OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
Website: www.suntci.com
VOLUME 11 - NO. 38
Email: sun@suntci.com
Tel: (649) 339-5879
$1.00
Fax: (649) 941-3281
www.facebook.com/tcisun
NEW DISEASE IN TCI By Vivian Tyson
Senior Sun Editor
T
he Ministry of Health is reporting an outbreak of Hand Foot and Mouth disease in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and affecting some schools and childrden. The SUN understands that up to 20 cases have already been reported to the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services. It is not clear how many schools are affected but a source reported that it could be up to six, and at least one of them is a government school. The TCI Hospitals, when contacted, confirmed that they have been dealing with Hand Foot and Mouth disease patients, but declined to divulge the numbers, telling us instead to obtain such record from the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health said “a few suspected cases have recently been reported from health care facilities in Providenciales”. The Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services (MOHAS) issued a press statement on the disease, informing the public that it is in the process of collecting specimens to dispatch to the Caribbean Public Health Agency to confirm that the ailments is in fact HFMD: “The MOHAHS is in the process of collecting specimens to be sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency for confirmatory testing. The ministry further noted that it has embarked on enhanced surveillance and education campaign to ensure that suspected cases are identified as quickly as possible and schools and daycare facilities are educated on proper implementation of prevention and hygiene measures. “HFMD is a contagious viral illness that primarily affects infants and children younger than 5 years old. It is transmitted by direct contact with nasal secretions, (droplets produced by coughing or sneezing), saliva, fluid from blisters and stool
Tumble Totz celebrates Week of the Young Child 2015
Tumble Totz Daycare and Learning Center Celebrated the ‘Week of the Young Child 2015’ from the 5th –the 9th of October. The teachers celebrated their students’ favorite books by promoting the use of literacy centers and planning creative activities to teach lessons based on the story. The students were inspired by parents and family members to take time and read on a daily bases. Tumble Tots, which is owned by former Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, Mrs. Lillian Boyce, invited parents and well wishers to come in and read to the classes. They also would like to encourage persons to donate books to the school to enhance the students reading abilities. In the photo, the school’s director, teachers and invited readers share in the special moment. of infected individuals. HFMD is most prevalent in child care settings due to frequent contact with soiled diapers and children putting their hands in their mouths. HFMD occasionally occurs in adolescents and adults. “Symptoms include some or all of the following: painful sores in the mouth, rashes on the hands and feet, which may be associated with blisters, fever, headache, feeling generally unwell or irritable, runny nose, and/or sore throat. It is mostly a mild and selflimiting illness lasting for a few days. “It is mostly a mild and self-limiting illness lasting for a few days. However, there are more severe, albeit uncommon, forms of the disease which are associated with neurological complications as a result of meningitis (associated with fever, headache, and neck stiffness) and encephalitis (resulting in paralysis). Continued on Page 2
Shipped to Providenciales
FIND YOUR DREAM CAR
AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE
OVER 10,000 CARS IN STOCK
www.beforward.jp Tel : +81 42 440 3440 | Email : top@beforward.jp
Page 2
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
NEW DISEASE IN TCI Continued from page - 1
“However, people can sometimes be contagious for days or weeks after the symptoms have ended. There is no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Symptom control, such as the use of paracetamol (Panadol or Tylenol) for fever and pain relief, is often all that is necessary. “ In some cases HFMD can cause a sore mouth and throat, which makes it difficult to swallow. It is therefore important to maintain adequate fluid intake to avoid dehydration that could result in hospitalization. Symptoms usually resolve within ten days. “Persons with suspected HFMD should abstain from school and report to a healthcare provider to obtain guidance, including when to return to work, school or daycare. The MOHAHS will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as appropriate,” the Ministry of Health said. Medical practitioners advises that if your child’s fever remains elevated despite appropriate feverreducing drugs, or if he or she develops any signs or symptoms of dehydration (dry skin and mucous membranes, weight loss, persistent irritability, lethargy, or decreased urine output), you should seek immediate medical
attention. When concerned or in doubt, contact your child’s health care provider.
disinfecting with five per cent bleach (which is commonly sold commercially) diluted one part bleach to 10 parts water. THE METHOD OF The Ministry of Health, CONTROL IS TO: Agriculture and Human Services (MOHAS) of the Turks and Caicos *Limit person-to-person contact Islands (TCI) wishes to inform the such as hugging, kissing or sharing public that there have been media utensils. reports of an ongoing outbreak of *Promote good hygiene practices Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease such as hand washing with soap (HFMD) in Singapore and Japan and and water; covering nose and mouth recent reports of cases in neighboring when sneezing. Caribbean countries. *Appropriate infection control The Turks and Caicos practices are recommended to Islands is the latest country that prevent the spread of hand, foot has experiencing an outbreak of the and mouth disease. This includes disease, as Jamaica’s school are said to immediately separating suspected have been grappling with the ailment, cases of HFMD from the general forcing that country’s ministry of school population and send home; health to close down a number of and frequent disinfection of schools school and under extensive sanitizing in order to prevent the spread of exercise. this disease. Parents with children attending schools in the TCI have It is recommended that reported getting information from schools should clean all areas and schools regarding the disease and items that are more likely to have how to diminish the chances of their frequent hand contact (for example, children contracting it. taps, toys, keyboards, door handles, Hand foot and mouth disease or desks) at least twice a day and also is a common childhood illness caused clean these areas immediately when by different Enteroviruses such as visibly handled by ill persons. It is the Coxsackie virus. It is said that also recommend that first washing the illness most often occurs between items with soap and water and then March and June and between
September and December, but can occur at any time. It is most frequently seen in young children, infants and toddlers. Hand foot and mouth disease is characterised by fever and a blisterlike rash affecting the palms of the hands and soles of the feet along with blisters inside the mouth. Research shows that children usually become infected with the virus from other children through hugging, kissing or contact with stool. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens. It is not the same as other diseases that have similar names: footand-mouth disease (sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease) or mad cow disease. These diseases almost always occur in animals. The virus spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. It can also spread through infected stool, such as when you change a diaper or when a young child gets stool on his or her hands and then touches objects that other children put in their mouths. Often the disease breaks out within a community. It usually takes 3 to 6 days for a person to get symptoms of handfoot-and-mouth disease after being exposed to the virus. This is called the incubation period.
FREE RING with the purchase of any two PANDORA rings. October 1st through October 25th. Free ring must be of equal or lesser value. Void where prohibited. Not valid with prior purchase. While supplies last....
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 3
Page 4
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 5
LOCAL NEWS
Report from October 7th Cabinet meeting
His Excellency the Governor, Peter Beckingham, chaired the 25th meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 7 October 2015, at the Hon. Hilly Ewing Building on Providenciales. All Ministers were present except the Hon. Premier. AT THIS MEETING CABINET: •Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the Protection of Historic Wrecks Regulations 2015, subject to agreed amendments being made, for forwarding to the House of Assembly;
will be covered under a new Order; • Received a presentation by the Public Works Department (PWD) on damage caused by the effects of Hurricane Joaquin to the seawall and road on Front Street on Grand Turk and approved the release of contingency funds to carry out emergency works to repair and stabilise the damaged Front Street area of Grand Turk as well as to enable clean up works in other areas of TCI which were most badly affected as a result of the effects of the storm. Cabinet also noted that further damage assessments across TCI will be carried out by PWD;
•Approved a draft TCI Country • Approved the recommendations of the Strategy Paper produced by the Department of Planning to establish Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) designated zones on Providenciales for following its Policy Reform Mission the construction of new developments to TCI in August 2015 which will be up to 12 storeys on specified tourismconsidered at the next meeting of the related coastal parcels on Grace Bay, CDB Board of Directors; the Bight and Turtle Cove starting from Emerald Point to Third Turtle, • Advised His Excellency the Governor and instructed the Department to approve an amendment to Section of Planning to amend the TCI 26 (1) (A) of the Hotel and Tourism Development Manual accordingly. (Taxation) Ordinance to expand Ministers further instructed the the criteria for the designation of Department of Planning to prepare restaurants for tax purposes which zoning proposals for North West
RBC ROYAL BANK (BAHAMAS) LIMITED is presently considering applications for:
Country & Branch Manager – Turks & Caicos Branch The successful candidate should possess the following qualifications: •10 or more years banking experience •Minimum – Bachelor’s Degree in Banking or a related field •Previous experience as a Lending Officer is mandatory
Key Skills: •Strong Leadership & Coaching •In-depth Credit knowledge of Personal and Business lending •Problem Account Management •Bank Operations, Policies & Procedures •Strong communication skills (oral and written) •Negotiating/Selling Skills •Relationship building & People Skills •Good judgement •Effectively Manage Risk •Microsoft Office Proficiency
Key Responsibilities: •Provides overall leadership and management of the branch, team sales objectives, and related activities •Achieves a high standard of customer care, optimal business retention, profitable growth and productivity •Ensures high credit quality and full compliance to the bank’s lending guidelines •Develops RBC and community relationships to capitalize on business opportunities •Provides ongoing coaching and development of staff, ensuring a high level of employee commitment and capability through focused management routines •Grows both the business and personal client relationship •Balances the rewards of meeting business objectives with the risk of loss to the customer, employee and shareholder •Ensures effective corporate governance oversight by adherence to all the bank’s policies and producers A competitive compensation package (base salary & bonus) will commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications. Interested persons should apply by October 2nd, 2015 and follow the steps below: •Go to jobs.rbc.com •Type Turks in the search by location box •Then select Search Jobs •Select the role you wish to apply for
Point East on Providenciales to be considered at the next meeting of Cabinet; •Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the draft Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development
Bill (2015) for forwarding to the House of Assembly; Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
Waterloo Hotel Management Ltd. is inviting suitable applications for the following position:
CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT We are seeking to employ a highly experienced, Corporate Director of Strategy Development. Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following: •Design, implement and facilitate strategic and tactical marketing and PR plan for WHML and the companies it represents •Develop and adhere to long-range and short-term budget plans for multiple entities •Develop and guide branding and corporate identities for WHML to develop brand portfolio •Negotiate media agreements and sponsorship agreements with local and international organizations •Develop and execute companywide social responsibility programs •Create sales partnerships with a network of international resort and marina sales organizations and development of marketing materials and channels to support the partnerships •Develop press messages and writing of press releases supporting the overall PR plan •Direct photo shoots and videography for all entities •Managing and directing the social media programs for all WHML entities including Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and more •Management of online media for all WHML entities •Consult executive committee about marketing and PR related topics for the company •Conduct market assessments and feasibility studies to further develop and expand the brand, to include development of new real estate projects and diversify/expand existing real estate projects •Conduct primary market research to ensure current and potential projects meet market demand. •Assist with designing and delivering training programs to educate WIHL stakeholders on proper delivery of the brand promise. •Ability to work long and irregular hours, including weekends and holidays.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
•At least 15 years of international experience in marketing luxury products and brands. Caribbean and North American experience is a critical requirement. •At least 15 years of in-depth experience in marketing resorts globally. The incumbent must have proven experience in the role in both economic boom and bust periods. •At least 10 years of proven and diversified experience in the vacation ownership industry, to include timeshare, shared ownership and mixed use resort development assessments and marketing. •Masters degree in business or marketing with a hospitality and tourism concentration •Certificate or degree in adult education •Certificate or diploma in hotel revenue management •Certificate or diploma in customer service delivery standards •Studies in journalism and/or public relations are considered an asset •Experience using market research tools, including SPSS and survey data collection tools such as Survey Monkey •Profound understanding of event management and cost controlling •In-depth understanding of the continuously evolving Social Media environments. Ability to manage teams and perform hands-on social media work as needed. •Excellent skills in office IT programs like PPT, Word, Excel •Excellent copy writing skills – internet, print, social media, reports and general communiqués •Ability to meet deadlines, often short term •Ability to navigate local and international working environments •Proven and extensive experience conducting primary and secondary research exercises with stakeholders •Detail oriented and very organized •Ability to work well independently •Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written •Ability to make effective and persuasive presentations to senior management, public groups, and boards of directors
Salary for this position will commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please Submit Applications to: cgibbons@wihl.com A copy should also be submitted to the TCI Labour Department. Submissions to be no later than October 10th, 2015 Turks and Caicos Islanders need only apply.
Page 6
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
DDME not to be blamed for Joaquin
rainfall we had for Joaquin. “We don’t have rain gauges Senior Sun Editor set up through the Turks and Caicos Strict public information Islands to collect that information that protocol was followed during the will allow us to say to the public that passage of Hurricane Joaquin last from this storm, we had x amount of week, according to Director for rainfall. We are dependent on the Department of Disaster Management Bahamas to provide us with that and Emergencies (DDME) Dr. Virginia information,” she said. Clerveaux. Clerveaux pointed out that Clerveaux was responding since Tropical Storm Erica, her to allegations in some quarters that department got the Airports Authority neither she nor her department to provide it with some level of provided the public with sufficient weather information. She said though preparatory information during the that equipment can only provide passage of the storm, which dumped information for Grand Turk and buckets of rains and caused wind Providenciales. damage to sections of the country. “The other thing that the Clerveaux told The SUN airport indicated is that the storm that from the time the storm was would have to be in close proximity to formed, the DDME began to submit the Turks and Caicos Islands before alerts and disseminate information their system can pick up, and then to the public as soon as it received they would be able to give us a wind information from the meteorological speed or some temperature or expected office in the Bahamas. The Bahamas rainfall. gets its information from the National “Moreover, within the DDME, Hurricane Centre. we don’t have the skills set, we don’t She said that the DDME could have the resources, we don’t have the not place the country under a tropical equipment to be able to provide the storm watch or warning before the public with the type of information Bahamas make such call. that they are requesting,” she said. Director of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) Dr. Virginia Clerveaux. She said that the Bahamas She said that under the law, conveyed to the DDME that the storm National Hurricane Centre, and they “We don’t have meteorological the DDME is not allowed to obtain would have travelled northeast of indicated that we did not meet the office equipment here in the Turks and information from any other source the Turks and Caicos Islands, which criteria of wind speed in order to be Caicos Islands that will allow us to give except the Bahamas. she said was the prediction until under a warning. specific information for each island The general public can go on Wednesday afternoon. “For you to be placed under a in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The NBC, they can go on CBS and ABC, “Up until Wednesday night, it tropical storm warning, you have to information we get from the Bahamas they can go on Storm Pulse and they was still projected to go northeast. It have winds of 39 miles per hour to 70 says ‘Southeast Bahamas’. So we can pull down this information. We wasn’t until Thursday morning that miles per hour; scientifically we did not assume we are part of the southeastern can do that too, but legally we can’t the Turks and Caicos Islands was meet that criteria. And it wasn’t for a chain, or if it is threatening directly to dissemination it. So, it is not that we placed under a tropical storm warning. lack of warning, we were in touch with the Turks and Caicos Islands ‘…and are unaware of what is happening; And at that point, we still informed the the respective agencies. But what was the Turks and Caicos Islands, ”she said. legally, we have to wait until we get it public that we were under a tropical happening on the ground, what the She said that it was disingenuous for from the official source to disseminate storm warning. public thought they were experiencing some persons to suggest that DDME the information. “However, prior to that, did not meet that storm criteria,” personnel should have gone outside “If we were to change that, we persons were feeling some wind and Clerveaux continued. during the weather and conducted a would need a policy directive from the they were experiencing rainfall. I She pointed out that despite forecast. government. If we are going to say that understand that the public felt that the Bahamas refusing to put the TCI “I think that is misleading the we are going to be issuing information we should have issued some warning under a tropical storm warning, her public to think so, because weather from the Hurricane Centre, the or alerts, but we could not have done office continued to provide blow-by- forecasting is very scientific. You don’t government would still need to liaise so. The Bahamas did not put us under blow alerts to the public. just wake up and say it feels windy, directly to give us permission to release a warning and the National Hurricane She said that the public was therefore we must be under some it directly from them. But now we fall Centre did not put us under a warning,” also concerned that the information tropical storm warning. We can’t tell under the Bahamas. Clerveaux said. obtained from the Bahamas was not you at this moment that how much She said once the information “At that point, I was in touch specific enough in the local context. rainfall that we had for Cristobal. We came through, the DDME triggered its with the Bahamas, and the Bahamas She said that has to do with the TCI don’t know how much rainfall we had communication systems. said they were in touch with the not having a met office or equipment. for Erica. We don’t know how much By Vivian Tyson
PO Box 329, Graceway, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies Tel 649 441 5638 Email: director@provoprimary.com Website www.provoprimary.com JANITOR/PAINTER/GARDENER Painter/Janitor/Gardener required to work in our school between 7.00 am and 5.00 pm. You will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the school facilities, both inside and outside. Duties will include painting, general maintenance and simple repairs, painting and gardening.
PO Box 329, Graceway, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, British West Indies Tel 649 441 5638 Email: director@provoprimary.com Website www.provoprimary.com CARETAKER/JANITOR Caretaker/Janitor required to work in our school between 7.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. You will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the school facilities to a high standard. Duties would include cleaning, general maintenance, repairs and gardening. PART-TIME CLEANER We require a Cleaner to work in our school. Hours of work would be: Monday to Friday 3 pm – 6 pm; Saturday 8 am – 5 pm.
Applicants must be physically fit, hardworking, dependable and trustworthy and be able to provide excellent references (including a police check). A good working knowledge of English is essential.
Applicants must be physically fit, hardworking, dependable and trustworthy and be able to provide excellent references (including a police check). Good working knowledge of English is essential.
The closing date for applications is September 30th, 2015.
The closing date for application is June 23rd, 2015
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 7
LOCAL NEWS
Commissioner Smith has not resigned
politicians and the public in general. However, when The SUN contacted the Governor’s Office The Governor’s Office has earlier this week, Janice Moore, rubbished swirling rumours that Policy Manager in that office, in a Commissioner of Police James Smith terse response via email, said that has packed up and left the job. Commissioner Smith was on what she Commissioner Smith, who dubbed a planned leave and would began his tour of duty on Wednesday, return on October 12. February 11, 2015, assumed the “The Commissioner of Police position from Colin Farquar. On his has not resigned. He is currently out of inauguration during a ceremony in the country on planned leave and will Grand Turk, Smith pledged to tackle return on Monday 12 October,” more the rising crime rate in the TCI. He told indicated. a news conference about three weeks Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing after his installment that he would recently called on the commissioner to hold department heads responsible, move posthaste to arrest the escalating rather than immersing himself in crime rate in the TCI and to rid the everyday policing. streets of legal weapons. Commissioner Smith was “I am asking the commissioner often seen conducting traffic duties of police to put a taskforce together along the streets of Providenciales, to eradicate all illegal guns from our but in recent weeks, he appeared to streets and to save our young people, have disappeared off the radar. His and to save our citizens. This is an apparent vanishing coincided with the issue that we cannot take lightly. Too upsurge in criminal activities. many lives have been lost senselessly,” Members of the public has the premier said, pointing out that also acknowledged that Commissioner much more resources are not needed to Smith has been absent from two key get the job done. news conferences – the Conrad Howell “From my standpoint, we don’t mysterious death on Providenciales need much more resources than what and the Kevino Smith murder in Grand we have now; nothing more than just Turk. the will and to organize the police His disappearance as head force, to go after the illegal guns. I of security in the Turks and Caicos am appealing to the Commissioner of Islands, and the public not notified Police, get your act together and get rid that he would not be around, prompted of the illegal guns off the streets,” he many to say that he walked away said during the August 6, 2015 news from the job because he came under conference. tremendous pressure from both the The premier noted that By Vivian Tyson
Senior Sun Editor
Tourist falls to his death at Seven Starts Resort Hours of arriving in the Turks and Caicos Islands for what should have been a dream vacation, a male tourist fell seven storeys to his death at the Seven Stars Resort on Saturday night October 3. The dead man is identified as Paul Lenior aged 52 from New Jersey, USA. Reports are that Lenior arrived in the island with his wife April, and checked into the Grace Bay, Providenciales property earlier in the day, and late in the night he reported to have fell from the building. The police, who are conducting their investigation into the incident, are not committed to say if the incident was a suicide, whether he accidentally fell or was pushed. Media Communications point man for the Royal Turks and
Caicos Islands Police Force, Audley Astwood, said that Lenior was pronounced dead at the scene by medical responders. He said that the police will be banking on a post mortem examination to determine the cause of death. “According to reports, shortly before 10:30pm, police received a report of a man found dead at a resort located at Grace Bay. When police arrived at the scene, they met the lifeless body of a man on the pavement. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death,” Astwood said. In the meantime, Astwood said that the police are gathering information so as to get to the bottom of the mysterious death.
ASSISTANT MANAGER An Assistant Manager is required for a firm based in Providenciales. Duties include but are not limited to assisting with sales; dealing with customers and preparing orders as well as receiving and off loading inventory from containers; responding to customer complaints and comments; creating and fostering new relationships with new and perspective clients; general supervision of employees. Successful applicant must be punctual and willing to complete all tasks at hand with a positive and respectful attitude.
Salary commensurate with experience. Application must be submitted to: Employment Department F Corporate & Management Services Limited Tel 649-339-6275 Fax 649-333-7777 Email oa@fcorporatemsl.com
Commissioner of Police James Smith resources to the police force to make their job much easier, is being worked on. “They need to have body protection, and we appreciate that, and that is why we put in the supplementary budget in place, which will be debated next week – the next sitting of the House on August 17th to make funding available, so they can purchase those armors and better communication (tools),” he said. He also urge the police to cultivate better intelligence culture so they would be better able to collect
information and execute their duty with much more precision, thereby yielding a much more enhanced crimedetection rate. “But outside of that I think we really need better intelligence on the ground and for us to be able to act on those bits of information expeditiously, and for us to get serious about breaking up the so called gangs and gang mentality. And if you need to get search warrants and go and search people’s homes because you suspect they may have illegal guns, then do so,” he urged.
Page 8
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Walter Gardiner is new CEO of NIB
April 6, 2015 marked the NIB’s 23rd anniversary. Back then, Gardiner said the National Insurance Board has paid in excess of 77 million dollars in benefit payments in the TCI since its inception in April 1992. He stated: “The NIS legislation today is undoubtedly the best piece of social protection legislation ever implemented in the TCI. Introduced under an extremely dark cloud of suspicion, mistrust and opposition from employers, employees and selfemployed alike, convincing the general public to “buy - in”and comply was quite a challenge at that time as this was the very first time that monies were mandatorily deducted from salaries. The vast majority of persons viewed us then as just another form of taxation for the government guised as social security. Several business owners even threatened to reduce staff or close shop and many predicted that we would fail because we were managed by young, inexperienced perons.But today, I Walter Gardiner believe that we have proven our worth Minister on Finance with Mr. Gardiner brings with him to the people of the TCI and have earned responsibility for National Insurance, a wealth of knowledge and experience their confidence, trust and admiration Honorable C. Washington Misick, has having been intimately instrumental for the social and economic protection appointed Mr. Walter Gardiner as in the successful implementation that we have provided and will continue Director/ CEO of the Turks and Caicos of the scheme from its inception in to provide in countless years to come. Islands National Insurance Board. 1991 and over the years has been the Today, thousands of people depend on Mr. Gardiner holds a Masters officer responsible for the management us, but more importantly, thousands of of Business Administration Degree of various departments including people can depend on us.” from Leicester University, United Benefits, Prosecutions, Compliance, Mr. Gardiner further reported Kingdom and has over 33 years Public Relations, Human Resources, that the NIB currently has over $200 experience in managerial positions; Staff Training and Data Entry. million in reserves; collects $25 million 24 years as Deputy Director of the Mr. Gardiner succeeds former annually in contributions; and pays out National Insurance Board, and is the Director Mr. Colin Heartwell, who $12 million annually in benefits. longest serving officer. resigned in April of this year.
WATERLOO HOTEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED seeks to fill the following position: DIRECTOR OF GUEST EXPERIENCE AND OPERATIONS
Turks and Caicos Sun Suite#5, Airport Plaza Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands Tel: (649) 946-8542 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 Office Manager: Dominique Rigby Graphic designer Information Technology and Production Manager: Kelano Howell 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.
TURKS AND CAICOS WATER COMPANY LTD
In this key role, you are responsible the smooth operation of the properties including but not limited to: ➢ Front of House of the Resorts, Housekeeping, Laundry, Pool & Beach, Loss Prevention and Maintenance operations ➢ Handle guest concerns relating to experience, service and payments ➢ Attends meetings to determine information and/or activities that have impact on Guest and Hotel operations ➢ Prepares agendas and manages meetings as directed by the General Managers ➢ Develops and implements new departmental policies and procedures to ensure smooth operation; maintains current departments’ policies and procedures ➢ Reviews the payroll and work schedule for each of the departments ➢ Reviews and ensures that all Operations Manuals and logs for each of the departments are maintained ➢ Oversees hiring, training, and supervision of all Housekeeping, Laundry, Front of House and ➢ Troubleshoots problem situations to assure procedures and processes are examined to prevent reoccurrence ➢ Oversees counseling, performance reviews and terminations ➢ Adheres to WHML Standards for Guest Service ➢ Reports and documents any observed or known safety hazards, conditions or unsafe practices and procedures to management immediately ➢ Performs other job-related duties as directed Requirements: ➢ Must possess prior hotel management experience of no less than 10 to 15 years Front Office/Guest Services department head experience ➢ Must possess 5 to 7 years’ experience as a Director of Operations ➢ Must possess excellent organizational, written and verbal communication skills ➢ Bilingual preferably English, French and Spanish ➢ Must possess accounting aptitude with the ability to manage payroll and budgetary records. ➢ Must possess a professional, outgoing, guest-service oriented manner ➢ Must possess the ability to interact with a variety of people, and remain calm and professional in stressful situations ➢ Must be able to work a flexible schedule to include overnights, weekends and holidays ➢ Must be friendly, courteous, service-oriented, and flexible and enjoy working with a variety of staff and guests ➢ Must have knowledge of the Engineering and Maintenance department in order to make proper decisions regarding Waste Water Treatment Plants, A/C, Electrical, among others ➢ Must possess working knowledge of computers and software ➢ Must be well versed in all areas of PMS and POS hotel systems, including but not limited to: Microsoft Office, Opera, HotSoS, Micros, Delphi ➢ Must be detail-oriented and work effectively under pressure while meeting all applicable deadlines ➢ Must be able to work independently and productively with minimum supervision; Salary for this position will commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please Submit Applications to: cgibbons@wihl.com A copy should also be submitted to the TCI Labour Department. Submissions to be no later than October 23rd, 2014 Belongers need only apply.
