TCWN December 17 - 23, 2016 by TC Weekly News

Weekly News Volume 30 | No. 49 | December 17-23, 2016

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PDM WINS LANDSLIDE Rufus Ewing accepts defeat and immediately resigns 6 PAGE 

The historic elections will see the Turks and Caicos Islands’ first female Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson

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FAIRLY QUIET ELECTION DAY DUE TO EARLY VOTER TURN-OUT PAGE  8

5 SIPT TRIAL ADJOURNED FOR 2016 – RESUMES JANUARY 16 PAGE  11

SKIPPINGS CONGRATULATES PDM ON VICTORY PAGE  15

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NEWS

First female Premier elected in TCI – as PDM wins in landslide victory BY DELANA ISLES IN THE biggest upset in recent times, the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) trounced the incumbent Progressive National Party (PNP) at Thursday’s (December 15) elections in fine style, capturing 11 of the 15 elected seats in the House of Assembly. A defeated PNP won just three of their traditional constituency seats and one at large seat, with the Progressive Democratic Alliance receiving none, and none to any of the ten independent candidates. The historic elections will see the Turks and Caicos Islands’ first female Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson being sworn in, possibly sometime over the weekend once all of the constitutional requirements are met. But the election process, while glitch-free from early appearances, did encounter a few snags as the announcement of all of the winners dragged on into Friday afternoon. The massive delay was due to a recounting exercise in electoral district six – the Bight constituency -- after all of the other votes were counted. The first counting was completed late Friday morning, with a tie announced between the PDM’s George Pratt and the PNP’s Porsha Stubbs-Smith. A recount was agreed to by the parties, and just after noon the announcement of the winner of that constituency was announcement, won by the slimmest of margins by the incumbent Porsha Stubbs-Smith with one vote. The delay did not stop the PDM

Turks and Caicos Islands’ first female Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson

Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson shares a hug with the party`s ‘goldenboy’ Goldray Ewing

celebration however, as at 9:29am on Friday the results of the five at large seats were in, with the PDM capturing a huge victory by securing four of those seats, in addition to the six constituency seats they won. Prior to that, at about 11:15pm on Thursday results for six constituencies were in with four more to go; but as they poured in over the course of the night it became clear that the newcomer political party, the PDA, did not have even a slim chance at a single seat. The biggest upset of the night was the victory pulled off by Ralph Higgs – political novice and former tourism director. “THE GAME CHANGER” Higgs’ trouncing of PNP’s Mark Fulford in the North and Middle Caicos constituency – the party’s stronghold in recent elections- was a major blow to the governing party, with local commentators predicting the fall of the PNP long before all of the results were in. Speaker of the House, Robert Hall, who was one of the host on Radio Turks and Caicos (RTC) election’s watch programme on

Thursday night, spelled the doom of the PNP at that point, calling Higgs’ 262 over Fulford’s 201 “a big upset” and “a game changer”. This is not the first time the PDM has won that constituency, which previously had three PDM representatives in the House of Assembly, but it has been decades since they have managed to capture the now PNP stronghold which was repeatedly won by former Premier Michael Misick until his dethronement, and was then retained by Ricardo Donhue Gardiner, another PNP candidate. After that it was smooth sailing for the PDM, as the elections were all but over. When Weekly News contacted PDM Leader Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, rousing her from a “light sleep” at about 5:20am she said that she and her team are: “Very optimistic about a win, but are waiting for the final results to be in”. ELECTION RESULTS Electoral District 1 Grand Turk North - was won by incumbent George CONTINUED 

Published by Turks & Caicos News Company Ltd. Cheshire House, Leeward Highway, Providenciales P.O. Box 52, Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI W. Blythe Duncanson - Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Olivia Rose - Senior Reporter Daisy Handfield - Staff Reporter Faizool Deo - Sports Editor (At Large) Cord Garrido-Lowe - Graphics Consultant (At Large) Dilletha Lightbourne-Williams - Office Manager Email: (Advertising) tcnews@tciway.tc, (News) tcweeklynews@gmail.com Tel. 649-946-4664 (office), 649-232-3508 (after hours) Website address: www.tcweeklynews.com Follow us on: Facebook: facebook.com/tcweeklynews Twitter: twitter.com/tcweeklynews1

NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

PNP leader Rufus Ewing accepts defeat and immediately resigns people of the country suffered. Ewing continued that other reasons for the loss could be attributed to the “tight campaign” that the PNP ran, and many voters not turning up to vote and the sharing of the votes among the numerous independent candidates. As for what’s next for him and the PNP, Ewing said the party is now in the stage of regrouping to form an effective opposition to the PDM Government and as an organization for persons who want to put themselves forward to contest the 2020 general elections.

BY DELANA ISLES IN AN unexpected move on Friday midday (December 16), now defeated Premier Dr. Rufus Ewing resigned as leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP) after having suffered a massive upset at Thursday’s polls. At a brief press conference at the PNP headquarters in Providenciales, the former Premier, who was all alone at the head table, graciously accepted defeat and expressed well wishes to the incoming PDM government. Reading from a prepared statement Ewing said that he had contacted Hon. Sharlene Cartwright Robinson early Friday morning to extend his congratulations to her and her party at this historic general election. Historic, because upon her swearing-in Cartwright Robinson will be first woman to ever hold the post of Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. “The people of the TCI have spoken and have indicated their wish for a change in governance, and the outcome of this election is a clear indication that democracy is alive in our islands,” Ewing said. Expressing his gratitude to all of the candidates who put their names forward to represent the people of the Islands, Ewing particularly thanked his party candidates for their hard work and dedication during the campaign. “I know that each and every one of us had the interests of our people foremost in our hearts.” He then went on to take full responsibility for the PNP’s defeat. “I wish to now state that as leader of the PNP I take full responsibility for the party’s loss in yesterday’s general elections and as such I have made the decision to honourably tender my resignation as party leader with immediate effect. “To my former colleagues in Cabinet and to our party, I can indeed say with all confidence that my administration can indeed be proud of its achievements and its record, and in particular history will credit us with the full economic recovery of our country,” Ewing confidently stated. He added that history will also reflect that the PNP conducted the affairs of the people with the highest standard of integrity over the years. Ewing’s immediate resignation now leaves the defeated party leaderless, but as he stated, when asked, his resignation was a foregone conclusion as the constitution of the party stipulates that the leader of the party has to be an elected member of the House of Assembly. And as the final recorded numbers out of the elections office show, Ewing only gained 2,234 of the votes in his at large candidacy, putting

Former Premier Rufus Ewing

him squarely behind the Minister of Finance, Charles Washington Misick, who with his 2,335 votes got the fifth highest number of votes for the at large candidates. Misick is the only PNP at large candidate who has been re-elected to serve in the House of Assembly. He joins Akierra Missick, George Lightbourne and Ruth Blackman as the only PNP candidates who will be sworn into the Assembly upon its resumption. As such, the next party leader and leader of the opposition will be elected or selected through the party constitutional machinery from those four elected members. UNEXPECTED DEFEAT Questioned whether he expected such a huge defeat, Ewing said no. “I did not expect it, I knew that it was a tight race and I thought that we had a good chance of winning but I always knew that our chance of losing was dependent upon two things – voter turnout among PNPs and PNPs sharing their votes.” Asked if he credits the loss to the PNP Government over the last four years concentrating more on the economic recovery rather than the people’s welfare, Ewing admitted that this could have been part of the reason as well. “That can be as well, and I would first and foremost state outright that when you look at the party I will admit that as a party over the past four years the accomplishments that we have achieved were not communicated as effectively as it ought to have been communicated so that persons could be fully informed. “And we never really boasted about our accomplishments even though we accomplished so much,”

he said. But the Premier’s denial of boasts by the PNP is not quite accurate, as the record shows that over the years the governing party has been very vocal and boastful of its economic recovery efforts, prompting many calls by the PDM for them to listen to people and to stop boasting about their yearly surpluses while the

WEAK LEADERSHIP One of the constant claims by opposition members and supporters is that Ewing’s leadership of the country over the years has been weak. Asked what he would say to this, he responded: “I would say that my leadership style has been different. “My leadership style is one that governs by consensus, my leadership style is one that is governed by being inclusive. It is one that is not based on rhetoric, and jumping up and down with loud mouths. “It is one that is based on integrity. That is my style.” He also added that many persons are too used to handouts, and that is not his style. “What we have been used to over

these years in Turks and Caicos is persons being used to handouts, give-me-outs, and I am not that kind of person.” In a calm and composed voice, Ewing said he holds his integrity “close and dear” to his heart. PNP OPPOSITION As for what sort of opposition the country can expect from the PNP – a party which has not worn that cap for a very long time - Ewing said the people can expect “a very forceful and effective opposition”. “Based on the persons who were elected I can see we are going to have an awesome opposition, much better than the PDM has ever been,” he stated. Ewing’s claim is certainly an ambitious one, as the PDM opposition was and prided itself on being one that “held the government’s feet to the fire” as they have repeatedly stated over the years. He further called on the people of the TCI to put aside their political differences and personal biases, and to think logically in terms of country as a new period dawns. WHAT’S NEXT FOR EWING? Questioned about his plans going forward, the former premier and doctor of medicine in general surgery CONTINUED 

First female Premier elected ... CONTINUED FROM 

Lightbourne of the PDM with 305. PDM’s Derek Rolle received 273 and the PDA’s Kwame Smith, 21. Electoral District 2 Grand Turk South and Salt Cay - was won by PDM incumbent Edwin Astwood who captured 399; with PNP’s Arthur Lightbourne receiving 276, PDA’s Noel Skippings 66 and independent candidate Valerie Jennings receiving 12. Electoral District 3 South Caicos - was retained by PNP’s Ruth Blackman with 146 votes, Independent candidate McAllister Hanchell 97, the PDM’s Keno Forbes receiving 69, and PDA’s Christopher Hall six votes. Electoral District 4 North and Middle Caicos – was won by PDM’s Ralph Higgs with 262 votes and PNP’s Mark Fulford 201. Electoral District 5 Leeward and Long Bay – was won by PNP’s incumbent Akierra Missick with

374 votes, PDM’s Ezra Taylor received 286 and PDA’s Calsada Johnson getting 17. Electoral District 6 The Bight – was retained by Porsha StubbsSmith with 285 votes and the PDM’s George Pratt receiving 284. Electoral District 7 – was won by PDM’s Doug Parnell with 461 votes, PNP’s Amanda Missick received 347 and the PDA’s Charles Delancy 43. Electoral District 8 Blue Hills – was retained by PDM’s incumbent Goldray Ewing with 366 votes, to the PNP’s Claudine Ewing-Pratt’s 267 and the PDA’s Cicely Been’s 37. Electoral District 9 Five Cays – was retained by the PDM’s Sean Astwood with 465, PNP’s Rachel Taylor received 263 and the PDA’s Bobby Chambers 15. Electoral District 10 Wheeland - was won by incumbent Vaden Delroy Williams with 305 votes to the PNP’s Dameko Deen’s 173

and the PDA’s Hudson Parker receiving 23 votes. Winners of the five at large seats are - Sharlene Cartwright Robinson with 3,024 votes; PDM’s Josephine Connolly with 3,019, PDM’s Karen Malcolm with 2,725; PDM’s Derek Taylor with 2,740 and the PNP’s lone winner Charles Washington Misick with 2,335 votes. Other all islands and independent candidates were Rufus Ewing 2,234 votes; Oswald Skippings 549 votes; Robert Been Jnr 2,314 votes; Sheba Wilson 1,861 votes; John Malcolm 2,011 votes; Ricardo D. Gardiner 1,901 votes; Herbert Swann Jnr 135 votes, Shirley Calcano 178 votes; Samuel Harvey 255 votes; Michael Misick 1,629 votes; Damian Wilson 206 votes; Clarence Selver 301 votes; Sabrina Greene 675 votes; Oscar O’brien Forbes 67 votes; Jasmin Walkin 834 votes and Courtney Missick 240 votes.

December 17-23, 2016

NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Goldray Ewing speaking to the Media

Premier Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson embraces supporters

PDM supporters celebrate outside Headquarters downtown Provo

PDM`s National Chairman Doug Parnell, flanked by party supporters

PDM secures landslide victory at the Polls BY OLIVIA ROSE LOUD cheers and applause greeted the first-ever elected female Premier, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, as she made her way into the party`s headquarters after winning Thursday`s crucial General Election. The People`s Democratic Movement (PDM) in a landslide victory was able to extort the PNP from several strongholds, winning key seats at large and taking the government, premiership and ministerial seats away from the PNP. Flanked by Deputy Leader Sean Astwood and the party`s National Chairman, Doug Parnell, and a number of supporters all adorned in

the party`s color ‘blue’ CartwrightRobinson, although hoarse, appeared relieved and in high spirits. Addressing the media on the party`s victory she said: “I think we fought a very good campaign and we got exactly what we had hoped for; the people have voted for change, and I feel elated. “Thirteen years the PDM has been in the wilderness and here we are back stronger than ever before, with a resounding victory at the polls. “I’m grateful to the PDM party and to the PDM team, but I’m grateful to the people of the Turks and Caicos. When everything was against us, the people and God alone stood with us, and we are indeed

grateful. Responding to questions about the electorate’s apparent rejection of the PNP administration, Cartwright –Robinson said that what her party was going for. “That’s what we opted for. We believe they failed. And they should`ve been rejected. But at the end of the day, those are persons who put themselves up to serve, and we`re grateful for the service they`ve given to this country. “And we trust that those who want to move forward with us will indeed work along with us, because it requires all hands on deck. And the truth is, Turks and Caicos needs everybody to hold hands and take us

to where we need to go.” Asked how it feels to be the first elected female Premier, in jest she responded: “I believe I’m the best man for the job.” “I mean this just didn’t happen overnight. The truth is I’ve been in politics from 1998. I’ve been at every position , except treasurer in this party. I literally came up the ranks , but I earned the respect of those who I worked with; it wasn’t something handed to me because I’m a woman. “I worked , I stood shoulder to shoulder, and all it says to women is that if you work you can earn that respect and you can be where people don`t think you can. It’s possible

for every girl , every woman in this country.” Responding to the news of the current premier`s resignation as the party`s leader, Cartwright Robinson explained that it is the modus operandi in the West Minister system. “That is what we do in this West Minister type system, when leaders lose after carrying the people to the polls or even when they hold their seats they usually resign , so that is to be expected and that was the honorable thing to do.” She noted that the party is waiting to be officially sworn –in by CONTINUED 

NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

Sean Astwood speaks on PDM’s victory BY DAISY HANDFIELD

Polling station, Wesley Methodist High School

Voters at the polling station early to cast their ballot

Fairly quiet election day due to early voter turn-out BY OLIVIA ROSE ENTHUSIASTIC voters’ flocked polling stations across the Islands on Election Day (December 15) to cast their ballot for the candidates they believe are capable of representing them in the House of Assembly. All polling stations in the 10 electoral districts, with the exception of one (ED9 the Bight), opened on the stipulated time -- 7am sharp and closed at 7pm. The overall mood of the day was fairly quiet, due to early voting turnout in most districts. Many voters complained about the late start experienced at the Bight ED #9 polling station (Tropicana Plaza), which saw a 45-minute opening delay. Some of the voters were a bit agitated with the delay since they expected an early start, but nevertheless, they waited on to cast their votes. Long queues were visible at most polling stations in Providenciales, although some voters complained about the long lines; they also noted that the process was smooth and easy. National Chairman of the (PNP) Royal Robinson expressed

SEAN ASTWOOD, deputy leader of the People’s Democratic Party, said he was ecstatic over his victory, and is looking forward to delivering on the promises he made to the people of the Turks & Caicos Islands. The PDM Member of Parliament spoke to the TC Weekly about his party’s victory in Electoral District nine, known as the Five Cays and Chalk Sound constituency. Mr Astwood won his seat with 465 votes over PNP candidate Rachel Taylor, who only captured 264, and PDA candidate Bobby Chambers, who held 15 votes. The Deputy Leader won ED9 by 201 votes in this election, compared to 94 votes in the 2012 election. This win represents an increase of 53 percent, even though voters turnout dropped by seven percent. He said ccommunities like the TCI have long sought for a serious leadership and good governance and have desired change. “I have worked hard in that community in the last four years and today, that hard work has paid off. We have run a magnificent campaign -- real state of the art. We have showed to the public that the party can change, and therefore we are serious about what we are offering to the country. We brought forward a message of change and hope and

Hon. Sean Astwood

we are going to govern in that style as well.” The Member of Parliament thanked residents and voters of the Five Cays and Chalk Sound community for giving him and the PDM the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. “I want to thank each resident and voters… who came out last night to cast their vote for change, and something new,” he said. The victory was a landslide one for the PDM, who beat the governing Progressive National Party in this year’s general election, after being in opposition for thirteen years.

Governor looks forward to working with the next TCI government

Supporters removing campaign billboards

disappointment with the delay at the Bight polling station. He told the media that according to the Ordinance all polling stations must be open for 12 hours and any delays should be made up before the closing hour. Tropicana polling station closed at 7:45 pm. According to the Supervisor of Election Dudley Lewis, the turnout started to slow down around 5pm, however a few late voters who came

from work, voted after 6pm. He said: “The voting process is better and smoother and means an expedited experience for electors.” He noted that the results from several Returning Officers would start pouring in after 9pm. Although voters had a full slate of 52 candidates to choose from, many told the Weekly News that they went to the polls well informed and ready to exercise their electoral franchise.

In accordance with Section 31 (2) of the Constitution, the Leader of the People’s Democratic Movement, the Hon. Mrs Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, has written to His Excellency the Governor this afternoon, 16 December, stating that she has the support of the majority of the elected members of the House of Assembly to become Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Governor has acknowledged Mrs Cartwright-Robinson’s letter and will sign an instrument later today appointing her as Premier. He will be meeting her in the next few days when she will present details of her new Government. Commenting on the outcome of the TCI election on 15 December, His Excellency the Governor said: “I am pleased that the election on 15 December passed in an orderly manner. “I congratulate the People’s

His Excellency the Governor George Freeman

Democratic Movement and its leader, the Hon. Mrs Sharlene CartwrightRobinson, on their party’s victory. I relayed my congratulations to her this afternoon. I look forward to working with TCI’s elected officials in effective partnership for the good of all the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands”

December 17-23, 2016

PDM secures landslide victory ... CONTINUED FROM 

Governor John Freeman. “We are just waiting on the Governor to finalize some constitutional and legal issues and we`re going to be the next Government of the Turks and Caicos.” As news of the party`s victory spread throughout the Islands, Cartwright- Robinson said the momentum is fantastic. “We`re actually going to leave now and go to North Caicos and thank them personally. We’`re going to thank the people here in Providenciales tomorrow. We`re going to be in Grand Turk, and once we become the Government officially, we`re going to move to thank the people of this country.” Deputy Premier Sean Astwood said work has now begun for the party. “What’s next for us is bringing about the change that we promised people during our campaign. We campaigned hard on a message that people of this country have had enough of what has been going on -- whether its crime , labor market, job opportunity , education and the likes thereof and we will bring about change. “We have put forward a bold platform and we intend to use pour manifesto as a guide to implement the policies that we promised the people of this country.” He noted that the party has a

NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

number of challenges to address simultaneously. “But I will tell you that crime obviously stands out as one of those things that persons during the campaign have repeatedly told us; we have to make sure that our people and everyone who lives here feel safe at home at minimum. You must feel safe in your own environment.” On the 1st of December, the PDM launched its 62-page manifesto, which is seen as a road map of the changes the party intends to bring to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Speaking at that launch, Cartwright Robinson outlined ten pillars for change that the PDM will effect upon their assumption of office. Those pillars are – Citizenship and community empowerment; Border Control, Security, Law and order; Jobs and economy; Progressive youth development; Education transformation and training; Healthcare; environment, Land use and planning; Infrastructure, housing and transportation; Institutions for real change; and Governance. Expanding on these areas, the party leader noted that no longer can the country afford to move forward while leaving its people behind. She added that a PDM government will immediately seek ways to empower the citizens and rebuild stronger communities for a strong nation.

REAL TALK

Whose side am I on?

During the last few weeks of my campaign I have been asked a repeated question: “Whose side am I on”? I believe that when I launched my campaign on September 29th 2016, I was very clear on whose side I was on. Nevertheless, as decision day looms closer and closer I will once more attempt to put your minds at ease. I Jasmin Salisbury Walkin aka “The General” am on the people side. You would think that every candidate regardless of the party or organization they support, once elected would understand that their job is to represent the people; however, I believe the question was posed to me because for too long elected members of parliament focused more on siding with their party than with the people. Moreover, having been required to answer this question throughout this campaign; I began to reflect on the decisions that our elected representatives have made over these last few decades. I must ask whose side have they been on when they make development deals that were not in the best interest of our country? Whose side were they on when for years the country’s tertiary institution continued to run underfunded? Whose side

BY JAS WALKIN

BIOGRAPHY: Jas was born with a physical disability and diagnosed with a mild form of muscular dystrophy. His early childhood was characterised with trying to fit in in a regular school environment unequipped to cater to special needs students. With support from family, teachers and the community he graduated as valedictorian of Raymond Gardiner High School and has been a graduate teacher for the past last nine years.

were they on when they designed an economy to be dependent on foreign labour and low wages while marginalizing TCI citizens? Whose side were they on when they made it possible for foreign investment to control this economy and failed to create more sustainable and profitable local businesses? Whose side have the parties been on when they have allowed young TCI citizens to leave this country because of employment frustrations and poor labour law enforcement? Was it our side? It is high time that we elect individuals who know whose side they are on. I am reporting for duty on the people side. I am on the side of the people who want effective solutions to crime. I am on the side of the people who want to see our border control and national security addressed. I am on the side of the people who want to see hotel employees get their 100% service

charge. I am on the side of the people who believe our children deserve better school, cleaner and more equipped learning environment. I am on the side of the people who want true representation and Members of Parliament who will fight for their rights and not sell their rights. I am on the side of the people are tired of divisive politics centred on what is best for the party rather than what is best for the people of the country. My fellow Turks & Caicos Islanders, it has been a very long time since you had someone who was truly on your side. It has been a long time since you had a candidate who believed in your dreams and ambition and was willing to help you fight for them. It has been a long time since someone truly had the country’s back. I am here and I am reporting for duty.

COMMENTARY

Painful extraction! In what seemed to be a fearful trip to the dentist by the Progressive National Party, the Peoples Democratic Movement PDM was able to extract PNP’s from key seats winning at large and taking the government, Premiership and ministerial seats away from the PNP. PDM Supporters gathered late into early morning hours as they waited in vain for all the results of only 6,000 plus voters. Late reports a symptom of an electoral administration that also needs a change. Former Opposition Leader and now Premier elect PDM Sharlene Cartwright Robinson and her at large candidates waited until the middle of the next day to declare they had won 4 of 5 seats. This extracted Premier Rufus Ewing from government but retained

Washington Misick whose poor reputation as Finance Minister did not deter enough voters. Misick overcame PDM’s junior candidate Robbie Been. Easily returned and moving from opposition to government are former Chief Minister Derek Taylor and deputy house speaker Josephine Connolly both PDM. Newcomer Karen Malcolm joins PDM at large victors. The Twin Islands of North/Middle Caicos have been extracted from decades in the clutches of the PNP as tourism-development chief PDM Ralph Higgs won out over lawyer Mark Fulford. Fulford had replaced PNP incumbent DonHue Gardiner. Gardiner moved to PNP at large where he also lost. Smiling broadly is Douglas Parnell who extracted Amanda Misick from Provos’s Cheshire Hall District despite PNP’s last

BY DAVID TAPFER

David is a retired mobile hydraulic engineer and business executive. He has been married to Middle Caicos native Yvette Robinson Tapfer for 27 years and has lived in Conch Bar, Middle Caicos, since 2002. David formerly served as branch chairman of the PDM from 2008 to 2011

minute district street paving. A stunned Amanda wants a second recount. However Parnell is reported to have a comfortable margin. Holding on like damaged teeth with deep roots were PNP’s Deputy Premier Akierra Misick and Minister George Lightbourne from Grand Turk. It is believed that voters supported George because of his known disagreements with his own parties leader and premier Ewing. Misick had a school built

that helped her retain her seat. Appointed member former retired government clerk Ruth Blackman inherited Norman Saunders seat in South Caicos. Again airport reconstruction prevented PDM Keno Forbes from extracting PNP. Blackman overcame her reputation as a negative appointed member of the Ewing administration In Provo’s Bight District a virtual tie between PDM George Pratt and incumbent Minister

Porsha Smith has Pratt calling for a by-election. PDM Delroy Williams smashed PNP’s Dameko Dean in Wheeland while PDM Goldray Ewing was retained as well when Blue Hills gave him a win over his own sister who Premier Rufus put in place. Taking all into account the election was a sweeping win for the PDM. PDM won a 10:5 or possibly 11:4 seat victory. We believe that voters in all districts needed to send an even stronger anti PNP message. Next time ? Voters did refuse two indicted campaigners Michael Misick and McAlister “Piper” Hanchell who are still on trial for alleged malfeasance as PNP big shots. Perhaps the most painful part of a dentist visit or an election is the cost !

10 NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

THE CAPITAL NOTE

Speaking of change in Turks & Caicos Dear Editor , It is somewhat puzzling to see and hear quite a number of Turks & Caicos candidates for election in their shiny campaign ads, all dressed up and smiling, as they ask the T&C citizenry to vote for them on their promise to bring about ‘change.’ But the big question is: ‘Have these candidates who promise ‘change’ made a case to the T&C citizenry about what it is they plan to change? Moreover, do they even know what it is they can, or will, change were they to get in office? After all we are a colonial Territory with serious burdens and limits on what it is that can be changed, in the host parasite relationship that we have had for centuries with Britain (need I say who is the host and who is the parasite here?). Did these candidates take this into account when making their bold promises of bringing about ‘change’? If not they are, to quote Shakespeare: ‘Full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing!’ One of the main complaints from the T&C voters is that candidates are not talking about important issues in this election (not unlike the recent US elections where the main topics were an Access Hollywood ‘locker room talk’ video and ‘private server emails). With this being the case T&C voters, before marking their (X), should give much thought to these candidates and their lofty promises of ‘change.’ Here is a laundry list of some of the things our T&C candidates and voters should be considering if it is truly change they have in mind:

a.) Are these champions of ‘change’ in our T&C elections committed to better accountability from elected officials so that our country does not repeat the cycle of going backward about every ten years, with the inept British stepping in with their Commissions of Inquiry due to local government corruption? If not then what are they changing? b.) Are these champions of ‘change’ committed to addressing the issue of Immigration, both illegal and legal? This free-for-all Immigration situation is not unlike ‘scrubby’ in my marble playing days as a boy in Overback, Grand Turk. This Immigration situation is putting a crushing burden on just about every sector of Turks & Caicos society, and it is not sustainable. If candidates are not prepared to tackle this then what are they changing? c.) Are the champions of ‘change’ in our T&C elections committed to holding the UK accountable for its Oversight Administration responsibilities to Turks & Caicos? Most especially that of securing our borders against illegal Immigration, and being legally liable for the costs associated with failure in this exercise. If candidates are not set to tackle this then what are they changing? d.) Are these champions of ‘change’ committed to getting our Crown Land back from outsider control by the AG office, and back to our own people? Remember this land is the property and birthright of the people of Turks & Caicos from the time of the Caribs and Arawaks. All

PNP leader Rufus Ewing accepts ... CONTINUED FROM 

said that he is done with politics. “I never intended to be a career politician, I came here for a reason and a season. “I was looking forward to completing my agenda, the work that I started in this term, but I certainly hope that those individuals who are now put in a position of government could build on what we have achieved and make progress on behalf of the people.” He stated that the PDM has been given the country “on a platter” to ride on, expressing the hope they do justice to it.

