with Servisair, the TCIAA said this was motivated by the demand from air carriers that provide services to the travelling public at the Airport for additional ground handling services.

Servisair SAS owns 70 percent shares in the company and the TCIAA has 30 percent. The TCIAA said the motivation for the Airports Authority entering into this joint venture was to generate a revenue stream for the Authority.

In a press statement, the TCIAA said: The board of directors of the joint venture company, Servisair PLS, consists of three members, two of which are nominated by Servisair SAS and the other by the Airports Authority.

The member nominated by the Authority is the present Chairman of the Authority’s board of directors.

Servisair PLS is managed and operated by its own chief executive officer and staff and independently of the management of Airports Authority.

The full Board of Directors of the Airports Authority reviewed the progress of the joint venture agreement since the inception of negotiations with Servisair SAS and approved the entry into the agreement in October 2011.

Any interested person may view the documentation pertaining to the joint venture agreement between the Airports Authority and Servisair SAS by making an appointment with the office of the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer.”

In his strongly-worded letter, Butterfield, who noted that TCA Handling Co. (TCAH) has a local aviation ground service provider in the Turks and Caicos Islands for past 21 years, said he wished to bring to the attention of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) business community, and the world that the TCI is fast becoming a country that is “no longer a fair and competitive environment to invest and conduct business”.

Butterfield stated: “TCAH is not objecting and will not object to the introduction of new competition to the industry; fair competition is good for any industry. However, what we are objecting and protesting, is the United Kingdom's (UK) interim government administration and its local Advisory Council for having consented to, and has allowed its statutory government agency to enter into a joint venture for the express purpose of directly competing against local business enterprises, thus creating an unfair and uncompetitive business environment within the industry at a time when the TCI's local economy is at rock bottom and local enterprises are struggling to keep persons employed and their doors open. All local business enterprises are A viewfighting of the bar to meet their currently

Shaun Malcolm

financial obligation, coupled with all of the newly introduced taxes, fees and surcharges that have come into effect within the last three years, and we all are bracing ourselves for additional taxes, fees and surcharges which are to come into force within the coming years.”

He added: “Therefore, how is it possible for local business enterprises to effectively compete with a government joint ventured entity, when the government does not pay, or have to pay the same taxes, fees and surcharges that the local business enterprises have to pay? And when the government is bond by statute to pay its fair share to another agency within the government, the government still does not pay when it is required to pay, the bills are deferred for a later date, and when the bills accumulate to the point where the government is unable or unwilling to pay, the government has the ability use its powers to enact legislation to have the amount forgiven, such as the interim government did recently in November of 2011, when it enacted the National Insurance (Waiver of Additional Charge) Ordinance 2011, in order to waive and forgiven the penalties that was levied on the TCI government for non-payment of its National Insurance contributions.

Whereas, when local business enterprises are not in a position to pay it taxes, fees and surcharges, the government takes the local business enterprise to court under statute to force it to pay and to embarrass the management.”

“Interim government administration is allowing the Turks and Caicos Islands to become an economic failed State.”

Albray said the government joint ventured entity's overheads will be much lower than that of the local business enterprises, and in addition, the government joint ventured entity is now in the position when soliciting clients business, to claim the fact that the TCI government's Airports Authority is their joint ventured partner and that they could offer various concessions.

“In light of the above mentioned, the business environment within the industry has now become noncompetitive and unfair.

This government joint ventured entity will eventually force the current local business enterprises out of the industry by making it impossible to compete fairly, which will result in the local business enterprises having to dismissing all of its employees and

Albray Butterfield Jnr.

close its doors,” the businessman said.

He continued: “From August of 2009 when the UK intervened and imposed direct rule over the TCI, and ensuing, installed an interim government to administer the affairs of the country, the local economy has gone from bad, to worse, to an environmental of survival of the fittest; things are getting worse by the day. But what is more frightening and a tragedy is that this UK interim government administration is allowing the Turks and Caicos Islands to become an economic failed State. Also troubling and perplexing about this administration, is how out of touch the local Advisory Council is when it comes to the cries of the TCI people.

They seem to have no clue as to what is happening on the ground within the TCI or what to do in order to correct the problems, because if they did, a lot of the decisions that were taken over the past three years would have been different; such as consenting to the decision made by the TCIAA's Board to enter into a joint venture to directly compete against local business enterprises to force us out of the business. Therefore, in the interest of fair, honest and transparent competition we are calling on the local Advisory Council and H. E. Governor Todd to bring an end to this government joint venture, and focus their efforts on trying to stimulate the local TCI economy, instead of doing everything possible to further destroy the TCI.” SHUAN MALCOM AND JOSHUA HARVEY WRITE TO TCIAA In a letter which Shuan Malcolm and Joshua Harvey wrote to the TCIAA on Februry 6tth 2012, it was noted that on July 29, 2011 John Smith informed SkyBlue Aviation that SkyBlue’s request for ground handling services at PLS had been denied by the TCIAA Board because, according to Mr. Smith, the TCIAA had entered into a joint venture agreement and contract with an “international conglomerate”.

The letter stated: “When pressed for the name of the international conglomerate John Smith replied Servisair. SkyBlue requested that John Smith put the denial and reason for the denial in writing but that document was not received until August 8, 2011.

Immediately after that with John Smith Governor Gordon Wetherell denied, via telephone, having any knowledge of a joint venture between the TCIAA and any international conglomerate.

On the same day Ms. Robin Ward of Servisair was contacted and questioned over the telephone while two prominent persons intentionally eavesdropped to document the accuracy of Ms. Ward’s statements

during that telephone call. Ms. Ward unequivocally denied any joint venture or contract between Servisair and the TCIAA or TCIG and re-confirmed a meeting scheduled for August 8, 2011 in Miami with SkyBlue Aviation to further discuss a proposal for SkyBlue Aviation to joint venture with Servisair.

“Coincidently, a cancellation by Robin Ward of SkyBlue Aviation’s Miami meeting with Servisair scheduled for August 8, 2011 occurred just 30 minutes after receipt of a letter from John Smith incorrectly denying SkyBlue Aviation’s approval for commercial Aircraft handling Services and fuel re-sale because SkyBlue Aviation does not “have the appropriate license or permit” when in fact a Ground Handling License and an Aviation Fuel Services license had already been issued to SkyBlue Aviation Ltd on August 1, 2011. In regards to disparaging remarks that you have made reference to in your most recent correspondence, I am not aware of such as that was certainly not the intent of any member on our team.

However, if the venting of our obvious frustrations has mistakenly led you to that conclusion, then you have our sincerest apologies.

Malcolm and Harvey said SkyBlue Aviation was informed by Martin Stanley, the TCIG CEO at the time, that in a meeting held in October 2010 and attended by Permanent Secretary Arthur Been and John Smith, the CEO had stated unequivocally that the Airport Authority was a regulator and could not at the same time compete in the industry and therefore could not enter into any such ground handling joint venture, only to learn that the TCIAA has proceeded to do just that, thereby side stepping SkyBlue's proposal.

They said the SkyBlue team was frustrated further when there appeared to be some level of deception and covertness on behalf of members of the Airport Authority when it was discovered that there was “an obvious circumvention of the transparent, normal, and if I might add, legitimately prescribed modus operandi of the board” in that the alleged joint venture between the TCIAA and Servisair was seemingly done outside of a Board meeting and with only the Chairman, the CEO and one other member even having knowledge of that arrangement and the remaining four members of the Board had no knowledge until the question was asked in this most recent meeting on January, 28 2012 which was requested by SkyBlue.

The letter to the TCIAA added: “SkyBlue principals were alarmed to say the least, that considering the governmental structure and far reaching power of the interim Administration, that such a high level joint venture between a government statutory body and an international company involving the International Airport in Providenciales, could have been executed without the knowledge and sanction of the attorney general's office, the Governor or the country's Chief Executive officer. This issue is even more troubling considering the fact that as has already been pointed out, the Chief Executive Officer had previously informed the board that such a joint venture undertaking including the authority was definitely not possible.”

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

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LOCAL NEWS

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LOCAL LOCAL NEWS

TURKS & CAICOS SUN TURKS & CAICOS SUN

AUGUST 5TH20TH, - AUGUST 12TH, 2011 JANUARY 13TH - JANUARY 2012 TURKS CAICOS SUN FEBRUARY 17TH -2ND FEBRUARY 24TH, MARCH - MARCH 9TH,2012 2012 TURKS TURKS&& &CAICOS CAICOSSUN SUN AUGUST 5TH - AUGUST 12TH, 2011

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

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LOCAL NEWS

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COMMENTARY

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

TAKING BACK OUR COUNTRY ROYAL S. ROBINSON, MBE

Those are but a few of the names of persons that have now taken an about turn in their relationship with the British. As Turks and In the last few days I have been Caicos Islanders, they had every seeing signs that there has begun right to call the British in so that a process to fight back and take they could live up to their control of our country. People are responsibility to us for the good beginning to feel and rightly so, governance of this country. I that their franchise is being taken respected their rights and would from them and that they are fight for their ability to express becoming by-standers in the their rights. process. I do not see that there is But as Floyd Seymour any problem with us having a himself said, “We asked them to different opinion amongst come in, clean, wash and vacuum ourselves, but we have to our car and hand it back to us. remember who the real enemy is.

What they have done is to take out That is something that we can the engine and transmission work out ourselves without any without asking us about doing outside interference.

ROYAL ROBINSON that!”

There is a saying that “you CONTRIBUTER The trend and objective of this should never wash your dirty Interim Administration is totally linen public” and “once you have given something to the world, you can’t take it clear now for all and sundry to see. Their goal is to back”! In our very recent past, we have for whatever totally destroy our economy by the institution of a reason, allowed ourselves to be held prey to those number of onerous tax measures, disenfranchise us two basic concepts that have been detrimental to all by widening the franchise against our will, take away of us. Some of us felt, erroneously, that it was all our economic edge so that we become “hewers of well and good to tell any stranger about any one of wood and drawers of water” in our own country, take us and feel that it was good. Some have now come away our right to our own political self to realize that even though we do not particularly like determination, by overtly and covertly trying to a brother, that is no excuse to lambast him to that destroy the two Political Parties in this country, these are but a few of the things that they have been doing stranger.

We have gone down the road of allowing to us to destabilize us and put us at each others’ ourselves to be divided, by the British and the throats while they go on their merry way enjoying Interim Administration. So of us thought that was the the fruits of our country that we have built up while way to level the playing field and give them the denying us access to them.

That was the “last straw” for Skippings and it set “justice” that they so sorely needed. But what has happened, and some have finally realized that when his blood boiling at the arrogance and cockiness of it comes to the British, they see only Turks and the Governor at his recent town hall meeting. I could Caicos Islanders. Not PDM or PNP. We are all see some of the old fire blazing from his torso as he lumped in the same boat n o matter what our told the Governor a thing or two that night. He did individual protestations. You remember what that not rest on his laurels, but a day or so after, fired off regular caller into Expressions, now deceased said a press release confirming his position on the issues about the PNP? Let me remind you. She said, “They in no uncertain terms.

Welcome to the fight my brother! Just remember come from the same bunch of bananas. Yellow, ripe and rotten!” many of us who expressed similar as I have always said, that as Turks and Caicos sentiments have now come to realize, that the British Islanders we have more in common that binds us view us all through the same opaque set of lenses than what divides us. This is our country. We love and have been handling us the same in that fashion. this land of ours. Now for us to continue to possess It is certainly heartening to note that many of it we must fight for it once again. We need not those persons that held such disrespectful views engage ourselves totally in “brute force and about some of us Turks and Caicos Islanders have ignorance”, but needless to say, in the scheme of come to see the folly of their ways and are now things, there might just be a place for that. However, prepared to speak up and out about the injustice that we should not have to resort to such actions. We have is being meted out to all of us at the hands of the educated and trained at this country’s expense a number of brilliant minds. It is time that some of Governor and his allied henchmen.

The now outward opposition to the imposition them now reimburse us by showing what type of by these British usurpers started with the “coming to metal and mettle they are made of.

A friend of mine at his trial some time ago said Jesus moment” by the likes of Beryn Duncanson, Floyd Seymour, Albray Butterfield Jr. and lately to that in Turks and Caicos there was no “justice”, but the fray, a former Chief Minister, Oswald Skippings. “just us”! Just thinking of those words brought tears

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Turks and Caicos Sun Suite # 5, Airport Plaza Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: (649) 946-8542/ (649) 241-1510 Fax: (649) 941-3281 Email: sun@suntci.com Read us online at www.suntci.com

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Hayden Boyce Senior Editor: Vivian Tyson Web Designer: Patrina Moore-Pierre Graphics Editor: Joleen Grant Office Manager: Dominique Rigby Distribution Manger: Kelano Howell Advertising and Marketing ManagerPatrina Moore-Pierre

The Turks and Caicos SUN is a subsidiary of The SUN Media Group Ltd. We are committed to excellence in journalism, educating and informing our readers, serving and satisfying our advertisers and assisting in the overall development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

to my eyes. That showed how far we have come are how really far we still have to go. It cannot be justice when the Governor can institute laws that are totally against our will, just because he has the unfettered power so to do cannot be right. So to correct such injustice, it would be left entirely up to us. We have come too far to turn back now! We have seen the meaning of Colin Roberts’ words with respect to “a greater British presence”.

Displacing Turks and Caicos Islanders from every sphere of influence and replacing them with their cronies, most of whom have no clue whatsoever as to what to do in a small and emerging economy such as ours, save to soak up our sun, enjoy our beaches and whatever else amenities and then send the bill to us.

The CFO continues to provide us with misleading forecasts with respect to budget deficits and surpluses. Those things are designed to continue to keep us in a constant state of flux so that we cannot have a handle on whether we are coming or going. He has the numbers, and every night, after a day of hearing some unflattering remarks, like a petulant child he changes the numbers and say “B..ch, take that!”

One day, the Auditor, as he is constitutionally charged to do will get access to the books and expose the amount of cooking that went on. For the life of me, I cannot see how it could still be said that there are unpaid bill when every nook and cranny was investigated to find such bills. It was equally noteworthy that there was a direct correlation between the $71M debt that was left by the previous administration, the $118M in projected revenue and the now total debt of $189M We now have a good platform and a “golden opportunity” as Hon. Derek H. Taylor likes to say to take our country back! We have to do it by fair means or by force; the choice will be theirs and not ours. As I said at the beginning, and I will now say in the end, the seed of division that have been sown are not receiving any more water and we intend to starve it to death. Anything that is worth having, is worth fighting for! Turks and Caicos Islanders, that is the cross roads that we have found ourselves at. From now until we get our just rewards it is going to be a fight to the finish! So pull up your sleeves, put on your armor and make sure that in your hands you have the sword of correction!

• Royal Robinson was a former Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Health in the Progressive National Party (PNP) Administration.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

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MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

TCI Bank depositors to get back 20 cents out of every dollar Depositors in the collapsed TCI Bank will get 20 cents out of every dollar they had in that institution.

A press release from joint liquidators Anthony S. Kikivarakis and Mark E. Munnings informed creditors of TCI Bank Limited of their intention to file an application with the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands , for permission to make a first dividend payment of twenty cents (US$0.20) on the dollar (US$1.00) to the Company’s creditors of record, whose proof of claims are accepted.

“As the Company’s Official Joint Liquidators, we have focused our attention on converting the company’s assets into cash, mainly through the collection of payments on outstanding loan balances. In this regard, our efforts have proven fruitful and we have collected adequate funds to date, to make a dividend of US$0.20 on the US$1.00, to customers whose proof of claim forms have been accepted in the Company’s liquidation,” the release stated.

The statement added: “In Compliance with Section 4.182 of the Insolvency (Amended) Rules 1987/1919, the dividend of US$0.20 on the US$1.00, was calculated after segregating sufficient funds to satisfy: a) any debts which appear to the

Mark Munnings

Anthony Kikivarakis

liquidators to be due to persons who, by reason of the distance of their place of residence, may not have had sufficient time to tender and establish their proofs; b) any debts which are the subject of claims which have not yet been determined; and c) disputed proofs and claims.”

It was stated that dividends will be made in accordance with the Insolvency Act and therefore creditors should ensure that they are compliant with the same.

Creditors were requested, pursuant

to a notice that was published in the local gazette in June 2011, to submit their proof of debt claim forms, on or before August 15, 2011.

“Nevertheless, if you have not submitted your proof of debt claim form as yet, we urge you to do so by March 24, 2012, to avoid being excluded from this first dividend payment,” the liquidators added. “ To assist you in this regard, you may visit our office located F203 Regent Village, contact us at telephone number 649-941-7500, or visit us at

CEO appoints six new Deputy Permanent Secretaries Chief Executive Officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government Patrick Doyle has appointed six new Deputy Permanent Secretaries. hey are Cherylann Jones, Desiree Lewis, Ezekiel Hall, Ian Astwood, Sharon Taylor and Virginia Clerveaux, who were also ratified by the Public Services Commission on, Thursday, 1st March 2012.

This, according to a Government press release, is the next strategic step towards restructuring and improving the delivery of public services to the people of TCI: one of the first tasks for the new DSs is to play a key role in supporting the five (5) new Permanent Secretaries in the establishment of five new larger ministries as Government reorganises from the present nine ministries.

The release said the appointments were done following a “fair, objective and transparent process” in which the deputies emerged as “the strongest candidates when assessed against the published requirements”.

The appointments were advertised in December 2011 on the TCI Government website and in TCI’s three local newspapers with a closing date of 15th January 2012. This was extended to 30th January, following the announcement of the new Ministerial structure. 61 candidates applied, plus a further late incomplete application. One candidate withdrew before applications were considered. The selection panel met on 8 December 2011 to consider the applications, reviewing them against the experiential requirements and competences published in the candidate specification.

Eighteen applicants were selected for the short list based on the strength of their applications. On the evidence of their applications, the remaining applicants were not considered by the panel to be a strong enough fit against the required profile and were informed that they had been unsuccessful.

The shortlisted applicants were called to attend an

assessment center process over the period 421, 22, and 23 February 2012. Two applicants withdrew for personal reasons ahead of the process so ultimately 16 candidates attended the assessment centers.

The assessment centers comprised of a written exercise, a group discussion and an individual interview.

Ach center was overseen by 2 Permanent Secretaries who were responsible for scoring each exercise and the interviews, using a marking sheet for consistency. All five Permanent Secretaries met on 24th February, to review scores and determine the composition of the final short list. Seven applicants were selected for the final interview stage, on the basis of the strength of their applications and their performance at the assessment centers. Unsuccessful applicants were informed by email that they would not be taken forward.

The final stage of the selection process was a full panel interview on 28th February 2012. The seven remaining applicants were each asked a set of standard questions designed to assess their fit against the role requirements. On completion of the interviews, the panel members met to review their marks for each candidate and they agreed on a final rating for each.

Candidates were asked to nominate two personal referees, and these references were taken up ahead of the interviews, with referee comments being made available to panel members to contribute to their decisions.

David Richards (OCT Associates Limited), an executive search consultant experienced in senior civil service appointments in the United Kingdom, including permanent and deputy secretary appointments, was engaged to provide supporting services and advice . Mr Richards provided administrative support and process advice to ensure that the panel followed a fair, objective and transparent process but was not responsible for panel decisions and judgments.

www.tcibpliquidation.com, for information on how to file a proof of debt claim form. Please note that we wish to ensure that all creditors have the opportunity to lodge their proof of debt in the Company’s liquidation. We will continue the collection of payments on outstanding loan balances. If you are a delinquent loan customer, we urge you to bring your obligations to the Company current or contact us to make further arrangements. Non-compliance with this request will result in foreclosure and sale of properties and/or other collateral and repossession of vehicles.

Please note that we have assisted many customers in refinancing their loans through other commercial banks and look to do the same with you.”

The liquidators said they intend to hold an auction to dispose of the Company’s remaining assets, which consist primarily of furniture, equipment, and repossessed vehicles.