TURKS AND CAICOS WATER COMPANY LIMITED is seeking suitably qualified individuals to fill the following opening. Only candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be considered. MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Job Description •Responsible for maintaining the general condition of the company’s properties with regards to all aspects of basic electrical, plumbing and mechanical. •Complete daily tasks as outlined by Supervisor. •Complete maintenance request work orders on a timely basis. •Performs all weekly, monthly and other scheduled preventative maintenance programs. •Actively pursue new tasks or jobs when assigned work is completed. •Maintain CCTV Security System. •Maintain and service pumps and control systems. •Maintain irrigation filtration system. •Schedule material purchase order request. Requirements •Should have eight years experience as a Maintenance Technician or experience working in a similar position. •Must have strong skills in troubleshooting and repair of electrical, plumbing and general maintenance. •Work with minimal supervision. •On standby for 24 hours call out emergencies. •Should have great oral and written communication skills. •Must be proficient in Microsoft Office and Excel. Applications giving full details of qualifications and experience should be sent to Veronica Rigby by October 12, 2015 via email to ronnie@habgroup. com or fax to 649-946-5191. Only persons selected for an interview will be contacted by email or telephone to schedule an interview.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 9
Page 10
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Butch Stewart supports a Ritz Carlton in Turks & Caicos Chairman of Sandals and Beaches Resorts Gordon "Butch" Stewart has thrown his weight behind the proposed Ritz Carlton Resort in Tucks & Caicos Islands. The mastermind of the world renowned Luxury Inclusive® Resort chain says the presence of the such a respectable brand in the global travel trade as the Ritz, will undoubtedly add to the already strong reputation of Turks & Caicos as a high-end destination. The Sandals Chairman said the economic standings of the Turks and Caicos also stands to receive a boost with the addition of such a sought after brand. “We don’t see our colleagues in the hotel industry as competitors, we see ourselves as complementing each other and we at Sandals and Beaches welcome the proposed Ritz Carlton development in Turks and Caicos,” the Sandals Chairman said. He pointed out that as has been evident in other islands throughout the Caribbean, when the Sandals or Beaches brand entered a destination, that island was able to immediately benefit from the strength of the brand as it relates to airlift and attention from the global travel community.
The same, he assured, can be realized with Stewart is the single largest investor in the presence of a Ritz Carlton in the Turks and the TCI with the Beaches Turks and Caicos brand, Caicos Islands. which runs 756 suites and rooms on the island. “Our organization works closely with other large brands like Mariot because it is generally felt that collaboration and partnership is beneficial to all involved. Our individual uniqueness and variation adds to the overall tourism product of a destination,” Stewart said. He added, “The views of former CHTA President Sir Royston Hopkins, owner of Grenada’s leading boutique hotel ‘Spice Island Resort’, welcomed Sandals in Grenada seeing us not as a competition but as a guaranteed booster for the Grenada tourism market.” Grenada’s tourism product grew by almost 20 percent in the first year since the opening of Sandals LaSource Grenada, with a major surge in airlift capacity. Stewart said, “As it relates to the argument of granting license of 12-stories, it is a matter for the people and government of the Tucks & Caicos Island to decide. We believe that counties are ran best when the people are the masters of their own fate and captains of their own destinies.” Gordon “Butch” Stewart
TURKS AND CAICOS INVITED TO ATTEND CARIBBEAN-CANADA EMERGING LEADERS DIALOGUE 2015 Delegates from across the Caribbean including Miss Shenrika Robinson, the Human Resources Manager at the National Health Insurance Board was invited to participate in the Caribbean-Canada Emerging Leaders Dialogue (CCELD) 2015. The CCELD is designed to bring together Leaders from across Canada and the Caribbean to participate in a unique leadership development experience. The CCELD takes place every four years and is a very intense two-week development and leadership program. The Objective of CCELD is to strengthen leadership capacity enabling more sustainable companies, institutions and communities in Canada and the Caribbean, share insight into governance, innovation, trade and economic development, health education and social inclusion. The CCELD commenced in Ottawa Canada then the delegation went onto visit Toronto, Grenada and will end in Jamaica where the participants in their various teams will make a special presentation to HRH Princess Ann and government officials from across Canada and the Caribbean. Each study group will share and discuss what they learned during their study tours. CCELD expressed that no matter how savvy a leader may be, he or she cannot transform an organization or a team without the intelligence, resourcefulness and commitment of others through a shared vision and purpose. Collaborative leadership energizes teams and unleashes creativity.
PROVO WATER COMPANY LTD. We are currently seeking a qualified Turks & Caicos Islander to fill the position of Pipe Fitter:
REQUIREMENTS: o Minimum of 5 years experience in waterworks and piping networks. o Must be available for emergency maintenance calls on evenings and weekends according to rotational schedule. WORK ENVIRONMENT: • Hot, dusty and wet conditions including open and confined spaces • Active roadways and associated traffic noise levels • Remote locations JOB DESCRIPTION: The Pipe fitter is responsible for installing, repairing and maintaining pipes, fixtures and other plumbing used for water distribution in residential, commercial and industrial connections. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE TO: 1.Fill pipes or plumbing fixtures with water or air and observe pressure gauges to detect and locate leaks. 2.Reads and follows installation plans and establish the sequence of pipe installations. 3.Measure, cut, thread and bend pipe to required angle, using hand and power tools or machine such as pipe cutters, pipe threading machines and pipe bending machine. 4.Use hand or powered tools to excavate trenches and ditches 5.Cut openings in structures to accommodate pipes and pipe fittings, using hand and power tools. 6.Repair and maintain plumbing, replacing defective washers, replacing or mending broken pipes. 7.Attend Emergency callout when necessary. 8.Carry out all other duties as directed by the Supervisor. Salary Range: US$ 12.00 - $15.00 per hour All applications must be submitted September 30th, 2015. Turks & Caicos Islanders need only apply. Office Manager PROVO WATER COMPANY LTD. P.O. Box 39, Grace Bay Road Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands Fax: (649) 941-8310 Email: K.Clarke@provowater.tc
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 11
LOCAL NEWS
Scotiabank releases dormant accounts
By Vivian Tyson
Senior Sun Editor
Scotiabank Turks and Caicos Islands has published a list of approximately 150 dormant accounts that, if the holders do not come in and update, will go to the government coffers under the law. As part of its revenuegeneration, the government, last year, passed the Dormant Account law, which will see funds from inactive accounts closed and the money becoming government intake. However, Minister of Finance Hon. Washington Missick, on introducing the Bill sometime last year, indicated that the financial institutions holding those dormant accounts will be mandated to publish those accounts as a way of outreach to the customers. In the
event they do not respond within a specified time, those accounts would be closed and the funds turned over to government. During his budget presentation last year, Minister Misick said that the Dr. Rufus Ewing administration was looking to raise $100,000 from inactive account receipts. The notice from the bank noted: “The public is also hereby given notice of the following– 1. Unless one or more of the following transactions are effected on a dormant account listed above on or before the (Specify date), the monies in the dormant account will be transferred to the general revenue of the Islands without further notice“(a) Increase or decrease the amount held or owed in the Financial Institution;
“(b) Present the passbook or other record for the crediting of interest or dividends in respect to any general deposit, demand deposit, savings deposit or deposit for a fixed period, made in the Islands “Interest paid, or account fees applied, by a Financial Institution on monies held or owed in the Financial Institution shall not be regarded as a transaction which increase or decreases the amount held in the Financial Institution pursuant to section 4(4) of the Dormant Accounts Ordinance.” The bank noted that dormant account holders will be able to rescue their savings by contacting the institution in writing. “Correspond in writing with the financial institution concerning the monies; or otherwise indicate an interest in the monies as evidenced in
writing by the financial institution,” the bank noted. Scotiabank also advised that once the money is transferred to government, the account holder, under the law, cannot hold the bank responsible, but would have to take up their grouses with government. “Subject to the Dormant Accounts Ordinance, on the transfer of the monies in the dormant account to the general revenue of the Islands, the dormant account holder will no longer have any right against the financial institution to the repayment of the monies transferred, but the dormant account holder will have against the government such right to repayment of the monies transferred that the dormant account holder would have had against the financial institution,” the notice said.
Revised Calendar of Events - National Heritage Month The Department of Culture through the Ministry of Tourism , Environment , Culture and Heritage would like to inform the general public that due to the inclement weather last week, it has become necessary to revise the schedule oo celebrations for National Heritage Month The revised Calendar of events is as follows: •October 10th South Caicos – A taste of South Caicos- Music, dance, food, games.
•October 11th Salt Cay – Gospel Concert •October 12th 2015 ALL ISLANDS - Flag parade leading up to a community sporting event. •October 17th Middle Caicos – A Blast from The Past Bambara Beach celebration •October 18th Providenciales - Gospel Concert featuring the TCI Mass Choir Start Time -6:00pm •October 19th Providenciales
VACANCY: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
– Symposium – The effects of Globalization, cultural imperialism and cultural homogenization of the preservation of TCI Culture. 6:00pm -9:00pm •October 24th North Caicos – Farmer’s Market, Historical Site Tours and Festival of the Arts Cultural Explosion •October 25th North Caicos – Gospel Concert •October 28th Providenciales – Youth Panel discussion on the theme
“ Living our culture, preserving our heritage” Start time 10: am – 12:00p •October 29th Grand Turk -Culinary and Fine Arts exhibition and competition and Performing arts concert, Victoria Public Library 1:00pm – 9:00pm •October 31st 2015 Providenciales Cultural Extravaganza – Cultural performances, band entertainment and authentic island cuisine.
basis and to achieve the financial objectives of the company as per the approved company budget •To ensure a complete Business Continuity Plan is in place for the market and that the business is prepared and protected in the event of disaster. •To drive a culture of Organizational Health and Safety within the company. •Works collaboratively with members of Digicel Group regional management team to harness synergies and efficiencies •To ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory responsibilities. •To ensure Corporate Social Responsibility within the community.
This position reports to the Regional CEO and is responsible for leadership and general management of Digicel Turks and Caicos Islands, to ensure DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: that the revenue and targets are achieved. The successful candidate must have a first class record of achievement in leading within a competitive market. The individual must have a proven ability to manage change and create organizational effectiveness. Critical to this role is the ability to build relationships with stakeholders and the community at large in order to uphold the Digicel Brand. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: •To maintain and increase market profitability and return on capital, through defining and executing a clear strategy that will build on the existing revenue base, adding new sources of business, driving best-inclass service innovation, optimizing asset utilization and maintaining the reputation for high levels of customer service and tight cost control. •Full P&L responsibility for the market, ensuring all key performance indicators are achieved. •To foster the culture of dynamism, innovation and imagination – all adapted to local market conditions and opportunities •To provide strong and inspirational leadership to an experienced and motivated senior management team and employees at all levels •To focus on management and employee development, attracting new management talent as required to complement the existing resources and identifying, retaining and developing a highly talented and motivated workforce in a multi-cultural environment. •To be the guardian of the company’s brand equity and public image to consumers, government and other stakeholders •To respect the direct personal accountability conferred on the role and Board for market financial and market performance, on a monthly
•Proven expertise, preferably in a telecommunications environment •Experience in general management, ideally in a mobile telecoms and cable operation. •Commercial acumen, maturity and professionalism with the ability to bring immediate experience, credibility and value to bear with all stakeholders. •A personal track record of success in meeting aggressive sales and revenue targets •Strong interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, influencing, forceful, and convincing •Strong leadership qualities with the ability to build high performance teams. •Versatility, flexibility and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities •Effective communicator and negotiator. •Ability to work in deadline-driven, fast paced environment
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: •Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management •A Master’s degree in Business Administration would be an asset. •8-10 years equivalent experience in a Telecommunications environment.
Interested applicants should forward their resume to hrtci@digicelgroup.com no later than October 8th. 2015. Qualified TCI nationals are encouraged to apply.
Page 12
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Providence International Academy now open been working all summer and most of the areas that they want to work out are already in place. Providence International The school has an Information Academy began their first official Technology Program, a second school year on Friday September 4th, language program and an enrichment 2015. The School is directed by Oniel program in the afternoon and as the and Michelle Chung. school grows so will the programs. Chung describes the school Chung is the overseer of the as being very cozy and intimate entire operation but he also works which is exactly what he is aiming with the upper level while his wife for with the establishment. He works keenly with the lower school. says that Providence International Not only is Chung proud that the Academy’s staff consists of a group of school is here, but he says that he is highly experienced teachers with a going to nurture it and bring the best motive for Providence International out of it. Academy to be a school that provides Chung says, “We can speak a comprehensive package for all on our experience and our word learners. Chung said, not only are which we have always delivered on. the teachers highly trained but they This is not the first we have worked have delivered and the core based at schools. We understand the entire teachers are consisted of 5 teachers. operation. The mandate of the school As a parent you are getting is to keep smaller classes so that a school that provides safety, caring, the teachers can bring out the very top quality education services at a best within the learners. The teacher global standard because we use a to student ratio is set at 12 to 1 cross base UK curriculum too start and that limit will not be exceeded our core along with aspects of the because the school is all about the local curriculum because we find purpose and getting the learners it necessary for the children of the to perform at their best. Chung TCI to know about their country and says that Providence International also the region at large; but in same Academy is a private school and such breath, if they leave this country schools should not be over crowded. and go overseas they should also The school is starting very be able to function. The ratio of 12 small and they are going through the to 1, it speaks a lot it shows what process of development. They have we are about. It shows passion and By Brandy Laporte
our passion comes out and that is our chief priority. When you inquire and you see the kind of persons we have in place and the kind of facility, mandate, policy and curriculum it is perfect.” Chung says that having these small groups allows the school to take the students on extensive field trips; they can take the students out on extensive tour buses, or out on island tours as well. For Physical Education they plan on taking the students out to the Grace Way Sport Center and they also integrate local aesthetic programs such as swimming and a lot more other programs. The School has a proper Playground and the Students are indulged in other programs such as Visual Arts, design technology and other stuff to keep them stimulated. The students go out for lunch so that they can be able to be themselves, interact and socialize. Chung came up with a very practical hands-on approach to teaching so that they can balance together great academics with a great social life, and one of the things that they endeavor to do is to remind there students that they are the selling point mannerism has to be in place, social grace, the way they speak and the way they present themselves, because values and morals are key to them.
Chung adds, “Might I remind you we are not teaching grades we are differentiated. We are teaching individuals. We do GSAT and that is something that will be optional to parents. We are preparing our students with a holistic program and when they are finished we can guarantee that the can go to the GSAT and receive Excellent results and do the same with the ‘Entrance Examinations’ with the British West Indies Collegiate, or if they want to enroll in other schools such as Maranatha or Wesley Methodist they could go there and they will function properly because the idea of this school is to fully prepare the students for high school.” Chung says that he and his wife always had in mind to open up their own school, with the timing being very appropriate and with having extremely great support which regards to how they ventured out, so they just decided that they would just go for it because they were already handling major responsibilities at other schools and they have a very good idea of what is needed to carry out certain tasks. It is also their love for children and their passion for education that made this worthwhile. Chung also said the school caters to grade school and they also give scholarships.
VACANCY: Direct Sales Representative Primary objective of the job: Selling products and services to new customers and up-selling and crossselling to existing customers Main Duties and Responsibilities: •Make visits to households in assigned territory to promote and sell all Digicel TCI Services. •Identify and execute strategic sales activities geared at increasing subscriber base within our multifaceted market segments. •Full accountability for cash collection and follow up reporting. •Accurately record prospect information and maintain up to date sales pipeline. •Accurately record customer orders and application forms. •Achieve aggressive sales targets while facilitating the highest level of customer satisfaction. •Provide accurate and relevant responses to customers concerns, service requests and enquiries.
Students of New Providence celebrate International Literacy Day
Academic qualifications and experience required for job: •Minimum 5 CXC/GCE O ‘levels (including Mathematics and English Language) •Basic computer skills including use of Excel, Word and Outlook are mandatory •Demonstrated Knowledge of Internet and Cable TV Services •Previous sales experience, with demonstrated success is an asset •Previous experience in a customer service environment •Excellent interpersonal skills •Excellent time management skills and ability to multi-task •Excellent communication skills (verbal/ written) •Flexible, quick-thinking and energetic •Must be customer oriented •Ability to speak Creole and/or Spanish as a second language will be a distinct advantage Working Condition: •Communication with customers of diverse personalities and social backgrounds •Required to work on weekends and public holidays •Required to work long hours in order to meet the business objectives •Travel to all communities / areas of TCI (Island Of Providenciales) •Mostly outdoors •Heat/Dust
Teaching staff of New Providence International Academy
Interested applicants should forward their resume to hrtci@digicelgroup.com No later than October 8th. 2015.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 13
LOCAL NEWS
Turks and Caicos Islands unprepared for mass rescue
By Vivian Tyson
Senior Sun Editor
The Mass Rescue Operation symposium that the Turks and Caicos Islands took part last week in Miami has exposed multiple holes in its mass rescue operation mechanism, according the Director for the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) Dr. Virginia Clerveaux. Clerveaux, who came under fire by members of the public for not being on the ground during the passage of Hurricane Joaquin’s outer bands last week, said that the conference that coincided with the storm should be an eye-opener for all concerned. Clerveaux said that in the event of a cruise ship disaster in Grand Turk – the only island that has a port of call in the TCI – at this point the country does not have a suitable accommodation or evacuation system in place. “Not only did we present on our cruise ship plan but we were able to conduct a table top exercise. During that training, we learned of the gaps that existed in our cruise ship plan. Now, imagine
you are trying to evacuate a cruise ship with 5,000 people; already, 5,000 passengers overwhelm the population of Grand Turk. We don’t have sufficient bedrooms or hotel accommodations for them,” she said. She said that the situation is compounded by the air evacuation limitations of the JAGS McCartney International Airport on that island. “In Grand Turk, a 737 (jet) can land but there are other challenges in trying to evacuate 5,000 to 6,000 people. And you can’t do it in 24 hours. So you are looking at 48 hours, if not a 72 hours to evacuate those persons. “We were looking at transporting them from the cruise port to various accommodations sites, and Grand Turk was a total challenge. From that mass rescue operation, we were able to look at it from another angle,” she said. She said that one solution arrived at during the conference was to look at Providenciales as an alternative evacuation site. “What if we were to use Providenciales as an alternative site? Let’s say they have a problem with one of their engines – one of the engines failed, instead of directing
SENIOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Description Provide Professional Transmission & Distribution (T & D) Engineering services to the company primarily in the areas of system engineering studies and operations including: Design and management of overhead and underground line construction and T&D maintenance. System Protection System Expansion Planning Technical consultation and support to the production/generation group as required. SCADA system design and management Manage the T&D Material and Equipment Specifications, and maintain a Materials Master File for T&D materials and equipment. Provide engineering and operational support to Substation Operations and Maintenance to ensure optimal reliability and efficiency Main Duties Responsible for the engineering and coordination studies completed primarily using the appropriate engineering software. Set up and manage the T&D material specifications and coordinate and approve the T&D material purchased and stocked in stores. Responsible for providing technical support when required on the use and development of the FortisTCI SCADA system to ensure in house capacity to perform maintenance, trouble shooting and programming. Responsible for the T&D equipment specifications. Responsible for the timely update of the system single line and the lock out procedures used by T&D. Responsible for providing technical leadership to planning, construction crews and contractors with respect to line designs and system problem solving. Responsible for the design and layout of underground and overhead transmission and distribution lines to established standards to meet the present future needs of the electrical system. Responsible for completing cost benefit analysis for proposed Capital Budget transmission and distribution rebuilds and completing projects on time and on budget. Responsible for interacting with customers, consultants and regulatory bodies to provide high quality service to residential and commercial customers. Responsible for ensuring that line construction is completed to establish standards.
the cruise ship to go to Grand Turk from the passage of this storm. they could sail slowly to Provo. Provo “So to me, that is where has more hotel accommodations. the focus should be on; not just “Provo has more taxi operators the fact that for six months of the and more buses that we can use to year the whole team should stay in quickly ferry them from the dock the country and not benefit from to wherever. The airport in Provo technical capacity-building but to can hold four or five 737s, so if you look at the bigger picture,” she said. are evacuating 150 or 200 persons Clear pointed out that per flight, you can have a quick the conference she attended was turnaround in 24 hours. approved by government, while “And one of the things rubbishing suggestions that she that we realized, if we were using was on vacation. 737s, and we require eight of those “My leave was approved for me massive planes just to ferry them to attend this official meeting to from Grand Turk to Miami, if they represent the government of the are in Provo, using 777, we can get Turks and Caicos Islands. Despite them out in a few hours. So these the fact that it was a hurricane are some of the lessons that we season, we felt that mass rescue learned,” she noted. operations - given the fact that Clerveaux argued that the we depend on tourism, given the country stand to lose a lot more challenges that you are likely to from a cruise ship disaster if the experience in Grand Turk if we were right mechanisms are not in place to have a cruise ship accident - we than from a hurricane. needed someone to be trained in “So while the public is that area. That was focusing on hurricane season, or what the training was about. while government is saying that it She said that more is a hurricane season, the director than 50 persons from the should have been there, there is Overseas Territories and other a bigger picture. We stand to lose countries, including the US Navy more if we had a cruise ship accident and representatives from the and we don’t know what to do than Netherlands, were in attendance.
Responsible for maintaining system reliability and ensuring that customer expectations are met in the most cost-efficient manner possible. Responsible for assisting line crews and other technical staff in troubleshooting the electrical system for power restoration and improved reliability. Responsible for providing input in the preparation of distribution Standards, Safety Practices and Work methods. Providing technical and administrative supervision of the substation technicians in the execution of operation and maintenance activities. Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time including support to the Generation department on electrical engineering related issues. Monthly Duties Creation of pre-defined and as needed reports on the T&D material and equipment specifications along with an analysis of how well the T&D materials meet these specifications. Update the materials master files for T&D equipment and ensure materials management is following the specifications. Complete timesheets accurately reflecting projected being worked on as required. Monitor and control all expenditures, especially Overtime. Minimum Requirements: A Degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university At least ten (10) years’ experience in the field of Electrical Engineering At least five (5) years’ experience as a Senior Electrical Engineer Ability to apply technical knowledge, experience and problem solving to complex engineering and maintenance issues. Goal-oriented and self-motivated to apply needed initiative, attention to detail and appropriate sense of urgency to achieve desired results. Staying current with electric utility industry standards and changes and demonstrates that knowledge by implementing appropriate changes. Ability to deliver to strict deadlines and to work under pressure. Excellent planning, organizing and team building skills. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Excellent computing skills Compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications Deadline for submission of applications (inclusive of a cover letter, resume and a FortisTCI application form) is Tuesday October 13th 2015 to: Dr. Kellie-Ann Evans-Hall Manager, Human Resources FortisTCI Limited P. O. Box 132, Providenciales Email address: hrapplications@ppcltd.tc or khall@fortistci.com
Page 14
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 15
LOCAL NEWS
PDM begins frank dialogue about Crime on the airwaves guns and drugs into the Islands; we have seen a denial of resources for the Police; a call to an under The PDM last week on its resourced Police Force to step up; a daily Talk Show “Raisin TCI” began statement that no more resources what it considers a must - that is a are needed and then a commitment frank, open and earnest dialogue on to more resources. And this only as crime. it relates to those offences that are This is no time to dance committed in around the issue. Crime is on the plain view as it were. While our increase all around and while we heads are spinning on the lack of seem to have shifted our attention a clear plan of action from this wholly to gun violence and murders, Government, our youth in particular we are seeing the use of other are losing their innocence, making weapons, other social ills that deadly choices and creating a bleak are criminal in nature and which future for what can be some of our continue to fly under the radar. Only most brilliant, productive and best the past few weeks as Party Leader, citizens. I have given a series of interviews As a people we need to wage on prostitution recorded even in war on all crimes - the loud and not International Reports, underage so loud crimes which have waged a sex and activities associated with war against us. We need as a people the inducement of our young girls, to pay attention to what is being lost abuse of drugs and alcohol among in this narrow focus on the economy our youths and gang activity: all of and save which are eating away at the moral our future. Whilst we welcome the fibre of our society. We believe that reintroduction of a National Security it is past time, we as a people begin Council that first existed under the frank and serious discussions on 2006 Constitution and the call for crime and the criminal social ills outside help, we will never move that are in plain sight for those that away from our approach and call want to see. for the provision of resources to We have seen persons in build internal capacity in internal officialdom deny the existence of law enforcement issues and then gangs; heard statements from the to understand the true picture Premier as to the illegal entry of that exists and this can only come By Hon. Sharlene Robinson
PDM Leader
Hon. Sharlene Robinson - PDM Leader
LABOURER A Labourer is required for an establishment based in Providenciales. Duties include but are not limited to: Performing routine preventive maintenance to ensure that machines continue to run smoothly and the physical condition of buildings does not deteriorate. Adjust functional parts of devices or control instruments, using hand tools, levels, plumb bobs, or straightedges. Repair or replace defective equipment parts, using hand tools and power tools, and reassemble equipment. Remuneration based on experience. All applications must be submitted to: Employment Department F Corporate & Management Services Limited 007 Emily House, 1105 Leeward Highway, Providenciales Tel 649-339-6275 Fax 649-333-7777
THIS WEEK’S $500.00 WINNER!!
through frank discussions and clear admissions of the true picture. The knee jerk reactive leadership cannot be tolerated in the fight against crime. We expect the Government to provide the much needed resources and to be sustainable in its approach. There must be a call for partnering with all stakeholders as we have already covered in our dialogue which began on Monday of last week. But equally, we expect our communities to play their part. This requires a collaborative approach and we stand ready to partner and help where we can. Crime is not a political issue and it must be approached for what it is - a national issue that is nearing a crisis for a small country such as ours. We can ill afford to continue to compare with our neighbours and rest in the new Turks and Caicos Islands that is emerging that we neither want nor need. Whilst we must continue to appreciate our low crime rate, we must not just aim at stamping out gun violence which is important but, also all of the social ills that are criminal in nature and which are eating away at our youth and our future. The PDM stands ready to partner in the fight against crime.