Asked if he feels a sense of accomplishment even in the face of defeat, given the economic stability the Turks and Caicos Islands has achieved under the PNP Government, Ewing said yes. “I am very proud of my accomplishments. I leave this seat and this chair very contented and at peace because I am proud of those accomplishments. “Even persons who do not see it now, history will tell. “So, I leave with a sense of pride, pride for my team members who were part of this recovery team and also a team that has put the country squarely on a path to progress.”

the British do is oversee it, and one more day of it being under their control is one day too much. Remember the land-starved British could easily dole out our land, which amounts to home, to their friends and associates just as the disgraced local PNP government did. This would be disastrous. There is no reason why our Crown Land should not have reverted to our Turks & Caicos National Trust. This agency already makes as its priority securing the natural resource of our lands in the interest of its citizens. Why does a White man from across the ocean in Britain have to have control of land that belongs to the people of Turks & Caicos? It is creepy and elitist. The Director of our National Trust should be the interim overseeing governess of our Crown Land until we have corrected problems in that Department, not an Englishman. If candidates are not prepared to vigorously address this gross dislocation then what is it they are changing? e.) Are these champions of ‘change’ prepared to address the pathetic situation where T&C citizens living abroad are not allowed to vote in Absentee Balloting in elections in Turks & Caicos unless they are resident 12 of 24 months prior to election date? This is a near-impossible feat designed to exclude those born in our country from being an active part of the process of political advancement. Moreover, it is most definitely nonprogressive and not in keeping with the UK’s own election policy, where their citizens abroad are afforded opportunity to vote in Absentee Balloting no matter where in the world they happen to be (Mr. Alpha Gibbs and myself, of Turks & Caicos Forum, thoroughly embarrassed a past British Governor when we pointed this out to him and his CEO in a meeting we held with them at Governor’s House). If candidates are not prepared to address this non-progressive g issue then what is it they are changing? There is more, but this is just a short version of a laundry list that these candidates vying for office in T&C governance should have front and center, in their claim of being champions for ‘change.’ If they are not then voters in Turks & Caicos, on this eve of election, should pause and really ask themselves why they are voting for these candidates, and if such a vote is for the benefit of their country. Ben Roberts Ben is a writer and published author of the action-adventure novel ‘Jackals of Samarra’, available at Amazon.com and other Internet book outlet sites. He often submits articles on social and political matters in his home of Turks & Caicos. He may be contacted at:grandt730@aol.com

These are the numbers, the rest is history In a few days the electorate of the Turks and Caicos Islands goes to the polls. The outcome of the election is anybody’s guess and yet by the time this piece gets published, we’ll know. There are lots of opinions and predictions out there. Will the government be returned to power or will the opposition party take over? How successful will the independent candidates be and if indeed one or more of BY TITUS DE BOER them make it, will there be Titus de Boer, who originally a coalition government, as moved to the TCI from some observers predict. What Germany in 1989, is a impact will the the PDA make? journalist by training and Who knows? I certainly don’t currently works as an art but in the year that gave us promoter and consultant in Brexit and Donald Trump, few Grand Turk and internationally. things would surprise me. Speaking of coalitions, while it’s been 40 years, the 1976 TCI elections (the first to usher in the Ministerial system of Government) produced a coalition government when the PDM won 4 of the 9 seats of the legislature, the PNO (as the PNP was called then) won 3 and two independent candidates ended up being “king makers”. In that scenario, the independents decided to form a government with the PDM. The Turks and Caicos, like the U.S. and the U.K. has an electoral system based on the first past the post principle (FPTP) as opposed to proportional representation (PR), which some argue is a fairer and indeed more democratic electoral system. Proponents of FPTP, on the other hand, will argue that it produces stronger governments as there is seldom a need for a coalition. One of the more questionable aspects of FPTP is that (as we just witnessed in the U.S.) the winner of the popular vote can end up loosing the election. Fact is, in 2012 the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) won 50.31% of the district votes and 50.71% of the at large vote, as opposed to the Progresive National Party’s (PNP) 44.87% and 48.52% respectively. The PNP did go on to win a majority of the seats and formed the government. In the recent U.S. elections, (as of December 9, 2016) Hillary Clinton received 2.84 million more votes than Donald Trump, giving Clinton a 2.09% popular vote lead over Trump and yet “The Donald” ended up as the President-elect. For a history of truly obscure election results, one need not look any further than the United States. In 2000 many people took issue over the fact that George W Bush was elected with a popular vote of 47.87% against the 48.38% of his opponent. Translated into actual votes this represented well over half a million people. Historically however this actually was no “big deal”. In 1824 John Quincy Adams was elected President with just 30.92% of the popular vote against the 41.35% cast for Andrew Jackson. Rutherford Hayes was elected President in 1876 with 47.95% against the 50.97 % of his opponent, Samuel Tilden. Not unlike the 2000 elections, returns from four states (including Florida) were disputed in the 1876 elections, where upon a joint session of congress declared Hayes President. And who were the big winners (popular and otherwise) of past U.S. elections? Some of the names may surprise you. Looking at the 20th century alone (prior to which no one ever won more than 60% of the popular vote), the first big winner was Republican Warren Harding, winning 60.32% in 1920 against the 34.15% of his opponent, James Cox. F.D.R. won the 1936 elections with 60.80%, Lyndon Johnson in 1964 with 61.05% (the highest ever), and finally Richard Nixon (yes, the “Tricky Dicky” who had to resign two years later) in 1972 won with 60.67%. By comparison, J.F.K., only won the 1960 election against Nixon by a waver thin majority of 49.72% to Nixon’s 49.55%, or just over one hundred thousand votes. These are the numbers, the rest is history.

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NEWS 11

SIPT trial adjourned for 2016 – resumes January 16 BY DELANA ISLES EXACTLY ONE YEAR ago, the Special Investigation and Prosecution Trial (SIPT) officially commenced, and a year on it has managed to hear testimony from just over fifty witnesses, with fifty more to go in 2017. Queen’s Counsel and lead Prosecutor, Andrew Mitchell sat down with this publication on Friday (December 16) for a roundup of the hearing over the past year, and what the Turks and Caicos Islands can expect in 2017. Speaking on the 2016 advancement, Mitchell claimed that they have made “good and steady progress” with some important witnesses being called for questioning and cross examination, most of which are almost finished. “We will move on early in the new year to dealing with some of the developments and the issues arising specifically out of the developments

and then we will move to dealing with the financials.” Mitchell said they are on target to finish the Crown’s case by early summer 2017. “I feel that we are making progress and we are getting towards the end, and I maintain that going forward for the country is for the process to be shown to be able to work and be seen to a conclusion, and that’s the important thing.” The trial is the first electronic one that has been conducted here in the TCI, and with several hundred pieces of documents to be examined during its course, Mitchell said that the use of electronics (IPads, computers and televisions) has made the trial less cumbersome and has seen a smooth flow of documentation throughout the year. When the trial resumes on Monday, January 16, 2017, the attorney general will retake the witness stand to complete her testimony, following which several witnesses will be called to the stand

Queen’s Counsel and lead Prosecutor, Andrew Mitchell

to give specific testimony about each of the developments named in the trial documents. American actress and former TCI first lady LisaRaye McCoy is still to take the witness stand, but Mitchell could still not say definitively when this will take place. Another significant witness will be Marsha Cummings, formerly of the attorney general chambers under

the Michael Misick administration. Cummings will testify sometime in February or March and her testimony will be similar to that of the current attorney general. Mitchell said that Cummings was in more direct contact with the ministers when it came to some of the developments named in the case; as such her testimony is pivotal. The prosecutor said that the former governor is not likely to be recalled to the stand to give testimony, although it is a possibility. New Government and SIPT When asked about the new government’s role in relation to the controversial trial, the prosecutor said he did not expect any changes or difficulties to the way things are flowing currently. “One would like to think that there would be no difference in the way that the case is regarded from the new government. “The new government has got their job and that is getting on with governing the country and we all have our jobs and that is getting on prosecuting and defending people who have been accused of crimes before the

courts, and it is for the judge to determine,” Mitchell said. He added that in the best interest of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its future, the last thing the new government would want to be seen to be doing, especially in its early months, is interfering with the trial process. “It must be right for them to be able to attract investments going forward and that they can show that due process is well and truly entrenched in the way of life in the Turks and Caicos Islands.” Although he agreed that the SIPT trial is a special case (given the repeated calls by the now former government and then PDM opposition for the British to pay for the trial) Mitchell noted that if the TCI can prove that due process could be achieved here, it would give comfort to investors. He stated that it is important to a government to say that they can do it. As for chief defendant in the trial – former premier Michael Misick and his co-accused McAllister Hanchell’s bid for re-election on Thursday - the prosecutor would offer no comments.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

PDA congratulates PDM on victory BY OLIVIA ROSE LEADER of the Progressive Democratic Alliance, Oswald Skippings, has congratulated the PDM Government on winning the 2016 General election. In a brief Whatsapp message Skippings said: “First and foremost, I thank Jehovah God for his abundant grace and mercies. “My congratulations go out to the new PDM government of the Turks and Caicos and I extend my gratitude and thanks to all my people who have voted for me and my PDA team throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. “The PDA has fought a good and worthy fight and we are proud to have had the chance to vie for the privileged opportunity to represent you the people of our Beautiful by Nature Turks and Caicos Islands.”

NEWS 15

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Hon Goldray Ewing accuses the PNP of bribing Blue Hills voters BY DAISY HANDFIELD

Leader of the Progressive Democratic Alliance Oswald Skippings

He pledged his party`s continued commitment to the people of the Turks and Caicos Island. “We will not cease to represent you and seek a better life for you and will support any government that seeks to do the same.”

Norman Saunders Senior plans to retire from politics

Goldray Ewing, PDM candidate and winner of Electoral District 8 in the Blue Hills constituency, has accused the PNP of bribery in that electorate. In an interview with Mr Ewing on Thursday night, he alleged that the PNP party handed out large sums of money to people, to either prevent them from voting or to convince them to vote PNP in the mentioned electorate. Mr Ewing, who competed against his sister, Claudine EwingPratt, PNP candidate, secured his seat after defeating her by 99 votes. PDM secured 366 votes; PNP secured 267 and the PDA secured 37 votes. He said: “I heard the rumours that there was a lot of money on the streets to keep the people away from the polls. Tickets were bought to send people away…PNPs was actually betting on winning the seat. They were betting people up to US $5,000, but I guess that they came up a dollar late and a day short. That seat will remain in the hands of the PDM for a long time to come…” The PDM candidate said that he and his PDM team are ready to start working for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Honourable Goldray Ewing

“We are ready to take office and go to work for the people. That is the whole idea of this whole operation,” he said. Ewing was born to parents,

Hon. Hilly and Mrs Jane Ewing. He acquired his early childhood education at the Blue Hills primary school and later at H J Robinson high school in Grand Turk.

BY DAISY HANDFIELD NORMAN Saunders Senior, the Turks and Caicos Islands’ longest serving member of parliament, will not be returning to the House of Assembly when it reopens for for the upcoming season. Saunders is retiring, after 49 years of service. Saunders did not seek re-election this year, as he has announced plans of retiring from frontline politics. He said: “At my age, even though I still feel healthy, I did not want to run the risk of subjecting the electorate and the country to a situation where I may have not been able to give the best of my energy, as I have done in the past. So, I felt that it was better for me to move out and let somebody much younger take over.” Saunders, aged 73, told the media recently that he is at the age where he wants to centre his life on personal pursuits. “I would like to spend some more time fishing and do what I can with my church, the Methodist church,” he said. In 1967, Saunders was elected as an MP for South Caicos under the Progressive National Party at the age of 23, making him the youngest elected official at the time. In 1985 Saunders became Chief Minister of the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 1996, Saunders was re-elected

Ex-Gratia payments for former TCIG waged employees BY OLIVIA ROSE

Norman Saunders Senior

to represent South Caicos as an independent candidate following fallout with his party, the PNP. He would go on to run under the PNP party and continue to hold the South Caicos seat until 2016. As a business man, Saunders says he plans to focus on his life on business and involvement in his church in South Caicos. There has been no official statement from the PNP on his departure from politics.

THE MINISTRY of Finance is in the process of finalizing the payment of terminal benefits (Ex-gratia Payments) to all waged persons who ended their tenure with the Turks and Caicos Islands Government during the period 2009 to 2016. According to the Ministry in a release, issued on December 13, Cabinet granted approval at a meeting on October 26 for waged persons, who were not in receipt of severance payments, upon completion of their tenure with the Turks and Caicos Islands Government to receive a maximum ex-gratia payment of four months wages. The release stated that: “These initial payments will be disbursed on the 12th December 2016. It is important to note that a further review of pensions and gratuities will be conducted by the

Ministry of Finance during the next financial year.” Premier Rufus Ewing told the House of Assembly some months back that his Government plans to comprehensively review the gratuity policy. He said: “The works with regards to ex gratia payment has been going on for some time now and we have the list ready of those individuals who will be entitled to ex gratia payment. “Every day we still find individuals coming forward and presenting their claims. We continue to receive more names to add to that list. “The gratuity list is just about completed because they aren’t too many individuals who are entitled to gratuity per se. “The vacation leave list has been going on for some time now and has proved to be most problematic because of the state of Government’s

records during that time and also due to improper documentation. “Those are some of the challenges that we are facing, we have persons who claim that they were denied leave but yet still were not documented.” The Premier noted that while he is cognisant that some of these matters could reach the court, he assured that this will not disrupt the ongoing review.” The PDM said that if elected into government it will address these issues. “This is not a political ploy, we said we will address these issues if they hadn’t, and three years later they haven’t, and they cannot say that we jumped ahead of them, as they usually say. “We are obligated to address those dangling issues that this government promised its people on the campaign trail in 2012, and ever since.”

16 NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Food and drug department clamps down on unlabeled goods BY OLIVIA ROSE THE FOOD and Drug department is clamping down on imported goods that are not properly labeled. According to the Department, Environmental Health Officers have noticed that the bottled water supplied by International Agua and located at Teresa Suarez, No. 12, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, is being imported to the Turks and Caicos Islands via the Dominican trading vessel, and are being sold to the general public and supermarkets. The bottled water (16 oz and 1 gallon) does not carry any best before or expiration dates for these products. The Department has noticed that

this practice is become a worrying trend over the past few months. The department stated that: “In accordance with the Food and Drug Ordinance 2016 Section 7 subsections 1 and 2, the above mentioned issue will be a violation of the ordinance. This means that all food and drinks must be labeled and packaged correctly, giving its shelf life.” Store owners are being advised that all goods must be properly labeled and dated according to the Food and Drug Ordinance 2016. Failure to comply will result in these goods being confiscated and disposed of by the Environmental Health Department.