ATLANTIC CONSULTANCY SERVICES

is seeking on behalf of their clients the following positions:

WORLD OF GIRLZ BOUTIQUE - One Barber WEST BAY CLUB - One Waitress F SPOT RESTAURANT: - One Cleaner - Two Bartenders

Interested persons may apply in writing by forwarding their resume to atlanticconsultancy@hotmail.com; Or to the Labour Commissioner, Sam's Building, Down Town, Providenciales only suitable shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Belonger need apply Closing date: 2nd March, 2012 Thank you in advance for your interest

NEEDED

ASSISTANT MANAGER

FOR INSIGHT LTD. Preferred applicants should hold a degree in Business Administration MUST have training in baking Patties and other pastries MUST be able to work nights and holidays Applicant should have managerial experience, and speak English

Salary $8 per hour. Interested persons call 231-3323 Or e-mail: thepattyplace@gmail.com

INSIGHT LTD.

SEEKS A LABOURER

Applicant must speak English Able to work Saturday’s & Sunday’s Salary $5.50 per hour Call 231-3323 or e-mail thepattyplace@gmail.com

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

Governor rejects Fortis request for increase in residential rates Chief Executive Officer and President of Forts TCI Eddinton Powell said Governor Ric Todd made “the best possible decision” when by rejecting electricity rate increases for residential customers but increasing them for large hotels.

On Tuesday February 28th, Governor Todd announced that Consumers and most businesses across the Turks and Caicos Islands will not face electricity price rises for the next 12 months following discussions with Fortis TCI. The Electricity Commissioner and Governor Todd declined Fortis TCI’s request in August 2011 to raise prices for residential consumers, businesses, small and medium hotels. This move will see commercial rates on South Caicos reduced too.

After the SUN broke the story last week, the Governor announced that electricity price rises will be limited to large hotels, defined as those using more than 4.2 million kWh per year, who will have their rates increased to 21.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Medium hotels will be reclassified as those consuming more than 300,000 kWh per year. All hotels in this category will see their rates unchanged.

Powell stated: “With the announcement from the Governor’s

office, we believe that these objectives have been achieved. The negotiations with TCIG were protracted and difficult. Both sides had to make very difficult decisions. The interest and fairness of all electricity customers in our service territory were always our main concern. Fortis TCI believes that given all the information before the Governor, His Excellency made the best possible decision."

He said FortisTCI looks forward to continuing to provide customers with one of the best electricity services in the region and building the necessary infrastructure to ensure electricity supply security to the islands of North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and South Caicos.

On the 30 August 2011, Fortis TCI issued a press release and public notice on its application for a Rate Variation.

As stated in that press release and public notice, FortisTCI objectives were to end Governments requirement to subsidies service on South Caicos, to standardize rates across the Company’s service territory of Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and South Caicos, to re-balance rates to ensure greater equity and cost-of-service fairness between customers, and (4) to facilitate the continued development of the electricity infrastructure which is

Carambola Grill and Lounge is seeking a suitably qualified individual to fill the following position. Only candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be considered.

CHEF

Job Description The Chef will be responsible for all aspects of managing the kitchen and kitchen staff, ensuring the quality preparation and presentation of all food for the restaurant.

Main Duties - Responsible for the day to day food and beverage operation of the restaurant.

- Develop creative menus and catering packages to assure maximum appeal to customers.

- Hire, supervise, schedule, train and develop kitchen staff.

- Must maintain a clean and orderly kitchen and conform to all local sanitation standards and regulations.

- Oversee the inventory process for food and beverage products.

Requirements - Must have ten (10) years or more culinary experience from an accredited culinary school or equivalent work experience.

- Thorough knowledge of food preparation, purchasing and inventory procedures.

- Must be proficient in MS Office application and QuickBooks.

- Good organizational and administrative skills required.

- Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.

- Must be willing to work a variety of day/night and weekend shifts.

- Excellent people skills in order to communicate well with guests and staff.

The salary for this position will be commensurate with experience, training and education. Interested applicants should contact 946-4701 or email info@carambolatci.com

one of the best in the Caribbean.

Governor Todd said he listened to the feedback of the people of the TCI who have made it clear that an increase in their utility charges will not be welcomed as they continue to adjust to the new taxation measures introduced late last year.

“As I said at my six recent public meetings, I appreciate that the taxation system here in the TCI is regressive in that as consumption taxes they hit lower income households proportionally more. Future TCI taxation policy is clearly a matter for the next elected government, not the Interim Administration,” he said. “However, the taxes were necessary as the Government seeks to cut its costs and raise its income as it works towards returning to a budget surplus which will allow it to better prioritise its spending and begin to pay off its $189m national debt.”

In addition, Governor Todd agreed to extend Fortis TCI’s service coverage to the smaller Cays between Providenciales and North Caicos and to East Caicos, the company will eventually extend the power grid to connect to South Caicos and thereby improve the resilience of the power supply across the service area and improve the operational efficiency and service reliability.

H.E. Governor Rick Todd

One further aspect of the agreement with Fortis TCI is the standardisation of electricity tariffs across the Fortis TCI service territory.

This will be achieved in a two step process.

Initially, commercial electricity rates on South Caicos will fall from 31.6 cents to 28 cents per kWh; by next year residential rates will be aligned across the service territory to 26 cents per kWh. This is the rate currently charged on the other islands.

At that time, commercial rates on South Caicos will be further reduced from 28 cents to 27 cents per kWh. This rate rebalancing is designed to help to stimulate economic growth and development on the island of South Caicos.

The tariff changes will come into effect on 1st April 2012.

TCInvest/Revenue Control Unit

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Business Community is hereby advised that effective 27th February 2012, the Small Business Center of TCinvest responsible for processing, approving and issuing Business Licenses will be physically moved to the Revenue Control Unit Office (RCU) in Provo and remain in the Headley Durham Building in Grand Turk.

All documentations including new applications and renewals should be submitted to the Revenue Control Unit, Town Center Mall, Providenciales, and/or Headley Durham Building, Church Folly, Grand Turk.

For license related issues on South Caicos, North Caicos, Middle Caicos and Salt Cay, please continue to submit the documentation to the District Commissioner’s Office or your preferred RCU office location.

For more information or questions, please contact TCInvest Grand Turk on Tel: 1 (649) 946-2058 in Providenciales Tel: 1 (649) 941-8465 or Revenue Control at 946-2801.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 9

MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

Turks and Caicos Islands real estate market on the rebound

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Real Estate Association, Kathryn Brown, and also of ERA Coralie Properties Ltd. said that the local real market has been showing strong signs of bounding with relatively intense performances in the high-end section and low-end sectors.

She said though, that the middle field of the market was still sluggish, as even though sales were being recorded, the exercise was not as robust as with the two other market components. The high-end sector, according to Brown, posted the strongest in sales.

The local real estate head said that overall year-to-date figures showed that sales over the period climbed 28 percent, while property prices increased between four and five per cent over the period.

The high-end section of the market comprises properties valued at a million dollars and above; the middle market constitutes properties valuing between four hundred thousand dollars and a million dollars; while the low end of the market encompasses properties that value four hundred thousand dollars and below.

Brown said that the market was

not only experiencing increase in sales, prices as well.

“It is recovering. But in saying that, we’ve been steadily going down since 2008, and in the last months, we have seen a recovery in not only sales but increase in prices. We see increase in sales in a lot of high-end, and possibly, the low-end is also improving, with locals buying homes because they are able to get mortgages and get loans.

“So that has been going quite nicely; sellers and buyers are having more confidence in the market. The whole sector has not improved, though.

I would suggest that the higher end and lower end have improved, but the middle sector has not improved as much,” Brown explained.

The high-end properties included hotel condominiums, which saw their sales slumped, as a number of condominium hotels reported sharp drop in sales of their units. Some of those hotels have since been the victims of receivership.

Brown owes the recovery of the sector in part to buyers getting more comfortable with the general economy, and with those having disposable cash saw the Turks and Caicos Islands as good place to invest and with tremendous possibly for returns on their investment.

“Also, it is a good vacation area that is safe - one of the safest places in

the Caribbean. It uses the US dollar and we are still in very early stages of development in a lot of sectors. So the growth is very good potential and the prices are down, and compared to many parts of the world, we are still very inexpensive,” Brown said.

Brown believed that based on the current trend, the Turks and Caicos Islands real estate market could become one of the most robust at least in the region.

“We have a very healthy future.

The Turks and Caicos has so much to offer; we still have all the assets we’ve always had. We have sun, sand and sea, and are also in close proximity to major cities in North America. Going forward, we anticipate world-wide flights that are going to come from many parts of the world. And our visibility is still growing; there are still many people in the world that never heard of us. We have a very healthy future, I believe,” Brown said.

Joe Zahm, President, Turks & Caicos Sotheby’s International Realty said in the company’s website that Turks & Caicos enjoyed a “strong bounce back year in 2011, after struggling along a murky market bottom in 2009 and 2010”.

He said the resurgence was led by the following factors: booming tourism, up about 18%, led by excellent air service; stabling government and local

LOCAL NEWS economy; better price value in the market; excellent inventory; drastically increased sales activity in all market sectors and the fact that inventory is down for the first time since 2008.

Zahm said: “The home/villa market nearly tripled in dollar sales volume, and almost doubled in average price, led by the sale of Serendib Villa (which was once owned by developer Richard Padgett and bought by music star Prince) at $10.5M and La Dolce Vita at $6.25M (which was sold by our own Nina Seigenthaler). There was strength throughout this sector as buyers reemerged and sellers lowered prices to market levels.”

The Turks and Caicos Islands saw its real estate market plummet after a number of banks such as Fannie May, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers went bust as a result of the subprime housing market crisis.

The Wall Street calamity affected many parts of the world including Caribbean countries such as the Turks and Caicos Islands, and as a result, derailed many projects, which were being financed by the American financial institutions.

Hurricane Ike in August, 2008, also dealt the country another severe body blow, as it tremendously slowed down tourist arrivals. Many visitors that travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands also used their vacation time to scout condominium purchasing opportunities.

But because a number of hotels were closed for as long as five months in the aftermath of the hurricane, a slump in the market was created since.

The unstable political climate in the country was also said to be factor in the market.

INTERHEALTH CANADA TURKS and CAICOS ISLANDS HOSPITAL A vacancy exists for the following discipline. Suitably experienced and qualified Belongers are encouraged to apply:-

IM&T MANAGER

The successful individual will be responsible for:Operating and maintaining in-house applications; planning and conducting migrations and upgrades; overseeing database specific technical assignments.

Assisting in projects covering documentation.

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Applicants must possess an academic degree in IM&T or Technical level in computer, business or quantitative field such as Computer Science, Business, Operations or Mathematics.

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Initial applications may be made by submitting to Interhealth Canada a comprehensive CV showing qualifications and experience. The CV should be emailed to pnicholson@interhealthcanada.tc Please ensure that a contact telephone number or email address is included in the application The closing date for applications is 9th March 2012.

Page 10 Page 10

LOCALNEWS NEWS LOCAL

MARCH 2NDCAICOS - MARCH 9TH, 2012MARCH 2ND TURKS AND SUN - MARCH 9TH, 2012 TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Interim Administration is oppressive, non-transparent and disrespectful

BY PASTOR OSWALD SKIPPINGS

After trying so hard and for so long, the current UK Conservative government has finally succeeded in its bold and persistent efforts to alienate the masses of the Turks and Caicos people to the point of disgust and disdain for their high handed, apartheid styled Interim administration in these Islands.

The situation is such that even its once most ardent supporters and sympathizers have lost all confidence in this British regime with the exception of a few like minded privileged sympathizers who are reaping where they have not sown and arbitrarily calling the shots at Waterloo.

This Interim Administration's oppressive, non-transparent, disrespectful demeanor and its covert method of administration, reeks of nothing short of skulduggery.

More of the same of what brought on the commission of enquiry and the suspension of a democratic constitution is so prevalent in these Islands under this British Interim administration.

We in the Turks and Caicos are saddled with arrogant technocrats who are clueless as to what it takes to manage the privileged reins of any government whatsoever, much less managing a diverse island group void of conventional natural resources, whose peculiar economic dynamics require exceptional and proven skills.

It is no secret that not only do they lack the skill, but their indifferent attitude clearly demonstrates that they also lack the will to return the Turks and Caicos to its former economic glory, where its citizens and residents alike will once again enjoy a standard of living envied by many.

The prevailing corruption that continues to plague this besieged country and strangle its economic growth under a British appointed and a British run interim regime, confirms that while there was definitely a Michael in the mix, Michael Misick was neither the master nor the mind that masterminded such an elaborate and carefully hatched diabolical plot to take over crown land and all other tangible assets of the Turks and Caicos people and milk the country's coffers dry. For some strange misguided reason, the British are convinced that a country as the Turks and Caicos, with so many intellectuals, academics, accomplished political administrators and experienced technocrats, are too docile and ignorant to reject being sidelined and excluded from the administration of their own country's affairs for more than two years. Just that thought in itself in this twenty first century reveals the epitome of effrontery on behalf of the British.

Moreover, they have exploited our passiveness and mistaken our meekness for weakness and stupidity. Yes some of our politicians and administrators are guilty of some serious infractions, and I might add, with the help and

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collusion of executives of the Foreign and Commonwealth office who are no less guilty, including British governors appointed by the British government.

Under the circumstances, the Turks and Caicos people will no longer sit still and simply complain on radio talk shows, the Internet blogs and in the Turks and Caicos press. We have had more than enough and therefore we demand immediate action on behalf of the British Government to fix this mess that is so devastating to the minds and morale of our people and driving them to a point of desperation.

This includes but is not Limited to; involving TC Islanders in their country's affairs, offering them existing job and business opportunities, showing them respect in their own country, being transparent, producing an audited account of the peoples money for the past two years, putting in place an attractive and competitive investment policy, ceasing this endless, unconscionable and onerous tax imposition that is socially repressive and economically destructive.

It is also expedient that there is a return of democracy to a civilized and educated people in their own country, so that they may embrace their

Pastor Oswald Skippings

inalienable right and entitlement to a democratically elected government, for the people, by the people and of the people in 2012. A government that has both the will and the skill to represent its people, transform this economy and save us from this deliberate effort to impoverish this country and its people to the point of no return. A government that has compassion and concern for the depressive and further deteriorating social and economic state of the Turks and Caicos people.

This is a clarion call for all patriotic hands on deck, regardless of class, creed, color or political persuasion.

One country under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

With that as our concerted purpose, nothing or nobody can stop our ceaseless stampede for justice and liberty for all. So help us God!

AMBERGRIS CAY FACILITIES LTD

POSITION AVAILABLE Ambergris Cay Facilities Ltd is seeking a suitably qualified applicant to fill a post on Ambergris Cay. The available post is for a:

INVENTORY CLERK ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Responsible for all on island inventory control including overall management and operation of central storage warehouse; • Running computerized inventory system and tracking all movements; • Monthly stock checks and production of reports; • On island support person for Point of Sale system and coordination of weekly reports; REQUIREMENTS: • Must be proficient is Excel, Word and Jonas Accounting Software.

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• Must be able to operate heavy machinery, including but not limited to a Sky track & forklift.

• Must produce a clean Police Record.

• Must reside on Ambergris Cay • Must be a Belonger Closing Date for Applications is Wednesday March 16th, 2012 Salary: $30,000 per annum.

Applications must be in writing addressed to: Ambergris Cay Facilities Ltd Unit 51, Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands E-mail: heather.allen@ambergristci.com Tel: (649)-941-3777 Fax: (649)-941-3778

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 11

MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

Robert Hall says Clayton Greene should resign as PNP leader

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

Popular talk show hosts and veteran politician Robert Hall is calling for leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP), Clayton Greene to resign as a result of him being slapped with money laundering charges by the Britishcommissioned Special Investigation and Prosecution Team (SIPT).

Hall believes that it could have a damaging effect on the party’s preparation for the elections if Greene remains the leader of the party now that he has been charged. He suggested that the party leader should resign, work to clear his name, and if successful, then embark on a comeback journey.

He hinted, too, that it would be hypocritical for Greene to remain at the helm of the PNP at this stage, when he was among those who called for Michael Missick’s head when he ran into problems in the twilight months as Premier for the country and leader of the party.

“When Mike first got into his difficulties, Clayton felt that the honourable thing to do was for him to resign. I feel the same thing should

Robert Hall

apply to him. And this is not a matter about pronouncing guilt; he may very well be innocent of the charges. But that is not for me or the public to decide.

“There is a process for that, but I am of the view that he cannot serve the party or the country well, with that cloud hanging over his head. And quite frankly, the honourable thing for anyone to do substantive is to resign, and if you can clear your name, then you seek to make a comeback,” Hall argued.

leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP), Clayton Greene

In the meantime, Hall said it was his understanding that the Grand Turk branch of the Progressive National Party was pushing for elections to be brought forward to as early as March, instead of being held in August, since the party wanted to kick-start its election preparation in case Governor Ric Todd decides to fly the gate this year.

“I understand that to be the case; then, I guess again, that is a matter to be resolved on the matter of leadership

and other things. You see, if we are really going to hold the British to their plan for holding election at the end of the year, then the parties need to reform themselves, get organized, elect their candidates (and) come up with a programme of activities.

“Because if you leave it to the British, they would pussyfoot and find all sorts of excuses about milestones not being met. So, we have to really organize, and it is important that that is done earlier rather than later. They must hasten the pace, there is no doubt about that,” Hall reiterated.

He stressed that his call for Greene to relinquish the party’s leadership rein was not predicated on his political leadership ambitions within the party, but was merely a call to have the organization being steered clear of disrepute in the public’s sphere.

“I don’t do that with any selfish intention or anything like that. It is not about Robert Hall; it’s about the party, the country. The party must be bigger than my ego or anyone else’s ego,” Hall said.

Hall, will resign his talk show – Expression - at the end of April to prepare himself for elections by seeking to run on the PNP ticket. He said that he would be more pronounced in his political discourse after he came off the air.

Job Description –

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Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from a recognized 3 or 4 year program along with extensive knowledge of CAD, Xcel, and SketchUp. Designer will be required to run projects from initiation to completion including Programming and Design development, Working Drawing Packages, Tendering, and managing Construction Administration.

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ONE LABOURER $5.00 per hour Contact 241-3360

Page 12

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

TURKS & CAICOS SUN TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

JANUARY 13TH - JANUARY 20TH, 2012 MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

Page 13 Page 13

LOCAL NEWS NEWS LOCAL

Provo Water Company disconnecting businesses after only five days in arrears

BY VIVIAN TYSON SENIOR SUN EDITOR

Hotels and other businesses in Providenciales are hopping mad at what they described as the new policy by city water provider Provo Water Company, who they accused of disconnecting their supply at short notice.

The companies complained that in the recent past they would be given a 30-day window during which to pay their bills, but now they were told that if they failed to pay their bills after five days, their supply would be disconnected. At least two of the businesses said they were unfairly and unreasonably disconnected under the new dispensation.

“All of a sudden there is a level of arrogance and lack of sympathy which is coming across from certain top officials at the Provo Water Company,” one business person told The SUN. “They have a business to run, but they’re acting as though they don’t have a heart or a social conscience and as if they want to come up their there and beg them for favours. They seem not to have an appreciation for the business climate

Water Company denied that such a the persons who have those issues to policy existed, further explaining that refer those documents to the water for someone or a business to have company; that would be my position. their water chopped five days after Those entities would be in the best getting a bill, could probably based position to resolve the issue with on them being in arrears before the the water company. If they said they were in arrears, it would suggest new billing cycle came around.

“Every bill that is produced has that they have outstanding bills that on the bill the due date when to needed to pay.

There is grace period given pay, it depends on what that date is.