Premier Contracting Services seeking the following team members Safety and Resident relations officer Maintains safe and secure environment for residents and commercial tenants by patrolling and monitoring premises. Safety Officer and Resident Relation Officer Job Duties: •Secures premises and personnel by patrolling property; monitoring surveillance equipment; inspecting buildings, equipment, and access points; permitting entry. •Obtains help by sounding alarms. •Prevents losses and damage by reporting irregularities; informing violators of policy and procedures; restraining trespassers. •Controls traffic by directing drivers. •Completes reports by recording observations, information, occurrences, and surveillance activities; interviewing witnesses; obtaining signatures. •Maintains environment by monitoring and setting building and equipment controls including responding to and resetting fire alarms. •Maintains organization’s stability and reputation by complying with legal requirements. •Maintain close relationship with local police force and local community watch groups •Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. •Interact in a professional and courteous manner with all tenants, employees and residence •Report directly to supervisor
Skills and Qualifications Required; •Holds a current Turks and Caicos Islands drivers license •Fluent in English •Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing •Experience in relevant field of safety practices, residence relations and security
Bring your vehicle and ID to Hallmarks main office at 1A Courtyard Plaza between 9 am - 4pm to collect prize or call 331-1984
Kindly submit application in writing to maintenance@khcapital.com or hand deliver to Suite B-201 Graceway Plaza, Providenciales. 941-8882
Page 16
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Sonia Bien-Aime headlines Sports Commission Hall of Fame nominees Sonia Bien-Aime, Head of the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association and the Caribbean’s representative on the FIFA Executive Committee, leads a foursome field to be inducted into the Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission Hall of Fame during the Sports Awards to be held on October 27, 2015. The event is to be held at the Gustarvus Lightbourne Sports Complex in Providenciales starting at 7:30pm. Bien-Aime became the first woman on soccer's top group in a voting seat not specifically designated for a female. She fills the FIFA seat that opened when CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands was provisionally fired on May 28 following his indictment in the U.S. on corruption charges and his arrest in Switzerland. Bien-Aime, a former captain of the
Turks and Caicos Islands Female National Team, became general secretary of the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association in 2006 following her retirement as a player and stepped up to become its president in July 2014. The other inaugural inductees in the Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission Hall of Fame are Rita Gardiner, former president of the Turks and Caicos Islands Amateur Athletics Sports Association; Judith Robinson, sports administrator; and the late Obed Joshua Gardiner, former sports administrator. Categories for the sports awards of the year are Sports Personality of the Year, Unsung Hero of the year, Sponsor of the Year, Association of the Year, Youth Female of the Year (age 13 -21), Youth Male of the Year (age 13 – 21), Junior Male of
the Year (age 7 -12), Junior Female of the Year (age 7 -12), and Senior Female of the Year (22 plus.) Talented footballer Mr. Billy Forbes, leads a strong list for the sports awards. The other nominees are Mr. Ifeanyichaukwa Otuonye, Ms. Candaca Hanchell, Mrs. Gertrude Forbes, Mrs. Paula Vigil-Stubbs, Mr. Keith Cox, Miss Olivia Park, Miss Tanesia Gardiner, Master Anthony Gardiner, Miss Emily Bayles, Miss Enie St. Jean, Miss Akia Guerrier, Mr. Mackenson Cadet, Mr. Woodens Corvil, Miss Christma Jean Louis, and Miss Danzella Jennings. Tickets for the event are $60 each, and can be purchased at the Department of Sports offices throughout the Islands and from any of the Sporting Organizations. Sonia Bien-Aime
Why youths should travel
by: Zahrya Musgrove
As a youth, I feel that it is very important for us to have the opportunity to travel. I believe that we need to know more than just Turks and Caicos Islands. We need to know the world that we are going to grow up in; the world that will change us, and eventually how we will change it. Travelling brings new experiences. It lets us go to new places and explore. You get to learn and encounter new cultures. As youth we will be able to see topics of discussion from new angles. Also, we will have a much wider and different view of these hot topics. We also will get a chance to notice the differences between other cities or countries and our own; how their country is governed and what our country can take away from theirs to make our society better. Another part of travelling is history. This can be very useful in life. This is because the more you know about the past an upcoming world, the more likely you are to be ahead of the game. This will only enhance your knowledge, and the more you know the better.
Try and remember that when you travel there is more to a country than just shopping. You should try and do and see the things that are unique to the country that you are visiting, like some of the things are going to museums and seeing natural artifacts, rather than just shopping. Lastly, travelling lets us have memories and experiences to take away forever so that we can apply that knowledge to our lives. You must remember that one day the youths of today will be the ones governing and changing the fate of the Turks and Caicos Islands. So later on in life we will take away from those experiences. We will remember the differences between other countries and ours; how those counties used those differences to make their society better and what made theirs worse. We will eventually use all of those methods to make the Turks and Caicos the best society it can be for everyone.
TCI to get rain gauges The Turks and Caicos Islands is to get weather equipment that will enable the country to measure wind speed, wind pressure and rainfall. Head of the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME), Dr. Virginia Clerveaux made the disclosure in an interview with The SUN. “ One of the things that the DDME has done, and it wasn’t triggered by Joaquin, it was following Cristobal, we have been in communication with the Ministry of Finance to procure rain gauges with the capabilities of measuring wind pressure and wind speed. “They are still in the procurement phase, so once we have that, any changes in the weather we are experiencing on the ground, we would be able to say that based on the various weather stations throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands, this is the wind speed that it is detecting, this is the pressure and this is the amount of rainfall that has fallen so far, therefore, residents are asked to be cautious,” Clerveaux said. She said that in the absence of that equipment, the DDME can only
guess such weather conditions, which she said is a surefire way of losing credibility with the public. “We were hoping that they (equipment would have been here) for this hurricane season, but we are mandated to follow the procurement ordinance. You have to get three quotes or have proved that you attempted to get three quotes. “If you can’t get three quotes, then you have to go through the procurement procedures. In our case, we were able to get three vendors but only two provided us with a quote,” said, pointing out that talks with the Bahamas met office, Barbados and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) have been initiated to obtain technical capacity to assist in the installing the gauges and to train staff to read the equipment. “We have two rain gauges currently in the country and we have procured an additional 13 that would be distributed throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. I believe right now there is one that is setup at the airport post Joaquin,” she said. In the meantime, Clerveaux is imploring the public to be on the alert
during hurricane season and not to be caught off guard. “The country on a whole needs to be prepared. What I always alert the public about is that storm and hurricane prediction is not an exact science. One of the thing that the DDME is has always advocated is that it doesn’t matter if whether its’ one storm being predicted or it’s 10 storms predicted, you have to be prepared regardless. “So the country should not have been caught off guard because hurricane season started from the first of June. And in the first week of June we had public education campaigns. We were disseminating pamphlets and other information, telling persons that they need to be prepared. September again, we were on the air talking about peak hurricane season. “We did different activities, we visited some schools, we had fire drills, we had tsunami exercise, we were talking with the elderly, wellness centre, it was not planned just for all the hazards, both those with come with warning and those that doesn’t’ come with warning,” she said.
INTERNATIONAL BEAUTY SALON
Seeks 1 hairstylist Salary $6.25 per hour Must at least 10 years experience 6 days per week Contact 232-6390
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 17
LOCAL NEWS PDM Leader comments on Hurricane Joaquin: Buck Stops With Elected Government experience and it is our hope that we will seek to improve where systems PDM Leader may have failed which resulted in The PDM wishes to publicly unnecessary anxiety among our express its thanks to God for the safety residents. We have had cause to be of our residents as we experienced concerned but none more than what the effects of Hurricane Joaquin. The gave rise following the Premier’s Press damage experienced to property was Release and his subsequent Address to minimal and we urge the Government the Nation on Saturday afternoon. to assist where it can in providing We were disappointed but not relief to those who have experience surprised about the Premier’s usual loss and damage to and of property. approach under pressure and that is We then wish to thank all to cast blame on civil servants. It was of those who played a critical role only last year after the passage of TS in what was a sudden storm that Cristobal, we were forced to ask him to shifted suddenly, grew rapidly and apologize to the EMS staff who were left meteorologists mesmerized. We straddling in water away from their continue to be grateful to essential families for days. As he did then, he staff for their work during this time. has done it again and that is to pass We also wish to praise the efforts and the buck in what is now characteristic work of Fortis whose linesmen and call of his leadership. We are sorely center staff worked around the clock to disappointed in what we see as acts restore power to areas that lost power that continues to demoralize the civil connection. We cannot and must not service. We believe that persons who ignore the sacrificial service that takes need to be held accountable should these men and women away from their and likewise the Government who families and often times at risk as they has admitted that its disaster system serve. is heavily reliant on a single person Firstly we wish to use this should also be held accountable. opportunity to urge our residents to be prepared and remain prepared Nonetheless, by the Premier’s own during this season. Though it is still admission, despite the calls from the predicted a slow season, we can recall PDM and DDME to build internal from our own experiences during the capacity, increase resources and pay passage of Hurricane Ike that it only attention to critical Departments like takes one storm to create a disaster. It DDME, he has failed to and he has now is therefore important that we make had to see how important it is to do so. preparation for possible storms and We have on a number of occasions over seek to secure property and lives. the past two years called for Disaster There were many lessons Management Legislation and now that that we can glean from this recent it is before us, the PDM has already By Hon. Sharlene Robinson
NOTICE
Regulation 7 of the Physical Planning (Development Permission) Regulations, 1990 An Application registered PR: 12406 for creation of a SOLAR MICRO-GRID INFRASTRUCTURE have been submitted to the department of planning for consideration of Detail Development Permission by CAICOS RESORT VILLAL LTD. The location is PARCEL 60000/680/681/683, which is on the northwest side of Providenciales. Anyone wishing to make representation(s) may do so in writing to the Director of Planning, South Base, Grand Turk or through the Department of Planning, Emily House, Leeward Highway, Providenciiales, within twenty eight (28) days of publication of this Notice. By Conservative Architects Ltds.
spoken to the need for manpower and additional manpower. We must recruit and build this Department and increase the numbers of technical staff so that the reliance that this Government has placed on one person can be a thing of the past. Under the reactive leadership of the Hon Dr Rufus Ewing, we were left more confused and if his goal was to pass the buck from him and incite an understandably frustrated public, then he succeeded only partially on the latter. At the end of the day, the buck stops with the Premier and his Minister who remains missing in action. The Government has first failed us and they must be held into account. The people of this country elected them and they must see the folly of their ways and do what we, the PDM have asked for over the years, build internal capacity in critical departments like DDME. We have also had an opportunity to view and hear official accounts of damage around the Islands. Our immediate concern is the clean - up of Governor’s Beach and the rebuilding if possible of its eroded portions of the Beach and the state of Front Street. We therefore wish to call for an immediate undertaking to address Front Street as we did as recent as the Budget Session and then shortly after by bringing awareness again during the Demonstration outside of Parliament a few weeks ago. The erosion happening over time became more and more evident over the more recent years. Our calls to
address the road as a matter of urgency were ignored. We believe that the extent of the erosion must be assessed as soon as possible as we believe that the Buildings on Front Street can eventually become compromised if not already should we continue to ignore the extensive work that must be done. This matter will call for a full Study, not a quick fix but it must be commissioned with urgency. In the remainder of the Islands there is need for a cleanup and we note the Premier’s approach for a cleanup of Grand Turk and Providenciales but wish also to draw his attention to Salt Cay that has no real manpower in the civil service and while the community is always ready to assist, it is important that in this time, it receives assistance with the cleanup and also the coastal damage done. In South Caicos as well, there is a need for cleanup and efforts must also be made to address their need as there has been no movement in this regard. In Middle Caicos, the Causeway remains a concern to us and we believe that this is again another opportunity to review our approach to how we should proceed. I wish to encourage all residents to do what they can to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and hence the spread of chick v and dengue. Again we are grateful for the safety of all our residents.
䌀爀攀愀琀攀 礀漀甀爀 伀眀渀 一愀洀攀
䈀攀愀甀琀椀挀椀愀渀猀 ☀ 一愀椀氀 吀攀挀栀猀 吀唀刀一 夀伀唀刀 伀圀一 䬀䔀夀
䈀伀伀吀䠀 刀䔀一吀䄀䰀匀 䘀伀刀 䴀伀刀䔀 䤀一䘀伀刀䴀䄀吀䤀伀一 䌀䄀䰀䰀 吀䔀䰀㨀 ⠀㘀㐀㤀⤀ⴀ㌀㌀㌀ⴀ㘀㘀㤀㔀 䰀漀挀愀琀椀漀渀㨀 䄀椀爀瀀漀爀琀 䠀漀琀攀氀Ⰰ 䄀椀爀瀀漀爀琀 倀氀愀稀愀Ⰰ 戀甀椀氀搀椀渀最 㠀㌀Ⰰ 倀爀漀瘀椀搀攀渀挀椀愀氀攀猀
ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY & ANTI- MONEY LAUNDERING SPECIALIST
Minimum 2 years sales experience Experience in jewelry sales Impeccable references and police clearance Impeccable English, other languages –advantage High level of customer service and customer attending skills Sales references-advantage JEWELER NEEDED WITH THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS Minimum 5 years experience in setting and sizing gold, silver and gems Tel: 649-946-1083 Fax: 649-946-1988 E-mail: kwatts@shopdi.com
A local law firm is seeking an Associate Attorney who possesses an Upper Second Class Honours Law Degree and holds a minimum of 12 years of practical experience in civil, property, family, probate and corporate/commercial matters. Experience in the Court and knowledge of Rules of Court will be an asset. Some duties will include assisting other attorneys with various matters, conducting research and preparing legal opinions, case management, conveyancing, corporate/commercial matters and work as an instructing attorney. The successful candidate must be someone who is able to work with little to no supervision, and be very organized with excellent communication and inter-personal skills. The candidate must have specialist qualifications and experience in Anti-Money Laundering and will be the law firm’s Money Laundering Reporting and Compliance Officer. Knowledge of dispute resolution and office management will be an asset. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Please send in cover letter with curriculum vitae to P.O. Box 499 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands or via email to lawfirmrecruitmenttci@gmail.com
Page 18
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
NOTICE OF DORMANT ACCOUNT
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
Name of Financial Institution/TIN of Financial Institution SCOTIABANK (TCI) LTD Address of Financial Institution 88 CHEROKEE ROAD LEEWARD HIGHWAY PROVIDENCIALES TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS Change of name, if any, of the Financial Institution THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA The public is hereby given notice that (SCOTIABANK (TCI) LTD) holds the following dormant accounts– Account Type
Account Name
Account Type
Account Name
Account Type
Account Name
Savings
Adrian McCarthey
Savings
Daphne Gayle
Savings
George Leylegian
Savings
Adrian Senat
Savings
Darien Dickenson
Savings
Ginsie Dievuleil
Savings
Alanzo/Patricia Mora
Savings
Dario Sands
Savings
Girlie Joseph
Savings
Alberto Vilorio
Savings
Darnall Handfield
Savings
Godgia Robinson
Savings
Alicia Francis
Savings
Dawn Walterhouse
Savings
Goldston N/D
Savings
Altrisha &/or Catherine Robinson
Savings
Dawshawndre Deane
Savings
Guerline Julien
Savings
Ambiorix Bonilia
Savings
Dayna R. Ferriera
Savings
Guintaya H.A. Ellis
Current
Amcas Limited
Savings
Dawn Walterhouse
Savings
Heather Dabbagh
Savings
Andrea Blumentritt
Savings
Dawshawndre Deane
Savings
Hibbert headley
Savings
Andrea Kelly Hughes
Savings
Dayna R. Ferriera
Savings
Holly Hamilton
Savings
Andrew W Shaw
Savings
Decklin A Beresford
Savings
Howard A Stubbs Jr
Savings
Angy Rodney
Savings
Del Pino, Carlos
Savings
Hubert/Giselle James
Savings
Anthon Preston
Savings
Demeika Quant
Savings
Hubertus Stolwerk
Savings
Anthony Costa
Savings
Demetrio Quant
Savings
Hudson L Gardiner
Savings
Anthony Francis
Savings
Demico McDonald
Savings
Ian F Gosling
Savings
Antonio Stubbs
Savings
Deniro Lafrenier
Current
Investments W A View
Savings
April Francis
Savings
Der Torossian Debra
Savings
Irina Feldman
Savings
Arianna Lightbourne
Savings
Dernelle Williams
Savings
Isaac Missick
Savings
Arnelle/Patricia Mora
Savings
Deseanette McDonald
Savings
Isabella Cox
Savings
Arwin Grant
Savings
Devanio Quant
Savings
J/T Tabell
Savings
Asha Lightbourne
Savings
Devon Simmons
Savings
Jacques/Argerome Alexis
Savings
Babara’s Books
Savings
Diane Lemire
Savings
Jadesha S Forbes
Savings
Balden Parker
Savings
Diangelo A Coverley
Savings
Jairo Duran Pineda
Savings
Barabara/John McKee
Savings
Dinyane Sibera
Savings
Jamael Delancy
Savings
Bensheka Wilson
Savings
Donald Richard Miller
Savings
Jamecia Glinton
Savings
Bertram Dean/Simms M
Savings
Donavan Francis
Savings
James Ewing
Savings
Bianca A Thomas
Savings
Donna Marlene E Wint
Savings
Jamesly Prosper
Savings
Billy &/or Louis D Rigby
Savings
Doughty R/ Williams W
Savings
Jaswantrai Doshi
Current
Blue Seas Offshore
Savings
Dulga Gray
Savings
Javiel Montes
Current
Blyth International Ltd
Savings
Earlsalena Robinson
Savings
Jazmin Rodgers
Savings
Brandon O’Neal Forbes
Current
Ecosystem Protection Insurance Company
Savings
Jean E Pierre
Savings
Brandon O’Neil
Savings
Eddiejean Siffrad
Savings
Jean/Emanise Stilmar
Savings
Brent Astwood
Savings
Edith/John Moore
Savings
Jeffrey Chase
Savings
Breon Rigby
Savings
Edwin Spengeman
Savings
Jesly Prosper
Savings
Breyanna Williams
Savings
Elisnet Estephane
Savings
Jesula Prosper
Savings
Brianca Cartwright
Savings
Elliot Cunningham
Savings
Jharel-Anma Ferriera
Savings
Bridget Robinson
Savings
English Freites
Savings
John Forde
Savings
Brittnay Garland
Savings
Enoch Richard
Savings
John Grice
Savings
Cameron Gardiner
Savings
Eric Deknock
Savings
John Wynns
Savings
Candyce Allard
Savings
Eric Schwing
Savings
John/Jacqueline Todd
Savings
Cardinal Handfield
Savings
Eric Story
Savings
Jonathan Burgess
Savings
Carmen Almonte
Savings
Ericka A Rogers/Coralee E Simpson
Savings
Jordan Garland
Savings
Celine G Swan
Savings
Erin E/Ethan C/Ariana Grant
Savings
Jovan Handfield
Savings
Chaine Des Rotisseur
Savings
Ernacio Forbes
Savings
Judith/Mari Oliveira
Savings
Chamel R Sanchez
Savings
Ernequa Hall
Savings
Julliet Marcia Watson
Savings
Charnelle Robinson
Savings
Eugene Gardiner
Savings
Justin Lightbourne
Savings
Chelsea Tipton
Savings
Ezequiel Louima
Savings
Justin P Pettress
Savings
Christopher Williams
Savings
Fouad Mikhael Marjaba
Savings
Kadis Simmons
Savings
Clenae Howell
Savings
Frank Bertrant
Savings
Kandoll N Gardiner
Savings
Corrine Hall
Savings
Frank Jean
Savings
Karen Swann
Savings
Corrine L S Hall
Savings
Future Films
Savings
Kavano Lightbourne
Savings
Daksh Sanj Shingrani
Savings
Garnet Ricketts
Savings
Kaylam Marvin Pratt
Savings
Damian Pereira
Savings
Gary Lalonde
Savings
Kazmaine Been
Savings
D’Andre Hanchell
Savings
Gary Miles
Savings
Keandra Gardiner
Savings
D’Angelo Prosper
Savings
Gaurdvin J Missick Jr.
Savings
Ke-Ara James
Savings
Daniel Blumentritt
Savings
George Anne Bunting
Savings
Keitha Comrie
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 19
Account Type
Account Name
Account Type
Account Name
Account Type
Account Name
Savings
Kelly Demontgny
Savings
Milford Campbell
Savings
Sharnette P Purchase
Savings
Kenardo Penn
Savings
Millicent Ellis
Savings
Shaulene Barwise
Savings
Kendrenna Penn
Savings
Moise Jacques
Savings
Shawn Thompson
Savings
Kenly Taylor
Current
New Jersey Amigo Ltd
Savings
Shawnae Knowles
Savings
Kenville Charles
Savings
New Test. C.O.G Dist
Savings
Shell Trevens
Savings
Kenyetta Grant
Savings
Niurka Santos
Savings
Shequille Grant
Savings
Kezia Ariza
Current
Northcote & Co
Savings
Shermal Francis
Savings
Kimberley Handfield
Savings
Omar Morris
Savings
Soeurette Forbes
Savings
Kimberly Keith
Savings
Orvin F. Williams Jnr
Savings
Srikumaru Sambasivam
Savings
Kindra Blumentritt
Savings
Patricia Chidiac
Current
St. Monica’s Church
Savings
Kiovani Gourgue
Savings
Patrick Coughlan
Savings
Stephen J Stubbs
Savings
Kristina Dietsche
Savings
Patrick G Liddy
Savings
Steve/Tam DresslerKoerner
Savings
L Osterman/Mi Newman
Savings
Paul Little
Savings
Steven Brown
Savings
Ladeika Adams
Savings
Paul Spong
Savings
Susan Blumentritt
Savings
Lakier Grant
Savings
Paula Higgs
Savings
Susan Leslie
Savings
Lamar G Walters
Savings
Paula McKenzie
Savings
Sydney Outten
Savings
Laquad Garland
Current
People’s Auction/Provo Fun
Savings
Sykoria Francis
Savings
Larry Francis
Savings
Quanisha Blaise
Savings
Takuo Hasegawa
Savings
Laura Ali
Savings
Quesny Louis
Savings
Tamyn Banks
Savings
Lebert Ramcharan
Savings
Quinton Harvey
Savings
Tange Williams
Savings
Lemano Lawan Malcolm
Savings
Rakinido/Enid Walkin
Savings
Tanshell P Willams
Current
Lemetik SSSI Limited
Savings
Rashanell Rigby
Savings
Tarado Lewis
Savings
Lev Olevson
Savings
Reinsurance Topper
Savings
TCI Reservations Ltd
Savings
Lind/Sherra Schwiers
Savings
Rhian E A Davies
Savings
Tevan Missick
Savings
Liujee Morris
Savings
Rhondeisha C Gray Rhys E F Davies
Current
The O Caribbean Islands Holding Ltd
Savings
Livie Gerelus
Savings
Ricardo Small
Current
The O Property Collection Ltd
Savings
Lloydeka E Handfield
Savings
Richard Anace
Savings
Thomas Flakstad
Savings
Lloydyanna Stubbs
Savings
Richard Morris
Savings
Trana Mario Jr
Savings
Louis Bielmann
Savings
Richard Stadtherr
Current
Trapp & Associates
Savings
Louis E Grant
Savings
Ricou/Prind Browning
Savings
Travis Rigby
Savings
Lovely Phillippe
Savings
Robert &/or Edline Anace
Savings
Trevante K.M Brown
Savings
Lunneiara Joseph
Savings
Robert Clarke
Savings
Trinee Bethel
Savings
Lunt S/J Hunter
Savings
Roger Harvey
Current Account
Turks Fest Committee
Savings
Malik R Ingham
Savings
Roma Robinson
Savings
Valmir Jacques
Savings
Marco Eygendaal
Savings
Rotel Hall
Savings
Vanilia Etienne
Savings
Maria Olivia
Savings
Rozel Parker
Savings
Vlachos Brooke K
Savings
Mario Rigby
Savings
Sacoya Sade Taylor
Savings
Walter Simmons
Savings
Marlene E Hanchard
Savings
Salaam Fulford
Current
Water Sports Association
Savings
Mary Roney/Bailey
Savings
Samardia Walkin
Savings
Wayne Adams
Savings
Mathew Gardiner
Savings
Sandra Davis
Savings
Wayne Seale
Savings
Matthew Lang
Savings
Satoshi Inoue
Savings
Wesly Chery
Savings
Maurissa Handfield
Savings
Savannah Ewing
Current
West Atlantic
Savings
Maxilien Daceus
Savings
Scott Hall
Savings
Wildano Joseph
Savings
Melia &/or Angleo Harvey
Current
Scott Overseas
Savings
Wilder Dorcius
Savings
Meredith Grimmer
Savings
Sean B Cartwright
Savings
William Smith
Savings
Mervin Cox Jnr.