Unlabeled bottled water

Over 80 senior citizens enjoyed a luncheon at Beaches Turks and Caicos

Many of the senior citizens posed with Santa

Beaches brings Christmas cheer to over 80 senior citizens

OVER 80 senior citizens of The Bight Constituency were treated to a surprise during the holidays when Beaches collaborated with The Bight Community Awareness Association to treat the elderly to a Christmas weekend luncheon. The senior folks who gathered at the resort’s grand ballroom for an afternoon treat, ate, danced and partied and with Ole’ St. Nick and the Beaches entertainers.

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NEWS 17

Beaches and Sandals celebrate the fifteenth annual STAR Awards

Beaches resort celebrate annual STAR Awards OVER 500 travel agents, guests, VIPs and media from North America, UK, Canada and Latin America was in on island last to be recognized for their diligence and fortitude in selling destination Turk & Caicos as well as the Caribbean . Spear headed by Resort Sales Manager Tanya Swann, the weekend’s activities celebrated and honored the hard work of agents with a number of special events including

a “Wete Fete” water party, a foam party at the resort’s waterpark, and a Gala followed by a performance from Grammy nominated singer Taylor Dayne. “It’s always a pleasure for us here at Beaches Turks & Caicos to Host the Sandals Resorts International Star Awards.” Said Tanya Swann, “This year it was the 15th Annual Star Awards and it was for over three hundred Travel Agents & their

Spouses. The hype and the enthusiasm of the Agents for been chosen as the top sellers was just magnificent as well as they were all glad that it was at Beaches Turks, the Resort that they all love to come to.” Sandals Resorts International CEO Adam Stewart addressed the agents thanking them for their dedication and providing them with insight on future developments.

Sandals Resorts created the S.T.A.R. Awards in 2002 as a way to recognize top travel agents and their agencies as well as showcase the latest resort products and on-island attractions. Among the impressive awards taken home this year, the distinguished group of winners included the following: “Making preparations for this event is such a wonderful experience for us all, has it’s up to us to show

them exactly what we at Beaches Turks have to offer, from the Arrivals to the settings of each function to just going out on the boat and relaxing while basking in the beauty of our “Beautiful by Nature” Islands.” She continued, “Our aim each time we host one of these Star Awards we present something to the Agents that is breath taking and not only for them but also something that they can sell to their Guests.”

Beaches Turks and Caicos held media appreciation dinner BY DAISY HANDFIELD A MEDIA appreciation dinner was held at Beaches Turks and Caicos, as a way of showing gratitude to reporters and staff members from the various media houses, for their hard work and commitment to the resort during the year 2016. Media officials from radio, print and television enjoyed dinner at Kimonos Teppanyaki, a Japanese restaurant on property. Elanor Finfin-Krzanowski, PR manager for Beaches TCI surprised each media house with either a gift certificate to purchase items from the

resort’s boutique; a gift certificate to enjoy a spa treatment at the resort, or passes to enjoy the resort’s amenities. In an interview with FinfinKrzanowski, she said that she looked forward to this event, just as much as media personnel. “We look forward to hosting the press dinner every year Christmas because it is our way of saying thank you to the wonderful men and women that have supported us throughout the year. For us the press dinner is about building a relationship with the media, by letting them know that we are here. We want to be as transparent as

Media officials in Providenciales enjoyed a media appreciation dinner at Beaches Turks and Caicos

possible and we want to let them know that whatever they need, we are here to support them- with their stories. It is the holiday season, so

we look forward to giving back to them and just finding ways to spread Christmas joy. This gives them an opportunity to experience

our resort, as a guest. It is something that we have done in the past and something that we look forward to continuing doing in the future.”

Lifestyle... 18

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

THE DENTIST AND YOU 

Dental care over the holiday period BY DR MARK OSMOND The holiday time is when we all want to celebrate the season, kick back a bit, enjoy a break and treat ourselves and our loved ones. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or something else, most of us will be hoping that the celebrations include good food and treats and maybe the odd tipple (or two!) I’m certainly looking forward to my Christmas lunch, mulled wine and mince pies! However, inevitably the holiday period can be quite tough on your teeth. The extra treats, the candies being passed around work, the box of homemade cookies given to you by your neighbor, the glass as wine at a friend’s house are all additional

times when your teeth are vulnerable to attack from dental decay. From a dental health perspective, you might be surprised to know that it is less about how much you eat (the volume) and more about how often you eat (the frequency). It is much healthier to eat 3 balanced meals a day than have 7-10 snacks throughout the course of the dayeven if you are actually eating the same amount and types of the food. The reason for this is that every time you eat anything that contains sugar, your teeth are under acid attack for up to one hour afterwards. The sugar in your food is broken down by the (normal, healthy) bacteria in your mouth and acid is produced. It is this acid that attacks the enamel of your teeth and over time causes tooth

GARDENING 

decay. Acidic foods and drinks (such as orange juice, diet soda, citrus fruits, yoghurt, even lager) can be just as harmful to your teeth. And also remember that sugars can be present in foods even when it might not be so obvious; for example, fruit (fresh and dried), bread and many sauces. As the acid attacks the teeth, the enamel of the tooth is destroyed and over time this becomes a hole or cavity in the tooth. Initially it is likely that you will experience sensitivity. If the decay is allowed to continue it will lead to tooth ache. At this point the tooth will require a filling or, if left untreated for long enough, you may have to lose the tooth (an extraction). So, how can you avoid these

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW

Christmas tree – fake or real tree Each Christmas season, there seems to be a lot of focus on the so-called “debate” over real vs. artificial Christmas trees. Overall people should feel free to choose either type of tree Both types of Christmas trees have very distinctive characteristics and a recent Life Cycle Analysis concluded that neither tree has a significant negative impact on the environment. It really comes down which kind of tree, or trees, best fits your lifestyle. The Christmas season should be a time of celebration, not a platform for debate. So if a Christmas tree is part of your holiday celebration, relax and celebrate with the Christmas tree of your choice. To help clear things up, here are some answers to the most common tales. Maybe you’ve heard some of these or even had these very same thoughts yourself. Either way, it may be worth your time to read on: Artificial trees aren’t part of

Christmas tradition: If your holiday traditions began before the 1960s, there’s a good chance you are right. However, a recent survey conducted that more than 80 percent of American households with Christmas trees are celebrating with an artificial Christmas tree.

ARTIFICIAL TREES DON’T LOOK REAL: It’s ironic. There are also people who say that artificial Christmas trees look “too perfect” to be real. In any case, many testify that their artificial trees appeal to even the most scrutinizing of relatives. Admittedly, artificial trees in the past looked nothing like the real thing, but now they appear like genuine Christmas trees. Advances in artificial-tree design have helped many obtain the “perfect tree” for the holidays – without looking “too perfect.”

problems and yet still enjoy the holiday treats? It is advised that you enjoy your sweet treats- cake, mince pies, chocolates, sweet or fizzy drinks- at meal times rather than spread them out throughout the course of the day. And if your children are having candy, encourage them to eat it in one sitting rather than keep returning to the bag and having one every hour or so. Brushing your teeth at the end of the day, just before you go to bed, is vital in ensuring that sugar and food debris is removed from the teeth. However, brushing teeth immediately after you have finished eating something acidic is not advised. Straight after you have eaten, the enamel is softened and if used at this point, the abrasive action

of the brush and toothpaste will remove this layer of enamel. This erodes the teeth and makes them sensitive and vulnerable to decay. It is therefore advised that you wait 30- 60 mins after eating or drinking acidic foods before brushing your teeth. A simple mouth rinse with water immediately after can help to wash away the acid in the mouth. Studies show that xylitol- a synthetic sweetener- can disrupt how bacteria deal with sugars in your diet. So xylitol mints and gum can reduce the decay effect of sugar in your diet as well as stimulating saliva flow to buffer any acid in your mouth. Easy steps to take to look after your teeth and ensure that you enjoy a happy, healthy holiday! Seasons Greeting everyone!

BY DENIS BELANGER - NATURE SPLENDOR

Denis is a passionate landscape architect who enjoys the creative process and his clients’ joy when projects come to life. Contact Denis at Nature Splendor for your landscaping, installation or garden maintenance needs. For more information call 332-3381 or email denis@naturesplendor.net.

Artificial Christmas trees harm the environment: This is the myth that does the most harm to the well-meaning, environmentally conscious consumer. A study concluded that there was no significant environmental impact from the use of either an artificial or a real Christmas tree. Consumers should feel great about choosing either kind of tree and many consumers are choosing to display both kinds throughout their homes and in their outdoor Christmas displays. Now that’s the Christmas spirit. ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREES DON’T SMELL AS NICE: On the surface, this is a fair point. But along with that fresh pine smell comes nearly 10 times the amount of mold normally found indoors. For those predisposed to allergies, this is

no small matter. A study conducted shows that after two weeks of being indoors, a live Christmas tree emitted significant amounts of mold

spores into the air. The truth is that fresh pine smell can be replaced with a special fresh pine scent and scented ornaments.

December 17-23, 2016

Regional News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Cayman Islands opposition party reneges on payment of election challenge costs A water capture and distribution project in the town of Merger, an hour outside of Port au Prince, Haiti. Funded by the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti

UN inaugurates water project in Haiti benefiting 60,000 people SANDRA Honoré, the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral (SRSG) for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), inaugurated on 8 December a water capture and distribution project in the town of Merger, an hour outside of the Caribbean nation’s capital Port au Prince. Funded by MINUSTAH through the Quick Impact Projects (QIP), the $80,000 venture will supply water through nearly 5,000 metres of underground pipes to 12 kiosks spread through the surrounding communities in Gressier commune. It will allow 60,000 people to access to clean water on a daily basis. The underwater pipes are less likely to be broken by storms or human acts, than pipes running above ground, and thus will prevent the contamination or theft of the water from this vital supply system. MINUSTAH’s QIPs are intended to support the Haitian authorities in improving public infrastructure and living conditions. This project has the crucial benefit of helping Haiti and the UN address the ongoing cholera problem in Haiti, which has claimed more than 9,000 lives since 2010. “This is a very important project for the community here in K-Gato in the commune of Gressier. It is an important project because it is one

of the key elements to help prevent the transmission, not only of cholera, but also of a number of water-borne diseases,” said Ms. Honoré, adding that this will work directly in line with the Haitian Government’s Plan for the Elimination of Cholera for the period of 2013-2022. Highlighting the urgent need for clean water in Haiti, she said: “The statistics that we have from the water and sewage authority of Haiti indicate that only 42 per cent of the Haitian population has access to safe water. So increasing access of the population in communities that are far removed from central urban centres like the communities in this area in the commune of Gressier will indeed work and contribute to the major task and the overall task of the Government of Haiti for the elimination of the transmission of cholera.” She went on to say that the project is one small element of the overall UN response in support of the efforts of the Government of Haiti to bring clean water to the population throughout the country and also in collaboration with the work that the entire UN system – including the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – are doing in this respect.

CAYMAN Islands resident John Gordon Hewitt is facing bankruptcy because of hefty costs the court ordered him to pay following an unsuccessful challenge and appeal against the election of education minister Tara Rivers to a seat in the 2013 general election. But Hewitt, his wife and an attorney have all sworn that the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) had committed to picking up the tab. According to affidavits filed with the court, Hewitt had agreed at the request of opposition leader McKeeva Bush and the UDP hierarchy to put his name to the challenge but only if the party paid the bill. He and his wife, Velma Hewitt – who came in fifth in the constituency poll – claim they were told local businessman Renard Moxam would cover the costs. The Hewitts and their attorney for the challenge, Steve McField, have all sworn in the official documents that they were never meant to pay for the challenge. John Hewitt was the elector Bush said he needed to challenge Rivers, who has an American passport and was working overseas during the statutory sevenyear period prior to the election. Both were issues that could have seen her disqualified but, in a surprise ruling, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie upheld her election to office. Smellie found that having an American passport because of the hospital where she was born did not mean she had sworn allegiance to another nation and her time at a London law firm was educational development rather than just work. When Hewitt lost the challenge, despite sections in the election law that say the Grand Court decision is final in an election case and no appeals are allowed, the UDP, according to the documents, persuaded Hewitt to press on with an appeal. But the appeal was dismissed.

John Gordon Hewitt is facing bankruptcy because of hefty costs the court ordered him to pay following an unsuccessful challenge and appeal against the election of education minister Tara Rivers to a seat in the 2013 general election.

Following the original challenge, the chief justice had indicated its importance and queried the request for costs by Rivers. Many people believed that there was a genuine public interest question regarding the qualifications, particularly the issue of foreign passports, which had seen other would-be candidates forced out of the race based on advice from the attorney general Samuel Bulgin. Bulgin had, until Rivers mounted her challenge, advised the elections office that having a US passport disqualified a candidate in the case of one such individual, who was accordingly disqualified before nomination day. However, once the challenge was mounted, the attorney general adopted River’s position that she was qualified, in order to defend the election official who accepted her nomination who was also named in Hewitt’s suit. Given the controversies about qualification, the chief justice had commented on the “chilling effect” awarding costs to an unsuccessful challenger would have on future cases regarding questionable qualification of candidates. But despite this the Rivers team pressed ahead and successfully won more than $130,000 in costs for the entire

case and appeal against Hewitt, leading to his ultimate bankruptcy. The Hewitts claim that at that point they were deserted by the UDP when it came to paying the bill. Bush had told them the UDP could not be seen to be the ones mounting a challenge and they needed Hewitt’s name as an elector and nothing more. But the revealing affidavits described how the Hewitts made it clear to Bush and the UDP leaders that they did not have the money needed for the challenge. The couple said they were repeatedly reassured that the UDP and Moxam, who ran unsuccessfully for the party in George Town, were willing to cover the costs. Their allegations are also backed up by a sworn affidavit from local lawyer McField, who had instructed well-known Jamaican legal expert Abe Dabdoub to lead the case. McField said he was present at the meeting when the Hewitts were reassured they would have no financial liability by Bush and Moxam, who McField also said had agreed to cover the costs. CNS contacted Moxam, who has not made an on-the-record comment but indicated that he had never committed to covering the entire costs of the challenge.