And it also depends on whether the between the time that a bill is issued company has an outstanding previous to entity and the date that it is balance or not, because if there is supposed to be paid. By law, we are an outstanding previous balance, entitled to cut you off at any point, if you are liable for disconnection at after the bill is presented to you and any moment, because you have not the grace period is extended to you Robert Hall paid the previous balance. But I and the bill is not paid. But we seek that is prevailing in the Turks and cannot verify the statement (from as much as possible to call you and Caicos Islands today. How can they the businesses that were making the get payment, but we are entitled to take further action,” Hall explained. be telling business people that they claims),” Hall said.

In response to Hall’s claims, a He therefore recommend that have to keep all bills current and that they will not be allowing businesses the affected companies refer the business person in the Grace Bay to have arrears of more than five relevant documentations to Provo area stated, “How can they deny Water Company, so that they would that this has been happening when working days? This is so wrong.”

To this end, the business houses be better able to verify the claims people have proof. It is that level of have called on the water company to to figure out if they were true or dishonesty and arrogance and highreverse the policy, since a lot of them whether or not an error was made on handedness that doesn’t speak well found it hard to live up to that tight the company’s path, which he said for the Provo Water Company. Where was very much in doubt. is the humility and social conscience window of expectation. in all of this?”

“The best thing to do would be for But when contacted, Robert Hall, Chief Executive Officer for Provo

NEEDLES & PINS UPHOLSTERY SERVICES REQUIRES EXPERIENCED

UPHOLSTERERS (2) Please apply 946-4383 – Email: needlesandpins@express.tc

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VACANCY

Two (2) Rental Car Attendants NEEDED URGENTLY

The applicants must be bilingual, spoken Vietnamese an asset.

Duties: Assist renters (foreign renters)including individuals from foreign countries.

Qualification: the rental car attendant will be responsible for assisting the renters. Must be courteous at all times with a pleasant attitude towards customers. Must be able to perform any other reasonable duties that may be assigned from time to time. All applicants must possess a valid driver’s license.

Must be willing to work weekends and holidays. Must be computer literate mon – Sun 8:00am – 8:00pm Closing date is 12th March 2012 Attn: Rene Nicholas tel: (649)344-5686/or 954-581-0543

DELL’S RETAILS WHOLESALE STORE SEEKS

Cashier Salary $5.50 per hour Contact 231-2096

Page Page 1414

LOCAL NEWS LOCAL

MARCH 2ND - MARCH TURKS & CAICOS SUN TURKS AND CAICOS SUN9TH, 2012 MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

PDM leader Derek Taylor wants August elections

Leader of the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Derek Taylor is insisting that the eight milestones that the Interim Administration said it has to attain before returning power to local rule, was being subjected to the discretion of a handful of people, which he said ran contrary to the Order in Council.

In Speaking at his first official press conference since triumphantly returning to the helm of the PDM, Taylor demanded what he described as a clear timetable for local polls to be held, since it was long overdue.

“The British Government gave a commitment, as a caretaker, to return the Turks and Caicos Islands back to the people within two years.

They have since regained it on this legally-binding commitment through an amendment to the Interim Order in December 2011, to maintain direct rule until the Foreign Secretary deem it appropriate to return the Islands back to locally-elected government based on eight milestones. “ These milestones do not form part of the order, but are left to the discretion of the UK Ministers; and are therefore subjective and subjugate the people of our beloved Turks and Caicos Islands to the will of a few men, all of whom we did not elect.

This is wrong,” Taylor charged.

To this end, Taylor called

on British Prime Minister David Cameron, to set a clear timetable for the will of the people to be expressed through the ballot box, also calling on His Excellency Ric Todd to lend an listening ear to the expressed wishes of the people, and set a date for elections no later than August 2012.

In fact, Taylor’s wish is for elections to be held on August 1, which is celebrated in the TCI and many parts of the Caribbean as Emancipation Day. He said such gesture would bring back the aura of freedom in the people’s minds. “We are working to make this happen, and I am positive that it can happen,” he insisted. Taylor also believed that the Interim Administration was piling on undue pressure on the local populace under the guise of recession. According to him, the PDM, in the past, dug the country from the abyss of harsh economic position, to a position of surplus while avoiding asking the public to break its back to achieving such goal. “…And we are ready to do it again by the will of God and His grace, and of course our people. We deem it the time has come,” Taylor asserted.

Taylor announced at the news conference that prior to calling the event, he and members of his executive met with Governor Todd, with whom they had a frank discussion,

TURQUOISE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Ltd is looking for qualified and experienced applicants for the following positions.

All interested applicants should please leave their resumes at Turquoise Construction front Desk. Only short listed individuals will be notified by phone.

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• Ability to work in cooperation with other crews and contractors.

• Ability to read and layout construction and drawing to site conditions.

• Assist the manager of construction in producing purchasing documents, assisting in study of spreadsheets such as fuel usage ,hours etc

CIVIL ENGINEER: Required an individual with knowledge of the principles and practices of Civil Engineering and the ability to apply them to the planning, design, construction and maintenance of facilities. The individual should be able to prepare correspondence and reports, analyze facts and exercise independent judgment; establish and maintain effective working relations; deal effectively with representatives of other organizations and the public.

Experience: 5 – 10 years Salary: $36000.00 per annum

while also asking for the update on the eight milestones, education and unemployment.

Taylor also called on Governor Todd to explore alternative ways of raising revenue rather that to “tax the people to death”. Taylor urged Government to find ways of re-railing projects that had been derailed, so as to return the TCI back to work. He pointed out that if and when elected, the PDM would set up a review committee to look at tax roll-back.

Taylor also called on the British Administration to allow for the pathway to citizenship process to be done after the people of the country elected the government of their choice instead of conducting such a process without the deeper involvement of the local populace.

“Gone are the days when people allow their borders to be left unsecure.

Even the great United States; they have changed from (having) immigration officers to border control officers. We are a peace-loving set of people; we welcome people into our country, and we regard ourselves as being part of the global village. But there has to be a decision by the people (about) who should live among us,” Taylor said.

Meantime, National Chairman for the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) Reuben Hall has emphatically

denied rumours the party had launched investigations into conduct of several past executives, including former leaders.

“There has been some notice in the media – I think it is the TCI Journal – that indicates that there is some kind or some sort of major investigation that have been launched by this PDM party against some of its executives and senior past leaders of this party.

“Let me say emphatically, absolutely that no such thing is being ordered by myself, as the national chairman or the leader Mr. Derek Taylor, which would be the order that it would be done if such thing has been done. So, I want to clear the air for all concerned that no such thing has taken place,” Hall said.

Hall said the party was not prepared to be a spectator while the names of its former members, who he claimed served with excellence, was dragged through the mud, while intimating that the PDM was prepared to fight on their behalf.

“We appreciate the service of our ex-leaders and former leaders, who have served with distinction and honour. And we will not sit by and allow their names to be muddied unnecessarily and unjustly. Any action that needs to be taken by this party, we are not afraid to do it,” insisted.

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PABLO BARBERSHOP SEEKS

2 Barbers 1 Nail Technician Salary $5.00 per hour 6 days per week Contact 247-0187

CONCH FARM SEA GARDENER

Experience: • 10 years or more of experience managing construction projects of increasing complexity.

• Ability to work under pressure and coordinate numerous activities and groups of people who need to cooperate to achieve maximum efficiency.

• Good oral and written communication skills.

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FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Looking for an experienced individual to manage and supervise the planning, coordination, reviewing and evaluation of financial and /or administrative programs activities for a major construction company within the country and perform related tasks Qualifications: CPA / University Degree in accounts / Finance Experience: 10-20yrs as a Financial Controller in construction Companies, familiar with US GAAP Salary: $36000 per annum

$7.50 per hour TRADE WIND INDUSTRIES, LTD (TWI) Providenciales TWI is seeking a suitably qualified individual to fill a position as a Sea Gardener.

A Conch Farm Sea Gardener’s daily duties involve hands on care for juvenile and adult conch and includes but is not limited to; feeding, waste removal, cleaning, sorting, harvesting, processing, removing the animal, peeling the meat and cleaning the shells.

The successful candidate must be a strong, competent and experienced swimmer & snorkeler. This is a physically demanding job in the outdoor environment and involves spending much time wet or in the sea. Other staff duties include site maintenance, trash removal and assisting other employees.

FOREMEN:

All applicants should be prepared to work on weekends and overtime. A detailed job description will be provided at the office to qualified individuals.

Persons interested in this position should submit their resume to tradewindconch@gmail.com BELONGER PREFERRED

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

Page 15

MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

TCI mourns tragic death of television journalist Nichelle Farrington

BY VIVIAN TYSON SUN SENIOR EDITOR

The Turks and Caicos Islands journalism fraternity was plunged into mourning after one of its youngest and brightest sparks, Nichelle Farrington, lost her life following vehicular accident along the South Dock Road on Sunday, February 26th, less than a mile away from her residence.

Farrington, 24, succumbed to her injuries while being treated at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales. She was a former news anchor on WIV Channel 4 and PTV Channel 8. She who was also a budding poet, and the daughter of well known radio personality and entertainment promoter, Chrissy “Crazy Crissy” Pratt.

She became the second road fatality for this year. The first took place on New Year’s Day. The driver of the other vehicle, Sharonna Walkin, received serious non-life threatening injuries while the passenger a male received non-life threatening injuries.

Some onlookers said that the accident may have been caused from the wet conditions of the road, as a result of earlier downpour that day.

Nichelle Farrington

According to the police, Farrington was travelling along the South Dock Main Road when the white Kia Reo she was driving collided with black Nissan Terrano.

Farrington, the police said, received head injuries.

Farrington’s death also came as a shocker to former deputy premier and minister of education, Lillian Boyce and Farrington’s former British West Indies Collegiate Principal, Sylvie Wigglesworth. Both women described her as being a talented youngster with

Field Technician

Primary Duties: Installation and disconnection of Television Cable Services to subscriber’s home or establishment. Respond to customers’ service calls and request in a prompt manner to resolve challenges identify ways and solutions that will increase customer’s satisfaction Main Duties and Responsibilities 1. Install, reconnect or disconnect aerial or underground cable service in customer homes or establishments in accordance with company procedures and standards.

2. Install converter to TV sets and related subscriber electronics, ie VCR and fine tune using appropriate test equipment.

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7. Responsible for required paper work.

8. Must be willing to handle special projects 9. Perform all job functions with appropriate safety measures 10. Must be capable of carry/lift heavy equipment and climb 32ft ladder 11. Must be able to perform physical labor including but not limited to kneeling for long periods of time 12. Must be able to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays if required 13. Valid driver’s license and ability to operate a vehicle in a safe manner 14. Maintaining and repairing cable television transmission lines 15. Communicating with other employees to coordinate the preparation and completion of work assignments 16. Inspecting, testing and repairing cable television signals and associated equipment at subscriber’s premises. Verifying that repairs are made to the satisfaction of the customers and meet company standards.

17. Establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work 18. Know specifications perform pole transfers and hard line construction work 19. Knowledge of using Safety graff poles, climb ladders, towers and other structures as needed.

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21. Know specifications perform pole transfers and hard line construction work.

22. Ability to read and understand all plant blue prints.

Qualifications: Associates Degree or equivalent 5 - 10 years of job related experience Computer skills (Excel, Word and Outlook a plus) Salary: $25,000.00 - $35,000.00 per annum Contact: (No phone calls please) WIV Cable P.O. Box 679 Grand Turk Turks and Caicos Islands administrator@wiv.tc

a lot to offer to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

It was during Boyce’s tenure as minister of education that Farrington obtained government scholarship to purse a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism at Nova Southeastern University in the United States. The former government minister almost overcame with grief while relating her acquaintance with Farrington.

“She was an exceptional child growing up, because I knew her at a very young age. And I know during her high school years that she was exceptional. I am happy that she was able to obtain a scholarship from the Turks and Caicos Islands Government.

She was a good example for our young people of our country,” Boyce said.

Boyce added: “During her short time on Earth, she had made an impact on my life, and left a good example for others, especially our young people, to emulate. She was one of the young people that would have made a great difference to this country, so she will be greatly missed. I am really saddened by her passing.”

In the meantime, Wigglesworth referred to her as someone with a very “sunny personality”. Using a barrage of adjectives to describe Farrington, who she said left an indelible mark at the school, Wigglesworth said that she

was “very happy, jovial and sociable”.

“Se was a very outgoing young lady, particularly gifted in humanities.

She loved to write, she was a very good communicator. She was also very involved in school activities such as the school’s newspaper. She was very attentive to the needs of young students; she really enjoyed being a mentor to them,” Wigglesworth said.

Speaking directly to her passing, Wigglesworth said: “It is like a mother losing a child when a principal loses a student, whether it is a current or past student. It is not fair; I can’t believe I will not see Nichelle again. And on top of that, I think this school in particular helped her to find her career path.

“I believed her family wanted to her to do the sciences and tried to be a doctor, but it wasn’t her fate at all. She was a very good communicator, and I really advised her to go into journalism. And she had just returned from Nova Southeastern University with a degree. So not only was she naturally talented, but now she was fully qualified. So it was an immense waste; this is one of the students you would not forget.”

In the meantime, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Traffic Enforcement Unit in Providenciales said investigations into the accident would continue.

SAND FOR SALE TOP QUALITY WASHED SAND

Suitable for construction uses Also local sand We can deliver, or load your truck.

PROVO BUILDING SUPPLY TEL:232-3210 or 246-2526

Horse-Eye Jack’s Beach Bar & Grill Is seeking a

DISHWASHER, KITCHEN HELPER Salary $5.00 per hour Interested persons should Contact: Madison Drake @941-4955

PIONEER MANAGEMENT LTD. PIONEER MANAGEMENT LIMITED REQUIRES

A FULL TIME CERTIFIED WASTE WATER TECHNICIAN:

Applicant must have an industrial chemical engineering degree from a recognized university and have 5+ years field experience. Applicant must have excellent experience for the following processes: Extended Aeration, SBR (sludge batch bioreactor systems), MBR (membrane bioreactor systems) and secondary reverse osmosis processes. Applicant must have excellent laboratory skills to include analysis such as sedimentation calculation, suspended solids calculation, dissolved oxygen content, bacterial analysis and identification, chemical oxygen demand and have computer skills to log and track trends for each analysis. Experience with flat sheet and spiral wound membrane systems is a must. Written English and Spanish are required to communicate with laboratories in South America. Swing shift hours, weekends and holidays will be required. Please submit resume via email to ronnie@habgroup.com and suitable applicants will be contacted for interviews.

Page 16

LOCAL NEWS

NOTICE OF SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

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 60805/15/K19, Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill, Providenciales.

Comprising of a three bedroom townhouse in phase 2 of the Flamingo Park Development. The property has access to the communal facilities at the development including a pool, gazebo, pergola lounge area, paved parking, landscaping, 4 tennis courts and boundary fencing/walls.

Registered Proprietors: Deanne Nicola Williams

2. Parcel 50402/93, Kewtownship, North Caicos. Comprising of a single storey residential development, providing four bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, and kitchen and dining area.

Registered Proprietor: Annie Victoria Williams 3. 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 4. Parcel 60604/20, Norway and Five Cays, Providenciales. Comprising of a single storey residential development providing two bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, dining and living room.

Registered Proprietor: Henry Nathaniel Rigby

5. Parcel 60611/53, Norway and Five Cays, Providenciales. Comprising of 0.25 acres of an undeveloped inland lot. The property is elevated at its roadside frontage and the land slopes slightly in an easterly direction. Any development on the land can enjoy the view of a pond located south-east of the property.

Registered Proprietor: Carline Sylvestre 6. 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

7. Parcel 60400/311, Chalk Sound, Providenciales. Comprising of a high-end detached residential home. The property provides three main bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, four living/dining areas on the ground floor. There is a pool and deck area to the rear and a carport to the front of the property.

Registered Proprietor: Patsy Lee Jennings.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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 9th 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.

WITH LILLIAN BOYCE The pain of losing a loved one is also a reminder of how blessed we are to have loved and to have shared in the life of another.

This week’s column is a tribute to Nichelle Farrington, her life, her family and the young people of our Turks and Caicos Islands.

She was a great example of what we need to see in the redevelopment of our Islands. She had the ability to change, to dream and shape our country and make the transformations and decisions that we badly need today.

She was real and sure of herself.

This was demonstrated in the poetry that she wrote and how strongly she recited them; always emphasizing points she wanted us to remember.

I will forever remember the expression she wore and the words that she spoke during the civil servants protest last year. She spoke about the need for us to come together as a people with one voice and as Bob Marley said, to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.

Nichelle insisted that anything less than a total unity, would have very little or no impact.

During my time as Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, Culture and Arts, I am thankful that our Government had the vision to educate our people especially our young Turks and Caicos Islanders. One of our objectives when we conceptualized and implemented the National Scholarship Policy was to ensure the ownership and effective participation of Turks and Caicos Islanders in the growth and development of our country’s economy.

Among those objectives I want to single out is: “To encourage the development of independent thinkers who are cognizant and responsive to their responsibilities in the sociopolitical fabric of the Turks and Caicos Islands society” Nichelle was the epitome of that ideal. She was a gem, and I am thankful to God for her life and the contributions that she made in such a short time with us.

Death is a sad, but inevitable part of life. However it is not the end. We can find solace in reminiscing about those we have lost and remind ourselves of the many ways our lives have been touched by theirs. Death is a harsh reality, but it can also act as a stepping stone in the unending process of our unfolding.

Nichelle’s physical work has ended, the sound of her voice reporting the news or giving advice has been silenced and her efforts are no more.

But you, my young people, are talented, skilled and educated and you are still with us. I am calling on you to start your good work or continue to challenge the current social, political and economic policies. Our Country needs you.

In these difficult times, when the Government, who’s mandate is to develop policies to ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders are given opportunities, continually deprives our people, it is now more than ever that your voice must be heard and your actions felt.

In the last two years education, and especially the scholarship budget has been treated carelessly. It has been slashed and hacked to death, until it is a shade of what it once was. And although this is a pattern symptomatic of many other budget allocations, I believe it is a deliberate attempt by the current administration to deprive you and prevent you from qualifying yourselves to take up the rightful place in our country.

We are few in numbers as a people and any life lost, especially the life of a promising youth, is nothing less than a national tragedy. So as we mourn her passing, let us remember the families, friends and well wishers of Nichelle Farrington. We must also as a people pray for the Walkin family during these times.

Grief is a natural response to the death of someone we loved, and an important part of the long term healing process. In her memory, let us push forward and continue to pursue the ideals that she lived.

The Maranatha High School is seeking to employ an

Administrative Assistant to the Principal with

at least three years experience. Ideal candidate must be a Seventh-day Adventist.

Qualifications: • Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and Administrative Assistant Diploma • Should be able to provide general administrative support including records management and accounting • Should have good verbal and written communication skills • Should be proficient in the use of Microsoft Word and Excel (knowledge of Quickbooks would be an asset) • Must be able to work on own initiative Submit application and resume by March 9, 2012 to: The Principal Maranatha High School 287 Millennium Highway Blue Hills Email: contact@maranathahigh.com

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 17

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

Tatum Clerveaux appointed new Commissioner of Land

As part of the Government’s efforts to implement (4) years, where she has the Crown Land Policy, and usher in a new played a major role in structure for the TCI Civil Service, the existing the reform of Crown land related departments now fall under the land administration and TURKS AND SUNGeneral.

MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012 office of theCAICOS Attorney management; including In order to streamline this process, the the establishment of Government recommended, and PSC subsequently the Crown Land Unit, approved, the appointment of Mrs. Tatum Clerveaux enactment of the Tatum Clerveaux as the Commissioner of Lands. As Commissioner of Crown Land (illegal Land, Mrs. Clerveaux will be responsible for the Occupation) Ordinance, overall strategic direction and interdepartmental establishment of the Illegal Settlement Task Force coordination of the various land management and a strategy to address illegal development. More departments, and will answer directly to the Attorney recently Mrs. Clerveaux has been instrumental in General. the development of the new Crown Land Policy Mrs. Clerveaux has held the position of and formulation of the Crown Land Bill, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Lands for the past four the establishment of new transparent and equitable

procedures for the allocation of Crown Land.