Savings
Seaview Guest Taylor
Savings
William/Linda Ferguson
Savings
Michael G/ Marlene S Milne
current
Sevens Investments
Savings
William/Margaret Aldridge
Savings
Michael Neehuis
Savings
Shain Empey
Savings
Yefri Williams
Savings
Michael Palmer
Savings
Shanice Swann
Savings
Zanovia Francis
Savings
Michael Valle
Savings
Shaquaille Grant
Savings
Zemnobia Valentine
Savings
Milessa Ali
Savings
Shaquant Penn
The public is also hereby given notice of the following– 1. Unless one or more of the following transactions are effected on a dormant account listed above on or before the (Specify date), the monies in the dormant account will be transferred to the general revenue of the Islands without further notice(a) Increase or decrease the amount held or owed in the Financial Institution1; (b) Present the passbook or other record for the crediting of interest or dividends in respect to any general deposit, demand deposit, savings deposit or deposit for a fixed period, made in the Islands; 1 Interest paid, or account fees applied, by a Financial Institution on monies held or owed in the Financial Institution shall not be regarded as a transaction which increase or decreases the amount held in the Financial Institution pursuant to section 4(4) of the Dormant Accounts Ordinance.
(c) Correspond in writing with the Financial Institution concerning the monies; or (d) Otherwise indicate an interest in the monies as evidenced in writing by the Financial Institution. 2. Subject to the Dormant Accounts Ordinance, on the transfer of the monies in the dormant account to the general revenue of the Islands, the dormant account holder will no longer have any right against the Financial Institution to the repayment of the monies transferred, but the dormant account holder will have against the Government such right to repayment of the monies transferred that the dormant account holder would have had against the Financial Institution. 3. Any interested person should contact the Financial Institution mentioned above to establish if that person is a dormant account holder.
Page 20
East Bay Resort Ltd.
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Chief Engineer SUMMARY: To supervise the maintenance operations and physical condition of the hotel to ensure highest standards of guest satisfaction within allotted budget.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
for guests. • Interprets specifications, job orders and company policies to maintenance employees. • Supervises and motivates maintenance staff including hiring, firing, coaching, counseling, evaluating and training activities. • Communicates verbally and in writing with all levels of employees. • Read and interpret documents in English such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. • Write routine reports, correspondence, summaries, and reports in English using prescribed format. • Ability to speak effectively in English before groups such as customers or employees.
QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility in a safe and • PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are satisfactory manner, and the individual must be punctual and have a good representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully attendance record, and have reliable means of transportation to work. The perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or ability required. crawl; and talk or hear. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. The employee must be able to see differences in widths and lengths of lines such ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES as those on graphs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While include the following: performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside • Supervises, develops and maintains an ongoing maintenance operation weather conditions and risk of electrical shock. The employee is frequently for hotel, including refrigeration, heating, plumbing, water treatment, exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, vibration, preventive maintenance, hotel rooms, air/heating units, ice machines, and extreme heat. The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious swimming pools, lighting, kitchen equipment, emergency generators, places; fumes or airborne particles; and toxic or caustic chemicals. The noise water softeners, switch rooms, roof exhausts, electrical substations, etc. level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud. The employee must be able to: • On an ongoing and regular basis, inspects and evaluates physical condition of entire hotel asset, including all guestrooms, public areas, • Work effectively in a stressful environment. pool area; completes and retains inspection reports on a regular and • Communicate well with others. timely basis, using then-current Company inspection forms. Assists • Effectively deal with guests, customers and visitors. • Accept constructive criticism from supervisors. General Manager in capital budgeting. • Change activity frequently and cope with interruptions. • Work according to a set schedule, including work on short notice in • Maintains hotel by performing painting, plumbing, electrical wiring, and other related maintenance activities. response to emergency or urgent conditions at the hotel. • Replaces/cleans air conditioner filters. • Notifies management concerning need for major repairs or additions to lighting, heating and ventilating equipment. Interested Applicant’s please email all • Tend air conditioner and boiler to provide cool air and hot water applications to info@saunders.tc
PLANT PRODUCTION MANAGER Description Responsible for detailed supervision of subordinate employees and contractors, who perform installation and maintenance work at FortisTCI generating facilities. Under the direction of the Director of Energy Production, & Project Management provide expert decision making assistance in the installation and maintenance of diesel engines (Caterpillar and Wartsila), high voltage equipment and electrical control systems in the plant and in the substations in a sound technical manner, to ensure the reliable operation and functionality of this equipment, as per design specifications. The Production Manager must understand and commit to the corporate vision, and successfully gain the support of subordinate employees for and implement of that vision. Main Duties Assist in hiring, supervising and mentoring a knowledgeable and motivated plant work force Assist the Director in identifying training requirements and annual training plans and responsible for training and mentoring of the work force Prepare weekly, monthly and annual work plans and associated reports as directed by Director of Energy Production Ensure a high degree of familiarity and profound knowledge of specifications, fundamental operating concepts and operating and maintenance manuals and procedures for all plant assets and equipment Prepare work instructions for and supervise the day to day work of the plant technicians with particular regard to safety, efficiency and functionality of the plant and substations Prepare layout diagrams and work orders for larger projects as may be assigned and directed Prepare cost estimates and material lists for various projects as assigned Assist in the preparation of capital and maintenance budgets by the preparation of cost estimates for the electrical section as assigned and directed Conduct testing and troubleshooting of plant equipment in area of responsibility and in the longer term train others to perform these functions Be familiar with and adhere to all Company policies and procedures relating to the position and to observe and enforce compliance of subordinate employees to these policies and procedures Plan and conduct work in a manner consistent with the company’s commitment to the environment and ensure that subordinate employees are likewise in compliance Be familiar with and adhere to the safety and operating procedures of the company and ensure that all personnel in the department follow these procedures
Maintain and ensure the accuracy of statistical records of plant operations and maintenance activities as required by the company Provide calm and competent leadership in response to plant emergencies in a manner that inspires others to do likewise Be professional in dress and demeanor as befits the position of management personnel and ensure that a good public image of FortisTCI is maintained at all times Perform other duties as may be assigned and/or required by Plant Operations contingencies from time to time Duties Prepare weekly, monthly and annual work plans and accomplishment reports Submit job reports and detailed engineering equipment failure analysis reports Execute preventative and corrective maintenance to ensure high equipment availability Any other related duty as assigned from time to time Minimum Requirements Bachelor of Science in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or equivalent technical qualification 15 to 20 years’ experience in the Utility Industry in power systems application A minimum of five (5) years’ experience at mid to senior management level Extensive experience trouble shooting Caterpillar and Wartsila Motor Generator sets Proficiency in production and interpretation of electrical and Mechanical drawings Above average analytical skills in math and electrical theories Proficiency in interpretation of engineering drawings and manuals Professional competency in written and oral communication skills in English Strong management and communication skills Experience in working under utility emergency response conditions Experience in operation and maintenance of large generation units Ability to function effectively under emergency situations while thinking clearly and effectively Ability to deliver to deadlines and work under pressure Self-motivated, solution oriented and positive in outlook Team player Compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications. Deadline for submission of applications (inclusive of a cover letter, resume and a FortisTCI application form) is October 13 2015 to: Dr. Kellie-Ann Evans-Hall Manager, Human Resources FortisTCI Limited P. O. Box 132, Providenciales Email address: hrapplications@fortistci.com or khall@fortistci.com
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 21
LOCAL NEWS
Sandals Foundation, Guy Harvey and CARIBSAVE Take Back the Ocean Students in several schools throughout the Turks & Caicos will soon be able to benefit from an intensive marine curriculum as part of a partnership between the Sandals Foundation, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and CARIBSAVE (INTASAVE Caribbean). The program will be implemented in 40 schools across the Caribbean with an emphasis on developing marine awareness and environmental stewardship. According to Sandals Foundation Director of Programs Heidi Clarke, the initiative represents the framework for a culture shift in environmental awareness. “The people of the Caribbean have relied on the ocean for centuries but have never necessarily grasped the impact they have on its wellbeing. By teaching the next generation to understand how their actions affect the marine ecosystem and give them ownership of its wellbeing we can hopefully make a much needed change”. Some of the features of the year long program will include marine awareness videos, posters, lesson plans, activity books and competitions. The specific lesson plans will be targeting students in grades 6-8 and have been designed to be interactive
and engaging as well as informative. The topics that will be covered include; Coral Reefs and Protecting Our Oceans, Creatures of the SeaMarine Mammals and Sharks, Sea Turtles and Coastal Ecosystems and Climate Change. CARIBSAVE (INTASAVE Caribbean) is a regional nonprofit organization whose mandates include sustainable development and climate change. The organization has made tremendous strides in disaster mitigation and coastal vulnerability reduction throughout its existence and
views the initiative as an extension of its overall push for environmental sustainability. Patron of the program Dr. Guy Harvey is a Jamaican marine wildlife artist and conservationist. His illustrations of sea life have been reproduced in prints, posters and clothing worldwide. Guy Harvey’s Portraits from the Deep, is a syndicated television series that combines the showcasing of sport fishing destinations with educational information from marine scientists. He has championed ocean conservation for
many years and is a recognized authority on the discourse both regionally and globally. Dr. Harvey’s esteemed endorsement of the program is not lost on the other organizers. “Guy Harvey is an acclaimed conservationist and a true son of the Caribbean” says Sandals Foundation’s Clarke, “…having him onboard with this program really injects a degree of creativity and innovation the children are sure to be attracted to and they’ll certainly be kept engaged throughout its entirety”.
Beat the date. Advertising for the 2016 publication of the Turks & Caicos Islands Yellow Pages is closing soon.
Save the date. Current Advertisers - October 23rd New Advertisers - November 30th ONLINE | MOBILE | PRINT TCIYP.com
Call Today 649-941-7757
Page 22
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
PLEASE CALL US FOR NEWER VEHICLES 649-941-3910 MILEAGE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Old Airport Road | Providenciales | Turks & Caicos Islands | E-Mail: p_mystique@tciway.tc
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 23
Page 24
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Thank you Grand Turk for making our
2 Annual Fall Walk & Run nd
a great success!
Zachary Stern (age 11): Youngest 7K participant
Patrick Noonan: 1st place male, 7K
Kandijah Sanders (age 11): 1st place female, 7K
Prize: Kindle Fire HD7
Prize: Fitbit Charge HR Fitness Tracker
Prize: Fitbit Charge HR Fitness Tracker
Congrats to our Winners!!! Catherine Ann Forbes: Grand raffle winner Prize: Fitness package containing exercise equipment, $150 grocery voucher, 1 month gym membership, and more
Alfred Been (85) & Elizabeth Frith (87): Eldest participants Prize: $150 grocery vouchers
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 25
www.fortistci.com | 649-946-4313 | P.O. Box 132 1030 Leeward HWY, Providenciales, TCI
Page 26
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
We bring your ideas to life!
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 27
Page 28
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL NEWS
Court of Appeal rules in favour of Arabella Smith
Former Government Minister Ms. Arabella Smith, recently won a significant case in the Court of Appeal. The court, comprising The Right Honorable Sir Justice Zacca, President; The Honorable Mr. Justice Elliott Mottley, QC, and Mr. Justice Ian Forte Justice, dismissed the appeal which was brought by Attorney General Hon. Rhondalee Brathwaithe-Knowles. The Attorney General is appealing the Court of Appeal’s judgment to the Privy Council. Ms. Smith was represented by Ariel Misick, QC, while the AG’s Chambers was represented by David Phillips, QC, and Patrick Patterson. The following is a full text of the judgment. 1. This appeal arises out of the granting of what is called a Conditional Purchase Lease by the Government of the T.C.I. to the Respondent, M & A Services Limited (Arabella Smith’s Company). 2. As recorded by the Learned Trial Judge the following facts were undisputed at the trial. 3. On 8th October, 1993, the Turks and Caicos Government (TCIG) leased a parcel of land known as parcel 60809/42/1 in the Bight and Thomas Stubbs on Providenciales to the Respondent for commercial development. The lease was a standard Conditional Purchase Lease (CPL) under which the Respondent was required to pay annual rent of US$5,150, for the first three years and thereafter, an annual rent of US$10. The Respondent (Arabella Smith’s company) was also required to build a Service Station on the land within three years at a cost of no less than US$100,000. The Lease gave the Respondent an option to purchase the land for US$51 ,500 at the end of the term. That sum represented 50% of the market value of the land, so discounted in accordance with the Crown Land Policy which allowed Belongers to acquire land for commercial development at preferential rates. 4. The Respondent, in keeping with the agreement, developed the land by building the service station within the required time period of three (3) years. Consequently, in or about the year 2000, the Respondent applied for the freehold title. 5. By letter dated 22 February, 2000, the Minister with responsibility for that portfolio (i.e. for Crown Lands) approved the transfer of the land to the Respondent in return for the payment of the agreed purchase price as also the arrears of rent. 6. As the Minister’s letter has become the real issue in this appeal, it is set out in full hereunder. 7. It is addressed to the Respondent in the following terms: “Dear Mr. Smith, Re Request for Freehold Title- Parcel 60809/42 Providenciales I refer to your request for Freehold title to parcel 60809/42 Juba Park, Providenciales. I am therefore please (sic) to inform you that in accordance with the Executive Council’s decision, it has been agreed that Freehold Title should be granted to you on the said parcel. The cost of the Freehold Title is $51,500. In addition you are in arrears to the amount of $10,340 which must be paid before Freehold title is
granted. I should be grateful if you would contact the Registrar of Lands to whom I am sending a copy of this letter to have the necessary documents executed. “ 8. The Respondent (Smith’s company) did not pay the monies or pursue the transfer pursuant to the Minister’s letter but remained in occupation of the land after the Lease expired in October 2001. 9. On 11th August, 2010 the Respondent paid the arrears of rent as of 2001 and on 12 August, 2010, wrote to TCIG requesting that the title to the land be transferred to the company. 10. On October 5th, 2010, TCIG refused to transfer the title unless and until the Respondent paid mesne profits of US$46,110.28 and advised the Respondent that the land would have to be revalued before it could be transferred. 11. On November 10th, 2010 TCIG sent a notice of demand for the sum of US$46,110.28 which the Respondent (Smith’s Company) paid in full on 18th December, 2010. The Appellant, nevertheless, refused to transfer the land unless the Respondent agreed to pay its ‘current value’ appraised by the Government Valuation Department at $870,000.00. 12. The Respondent continued in possession and TCIG made a further demand for mesne profits and by Notice dated 26th March, 2012 required the Respondent to make payment of the sum of US$7,788.72 within 21 days failing which TCIG would take steps to recover possession of the land. The Respondent did not pay the sum demanded and TCIG subsequently served a Notice to terminate the Respondent’s tenancy on or before 7th October, 2012. 13. On 20th September, 2013, TCIG issued these proceedings to recover possession of the land and mesne profits in respect of what it asserted was the unlawful occupation of the land by the Respondent since 2001. The Respondent’s defence to the Claim is that it is a purchaser in possession under a binding agreement for sale and that TCIG is not entitled to possession. It asserts that the sums paid by the Appellant as and for mesne profits were paid and that having paid a further sum ofUS$5,499.72 it has tendered all sums due to TCIG under the Lease and is entitled to have the land transferred to it and sought declaration to that effect by counterclaim. 14. At trial, the Learned Judge with the agreement of Counsel, identified the issues to be resolved: Whether the Minister’s letter of 22 February, 2000 created an agreement for sale of the Land which obliged TCIG to transfer the Land on the payment of the monies reserved under the Lease, and if not, (ii) Whether the Defendant/ Respondent is holding over on a statutory tenancy under Section 51 of the RLO on the same terms and conditions of the Lease including the right to purchase the Land. 15. After a well reasoned judgment, the Learned Judge concluded that-”the Defendant/Respondent is a purchaser in possession under an agreement for sale which has not been terminated and entitled to have the
Arabella Smith land transferred to it on the payment of US$51, 5 00 and interest thereon”. In coming to this conclusion, the Learned Judge rejected submissions by the Appellant that subsequent failure to pay rent would automatically bring an end to the contract for sale of land under which the Defendant had fully performed its obligation to build a service station at a cost of not less than $100,000 as part of the consideration for the transfer. She concluded that the delay of seventeen (17) years in tendering the monies due under the agreement, while substantial, did not have the effect of terminating the agreement as time was not of the essence and TCIG has never served a notice to complete. 16. It is that conclusion which formed the Order dismissing the Appellant’s application. 17. Before us, the issue was reduced to the construction of the letter dated 22 February, 2000 received from the Minister, both parties agreeing that the interpretation would resolve the issue. The question that arises is whether the Minister’s letter (the letter) created a new contract between the parties, resulting in an acceptance by the Respondent that the land be transferred to it, on the “condition” that all arrears of rent would first be paid up by the Respondent. 18. The Appellant, however, contends that the CPL was itself the contract for the sale of the land and that there was no commercial need for the parties to enter into a separate “commercial deal” for the sale of the land as “they had already done that”. 19. Secondly, the Appellant contends that if the letter were a separate contract, it would have contained more details, and consequently the Court should construe it as part of the “government’s approach to the original”. 20. This submission seems in conflict with the Appellant’s earlier contention that the Respondent had no right under the Lease to request the transfer of the land as it had lost that right when it did not pay the rent on time. In that context, it is difficult to come to any other view but that the letter disclosed a new agreement granting the transfer of the land to the Respondent on his performing his responsibility under that agreement to pay the arrears of rent. 21. In so far as the contention that this letter did not contain sufficient details of the agreement, we accept the Respondent’s submission that both parties knew the terms of
Ariel Misick QC the CPL which was a standard policy. In addition, it was known to the Appellant that the Respondent had invested $100,000 in the development of the land, which must have formed part of the deliberation which led to the conclusion by the TCIG to grant the transfer of the land on the payment of the arrears. 22. It was agreed by Counsel on both sides that where a document is clear and unambiguous it must be given the meaning that a reasonable person would have understood the parties to have meant. 23. This principle was made clear by Lord Clarke of Stone-cumEbony JSC in delivering the judgment of the Court in Rainy Sky SA v Kookmin Bank (2011) 1 WLR 2900 at 2906 where he stated: “For the most part, the correct approach to construction of the bonds as in the case of any contract, was not in dispute. The principles have been discussed in many cases, notably of course, as Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury MR said in Pink Floyd Music Ltd. v EM/ Records Ltd. (2010) EWCA Civ 1429, para 17, by Lord Hoffman in Mannai Investment Co. Ltd. v Eagle Star Life Assurance Co. Ltd. (1997) AC 749, passim in Investors Compensation Scheme Ltd. v West Bromwich Building Society (1998) I WLR 896, 912F-913G and in Chartbrook Ltd. v Persinmon Homes Ltd. (2009) AC 1101 paras 2126. I agree with Lord Neuberger (also at para 17) that those cases show that the ultimate aim of interpreting a provision in a contract, especially a commercial contract, is to determine what the parties meant by the language used, which involves ascertaining what a reasonable person would have understood the parties to have meant. As Lord Hoffman made clear in the first of the principles he summarized in the Investors Compensation Scheme case (1998) I MR 896, 912H the relevant reasonable person is one who has all the background knowledge which would reasonably have been available to the parties in the situation in which they were at the time of the contract”. 24. It is unarguable that the Minster’s letter is anything else but clear and unambiguous. It approves the transfer of the land to the Respondent who of course was required to pay the arrears of the rent. The reasonable man with knowledge of the Conditional Lease Policy, and of the fact that the Appellant had already developed the land, would interpret the letter on the basis of the ordinary meaning of the words used therein.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 29
LOCAL NEWS 25. We agree therefore with the Respondent’s submission that the letter passed the equitable interest in the land to the Respondent, giving rise to the Respondent’s right to specific performance. 26. However, in spite of the Minister’s letter, the Respondent made no payment of the arrears for a period of ten ( 1 0) years. The Appellant contends that the Respondent breached the contract, as the words of the letter implies immediate transfer of the land. The Respondent concedes that the nonpayment of the arrears in accordance with the terms contained in the letter amounts to a breach of the contract but maintains that such a breach would only entitle the Appellant to damages. It contends that time was never made the essence of the contract and in any event, no notice of intention to terminate the contract was ever served on the Respondent, nor could it be contended that the Respondent’s conduct demonstrated that it had abandoned the contract as it continued to occupy the premises, operating the business of the Service Station, and in addition paid the mesne profits demanded of it by the Appellant. 27. We agree that the
The Right Honorable Sir Justice Zacca, President of the Court of Appeal.
The Honorable Mr. Justice Elliott Mottley, QC.
letter created a purchaser/ based on a new valuation of the land vendor relationship m the parties, is without basis as the new contract transforming the earlier arrangement (the letter) specifically referred to a of landlord and tenant. purchase price of $51,500, the same 28. In so far as the breach in price offered under the CPL. the payment of the arrears, we agree 30. It should be noted that that the Respondent’s conduct could Mr. Phillips, Q.C., in argument be penalized in damages. This, the before us on behalf of the Appellant, Learned Judge acknowledged and correctly conceded that if the Court acted upon in awarding interest to be found that the Minister’s letter paid on the purchase price. contained a new contract between the 29. The attempt by the parties, that the non-payment of the Plaintiff to demand an increased price arrears, given the fact that
The Honorable Mr. Justice Ian Forte, QC time was not made the essence and that no notice to terminate had been served on the Respondent, would not result in automatic termination of the contract but that damages could be awarded as a result. 31. In those circumstances and for the reasons stated above, the appeal is dismissed and the judgment and Order of the Court below affirmed. 32. Since costs follow the event, costs of the appeal is awarded to the Respondent.
Page 30
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
ALEXANDRA RESORT & SPA is inviting applications for the following position:
HOSPITALITY ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST We are seeking to employ an experienced Hospitality Accounting Specialist who will be reporting to the CFO. Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following: •Coordinate the operations of the accounts office and Night Audit at Alexandra Resort and Asu Restaurant •Assist with the Management of the finance function and overseeing the finance team. •Assist in the preparation of end of Month journals and conducting of the closing process. •Assist in the installation of any new software – document retention, inventory management, payroll, POS, Opera, HotSos •Prepare End of Month journals and conduct the Closing process. •Assist in the installation of any new software - document retention, inventory management, payroll, POS. •Preparation of budgets, forecasts, payrolls and cash flows •Maintenance of financial ledgers and accounting processes •Preparation of Monthly P&L and Balance Sheet •Ensuring that appropriate systems and internal controls are implemented and maintained Qualifications: •CPA Certification (CA, CGA or CMA) •5 to 10 years proven experience in hospitality financial management to include condo management and food and beverage •Proficiency in all areas of PMS and POS hotel systems, including but not limited to: Microsoft Office, Opera, HotSoS, Micros, Delphi with Microsoft Office, Visual One •Verbal and written English/Spanish with good interpersonal skills •Capacity to plan and organize work •Analytical skills and problem solving capacities
Salary for this position will commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please Submit Applications to: cgibbons@wihl.com A copy should also be submitted to the TCI Labour Department. Submissions to be no later than October 23rd, 2015 Belongers need only apply.