Leave now, official warns squatters in Dominican Republic highlands ENVIRONMENT minister Francisco Domínguez on Wednesday warned the illegal farmers in Valle Nuevo National Park won’t have to be taken out, “we’ll simply not let them in” to the protected area, on which a group of priests said “blood will run” if the authorities refuse to dialogue over the showdown. “Many of them are millionaires, with houses here and mansions there, we’re not talking about poor people,” Domínguez said, and noted that around 4,000 Haitians work for the farmers inside the park. “Remember we don’t have to take anyone out because they are not there,” the official said. “They live in the Anacaona, in

Arroyo Hondo, in Santiago ... what we are going to do is to not let them in,” the official said during the release of a study on Valle Nuevo which divides the squatters into three groups according to hectares exploited He said there are 237 small scale farms of up to 3 hectares. “Most of them live in Santo Domingo and Constanza, a small group lives inside the park.” He said 58 medium level farmers exploit 3 to 6 hectares. “They live in Constanza and Santo Domingo although one or two may live inside the park.” Dominguez affirmed that there are 75 large-scale farms on on over 6

hectares each, and 39 whose area has yet to be determined. The official said there will not be any Dominican whom might go hungry with their families as a result of the measure. “If we have to find a solution with some of them, they can work with the Ministry in the reforestation programs, as long as they’re willing,” the official said. He vowed to respect the squatters’ human rights but reiterated the January 15 deadline for the squatters to leave. “It’s a work programme that involves the eradication of extensive agriculture, a gradual restoration process that began three months ago and reaches its critical point at the

end of January, which will be extend up to one year with the eradication of plant and invasive species or introduced animals.” When asked about reports that the measure will harm around 20,000 families, the official said they are only 409. “That figure of 20,000 families is an invention by big producers as a mechanism to prevent the plan from materialising.” “That’s the typical blackmail that always happens, especially from those who have the ability to spread them. This deadline could’ve been five days or one day, the term of these months so that these people don’t lose the money in what’s already cultivated,” Dominguez said

in a press conference. “The waters don’t belong to 4 or 5, they belong to all of us as citizens of the Dominican Republic, without water you cannot live,” added the official. Propagas Foundation director, Rosa Margarita Bonetti de Santana donated a pickup truck to the Environment Ministry, to be used in Valle Nuevo National Park. “This is part of Valle Nuevo’s rescue plan, so our park manager can mobilize and resolve the big problems that are to come in a little while,” Bonetti said, adding that they’ll also cooperate to install the new access gates, which will be rady in January.

Regional News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

FNM rescinds Butler-Turner’s nomination in Long Island FREE National Movement Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said during a rally on Wednesday night that the party’s council has rescinded Loretta ButlerTurner’s nomination in the Long Island constituency. One of his final messages to the crowd of several hundred gathered at FNM headquarters, his announcement, for many in attendance, climaxed an event that was transformed from a typical candidate ratification into a loud, defiant show of strength amid unprecedented crisis for his party. The late Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack” blared from speakers following his announcement. “Yes, yes!” some shouted. Others waved pom-poms. “You did not deserve what those seven MPs did to us,” Dr Minnis said, referring to last week’s decision by his colleagues to oust him as leader of the Official Opposition. “You did not deserve it.” In interviews with The Tribune, FNM supporters said the “rebel seven” acted as they did because they were motivated by greed. Dr Minnis’ criticism of them, accordingly, received the greatest reception from the crowd. “Didn’t we all endure their public criticism?” he asked. “It seems like almost every week we were being publicly attacked by one of our own. “FNMs, didn’t we have a

Dr Minnis said that the party did not deserve what “those seven MPs did to us”. (Tribune photo)

convention in November 2014? Didn’t we have a convention in July 2016? The convention elected its leader and I offered my hands out to all who opposed us.” Dr Minnis said he extended an olive branch to those who opposed his leadership, a claim likely to be disputed by several “rebel” MPs who may feel that they were denied nominations because of their support of Mrs Butler-Turner. “The FNM has a leader,” he said. “My name, my name is Hubert Alexander Minnis.” “FNMs, we can’t afford to be distracted. We have a country to rescue. The PLP hit the Bahamas like Hurricane Matthew did, hard and merciless and the damage is growing day after day.” Dr Minnis asked: “Do you think

we have time to be fooling around with those outgoing MPs when our people are dying on the streets, losing jobs, losing their homes, unable to pay their light bills, unable to send their children to schools, unable to receive proper medical care?” Iram Lewis was also ratified last night as the FNM’s candidate for Central Grand Bahama. Mr Lewis is the head of the Grand Bahama Amateur Athletic Association. Among others, former Senator Dr Duane Sands spoke during the rally amid interest in where his loyalties lay, either with his former runningmate, Mrs Butler-Turner, or with Dr Minnis. “I support the leader of the party,” he said during his speech. (Tribune242)

December 17-23, 2016

Cruise ship turns away from Haiti amid protests UNITED States President Barack Obama is set to deliver a long awaited gift to the Caribbean before he leaves the White House in the coming weeks. He is expected to sign into law legislation aimed at bolstering United States/Caribbean relations on a range of critical issues that was unanimously passed in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act (H.R.4939), paves the way for the U.S Secretary of State and the U.S Agency for International Development to devise a multiyear strategy on security, energy, diplomacy and increased access to educational opportunities. The landmark initiative was spearheaded by New York Democratic representative Eliot L. Engle, ranking member of the house committee on foreign affairs and South Florida Republican

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a former chair of the committee. It was passed earlier this year. “It is long past time to have a multi-year strategy that will allow us to increase engagement with the Caribbean, especially when it comes to energy and security,” Engel told the Miami Herald. His colleague, Ros-Lehtinen, added that it would create a win-win situation for the two critical partners – Washington and the Caribbean region. “It is vital to work proactively and collaboratively with Caribbean nations to promote close cooperation in the areas of security, trade, illicit trafficking, and energy,” she said. A congressional aide also told the Miami Herald that it was a small victory for the Caribbean, which has long lobbied for improved relations with Washington. “It’s not a panacea, but a step in the right direction,” the aide said.

The fake rice scare was triggered by a Television Jamaica report on Sunday, showing a woman cooking the product.

Minister says no evidence of Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Barbados slam Oxfam tax haven report fake rice on Jamaica market MISCHIEVOUS, grossly inaccurate and under-researched! That’s how three Caribbean countries deemed among the world’s worst corporate tax havens have described a report published by international charity Oxfam, entitled ‘Tax Battles – The Dangerous Global Race to the Bottom on Corporate Tax‘.Authorities in Bermuda, listed as the worst offender, the Cayman Islands, ranked second, and Barbados, 13th, are hopping mad at the claims levelled in the 46-page report that lists 15 countries. The UK charity has charged that these countries “facilitate the most extreme forms of corporate tax avoidance, driving the race to the bottom in corporate taxation.” It said they were responsible for “starving countries out of the billions of dollars needed to tackle poverty and inequality.” “Corporate tax havens are propping up a dangerously unequal economic system that is leaving millions of people with few opportunities for a better life,” Oxfam tax policy advisor Esme

Berkhout said in a statement. Bermuda’s Finance Minister Bob Richards rejected the findings pointing to what he called “serial errors” in the report, which found that multinational companies reported US$80 billion in profits on the island in 2012. Richards argued that the findings were based solely on volume of assets, which is not a recognised criteria of transparency and compliance, on which Bermuda measures well.“Oxfam, directly and indirectly, appears simply to have ignored Bermuda’s internationally recognised role as a centre of corporate and tax transparency and compliance, a key ally in the fight against money laundering and all criminal activities, and a committed partner in the initiatives of the OECD on tax reform under the BEPs initiative,” he said. The Bermuda Finance Minister also strongly denied claims that the island has anonymous shell corporations and that it had failed to co-operate with international processes to combat tax avoidance

and transparency. In the Cayman Islands, Financial Services Minister Wayne Paxton described the report as “unhelpful at best” and accused Oxfam of exploiting misinformed public opinion as part of an agenda to influence the public policy of G20 countries.“It may be detrimental to the overall shared goal of combating criminal behaviour and addressing income inequality,” he said, stressing that the island’s inclusion in the socalled tax haven list was flawed. that they are hypocrites . . . and I am prepared to dispatch the appropriate correspondence to the hierarchy of Oxfam on behalf of Barbados, condemning their utterances and warning them about the irreparable damage that their reckless comments could cost a jurisdiction like Barbados,” he told Barbados Today online newspaper. Inniss underscored that Barbados was a clean jurisdiction, saying that it had recently been endorsed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (Caribbean360)

RICE imports from Guyana and Suriname will now be allowed into Jamaica, after the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) temporarily halted the clearance of rice at all ports of entry over reports that plastic rice had entered the local market. On Monday, the JCA stopped the shipments and met with the relevant regulatory agencies, including the Bureau of Standards (BSJ), the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Health, and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), to verify whether the artificial rice was in fact in the country. The concern was triggered by a Television Jamaica report on Sunday, showing a woman cooking the product. However, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda said yesterday there was no evidence of plastic rice in samples tested by the BSJ. “The BSJ was provided with samples… and, so far, I can assure the people of Jamaica that there is absolutely no evidence of any contamination of plastic within the samples tested,” he said. The minister said more samples

will be taken from across the country to be tested and the BSJ had been asked to conduct island wide investigations into the source of all rice now in supermarkets. According to the Jamaica Observer, Jamaica imports rice from Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, India, United States, Guyana, Thailand, China, and Suriname. Samuda said this week that rice originating from Guyana and Suriname would be cleared to enter the island. “The reason for this is very simple: Guyana and Suriname are considered to be a part of our domestic market. They are members of CARICOM and we have never had incidents of any kind of contamination or otherwise. So, there is no justifiable reason for us to hold those shipments of rice,” he explained. Meanwhile, the minister expressed concern about the importation of rice from sections of the Far East. “In three instances, we have been advised of fake labelling, and we are in the process now of confirming the allegations. We have to be very certain of the source of food that enters this country,” he said.

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

World News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Philippines President Duterte should be impeached for ‘mass murder’: critic

Residents stood in queues past midnight on Wednesday to stock up on bottled water.

Corpus Christi, Texas, residents warned to avoid tap water RESIDENTS of a Texas city have been warned by officials not to drink or bathe in the tap water because of a chemical contamination. Wednesday’s advisory applies to more than 300,000 people in Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Boiling, freezing, filtering, adding chlorine or other disinfectants, or letting the water stand will not make the water safe, officials say. The contaminants have not yet been named, but are petroleumbased. “Only bottled water should be used for all drinking, beverage and food preparation (including baby formula and juice), making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes or clothes, washing hands, and bathing until further notice,” said a press release from the city. On Wednesday night long queues formed at grocery stores of shoppers stocking up on bottled water. Officials believe the contamination was caused by a faulty valve in the city’s industrial

district, which caused a “back-flow incident”, leaking contaminants into the drinking water supply. It was first reported at around 18:00 local time by a worker at an industrial property who noticed a sheen in the water while washing his hands. Mayor Dan McQueen has emphasised that the city’s water filtration system did not fail. Officials will announce new information after test results return from Austin, the state capitol. Classes have been cancelled at some schools, but others are continuing with lessons. The schools that remain open are handing out bottled water and hand sanitiser while supplies last. Corpus Christi is not the only US city to have suffered from tainted drinking water in recent years. The biggest scandal is ongoing in Flint, Michigan, where officials polluted the water with lead after switching sources from Lake Huron to the Flint River.

PHILIPPINES President Rodrigo Duterte should be impeached after he admitted to personally killing drug suspects, one of his top critics told CNN. On Monday, Duterte said that when mayor of the southern city of Davao, he would patrol the streets “looking for an encounter so I could kill.” Since taking power in June, Duterte has waged a brutal “war on drugs” that has been linked to more than 5,900 deaths in less than six months. Duterte had previously been accused of killing a government official with a Uzi submachine gun but his sober admission at a business forum has enraged his critics. The President’s comments are tantamount to an admission of “mass murder,” Senator Leila De Lima told CNN Thursday. “These are mass murders,” she said. “High crime is a ground for impeachment under (the) constitution.” “We Filipinos are god fearing because we’re a Catholic country and therefore we all know the killing is bad, killing is insane, killing is against the law of both man and the law of god,” De Lima said. Amnesty International regional director Rafendi Djamin said that Duterte’s rhetoric took.“the meaning of ‘state-sanctioned’ violence to a whole new level.” “By boasting about the blood on

Since taking power in June, President Rodrigo Duterte has waged a brutal “war on drugs” that has been linked to more than 5,900 deaths in less than six months.

his own hands, President Duterte will further embolden police and vigilantes to blatantly violate laws and carry out more extrajudicial executions without fear of being held to account,” Djamin said in a statement. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre defended Duterte Wednesday. “Just because you kill suspects does not mean you have violated the law,” he said. “It could be done with a justifiable cause and justified circumstances as a public officer in order to arrest, but the suspect fought. He must have been forced to kill.” In September, De Lima was ousted as chair of a Senate hearing into the drug crackdown and found herself under investigation in the

House of Representatives for alleged corruption offenses. She received death threats and was forced to leave her home after a witness in the hearing against her read out her phone number and home address on national television. “I don’t feel safe,” De Lima said Thursday. “I’ve been warned by some people that there’s a serious security threat against me because of my vocal criticism of what the President is doing.” In the Senate hearing, a witness of De Lima’s said he was a former member of the Davao Death Squad, a vigilante group linked to hundreds of killings during Duterte’s tenure as mayor, and accused the now President of personally executing a government official.

TRUDEAU:

Obama vows action against ‘Globalisation isn’t working for ordinary people’ Russia over election hacks US President Barack Obama has vowed to take action against Russia for its alleged interference in the US presidential election campaign. “We need to take action and we will,” he told US radio station NPR. Russia stands accused by the US of hacking the emails of the Democratic Party and a key Hillary Clinton aide, which the Kremlin strongly denies. Republican president-elect Donald Trump has also dismissed the claim as “ridiculous” and politically motivated. The intelligence agencies say they have overwhelming evidence that Russian hackers linked to the Kremlin were behind the hacks. And on Thursday, a White House spokesman said President Vladimir Putin was involved in the cyberattacks. Hours later, Mr Obama said: “I think there’s no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact on the integrity of our elections,

It is not clear what action the US intends to take, with President Barack Obama leaving office on 20 January.

that we need to take action and we will, at a time and a place of our own choosing.“Some of it may be explicit and publicised. Some of it may not be. “Mr Putin is well aware of my feelings about this, because I spoke to him directly about it.” It is not clear what action the US intends to take, with Mr Obama leaving office on 20 January.