Prior to her tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Lands, she worked as the Assistant Commissioner of Lands where she understudied, the former Commissioner of Lands. Mrs. Clerveaux also served as Scientific Officer with the Department of Environment & Coastal Resources, and advised on numerous policies in the areas of natural resources management, environmental Page 17 quality and growth and development of the Islands.

According to Mrs. Clerveaux, she is “excited about the new responsibilities and challenges that come with the post” and “welcomes the opportunity to steer the land management arm of government along the path of good governance”. Mrs. Clerveaux holds a MSc. in Natural Resource Management, from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. She also has a background in estate management, having received training in Land Registry Law & Practices, College of Law, UK.

LOCAL NEWS

Lorenzo Grant appointed to fill the post of Interim Information Technology Director

Mr. Lorenzo Grant has been appointed to the post of Information Technology Director to diagnose as well as spearhead IT Reformation activities throughout TCIG. He has obtained both a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Science Degree in Computer Science from the City University of New York.

The incumbent has more than thirty (30) years experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and has held several industry positions in his career including: Research Developer for Bell Laboratory, New Jersey USA; Project

Manager for AT&T Communications, New Jersey, USA; Managing Director for Fiscal Services Limited, Kingston, Jamaica; and most recently, regional ICT Consultant based in Miami, USA. Mr. Grant brings to the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands a background that is highly relevant having worked with many Governments in the region on ICT projects. As Managing Director for Fiscal Services Limited, he headed the Government of Jamaica's central ICT agency where he was responsible for implementation of their Value Added Tax, Customs and Financial

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Grace Bay Club is looking for candidates that have most of the requirements listed along with an outgoing professional manner. They love to work with different types of people, meet challenges with a positive attitude and live the standards of our organization. Their leadership style balances a commitment to people and their development with business/financial accountability and delivers a consistently exceptional guest experience.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Job Requirements & Qualifications: • Recognized Accountancy Qualification, ACA/ACCA/CIMA/CPA • 5 to 10 years post qualification experience.

• Experience in running the finance function in a luxury hotel/resort/club.

• Considerable people management experience.

• Excellent knowledge of hotel accounting software.

• Advanced mathematical and accounting concepts • Analyzing and interpreting general business periodicals, professional journals and governmental regulations.

• Coordinates and manages the Business Planning and Forecasting process in conjunction with the General Manager and Department Heads.

• Supervises the timely preparation and distribution of Financial Statements and Operating Reports in conjunction with Corporate and Owner guidelines including cash flow statements, Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience

RESTAURANT MANAGER

Requirements: • Certification in Food & Beverage Management • At least 4 years experience operating a restaurant and expertise in fine wines • Experience in quality and efficiency initiatives • International and multi-outlet experience • Must be able to work with different types of people, meet challenges with a positive attitude and live the standards of our organization.

• Responsible for ordering and receiving food and paper shipment.

• Maintain food and equipment inventories, and keep inventory records.

• Responsible for training restaurant staff, supervising restaurant operations.

Management systems among several and by attending industry seminars other systems. He also provided ICT and technical training courses. Some consultation for the Government of of the most recent training include; Belize where he did a comprehensive Service Oriented Architecture, Data review of their SIGTAS, Smart Stream Management, Information Integration and ASYCUDA implementations with & Governance, Check Point Security, a view to document recommendations and Business Process Management to enhance the organisation's Lifecycle. Mr. Grant has written an effectiveness. Mr. Grant also worked industry paper that was published by on its integration into a Single The World Bank Group, Governance and Public Sector Sites - 2001 Electronic Window Portal.

The incumbent has continually kept "Jamaica Customs Automated Services proficient and current with the state Online". He was also the recipient of the art technology advancements of an industry award from the Latin by incorporating them into the American Leadership Forum, Project solutions that he has implemented of the Year 2005 for the "Jamaica Tax Payment Online.

Belongers need only to apply Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience

KITCHEN HELPER

Requirements: • Assist with Food & Beverage service • Receive and store supplies • Stock cupboards, refrigerators and salad bars • Clean food preparation and storage areas • Assist with food preparation.

• Work with minimal supervision.

Qualified Belongers need only to apply.

Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) oversees all aspects and teams at Grace Bay Club and The Veranda Resort for Accounting, Strata, and Information Technology. The CFO is responsible for relationships with banks and investors, special projects, and business development. The CFO reports directly to the Board.

Requirements: • Oversee Accounting team, IT team and strata accounting for both resorts.

• Ensure accuracy of financial reports to investors and lenders.

• Implement and monitor strategic objectives. Actively seek profitability improvements.

• MBA or equivalent degree.

• Previous relationships with major lending institutions and Real Estate Private Equity funds • Previous experience in investment banking, strategic consulting and/or private equity.

• Previous experience in real estate development and hospitality • Fluency in English. Other languages a plus. Willingness to work long hours when needed.

Qualified Belongers need only to apply.

Salary Range: Commensurate based on qualification and experience Interested persons can contact our Human Resources Department no later than February 17, 2012 @ (649) 946-5050 Ext. 1050 Email: veronica.clare@gracebayclub.com Fax: (649) 946-5758 P.O. Box 128 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies

Page 18

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

LOCAL NEWS

BELONGERSHIPS BELONGER STAUTUS APPLICATION (Section 3 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance Take notice that I, Governor of The Turks and Caicos, in excercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 3 (2) of Immigration Ordinace, intend to grant a Certificate of Belonger Status to PATRICK JOSEPH of Providenciales, a national of Haitibeing satisfied by virtue of marriage to a belonger of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

BELONGER STAUTUS APPLICATION (Section 3 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance Take notice that I, Governor of The Turks and Caicos, in excercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 3 (2) of Immigration Ordinace, intend to grant a Certificate of Belonger Status to MRS. WALDOLIE DIEUJUSTESIMONS of Providenciales, a national of Haiti, being satisfied by virtue of marriage to a belonger of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

BELONGER STAUTUS APPLICATION (Section 3 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance Take notice that I, Governor of The Turks and Caicos, in excercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 3 (2) of Immigration Ordinace, intend to grant a Certificate of Belonger Status to MR. KENARD CRUICKSHANK of Providenciales, a national of St. Vincent, being satisfied by virtue of marriage to a belonger of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

South Base Refurbishment on Stream: Health Concerns Addressed Government employees may once again be working from the refurbished government offices at South base as soon as April this year, the Ministry of Works has announced.

The Engineering and Maintenance Services (EMS) in the Ministry of Works is currently carrying out the refurbishment of the buildings which were extensively damaged

by Hurricane Ike in 2008. The refurbishment will give additional office space for government departments and help TCIG meet its stated objective of significantly reducing high expenditure on rental accommodation.

The first phase of the renovations will bring the former Customs building back on stream

by April and will give a saving of some $380 thousand per annum on rental expenditure. The other building, which formerly housed the Immigration Department, is slated for completion by August 2012.

South Base is an ex US Military base some 50 years old but the Ministry found that the damage sustained by Hurricane Ike was repairable at a reasonable cost. Special emphasis was placed on the health protection of workers and customers who will

use the buildings. In that regard, the Ministry moved to address the concerns raised in some quarters about the presence of asbestos in the buildings. It called in various experts to test the materials used in the buildings and all reports show that no free asbestos was found in any of them.

The Ministry said a very different material, asbestos cement, was used as exterior cladding on the buildings at South Base. In normal use, this is a totally safe material and no special handling of the material is required as the asbestos is held tightly within the structure of the cement, the Ministry said. Asbestos cement in the form of water pipes, roofing and cladding is accepted all over the world and is still in use in a very many countries. Only when it is sawn, drilled or damaged, then subsequently inhaled, could it be a health hazard. The cladding on the buildings in South Base is painted which mitigates against this situation, the Ministry added.

Despite the acceptance of asbestos cement elsewhere, the Ministry decided to remove the asbestos cement cladding within the current refurbishment works.

There will therefore be no asbestos, either free or captive within those building once the renovations are complete.

BELONGER STAUTUS APPLICATION (Section 3 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance Take notice that I, Governor of The Turks and Caicos, in excercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 3 (2) of Immigration Ordinace, intend to grant a Certificate of Belonger Status to MRS. SUSAN LAURA HUBBARDHAMILTON of Providenciales, a national of The United States of America, being satisfied by virtue of marriage to a belonger of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

BELONGER STAUTUS APPLICATION (Section 3 (2) of the Immigration Ordinance Take notice that I, Governor of The Turks and Caicos, in excercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 3 (2) of Immigration Ordinace, intend to grant a Certificate of Belonger Status to MR. HENDERSON JONES of Providenciales, a national of The Bahamas, being satisfied by virtue of marriage to a belonger of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

UNITED CONSULTANT Seeks

On behalf of clients

1 Salesperson $5.00 per hour 1 Driver 46.00 per hour 1 Carpenter $6.00 per hour Contact unitedconsultant@hotmail.com

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Page 19

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

English GSAT Past Paper 1 Circle the letter A, B, C or D that would complete the analogy.

64. Tom suffered a sprained neck after the match.

He could not ___ his head too far on either side.

52. Illegible is to write as inedible is to A. Feel ____________.

B. Scratch A. law C. Touch B. food D. Tilt C. drink D. price 65. To ______ with citizens of Caracas, we must learn the Spanish language.

53. Because is to conjunction as into is A. Move to___________.

B. Travel A. article C. Communicate B. verb D. Holiday C. preposition D. noun 66. The artist painted a ______ of my mother, as a gift to my family.

54. Cool is to cucumber as proud is A. Image to_____________ .

B. Portrait A. peacock C. Statue B. lion D. Postcard C. giraffe D. eagle ANTONYMS Choose the word (lettered A - D) which is the METAPHOR/SIMILE OPPOSITE of the first word on the left.

At the end of each sentence, state whether it is a 67. Frail 55. The woman waddled across the street like a A. Sluggish B. poor C. strong D. harsh duck.__________ 68. Ancient 56. Bob, the smart businessman, is a cunning A. modern B. progress C. historical D. quaint fox.__________ 69. Defeated 57. The house is as silent as the grave._____________ A. strong B. victorious C. conquered D. savage 58. This cake is as heavy as lead. ___________

70. Wealthy A. rich B. destitute C. powerful D. weak

59. The rather plain child blossomed into a beautiful young woman. ____ 71. Considerate A. wise B. strange C. thoughtless D. carefree 60. Her heart is a fountain of kindness.__________ SPELLING VOCABULARY Select the word from each group which is spelt Choose the lettered word which is nearest in correctly. meaning to the highlighted word in the sentence.

72. A. delicious B. delecious C. delictous D. 61. Tom heard a peculiar noise in the kitchen as he deliciouse ascended the staircase.

A. Common 73. A. popolar B. popular C. popula D. populare B. Deafening C. Amazing 74. A. essential B. esential C. esensial D. essencial D. Strange A 75. A. benifit B. beniffit C. benefit ` D. benehte 62. The dormant volcano is giving signals that it could erupt at any time.

76. A. entrence B. entranse C. entrance D. entrense A. Calm B. Inactive 77. A. sipprey B. sliprey C. slippery D. slippery C. Adequate D. Destructive DEGREES OF COMPARISON Which word would BEST complete the following 63. You must be sure that this is your pen before sentences? you take it.

A. Safe 78. The teacher told the girl that her behavior was B. Clear the __________in the class.

C. Certain A. worst C. baddest B. worse D. most bad D. Right 79. They all claim she is than her sister.

For each of the following sentences, choose the A. Beautifuller B. More beautifuller C. Most word or expression lettered A B C or D which beautiful D. More beautiful best completes the sentence.

80. The cherry tree in our yard bears fruit than your tree.

A. Sweet B. Most sweet C. Sweeter D. Sweetest COMPREHENSION 1. Barefoot Boy Little barefoot boy, a wandering through the street, Know you what in this life you seek, What the day holds, who and what you’d meet, Little barefoot boy A—wandering through the street?

Your skinny arms, crooked toes and bare feet Would touch the quick of hardy men And make them want to weep; and yet The world walks by, pretends it does not see You in your rags and tatters A—wandering through the street.

Little barefoot boy, where is your pa today?

He had drunk the last of Standard rum, and They have taken him away. You hear no more The drunken roar the curse u on his Yet even in his drunken state, of love You had a sip.

Little barefoot boy, why no school today? ls it a holiday that you wander in this way’?

Do you dream of bright toys, other little boys As you wander on your lonesome way, You with your seven tender years Little barefoot boy?

1. How old is the barefoot boy?

2. How do you feel as you read this poem?

3. What is the poet’s intention in this poem? a. To rebel against people b. To criticize society’s attitude to the boy c. To tell of barefoot boys d. To provoke anger 4. In your own words, say what the poet thinks about people’s response to the barefoot boy.

5. Give details from the poem, which show the poverty and sadness of the boy. a.______________________________ b. ______________________________ c._______________________________ d._______________________________ 6. The poet vividly describes the barefoot boy.

Select the expressions or lines which describes the boy vividly. a.___________________________ b. __________________________ 7. What is the theme of this poem?

8. The mood in this poem is one of: A. Sadness B. Disgust C. Hate

Page 20

LOCAL NEWS

Fortis appoints Talisha Simons to newly established corporate communications post FortisTCI has appointed Turks and Caicos Islander and former news reporter, Talisha Simons to serve as their Corporate Communications Officer.

This most recent post is geared towards strengthening lines of communication between the company, its stakeholders and employees, and their customers.

Allan Robinson, Vice President of Customer and Corporate Services said, “This year we are very focused on developing strategic programmes that will support effective communication, so we are extremely excited that Ms. Simons has joined us and look Talisha Simons forward to what she will bring to our team.”

Simons obtained an advanced level degree in Public Relations and Business Administration from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 2005. Her professional experiences include employment with several international organisations in areas primarily dependent on high levels of customer service and media relations, radio and television broadcasting, and most recently news writing and reporting for the Peoples’ Television Network in Providenciales.

As the newest addition to the FortisTCI family and now spokesperson, Simons’ responsibilities will include spearheading major community projects and maintaining the company’s internal communications. She will also be the point of contact for members of the media and those seeking general information and background about ForitsTCI and its efforts.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

New Public Relations Officer for Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police have named a new Public Relations Officer (Special Constable appointment).

Paul Baker, who is currently working in a similar role at InterHealth Canada, will take up the post on March 1.

The 45-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked in public relations and journalism for more than 25 years.

Commissioner Colin Farquhar described the appointment as a “positive and progressive step” for the police.

He explained: “Police work is newsworthy and so it is essential that we communicate what we do, both accurately and effectively. Good public relations are crucial to any organisation but particularly so in the police service where openness and transparency are key.

“From dealing with serious crime to educating young people, our officers and staff are involved in many different projects and so we have plenty of important and positive things to say.

“Working with the community is at the heart of what we do and both the public and the media play significant roles in helping to solve crime and promote our islands as safe and pleasant places to live, work and visit.

“We are delighted to welcome Paul to the service and his extensive knowledge

and experience will further help boost public confidence in the Royal Turks and Caicos Police and the work we do.

“We see this as a positive and progressive step and look forward to a long and successful association.”

Baker, who is married with two young children, began his career working on regional daily newspapers in England. He has since held a number of editorships and has written for national newspapers, television and radio.

He boasts extensive public relations and communications skills and has worked as a consultant to InterHealth Canada since the new hospitals opened in Provo and Grand Turk in April 2010.

“It’s a challenging role”, he said, “but one I am very much looking forward to.

There is a great deal of good work being done by the police that goes unnoticed and it’s vital that we share these positive stories.

“There are many similarities between the police service and the hospital in terms of the need for honesty, openness and accountability and ensuring that the community has confidence in the service provided and those delivering it.

The public are the police service’s biggest asset when it comes to solving and preventing crime and so excellent communication between the two is paramount.”

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

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MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

The Turks and Caicos Heart Foundation in association with Baptist Health International held their “Go Red Dinner” on Saturday, February 25th, 2012 at the Occasions Ballroom at the Turks and Caicos Airport Plaza Hotel. The dinner was held to celebrate the month of love and of course it’s close association with the heart- in the most literal sense. Patrons were instructed on how to ensure that they are indeed living heart smart in a keynote address by Baptist Health International representative, Susan Nowrouzi, Dietician/Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator. Below are a few highlights from the event.

Karen Malcolm President of the Turks and Caicos Heart Foundation and Susan Nowrouzi, dietician and Nutritionist from Baptist Health South Florida

Kathleen Tuitt, of Baptist Health Florida and Virginia Gibson, Royal Bank of Canada

Kathleen Tuitt presents a gift basket to Stephanie Duncanson of Flower Girl

Rev. Conrad and Brickell Howell

Sophia Thomas, TCHF Treasurer

Mrs. Judith Campbell, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Health and Education

Dorothea Malcolm, TCHF Secretary and Kathleen Tuitt, of Baptist Health Florida

Dr. Rufus Ewing of Omnicare

Pastor Derek and Belulah Hamilton of Bethany Baptist

Mrs Beryl Kerr of Cargo Express

Karen Malcolm TCHF President

Bishop Reuben and Stephanie Johnson of New Testament Church of God

Carol Skippings and Stephanie Duncanson

Chrishauna and Krystal Malcolm

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LOCAL NEWS

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Telephone # : 649-941-5262 | Email : business@business-solutions.tc | Website : www.business-solutionsltd.com

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LOCAL NEWS

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"What Doesn't Kill You�

(Stronger)

KELLY CLARKSON

You know the bed feels warmer Sleeping here alone You know I dream in colour And do the things I want You think you got the best of me Think you had the last laugh Bet you think that everything good is gone Think you left me broken down Think that I'd come running back Baby you don't know me, cause you're dead wrong What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone You heard that I was starting over with someone new They told you I was moving on, over you You didn't think that I'd come back I'd come back swinging You try to break me, but you see What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone Thanks to you I got a new thing started Thanks to you I'm not the broken-hearted Thanks to you I'm finally thinking about me You know in the end the day you left was just my beginning In the end...

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone What doesn't kill you makes a fighter Footsteps even lighter Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone [2x] What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger Just me, myself and I What doesn't kill you makes you stronger Stand a little taller Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

Lady Gaga launches Born is Way Foundation Lady Gaga formally launched her Born This Way Foundation on Wednesday at Harvard University, declaring its goal to “challenge meanness and cruelty by inspiring young people to create a support system in their respective communities.”

Gaga noted that the foundation is not meant to solely combat bullying — a favorite cause of hers — but rather to empower youth and promote bravery. She told a crowd of more than 1,000 people, “When you see someone being negative to somebody else, it’s OK to intervene and stand up for someone that needs it … I don’t believe that one person can change the world. I believe that humankind, as a whole, can change the world.”

When asked why she feels that she is the one who will be able to enact such a change, Gaga laughed, “I guess I sort of have this feeling that if I can make a song called ‘Just Dance’ really big all over the world, I might be able to make a song that’s, you know, ‘Just Be Nice!’”

As part of her efforts to promote unity, Gaga said a “Born Brave Bus” will follow her tour bus around the country and invite anyone, “from any walk of life,” to meet with others and discuss love, acceptance and kindness. She said fans can hang out at the “Born Brave Bus” even if they don’t have tickets to her concerts.

Gaga — who wore a sleeveless long brown dress, brown see-through mesh gloves, and a huge, sparkly, winged headpiece made out of netting — was joined by her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, who will serve as the foundation’s president.

Also on hand were Oprah Winfrey, inspirational speaker Deepak Chopra and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Whitney Houston Greeting Card Pulled From Target Stores In light of Whitney Houston’s death, a greeting card that poked fun at the late singer is not so funny anymore — at least according to Target.