JOB ADVERTISEMENT Gansevoort Turks & Caicos is a contemporary luxury full service boutique resort on Grace Bay Beach. We are looking for driven and energetic professionals with Five Star experience and who are committed to achieving excellence by ensuring Five Star standards and services are continuously delivered. Spa Director The Spa Director at Gansevoort Turks & Caicos is responsible for the daily operations, management, and profitability of the spa, along with the highest level of customer service and quality work environment. Requirements •Oversee the management of all spa positions: front desk, spa technicians and teachers. •Manage, coordinate, and/or conduct associate meetings and workshops. •Monitor daily sales activities to ensure that all transactions are completed accurately. •Ensure the maintenance and cleanliness of spa facility. Control and maintain a high quality of music selection and HVAC. •Ensure spa treatment quality controls, including service, cleanliness, and product usage. •Manage the preparation of purchase orders for professional treatment and operational supplies. •Maintain proper inventory levels for all professional and retail products. •Finalize payroll. •Maintain expertise regarding all standard operating procedures and policies. •Assist with special projects, events, and promotions as needed. •Adhere to all corporate, departmental and spa operational policies and procedures. •Maintain a high level of guest rapport and service. •Demonstrate positive attitude and actions through a display of courtesy, service, cooperation, hospitality, sensitivity and professionalism to internal guests. •Manage department to achieve or exceed desired unit metric goals. •Increase gross margins of the business through optimal scheduling, staffing pans, and capacity utilization. •Improve guest service + satisfaction levels through heightened levels of communication and personal presence in the unit. •Demonstrate equal commitment to exhale’s soulful culture + profitable enterprise. •Increase gross margins of the business through optimal scheduling, staffing pans, and capacity utilization. •Improve guest service + satisfaction levels through heightened levels of communication and personal presence in the unit. The successful candidate must have/be; •Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology or equivalent work experience.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
BLUE HAVEN RESORT
is inviting suitable applications for the following positions: Assistant Restaurant Manager Reporting to the Food and Beverage Director, responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following: •Consistently offer professional, friendly, hospitable service •Oversee restaurant operations ensuring compliance with departmental standards and meeting / exceeding guest expectations •Knowledgeable of all food and beverage products •Ensure proper staffing and scheduling in accordance to productivity guidelines •Communicate through pre-shift briefings, and departmental meetings all necessary information to support the operation •Train Team members in all job aspects – service, product knowledge and technical skills •Cash handling and daily accounting •Capitalize on revenues by upselling and controlling expenses •Handle guest concerns in a timely and professional manner •Follow resort policies, procedures and service standards •Ensure compliance with all Health & Safety policies Requirements: •Previous Food and Beverage Supervisory experience •Degree or Diploma in Hospitality Management desirable •Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal and leadership skills •Fluency in English •Ability to work independently, multi task and prioritize responsibilities •Strong guest service orientation and training skills background •POS experience •Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Blue Haven Resort is alos looking to fill these positions: Housekeepers, Housemen, Public Area Attendants Salary for these positions will commensurate with qualifications and experience. Please Submit Applications to: hr@alexandraresort.com A copy should also be submitted to the TCI Labour Department. Submissions to be no later than October 23rd, 2015 Turks and Caicos Islanders need only apply.
•Experienced in Spa operations with minimum 6 years for a luxury resort, with at least 3 years in management. •Certificate in MassageTherapy required. Must hold CIBTAC or related certification. Previous knowledge of SPASOFT/SALONIRIS and MBO software is preferred. •Current CPR certification. Must be trained in Lymph Drainage and Craniosacral Therapy. •Atleast two (2) years professional teaching experience for beginning, intermediate and advanced yoga; also fitness training preferably in a high-end and/or hospitality environment. •Must be enthusiastic, motivated, and a team player. •Must possess computer proficiency with Windows-based products. •Must have outstanding experience delivering high-quality customer service. •Display good organizational, written, and verbal skills. Labourer : Must have experience in a resort, knowledge of cleaning process and attention to details. Transports, stores and generally maintain all of Food and Beverage areas. Cook: 2-3 years experience as kitchen helper or cook in luxury hotel or fine dining restaurant. Able to speak & read English, follow directions consistently, good attendance, good hygiene, likes to cook. Pastry Chef: Preparing and serving deserts, pastries and other baked foods. Assists the Executive Chef and the Sous Chef in preparing and serving other type of food. Assists the Executive and Sous chef in training and management of the team members. Helps out with the menu planning. Ensures that all deserts, pastries and baked goods are prepared and served in a timely manner. Ensuring that the kitchen remains clean and thoroughly organized at all times. Responsible for ordering supplies used for making of pastries. Ensure a high level of food quality, value, consistency, and satisfaction to the guests. Must have 4- 5 years experience as a Pastry Chef and at least have five star hotel experience. Sous Chef: A Sous Chef in the kitchen is the second in command, below the Executive Chef and Executive sous Chef. The job of Sous Chef involves significant responsibility, as the Sous Chef must be able to lead other kitchen workers, remain organized and professional, and report vital information to the Executive Chef and Executive sous Chef. If there are times when the Executive Sous Chef is unable to work, the Sous Chef assumes all responsibilities normally assigned to the Executive sous Chef. Must have 4- 5 years experience as a Pastry Chef and at least have five star hotel experience. Chef de Partie: The Chef de Partie is a direct link between the Executive Chef, Executive Sous Chef, sous chef and his/her assigned production areas and outlets. His primary responsibilities are to ensure all communication, standards, policies, and expectations are communicated to his/her team and then executed flawlessly. The Chef de Partie enables his/ her team by ensuring equipment and sanitation standards are always met, supplies and inventories are readily available, expectations are communicated, recipes are current, and training is on-going. He/She is expected to be a “hands-on” supervisor who leads his/her team by example. The Chef de Partie is assigned to be directly responsible for one or more outlets or production areas in the following categories: production, alternative restaurants, buffets, or main galley. The Chef de Partie should expect to be rotated into different areas with or without advance notice in regards business demands and career development. Must have 3 - 5 years experience in a five star hotel or busy hotel. Interested applicants can contact our Human Resources Department, Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm on (649)941-7555. E- Mail cover letter outlining your interest and supporting experience in a particular position along with your Resume or C.V. to hr@wymara.com
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
The Shore Club is now accepting applications/résumé for the following position. Only highly self-driven & motivated, personable and professional individuals, whom have the desire to serve others, need apply:
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Requirements: •BA/BS Degree or equivalent. •Accounting Designation (CA, CMA, CPA) •At least 10 years post qualification experience. •At least 10 years management/supervisory experience at a property of similar size and quality. •Experience in Condo Hotel environment, including STRATA Association set up. •Extensive Resort pre-opening and renovations experience. •Ability to liaise with investors at high level. •Advanced knowledge and skills in computer systems, most specifically, Excel, AccPac, Micros, MXP Purchasing System QuickBooks, Opera and Visual One. •Complete understanding of Executive Committee level functions. •Sound knowledge of both European and American Accounting Plans. •Solid training in all areas of Accounting from A/P, A/R, General Ledger, Credit, Collections, Audit, Inventory control, Payroll, Budgeting, Costing, P&L preparation and analysis, etc. •Ability to inspire, develop and train people for promotion. Responsibilities: •Overseeing the overall finance departments of multiple properties/companies including outside contracts within the organization •Assisting executive management, ownership and related associations with the production of financial reports, detailed analysis and business outlook. •Directing departments in the preparation and consolidation of financial budgets and projections. •Prepare, present and provide interpretation of operational reports as they impact group business finances. •Developing and maintaining chart of accounts and master lists. •Actively involved in yield management and revenue enhancement. •Coordinating internal and external audits. POOL & BEACH MANAGER Responsibilities: •Managing and overseeing the pool and beach staff and providing training •Managing to ensure that the umbrellas, chairs etc. are properly set up at the correct time each morning and properly stowed away each evening. •Managing to ensure pool and beach areas are clean and well maintained at all times with sufficient clean towels available. •Trains all incoming staff on The Hartling Group standards. •Makes sure all opening & closing procedures are followed. •Continually monitors all staff during the day to make sure our guests are being taken care of according to standards. •Anticipates guests needs and ready to performing any duty that is required of team members. •Inventory control of all essential pool & beach needs. •Attends all meetings that are required of said position. •Is able to use coaching & counseling techniques with all team members following up with HR. •In conjunction with the GM, monitors the payroll and is able to make the necessary changes. Requirements: •Must be an excellent swimmer with rescue capability and first aid training •Must be able to operate and teach others to operate catamarans, kayaks other watercrafts •Must be able to be on your feet for long periods of time and able to lift at least 50 lbs •Must be calm under pressure and possess the ability to instill in all pool and beach staff that they are there to serve the guest quickly and courteously. •Must be able and willing to work all days and shifts. IT ADMINISTRATOR Duties and Responsibilities •Ensure that the Resort’s technology assets are functioning efficiently, effectively and are properly protected through the daily management of the IT Department and all of its resources. •Responsible for coordinating end-user support including administration, security, installation, configuration and troubleshooting of hardware and software. •Developing and maintaining documentation for operation of the computer systems and software licensing. •Make recommendations for improvements and enhancements to existing systems. •Will be available to provide after-hours error resolution for property systems as needed, including being on call. •Execution of network security, stability and survivability directives. •Manages the Capital Budget process for all system related items. •Maintain Resort’s PCI compliance status and provide quarterly reports to CFO as required. •Plan, coordinate and execute special projects as necessary. •Interacts with Resort Executive Team, Management Team, Staff and Guests to resolve technology related issues and provide guidance on future projects. •Responsible for all data backup and restoration functions. •Maintain documentation of all systems, software and hardware. •Experience in networked computer environment. •Excellent oral and written communications skills in English language. •Knowledge of wireless (wi-fi) systems. •5 years’ experience in a hospitality environment. •Experience with set-up of CCTV cameras. •Verify daily all system interfaces. SENIOR HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR Responsibilities: •Ensures maximum compliance and efficiency in the performance of Housekeeping staff in guest rooms and surrounding areas •Carries out the policies and procedures of Housekeeping Departments Standard Operating •Offers assistance to guests and owners, initiates corrective action on complaints of cleanliness and service to guest rooms •Assists in and conducts monthly Housekeeping Inventories as required •Conducts routine guest room and common area inspections. Provides inspections scores and retrains for success •Assists in and conducts staff scheduling and annual performance evaluations •Maintains inventory and stock controls •Ensure delivery of service excellence to all guests by monitoring staff performance and provides hands-on training and development •Evaluates and updates Executive Housekeeper on staff performance. Makes recommendations for appropriate action in the areas of disciplinary and commendation •Maintains quality controls and assurance •Assists in overseeing Laundry Department as required in service, quality, inventory,
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 31
inspection, scheduling and overall performance Requirements: •High school diploma •Must have supervised a minimum of 25 employees •Most work tasks are performed indoors and outdoors. Temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel environmental systems •Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for up to 3 hours in length •Must be able to lift up to 40 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis •Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 200 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis •Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space •Must be able to bend, stoop, squat and stretch to fulfill cleaning tasks •Must have minimum of 3 years supervisory experience in the Hotel/Resort and/or Hospitality Industry •Must be able to speak, read, write and understand the primary language (s) used in the workplace •Must be able to read and write to facilitate the communication process •Requires excellent communication and grammar skills, both orally and written to communicate well to guests and owners •Must possess basic math and computational ability •Must have basic computer skills in Hotel PMS, Word, Excel and Outlook •Must work weekends and holidays POOL & BEACH SUPERVISOR Responsibilities: •Oversees and maintain complete safety in and around pool and beach areas •Follows operating standards in accordance to TCI laws and hotel procedures on job duties and life-safety •Maintains proper levels of service and equipment furniture and maintenance •Assist in the conducting of guest activities in the pool areas •Monitor entire cleaning operations for the cleanliness, health and sanitation of the pools and surrounding area •Assist in every way possible to assure proper customer service is being upheld. •Enforces pool and beach sanitation and safety rules and requirements •Supervises pool and beach areas for safety and customer service •Monitors and upholds guest areas (No Solicitation policy is enforced and facilities for registered hotel guests only) •Trains new employees on proper protocol and customer service •Ensures all furniture setting are inline, organized and set to hotel resort standards •Complete all tasks for the day and oversee all duties/projects in a timely fashion •Ensure safety precautions are followed in pool area and identify possible safety hazards and reports to management •Monitor supplies and reports all damaged furniture to management •Perform all other duties as assigned by the Property Manager Requirements: •High School Diploma •Must have prior pool/beach supervisory experience •Prior experience at a luxury property or hotel •Life-safety training and certification CPR, AED, First Aid, Water Safety required •Being an excellent swimmer is required period certification may be required •Working with Pool Chemicals is required •Working during inclement weather •Hands on knowledge of non-motorized sports equipment set-up and handling is required •Cleaning and skimming pools is required •Must be able to stand and work outdoors for an extended period of time •Weekend and flexible shifts are a must •Must have excellent written and oral communication •Must have outstanding customer service and leadership skills •Must be reliable and professional •Must be proficient with computers, including Excel, Word and Outlook. •Must be able to lift 40 lbs. •Must be able to multitask and follow direction. •Must be detailed oriented. HVAC\MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Responsibilities: •To skillfully and professionally perform all scheduled maintenance related jobs. •Account for time spent on individual work requests/orders and actively seek further tasks when assigned tasks are completed. •To advise the Engineering Administrator when parts or supplies need to be reordered. •Perform weekly and monthly physical counts of all inventory stock and tooling and requirements. •Any other duties assigned and/or as deemed necessary by the Engineering Administrator. •Reassembling and testing equipment following repairs •Repairing and replacing defective equipment, components in addition to wiring •Laying out and connecting electrical wiring between controls and equipment •Obtaining and maintaining required certifications •Maintain machinery, equipment, and tools •Upkeep, installation, and maintenance of hydraulic, pneumatic, electronic, mechanical and electrical systems on all production machines •Performs preventive maintenance and makes repairs to heating, ventilating, air conditioning equipment according to instructions such as replacing belts on motors, changing filters, bearings, etc. •Lays out, assembles, installs, and maintains pipe systems and related hydraulic and pneumatic equipment, and repairs and replaces gauges, valves, pressure regulators, and related equipment Requirements: •As a HVAC Technician, you must comply with all applicable standards, policies and procedures, including safety procedures and the maintenance of a clean work area. We are seeking a detail-oriented mechanic with experience in both commercial and residential installation and services. •Refrigeration experience. •Must meet minimum professional qualification/certification in Plumbing/Electrical/ Mechanical and A/C related trades. •Follows proper safety practices and procedures as required of the position. •Must have minimum of two years hands-on experience working on minor electrical, painting, plumbing and A/C. •Must speak, read, write and understand the primary language (English) used in the workplace. •Must work weekends and holidays. •Must work AM and PM shifts as business demands according to the operations policy. •Must have reliable transportation to get to and from work. LINE POSITIONS FOOD & BEVERAGE ADMINISTRATOR ENGINEERING ADMINISTRATOR BARTENDER COOKS GROUNDSMEN LABOURER HOUSEMAN ROOM ATTENDANTS LAUNDRY ATTENDANTS POOL & BEACH ATTENDANTS For the above line staff positions, resort experience is an asset but not a requirement. Applicants must have a willing, positive and personable attitude as well as be willing to work holidays and weekends. They should also enjoy serving people and be willing to learn. Turks & Caicos Islands citizens only need to apply to the Assistant Human Resources Manager at The Sands Resort located on Grace Bay Road, Providenciales or e-mail: humanresource@thesandstc.com. Deadline is October 26, 2015.
Page 32
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
Book your own car rental, Hotels, Vacation home & more. Contact for more information
GET YOUR TICKET
GET YOUR CAR VOUCHER GET YOUR ACCOMADATION
GET YOUR CRUISE
Ticketing (International, Domestic & Regional), Cruises, Car Rentals, Hotels, Vacation Home Rentals, US & Bahamian Visa Application Assistance
DIAMOND CLEANING SERVICES SEEKS 1 Male Domestic Worker Job includes cleaning windows Must be able to work split shifts 6 days per week Salary $7.00 per hour Contact 241-7600
D & S CONSTRUCTION
SEEKS 1 Steelman Must be hardworking Salary $7.50 per hour Contact 357-8094
SALES MANAGER NEEDED requirement -4years experience in sales and Marketing, must possessexcellent communication skills, able to handle multiple request andcustomers, able to deliver goods and stock customers shelves, technical skills required, valid drivers license, knowledge of inventory procedures and typing. Salary is based on commission. Email resume to msimmons@tciway.tc before October 6, 2015.
SPA NADIA
DE VEAUX BEAUTY LTD is considering application for the following: Skilled Nail Technician & Assistant Manager The successful candidate must meet the following criteria: - 3 - 5 years experience in Salon Management - 5 years experience in Nail Artistry - Proficient in POS (Point of Sale) Systems - Minimum 1200 credit hours in Nail Technology - Excellent Customer Service Skills - Minimum 5 CXCs, GCEs, BGCSEs or equivalent - High School Diploma - Good communication skills Please send your resume to kissnmakeupbah@yahoo.com
MBA
CONSTRUCTION
JEAN ROBERTS THOMAS
SEEKS 1 Labourer Salary $6.25 per hour 5 days per week Contact 346-9013
CABINETS BY BERNARDO
SEEKS
THREE QUEENS BAR & RESTAURANT
Is looking for 1 Barmaids Contact 242-4453
MARANATHA ACADEMY (A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST INSTITUTION) SEEKS SUITABLE CANDIDATE TO FILL THE POSITION OF CLEANER. THIS INDIVIDUAL MUST BE ABLE TO WORK
NEED
Cosmologist Salary $7.00 per hour 6 days per week 10 to 5 spanadiatc@hotmail.com
MONDAYS THROUGH FRIDAYS. SALARY IS $6.25 PER HOUR. DUTIES INCLUDE CLEANING
1 Carpenter Salary $12.00 per hour
AND GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF CLASSROOMS, BATHROOMS AND
Contact 242-3450
SEEKS 1 LABOURER Salary $7.00 per hour Contact 242-3803
OFFICES.
APPLICATIONS CAN BE SENT
TO CONTACT@MARANATHAHIGH.COM
OR CALL THE SCHOOL AT
946-4385.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
CARIBBEAN WORLD
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 33
CARIBBEAN NEWS
NEWS NEWS
The Bahamas suffers considerable destruction from Hurricane Joaquin
The Bahamas government has described the destruction caused by Hurricane Joaquin as “considerable” and appealed to the international community for assistance. The hurricane hit the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country over the last weekend causing damage particularly in the south of the chain of islands. Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister, Fred Mitchell, addressing the UN Human Rights Council General Debate here, said that Hurricane Joaquin had “inflicted serious damage on our southern islands” and wanted to “thank the international community for the spontaneous outpouring of support for our country and its people. “Thankfully there was no loss of life related to the storm,” he said,
noting however “the property damage is considerable. “Peoples’ lives have been turned upside down by a storm that seemed to appear from nowhere with an intensity unparalleled in our lifetime. “If there are countries and individuals who wish to provide assistance, our Bahamas’ missions worldwide stand ready to receive those offers,” Mitchell said, adding, “today scores of people in my country are without homes and we have begun the difficult and painful process of rebuilding”. Mitchell, recalling the UN film that marked the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in New York last week, said it had as its theme everyone wants a home, everyone needs a home. Mitchell said that the
damage caused in his homeland is similar to what occurred in another Caribbean island, Dominica, that was hit by tropical storm Erika late August killing more than 30 people and leaving a bill in excess of EC$1.2 billion (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents). “Mr. Chairman, none of us are exempt from the ill effects of climate change whether in large developed countries like the United States or in Europe or small island developing states like The Bahamas and Dominica. “We, therefore, reiterate the need for a legally binding agreement at the upcoming Climate Change Conference of States Parties in Paris at the end of the year,” Mitchell added. He said the conference here is addressing the concerns and challenges of those people around the world who have been forced from their homes and everything familiar, and have risked their lives on perilous journeys to borders unknown. “Today, we are players in a complex world where the rule of law for some, is adapted to suit the circumstances based on political ideologies, economic pursuits or even environmental occurrences which force people to move from one place to another. “No matter the circumstance, The Bahamas adheres to the belief that people everywhere deserve to live in a world free from violence and fear, where dignity and integrity of the human being is preserved,” Mitchell told the UN conference. He said the refugee crisis is
Crowded field for Haiti elections
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Cities and towns across Haiti are plastered with colorful campaign ads, leaving voters struggling to differentiate a swarm of candidates who grin from posters, banners and billboards slapped on nearly everything that doesn’t move and a few that do. Practically every public office is up for grabs in this year’s unprecedented three-round balloting that is picking the next president, two-thirds of the Senate, the entire 119-member Chamber of Deputies and all local offices. Even by Haiti’s rough-and-tumble standards, the parade of officeseekers and unpredictability of the elections is dizzying for many. “There are so many candidates it’s impossible to focus on it all and see if a few might actually have good ideas. Right now, this whole thing really gives me a headache,” secretary Germithe Merzilus said with an exasperated sigh as a group of partisans walked by in matching T-shirts touting a campaign. This troubled, poor Caribbean nation has at times been described as nearly ungovernable, yet a lot of people are lining up to try. The first round of Haiti’s presidential vote on Oct. 25 features no less than
Fred Mitchell without question, the most pressing since World War II. “We have seen the forlorn, fatigued and fearful faces of thousands of refugees and migrants from the Middle East and countries in Africa, all seeking refuge in Western Europe. “We applaud the UNHCR for their timely response to this crisis and recognize the critical work of the European Union members to manage the influx of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who have come to their shores.” Mitchell said the illegal migration problem in the Bahamas remains an awful reality. “The government of The Bahamas supports the view that dialogue and cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination is necessary for safe and orderly migration. The Bahamas is mindful of its international obligations in this regard but recognizes the importance of protecting its borders, to prevent it being overrun by illegal migrants,” he added.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
Maduro a no show in St. Vincent
John Kerry and Michel Martelly 54 candidates — a fractured field that makes the 19 contenders in the election five years ago look almost reasonable. They are seeking to succeed President Michel Martelly, who is barred by the constitution from serving a consecutive term. The apparent front-runner is Jude Celestin, a former state construction chief who was the government-backed presidential candidate in 2010. Disputed preliminary results then showed Celestin edging out Martelly for a spot in the runoff ballot, but under international pressure Haiti’s electoral authorities reviewed the count and eliminated him from the race. Other major candidates include an ex-senator who has been Martelly’s most vocal critic, a
Port-au-Prince lawyer and public notary, a former police chief, and the leader of the political movement founded by former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a once dominant but increasingly divided party that was barred from the last election. Spoiler candidates could include an influential sitting senator and a businessman who has made a Haitian fortune building a chain of “borlettes,” gaudily painted outlets that play on New York State Lottery numbers. With so many candidates, no one is likely to get more than 50 percent of the vote Oct. 25, meaning the two leading vote getters will face each other in a runoff Dec. 27.
President Nicolas Maduro has postponed an official visit to visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Venezuelan leader was due to visit on Tuesday as part of a trip that would have also taken him to Antigua. But Elson Crick, the communications consultant in the Office of the Prime Minister, said “ I regret to inform you that the visit the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro Moros, has been postponed to a date to be announced.” No explanations were given for the postponement of the visit, which had been announced less than 24 hours earlier. The only sign that Maduro was scheduled to visit the island was the ALBA-branded military aircraft on the apron at the airport, which is said to have transported the advance team as well as media practitioners from Venezuela. Maduro was expected to visit the construction site of the international airport at Argyle and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves during his visit. Last month, Maduro visited St Kitts and Nevis and storm-ravaged Dominica carrying messages of solidarity and offers of support.