ORDINARY people around the world have been failed by globalisation, Justin Trudeau has told the Guardian, as he sought to explain a turbulent year marked by the election of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote and the rise of antiestablishment, nation-first parties around the world. “What we’re facing right now – in terms of the rise of populism and divisive and fearful narratives around the world – it’s based around the fact that globalisation doesn’t seem to be working for the middle class, for ordinary people,” the Canadian prime minister said in an interview at his oak-panelled office in the country’s parliament. “And this is something that we identified years ago and built an entire platform and agenda for governing on.” Last year, at a time when Trump was being described as a long shot for president and the threat of Brexit seemed a distant possibility, Trudeau, 44, swept to a majority government on an ambitious platform that included addressing growing inequality and creating real change for the country’s

Justin Trudeau: ‘We are subject to the same kinds of tensions and forces that so much of the world is facing right now.’

middle class. One year on, what has emerged is a government that seems to go against the political tide around the world; open to trade, immigration and diversity and led by a social media star whose views on feminism, Syrian refugees and LGBT rights have provoked delight among progressives. But as he enters his second year in power, Trudeau – a former high school teacher and snowboarding instructor – is under pressure to show the world that his government has found an alternative means of

tackling the concerns of those who feel they’ve been left behind.“We were able to sign free trade agreement with Europe at a time when people tend to be closing off,” he said. In January, Trudeau’s government will face off against its greatest challenge to date: a Trump presidency. When it comes to US relations, few countries have as much at stake as Canada – last year saw nearly threequarters of Canada’s exports head to the US while some 400,000 people a day cross the shared border. (The Guardian)

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

World News

Roof found guilty of racially motivated massacre at black Charleston church A JURY found Dylann Roof guilty of the Charleston church massacre Thursday, rejecting the twisted 22-year-old’s repulsive racism. Roof was found guilty on all counts after just two hours of deliberations. Roof stood with his arms by his sides, staring straight ahead as the 33 guilty verdicts were read. The self-proclaimed white supremacist gunned down nine black people in a Bible study group at Emanuel AME Church on June, 17, 2015 — a mass shooting he hoped would spark a race war. But instead, the Confederate flag featured in many of the disturbing photos Roof took of himself before the killings was taken down from South Carolina statehouse after 50 years. Roof was full of hate and “immense racial ignorance,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Williams said in closing remarks. “There is no bravery in this defendant. There is no bravery in his actions,” Williams said, according to WIS local news. “These nine people exemplified a goodness that was greater than his message of hate.” Defense attorney David Bruck called no witnesses. In his opening statements he told jurors that everything prosecutors had accused Roof of doing was true. He had hinted that Roof was

The McDonald twins spent 13 months joined at the head before surgery.

Dylann Roof was found guilty on all counts after just two hours of deliberations.

mentally ill — though a judge ruled he could not use that as a defense. Roof’s mental state will likely become an issue during the sentencing phase of the trial that will begin Jan. 3. The same jury will decide whether Roof deserves to be put to death or receive a life sentence. Prosecutors introduced mountains of evidence against Roof, including video of his two-hour confession to investigators and racist manifesto. “I went to that church in Charleston and I did it,” Roof said. “Somebody had to do it.” Roof had researched black churches and visited historic sites of slavery around South Carolina. His racist awakening, he said, came after George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in 2012. “Black people are killing white

people everyday... What I did is so minuscule compared to what they do to white people every day,” he said. Roof loaded eight clips with 88 bullets — a number symbolically significant to racists — before joining the Bible study group. He shot 77 times inside the church, opening fire when the group stood in fire. “He walked into the church with murder in his heart,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Curran said. “That’s why, when they closed in prayer, he shot them dead.” Roof’s hatred — which he said he embraced on his own through the internet — was met with such revulsion that South Carolinians of all races and political persuasions joined in a successful effort to remove the Confederate flag from its prominent place at the state capitol.

Now separated conjoined twins leave Bronx hospital FORMER conjoined twins have left the Bronx hospital where they were separated for the first time. Anias and Jadon McDonald were born sharing the tops of their heads, and lived for 13 months that way before a 20-hour surgery at Montefiore Medical Center in October. The surgery was a success, and they will now continue their recovery together — but separate — outside the hospital where they and their parents have spent the last nine weeks. The McDonalds made a celebratory departure from the Bronx to a rehab center at Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Westchester County, Montefiore said on Thursday. Dr. James Goodrich, who has separated seven sets of twins, said the boys’ craniophagy was particularly difficult because of shared brain

tissue. Jadon has become the dominant twin after the surgery, with his brother Anias suffering from seizures that are now controlled with medication. Though they had not yet left the hospital until Wednesday, the twins story gathered international attention, with their mother Nicole regularly keeping the public updated via Facebook. Last month the boys saw each other for the first time, and a video last week shows Jadon cuddling with his brother, who still has his head wrapped because his bone graft had to be removed. Despite their continued medical battles, Montefiore said on Thursday the boys are well enough to move onto the next stage of recovery, and can now play with and hug each other.

Aleppo battle: UN says civilians shot on the spot Rare bird flu strain infects 45 SYRIAN pro-government forces streets,” Mr Colville added, while cats in single Manhattan shelter in eastern Aleppo have been killing admitting it was hard to verify the people, including women and children, on the spot in their homes and on the street, the United Nations says. The UN’s human rights office said streets were full of bodies. Meanwhile, the UN children’s agency cited a doctor as saying a building housing as many as 100 unaccompanied children was under heavy attack. Rebels, who have held east Aleppo for four years, are on the brink of defeat. Thousands of people are reportedly trapped in the last remaining neighbourhoods still in rebel hands, facing intense bombardment as pro-government troops advance. The Syrian government’s ally Russia, which has rejected calls for a humanitarian truce, earlier said any atrocities were “actually being committed by terrorist groups”, meaning rebel forces. Rebel officials said on Tuesday that an agreement had been reached to evacuate civilians and fighters from besieged areas but there has

A stream of people trying to flee the fighting.

been no confirmation from the Syrian government or Russia.“We’re filled with the deepest foreboding for those who remain in this last hellish corner” of eastern Aleppo, UN human rights office spokesman Rupert Colville told a news conference. He said that 82 civilians had reportedly been killed by progovernment forces, of whom 11 were women and 13 children, adding that the death toll could be much higher. “Yesterday evening, we received further deeply disturbing reports that numerous bodies were lying on the

reports. “The residents were unable to retrieve them due to the intense bombardment and their fear of being shot on sight.” Meanwhile, UNICEF quoted a doctor in the city as saying: “Many children, possibly more than 100, unaccompanied or separated from their families, are trapped in a building, under heavy attack in east Aleppo”. Ibrahim abu-Laith, a spokesman for the White Helmets volunteer rescue group, said 90% of their equipment was out of operation and only one medical point was still working in the besieged areas. There was no first aid equipment left, he added. He said volunteers were using their hands to pull people out of rubble, but some 70 people were stuck and could not be extracted.It is hard to know exactly how many people are in the besieged areas, although one US official with knowledge of efforts to secure safe passage for people in the city told the BBC that there were around 50,000 people.

A RARE strain of bird flu has infected at least 45 cats in a Manhattan animal shelter, officials said Thursday. The virus is thought to pose a low risk to humans but health officials are concerned that it could have infected additional cats that have already been adopted from Animal Care Center’s Manhattan shelter. “Although this strain of the avian flu has only resulted in mild to moderate illness in some cats located in one shelter, we have begun to test staff and people in close contact with the cats out of an abundance of caution,” said First Deputy Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “We will continue to actively monitor all people involved and adapt our response accordingly.” One older infected cat, who had underlying health problems, died, officials said. The Health Department and ACC are working on a quarantine facility to house the cats while the Manhattan shelter is disinfected. Health officials believe Nov. 12th is the earliest date that the virus could have been introduced into the shelter

and they have begun contacting people who have adopted cats from the facility since then. They urge anyone who adopted Manhattan shelter cats in the past month to call the Health Department at 866-692-3641 for care instructions and to keep their cat separated from other animals if they show signs of persistent cough, lip smacking, runny nose, and fever. Officials are also advising these pet owners to call the Health Department if they develop fever with a sore throat, fever with a cough, or red, inflamed eyes. The outbreak marks the first time the virus - H7N2 has been detected and transmitted among domestic cats. It is unknown how the cats contracted the virus. So far, the shelter has tested 20 dogs and none have contracted this virus. Testing of other animals, including rabbits and guinea pigs, is ongoing. According to the Health Department, there have been only two documented human cases of this type of avian influenza and both patients recovered.

December 17-23, 2016

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December 17-23, 2016

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INTERHEALTH CANADA TCI, COCKBURN TOWN MEDICAL CENTRE . SATURDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2016 & SATURDAY 7TH JANUAY 2017. 1 P.M. – 4P.M. INTERHEALTH CANADA CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICES HAS PLEASURE IN ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING VACANCY WITHIN THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS AT COCKBURN TOWN MEDICAL CENTRE, GRAND TURK.

HOSPITAL PORTERS – GRAND TURK

40 hours per week. 5 Shifts per week. Shift patterns include weekends, late shift and night shifts. Responsible for Transporting Patients and Specimen in accordance to Infection Control Policies. Also, performing cleaning duties to maintain a clean environment and adhere to cleaning schedules Complies with hygiene, health and safety policies and procedures

LAUNDRY ASSISTANT – GRAND TURK

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING Seeks a:

CIVIL ENGINEER THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT MUST POSSESS:

40 hours per week. 5 Shifts per week. Shift patterns include weekends, late shift and night shifts. Carries out general Laundering duties under direction of supervisor. Complies with health and safety standards at TCI Hospitals.

DOMESTIC ASSISTANT – GRAND TURK

40 hours per week. 5 Shifts per week. Shift patterns include weekends, late shift and night shifts. Responsible for keeping hospital clean in accordance to Infection Control Policies. Performing all cleaning duties to maintain a clean environment and adhere to cleaning schedules Complies with hygiene, health and safety policies and procedures

APPRENTICE FACILITIES MANAGER – GRAND TURK

• HND in Civil/Structural Engineering or higher • 2 years post qualification work experience • Computer literate with experience in Word, Excel, Autocad Duties will include and candidates should have experience in: • Structural & Civil design calculations and drawing work • Structural surveys • Concrete Testing Salary will be $45,000.00 per annum The suitable candidate will be able to work under their own initiative, and be able to see through Design Projects from conceptional design to final drawing works. This position is available immediately and closing date for application is 31st December 2016

Apprenticeship program including over 2 year period to develop in Facilities role responsible for Operations of Support Services within the hospital environment. Must be educated to Bachelors Degree standard or equivalent. 40 hours per week, salary negotiable dependant on experience. Please bring with you an up to date Curriculum Vitae and 2 forms of ID. Appointments will be made based on successful interview, positive reference check, and clear Police check. Previous experience is preferred, but not essential. Training is provided.

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Belongers only are invited to apply.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT SHAMIRE MOORE ON TEL: 941-2900

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QUALIFIED TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDER PREFERRED. APPLY IN WRITING TO CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING LTD. P.O.BOX 158, PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS. CONTACT: CHRIS CONWAY ON CCONWAY@CSECARIBBEAN.COM OR FAX TO LABOUR OFFICE, PROVIDENCIALES ON 946-7184

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

CLASSIFIEDS 33

TENDER NOTICE DEADLINE EXTENSION

Addendum extending RFP closing date

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The Turks and Caicos Islands Telecommunications Commission, invites open tenders for:

THE ADMINISTRATION OF TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS TOP LEVEL DOMAIN (.TC)

FOR PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING AND COMBINED SERVICES BUILDING PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES SOUTH CAICOS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Tender Reference No: TR 2016/1 Bidders should be in possession of a valid business license. Further information and tender documents are available on our website www. telecommission.tc or upon request in electronic format only from Mr. John Williams at 946 1900 or via email: johnwilliams@tcitelecommission.tc

In anticipation of future growth of hotel accommodation on South Caicos Island and the subsequent increase of tourism activity, The Turks & Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) has embarked on a multi-phase, multi-year redevelopment program to expand capacity and enhance the operational safety/security of the South Caicos International Airport in the Turks and Caicos.

Tenders should be submitted in a sealed envelope by 9:00am on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 to:

As part of this Airport Redevelopment Program the TCIAA intends to construct a new Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) and Combined Services Building (CSB).

JOHN WILLIAMS DIRECTOR GENERAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION PROVIDENCIALES TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

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VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

The TCIAA views Project Management as the comprehensive management and control of all aspects of the Project throughout all phases of its life-cycle to achieve prescribed objectives defined in terms of time, quality, and cost. Through the application of appropriate management techniques, the designated PM will lead and manage the efforts of the Project Team to achieve the objectives of the Project to meet all requirements of function, schedule and budget.

THE LARGEST READERSHIP IN THE TURKS & CAICOS

The PM will require strong presentation and communication skills as well as necessary leadership qualities that are able to elicit the needs of the TCIAA. Within the PM’s project experience, they will have already developed processes and project management principles that effectively work and can be founded on Project Management Institute’s (PMI) core knowledge areas and industry Best Practices.

JOB FAIR

The project initiation, contract preparations, design and approval phases are expected to last approximately 4.5 months. The construction phase for the project is estimated as 56 weeks (13 months), and is anticipated to begin by mid-2017. A detailed construction schedule will be received and confirmed from the Contractor following the start-up meeting with the entire Project Team.

INTERHEALTH CANADA TCI CHESHIRE HALL MEDICAL CENTRE SUNDAY 18TH DECEMBER 2016 & SUNDAY 8TH JANUARY 2017. 1P.M. – 4P.M. TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS HOSPITAL, PROVIDENCIALES, ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR CUSTOMER FOCUSED, DRIVEN, DEDICATED PERSONS TO JOIN THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TEAM.