The greeting card, which mocked Houston’s tumultuous relationship with exhusband Bobby Brown, was recently pulled from Target stores, according to a report by TMZ. The card reads: “Next time you think of dating the bad boy, consider Whitney Houston. That’s all I’m going to say.”

A Target rep told ABC News that the card was available in stores before Houston’s Feb. 11 death and has since been pulled from store shelves.

“It is never our intent to offend guests with the products we offer, and we take

feedback from guests very seriously,” Target said in a statement to ABC News. “The card was in our stores prior to Ms. Houston’s death. As soon as this was brought to our attention, we began the process of removing the card from all applicable stores.”

A photo of the card, which was posted to the social news site Reddit.com 10 days ago, infuriated Houston’s devoted fans, who flocked to Twitter and fan messages boards, in protest.

The six-time Grammy winner was married to R&B singer Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2006. Many cite their turbulent relationship as a force behind her professional fall from grace and descent into drug addiction. The couple had one daughter together, Bobbi Kristina, born in 1993.

Lennon and McCartney former homes to be preserved LONDON — The childhood homes of former Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney, where the pair wrote some of their early songs, will be preserved, the government said Wednesday.

Lennon's house in south Liverpool and McCartney's nearby row home will be granted a grade 2 listing, which means they cannot be altered without the permission of local officials, said Britain's Heritage Minister John Penrose.

The decision means the homes of one of Britain's greatest songwriting teams will be protected for generations to come. Their work has long been associated with the northern port city Liverpool, particularly because of songs like "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" that celebrated their childhood haunts.

Lennon lived at a comfortable 1930s duplex house called "Mendips" in 251 Menlove Ave. from 1945 to 1963 with his aunt and uncle after his parents separated when he was five.

McCartney lived in nearby Forthlin Road for nine years from 1955. The two musicians held early practice sessions for their first band

The Quarrymen while living at these houses, and wrote The Beatles first number one hit, the raucous "Please Please Me," at Lennon's home.

Preservation group The National Trust has already restored the houses to look as they would have done when Lennon and McCartney were growing up.

In a statement Wednesday, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono said: "Mendips always meant a great deal to John and it was where his childhood dreams came true for himself and for the world."

The preservation order was granted by English Heritage, a government-sponsored body that decides which buildings to preserve.

It decided not to preserve the childhood homes of Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison and drummer Ringo Starr.

Emily Gee at English Heritage said Lennon's and McCartney's homes had been preserved because "they were scenes of huge amounts of rehearsal, of composition of songs, really intense creative hubs."

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ENTERTAINMENT

THE LATEST NEWS ON TODAY’S HOTTEST CELEBRITIES ...

MERYL STREEP:

Hollywood actress Meryl Streep made two $10,000 charitable donations this week in honor of her friend and "Doubt" co-star Viola Davis, officials said.

Streep beat out Davis for the Best Actress Oscar Sunday for her performance in "The Iron Lady."

Davis had been nominated for her work in "The Help."

The Providence (R.I.) Journal said Streep made one donation to Upward Bound, a program housed at Rhode Island College that helps poor high-school students attend university.

Davis spent two years in the program before enrolling at RIC, the newspaper said.

Streep also made a donation to the Segue Institute for Learning in Central Falls, Davis' hometown, the report said. ______________________________________

EDDIE

MURPHY:

Actor Eddie Murphy and singer Toni Braxton have been dating for about four months, a source close to the Hollywood couple told UsMagazine.com.

They "are seeing each other and very into it," the insider told the celebrity news Web site.

"Their kids have met and everything. It's getting very serious."

However, Braxton's publicist is downplaying the romance report, stating, "Toni and Eddie are just friends and have been fans of each other's work for a long time."

Murphy has eight children from previous relationships.

Braxton was married to musician Keri Lewis from 2001 to 2009. They have two children together. ______________________________________

LINDSAY LOHAN: U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan confirmed she will play screen icon Elizabeth Taylor in a TV movie.

Lohan, 25, is a former child star with a string of hits behind her such as "The Parent Trap," "Freaky Friday" and "Mean Girls." But her once-bright career has been eclipsed in recent years by legal problems stemming from her addictions to drugs and alcohol. She went through rehab and is on the comeback trail, having booked a gig as guest host of "Saturday Night Live" in March.

"We're in the middle of casting," Lohan told "Today" show Matt Lauer about her Taylor project in an interview to air Thursday on NBC. "We start production soon. I've been doing tons of research. But I've always kind of researched her. She's always been a fascinating woman to me. So I'm really honored. And I will not let anyone down, especially myself."

Asked why she felt the need to add that last part to her reply, Lohan said: "I could see where it could be scary for people to invest in me. And I don't want people to have that reason to be scared anymore. So being able to have this opportunity with 'SNL' and the film, I'm gonna do what I'm supposed to do, and enjoy doing it, and do it as best as I can."

Taylor died last year at age 79.

The actress won two Academy Awards and was married eight times. Her film credits include "National Velvet," "Father of the Bride," "A Place in the Sun," "Giant," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Suddenly, Last Summer," "BUtterfield 8," "Cleopatra" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" She also suffered numerous health issues and an addiction to prescription drugs throughout the years.

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FUN & GAMES LOCAL NEWS

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HIGHLIGHTS

• Buyers lose millions

investing in Caribbean getaways

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Virgin Atlantic shields passengers from APD

New $30million National Stadium officially opens in e Bahamas Thousands of Bahamians attended the official opening of the $30 million, 15,000 seat Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in New Providence last Saturday night.

Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham said at the opening of the facility that the event not only celebrated Bahamian athletes past and present, but also celebrated the essence of Bahamians – their identity and nationhood.

"The Bahamas is located at an intersection of the world's cultures and peoples. We are woven from the texture and fabric of Africa, Asia and the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean, a unique tapestry that is the Bahamian experience.

"We have created out of this diversity, a commonwealth of extraordinary talents way beyond the measure of our relative size.

"We have done so with enviable success in art and music, athletics and academia, and increasingly in entertainment and world fashion," he said.

Ingraham said The Bahamas is small in size, but its size has not hindered the country's accomplishments.

"Our success is not limited by our geographic size. Our success as a country will be determined by the boldness of our national vision, the breadth of our Bahamian imagination and the strength of our national

The New National Stadium

character," the prime minister said.

He noted that the stadium named after Bahamian Olympic athlete, Thomas A. Robinson is one of the foremost sports complexes in the region and showcases the bold Bahamian vision and the strength of the national character.

"Through discipline of mind and body, this Bahamian champion and world class athlete did his part to help shatter the myths and prejudices of colonialism and racism which sought to deny the gifts and dreams of men and women like him," the prime minister said.

Ingraham said the country's accomplishments in the Olympics is a matter of national pride as The

Bahamas has amassed more medals than countries much bigger in size and showcases the talents of Bahamian youth.

"From Andre Rodgers in baseball to Mychal 'Sweet Bells' Thompson in basketball, to Myron Rolle in football, as well as others, our Bahamian talent has excelled in international athletic competition," the prime minister said. "The Bahamas National Children's Choir and The Bahamas National Youth Choir have captivated thousands around the world. They leave their audiences wondering, who are these young people who so proudly call themselves Bahamian?"

He noted that The Bahamas

began its run on the world athletic stage in earnest in 1956 when Sir Durward Knowles won a bronze medal in sailing at the Olympics and 18-year-old Thomas Robinson represented the country in track and field.

Ingraham said the facility signals a new day for Bahamian athletes and would allow up-and-coming athletes to dream bigger.

The prime minister acknowledged Progressive Liberal Party Leader (PLP) Perry Christie for his role in negotiating for the stadium and thanked the People's Republic of China for donating the facility to The Bahamas.

"We are all here this evening with unity of spirit, unity of purpose, a shared love of country and a Bahamian patriotism that transcends creed and race, circumstance of birth and political affiliation," Ingraham said.

He noted that in addition to hosting sporting events, the facility would host major jazz and reggae festivals, along with other special events.

"Let us celebrate The Bahamas for there is so much for which to be grateful and there is much to celebrate, as a people and as a nation, gifted and blessed as we are with boundless talent and endless possibilities," the prime minister said.

New Haiti Prime Minister nominee made official A self-made entrepreneur and former tennis star player was tapped Thursday to become the next prime minister of Haiti.

President Michel Martelly made the selection of Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe official in a letter to lawmakers, Senate President Simon Desras said.

Lamothe, 39, is one of Martelly’s closest advisors. The two have been longtime friends and were partners in Global Voice Group, a South Africa-based telecom company, which among other things offer prepaid calling cards, before Martelly’s candidacy for president.

Lamothe represented Haiti on the country’s Davis Cup team in the mid-1990s.

Desras and Levaillant Louis-Jeune, president of the lower chamber of deputies, were notified of the choice in a meeting with Martelly Thursday morning. The president later made it official in a letter.

Lamothe’s journey to the No. 2 post in Haiti will not be easy, and likely will require considerable deal making by Martelly, who has until now been unwilling to compromise with the opposition-controlled parliament.

Senators

Thursday immediately began discussing whether Lamothe meets the basic constitutional requirements to replace caretaker Prime Minister Garry Camille, who resigned last Friday after four months.

Among the issues being raised among senators: Lamothe’s residency, nationality and the need for him to present a “discharge,” a document clearing him of any mismanagement of state funds in the four months he has been foreign minister.

Haiti’s constitution not only forbids the prime minister from holding a foreign passport, but the individual is required to have lived in the country for the past five years. Before his foray into Haitian politics, the U.-S. educated Lamothe was a businessman living in Miami and parts of Africa where his company did extensive business.

Lamothe was born in Port-au-Prince, but like others in the Martelly administration, has been the subject of dual nationality accusations by some lawmakers. He has denied renouncing his Haitian citizenship.

After Martelly’s, Lamothe’s has been the most visible face of the Haitian government. He has used his position as foreign minister to promote

foreign investment, and he serves as co-chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council for the Economic Development and Investment in Haiti along with former President Bill Clinton.

“I am not sure why Lamothe wants to be prime minister. He is in a position of power. He was even more powerful than Conille,” said Michel Eric Gaillard, a Port-au-Prince political analyst, referring to Lamothe’s closeness to Martelly and reputation as the “go-to” guy even among some foreign diplomats seeking to influence Martelly.

“For Lamothe to win the nomination, President Martelly will need to improve on his negotiating skills with the parliament.’’

Jocelyn McCalla, a longtime Haiti expert who lives in New York City, said that while Lamothe appears to be “an energetic, goal-oriented go-getter who appears to have made few mistakes” while serving as foreign minister, his nomination comes at a time when it appears that Martelly “has provoked enough frustrations and anxieties throughout Haitian society to trigger an evergrowing opposition, which is now being joined by some who had jumped on his bandwagon last year.”

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CARIBBEAN NEWS

Buyers lose millions investing in Caribbean getaways Vacation homes typically conjure up dreams of blue skies, pristine sand and crystalline waters. But for Richard Cichanowicz, buying property in paradise has become a nightmare.

In 2005 and again in 2007, the Reston, Va., program manager paid deposits for condominiums to be built at the Westin Roco Ki Beach & Golf Resort on the Dominican Republic's eastern shore.

Years later, the resort languishes unfinished and out of money. Mr. Cichanowicz still is waiting for his condos to be completed, or for his deposits—totaling $675,000—to be refunded.

"We had visions of family vacations and inviting friends there," Mr. Cichanowicz says. "All of that has just been put on hold, seemingly indefinitely."

Caribbean vacation-home buyers, most of them American, have been learning a costly lesson: Unlike in most U.S. states, deposits in most Caribbean countries can be spent on construction rather than locked away in escrow.

That has posed big problems for would-be buyers at no fewer than six Caribbean resort projects whose developers ran out of money during construction, as the economic downturn caused sales to plunge and funds to dry up. Those stalled projects include the Westin Roco Ki, a Four Seasons in Barbados and a Ritz-Carlton in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A seventh resort, the Viceroy Anguilla, was completed but then foreclosed upon before villa sales closed.

At those seven projects, buyers paid roughly $300 million in deposits for vacation homes that in most cases still languish as partial structures of cinder block and rusting steel bars.

The woes of these troubled projects have cast a pall over the business model that spurred one of the Caribbean's largest resort-development waves in recent decades. "That model is dead for the next three to five years," said Rick Newton, founding partner of Resort Capital Partners LLC, an investment adviser specializing in Caribbean lodging.

Buyers have no hope of getting their money back from the major hotel companies whose names are attached to the projects—like Four Seasons, RitzCarlton and Westin—because the companies simply manage and brand the hotels while developers sell the residences.

Representatives for Four Seasons and Westin parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. say they are disappointed in the status of the projects, and Starwood Hotels noted that hotel operators aren't responsible for the overall development. The Four Seasons spokesman added that in order to protect its brand and any buyers of Four Seasons-branded residences, the company has new conditions for prospective developers to meet. Ritz-Carlton declined to comment.

One hope for buyers is that the cash-strapped developers obtain new financing or that a new investor steps in and returns their deposits. Another possibility: Anyone taking over the developments might want villa buyers to complete their purchases in order to give builders additional funds to finish construction.

"This project will never get done unless the original buyers participate in it," says Mike Carretta, a New Jersey advertising executive who paid a $1.4

million deposit for a still-incomplete vacation home at the Temenos resort in Anguilla. "You're just not going to go out in this economic climate and find 30 new buyers for property like this."

Complicating matters, debt financing has always been tough to obtain in the Caribbean and some of the developments are tangled up in legal battles.

Also, many of the developments have deteriorated amid harsh Caribbean weather conditions, so restarting them would be expensive.

At the Westin Roco Ki, for example, jungle vegetation was retaking the grounds and debris littered the beach when visited by a Wall Street Journal reporter late last year.

The project's developers and lenders are marketing it for sale and have drawn interest but not a final deal yet.

"Most villa buyers are hoping that a white knight will show up and finish their villa," says Matt Norton, an attorney specializing in Caribbean resorts for U.S. law firm K&L Gates LLP. "But the reality is that, with most of these guys, the money is gone."

The phased-payment plans in the Caribbean typically required a buyer to pay a deposit upon signing a contract. The buyer would then pay more when construction milestones were met, with the balance due at closing.

Buyers say the practice of using deposits for construction was highlighted in most sales contracts, but they didn't expect the projects to grind to a halt.

"I had never purchased an island home before and should have been more careful," says Mr. Carretta, who visited Anguilla often to monitor progress of his villa's construction.

Come and join our winning team!!!

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages and Spa, the only 6 Diamond all inclusive property in the Caribbean is inviting applications from suitably qualified Turks and Caicos Islanders for the following vacant positions.

Applicants must have a clean police record and a good command of The Accounts Department requires: Assistant Accountant Requirements include but are not limited to: o Professional Accounting designation preferred o 3 years relevant experience Salary for the above mentioned position range from $25,000.00 to $35,000.00 Cost Control Clerk Requirements include but are not limited to: o Ability to meet deadlines o Knowledge of Accounting procedures o Computer literate The rate for the position listed above is $6.50 to $9.00 an hour.

Watersports/ Catamaran Department Requires: Lifeguard Requirements include but are not limited to: o Ability to Swim o First aid/ CPR Certification

Deck Hand/ First mate Boat Captain Requirements include but are not limited to: o Boat Captain license (for boat captain position) o Ability to Swim o Knowledge of a boat and its handling operations o First aid/ CPR Certification The rate for the positions listed above is $5.00 to $10.50 an hour.

Engineering Department requires: Painter Requirements include but are not limited to: o Attention to detail o 3 years’ experience The rate for the position listed above is $5.00 to $6.00 an hour.

The Administration Department requires: Trainee Manager Requirements include but are not limited to: o Successful applicant and participant of the SRI Trainee Management program Salary for the above mentioned position is $16,000.00

the English language both written and spoken. In addition candidates must be able to work nights, public holidays and week-ends.

The Resort thanks everyone for their interest in advance and advises that only short listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

VIP Driver Requirements include but are not limited to: • Must be a Belonger with a valid driver’s license, a Public Service license and a certificate in TCI Host Training • A professional team player and knowledgeable of the Hospitality Industry and the history the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Region • Willing to work flexible hours and to go the extra mile to welcome our valuable guests to our shores and Resort The rate for the position listed above is $6.00 to $10.00 an hour.

Spa Department Requires Spa Attendant Cosmetologist Spa Therapist Hair Braider Receptionist

Successful candidate will direct all efforts toward guest satisfaction, achievement of Spa standards and profit maximization.

The ideal candidate must satisfy the following criteria: o Certification in one or more of the following areas: Massage, Esthetics, Body treatments, Hair services, Tattoos and Nail services. o Must have a friendly and nurturing personality. o Must be sensitive to the needs of the customer. o The ability to communicate in English both verbally and written. o Must be flexible with work schedule supporting the needs of the Spa covering evenings, weekends and Public Holidays. o Must be sales driven with proven customer service skills, upgrading of services/ retail. o Team player o Must lead a fit and healthy lifestyle and have a positive approach to life and work. o Set high standards as it relates to professional grooming and presentation.

Remuneration: Bi-weekly base pay plus commission The Food and Beverage Department requires: Food and Beverage Manager

Requirements include but are not limited to: o Experience in managing multiple Restaurant outlets with seating of over 200 o Five (5) years relevant experience in Fine Dining, Al La Carte and Buffet Salary for the above mentioned position is negotiable and based on experience Offsite Properties requires: Labour Care Taker Requirements include but are not limited to: o Physically Fit o Ability to carry out labour intensive task The rate for the positions listed above is $5.00 to $9.00 an hour.

Gift Shop Department requires: Shop Attendant Requirements include but are not limited to: o Two years sales experience a must o Ability to meet sales targets and quotas The rate for the position listed above is $5.00 to $7.00 an hour.

Applications giving full details of qualifications and experience should be sent to: mmvaughn@grp.sandals.com or Fax to: 941-4870 Attn: M McClean-Vaughn The Human Resources Department Beaches Turks and Caicos P.O. Box 186 Lower Bight Road and

The Labour Commissioner Labour Department Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands

and should reach not later than March 13th 2012 Otherwise, please call for additional information tel # 649-946-8000 ext 4138

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HIGHLIGHTS

• James Murdoch steps down as Chairman of News International • Britain closes embassy in Syria • Rodney King pleads guilty to reckless driving

Obama and Republicans spar over gasoline prices Facing intensifying election-year attacks over rising gasoline prices, President Barack Obama sought to shift the spotlight onto oil and gas companies on Thursday by pushing for the repeal of U.S. tax breaks that benefit the industry.

Obama's speech in New Hampshire, in the backyard of leading Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney, was part of a White House strategy to blunt a bid by Republicans to blame a spike in energy prices on the president's energy policies.

With the issue posing a potential threat to Obama's re-election prospects in November, his administration has been at pains to say it is doing everything it can to bring down costs, even as it stresses that market-driven price rises are largely beyond its control.

"I've directed my administration to look for every single area where we can make an impact and help consumers, from helping to relieve bottlenecks ... to what's going on in the oil markets," Obama said. "And we will keep announcing as many steps as we can in the coming weeks."

Global oil prices have been rising sharply because of stronger demand

from the United States, India and China and worries about supply disruptions from Iran. There are rising tensions between the major OPEC producer and western nations over the aims of its nuclear program.

That has caused pain at the pump for Americans, who have now endured more than a month of gasoline price rises, and sparked fears that prices could rise even further, from an average cost of $3.74 a gallon now to up to $5 this summer.

"Anyone who tells you we can drill our way out of this problem doesn't know what they're talking about, or isn't telling you the truth," Obama said, hitting back at criticism from the campaign trail and from Republicans in Congress.