Page 34
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
CARIBBEAN NEWS
Jamaican Government defends MOU with UK over new prison
The Jamaica government Agreement (PTA). with great potential for injury, loss has stoutly defended the “This is not the case. The of life, and liability to the State. agreement reached with the fact is that we have agreed to God forbid that we have a serious United Kingdom to build a multi- commence a process, which may, earthquake in Jamaica, then we million dollar prison here to house or may not, result in a Prisoner could be having a very different Jamaicans in jails in Britain even Transfer Agreement. We have discussion in this Parliament and as the opposition staged a walkout brought these inaccuracies to the same voices that criticise now of the Parliament on Tuesday. the attention of the British High would be condemning us then for National Security Commission locally, and trust that having done nothing.” Former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ Patterson Minister Peter Bunting refused a it will be corrected.” The National Security request from Opposition Leader, Bunting said that the Minister said that the current Andrew Holness, to give legislators proposal of the Prisoner Transfer discourse by some Jamaicans a commitment not to go through Agreement has being on the table “shows a callous disregard for our with the deal. for about a decade, long before fellow Jamaicans who have made Bunting said Holness the recent round of reparations mistakes, and who end up in one of our maximum-security facilities. Former Jamaica Prime Minister PJ seemed to be “disillusioned by his discussions. “As a country we have Patterson said that United Kingdom (UK) Prime brief term” as prime minister and He said former prime minister Bruce Golding stated over the traditionally shown little public Minister David Cameron’s “mere acknowledgement rejected the request. During the visit of weekend that the proposal was sympathy for the incarcerated, of the crime of slavery” during his visit to the island Britain’s Prime Minister David offered to his administration in with many of us believing that last week was insufficient. offenders should be punished Patterson accused Cameron of refusing Cameron, Prime Minister Portia 2008 and he rejected it. “There was no concrete and made to endure harsh to apologise, while his Government has already Simpson Miller spoke of the Memorandum of Understanding offer of financial support to build a conditions, arguably worse than apologised to everyone else for other horrid crimes. “Are we not worthy of an apology, or less (MOU) between the two countries new prison at that time. Golding what obtained on the plantations deserving. Mere acknowledgement of the crime to facilitate the construction of the went on to criticise this current during slavery.The time has come is insufficient,” Patterson said in an open letter Maximum Security Prison for the offer of 25 million pounds and 5.5 for us to put away this mindset.” He said human rights to Cameron, which was distributed to the Press island, facilitated by a proposed million pounds (One British pound Prisoner Transfer Agreement =US$1.51 cents) for rehabilitation organisations have repeatedly yesterday. and reintegration as insufficient, cited the conditions in our His remarks were specifically directed at Proposal by London. told the even though it is 30.5 million maximum security facilities as Cameron’s speech to a joint sitting of the Houses of Bunting Parliament that the matter has pounds more than he negotiated falling well below international Parliament on Wednesday, September 30. minimum standards and The former three-term Jamaican prime being enmeshed in the narrative at the time. “Therefore almost three constitute violations of Articles minister noted that the international community of Reparations for Slavery thousand Jamaican men continued 10 and 7 of the United Nation’s and international law call for formal apologies when occasioned by Cameron’s visit. He said given the strong to languish for another seven International Covenant on Civil crimes against humanity are committed. “The UN has deemed slave trading and feelings held by many Jamaicans years in degrading conditions and Political Rights (ICCPR). said that slavery as crimes against humanity. The refusal to on the matter of Reparations in and arguably in violation of He apologise is a refusal to take responsibility for the the context of the agitations from their human rights in our two notwithstanding the country’s budgetary constraints, “we have crime. In a law-abiding world, this is not acceptable,” several quarters in our society, maximum-security facilities.” and across the Caribbean, it is Bunting said that while being doing what we can over the Patterson said. He noted that recently Cameron urged understandable that this issue Golding forgot about the human past three years at the Ministry of his own country to keep the memory of the Jewish would have overshadowed the rights of these 3,000 Jamaicans, National Security to improve the experience alive, in memorials and education facts governing the MOU and he shortly thereafter was willing conditions under which inmates proposed Prisoner Transfer to champion the “human rights” are held”. curricula. of one Jamaican currently serving He said over the past 20 “We urge you to do the same for the black Agreement. “This matter of reparations time in the United States. years, successive governments experience, which remains before us all. It is precisely Bunting said that the have being bedeviled with how because we all want to move on that the reparatory runs deep in the Jamaican psyche, justice movement is alive and growing. We all want and this administration and island’s two principal correctional to solve this problem in ther to move on, but with justice and equality,” he added. this Parliament has joined the facilities -the Tower Street Adult correctional system. “For all very good reasons, He stated that contrary to Cameron’s view, call for reparatory justice. We Correctional Centre and the St. Caribbean people will never emerge completely from support, and indeed are a party Catherine Adult Correctional we have had to prioritise education, and infrastructure the “long, dark shadow” of slavery until there is a to, the decision by CARICOM Centre – were built in the 1600s health development. Today, the time “full confession of guilt by those who committed this (Caribbean Community) to use the and 1800s respectively. 10-point action plan as a basis for He said these institutions has come for us to do something evil atrocity”. “are literally falling apart. They about our unacceptable prison “The resilience and spirit of its people is negotiations on the issue.” He said communication are outdated and dilapidated with system. This Non-Binding MOU no ground to impair the solemnity of a privileged parliamentary occasion, and allow the memory of our from the UK government, which limited scope for rehabilitation, with the United Kingdom for a overcrowded, new Maximum Security Prison ancestors to be offended once again,” Patterson said. has being carried in British media, severely and a related Prisoner Transfer “The Caribbean people have long been may have left an impression in substandard and inhumane. “These facilities are highly Agreement Proposal provide for us looking to the future. This is what we do in our the public’s mind that Jamaica development visions, but these legacies are like has signed a Prisoner Transfer susceptible to natural disasters an opportunity to move forward.” millstones around our necks. We look to reparatory justice as the beginning of shaping a new future. We invite Britain to engage in removing this blot on human civilisation, so that together we can create a new and secure future,” he added. Patterson welcomed the gifts offered to the region by Cameron in his speech to Parliament, noting that “only the shrewdest observers of parliamentary KINGSTON, Jamaica Town Road in St Andrew, is incident in June. custom” would have noticed that the package he — A man is now before the court charged with wounding with However, Cole’s offered had discreetly omitted any mention of a on allegations that he stabbed intent. He however pleaded not attorney said during a £25-million contribution to the building of a prison. up woman because she refused guilty to the charge on Monday. bail application that the Patterson said this was understandable, as what his advances. The complainant told complainant’s statement is exists constitutes no more than a non-binding On Monday, Senior the court Monday that on the contradicting and that the Memorandum of Understanding. Corporate Area Magistrate day in question, the accused woman was in a relationship “You rightfully appreciated that its inclusion Judith Pusey called him a man pulled her earphone from with his client. would have been premature, as the framework dangerous man. her ears and started making “This love thing is agreement has to be followed by further intensive “They haven’t fallen in advances at her. a serious thing,” Pusey said. negotiations and then the requisite legislation,” love yet and him stab her up,” “I told him that I don’t “Thank God it doesn’t affect Patterson said. Pusey said at one point. want him because I have a me.” He said that Cameron had wisely chosen The complainant told man,” the woman said. “He The scrap metal instead, to add the announcement of £30 million the court that she had only said he would cut mi in my was offered $150,000 bail to make local hospitals more resilient to natural seen the accused man two face. I told him him affi owe mi on conditions that he’s not disasters. times prior to the incident. dat. Him stab mi two time.” to be within 100 feet of the “Despite your recognition of not being ‘the Courtney Cole, a 25- The woman said she complainant and report only show in town’, the words of strengthening year-old resident of a Callaloo had been receiving threat from daily to Duhaney Park Police the bonds of friendship and the downpayment you Mews address, off Spanish the accused man following the Station. brought would have been well received throughout the entire Caribbean,” Patterson said.
PJ Patterson scolds UK PM David Cameron
Jamaican man arrested for stabbing woman who rejected him
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 35
CARIBBEAN NEWS
World Bank warns of adverse effects for Latin America and Caribbean The World Bank says four years of an economic downturn are beginning to have adverse effects on jobs and household incomes in Latin America and the Caribbean. It said that after a commodity boom brought significant gains, a drop in labour force participation is causing families to feel the pinch. The latest World Bank semiannual regional report points out that the expectation is that the region will see zero per cent growth for 2015 with a slight improvement to one per cent in 2016, although uncertainty around that projection is high. The report titled “ Jobs, Wages and the Latin American Slowdown” notes that would be the fifth year in a row the region has underperformed initial expectations, a sign that new factors, mainly internal, are prolonging the effects of worsening external conditions,
particularly the sharp deceleration in China and fall of commodity prices. “Even with the slowdown, labour markets in the region had managed to remain strong,” said Augusto de la Torre, World Bank Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean. “More recently, however, we are seeing employment quality deteriorate, as salaried workers become self-employed, and workers shift from larger to smaller companies. “Most notable, however, is the fact that workers are exiting the labour market altogether, a propensity that is particularly marked among less educated, young males. As they go back home, or back to school, without a salary, the income of poorer households may suffer more,” he added. The report, issued ahead of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) annual meetings in Lima, finds that the region’s weighted average growth will stagnate in 2015. But the heterogeneity within the region remains and has shifted significantly. Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, more directly linked to the United States, grew less during the commodity boom and after the 2008-2009 global financial crises, but are now recovering faster. “Most countries in the region are still in the midst of adjusting to the new reality of diminished export revenue,” said De la Torre. “The key will be to make the adjustment as smooth as possible to avoid excessive loses in economic activity and employment. From a policy perspective, the key question is whether and how labour market conditions and income distribution will be affected in the months and years to come.”
Small countries terrorized by economic attacks from rich, powerful states
By Nelson A. King UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3, CMC – St. Lucia says it and other small states are being “literally terrorized” by constant attacks of rich and powerful countries against any economic advance. As a result, Foreign Affairs Minister Alva Baptiste told the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly Debate on Friday that the future of poor and powerless countries, like St. Lucia, is in “persistent peril. “How can we be expected to be stable and secure if our vulnerabilities as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are constantly ignored and overlooked?” he asked. “How is our war on poverty supposed to succeed and be sustained, if at every turn it is systematically undermined by regressive impositions of policies by the international community – whether in the form of illogical economic graduation, insensitive erosion of trade preferences, and inexplicable black listing of our financial jurisdictions?” he added. Baptiste said this “geographic and economic insecurity” has become the central source of domestic instability. He said to increase the specific gravity of economic problems, from an environmental standpoint, small states like St. Lucia face growing insecurity “as climate change unleashes increasingly deadly and destructive disasters upon us”. Baptiste said the recent devastation of Dominica by Tropical Storm Erika that caused damage amounting to almost 100 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) and Hurricane Joaquin’s decimating
march across the economic and environmental fabric of the Bahamas” are “vivid testimony to the ferocity of the threats that confront us”. Additionally, Baptiste said small island states, like his, find themselves trapped where the erosion of trade preferences, decline in Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Assistance (FDA) “have caused us to engage in increased borrowing to meet our current social and economic obligations, resulting in high debt to GDP ratios. “This has narrowed the room for fiscal policy flexibility and fiscal maneuvering,” he said, adding that the situation is further compounded by the increased security costs of responding to the negative impacts of the illicit trade in small arms and illegal narcotics, as well as reconstruction costs following natural disasters. Baptiste, however, said the new Global Partnership for sustainable economic and social development provides a platform from which to tack le human security in all its facets. In that vein, he said 2015 provides a “once in a generation opportunity to set a transformational global agenda for sustainable development.” He said the quartet of global agreements forged toward that end, on disaster risk reduction, financing for development, the post 2015 development agenda and the new climate change agreement yet to be finalized, are “intended to usher in a new era of sustainable development for all.” Baptiste said the adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals suggests
that “we have progressed our understanding of the profound challenges that face developing countries,” like St. Lucia. But he said the economic, social and environmental security of SIDS “rests in the effective implementation of these agreements. “Small countries like St. Lucia can hardly withstand externally induced insecurity. We require for our development a context of regional and international harmony, which is dependent on linkages far from our immediate environments.” He, therefore, said there is a “substantial concern” that small states, with limited material or diplomatic outreach, do not have access to arrangements that allow them to speedily draw support from outside, to inhibit or minimize environmental insecurity. The Foreign Affairs Minister said that expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council is “imperative to better reflect the contemporary world realities, and achieve a more accountable, representative, transparent and more importantly a relevant, Security Council.” He said St. Lucia applauds achievements made in the past year by moving the process now to text-based negotiations, and looks forward to the realization of this process. Baptiste said there is a general sense of relief and welcoming in St. Lucia and other members of the Western Hemisphere at the diplomatic reconciliation that has been taking place between the United States and Cuba.
A Shot of the Mona Reservoir in St Andrew
Jamaica relaxes drought restrictions after heavy rains
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The National Water Commission (NWC) says it has modified water supply restrictions affecting customers served by major catchment facilities in the Corporate Area following heavy rains over the weekend. A media release from the NWC on Monday said that the heavy rains since Friday have resulted in improvements in the watersheds, increased inflows into the various sources and increased storage levels, allowing for a modification of the restrictions. It said the Seaview, Hermitage/Constant Spring, Hope, and Mona water supply systems have all been positively impacted. The storage levels at the Hermitage Dam have moved from 69 per cent to 100 per cent and the Mona Reservoir has climbed from 25 per cent to 36 per cent. At the worst of the drought, storage levels had dropped to as low as about 20 per cent and 25 per cent at the Mona and Hermitage reservoirs, respectively, the NWC release said. “Based on the current increased inflows and storage levels affecting the Seaview and Hermitage/ Constant Spring water supply systems, droughtrelated restrictions are being lifted with immediate effect,” the release added. The NWC said it is relaxing the restrictions on the Mona and Hope water supply systems, to allow for 10-12 hours of supply daily during the course of this week. Nightly restrictions will remain in place until further improvements in storage are achieved at the Mona Reservoir.
Grenada launches new debt exchange offer ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The Grenada government has launched a debt exchange offer exchanging its United States (US) and Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar bonds due in 2025. The Keith Mitchell administration said that the bonds are being exchanged for new US and EC dollar bonds to be issued by Grenada. “The offer to exchange the 2025 Bonds for New Bonds follows intensive and detailed negotiations with the Steering Committee of Grenada Bondholders, and will implement the ‘in principle’ agreement reached earlier this year to reduce the original principal amount of the 2025 Bonds by 50 per cent in two stages,” the government said in a statement. It said the first half of the principal reduction will be implemented upon the closing of the proposed transaction, with the remaining half upon timely completion by Grenada of its current Extended Credit Facility (ECF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In 2014, Grenada entered into a three-year US$21.9 million ECF to support an “ambitious programme” to correct the island’s fiscal imbalances and lift sustainable growth.
Page 36
WORLD
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
NEWS
House Republicans in chaos as favourite McCarthy quits speaker race Mitch McConnell, also a Republican, had gone to great lengths all year to demonstrate that their party can effectively run Congress. “If we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to help do that,” McCarthy told reporters. He said he would stay on in his current post as majority leader. McCarthy’s ability to effectively communicate Republican initiatives was called into question last week U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (3rd L) arrives with staff members for a when he made a connection between a Republican caucus candidates’ forum for the next House speaker, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington special House committee investigating October 8, 2015. a 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, and Republicans in Congress were brink of default in 2011, leading to the Democratic presidential candidate plunged into turmoil on Thursday United States’ first-ever debt rating Hillary Clinton’s falling public opinion when California Representative Kevin downgrade. poll numbers. McCarthy, the favorite to succeed The next speaker will have Clinton was secretary of state retiring House Speaker John Boehner, to answer to a newly assertive at the time of the attack, in which four dropped out of the race in a surprise conservative wing at a time when the Americans, including the ambassador that adds to concerns about the party’s party is trying to appeal to a broad to Libya, were killed. ability to govern effectively. swath of voters in the campaign for the One possible successor to McCarthy, the No. 2 Republican November 2016 presidential elections. Boehner, Wisconsin Representative in the House, faced opposition from In several closed-door meetings Paul Ryan, said he was not interested more conservative lawmakers who this week, McCarthy told lawmakers in becoming speaker. The party’s 2012 now could be emboldened to take a he would not be like Boehner, some vice presidential nominee is widely more confrontational approach toward lawmakers said afterward, but few admired among Republicans but said Democratic President Barack Obama seem to have found this convincing. he wanted to remain as chairman on legislation and policy. Boehner, who announced of the tax-writing Ways and Means McCarthy’s decision leaves Sept. 25 that he would step down at Committee. House Republicans without a leader the end of October, said on Thursday The two lawmakers who had at a time when they face difficult that he would stay on the job until a challenged McCarthy for the post, decisions about the spending and replacement is elected. Representatives Jason Chaffetz of national debt that could threaten the Both the secret-ballot vote Utah and Daniel Webster of Florida, country’s ability to pay its bills and to nominate a Republican candidate said they were still in the race. keep its government running. for speaker and the full House vote, “It was just absolutely stunning Even under the leadership of which was set for Oct. 30, have been what happened,” Chaffetz said. “I don’t Boehner, who relied on McCarthy as postponed until further notice. know if I am the right person. I put my an ally, Republicans stumbled into a House Republicans’ inability name in the hat because I do want to 16-day government shutdown in 2013 to merely pick a leader comes after unite this party internally.” Webster and brought the country to the Boehner and Senate Majority Leader said he expected other candidates to
$310M Powerball jackpot winner quits job
A supervisor at a Michigan fiberglass factory who won a $310.5 million Powerball jackpot said Tuesday that she immediately quit her one-time “nasty, dirty” job and will buy land to build houses for her family. Julie Leach of Three Rivers said she was having a “really bad night” working the third shift when she took her lunch break at McDonald’s. She checked the six numbers in the drive-thru line around 1 a.m. Thursday. “I keep going to sleep and waking up with the same beautiful dream,” the 50-yearold told reporters during a news conference at the Michigan Lottery headquarters. Her partner of 36 years, Vaughn Avery, and some of their children and grandchildren looked on. “I’m going to take care of my kids,” Leach said. “I don’t want them to have to work like I had to work and deal with the kinds of things I had to deal with over life. I just want to make it a good life for them, take care of them.” She took a one-time lump payment of $197.4 million, about $140 million after taxes. Leach played in a lottery
Julie Leach of of Three Rivers, Mich., holds her $310 Million check aloft Tuesday, Oct 6, 2015, in Lansing, Mich., as the Michigan Lottery Commission announces she was the sole winner of the $310.5 million Powerball jackpot in last week’s big drawing. pool with her co-workers. But at her way up to supervisor after Avery’s urging, she stopped to buy initially applying fiberglass resin coffee and $20 worth of Powerball to bathtubs. tickets at the Three Rivers West It was “one of the dirtiest, Shell gas station on the way to nastiest jobs in there,” Leach work Wednesday night. At first, told The Associated Press in an she did not believe she had won, interview, accompanied by a checking the numbers many times financial adviser. Their two adult and returning to the Aquatic children also stopped working Bathware plant to ask co-workers after finding out about her fortune. to verify the win. Then she went Avery said his son, who Leach calls home and woke up Avery, her high her stepson, may also quit his job. school sweetheart. Avery, 53, said he had asked Leach “He wanted to go to work. to marry him several times over I said, ‘Are you crazy? We don’t the years but she never really have to work anymore,’” Leach wanted marriage after seeing said. friends of theirs divorce. She was at the company “I said he’d have to sign a for about 23 years, working prenup now,” she joked.
enter the contest. The Republicans were tossed into upheaval just a few weeks before the United States is due to reach the limits of its borrowing authority. The Treasury department has estimated that the United States will hit its $18 trillion debt cap around Nov. 5, and the White House urged Congress to raise the limit before then to avoid a possible default. Lawmakers are also struggling with Obama on spending levels before government funding runs out on Dec. 11. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said there had been several instances in the past few years in which a Republican-dominated House of Representatives has managed to raise the debt ceiling without political brinkmanship. “And we’re hopeful that in spite of this chaos, that Republicans and Democrats in the House will do the same thing again,” Earnest said at a news briefing. McCarthy was elected to Congress from California in 2006 and had been one of Boehner’s lieutenants in House Republican leadership since 2011. He has been majority leader since August 2014. Webster had drawn the backing of the House Freedom Caucus, a bloc of about 40 conservatives. These Tea Party-aligned members noted that Webster, 66, led efforts that “empowered” individual lawmakers while he was speaker of the Florida House from 1996 to 1998.
Mayor of Rome resigns over expenses scandal
Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino resigned on Thursday following a scandal over his credit card expenses that has dented the image of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Democratic Party (PD). Marino, a PD member, has denied allegations that he used city money to wine and dine his family and friends in what has become known as the ‘Dinner-gate’ affair. He has offered to pay back all the 20,000 euros ($22,500) that he claimed on his official credit card.. “I am resigning,” Marino said in a statement, defending his record in office and saying his attempts to build a better future for Rome had been met with “a furious reaction” from vested interests. The scandal, one of several which have dogged Marino for months, comes as the city struggles to prepare for the forthcoming Roman Catholic Holy Year that is expected to bring millions of visitors to Rome. His resignation followed a heated meeting of the city government when it became clear he no longer had Renzi’s confidence and had lost his majority on the town council. When the unpopular and isolated Marino initially refused to step down, his closest allies in the city hall said they were resigning and the PD threatened to present a no-confidence vote in its own mayor. “The end of this administration is inevitable and it will come very soon,” Stefano Esposito, who is close to Renzi and has responsibility for Rome’s dilapidated bus and underground systems, told reporters hours before Marino resigned.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 37
WORLD NEWS
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch apologizes for ‘real black President’ tweet Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has apologised for a tweet suggesting President Barack Obama is not a “real black president”. In tweets praising Republican candidate Ben Carson, Mr Murdoch wrote: “What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide?” After criticism on Twitter, he later tweeted: “Apologies! No offence meant. Personally find both men charming.” Mr Murdoch, 84, is founder of the global News Corporation empire. His company owns Fox News Channel and The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal in the US, and Sky News and The Sun and Times newspapers in the UK, among others. He is ranked as one of the world’s most powerful people. Mr Murdoch has previously tweeted his admiration for Mr Carson, a 63-year-old retired neurosurgeon who is one of 15 hopefuls vying to become the Republican candidate for the US presidency in 2016. A few days ago, he tweeted: “Everywhere pundits keep underestimating Ben Carson. But public understand humility as admirable, listen to the multi-
Rupert Murdoch faceted strong message.” Previously, he has said of him: “Maybe the one to beat. Irreproachable on background, achievements, character, vision.” He took to Twitter again on Wednesday. President Obama, throughout his presidency, has tended to be cautious about race, leaving others to attach racial meaning to his presidency, the BBC’s Nick Bryant in New York has written. This week’s New York magazine quotes members of the AfricanAmerican community as saying they wish he had done more to tackle racial problems. Mr Carson caused
controversy last month when he said a Muslim should not run for president because Islam was inconsistent with the US constitution. In early August the National Urban League, a black civil rights organisation, gathered in Florida for its annual conference - and attendees and speakers grappled with the upcoming 2016 election and the role that black voters will play. Some of the talk could prove encouraging for Republicans. “We are a part, as black voters, of a coalition that we’ve given everything to and can’t ask anything from,” Van Jones, an environmental activist, lawyer and former Obama adviser, said during a panel on the presidential race. “As long as that’s our position, we’re going to continue to be mistreated within our own party.” Blacks have been supportive of other Democratic priorities, such as immigration reform, the environment and gay rights, but are being ignored on matters that concern their communities, he believes. “The Obama era of black silence on issues that are important to us is over,” Jones said.
US judge refuses to undo government order on green cards SEATTLE — A federal judge declined to issue an emergency order Wednesday that would allow tens of thousands of highly skilled immigrants from India and China to immediately apply to become permanent residents, as the government initially told them they could. Lawyers for the immigrants had not shown they were likely to win their case or that the order would be in the public interest, the judge ruled. The immigrants sued the government last week after it revised a notice on applying for green cards. The lawsuit seeks class-action status. The initial notice, issued by the State Department Sept. 9, detailed which categories of immigrants would be able to file their final green card paperwork beginning Oct. 1, a step that grants several benefits, including the ability to change jobs and travel abroad more easily as they wait for permanent resident status. But officials revised it on Sept. 25, severely curtailing who could apply — and frustrating thousands of people who had already spent money on legal fees and medical tests to get their applications ready. While Martinez declined to issue a temporary restraining order blocking the government’s revised notice, the case will continue with the sides making full arguments. In court documents, officials said they had to correct the earlier notice because it suggested more visas were immediately available than federal law allows to be issued. The U.S. issues up to 40,040 visas each year to workers in the category of the affected immigrants, but it limits how many visas can be issued to immigrants of any single country. That’s created huge backlogs for immigrants from India and China, countries with large numbers of highly skilled workers who want to stay in the United States. Last year, President Barack Obama issued an executive order seeking to streamline the U.S. legal immigration system.
Church removes 103-year-old woman as member Snowden offers to go to prison to return to US
ELBERTON, Ga. — A small church in northeast Georgia is defending its decision to revoke the membership of a 103-year-old woman who disagreed with the pastor. The Athens BannerHerald reported that Union Grove Baptist Church of Elberton said Genora H. Biggs was displaying conduct detrimental to the congregation. The woman has been a church member for 92 years but disagreed with its pastor, Timothy Mattox, about worship practices that include laying hands on members. Biggs, a retired teacher, said such activities aren’t Baptist but were introduced at the church by Mattox, one of her former students. “He is a holy sanctified minister or so he says. We voted him in and we didn’t know it until he was there. We are Baptists and that’s what we want to stay,” Biggs said. A statement from the Union Grove church said fellow members decided to remove Biggs. “It was determined by the congregation during a church conference meeting, which Mrs. Biggs was present at the time of the meeting, that the behavior of Mrs. Biggs and others was detrimental to the church at large and could no longer be allowed,” according to the statement. Church members voted
Genora H. Biggs, the 103-year-old woman who was removed as a member of Union Grove Baptist Church for displaying what a church statement said was conduct detrimental to the congregation. in August to revoke Biggs’ membership, although she has continued attending services. Biggs was previously a church officer, and her father was one of its founders. She received a letter about her expulsion. “I was unhappy and shocked,” said Biggs. “I joined the church when I was 11 years old.”
Also banned from the church was Biggs’ grandson, Eliott Dye, a member for 30 years, and Kevin Hamm, an ordained minister who was also a member of the church. “I tried to talk with (Mattox) and he was just determined to say, ‘You can’t come over here, period,’” Hamm said.
LONDON — Edward Snowden says he has offered to return to the United States and go to jail for leaking details of National Security Agency programs to intercept electronic communications data on a vast scale. The former NSA contractor flew to Moscow two years ago after revealing information about the previously secret eavesdropping powers, and faces U.S. charges that could land him in prison for up to 30 years. Snowden told the BBC that he’d “volunteered to go to prison with the government many times,” but had not received a formal pleadeal offer. He said that “so far they’ve said they won’t torture me, which is a start, I think. But we haven’t gotten much further than that.” In an interview broadcast Monday on the BBC’s “Panorama” program, Snowden said he and his lawyers were waiting for U.S. officials “to call us back.” Earlier this year, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a plea deal with Snowden was a possibility. Snowden’s revelations about the NSA, Britain’s GCHQ and other intelligence agencies set off an international debate about spies’ powers to monitor personal communications, and about the balance between security and privacy. Critics say his disclosures harmed the ability of the United States and its allies to fight terrorism. FBI deputy director Mark Giuliano told the BBC that Snowden was a traitor. “The question is, if I was a traitor, who did I betray?” Snowden said. “I gave all of my information to American journalists and free society generally. “I have paid a price but I feel comfortable with the decisions I’ve made,” he added. “If I’m gone tomorrow, I’m happy with what I had. I feel blessed.”