In general, the Project Management Services required are as follow, but not limited to: • Have overall responsibility for ensuring that the Project is delivered on time and within budget; • Lead and coordinate the efforts of the Project Team to achieve project objectives; • Provide resident site inspection, including milestone inspections by key engineering disciplines (architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, security/IT, baggage handling, airport specialist) during construction; • Attend and chair meetings with the Project Team (TCIAA, its technical advisors and Contractor); • Develop Project Plans, Statement of Work, Implementation Plan, Communication Plan, etc.; • Monitor and control project scope, budget and schedule;

Full time vacancies are currently available in the following departments:

• CAUAL HOUSEKEEPING ASSISNTANT • HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR • CATERING ASSISTANT • CATERING TEAM LEADER Competitive Rate of Pay

RFP will close December 30, 2016. Those wishing to receive a copy of the RFP shall contact:

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: • • • • • • •

Have relevent experience in the field they have applied for, preferably within the Healthcare field Be able to work 40 hours per work Shift patterns and weekend working apply Have excellent English, both spoken and written Have a clean Police Record Must be a Turks Islander or have Permanent Residency Status Work permit holders need not apply

John T. Smith, CEO Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority johntsmith@tciairports.com

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VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

PLEASE BRING WITH YOU: • List of 3 references • Resume • NHIP Card/NIB Card • TCI Status Card • Police Check (no more that 6 months old) The Facilities Team look forward to meeting with you.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT DONIQUE PINNOCK ON TEL: 941-2800 EXT 71801.

The TCIAA has already completed a procurement process and identified a preferred Contractor to provide design-build services for the Project. The TCIAA is now seeking qualified professional service firms to provide Project Management Services and to administer the Project on behalf of TCIAA. This Project Management Firm would provide services during the project initiation, design, construction, commissioning and post-construction stages of the Project.

THE LARGEST READERSHIP IN THE TURKS & CAICOS

34 CLASSIFIEDS

ALBERT HIGGS NORTH CAICOS Is seeking a:

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

ALBERT CLEANING SERVICES DEE’S HAIR SALON AGNES SWANN NORTH CAICOS

KEWTOWN

North Caicos

ANTOINE MICHEL

GENIA LATOUCHE-CANICHE

Is seeking a:

LABOURER LABOURER Applicant must be willing to work six days per week. Applicant must be honest, reliable and hard working Salary: $6.00

Applicant must be willing to work six days per week. Applicant must be honest, reliable and hard working. Salary: $6.00

(649) 343-7785

DOMESTIC WORKER

Must be willing to work six days per week. Applicant must be honest, reliable and hard working Salary: $6.50

North Caicos

GRAND TURK

LABOURER FISHERMAN BABYSITTER Must be willing to work six days per week. Applicant must be honest, reliable and hard working Salary: $6.00

Must be willing to work six days per week. Applicant must be honest, reliable and hard working Salary: $6.50

Applicant must be willing to work six days per week. Caring for children. Applicant must be honest, reliable and hard working Salary: $6.50

CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: 13138

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(649) 241-4070 13140

(649) 246-4769 13141

(649) 341-3727 13142

1 PASTOR 2 BARBER 1 MECHANIC 1 HEAVY EQUIPMENT DRIVER

1 MASSAGE THERAPIST 1 SALES DELIVERY AGENT Salary: $6.25 - $7.25 per hour. BELONGERS ONLY MAY APPLY

INTERESTED PERSONS MY CONTACT THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS (649) 346-3917/(649)331-9649 OR DROP OFF RESUMES TO THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, SOUTH DOCK ROAD, PROVIDENCIALES, TCI 13145

T & R PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Is instructed to seek employment for the following positions:

SERGE BEMADIN

Salary: $6.50 per hour

LABOURER

Salary: $6.50 per hour

ROLANDE JOSEPH

LABOURER

NEW LIFE PAINTING

Salary: $6.50 per hour

JAMARD JENNINGS / DELLARIE DELANCY

RODEMIDE JOSEPH

Salary: $6.50 per hour

LABOURER LABOURER

2 LABOURERS

CONTACT: (649) 242-3014

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WARD’S CONSULTANCY Acting on behalf of our clients Security Services, Coyaba Restaurant, Villa Del Mar Seeks the flollowing:

WAITRESS KITCHEN HELPER SECURITY OFFICER BELLMAN/ HOUSEMEN Salary: $7.00 per hour / $6.50 per hour

CONTACT:

(649) 345-7212 13153

Acting on behalf of our clients seeks the following: REGINALD LUCAS JEAN

We’re looking for a person who is self-motivated and has the ability to set and meet deadlines. The successful candidate must have an accounting degree from a recognized institution. Knowledge and experience (a minimum of 3 years) of accounting software applications; experience in the management of financial systems and budgets. Stress tolerance, attention to detail, accuracy, planning and organizing, strategic thinking, the ability to identify and solve accounting problems, supervisory and teamwork skills a must. Among other responsibilities, the candidate will have the following duties. • Keep records of financial transactions for our group of companies.

JANITOR

Salary: $6.25 per hour

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$6.25 per hour

KITCHEN HELPER:

PLUMBER:

$6.25 per hour

BAKER:

DOMESTIC WORKER:

$6.25 per hour

LABOURERS/ HELPERS:

CLEANER:

$6.25 per hour

WAITRESS/WAITER:

CONTACT:

(649) 241-2042 13146

ANNIA DEETJEN BLUE HILLS

DOMESTIC WORKER

CONTACT:

(649) 346-8047 13151

FLAMINGO CAFE DEON WILSON

MECHANIC:

$6.25 per hour

Salary: $6.25 per hour

POSITION IS CURRENTLY HELD BY A WORK PERMIT HOLDER

THE LARGEST READERSHIP IN THE TURKS & CAICOS

$8-10 per hour

LABOURER AND CLEANER

Must be willing to work 6 days per week. Cleaning and assisting where needed. Salary: $6.25 per hour. THIS

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

MASON:

FAST TRACK PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Is seeking a:

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION, SEND YOUR RESUME TO KAY@ACLTCI.TC. SALARY IS COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE.

$8-10 per hour

$ 6.25 per hour

LUNIA JEAN

Turks and Caicos Islanders preferred.

$6.25 per hour

$7-10 per hour

Salary: $6.25 per hour

• Reconcile and balance accounts (current and credit card). • Reconcile Billing Software with Financial Software. • Perform End of Period Closing. • Preparation and distribution of payroll. • National Insurance and National Health Insurance compliance. • Establish, implement, monitor and maintain accounting control procedures • Vendor Payables and Receivables • Prepare and review monthly and yearly financial reports with Managers. • Attend Board Meetings and present Financial Reports to Shareholders and Directors. • Train and supervise junior accounting staff.

Sha Construction, Maid to Clean, ERB Construction, Fish Thing, 3JPT, Nathalie Thomas, Chicken Shack, Pat Construction, Mercie St Fleur, Snapper on the beach, Jean Luxama, New Tech Construction, Life Changing Variety Store, Queen of the sea Restaurant, Spotless Car Wash, Williams Construction, Tropical Bar, Sail Provo

$7-9 per hour

CLEANER

ACCOUNTANT

VACANCIES

CAR WASHER:

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ROBERT’S AGENCY

VACANCIES Looking on behalf of: The Pentecostal Church Of God International Movement, Designing Image Beauty Salon, New Style Barbershop, Santo Belen & Associates Ltd seeks the following:

(649) 241-8719

GRACE BAY

BLUE HILLS

Seeks the flollowing:

Is seeking a:

DOMESTIC WORKER

2 WAITRESSES

MAID:

CASHIER:

Must be willing to work 6 days per week Salary: $6.00 per hour

CARPENTER:

$8 – 10 per hour

CURRENTLY HELD BY WORK PERMIT HOLDERS • CONTACT: DARLING86@HOTMAIL.COM

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LABOURER

Must be willing to work 6 days per week, assisting where needed. Salary: $7.00 per hour THIS POSITION IS CURRENTLY HELD BY A WORK PERMIT HOLDER

CONTACT: CONTACT:

(649) 242-7545 13149

(649) 243-8907 13150

December 17-23, 2016

CLASSIFIEDS 35

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

STEEL UNLIMITED

LILUCE TILE CONTRACTING

NORTHSIDE CITY MARKET

VIP BARBER SHOP

P&D CONSULTANCY

Is seeking a:

•LUXURY TREATS CARWASH •CAR WASHER •LUXURY CUTS & BRAIDS •BARBER •MEP SOLUTIONS TCI •HANDY MAN & JUNIOR ELECTRICIAN •MAGIC SCISSORS & PRESSING •TAILOR HELPER Must be willing to work six days per week Salary: $6.25 per hour

BLUE HILLS

LABOURER TILE LAYER LABOURER Must be able to work six days per week Assisting where needed. Salary: $6.50 per hour

Must be able to work six days per week. Prepping surfaces for tiling, cutting and laying tile Salary: $7.50 per hour

Must be able to work six days per week. Assisting where needed.Salary: $6.50 per hour

FIVE CAYS PLAZA

BARBER

Must be willing to work six days per week Cutting hair Salary: $7.00 per hour

Acting on behalf of our clients is seeking the following:

DAPHNE OUTTEN / DAPHNE’S VARIETY STORE Is seeking the following:

DOMESTIC WORKER/ STORE CLERK Must be willing to work six days per week Salary: $6.50 per hour

CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT:

(649) 432-1778

(649) 243-3282

(649) 347-1323

JULIEN LANDSCAPING MANAGEMENT

ROBERT’S AGENCY

ISLAND LANDSCAPING

YARD MAN

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AIRPORT ROAD Is seeking employment for the following:

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Acting on behalf of our clients seeks the following:

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FIVE CAYS Is seeking a:

2 HOUSE KEEPERS

NEEDED FOR AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN GRACE BAY

For cleaning and laundry Salary: $6.25 per hour

2 DIVE MASTERS 1 PAINTER Salary: $10.00 per hour

GARDENER Salary: $6.50 per hour Interested candidates may contact the employer at For further details regarding employment

$10.00

LABOURER

$10.00 per hour

Must be willing to work 6 days per week. Cleaning yards and planting Salary: $6.50 per hour

(649) 241-2043

(649) 342-5808

1 MASON CONTACT: CONTACT: CONTACT:

(649) 241-2043 13164

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(649) 241-5443 13158

FOOTPRINTS ON THE BEACH Is looking for a:

DOMESTIC WORKER

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To work 6 days per week At $6.25 per hour Islanders preferred This position is currently held by a work permit holder

CONTACT: TEL.: (649) 941-8250 AR@GRIFFITHSANDPARTNERS.COM,

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FLAMINGO PHARMACY

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY!!

VACANCIES

THE LARGEST READERSHIP IN THE TURKS & CAICOS

QUALIFIED PHARMACY TECHNICIAN

MISICK & STANBROOK

Is Seeking to hire a qualified person to fill the position of: RECEPTIONIST/GENERAL

Duties and Responsibilities: • Disabling answering service • Receiving and directing all incoming calls • Assisting in setting up conference calls • Receiving all clients/visitors to reception area • Receiving and distributing all incoming mail • Receiving and distributing all incoming fax transmissions • Assisting with labeling and preparing packages for distribution locally/interisland/ internationally • Photocopying documents when requested • Assisting with preparing documents for court/meetings • Preparing boardrooms for meetings and insuring that clients are comfortable • Client/staff billing for photocopies • Client/staff billing for phone • Client/staff billing for fax charges • Ordering office supplies as required • Liaise with carrier to ensure packages are delivered in a timely manner • Any other duties requested by Management Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Deadline for Submission: December 30th 2016

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Work permit renewal • Must have pharmacy technician qualification from an accredited college, including at least 1 year of classroom based learning. • At least 3 years post qualification experience in a busy pharmacy. • Duties will include accurate dispensing, use of dispensary software, maintenance of inventory, NHIP billing, handling OTC enquiries, extemporaneous liquid and cream preparation. • Will be required to pass a pharmacy technician exam paper including calculations as part of interview process. • Willing to work long shifts, weekends and holidays. • $12-14 per hour depending on experience and qualifications.

INVENTORY ASSISTANT

New Vacancy • Assist with all inventory management tasks including receiving, restocking, warehouse organization and deliveries. • Must be able to lift and load storage boxes and totes weighing up to 50lbs manually and using hand cart. • Excellent computer skills, good mathematical skills, attention to detail, ability to multitask, follow-through and good communication required. • A minimum of 5 CXC/GSCE passes including mathematics and English is required. • Must have a Turks and Caicos driving license and be eligible for the company vehicle insurance policy • $8-11 per hour depending on experience.

PLEASE SEND RESUME, COPY OF QUALIFICATIONS AND IMMIGRATION STATUS TO JOBS@FLAMINGOPHARMACY.COM OR FAX TO 649 941 4098 WITH A COPY TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT. TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDERS PREFERRED. CLOSING DATE 31ST DECEMBER 2016.

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APPLICANTS SHOULD PLEASE SEND DETAILED RESUME/CV WITH THE NAMES OF TWO REFEREES TO DEVERAUX C. MALCOLM, MISICK AND STANBROOK, E-MAIL TO INFO@MISICKSTANBROOK.TC.

Must be able to speak English and be able to understand instruction tasks including maintaining sewage treatment plant. Only legal residents need apply in person at Island Club Grace Bay

(649) 332-0814 13159

Entertainment

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Swizz Beatz: US hip-hop artists should look to the UK for inspiration SWIZZ Beatz, who’s made hits for Drake, Jay Z and Kanye West, says the best hiphop is being made in the UK.

“Just last night I did a track with Giggs and it’s a movie. There’s a lot of talent out here,” the producer tells

Newsbeat. “Musically the UK is stronger than the US right now. As far as the hunger and

TCI TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 872 Business Solutions Complex, P.O. Box 203, Leeward Highway, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

the unique vibes.” He says capturing new sounds is part of the reason for his frequent trips to Britain. “I’m into that because I am global thinking anyway. “So when I come back to the States and artists hear the hunger [coming from the UK] they’re like, ‘Okay now I need to do this...’ and that’s great,” adds Swizz. As well as being impressed by Giggs, he’s also endorsed singer Angel. Swizz Beatz, who’s married to Alicia Keys, recently hosted an event in his role as

Swizz Beatz, who’s married to Alicia Keys, recently hosted an event in his role as Bacardi’s global chief creative for culture.

Bacardi’s global chief creative for culture. He put on an exhibition in London where artists displayed their work for free

and kept all the commission made from sales. Swizz told us he offers a similar sort of deal for the producers he works with.

JOB ADVERTISMENT VACANCIES SAUNDRALEE QUINTESSICA EWING is seeking employment for the following:

The Telecommunications Commission (TC) is a statutory body responsible for regulating the telecommunications sector of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), protecting interests of users of telecommunications services, and advise the Minister Telecommunications on telecommunications policies.