But Republicans say the president has hobbled domestic oil exploration and dismiss his administration's observation that U.S. oil output is at a record high, arguing this was thanks to the action of his Republican predecessor, George W. Bush.

Romney, speaking in Fargo, North Dakota, accused Obama of trying to "blow one past folks" with his argument

about increased domestic production, and said the administration does not deserve credit for that.

"Far from taking credit, he should be hanging his head and taking a little bit of the blame for what's going on today," Romney said.

In a recent national poll, Americans spread the blame for rising gas prices broadly, citing a host of factors including the Obama administration, Congress, politics in general, and unrest in the Middle East.

The poll by the Pew Research Center and The Washington Post found 18 percent of those surveyed said Obama was to blame, while 14 percent blamed oil companies or domestic producers. Twenty-four percent said they did not know.

The survey was conducted over the phone from February 23-26 among 1,005 adults.

Speaking at a community college in Nashua, Obama pushed again for Congress to repeal $4 billion in subsidies to the oil industry, calling it a "giveaway" that should be redirected to bolster alternative energy sources, including wind, solar and batter power.

Obama has targeted the oil and gas industry in populist speeches in which he portrays himself as the defender of Americans against huge energy corporations "making record profits off us right now."

He dismissed the "phony promises" of his opponents to lower gas prices, and highlighted his administration's investments in clean energy technologies to help reduce the U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

But Obama remains vulnerable to criticism from Republicans for having rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, which was to transport Canadian oil through environmentally sensitive areas of Nebraska on the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

On Monday, the White House said it welcomed a fresh proposal by TransCanada to build a southern leg of the pipeline and refile an application for the northern part of the route, including the U.S.-Canada border crossing.

A number of leading Democrats in Congress have pushed the Obama administration to tap reserve oil supplies, known as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), to help bring down gas prices, a move that Republican lawmakers oppose.

The White House has so far avoided commenting on the issue. On Thursday, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, told reporters it did not appear to him "that the president believes using SPR would have any meaningful effect on gas prices."

Ohio high schoolers head back to class after fatal shooting Students at Ohio's Chardon High School prepared to head back to class Friday for the first time since a gunman walked into the school's cafeteria and killed three teenagers.

Two other students were hospitalized and another was grazed by gunfire Monday morning.

The person who authorities say is responsible, 17-year-old T.J. Lane, was charged Thursday afternoon with three counts of aggravated murder, two of attempted aggravated murder and one of felonious assault, the latter related to an individual who was "nicked in the ear" by a bullet, according to Geauga County Prosecuting Attorney David Joyce.

Some students were with their parents in the school, situated in a community of about 5,100 people some 30 miles east of Cleveland, on Thursday and counseling has been made available at various locales since the shooting.

I watched families walk through the school holding hands, I watched people helping each other come back into the school," said Geauga County Sheriff Dan McClelland of the scene inside the school Thursday. "It was an incredible spirit of Chardon. I'll never forget that. This is why we live here."

Friday marks the first full school day since the incident, a return that administrators and staff touted as key to helping people through the healing process.

School superintendent Joseph Bergant said that staff spent two days working on the transition, expressing confidence that they'll be ready to provide comfort and support to those still trying to make sense of this week's carnage.

Frank Hall, an assistant football coach and study hall teacher who chased the gunman from the school,

said Thursday it was important that students and staff return -- if for no other reason than to show that "show that terror and evil do not win out."

"I'm here to tell you that tomorrow our schools will be open, our teachers will be there, our administration will be there, our parents and community, but more important our children will be there," said Hall.

Meanwhile, the legal process continues.

Joyce, the prosecuting attorney, filed charges against Lane around 3:40 p.m. Thursday in juvenile court. The defendant's next court appearance will be March 6. A hearing scheduled for March 19 will discuss a motion to transfer his case to an adult court.

The murder charges state that the teenager "purposely and with prior calculation and design" fatally shot three people while at Chardon High.

The prosecutor has said that the sophomore confessed that he took a .22-caliber gun and a knife into the school Monday morning and fired 10 rounds as frightened students and some teachers ran for cover.

By the time the bloodshed ended, three were killed: Daniel Parmertor, 16, who died Monday; Demetrius Hewlin, 16, who died Tuesday morning; and Russell King Jr., 17, who was declared brain dead Tuesday.

This is not Lane's first brush with the law, according to juvenile records released by authorities this week.

When he was 15, Lane was charged with juvenile assault for putting his uncle in a choke hold and punching him in the face, according to an incident report from the Geauga County Sheriff's Office.

The report stated that Lane's aunt called 911 in

December 2009 to report the boy and his uncle "were physically fighting" -- and, at one point, the teen teamed up with his then-16-year-old brother, who himself was later charged with simple assault. Two sheriff's deputies arrived to find the uncle "bleeding from the mouth and ... on the kitchen floor."

Lane pleaded "true," the equivalent of guilty, to lesser charges of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to up to 30 days in a detention center, fined and ordered to complete 24 hours of community service, according to court documents.

At the time, Lane was in his grandparents' custody, according to the complaint.

Lane's driver's license was recently suspended for two and a half months after he was ticketed for "failure to control" a vehicle. The license was reinstated in early February upon his completion of a mandatory driver improvement program, records show.

Lane's friends have said that the teen had a troubled childhood.

His parents had both been charged with domestic violence against each other, according to court documents. His father also served prison time for assaulting a police officer and was charged with holding a different woman under running water and bashing her head into a wall.

"I think there's a lot of kids that go through things like that. That doesn't give them the right to kill other people," said Bob Parmertor, Daniel Parmertor's grandfather. "There are five families, including ours, that have been affected by this. No one has the right to shoot other people because they've had a rough life.

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US announces diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea The United States announced a diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea Wednesday.

Under an agreement reached in direct talks in Beijing last week, North Korea has agreed to allow the return of nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, and has agreed to implement a moratorium on long-range missile tests,

nuclear tests, and nuclear activities at Yongbyon, including uranium enrichment activities, the State Department said. In return, the United States will provide North Korea with a large food aid package.

"To improve the atmosphere for dialogue and demonstrate its commitment to de-nuclearization, the DPRK has agreed to implement a

Scary moments described aboard ship that caught afire

A passenger looks for his bags after alighting from the Costa Allegra cruise ship at Mahe port in Seychelles Island, March 1, 2012.

VICTORIA, Seychelles - Hot and tired passengers disembarking from a disabled cruise ship Thursday in the Seychelles said they had prepared to abandon ship when fire broke out in the engine room three days ago, causing smoke to billow from the vessel that was suddenly adrift in waters prowled by pirates.

Life boats were lowered, passengers said. Austrian Thomas Foaller said some passengers began to panic. Couples that were separated were calling out to each other, he said.

Among them were American couple Gordon and Eleanor Bradwell of Athens, Georgia. They were separated when Eleanor went to the couple's room to get a life vest. A crew member had handed the 72-year-old Gordon his own as dark smoke rose from the ship.

"Those were the worst moments," said Gordon.

But the fire that broke out Monday was brought under control and the more than 1,000 passengers and crew wound up staying aboard the Costa Allegra, which suddenly had no engine power, no air conditioning and no running water for showers or toilets.

Eleanor Bradwell said that the initial response to the alarm seemed to be disorganized but overall she and her husband felt the shipping line had handled the emergency well.

"It could have been worse than it

was," said Gordon. "It could have been disastrous ... we're here, we're alive."

The fire came only six weeks after the Costa Concordia, owned by the same company, hit a reef and capsized off Italy, killing 25 people and leaving seven missing and presumed dead.

The Allegra, whose Italian name means "merry," or "happy," left northern Madagascar, off Africa's southeast coast, on Saturday. The liner was carrying 413 crew members and 627 passengers, including 212 Italians, 31 Britons and eight Americans.

About 375 people are taking advantage of the company's offer of a free 15-day vacation in the Seychelles, including the Bradwells. They will also be reimbursed for the $8,000 they spent on the cruise.

The Seychelles is a chain of whitesand resort islands with a population of just 87,000. It depends on tourism for most of its revenues and is just recovering from a drop in visitors in 2009 because of the threat of pirate attacks. There were no reports of pirates approaching the stricken Costa Allegra or even being seen.

As passengers continued to disembark, Gordon Bradwell used a reporter's phone to call his daughter in the U.S. "Karen, can you hear me?" he asked. "We wanted to let you know that everything is OK."

moratorium on long-range missile launches, nuclear tests and nuclear activities at Yongbyon, including uranium enrichment activities," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a press statement Wednesday. "The DPRK has also agreed to the return of IAEA inspectors to verify and monitor the moratorium on uranium enrichment activities at Yongbyon and confirm the disablement of the 5-MW reactor and associated facilities."

Despite the breakthrough, "the United States still has profound concerns regarding North Korean behavior across a wide range of areas," Nuland's statement cautioned. But she added that "today's announcement reflects important, if limited, progress in addressing some of these."

In return, the United States will "move forward with our proposed package of 240,000 metric tons of nutritional assistance along with the intensive monitoring required for the delivery of such assistance," she said.

U.S. envoy on North Korean affairs Glyn Davies last week held the first face-to-face talks with his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Gwan since the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il in December.

Davies' Feb. 23-24 discussions in Beijing asserted several points, Nuland's statement said. Among them, "the United States reaffirms that it does not have hostile intent toward the DPRK" and that U.S. sanctions are not targeted against the livelihood of the North Korean people.

Arms control experts welcomed the

signs of progress in U.S. efforts to engage Pyongyang. But U.S. North Korea experts and foreign policy hands advised high caution in assessing Pyongyang's intent, given its track record of abrupt reversals.

"These steps are modestly significant," Richard Bush, director of Northeast Asian studies at the Brookings Institution, said in a statement Thursday. However, he noted, they "are only what negotiators call 'confidence-building measures.' They could indeed be an initial step on a path towards serious negotiations ... Or they could simply be a ploy to get nutritional assistance and meddle in South Korean politics. North Korea's record suggests the latter, but we shall see."

While the new agreement "appears to be an important step," Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a hearing Wednesday, "I'm sure you don't need me to remind you that we've been down this road before, and it remains to be seen whether the North will keep its promises this time."

The return of nuclear inspectors to North Korea for the first time in three years would be a "very positive development," Sen. John Kerry (DMass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations panel, said in a statement Wednesday. And he added, the United States has a humanitarian interest in helping the North Korean people receive food aid. "Resuming nutritional assistance to the DPRK is the right thing to do if we can ensure our aid will reach those in need."

Britain closes its embassy in Syria BEIRUT- Britain's foreign secretary says the U.K. is closing its embassy in Syria and withdrawing all diplomatic staff amid a worsening security situation in the country.

William Hague said Thursday that he judged "that the deterioration of the security situation in Damascus puts our embassy staff and premises at risk."

Britain had previously reduced the number of staff at the premises, meaning less than 10 people were working there before Hague's announcement.

Hague insists the move would not reduce "the U.K.'s commitment to active diplomacy to maintain pressure on the Assad regime to end the violence."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's main opposition group said Thursday it has formed a "military bureau" to organize and unify the armed resistance to the regime of President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian National Council has called for weapons for rebels in the past, but the announcement was the first time the country's main opposition group said it was seeking to organize the fighters.

The SNC made the announcement in a statement. The group also was holding a news conference in Paris.

The group says the government's crackdown on the country's uprising has forced Syrians "to bear arms in self-defense."

At the start of the Syrian revolt nearly a year ago, many protesters said they wanted to remain peaceful. But as the assault continued, an armed insurgency comprised largely of defectors from the military has developed to fight the regime.

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Syrian rebels withdraw from Homs BEIRUT- Most Syrian rebels pulled out of the besieged Baba Amro district of Homs on Thursday after a 26-day siege

by President Bashar al-Assad's forces, activists in contact with the fighters said.

They said a few fighters had remained behind in the shattered quarter to cover the "tactical withdrawal" of their comrades.

Syrian forces again shelled Baba Amro earlier in the day, despite world alarm at the plight of civilians trapped there.

Snow blanketed the city, slowing a ground assault begun on Wednesday, but also worsening the misery of residents

short of food, fuel, power, water and telephone links, activists said.

Reports from the city could not be verified immediately due to tight government restrictions on media operations in Syria.

Assad is increasingly isolated in his struggle to crush an armed insurrection that now spearheads a year-long popular revolt against four decades of his family's iron-fisted rule.

But he still has some allies. Russia, China and Cuba voted against a resolution adopted overwhelmingly by the Genevabased U.N. Human Rights Council which

condemned Syria for violations that may amount to crimes against humanity.

A Lebanese official close to Damascus said Assad's government was determined to regain control of Homs, Syria's third city, which straddles the main north-south highway.

"They want to take it, whatever happens, without restraint, whatever the cost," the official said, asking not to be named.

He said defeat for the rebels in Homs would leave the opposition without any major stronghold in Syria, easing the crisis for Assad, who remained confident he could survive.

James Murdoch steps down as Executive Chairman of News International LONDON— James Murdoch is international operations," Rupert stepping down as executive Murdoch said in a statement chairman of News Corp.'s Wednesday. News Corp. owns scandal-plagued British The Wall Street Journal. newspaper unit, although he will James Murdoch has overseen remain deputy chief operating News Corp.'s operations in officer of the media Europe and Asia, including News conglomerate based in New International, since joining the York. The change removes the company in late 2007 from 39-year-old Mr. Murdoch from BSkyB, where was chief oversight of News International, executive and still serves as which is at the center of three nonexecutive chairman. News British criminal probes into Corp. owns 39.1% of BSkyB. illegal reporting tactics, Last March, before the phoneJames Murdoch including allegations of voicehacking scandal blew up, News mail interception at the nowCorp. appointed Mr. Murdoch closed News of the World and bribery of police and deputy chief operating officer and said he would other public officials at the Sun. relocate to New York from London to take up the job.

Now, News Corp. says, Mr. Murdoch will focus At the time, News Corp. said he would maintain on News Corp.'s international TV business, an area responsibility for operations in Europe and Asia, where he previously won management plaudits. which includes the British newspaper unit.

Mr. Murdoch has been central in News Corp.'s The appointment was seen as a promotion, but efforts to tame the scandal since it mushroomed into people familiar with the matter later said News a full-blown crisis last July, after revelations that the Corp.'s U.S. management wanted one power center News of the World had intercepted a murdered in New York, instead of one in the U.S. overseen by teenager's voice mails set off a public outcry in Rupert, and one in London overseen by James.

Britain. The scandal led to the abrupt closure of the The younger Mr. Murdoch had clashed over the 168-year-old weekly tabloid, the resignation of top years with the U.S. management, which at times felt News Corp. executives, and the derailment of News he was overstepping his authority as head of Europe Corp.'s multibillion-dollar bid to take full control of and Asia, according to some people close to the pay-TV giant British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC. situation.

The scandal has clouded the career of Mr. Following Wednesday's announcement, Murdoch, who had been viewed as the primary management of News International will be left to candidate to take over for his father, News Corp. Tom Mockridge, who took over as chief executive of Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch, the U.K. newspaper unit last July, after Rebekah particularly since older brother Lachlan left his News Brooks resigned. Mr. Mockridge will report directly Corp. post in 2005. to News Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Since last July, a central issue in the public drama Chase Carey. has been James Murdoch's handling of the phoneMs. Brooks was arrested in July as part of the hacking affair, and questions about when he learned phone-hacking investigation, but hasn't been charged. the extent of the wrongdoing. He has appeared twice As the bribery allegations against the Sun—where for hearings in front of a U.K. parliamentary Ms. Brooks was editor from 2002 to 2009—have committee probing phone hacking. Both times, he has gained momentum recently, she resurfaced in the fended off barbs from politicians and said he came to headlines here this week with the news that the appreciate the full breadth of the wrongdoing only in Metropolitan Police in 2008 lent her a retired police late 2010. horse named Raisa for two years. Pundits seized on Even as the phone-hacking scandal escalated, 81- that as evidence that she was too cozy with the police, year-old Rupert Murdoch maintained he had "full but Scotland Yard described the loan as part of a confidence" in his youngest son to take over routine program to find retirement homes for working eventually. animals.

"Now that he has moved to New York, James will On Friday morning, Rupert Murdoch entered the continue to assume a variety of essential corporate debate via Twitter, with a tweet that said: "Now they leadership mandates, with particular focus on are complaining about R Brooks saving an old horse important pay-TV businesses and broader from the glue factory!"

The exile opposition Syrian National Council said it had formed a military bureau to oversee and organize armed anti-Assad groups under a unified leadership.

"The creation of the military bureau was agreed upon by all armed forces in Syria," SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun told a news conference in Paris. "We will be like a defense ministry."

The SNC has been criticized by some Syrians for not overtly backing the armed struggle led by the loosely organized Free Syrian Army, made up of army deserters and other insurgents.here was no immediate comment from the rebel army.

Rodney King pleads guilty to reckless driving RIVERSIDE, California - Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police led to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor reckless driving in connection with his arrest in Moreno Valley last summer on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Under a plea agreement, King was sentenced to 20 days home detention and ordered to wear an ankle bracelet to monitor his movement. Authorities agreed to drop two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, although King was fined $500, ordered to complete a nine-month sobriety education program and placed on three years probation, according to John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County district attorney.

King entered his plea through a court appointed public defender and was not present during the hearing.

In July, King was driving a 1994 Mitsubishi when he was pulled over by a traffic officer in Moreno Valley, about 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Following his July arrest, King told CNN he was under the influence of a "medical marijuana prescription" but denied driving while intoxicated.

According to Riverside County prosecutors, King's blood alcohol reading was 0.06 percent, which is below the 0.08 legal limit in California.

"He was driving while intoxicated and found to have a measurable amount of alcohol in his system. However, we believe we would have been unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury that his blood-alcohol content was 0.08 percent or higher," Hall said. King did not respond to calls for comment.

King's 1991 beating by Los Angeles police officers after a traffic stop left him with skull fractures and brain and kidney damage. It was captured on video by a nearby resident, and four officers were indicted as a result. Their trial the following year led to three acquittals and a mistrial in the predominantly white suburb of Simi Valley, verdicts that set off three days of riots in African-American neighborhoods.

By the time it was over, 55 people were dead, more than 2,000 were hurt, and property damage exceeded $1 billion. Two of the officers were later convicted of federal civil rights charges, and King won $3.8 million in damages from the city in a civil suit.

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HIGHLIGHTS

• Windows propose Windows 8 • Apple Market value hits 500B • Google rolls out new privacy policy despite criticism

Economy grew faster than expected in fourth quarter WASHINGTON - The economy grew a bit faster than initially thought in the fourth quarter on slightly firmer consumer spending, further calming fears of a sharp slowdown in growth in early 2012.

Gross domestic product expanded at a 3 percent annual rate, the quickest pace since the second quarter of 2010, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday in its second estimate.

The reading, which was up from the 2.8 percent pace the government reported last month and reflected modest upward revisions to almost all components of GDP, added to the recent run of fairly upbeat economic reports.

The tone of the report was further bolstered by upward revisions to income data, which should help support consumer spending in the face of rising gasoline prices.

"Growth is still on the right path, but we are not going to see any acceleration. Income was revised up so

it removed one of headwinds to growth in the beginning of the year," said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York.

Other data on Wednesday showed the continued resilience in manufacturing, with the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago's business barometer in February rising to 64, a 10-month high, from 60.2 in January.

The upbeat reports helped to lift U.S. shares, while prices for Treasury debt weakened modestly. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies.

So far this year data ranging from employment to manufacturing have shown underlying strength in the economy, reducing the need for the Federal Reserve to ease monetary policy further by launching a third round of asset purchases or quantitative easing.

But Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday growth would have to accelerate to quickly bring down an

8.3 percent unemployment rate. His remarks suggested the U.S. central bank was leaning towards more bond purchases.

Recent gains in labor market are helping the economy.

Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity, was raised to a 2.1 percent rate of increase from 2 percent.