Page 38
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
WORLD NEWS
EU agrees to get tough on deportations
LUXEMBOURG European Union governments agreed on Thursday to step up deportations of illegal immigrants and discussed creating an border guard force among measures to cope with a surge in refugees from Syria’s civil war. “Increased return rates should act as a deterrent to irregular migration,” interior ministers concluded at a meeting in Luxembourg that included approving “detention” for those who may abscond before expulsion. The agreement also spoke of exerting more “leverage” on African and other poor states, including via aid budgets, to make them accept the return of citizens refused entry to Europe. They were joined later by EU foreign ministers and delegations from Balkan states, Turkey, Jordan
and Lebanon for talks on stemming migrant flows that have divided member countries over how to secure the EU’s external borders and share responsibility for housing refugees. The EU is offering neighboring states funding to help them support Syrians and wants more cooperation to control migration. “Returns are always tough,” German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters. “But ... we can only offer space and support to refugees in need of protection if those who don’t need protection don’t come or are quickly returned.” In recent years, fewer than 40 percent of people whose asylum claims are rejected have then left the EU. Also being discussed are closer cooperation on
external frontiers, especially in the Mediterranean, from where hundreds of thousands have made their way north, prompting some countries to suspend passport-free travel inside Europe’s Schengen area. “A Europe without secure external borders will be a Europe with internal border checks,” de Maiziere said. “We don’t want that.” Echoing a call by President Francois Hollande on Wednesday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve proposed beefing up the EU’s Frontex borders agency and in time establishing a full European Border Guard service with expanded powers to step in where national authorities had difficulty managing EU frontiers. Ministers said there was broad agreement on
cooperating more to help those states with external EU borders -- though some also stressed the importance of preserving national sovereignty. The meetings are part of efforts to implement a package of measures put forward by EU officials over the past six months and which have this week involved the start of negotiations with Turkey, temporary home to more than half of the four million Syrian refugees, to try and discourage people from traveling. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who angered some of her eastern neighbors over the summer by offering a welcome to more Syrians, made clear in a speech on Wednesday that Europe would also do more to deter and expel the hundreds of thousands who reach Europe
US ready to defend against North Korean nuclear threat
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (L) guides artillery fire and landing exercises in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency The U.S. government believes North Korea has the capability to launch a nuclear weapon against the U.S. homeland and stands ready to defend against any such attacks, a highlevel U.S. military official said on Wednesday. Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said he agreed with U.S. intelligence assessments
that North Korea had nuclear weapons, as well as the ability to miniaturize them and put them on a rocket that could reach the United States. “We assess that they have the capability to reach the homeland with a nuclear weapon from a rocket,” Gortney told an event hosted by the Atlantic Council think tank. Gortney said it was very difficult to predict the behavior of North Korean leader Kim Jong
Un but the U.S. military was prepared to respond if he were to use a nuclear weapon. “We’re ready for him, and we’re ready 24 hours a day if he should be dumb enough to shoot something at us,” Gortney said. “I’m pretty confident that we’re going to knock down the numbers that are going to be shot.” North Korea’s space agency said last month Pyongyang was building a new satellite and readying it for launch, with any use of a long-range rocket suggesting that the secretive state has made advances developing a ballistic missile. North Korea says its rocket launches are part of a legitimate space program aimed at putting satellites into orbit. It has in the past conducted missile tests in defiance of international warnings and sanctions. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency said in March North Korea could achieve the ability to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile this year. On Wednesday, Gortney said the U.S. military was investing to modernize its current missile defense system, add new sensors and radars to better identify potential missile launches, and drive down the cost of defending against such attacks. He warned that the failure of the U.S. Congress to pass a budget for fiscal year 2016, or a resumption of mandatory budget cuts, could jeopardize the funding needed for such efforts.
every year illegally in search of prosperity. Other elements of EU migration policy include increasing aid for refugees who stay in the Middle East and tightening procedures for identification on arrival in Italy and Greece. One of the most divisive issues for EU states has been new programs to relocate asylum seekers from the frontline states of Italy and Greece around the bloc. Ex-communist eastern states have been vocal in rejecting immigration. However, the first such relocation, of Eritreans heading to Sweden from Italy, is due to take place on Friday. That movement has been a key demand of Rome and Athens, who are in turn under pressure to accept EU personnel to help control their borders.
Road repair crew accidently buries a drunken man in India NEW DELHI — Road construction workers in central India killed a man when they accidentally buried him in a pit while repairing a road, police said Tuesday. The road repair crew failed to notice that a drunken man had fallen into a crater on the side of the road in Sleemanabad, a village in Madhya Pradesh state. Working in the evening, the workers dumped gravel and an asphalt mixture into the pit, burying the man, before using a large roller to smoothen the road, said Constable Dhruvsingh Thakur. The death was discovered when villagers noticed that part of the man’s hand was visible in the road and police dug out his body on Monday. The man, in his mid-30s, had gone to a village fair and later stopped at a liquor store. He was heading home when he fell into the pit and lost consciousness, his neighbors told Thakur. Two workers of the road repair crew were arrested and have been charged with homicide. Poorly maintained roads with large potholes are common in India.
Congressman grabs drinking glass used by pope, takes sip PHILADELPHIA — Pope Francis wasn’t the only person to drink from the glass of water he used during his speech to Congress. An enterprising Democratic congressman from Philadelphia also took a sip. U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, a Roman Catholic, told the Philadelphia Daily News ( ) that as the pope left the chamber Thursday, the lawmaker headed to the lectern to grab Francis’ drinking glass. Brady said he took it to his office and had a drink. So did his wife, Debra, and two staffers, he said. “How many people do you know that drank out of the same glass as the pope?” Brady asked. The congressman said he also invited fellow Catholic and Democrat U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania into his office. Casey, his wife and his mother dipped their fingers into the water, Brady said. Brady said he used a bottle to save the rest for his four grandchildren and his greatgranddaughter, saying he would bless them with it.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 39
WORLD NEWS
Water flows on Mars, raising possibility that planet could support life Briny water flows during the summer months on Mars, raising the possibility that the planet long thought to be arid could support life today, scientists analyzing data from a NASA spacecraft said on Monday. Although the source and the chemistry of the water is unknown, the discovery will change scientists’ thinking about whether the planet that is most like Earth in the solar system hosts microbial life beneath its radiation-blasted crust. “It suggests that it would be possible for life to be on Mars today,” John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associate administrator for science, told reporters, discussing the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. “Mars is not the dry, arid planet that we thought of in the past. Under certain circumstances, liquid water has been found on Mars,” said Jim Green, the agency’s director of planetary science. But NASA will not be rushing out to search the newly discovered saltwater residue for life just yet. “If I were a microbe on Mars, I would probably not live near
one of these (sites). I would want to live further north or south, quite far under the surface and where there’s more of a freshwater glacier. We only suspect those places exist and we have some scientific evidence that they do,” Grunsfeld said. The discovery of the water flows was made when scientists developed a new technique to analyze chemical maps of the surface of Mars obtained by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft. They found telltale fingerprints of salts that form only in the presence of water in narrow channels cut into cliff walls throughout the planet’s equatorial region. The slopes, first reported in 2011, appear during the warm summer months on Mars, then vanish when the temperatures drop. The chemical fingerprints of hydrated minerals did likewise, the new study showed. Scientists suspected the streaks, known as recurring slope lineae, or RSL, were cut by flowing water, but previously had been unable to make the measurements. “I thought there was no hope,”
Lujendra Ojha, a graduate student at Georgia Institute of Technology and lead author of the scientific paper, told Reuters. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter makes its measurements during the hottest part of the Martian day, so scientists believed any traces of water, or fingerprints from hydrated minerals, would have evaporated. Also, the chemicalsensing instrument on the orbiting spacecraft cannot home in on details as small as the narrow streaks, which typically are less than 16 feet (5 meters) wide. But Ojha and colleagues created a computer program that could scrutinize individual pixels. That data was then correlated with high-resolution images of the streaks. Scientists concentrated on the widest streaks and came up with a 100 percent match between their locations and detections of hydrated salts. The discovery “confirms that water is playing a role in these features,” said planetary scientist Alfred McEwen, with the University of Arizona.
Obama, Putin clash over differences on Syria’s future
U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply disagreed over the chaos in Syria, with Obama urging a political transition to replace the Syrian president but Putin warning it would be a mistake to abandon the current government. After dueling speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, Obama and Putin also met privately for 90 minutes — their first face-to-face encounter in nearly a year. At the heart of their dispute over Syria is the fate of embattled Syrian leader Bashar Assad, a Russian ally. The U.S. has long called for Assad to leave power, while Russia has cast the Syrian government as the only viable option for confronting the Islamic State, a militant group that has taken advantage of the vacuum created by the civil war. During his address to the UN, Obama declared, “We must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a return to the prewar status quo.” Putin, speaking shortly after the U.S. president, urged the world to stick with Assad. “We believe it’s a huge mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian authorities, with the government forces, those who are bravely fighting terror face-to-face,” Putin said during his first appearance at the U.N. gathering in a decade. Obama and Putin’s disparate views of the grim situation in Syria left little indication of how the two countries might work together to end a conflict that has killed more than 250,000 people and resulted in a flood
of refugees. Indeed, the leaders’ private meetings ended with vague statements about the need for a political resolution to the crisis, but no clear pathway for making that happen. The crisis has taken on fresh urgency amid Russia’s recent military buildup in Syria. Putin has cast the increased presence of equipment and troops in Syria as part of the effort to defeat the Islamic State, and suggested Monday that Russia could launch airstrikes against the militants. “We are thinking about it and don’t exclude anything,” he said. It’s unlikely Putin would join the U.S.-led coalition already launching strikes against the militants. He said Russia will only take such a step in accordance with international law, and criticized the U.S. and its allies for striking the Syrian territory without U.N. permission. The Syria crisis largely overshadowed the summit’s other discussions on peacekeeping, climate change and global poverty. French President Francois Hollande backed Obama’s call for Assad’s ouster, saying “nobody can imagine” a political solution in Syria if he is still in power. Hollande called on countries with influence in Syria, including Gulf nations and Iran, to be engaged in a transition. However, Iran — which along with Russia is a strong backer of Assad — said the Syrian president must remain in power to fight extremists. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that while Syria’s government needs reform, the country will fall to the Islamic State if the international community makes getting rid of Assad its top goal.
FROM WATER TO SUPPORTING LIFE? Still unknown is whether minerals are absorbing water vapor directly from Mars’ thin atmosphere, or if there is a source of melting ice beneath the surface. Whatever the water’s source, the prospect of liquid water, even seasonally, raises the intriguing prospect that Mars, which is presumed to be a cold and dead planet, could support life today. However, McEwen said much more information about the water’s chemistry would be needed before scientists could make that assessment. “It’s not necessarily habitable just because it’s water – at least to terrestrial organisms,” he said. The prospect of water, even extremely briny and chemically laced-water, also has implications for future human missions to Mars. NASA’s goal is to land U.S. astronauts on Mars in the mid-2030s. “Mars has resources that are useful to future travelers,” Grunsfeld said.
“The water is really crucial because we need water to drink, oxygen to breathe.” Water also can be split into its component hydrogen and oxygen molecules to produce rocket fuel, needed to fly crews back to Earth. The evidence that there was water on the planet as recently as last summer and during several previous seasons was the key finding in the study released on Monday. NASA’s ongoing Mars rover Curiosity has already found evidence that Mars had all the ingredients and suitable habitats for microbial life to exist at some point in its past. Scientists have been trying to figure out how Mars transformed from a warm, wet and likely Earth-like planet early in its history into the cold, dry desert that exists today. Billions of years ago, Mars, which lacks a protective, global magnetic field, lost much of its atmosphere. Several initiatives are underway to determine how much of the planet’s water was stripped away and how much remains locked in ice in underground reservoirs.
Unsupervised teens more likely to use tobacco, pot and alcohol
A small U.S. study appears to confirm adult fears that teens who spend more than the average amount of unsupervised time “hanging out” with peers have higher odds of smoking cigarettes and marijuana and drinking alcohol. Researchers also found that teens more heavily involved in sports were less likely to smoke tobacco or pot, but more likely to drink, whereas kids who worked part-time jobs were more likely to smoke and drink but less likely to use pot. Unfortunately, greater than average involvement in structured school and after-school activities did not seem to offer a protective effect. The study team expected structured activities to have the strongest negative relationship to kids’ use of forbidden substances, and therefore the greatest predictive power, said lead author Kenneth Lee, a doctoral student in education at the University of California, Irvine. “But we’re seeing it’s unsupervised
time with peers that’s being the most predictive of substance abuse,” Lee told Reuters Health by email. Lee and co-author Deborah Lowe Vandell, an education researcher at U.C. Irvine, point out in the Journal of Adolescent Health that other studies have shown unsupervised time with peers and lack of structure can increase the risk of delinquency and illegal acts. Most research of this kind, however, tends to look at single contexts, like sports participation, and also often focuses on ways to stop kids from using illicit substances, rather than preventing them from ever starting, Lee said. “We thought it would be interesting to identify when, where and with whom adolescents are partaking of substance use. We thought the best way to do this would be to look at various contexts - especially in the out-of-school time environment,” Lee said. The study used data from a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study on 766 kids from 10 cities who were enrolled as infants in 1991. Researchers focused on the teens’ activities at age 15 and then again at the end of high school. They found that teens who spent the most unsupervised time with peers relative to the average amount for the entire group were 39 percent more likely to smoke cigarettes, 47 percent more likely to drink alcohol and 71 percent more likely to smoke marijuana than average.
Page 40
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
BUSINESS &
TECHNOLOGY
Majority of US adults now use social media Social media usage among American adults has ballooned in the past decade with about two-thirds now on social networking sites, Pew Research Center said on Thursday. The 65 percent of adults in the United States using social media is up from 46 percent in 2010 and just 7 percent in 2005, the year Pew began tracking usage. Since the early 2000s, social media sites on the Internet have surged in popularity, from Friendster and Myspace to Facebook and Twitter, among others. Social networking has evolved from people “poking” each other and connecting with one another to law enforcement agencies and national leaders using the sites to disseminate information. For its findings on Thursday, Pew analyzed 27 national surveys of Americans, about 47,000 interviews among adult Internet users and about 62,000 interviews among all adults conducted from March 2005 to July 2015. Margins of error were up to plus or minus 3.9 percent. Pew said the overall number of users of social networks has leveled off but there continues to be growth among some groups who were not early adopters, such as older Americans. Social media use among
People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture those 65 and older has more than tripled to 35 percent since 2010, when just 11 percent used social media. Those 18 to 29 years old are most likely to use social media and 90 percent of them use it today, compared to 78 percent in 2010, Pew said. In addition, Pew said usage among those aged 30 to 49 is up from 53 percent in 2010 to 77 percent this year. Women began using social media more than men in 2009 but the difference has shrunk in recent years, Pew said, with 68 of women using social media in 2015, compared to 62 percent of men. These figures are
up since 2010, when 50 percent of women and 42 percent of men used social media. Those in higher-income households and those with at least some college experience have been more likely to use social media, according to Pew. Historically, adults who live in rural communities have been the least likely to use social media, Pew said. Pew said there are no notable differences in social media use among racial or ethnic groups - 65 percent of both whites and Hispanics and 56 percent of African Americans currently use social media.
Jobless claims fall to near a 42-year low
The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell more than expected to near a 42-year low last week, pointing to ongoing tightening in the labor market despite the recent slowdown in hiring. The data released on Thursday provides an upbeat check on the health of the labor market after last week’s monthly employment report increased doubts the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates by the end of this year. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 263,000 for the week ended Oct. 3, the Labor Department said. That was the lowest since mid-July when the number of claims was at its lowest since 1973. Hitting such a historical low is remarkable considering the U.S. workforce has grown considerably since the 1970s. It was also the 31st straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is usually associated with a strengthening labor market. The Labor Department said there were no special factors impacting last week’s claims. Claims for the prior week were revised lower by 1,000. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a more modest decline in claims to 274,000 last week. The four-week moving average of claims, considered a better measure of labor market trends as it irons out week-to-week volatility, dropped 3,000 to 267,500. U.S. Treasury yields were little changed following publication of the data, and U.S. stock futures continued their declines. While businesses appear to have little reason to let workers go these days, in recent months they have not shown much gusto in adding new hires. U.S. employers added just 142,000 jobs to their payrolls in September and 136,000 in August, which was well below the averages in prior months of about 200,000 new jobs added every month. The slowdown in hiring has boosted expectations the Fed will wait until early next year to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade.
Bill Gross sues Pimco for $200 million over forced ouster
Famed bond investor Bill Gross sued his former employer Pacific Investment Management Co and its parent Allianz SE for $200 million, saying he was driven out of the bond fund giant he helped found by a greedy “cabal” of executives who wanted his huge bonus for themselves. In a complaint filed on Thursday in the California Superior Court in Orange County, Gross said Pimco managing directors were “driven by a lust for power, greed, and a desire to improve their own financial position and reputation” in their ultimately successful plot to oust him. His departure was announced on Sept. 26, 2014. The lawsuit ratchets up the vitriol between Gross, 71, who now runs the Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund for Janus Capital Group Inc , and Pimco, which he had built over four decades into a $2 trillion U.S. bond fund company. Gross, a billionaire,
had been “on track” to receive a bonus topping $250 million from Pimco in 2014, with most of it paid late in the year, according to the complaint. He accused Pimco of constructive termination, breach of contract, and exercising bad faith. “This lawsuit has no merit and our legal team will be responding in court in due course,” Pimco spokesman Michael Reid said. Allianz had no immediate comment. Gross, through a spokesman, declined to comment. His lead lawyer Patricia Glaser said in a statement any recoveries will go to charity, including the Pimco Foundation. A spokeswoman for Janus called the lawsuit “a personal matter related to Bill.” Known on Wall Street as the “Bond King,” Gross exited Pimco eight months after his management style helped prompt second-incommand Mohamed El-Erian to quit.
That style, along with investors outflows and a weak performance by the flagship Pimco Total Return Fund, which Gross had built into the world’s largest bond fund by assets, were also the subjects of much negative press in 2014. Total Return’s assets peaked at $293 billion in April 2013, but have since fallen to below $100 billion. It has been surpassed in size by the Vanguard Total Bond Market Index fund. Pimco’s assets under management totaled $1.52 trillion as of June 30. The lawsuit “tends to drag out both sides’ dirty laundry in the open so I think it will hurt both Bill and Pimco,” said Scot Shier, a financial adviser at Quintessential Financial Corp in Mission Viejo, California who invests client money in Pimco funds.
Bill Gross adjusts his sunglasses as he arrives to speak at the Morningstar Investment Conference in Chicago, Illinois
El-Erian was prompted by a difference in strategy. He said El-Erian wanted to give investors an “extensive and varied menu,” like at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant, of investment choices including stocks, commodities, real estate and hedge fund-like products, while Gross favored a “bonds and burgers” focus on markets that fueled Pimco’s success. Gross said that after El-Erian left, other less-senior HUMILIATION Pimco executives plotted to drive him out as well, and In the complaint, share in his 20 percent stake Gross said his falling out with in Pimco’s bonus pool, because
they thought his presence was impeding their careers and limiting their pay. He said this plan was “hatched” by Daniel Ivascyn, who succeeded him as Pimco’s group chief investment officer and allegedly helped recruit others to the cause. By mid-September 2014, when conditions had become untenable, Gross said he began negotiating to resign as chief investment officer, cut his bonus, give up oversight of Total Return, and as “further humiliation” even be forbidden from entering Pimco’s offices in Newport Beach, California.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 41
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY WORLD NEWS
Facebook’s ‘Like’ button set to get more emotive A Moody’s sign is displayed on 7 World Trade Center, the company’s corporate headquarters in New York Ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service upheld the United States’ triple-A credit rating and stable outlook on Wednesday, but it noted potential longer-term threats to the rating. Moody’s, which has never changed the United States’ triple-A rating, said the rating was supported by factors including a strong record of gross domestic product growth and the status of the U.S. dollar and Treasuries as the global reserve currency and bond market benchmark. The continued stable outlook signals the rating is not likely to change over the next 12-18 months. The ratings agency said that a downgrade could occur toward the end of the decade or into the 2020s, however, if fiscal policy remained unchanged and U.S. budget deficits and the debt ratios increase. The agency cited spending on social programs as a concern. Moody’s said the U.S. government’s debt to GDP ratio was stabilizing and noted that the United States remained on track to post its sixth straight year of expansion. Moody’s also noted that U.S. growth, on a relative basis, compared more favorably with other triple-A rated economies than it did a year ago.
Like it or not, Facebook Inc’s trademark “Like” button is set to get more expressive. The social network said on Thursday it is launching a pilot test of “Reactions”, which will allow users to express a range of emotions including love, happiness, anger and sadness. “Dislike” is not one of them though. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said last month the social network was working on adding a button other than “Like” to express empathy on posts where a “Like” would not be the appropriate response. Users immediately took to the social media site, speculating that the company was working on a “dislike” button. In a video accompanying a Facebook post by Chief Product Officer Chris Cox on Thursday, the six new buttons appear as animated emoticons and pop up when the “Like” button is longpressed. (on.fb.me/1LBnXIG) The company said it would start the pilot in Ireland and Spain on iOS, Android and desktops. The feedback from the pilot test will be used to improve the feature and the company
Computer screens display the Facebook sign-in screen in this photo illustration taken in Golden, Colorado hopes “to roll it out to everyone soon,” Cox wrote in the post, which was “liked” by nearly 3,400 users within an hour. Cox clarified that the button was not a “dislike” button. “As you can see, it’s not a “dislike” button, though we hope it addresses the spirit of this request more broadly.”
Zuckerberg’s comments last month prompted contrasting opinions over the potential “dislike” button. While some said they would use Facebook more if a dislike button were introduced, others said it would lead to cyberbullying and more negativity on the site.
New York property market still hot, leasing slows a bit
The Manhattan skyline Leasing activity in the third quarter for office space in Manhattan dipped below a 10-year rolling average for the first time since 2013, a crack in an otherwise robust commercial real estate market, Colliers International Group Inc said. The asking rate for rents is at record highs and property sales are poised to set an annual record, while the availability rate for office space fell to 9.7 percent, the lowest for all of Manhattan in seven years, Colliers said. “We’re definitely in a landlord’s market with the availability rate where it is now,” Joseph Harbert, president of the eastern region at Colliers, said at a media briefing. Harbert said it was a very vibrant market, especially
for space between 15,000 and 75,000 square feet. The price of asking rents for all Manhattan surpassed $70 a square foot for the first time since 2008, considered the peak of the city’s commercial real estate market. Another sign of a tightening market includes the amount of space that is leased, known in the industry as absorption, which slipped from year-ago levels but remains strong as technology, the socalled TAMI sector, continues to drive demand. Technology, advertising, media and information accounted for the largest share of leasing, at 34 percent in the third quarter, immediately followed by the more traditional financial services and insurance.
TAMI is fueling rental growth, especially in the Midtown South section below 34th Street, where rents have surged almost 80 percent since the trough of the Great Recession in 2009 and are likely poised to reach $100 a square foot, Harbert said. Midtown South is so hot, prices for the best centuryold brick and mortar buildings in the area are nearing those of Class A glass and steel buildings in Midtown. Private equity funds continue to cash out, accounting for more than half of sales during the quarter, a sign of a top in the market but also that the life span of their funds has ended. Foreigners, after private equity, make up the lion’s share of the buyers of buildings.
Page 42
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
WORLD NEWS BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY
Volkswagen’s US boss blames individuals for cheating Volkswagen’s rigging of diesel emissions tests was not a company decision but the result of actions by a small number of engineers, its top U.S. executive said on Thursday. “To my understanding, this was not a corporate decision; this was something individuals did,” Michael Horn, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, told a panel of U.S. lawmakers investigating the German carmaker’s wrongdoing. “I agree it’s very hard to believe, and I personally find it hard to believe,” he added. Almost three weeks after it confessed publicly to cheating U.S. emissions tests, Europe’s largest carmaker is under pressure to identify those responsible, fix affected vehicles and clarify exactly how and
where the cheating happened. The biggest business crisis in Volkswagen’s 78-year history has wiped more than a third off its share price, forced out its long-time chief executive, prompted investigations across the world and rocked both the car industry and German establishment. Earlier on Thursday, German prosecutors raided Volkswagen’s headquarters and other offices as part of their investigation into whether the firm also cheated tests in Europe. Volkswagen said it was supporting the investigation and had handed over a “comprehensive” range of documents. Horn told the House of Representatives Oversight and Investigations panel that he knew in the spring of 2014 the company might
be breaking U.S. emissions rules, because a study by West Virginia University had shown some of its diesel vehicles were emitting toxic emissions on the road far higher than those permitted by U.S. regulations. However, he added he did not find out that so-called “defeat device” software was used to manipulate emissions test results until “around Sept. 3”, when the company admitted its cheating to U.S. regulators. “This was a couple of software engineers who put this in for whatever reason,” Horn said, speaking under oath. He did not give further details, adding investigations were ongoing. Volkswagen has come under fire on both sides of the Atlantic for its handling of the crisis, with lawmakers, investors and customers saying it has been too slow to release
information. Analysts are still unsure how widespread the cheating was. Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Thursday that Volkswagen’s manipulation software was switched on in Europe, citing a company spokesman. The carmaker has previously said the software could be installed on up to 11 million vehicles, mostly in Europe, but that for the majority of them it “does not have any effect”. In a statement on Thursday, Volkswagen said it was still investigating whether or to what extent the software interfered illegally with vehicles. “We are working intensely on technical solutions,” a spokesman said. “For that reason, questions posed at this point of time are speculative.”