At the same time, growth of real disposable income was revised up to a 1.4 percent rate from 0.8 percent.

"Consumers are spending from rising income rather than digging into their savings to spend," said Shulyatyeva.

Business investment in capital goods was lifted to a 2.8 percent pace from 1.7 percent, but still weak compared to the recent trend. Outlays on home building were firmer than previously estimated, while investment on nonresidential structures was modestly weak.

IMF says threat of sharp global slowdown eased WASHINGTON - The probability of a sharp global slowdown has eased due to recent policy measures adopted in the euro zone to tackle its debt crisis, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday, but it warned risks to world growth remain "squarely to the downside."

In a report to G20 finance ministers in Mexico over the weekend and only published on Thursday, the IMF said the euro zone should act decisively on multiple fronts to successfully resolve its sovereign debt crisis.

"The key risk remains that policies do not shift Europe toward a 'good equilibrium' and fail to break adverse feedback loops between real, fiscal, and financial sectors," the IMF said, urging euro zone policymakers to increase a firewall by about $500 billion to protect countries from financial contagion.

The IMF said the European Central Bank should continue injecting liquidity and stay fully engaged in securities purchases to help shore up financial stability.

Meanwhile, ECB monetary policy should focus on ensuring price stability, it said, adding that there was room to lower the target policy rate if needed.

In the United States, Britain and Japan, central banks should stand ready to expand unconventional measures if the outlook worsens, the IMF said.

In emerging markets, the IMF said growth had slowed more than expected, although risk perceptions had eased and capital flows had resumed into emerging Asia, Latin America and South Africa economies since the beginning of 2012.

In emerging countries with high inflation and public debt, including India and some economies in the Middle East, a "cautious stance" to policy easing was needed, the IMF said.

The IMF said higher oil prices were a risk to global growth and repeated an earlier warning that the impact of an oil supply shock in the Middle East "could be large" if supplies were not increased elsewhere.

In particular, a halt in Iran's oil exports could trigger an initial price increase of about 20 percent to 30 percent, the IMF warned.

Saudi Arabia assured G20 finance ministers over the weekend it was prepared to release more oil if necessary to make up for supply disruptions, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told a news conference on Sunday.

While a rebuilding of inventories added a hefty 1.88 percentage points to GDP in the last quarter, the increase was revised down to $54.3 billion from $56.0 billion.

"The large boost to GDP growth from stock building in the fourth quarter is unlikely to be repeated in first quarter but the household accounts provide a much more encouraging backdrop for consumer spending," said Peter Newland, a senior economist at Barclays Capital.

Excluding inventories, the economy grew at a 1.1 percent rate, rather than the 0.8 percent initially reported. That was still a sharp step-down from the prior period's 3.2 percent pace.

The report also showed exports were not as strong as previously thought, but imports are also not growing strongly, leaving a smaller trade gap that was less of a drag on growth.

It also showed still moderate inflation pressures, though a price index for personal spending rose at a 1.2 percent rate instead of 0.7 percent.

A core measure that strips out food and energy costs rose at a 1.3 percent rate instead of 1.1 percent. The Fed would prefer to see this measure nearer its 2 percent inflation target.

New law could free up TV airwaves for mobile use NEW YORK — A new law could result in fewer TV stations on the air, in exchange for faster wireless data services for smartphones and tablet computers.

Before you rush out to download "Bad Teacher" from iTunes, though, keep in mind that several things need to happen over the next few years before people start seeing faster wireless speeds.

The law, part of a payroll tax package signed by President Barack Obama last week, gives the Federal Communications Commission authority to explore such an exchange. The FCC will have to write the rules for it in the coming months.

The idea is to squeeze over-the-air television, which has few viewers, into a smaller slice of the airwaves. Anything freed would be available for bidding by companies, including wireless carriers such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless.

Broadcasters will need to decide whether they want to give up their frequencies. Those that do could continue to operate as cable-only channels if they don't want to go out of business.

Bidding for freed airwaves likely won't begin until late 2013 or early 2014, partly to give bidders time to raise money to pay for any spectrum they win.

Although vast swaths of broadcast spectrum were freed when television signals converted from analog to digital in 2009, much of that has already been claimed.

About 11 million households lack cable or satellite service and get TV signals only over the air, according to Nielsen. That compares with 89 million who are cable or satellite subscribers.

There are more than 330 million devices active on cellular networks, which could benefit from the transfer of the spectrum.The FCC envisions freeing up 500 megahertz of spectrum over the next 10 years.

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Google rolls out new privacy policy amid criticism Google rolled out its new privacy policy Thursday allowing the firm to track users across various services to developed targeted advertising, despite sharp criticism from US and European consumer advocacy groups.

Google contends the move simplifies and unifies its policies across its various services such as Gmail, YouTube, Android mobile systems, social networks and Internet search.

"The new policy doesn't change any existing privacy settings or how any personal information is shared outside of Google," Google privacy chief Alma Whitten said on the Google Blog Thursday.

But critics including European privacy agencies and US consumer watchdogs argued the new policy, which offers no ability to opt out aside from refraining from signing into Google services, gives the Internet giant unprecedented ability to monitor its users.

"Calling this a 'privacy policy' is Orwellian doublespeak," said John Simpson of the US advocacy group Consumer Watchdog.

"Google isn't telling you about protecting your privacy. Google is telling you how they will gather

information about you on all its services, combine it in new ways and use the fat new digital dossiers to sell more ads. They're telling you how they plan to spy on you. It's a spy policy."

A coalition of European and US consumer advocacy groups made a lastditch appeal to Internet search and advertising giant Google on Wednesday to delay the changes.

In a joint letter to Google chief executive Larry Page, the Trans Atlantic Consumer Dialogue urged Google to delay implementation of the changes, saying it would "combine data from all of your services... into a single profile without user consent and without any

meaningful opportunity for users to optout."

The French consumer data protection agency CNIL warned this week that Google may be in violation of European privacy norms.

"The CNIL and the EU data protection authorities are deeply concerned about the combination of personal data across services: They have strong doubts about the lawfulness and fairness of such processing," a letter from the French agency said.

US Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz has said Google is forcing users to make a "brutal choice" -- ending its use of the

Microsoft sees future in Windows 8 amid iPad rise SAN FRANCISCO — Microsoft is scrambling to preserve what's left of its kingdom.

Since the company released its Windows operating system in 1985, most of the sequels have been variations on the same theme. Not that it mattered much. Regardless of the software's quality, Microsoft managed to remain at the center of the personal computing universe.

The stakes are much different as Microsoft Corp. puts the finishing touches on Windows 8 — perhaps the most important piece of software the Redmond, Wash., company has designed since co-founder Bill Gates won the contract to build the first operating system for IBM Corp.'s personal computer in the early 1980s.

A test, or "beta," version of the revamped operating system will be unveiled Wednesday in Barcelona, nudging Windows 8 a step closer to its anticipated mass market release in September or October. The company will offer the most extensive look at Windows 8's progress since it released an early version of the system to developers five months ago.

Microsoft designed Windows 8 to help it perform a difficult balancing act. The company hopes to keep milking revenue from a PC market that appears to be past its prime, while trying to gain a stronger foothold in the more fertile field of mobile devices. It's a booming market that, so far, has been defined and dominated by Apple Inc.'s trend-setting iPhone and iPad and Google Inc.'s ubiquitous Android software.

"Microsoft's future path is riding on Windows 8 and its success," said Gartner Inc. analyst David Cearley. "This is a chance for Microsoft to re-establish itself in a market where it's becoming increasingly irrelevant."

If Windows 8 is a hit, it could also help lift the fortunes of struggling PC makers, including HewlettPackard Co. and Dell Inc. Besides giving businesses and consumers a reason to consider new PC purchases,

Windows 8 is expected to spawn a new breed of hybrid machines that will be part tablet computer, part laptop.

If Windows 8 is a flop, however, it will increase the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. His 12year reign has been marred by the company's troubles adapting to an Internet-driven upheaval. As Microsoft has stumbled, faster-innovating companies such as Apple and Google have elbowed their way into a position to steer the direction of computing for the next decade or two.

Microsoft's financial performance traditionally improves when it releases a new version of Windows.

The last upgrade came in October 2009 when Windows 7 hit the market. The company has sold more than 525 million copies of Windows 7 since then. Part of Window 7's success stemmed from pent-up demand; the previous version, Vista, was so clunky and buggy that many PC users stuck with the system they already had on their machines or switched to Apple's technology on Mac computers.

Windows 8 is radically different from its predecessors. The system won't even have Microsoft's familiar "Start" menu. All applications are spread across a mosaic of tiles, as part of a design Microsoft calls "Metro." The tiles, which resemble road signs, can be navigated with a swipe of the finger on the display screen or with a keyboard and a computer mouse. The tiles also provide a glimpse at the activity occurring in applications connected to the Web, such as email.

The system also is expected to enable users to easily back up their pictures, movies, music and other files on a Microsoft storage service called SkyDrive, which will compete against Apple's iCloud.

The operating system's versatility means it can be used to power computer tablets, as well as traditional PCs. Microsoft badly wants a piece of the tablet market that has been cutting into PC sales since Apple introduced the iPad two years ago.

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

service or complying with the new monitoring scheme.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center said it is appealing a judge's ruling that dismissed its legal challenge to Google's privacy policy. The group says Google is violating a settlement it reached with the FTC requiring the company to protect user data.

Google announced in January it was revising its privacy policies and changing how it uses data from users of its services to provide more personalized search results and advertisements.

The Mountain View, Californiabased Google said the changes are designed to improve the user experience across the various Google products, which range from Web search to Gmail to Google+ to YouTube.

The new terms will allow Google to regroup data from several different services that were previously separate under a single comprehensive profile, giving it a more integrated view of its users, an advantage enjoyed by Apple and Facebook.

"Our new privacy policy gets rid of those inconsistencies so we can make more of your information available to you when using Google," Whitten said.

"So in the future, if you do frequent searches for Jamie Oliver, we could recommend Jamie Oliver videos when you're looking for recipes on YouTube -- or we might suggest ads for his cookbooks when you're on other Google properties.

Apple market value hits $500B, where few have gone NEW YORK — Apple's market capitalization topped $500 billion Wednesday, climbing to a mountain peak where few companies have ventured — and none have stayed for long.

Apple was already the world's most valuable company. The gap between it and No. 2 Exxon Mobil Corp. has widened rapidly in the past month, as investors have digested Apple's report of blow-out holiday-season sales of iPhones and iPads. And, more recently, Apple has raised investors' hopes that it might institute a dividend.

The company's market capitalization was near $506 billion in late-morning trading as the shares rose $7, or 1.3 percent, to $542.41.

On Tuesday, the Cupertino, Calif., company sent out invites to reporters for an event in San Francisco next Wednesday, apparently to reveal its next iPad model. The launch of the new model was expected around this time, a year after the launch of the iPad 2.

Apple is in rare company. It is the sixth U.S. corporation to reach the $500 billion milestone.

Exxon, now worth $411 billion, was worth just over $500 billion for two short stretches at the end of 2007.

Apple's arch-nemesis Microsoft Corp. was worth just more than $500 billion briefly at the end of 1999, and again in early 2000. It even shot up above $600 billion for one day. The company is now worth $267 billion.

Cisco Systems Inc., Intel Corp. and General Electric Co. also peaked just above $500 billion in early 2000. Cisco and Intel are now worth a bit more than $100 billion each, while GE is worth $200 billion.

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

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MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

Centers for Excellences Boys win Battle of the Sexes

Sonia Bien-Aime attends first meeting of the organising committee

Mrs. Bien-Amie said: “It was an amazing experience to sit with some of the greatest people

Cecil Arnold (right), Managing Director for the Scotiabank Cherokee Road Branch on Providenciales, presents the sponsorship cheque to Colin Sterling, President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cricket Association

Scotiabank injects $4,700 in local cricket development

BY VIVIAN TYSON SENIOR SUN EDITOR

Scotiabank has embarked on yet another major sporting venture in the Turks and Caicos Islands when it lends its benevolence to the Turks and Caicos Islands Cricket Association by sponsoring their Kiddies Cricket initiative.

The $4,700 cheque for the programme was presented on Friday (February 24) to Colin Sterling, President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cricket Association, by Branch Manager for the Cherokee Road Branch, Cecil Arnold, at that office.

Upon receiving the donation, Sterling said it

would be used to develop cricket at the primary and secondary level at schools throughout the country, including staging an inter-school cricket competition later this year following a summer camp.

“We will be having this introduced at many levels in the schools. We will be planning to have summer camps, and later in the year, with the Department of Education’s blessing, we plan to have an inter-school competition in Provo and throughout the islands. And eventually, this will lead us to have Under 17, Under 15 – both male and female - participation in ICC (International Cricket Council) tournaments in the region,” Sterling said.

Sterling revealed that the Cricket Association

contracted two cricket development officers on Providenciales who he said would be working with Physical Education Teachers within the schools, to get students more familiar with the game through training. He added that students who displayed talent would be pooled into what he described as a centre of excellence, where they would get further training that would elevate them to regional and international levels.

“We will also be looking at picking from the schools, students who display skills at a certain level, and these will be brought into what will be called a centre for excellence, where they would get more specialized coaching, to get them towards the ICC and representing the Turks and Caicos in international competitions,” Sterling said.

Addressing the inter-school competition, which was said to be in the formative stages, Sterling said: “The plan is to have, maybe, a six overs competition at the primary level; 10 overs for those a little older and 15 or 20 overs at the secondary level. We are hoping that it does not only attract males but also female students to the sport. The ICC also has a female international competition, where we also want to attract that gender because the sport is not limited to males only.”

The donation would be used to purchase cricket gear such as bats, pads, balls and T-Shirts, and would be given to the participating students.

Scotiabank has been perennial sponsor of West Indies Cricket at varying levels, including Kiddies Cricket, and according to Arnold, the donation was a continuation of Kiddies Cricket in the region.

“It also fits right into our programme initiative focuses on youth and youth development, and we think it is a great initiative for the Turks and Caicos; it is going to help the kids finding alternative activities after school or even on weekends. And cricket is a part of the Caribbean and part of the West Indies and the culture, and so, we are delight to be a part of it,” Arnold said.

TCIFA starts Girls Development League

The women's football league ended Sunday (one half against each other) them better and more well rounded are on an equal footing. We have in dramatic fashion last weekend ensuring that all players get a full players." some very talented female coaches, as Net Rockers FC lifted the cup ninety minutes of action.

The development and popularity referees, administrators and of with a 2-1 extra time victory over Green sees this league as another of women's football continues to rise course players and it is important their closest rivals AFC Academy step in the right direction for the in the Turks and Caicos Islands as that we give them every opportunity Hurricanes. development of women's football. there are now more opportunities for to develop their skills and use their However, rather than take a well "A few years we only had a handful women to play the game in a variety talents". deserved rest Technical Director of girls playing football so the fact of formats. Last year the TCIFA Green added "We have a lot of Matthew Green has ensured that that we can put over forty together started a Beach Soccer League female players studying and playing the TCIFA Academy players are in a competitive league shows the which was the first of its kind in the football overseas and we have given more opportunities to play progress that has been made".

Caribbean and the next Beach Soccer even more talented players coming competitive football. through the ranks that will hopefully Green said the league will ensure League is due to start in April.

This Sunday (4th March) that a lot of the young players that In addition sixty female players follow the same path. The leagues sees the start of the TCIFA Girl's were involved in the WFL get more have already signed up for the we run will give talented players Development League which is playing time.

Bay Bistro Recreational League like Guerline Hall, Melissa Jean Guy, sponsored by Island Fire Supplies.

"It was a great opportunity for a that will begin on the 15th March. Kadine Delphin, Makayla Ellis and The league will run for four weeks lot of the young girls to participate Youth leagues are also played the De La Cruz sisters (Yarileiny and and will consist of players from the in the WFL but some of the players throughout the year as well as school Yarileke) a chance to reach college association's Center of Excellence, were limited to brief appearances competitions and Green is pleased level.

National Development squads and due to their age or size. However this that female players are very active in “I expect the IFS Development regional academies.

League to be a lot of fun and I am sure league is a development league so the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Players will be placed into three results are not so important. The girls "In many Caribbean countries, the talent on display will impress all teams, Eastern Eagles, Western will get more playing time as well as women's football is not high on the those that come to watch" Warriors and Provo All Stars and the opportunity to play a variety of agenda. However, in our association Games start at 4.00pm every they will play two games every positions which will ultimately make both the men's and women's games Sunday.

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MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

LOCAL NEWS

TFIFA U11, U13 Schools Competition very competitive

The first day of the TCIFA School's competition got off to an exciting and dramatic start as 20 teams competed in the U11 Boys and U13 Girls categories.

The under 11 Boys group saw twelve teams compete in four groups with the top two teams advancing to the quarter finals. Top seeds Provo Primary, Enid Capron "A" and Ianthe Pratt "A" all won their groups comfortably but Oseta Jolly "A" had to settle for second place as they fell surprisingly (2-1) to Ianthe Pratt "B", whose team consisted of 8 and 9 year olds and were only playing to gain experience for years to come.

The quarter finals were dramatic affairs with two of them finishing with penalty shoot-outs. Enid Capron booked their place in Friday's semi-finals with a 4-0 victory over Provo Christian, who had got through to this stage with a 5-2 victory against Wesley Methodist.

Oseta Jolly "A" defeated Ianthe Pratt "A" 2-0 courtesy of two goals by Timothy Gill to make up for their earlier shock defeat.

In a recent friendly game Provo Primary had defeated Ashcroft 8-2 but this was not to be repeated in their quarter-final encounter.

Provo Primary took the lead through Livingston Fedinand but a late equalizer from Sebastien Turbyfield forced the game into extra time.

A winning goal eluded both teams who then had to face the daunting prospect of a penalty shootout. With the scores leveled and after Ashcroft had missed their crucial third penalty, Martijn Heally stepped up and coolly slotted home to give Provo Primary victory.

The last quarter final of the day saw Ianthe Pratt's and Enid Capron's "B" ending a 2-2, with goals from Darren Poirret (2) for Enid Capron, and the McGregor twins (Jordan and Joshua) scoring for Ianthe Pratt.

Both teams were leveled after two shots but Darren Delancy placed his shot into the bottom corner and Enid Capron missed, to Ianthe Pratt into the semi-finals.

The U13 Girls division perhaps witnessed a changing of the guard as last year’s champions Enid Capron were eliminated in the semi-finals (4-0) by Wesley Methodist, who will be playing in their first school final.

Their opponents will be the British West Indies Collegiate who edged past Clement Howell in a semi-final penalty shootout.

Technical Director Matthew Green was very pleased with the tournament so far. "Today was a great advert for youth sports in this country. We had over 200 kids competing in two age groups and we have more to come with the Under 11 Girls and Under 13 Boys."

HI-TECH Crowns first Video Games champs The first NBA Video Game tournament, dubbed NBA 2K12, was held on Saturday February 25, Unit B7 Windsor Place (upstairs at L Raye Cinemas Plaza). Two winners emerged from the tournament, they are Airron Palacio, who took home the PS3 title and and Lebrant Bassett, who was crowned champion in the X-Box360 category.

The Hi-Tech Entertainment was opened since December 19, 2011 and there are plans to host several other video game tournaments during this year, with the next one - the Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 3 - scheduled for April 28.

Aaron Palacio was crowned PS3 2K12 Champion Table games are also being played at Hi-Tech Champion round action Lebrant Bassett was 2K12 E-Box 360 champ

TURKS & CAICOS SUN

Centers for Excellences Boys win Battle of the Sexes Players from the TCIFA's Centers of Excellence were given their chance to show their talents in a battle of the sexes last weekend as the U14 Boys and Girls played an exhibition game at the Academy field. As perhaps expected the Boys were victorious (2-0) but they pushed all the way by a determined girl’s team.

Coach Oliver Smith had worked for several years with the boys group and it was clear that his coaching philosophy paid dividends as the boys produced a masterful exhibition of passing and movement.

The boys kept possession very well throughout the game however, the girls showed that their low pressing system could be effective against technically better players.

The teams contrasting styles created and exciting encounter, which was enjoyed by an enthusiastic crowd. The girls counter attacking style of play allowed them to soak up a lot of pressure and then hit on the break as Yarileny De La Cruz came close to an equalizer after Jack Small had converted a first half penalty. Guerline Hall made several important saves as the boys broke through on occasions but for the most part, the girls

defence which was led by team captain Melissa Jean Guy were resolute.

Gabriel Diotte was the key attacking player for the boys and he doubled the lead in the second half, beating the offside trap before finishing well. However, rather than collapse the girls fought back through the likes of the skilfull Yarileke De La Cruz and the tireless midfield maestro Makalya Ellis.

Technical Director Matthew Green was very pleased with the effort of all concerned.

"It is great to see our young players in action. They work hard in training and they are improving at a fast rate. The boys play beautiful football, keeping possession well until finding the right moment to launch an attack."

"Later in the year our boys will be playing against visiting teams from the USA so it is important that they get accustomed to playing on bigger pitches and for longer periods of time.

“I felt the boys kept the ball well today but they need to be more clinical in front of goal, however credit is due to the young girls who proved they have learned a lot from playing in the women's league."

Bien-Aime attends first meeting of the organising committee for the FIFA U-20 women's world cup

Sonia Bien-Aime, The Turks & Caicos Islands Football Association’s General Secretary who has been appointed to the Organising Committee for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup by FIFA’s President Joseph S. Blatter in December 2011 has recently returned from her first meeting of the Committee held at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland.

Mrs. Bien-Amie said: “It was an amazing experience to sit with some of the greatest people in the “world of football” to make decisions on matters relating to the organizing of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan 2012 and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada 2014.”

“We were presented with a full agenda

for discussion and matters for approval, which included Administrative Matters, Competition Regulations, Marketing Communications and TV Matters, Status of Activities and Key Dates, Status Report by the LOC Japan 2012 and the LOC Canada 2014, Women Referees, to name a few.”

“Mrs. Bien-Aime further states: “I await with anticipation my schedule for my tour of duties in Japan during the months of August and September, when I will be required to travel throughout Japan to the cities where the competitions will be held to carry out duties which will be assigned to me.

This experience will no doubt be of tremendous benefit to me as an individual and by extension to the TCIFA and the TCI.”

Crunch time in Provo Basketball league

The Provo Basketball Association League continued last Friday night (February 25) with three games. In game one Lions defeated Steelers 69 to 67, with Kino williams shooting 19 points and made two assists. Cameron Henry of the Steelers shot a game-high 42 points, made seven assists and steals.

In game two Knights defeated Police 7444. Andujar Gardiner of the Knights shot 14 points and two steals. For the Police, Delano Smith scored 11 points and made three assists.

In game three Flyers defeated predators 66 – 56 with Anthony Cash shooting 17 points, made 5 assists and five steals. Micheal Taylor of Predators shot 17 points, had seven rebounds and five steals.

The competition continued on Saturday, February 26, with two games.

In game one, Steelers beat cobras 57- 48,

with Henry shooting 24 points, collected seven rebounds and made two steals. Gino Agenor of Cobras shot a game-high 20 points, collected eight rebounds and made 4 assists.

In game two South Caicos defeated Flyers 75- 58, with Jonathon Paul shooting 18 points, had five rebounds and making three assists.

Anthony Cash shot 17 points, grabbed three rebounds and made 3 steals.

South Caicos won 16 games and lost one; Flyers- 15 and 2; Predators - 12 and 5; Lions 11 and 5; Knights 11 and 5; Customs - 7 and 10; and Police - 6 and 11. This is a critical weekend for the number 3 -7 seeds and final playoff spots will be decided after Friday night's games.

Schedule for this weekend games are Knights vs Lions, Customs vs Police and South Caicos vs Predators. Lions vs Flyers will be played if necessary.

TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

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MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

W.I. CRICKET BOARD STILL WANTS APOLOGY “The intention was not to have you refer to each

comment and apologize for each. The board requires you to provide a general public retraction of the comments made in the interview in question and the effect it has had on the team, coach, captain and management and to express a commitment to team and management...

- READ BELOW

West Indies Cricket Board gives former captain Chris Gayle the option to retire The ongoing saga between Chris Gayle and The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has taken yet another turn as the Board has now given Chris Gayle the option to retire from international cricket if he can’t commit himself fully to representing the regional team.

The board’s latest position comes against the background that the controversial opening batsman has requested an unconditional NoObjection Certificate (NOC) for global domestic Twenty20 tournaments.

In an email to Gayle from WICB chief executive officer Dr Ernest Hilaire, the board said it believed that it was justifiable to ask a first-team player who requested an NOC to accept a condition that he make himself available, if selected, for international commitments which may clash with that tournament.

Hilaire told Gayle that if a player had no contractual obligation to the WICB and did not wish to make himself available to play in international matches for which he may be selected, he had the option of

Chris Gayle

ceasing to be a first-team player, by retiring from international cricket, or otherwise declaring himself ineligible and/or unavailable for selection for the foreseeable future.

“In that event, the WICB would not consider it necessary or appropriate to issue a player with anything but an

unconditional NOC,” Hilaire said.

“So, Chris, it is your choice, whether you receive a conditional or unconditional NOC. But you cannot have an unconditional NOC and be considered for selection to play for the West Indies.

“Either you wish to make yourself available to play for the West Indies, in which case you must accept that NOCs will be granted to you on the same conditional terms as other international players, or you do not, in which case you can have your unconditional NOC. All that is required from you is a clear statement, one way or the other.”

In the four-page letter to Gayle dated January 30, Hilaire also reiterated the board’s position that the former West Indies captain would not be considered for selection to the West Indies team until he withdrew statements made in a radio interview last April.

In response to Gayle’s earlier communication that the WICB outline what he must apologize for, the board has quoted certain sections of the

interview which it considered inappropriate.

“The intention was not to have you refer to each comment and apologize for each. The board requires you to provide a general public retraction of the comments made in the interview in question and the effect it has had on the team, coach, captain and management and to express a commitment to team and management,” Hilaire said.

“If the terms of that retraction can be agreed, WICB will be happy to consider you eligible once again for selection, although it is interesting that your position on availability to play for the West Indies continues to be uncertain and changes with each email.

“However, that would be subject to resolution of one further issue. You say in your email that ‘it is for me to consider whether I accept selection once the WICB has selected me.’ On further reflection, I trust that you will acknowledge that a player who wishes to be considered eligible for selection must commit himself to play if selected."

Yohan Blake says running the 400 metres is not high on his agenda World 100m champion Yohan Blake says while taking on the challenge of the 400m at the professional level is not on his agenda despite his versatility when it comes to the sprinting events he has not discounted being a member of a Jamaican mile relay team at any upcoming major athletic events.

Blake, who clocked the second fastest 200m of all time (19.26 seconds) in Brussels, Belgium and a personal best 9.82 seconds at 100m last year, opened his 2012 season with a personal best 46.49 seconds over 400m at the Camperdown Classic at the National Stadium on February 11.

The athlete anchored his Racers Lions team to triumph in the Clubs & Institutions men's 4x400m relay at Saturday's Gibson Relay after collecting the baton in second place and storming to victory, much to the delight of the Stadium spectators.

In fact, Blake was also a member of the St Jago High School team which clocked a record 3:08.32 seconds in the boys open 4x400m relay at the 2008 Gibson Relays.

There has been some question about whether he might decide to run the longer sprint either individually or as part of Jamaica's mile relay team at some point, especially with the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England less than 150 days away.

WORLD 100m champion Yohan Blake

However, Blake said that while he is not considering competing as an individual quartermiler at this time, he has not ruled out a 4x400m relay.

"No, no. The (400m) training is really hard so you won't see me doing the 400m as a professional on the international circuit," the former St Jago High star said.

"I would run the 4x400m but to run the single

400m I wouldn't do it. I always do it in high school and I'm in strong in that already."

Blake is the heir apparent to current 100m and 200m world record holder Usain Bolt who has already said he would like to be part of Jamaica's 4x400m team at the London Olympics and the promise of both those sprinters on a Jamaican mile relay team already has some fans counting the gold medals.

Blake in the meantime told the Observer he feel under no undue pressure to live up to any expectations.

"It's no pressure. Coach (Glen) Mills has been training me mentally for this moment and finally I know what pressure feels like. I know what weight is on my shoulder so it will be good," he said.

He added: "I don't want to tell them what they can expect but running 46.4 really pretty good time for me. Getting much, much stronger over the years of the 400m and it just sets me up well for the coming season."

Blake said he isn't sure if he will be going for personal best times over the 100m and 200m: "I will just go out there and do my best and whatever time comes guess I will just have to work with it because I've felt I've been working really hard in training and it's going to be a good year this year

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TURKS AND CAICOS SUN

MARCH 2ND - MARCH 9TH, 2012

It has a fullsize regulation basketball court with cushioned hardwood floors, adjustable backboards and baskets...

READ FULL STORY BELOW

Michael Jordan mansion on market for $29 million Basketball superstar Michael Jordan's longtime family home in Highland Park is on the market, but it'll cost a bit more than the latest must-have pair of Air Jordans.

And no, it's not $23 million.

It's listed for $29 million, furnished, putting it in rare air as the highest-priced home listing in the Chicago market.

The secluded compound, built in the mid-1990s and renovated in 2009, encompasses more than 56,000 square feet and includes nine bedrooms, 15 full baths, four half baths and five fireplaces spread between a main house and a connected guesthouse. The property also includes an indoor-outdoor entertaining and pool area, an outdoor tennis court, a putting green, a deep water pond and three climate-controlled garages that hold 15 cars.

And then there's the attached indoor basketball complex. The facility, completed in 2001, has a full-size regulation basketball court with cushioned hardwood floors, adjustable backboards and baskets, and a sound system tuned to provide the right acoustics in the court space.

"The target buyer is someone who would appreciate the privacy and luxury of the property, as well as its myriad and exceptional features and amenities,"

Queen Elizabeth II to open 2012 Olympics LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip will open the 2012 Olympics this summer, Buckingham Palace said Monday.

The royal couple will perform this ceremonial role at the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium when the games begin on July 27.

They also will open the Paralympic Games on Aug. 29.

The British royals have long been strong supporters of the Olympics.

The queen also opened the 1976 Games in Canada, where she is the head of state, while Philip did so on her behalf at Melbourne, Australia, in 1956.

The Olympics were last held in the UK in 1948 and were opened by the queen's father, King George VI.

The property encompasses more than 56,000 square feet and includes nine bedrooms, 15 full baths, four half baths and five fireplaces spread between a main house and a connected guesthouse.

said listing broker Katherine Chez Malkin of Baird & Warner Real Estate.

Property taxes on the home were $165,224 in 2010, according to public records.

Chez Malkin said Jordan is the sole owner of the home, which is his main residence. "Michael is selling for a variety of reasons," Chez Malkin said.

"He has many homes and has decided to downsize."

It's unclear how much time he spends in Highland Park. In late 2010, real estate web sites reported that Jordan had purchased a mansion in "The Bears Club," an exclusive golf resort community developed by golfer Jack Nicklaus, in Jupiter, Fla., for more than $12 million.

If the Highland Park home sells for anywhere near its asking price, it would be by far the most expensive, publicly

Britain criticises Olympic strike threat LONDON — A threat by Britain's largest labor union to disrupt the London Olympics with strikes is "unacceptable and unpatriotic," Prime Minister David Cameron's office said.

Len McCluskey, the head of the Unite union, suggested its members could stage walkouts during the 2012 Summer Games to oppose the Conservative-led government's sharp austerity cuts. The union says it represents 200,000 public sector workers.

He was quoted as telling The Guardian newspaper that the July 27Aug. 12 London Olympics are a justified target for those opposing spending cuts and job losses.

"It is completely unacceptable and unpatriotic what he is proposing," Cameron's spokesman Steve Field told reporters. "Most people in this country, including members of that union, think the Olympics is a great occasion for the country and wouldn't want to see anything happen that would disrupt it in any way."

Both Cameron and Ed Miliband, head of Britain's main opposition Labour Party — which receives significant financial backing from Unite — condemned the threat of industrial action.

"Any threat to the Olympics is totally unacceptable and wrong," said Miliband. "This is a celebration for the whole country and must not be disrupted."

Cameron urged Labour to turn down money from the union in response to its Olympic threat.

McCluskey said that no plans had yet been drawn up for specific action during the Olympics but that any activity could "absolutely" include strikes.

"I believe the unions, and the general community, have got every right to be out protesting," he was quoted as telling the newspaper. "If the Olympics provide us with an opportunity, then that's exactly one that we should be looking at."

listed home sale in the Chicago area. In July 2007, a Lake Bluff home sold for $16 million, according to Midwest Real Estate Data LLC, the local multiple listing provider.

Jordan lived in the home with his then-wife, Juanita, and their three children. The Jordans divorced in late 2006, after 17 years of marriage. Juanita Jordan bought a newly built, 23-room mansion in Chicago's River North neighborhood in mid-2007 for $4.7 million.

Jordan became part-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA franchise in 2006, and then became majority owner in 2010. The Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion was the first ex-player to own a team.

Jordan and his Cuban-born model girlfriend Yvette Prieto have paid $281,000 to purchase a house in the gated Highlands at Kendall area of Miami Fla. Built in 1996, the couple’s new house has three bedrooms and two baths (according to public records) or four bedrooms and two and a half baths (according to listing information), and sits on a 0.13-acre (5,560-square-foot) lot, according to public records. The house measures between 2,200 and 2,600 square feet,

He said that the "idea the world should arrive in London and have these wonderful Olympic Games as though everything is nice and rosy in the garden is unthinkable."

John Armitt, the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, urged Unite not to take action. "Len and his colleagues have a right to make their point, but I hope they don't feel the need to disrupt other people's pleasure during the summer," he said.

In November, George Osborne, Britain's Treasury chief, announced 23 billion pounds ($37 billion) of additional spending cuts through 2017, extending a planned four-year program of 81 billion pounds ($129 billion) of budget trimming. He also capped public-sector pay rises at 1 percent for two years.

Britain's independent Office for Budget Responsibility estimates job losses in the public sector will reach 710,000 by early 2017, a rise from a previous forecast of 400,000 by the first quarter of 2016.

An estimated 2 million public workers — including paramedics, teachers and even some employees from Cameron's office — joined the country's largest strike in decades last November to draw attention to government cuts.

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MARCH 2ND- MARCH 9TH, 2012

Page 45

INTERNATIONAL SPORTS

Tiger Woods considered becoming a Navy SEAL, ex-coach says When he was at the top of the golf world, Tiger Woods seriously thought about leaving the game for another job: Navy SEAL. That's what his former coach Hank Haney claims in his new tell-all book about the golfer.

Haney said that Woods was obsessed with the military and gave serious thought to becoming a Navy SEAL even when he was at the top of his game. Woods' father, Earl, was a green beret in the Army who did two tours during the Vietnam War. "I didn't know how he'd go about it, but when he talked about it, it was clear he had a plan," Haney writes in the excerpt. "I thought, `Wow, here is Tiger Woods, greatest athlete on the planet, maybe the greatest athlete ever, right in the middle of his prime, basically ready to leave it all behind for a military life."'

Haney's book about his six years as Woods' coach is titled, "The Big Miss." It is to go on sale March 27, a week before the Masters.

Woods' agent lashed out Tuesday against Haney's book, saying his "armchair psychology" about Woods was "ridiculous" and that it was clear the former swing coach only cares about self-promotion.

Golf Digest began releasing small

Tiger Woods

excerpts Tuesday on its tablet applications and on its website.

Haney's book was written with help from Jaime Diaz, a senior writer at the magazine who has covered Woods more extensively than anyone over the years.

In one of the excerpts, Haney, a McKinney, Texas, golf guru, said his job became more difficult in 2007, when Woods had 12 majors and was getting closer to the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus.

"There was more urgency and less fun. ... He never mentioned Nicklaus' record, but it started to weigh more heavily at every major," the excerpt said. "And Tiger's actions indicated he believed he had less time to do it than everyone thought."

Haney said the objective of revamping his swing was to preserve his left knee.

Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at Excel Sports Management, said in a statement that excerpts show Haney's claim of the book being about golf is "clearly false."

"His armchair psychology about Tiger, on matters he admits they didn't even discuss, is ridiculous," Steinberg said. "Because of his father, it's no secret that Tiger has always had high respect for the military, so for Haney to twist that admiration into something negative is disrespectful."

Haney also mentions the time Woods spent four days of special operations training in 2004 at Fort Bragg, N.C. "Tiger did two tandem parachute jumps, engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises, went on four-mile runs wearing combat boots, and did drills in a wind tunnel," Haney wrote.

"Tiger loved it, but his physical therapist, Keith Kleven, went a little

crazy worrying about the further damage Tiger might be doing to his left knee."

Haney said he was in the kitchen when Woods returned from a long run wearing Army boots. He said Woods told him he's worn the boots before on the same route and told Haney, "I beat my best time."

If true, Woods would not be the only star player to consider a job change in his prime. In an autobiography released last year, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal revealed that after injuring his foot in 2005, he almost quit tennis to pursue a career in golf.

Rafael Nadal considered golf career after injury Woods is playing the next two weeks in south Florida, at the Honda Classic and Cadillac Championship at Doral, as he prepares for the Masters.

Woods has not won at Augusta National since 2005.

"The disruptive timing of this book shows that Haney's selfpromotion is more important to him than any other person or tournament," Steinberg said. "What's been written violates the trust between a coach and player and someone also once considered a friend."

Obama on Lin-sanity: 'I've Been on the Jeremy Lin Bandwagon for a while' President Obama says he was ahead of the curve when it comes to New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin. "I've been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for a while," the president told ESPN's Bill Simmons Wednesday. "I knew about Jeremy before you did, before everybody else did."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who often plays basketball with the president, first drew his attention to the breakout star.

"Arne and I were playing and he said 'I'm telling you, we've got this terrific guard named Jeremy Lin at Harvard,'" Obama said.

Duncan, who played professional basketball in Australia before turning to politics, is a former captain of the Harvard team, Lin's alma mater.

Asked jokingly by Simmons if he was taking credit for Lin-sanity, the president said "I can't take credit for it. But I'm just saying, I was there early."

In a wide-ranging interview, the sports-fan-inchief revealed how he stays up-to-date with professional sports despite his demanding day job.

When he and his wife Michelle Obama work out together in the morning they always watch ESPN's "SportsCenter," Obama explained.

"The only thing that she allows me to control ‌ is SportsCenter," the president quipped.

Obama, a self-professed "night guy," also admitted he sometimes sneaks in a ball game while he's up late at night reading his briefings.

The president is not only a fan, but also a coach.

He goes to almost all of his daughter Sasha's Saturday basketball games and last year added coaching to his full plate of responsibilities.

Obama said that he and Reggie Love, his former personal aide who played basketball at Duke, used to

Jeremy Lin

attend the games and started passing notes and pointers to the coach.

"Finally she said, 'alright, well why don't you guys do it,'" Obama said.

The president started running practices with the girls and when the coach was gone, he would fill in.

However, Obama explained that he found coaching to be "stressful."

"You just want them to win so badly," he said.

As for his own game, Obama said people don't let him win just because he's the president because if they did, they would never hear the end of it.

"I will talk about folks just to make sure they don't take it easy on me," he said.

Going forward, the president said he hopes "every year" to welcome his hometown Chicago Bulls to the White House as NBA champions.

"It hasn't happened yet, but it will happen," he told Simmons.

"I've got another five years here," a confident Obama said, despite the upcoming presidential election. "Somewhere along the line, my Bulls are going to come through here."

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