Netflix raises price for new users by $1 a month
Netflix Inc. NFLX 6.11 % raised the price of its most popular streaming plan in the U.S. by $1 for new customers as it ramps up investment in original shows and movies. Netflix said its “standard” plan that allows for two simultaneous streams will now cost $9.99 a month, up from $8.99 previously. The increase won’t impact its other plans, which include a “basic” one at $7.99 a month that allows for one stream and a “premium” plan at $11.99 a month that permits four streams at once. “To continue adding more TV shows and movies including many Netflix original titles, we are modestly raising the price for some new members in the U.S., Canada and Latin America,” a Netflix spokesman said in an emailed statement. “As a thank you to existing Netflix members -- who aren’t already benefiting from grandfathering -- we will maintain their current price for a year.” Netflix shares rose about 1.8% in lateafternoon trading to $110.09. The streaming service rolled out a similar increase across its European territories in August, increasing the cost of its standard
plan by about a euro. Wall Street analysts and in U.S. subscriber additions would investors have closely been monitoring have happened regardless of the price Netflix’s pricing power. About a increase and said it was a “natural year ago, investors balked after progression” as it grows. Netflix the company disclosed slowing U.S. shares have soared this year. subscriber growth in the third quarter Cantor Fitzgerald analyst and largely blamed a price increase it Youssef Squali said in a September had rolled out over the summer. Later, research note that investors shouldn’t Netflix said it believed the downshift expect to see a negative impact on
customer retention or acquisition as a result of Netflix’s price hike in Europe. Mr. Squali said that Netflix’s move to raise rates implied “strong adoption of the service” in those territories. Netflix is pouring money into original programming and writing big checks for global rights to content that appear on its service. The company is also investing in marketing and programming as it pursues a rapid global expansion that it aims to complete by the end of next year. “We’re going to continue to have incentives for people to move up in the plans as suits their usage pattern, but we want to take it very slow,” said Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings during Netflix’s second-quarter earnings call in July. “Over the next decade, I think we will be able to have more and more content and add more value, and then be able to price that appropriately.” The company’s plan at $9.99 a month is still cheaper than that of Hulu’s no-commercials plan at $11.99 a month. Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Instant Video comes bundled along with a $99-a-year Prime shipping membership.
BlackBerry CEO hints 2016 is make-or-break year for its phones HALF MOON BAY, California -- BlackBerry CEO John Chen has set a deadline for the recovery of the company’s smartphone business. Chen, speaking here Thursday at the Code Mobile conference, said BlackBerry’s hardware business needs to turn a profit next year. “Otherwise, I have to think twice about what I do there,” he said. His comments start the clock on how quickly BlackBerry needs to move to turn around its ailing smartphone business. If the company’s hardware business fails to deliver, it
could mark the end of the BlackBerry smartphone. Chen’s remarks come after the Canadian company reported last month continued declines in smartphone sales. It sold just 800,000 BlackBerrys in the quarter, or a third of its total from a year ago. At the time, Chen acknowledged that he was disappointed in the performance of the phone business. In response to the slide in sales, BlackBerry confirmed in October that it was building a smartphone powered by Google’s Android mobile software. The move represents a
radical break from the company’s typical strategy of using its own BlackBerry software. The company will pin its hopes on Google’s software and on BlackBerry’s first Android smartphone, the Priv. The Priv, which is supposed to signify “privilege” and “privacy,” is a touchscreen smartphone with a slideout physical keyboard. The Priv emerges as Chen tries to shift BlackBerry’s focus away from hardware and toward software and services. The company has made a number of small
acquisitions that have bulked up its security and software offerings as it reinforces its push to serve large, regulated industries and government clients. When asked whether BlackBerry would make smartphones running on its own BlackBerry 10 software in two years, Chen said the answer “is going to be dictated by the business case.” If the company can work all of BlackBerry 10’s vaunted security features and other attributes into Android, it won’t have to create a BB 10 device, Chen said, adding that customers
care only about the high level of certification and control, regardless of the software. Chen praised the work with Android, noting that BlackBerry could eventually add its own software and services on top of another handset maker’s product, and that he didn’t necessarily have to be in the hardware business. Chen himself is a man more comfortable in the enterprise software side of tech, best known for turning around Sybase before selling it to business software giant SAP in 2010.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 43
CARIBBEAN
SPORTS
Jamaican track star survives breast cancer
field career that could see her working closely with those who suffer the same disease she did. From her despair in a period when she said she seriously considered walking away from the sport, a new spirit drives her and a new awareness of the impact she has had on women suffering from breast cancer. “When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, to be honest, I did not want to talk about it because that was one of the things I was afraid to be Novlene Williams-Mills’ labelled... instead of being Novlene the MONTEGO BAY, St James — Out of athlete, it would be Novlene the breast her darkest hour, Novlene Williams- cancer survivor,” she told the Jamaica Mills’ greatest victories could be Observer at a cocktail reception held forged as she looks towards life after at Secrets Resorts on Friday, and track and field athletics. hosted by Sagicor. Even while basking in her All that has changed and now greatest triumph, a gold medal she says she embraces it. “Now looking in the women’s 4x400m relays at back, God gave me that platform the IAAF world Championships and for me it’s helping people, and in Beijing, China, where she ran a for people to be telling me that I am superb anchor leg to beat American their inspiration, it means so much Francena McCorory, Williams-Mills to me (and), sometimes people don’t is still thankful for what she has understand.” accomplished over the last three years. Since going public, Williams After being diagnosed with Mills said she gets emotional just breast cancer prior to competing at reading comments left on her Facebook the Olympic Games in London, the page, “especially after that 4x400m 33-year-old, who continues to defy race”. what could be debilitating physical “Reading what everybody had illness, is eyeing a post-track and
to say, the comments brought me to tears as you would not understand. I honestly did not know that I had affected so many lives.” Would she consider being a breast cancer ambassador after the 2016 season? “I think so,” was the prompt response. Beating cancer was one thing as the many-time national champion returned to compete at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Russia, to much acclaim from not just track fans, but many hundreds of thousands around the globe. “It was a great end to a long season with everything that was going on,” she said. “And to help team Jamaica win a gold medal in the 4x400m, there was nothing else I could ask for.” Getting the baton behind the American who was one of the top performers in the 400m all season, and who led right into the home stretch, did not faze her at all. “The pressure was not that great on the anchor leg,” WilliamsMills said. “Three other ladies ran three great legs, and when you are in that position where it’s between the gold and silver, then it’s like those three had done everything that they could and I had to do all I can for them.” The gold medal, she noted, “meant everything”, which validated her decision to return to the sport
Sunil Narine back as WI revamps ODI squad
Offspinner Sunil Narine has been included in the West Indies squads for the ODIs and T20Is in Sri Lanka in October, after having opted out of their 2015 World Cup campaign because of issues with his action. There were eight changes from the squad that travelled to Australia and New Zealand: Chris Gayle was out of both squads after having a back surgery, but Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Sulieman Benn, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, and Dwayne Smith were omitted from the ODI set up. The players included in the ODI squad were: Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Fletcher, Jason Mohammed, and Ravi Rampaul. Narine and Darren Bravo, withdrawn from the World Cup squad, made comebacks. Bravo, who had injured his hamstring during that tournament, was also in the T20I squad. CHANGES IN THE SQUADS ODIs In: Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Fletcher, Jason Mohammed, Ravi Rampaul,
Sunil Narine Sunil Narine and Darren Bravo Out: Chris Gayle Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Sulieman Benn, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Dwayne Smith T20Is In: Samuel Badree, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Johnson Charles, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Jerome Taylor Out: Sulieman Benn, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon
Cottrell, Chris Gayle, Ashley Nurse, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith Allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard continued to be kept out of the ODI set-up, a decision that was revealed beforehand by Phil Simmons, who was later suspended as West Indies coach for saying there had been outside interference in the selection of the squad. Both players, however, were included in the T20I squad. The selectors dropped a lot of the players who fared poorly in the World Cup, where West Indies struggled during the group stages and were beaten heavily by New Zealand in the quarterfinal. Allrounder Smith made only 93 runs in six matches during the World Cup and was hardly used as a bowler, while batsman Lendl Simmons scored 173 in five innings, of which 102 came in the defeat against Ireland. Allrounder Sammy also had an ordinary tournament - 177 runs in five innings and only one wicket in 28 overs. Simmons and Smith were also missing from the T20I squad, having been part of West Indies’ previous Twenty20 matches in South Africa before the World Cup.
after 2013 when she felt like walking away. “The gold medal meant everything... that was the first gold for me at the Olympics or World Championships and it made everything I have been through since 2012 now worth it,” Williams-Mills said. Up to then, despite making it to the final of the 400m, her season was not what she hoped for. “I was expecting a better season, and then to be down with a thyroid infection was devastating, as there was nothing you can possible do,” she shared. “But to come away with a gold medal, it made it all worthwhile, and this is one of the reasons why I came back to track and field,” the 400m specialist noted. According to her, the gold medal has given her a new lease on life, but she claims she’s taking it one stride at a time. “I am looking to [the Olympics in] Rio, then we will see how that goes. I can’t promise anything else from there,” she said. “But to be able to walk away from your career and show a gold medal, and especially for me after 2013 when I honestly wanted to walk away... I really wanted to walk away after my breast cancer, I wanted to say this is it, ‘my body has done all it can’, but to come back and win a gold, I can say I did not give up and it was worth it,” she ended
Usain Bolt to make retirement decision after 2016 Olympics Usain Bolt has reaffirmed his decision to make next summer’s Olympics in Rio his last by revealing that he plans to retire after the 2017 World Championships. The Jamaican sprinter, 29, also announced he will begin preparations for Rio next Monday after enjoying a break away from athletics. Bolt, speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, said of his desire to hang up his spikes: ‘I start training for the Olympics next Monday [October 12]. It will be my last Olympics. ‘I should have one more World Championships but I’m not too sure what I want to do [after retiring]. Some people say I should try acting but I think I will stay in sport and figure out what I can do.’ When presenter Ellen praised Bolt by saying the fastest man in the world has a ‘charming personality for television’, the 100m and 200m sprinter joked ‘what about my face?’ Six-time Olympic gold medallist Bolt, who can run up to an incredible 28mph, revealed he was instructed to take up athletics by his former coach. He added: ‘I started off playing cricket first. I was a fast bowler and then he said I should try track and field so I decided why not and I did it.’ During the show, Bolt went on to race an eight-year-old fitness trainer and fellow Jamaican Demarjay Smith. The young boy, who has garnered over 24 million views on YouTube for a collection of hilarious videos which sees him put fellow kids through their paces in the Bronx, managed to beat Bolt to claim a box of goodies.
Page 44
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
㘀㐀㤀ⴀ㌀㌀㤀ⴀ㔀㠀㜀㤀
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
LOCAL SPORTS
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 45
Premier’s Golf Tourney reaps rich success
Organisers of the Annual Premier’s Cup Golf Tournament said that the competition’s fifth staging, held this past weekend at the Provo Golf Club have described it as a resounding success. The monetary response enabled the tournament organisers to donate $40,000 to two charities $20,000 to the Drug Prevention Unit and another $20,000 to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Cadet Corp. The event kicked off with a cocktail reception on the evening of Saturday September 26, 2015, followed by a fun-filled tournament on Sunday September 27, 2015. A wide cross-section of residents from across the islands took part in the fun by swinging their clubs for a good cause. A total of 16 teams, representing 64 golfers, participated in this year’s event and the team consisting of Galmo Williams, Anthony Garland, Tony Bell and Perry Delancy
emerged as the victors. Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing, was a participant, and the First Lady, Dr. Dawn Perry-Ewing, awarded trophies and prizes to the winners in the various categories. Participating in this year’s tournament also, were His Excellency the Governor Mr. Peter Beckingham and Mrs. Beckingham. During the weekend, the golfers and spectators were entertained by a number of local artistes including, Mr. Jervon Laporte, Mr. Quentin Dean, Ms. Chrysal Charles and the “We Funk” Junkanoo group. Mark A. Fulford, President of the Premier’s Golf Cup Committee expressed gratitude on behalf of the organisers stating. “We, the organizing committee, would like to extend our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to our sponsors for their tremendous support. We would also like to commend the staff of the Provo Golf Club, the Opus
Ennis Grant (right), head of the Turks and Caicos Islands Cadet Corps, accepts a cheque for $20,000 from the Premier’s Cup Golf Tournament. Premier Hon. Dr. Rufus Ewing and Deputy Premier Hon. Akierra Missick (third and fourth from left respectively) make the presentation on the Foundation’s behalf. Sharing in the moment are Mark A. Fulford (left), President of the Premier’s Cup Committee, First Lady, Mrs. Dawn Perry Ewing (second left) and members of the TCI Cadet Corps. restaurant and all other individuals for continuing to partner with us in support of our local charities. “With this weekend’s event being the resounding success that it was, we are
looking forward to making the Annual Premier’s Cup Golf Tournament 2016, an even greater event. Our date for next Year’s Premiers Cup is July 24th 2016,”Fulford said.
Page 46
WORLD
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
SPORTS Ethics body suspends Blatter, Platini from world soccer
World soccer chief Sepp Blatter and European boss Michel Platini were suspended on Thursday in a deepening corruption scandal, decapitating the leadership of a sport facing criminal investigations on both sides of the Atlantic. Blatter, the Swiss who has been president of world governing body FIFA since 1998, was already due to stand down after an election to replace him in February. Platini, head of European body UEFA, was a frontrunner to replace him. His shrinking election hopes now depend on whether he can overturn the 90-day ban imposed by FIFA’s Ethics Committee. Despite their denials of wrongdoing, both men have gradually been submerged by the scandal that has engulfed the world’s most popular sport, beginning with dawn raids and a series of arrests at a Swiss luxury hotel in May. “During this time, the above individuals are banned from all football activities on a national and international
level,” the ethics committee said. FIFA said in a statement: “Joseph S. Blatter, for the duration of the 90-day ban, is not allowed to represent FIFA in any capacity, act on the organization’s behalf, or communicate to media or other stakeholders as a FIFA representative.” It said his acting replacement was Issa Hayatou of Cameroon, the head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA’s most senior vice president. In 2011, Hayatou, 69, was reprimanded by the International Olympics Committee’s ethics commission after he confirmed to them that he was paid by FIFA’s former marketing agency International Sport and Leisure in 1995. The IOC said such an action constituted a conflict of interest. Hayatou denied any personal gain or wrongdoing. In a statement on Thursday, the Cameroonian said he would not be a candidate for FIFA president in February and had taken
the role on “only on an interim basis”. If Platini is not able to overturn his ban and join the election race, it would leave Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan as the clear favorite, unless other candidates now emerge to take advantage of the Frenchman’s troubles. South African Tokyo Sexwale, who was imprisoned with Nelson Mandela during the apartheid era and later became a politician and businessman, has said he is considering running. Last week two sources told Reuters that Bahraini Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, would consider standing if Platini was ruled out. In further disciplinary moves, FIFA also handed out a 90-day suspension to Secretary General Jerome Valcke, who had already been sent on leave after being accused of being part of a scheme to sell 2014 World Cup tickets at a marked-up price. He denies any wrongdoing. South Korea’s former
Sepp Blatter (L) and French football legend Michel Platini (R) have faced mounting pressure since Swiss prosecutors started an investigation into the veteran FIFA president for criminal mismanagement FIFA Vice-President Chung Mong-joon was banned from the game for six years, a decision which will almost certainly end his already slim electoral hopes. Swiss and U.S. authorities are both investigating corruption in world soccer, in long-running probes that have so far led to the indictment of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives. Among other things, they are examining the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar respectively. All those banned on Thursday can turn to FIFA’s Appeals Committee to try to
Serena Williams stands to lose up to $3 million from WTA withdrawal Serena Williams will not lose her No. 1 ranking any time soon. But after withdrawing from the rest of the season, she’s going to lose an enormous amount of money. Her fine for missing the WTA Finals in Singapore will be $125,000, which may seem like chump change to someone in Williams’ tax bracket. Williams could, however, avoid that levy if she agrees to show up in Singapore and make herself available for some promotional work. By skipping the China Open, Williams will have failed to meet the required commitment to play in at least four of the five WTA Premier Mandatory events. Therefore, she forfeits the $450,000 she would have earned in bonus pool money as the No. 1 player. And because Williams didn’t play all nine of the WTA events that would have qualified her for a “Super Bonus,” she can’t claim that $100,000 either. Those aren’t exactly fines, but Williams had done almost all the heavy lifting to earn that money, and now all of it will be unavailable. It brings the total she’s lost out on to $675,000. With a $500,000 increase in prize money in Singapore, the WTA finalists will be vying for a potential undefeated champion’s first-prize check of $2,360,000. Based on recent history, Williams would have had an excellent chance to sweep the field. Had she done that, the turnaround, including her bonus pool earnings, would have left her with a net gain of more than $3 million. Sources at the WTA told ESPN that they are currently in talks with Williams’ camp regarding the fines and her potential promotional appearances at the WTA Finals.
overturn the bans, but would remain suspended throughout any appeals process. Blatter’s lawyers said he was disappointed he had been suspended without having the chance to be heard. They added he was looking forward to presenting evidence that would prove he did not engage in any misconduct. Platini, a former France midfield star, said he submitted his nomination papers for the election to succeed Blatter before he was suspended. Shortly before his ban was announced, he indicated he intended to fight against the ruling.
Pacquiao says in talks with Mayweather and Khan
Manny Pacquiao says he is in negoiations with Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan to take him on in possibly his last fight Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao is in negoiatiuons with Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan to take him on in what would probably t be he final fight of his illustrious career, he said Thursday. Speaking in Doha, where is visiting the AIBA World Boxing Championships, Pacquaio told AFP a final decision on who his last opponent will be, would be taken by “November or December”. The 36-year-old is on the verge of quitting boxing for politics and is likely to run for a seat in the Philippines’ senate next May. He also told AFP he would like to be the country’s president if it is “God’s will”. Pacquiao confirmed he is in negotiations with Mayweather and Khan but said he had no preference about who is opponent will be. “I will fight anybody, anywhere,” he said. “I
am going to fight probably before the election. “The election is coming next year, May, and before that I will probably have one fight.” He added: “We are going to finalise by November or December.” He fight would take place in March or early April next year, he said. Pacquiao also told Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera that any fight could take place in the Gulf. The Filipino is in Qatar at the invitation of AIBA’s president, Ching-Kuo Wu, a personal friend. He arrived on Thursday and is expected to leave on Friday morning. Pacquaio, who lost to Mayweather in his last fight, said he was free from a shoulder injury and ready to fight. Earlier on Thursday, Taz Khan, the uncle and manager of British boxer Amir Khan told AFP talks had begun with the Filipino’s management team, but “at the moment that’s all there is”. Amir Khan was keen for the fight to happen, said Taz. “He’s always up for any fight if it’s on the table, he’’l take it.” The British boxer is expected to visit the championships at the weekend. Pacquaio also confirmed his political ambitions. Despite some criticism from inside the Philippines about his political record so far -- he was elected to the country’s House of Representatives in 2010 -- the boxer, an eight-division world champion, said he was aiming for the top office. Asked if he wanted to be president, he replied: “Of course, why not? If that’s my destiny. if that’s God’s plan. Before I started boxing I never thought I could conquer seven, eight weight divisions, who knows?” The AIBA World Championships continue until October 15.
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
Page 47
WORLD SPORTS
Dan Campbell aims to make Dolphins tougher
Miami Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell
DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins interim head coach Dan Campbell exuded intensity and energy Monday afternoon. These are two qualities the Dolphins (13) severely lacked in their first four games. “We have enough to win,” Campbell said. “We have to change the culture. I have to change the culture, and that’s what I intend to do.” Campbell intends to turn around the Dolphins by holding tougher, more intense practices and by coaching more aggressively on game days. Although Campbell said he has the utmost respect for former head coach Joe Philbin, who was
NFL expands commitment to international games, may play outside UK NFL owners voted on Wednesday to extend the league’s commitment to play international regular-season games through 2025, including the option to play outside of the United Kingdom beginning next season. The resolution, ratified during a one-day owners’ meeting in New York, broadens a 2011 agreement that permitted the NFL to schedule games at London’s Wembley Stadium through 2016. “This marks an important step in our long-term international growth,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Fans in the UK have responded incredibly well to the regular-season games we have played in London since 2007. “They have demanded more NFL games and we have worked to accommodate them.” The 2016 schedule of international regular-season games will be announced later this fall, the NFL said, with other countries in addition to the UK in contention to host the games. Mexico and Germany are widely seen as the leading contenders. “We think it’s time to expand our international series to other countries and respond to the growing interest in our game not only in the UK but elsewhere around the world,” Goodell said. Three NFL games will be played this season at Wembley Stadium in London. The New York Jets defeated the Miami Dolphins, 27-14, at Wembley last Sunday before a sellout crowd of 83,986. The Buffalo Bills play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 25 and the Detroit Lions face the Kansas
Pistorius may appeal prison release delay
fired earlier Monday, Campbell explained that he will do things much differently and that there wasn’t enough competition during Miami’s preparation. “I don’t want guys to just do their job,” Campbell explained. “I want guys to dominate.” The Dolphins have looked mostly listless and uninspired on the field this season. Philbin, who was 24-28 in four seasons, lost eight of his last 12 games dating to last season. Players were increasingly growing unhappy with the results. “I think it was something that needed to be done,” Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said on a conference call with the Miami
NYC police watchdog substantiates James Blake’s force complaint
former tennis pro James Blake NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell City Chiefs on Nov. 1. NFL owners approved a resolution in 2006 to play up to two international regular-season games per season from 2007 to 2011. The 2011 resolution was UK-focused and permitted the NFL the flexibility to decide the number of UK games from year to year. The NFL played only one game in Wembley for six seasons before raising it to two games in 2013 and then to three in 2014 and 2015. In July, the NFL and the English Premier League’s Tottenham Hotspur soccer club announced an agreement to play a minimum of two games per year during a 10-year deal at Tottenham’s new stadium, due to open in the summer of 2018.
Oscar Pistorius may appeal a parole review board’s decision to delay his release from prison, where he is serving a sentence for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, his lawyer said. The board on Monday upheld a decision by South African Justice Minister Michael Masutha, who intervened in plans for Pistorius’ release to say the law requires the athlete to serve a sixth of his sentence before parole can be considered. Pistorius was due to be released into house arrest in August after serving
media. “I believe in our roster and I believe in this football team. ... It’s been four games. I haven’t seen a lot of improvement. I see the same old, same old.” Ross added that Campbell is “certainly” a candidate for Miami’s permanent head-coaching job in 2016. This will be a 12-game tryout, which is a good sample size for Campbell. The former tight end played a decade in the NFL and said his biggest strength is understanding people and getting the best out of his players. “I feel like I relate to players,” Ross said. “I feel like I’m someone who understands them.”
NEW YORK -- Two police officers involved in the mistaken arrest of former tennis pro James Blake, including one who tackled him to the ground, will face an administrative trial after the city’s police watchdog substantiated Blake’s excessive-force complaint. The Civilian Complaint Review Board’s executive director, Mina Malik, said in a letter sent to Blake that investigators had substantiated complaints he made after his Sept. 9 arrest alleging that Officer James Frascatore used excessive force and Detective Daniel Herzog abused his authority. Surveillance video showed Frascatore approaching Blake in front of a Manhattan hotel, grabbing his arm and roughly taking him to the ground. Police said Blake, who had ranked as high as No. 4 in the world before retiring from tennis
10 months of a five-year sentence. His parole hearing was conducted before he had served six months. “We are considering our position,” Pistorius’ solicitor Brian Webber told Reuters when asked if they would appeal the decision. The family of the Paralympic gold medalist, whose lower legs were amputated as a baby, said in a statement on Tuesday that they were “concerned about the legality” of the parole decision and believed Pistorius was being unfairly treated.
after the 2013 US Open, had been mistakenly identified as being part of a cellphone fraud scheme. Frascatore had mistaken Blake for a suspect who looked like him, police said. Mayor Bill de Blasio and police Commissioner William Bratton have apologized to Blake, who has said he believes Frascatore should be fired. “It is my understanding that these officers now face an administrative trial for their roles in the respective offenses,” Blake said Wednesday in a statement that accompanied the CCRB letter. “I have complete respect for the principle of due process and appreciate the efforts of the CCRB to advance this investigation.” Frascatore, who has been with the New York Police Department for about four years, had been named in several civil rights lawsuits alleging excessive force. He was placed on desk duty after the encounter with Blake. A departmental trial could end in disciplinary action or termination. Malik said Blake’s complaint had been resolved in less than 30 days, but she declined to provide further information about the probe, citing state privacy laws. “Our commitment remains to be a fair and vigilant resource for all people who have complaints about police misconduct, and to judge the cases based on thorough, even-handed investigations which serve the public and officers alike,” she said. The head of the largest police officers’ union said he wasn’t surprised to hear that the watchdog group, which he described as “cop-hating,” substantiated Blake’s allegations. Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said it was clear Frascatore did not intend to harm Blake.
“This experience leaves us with the uncomfortable conclusion that the public, political and media hype that was allowed to develop around Oscar’s trial has undermined his right to be treated like any other prisoner,” the statement said. Pistorius was found guilty in September 2014 of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter, after he fired four 9mm shots through a locked toilet door on Feb. 14, 2013 killing model and law graduate Steenkamp.
Page 48
TURKS & CAICOS SUN
OCTOBER 9TH, 2015 – OCTOBER 16TH, 2015
Published by SUN MEDIA GROUP, Turks and Caicos Islands | Tel:649 339 5879 | Fax: 649 941 3281