Legal Adviser

1) LABOURER

Contact 246-2429 regarding employment J & C INTERNET CAFE is seeking employment for the following:

1) CLEANER

Contact 341-1021 regarding employment MAMMYTA VARIETY STORE is seeking employment for the following:

SALARY LEVEL: Commensurate with Experience TERM OF CONTRACT: 2 years

1) STORE CLERK

Contact 346-4560 regarding employment

In order to ensure its legal competency in issues relevant to regulation of the telecommunications sector, the TC seeks to employ a Legal Adviser. The Legal Adviser’s main functions will include, but will not be limited to:

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

(I) Ad v ise the Director Genera l on all telecommunications a nd competition law issues; (2) Drafting legal documents, licensing framework, in cluding primary and secondary legislation; (3) Inter-operator dispute resolution; (4) Consumer complaints; (5) Enforcement procedures; (6) Training staff on telecommunications and /or competition law; (7) Support in internal administrative processes; (8) Other functions as required to achieve object i ves of the TC.

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL:

• • • • • •

Have a d egree in l aw; Have at l east 5 years expe rience in telecommunications a nd/or competition law Be a team player; Be of a strategic/conceptua l orientation ; Be able to work independentl y a nd exercise discret ion in relation to work matters; Have su perior interpersona l as well as verbal a nd written com m unication ski lls, including first class lega l drafting skills; • Be a ble to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines; and • Be flex ible, accounta ble a nd reliabl e.

Interested Applicants should send thei r resumes to John Williams at info@telecommission.tc. Dead line for submission is January 6, 201 7. 13144

TCI WASTE DISPOSAL LTD is seeking employment for the following:

1) TRUCK DRIVER 1) MECHANIC 2) LABOURERS

Contact 333-7889 regarding employment JACQUELIN DESRONVIL is seeking employment for the following:

1) LABOURER

Contact 244-9696 regarding employment A & J WALK IN VARIETY STORE is seeking employment for the following:

1) STORE CLERK.

Contact 341-2357 regarding employment M & W ELECTRICAL SERVICES is seeking employment for the following:

1) LABOURER

Contact 243-2650 regarding employment

GISELLE MEME WILLIAMS is seeking employment for the following:

1) LABOURER

Contact 344-1597 regarding employment D & B TILE is seeking employment for the following:

1) TILE LAYER

Contact 241-7845 regarding employment JOLIE CLAUDIE BEAUTY SALON is seeking employment for the following:

1) BARBER 1) HAIRSTYLIST

Contact 242-1582 regarding employment QUALITY FOOD CENTRE & WHOLESALE is seeking employment for the following:

1) STORE CLERK

Contact 232-7440 regarding employment OJ CAICOS GLASS is seeking employment for the following:

1) LABOUR

Contact 231-6260 regarding employment D & B TILE is seeking employment for the following:

1) LABOURER

Contact 241-7845 regarding employment MARSHA LIGHTBOURNE is seeking employment for the following:

1) GARDENER

Contact 341-2662 regarding employment

RICARDO FULFORD IMMIGRATION AND LABOUR CONSULTANT PRESIDENT OF RICARDO FULFORD CONSULTANT SERVICES RICARDOFULFORD@GMAIL.COM (649) 346-1125

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December 17-23, 2016

Entertainment

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

‘One billion’ affected by Yahoo hack YAHOO has said more than one billion user accounts may have been affected in a hacking attack dating back to 2013. The internet giant said it appeared separate from a 2014 breach disclosed in September, when Yahoo revealed 500 million accounts had been accessed. Yahoo said names, phone numbers, passwords and email addresses were stolen, but not bank and payment data. The company, which is being taken over by Verizon, said it was working closely with the police and authorities. Yahoo said it “believes an unauthorised third party, in August 2013, stole data associated with more than one billion user accounts”. The breach “is likely distinct from the incident the company disclosed on September 22, 2016”. However, the three-year-

old hack was uncovered as part of continuing investigations by authorities and security experts into the 2014 breach, Yahoo said. Account users were urged to change their passwords and security questions. The California-based company has more than a billion monthly active users, although many people have multiple accounts. There are also many accounts that are little used or dormant. Cyber security expert Troy Hunt told the BBC: “This would be far and away the largest data breach we’ve ever seen. In fact, the 500 million they reported a few months ago would have been, and to see that number now double is unprecedented.” Yahoo said some of the breach could be linked to state-sponsored activity, as with the previous attack. Prof Peter Sommer, a

specialist in digital forensics at Birmingham City University, told the BBC he could be persuaded it was a statesponsored hack, “but at the moment I’m not”. “What on earth is a state going to do with one billion accounts of ordinary users? That’s the difficulty I have,” he said. In September, when Yahoo disclosed the 2014 data breach, the company said information had been “stolen by what we believe is a state-sponsored actor”, but it did not say which country it held responsible. The latest disclosure raises fresh questions about Verizon’s $4.8bn proposed acquisition of Yahoo, and whether the US mobile carrier will try to modify or abandon its bid. If the hacks cause a user backlash against Yahoo, the company’s services would not be as valuable to Verizon. Verizon said that it would

World’s oldest water gets even older THE world’s oldest water, which is locked deep within the Earth’s crust, just got even older. The liquid was discovered deep down in a mine in Canada in 2013 and is about 1.5 billion years old. But now, at the same site, University of Toronto scientists have found a deeper source of water that is at least 500 million years more ancient. The work was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who led the team that made the discovery, told BBC News: “When people think about this water they assume it must be some tiny amount of water trapped within the rock. “But in fact it’s very much bubbling right up out at you. These things are flowing at rates of litres per minute the volume of the water is much larger than anyone

evaluate the situation as Yahoo investigates and would review the “new development before reaching any final conclusions”. Mr Hunt said that Verizon allegedly cut its valuation of Yahoo by $1bn - almost 20% of the original bid’s value after the news emerged of the 2014 attack. The latest revelations “will surely impact that valuation even further, not just because

The latest disclosure raises fresh questions about Verizon’s $4.8bn proposed acquisition of Yahoo, and whether the US mobile carrier will try to modify or abandon its bid.

of the scale of it, but because it shows a pattern of serious failures on Yahoo’s behalf”, he said. It is a further embarrassment

to a company that was once one of the biggest names of the internet but which has failed to keep up with rising stars such as Google and Facebook.

Ocean Club Management is looking for qualified applicants to fill the following vacancies immediately:

JOB VACANCIES FRONT DESK ATTENDANT (1 FULL-TIME POSITION)

Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Guest Services Manager, the Front Desk Attendant is responsible for performing diversified duties to provide exceptional guest service to all guests at all times, including check-in, concierge, business communication, room requests, complaint resolution, reservations, and check-out. MUST BE COMPUTER LITERATE

STOREKEEPER’S ASSISTANT (1 FULL-TIME POSITION)

Responsibilities: Assists Storekeeper with the organization and management of maintenance warehouse operations at both properties, which includes, but is not limited to: storeroom cleaning, organization, control; parts and appliance inventory and control; shipping and receiving organization and control; sourcing and ordering parts and appliances; daily acquisition of parts and appliances. MUST HAVE VALID TCI DRIVER’S LICENSE.

EVENING MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN (1 PART-TIME SEASONAL POSITION)

Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Maintenance Manager, the Evening Maintenance Technician is responsible for performing diversified duties to troubleshoot, install, repair and maintain all resort facilities, including suites, parking lots, vehicles, equipment and water works. MUST HAVE VALID TCI DRIVER’S LICENSE

The liquid is found deep down a mine in Canada.

anticipated.” The first pool of ancient water was discovered 2.4kmdown in a copper, zinc and silver mine. “It really pushed back our understanding of how old flowing water could be and so it really drove us to explore further,” said Prof Sherwood Lollar.

“And we took advantage of the fact that the mine is continuing to explore deeper and deeper into the earth.” This new investigation led by Dr Oliver Warr, from the University of Toronto, found water at a depth of nearly 3km. And tests have revealed that it is at least two billion years old.

Qualifications for all positions: 1. Friendly, upbeat personality; enjoys working with and helping people. 2. High School Diploma, plus relevant education and 2-3 years experience in a resort environment, with thorough knowledge of hotel procedures and operations. 3. Self-motivated and dependable with a strong work ethic and good problem solving skills. 4. Good communication skills; ability to speak, read and write fluently in English language. 5. Professional appearance and cooperative demeanor. Salary commensurate with experience.

PLEASE DROP OFF RESUMES AT OCEAN CLUB TO THE ATTENTION OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER, OR VIA EMAIL TO DIANE@OCEANCLUBRESORTS.COM ONLY THOSE RECEIVING AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED.

13164

Entertainment

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

Former TV dad Alan Thicke dies at age 69

Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn.

Ayer and Robbie re-team for All-Female DC villains movie ‘Gotham City Sirens’ DAVID Ayer is back in the business of DC comic villains. The filmmaker, who directed Warner Bros.’ all-bad guy comic book movie Suicide Squad, is reuniting with that film’s star, Margot Robbie, for Gotham City Sirens, a feature project that will showcase the top female villains from the DC stable, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Ayer will direct and produce the project with Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn, the parttime girlfriend of the Joker who is

currently DC’s most popular female character. Robbie also is executive producing. Sirens was a recent comic series from DC that focused on the popular villainesses from Batman’s rogue gallery. Among them were Quinn; Catwoman, Batman’s sometime love interest; and Poison Ivy, who uses plants and their toxins to get what she wants. Geneva Robertson-Dworet, a top female writer in the action sphere who also has penned scripts for the Tomb Raider remake and Warners’

own Sherlock Holmes 3, is writing the screenplay. The heads of DC’s film arm, Geoff Johns and Jon Berg, also will be involved in a producorial role. Suicide Squad was a tough production and the movie underwent some reshoots, but it turned out fine for all parties involved as it grossed over $745.6 million globally. It is now the 13th highest-grossing superhero release of all time domestically and has surpassed the international box office of Deadpool, a movie to which it was often compared in terms of tone.

ALAN Thicke suddenly passed away on Tuesday, December 13. He was 69. According to a source, his son, Robin Thicke, rushed to be by his side. According to TMZ, he reportedly died of a heart attack. The actor was most recently in Whistler, British Columbia, on Monday, December 12, and tweeted about Fuller House season 2 early Tuesday afternoon. The veteran actor was best known for his role as Jason Seaver on sitcom Growing Pains. The Canadian-born star composed music and served as a producer before making a name for himself as a talk show host in Canada from 1980 to 1983 starring on the Alan Thicke Show. Thicke, who received his first Emmy nomination for The Barry Manilow Special in 1977, went on to host popular shows in the 90s such as Pictionary and Three’s a Crowd. The actor also starred in films The Growing Pains Movie and Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers. He leaves behind his wife, Tanya, and adult children Brennan,

The veteran actor was best known for his role as Jason Seaver on sitcom Growing Pains.

Robin and Carter Thicke. He was previously married twice before to Gloria Loring and Gina Tolleson. (US Weekly)

LAND FOR SALE In beautiful Bottle Creek, North Caicos

.46 acres overlooking the creek, spanning King Road and Windsor Road

QUICK SALE

CALL 232-3508 OR 946-4664

December 17-23, 2016

DENNIS MURPHY Is seeking to hire a:

Is seeking to employ a:

Is seeking a:

MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

DOMESTIC HELPER To work 6 days per week, Cleaning, washing, dusting and mopping. Salary: $500 - $600 per month

DOMESTIC WORKER To clean commercial offices and must be available to work on weekends and holidays Salary: $6.50 per hour Mrs. Malcolm at:

CONTACT:

(649) 331-0818 13108

STABLE HAND WANTED • Applicant must have a minimum of 10 year experience in all aspects of stable maintenance.

THIS INCLUDES:

CANDIDATES SHOULD HAVE:

FARMER

Acts on behalf of its clients to fill the following positions.

FLamingo Cafe and Take-Out Service (348-8735) Providenciales

Only Belongers applications would be considered.

$6.25 per hour. Work permit holder.

Payless Warehouse Ltd DBA (Cash N Carry) 241-7734 Leeward Highway, Providenciales

DOMESTIC WORKER

Experience in permaculture and aquaponic systems. Scientific background/degree is preferred. Computer experience QuickBooks, excel required. Job would entail maintenance of small scale aquaponic systems and quail farm. Must be willing to work weekends and holidays.

Messenger Baptist Church (3411377) Five Cays, Providenciales

DOMESTIC WORKER

Is looking to employ a:

LABOURER Must be willing to work six days per week Salary: $ 6.50 per hour

DEEP BLUE CLEAN SERVICES

DIEULA SEYMOUR

Is looking to employ a:

Is seeking a:

DOWNTOWN, PROVIDENCIALES

THE BIGHT

To work six days per week For janitorial services SALARY: $7.00 PER HOUR

Must be willing to work six days per week assisting where needed Salary: $ 6.25 per hour

CONTACT:

Main duties & responsibilities Baking and selling bread Salary: $ 1,200.00 per month

(649)331-6858

(649)345-5284

(649)346-2874

13130

LABOURER

13124

BAKER JANITOR 13126

(649)231-0770

13127

13119

CONTACT:

$6.25 per hour. Work permit holder. Only Belongers applications would be considered. 13080

13082

Is looking to employ a:

LABOURERS

$6.25 per hour. Work permit holder.

BLUE HILLS BAKERY

BENJAMIN WALKIN

PLUMBER CONTACT: 941-4667

RESUMES CAN BE DROPPED OFF AT HOTEL OR EMAILED TO: DPAPKE@PORTSOFCALLRESORT.COM

THE HELP DESK (231-4234)

TCI AGRISYSTEMS SEEKING SKILLED:

To work 6 days per week Salary $7.00 per hour

Supervisory experience Mechanical, electrical & plumbing skills Strong English written and verbal skills Driver's licence Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications & experience, and will include participation in the Resort's service charge pool. 13131

13081

MUST BE ABLE TO GUIDE AND SUPERVISE INEXPERIENCED RIDERS ON TRAIL RIDES. MUST HAVE VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE, OWN VEHICLE AND PHONE. MUST WEIGH LESS THAN 160 POUNDS. MUST SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY, SECOND LANGUAGE AN ASSET. APPLICANT MUST HAVE KNOWLEDGE IN BASIC ACCOUNTING, QUICKBOOKS, EXCEL. FURTHER COMPUTER EXPERIENCE IS AN ASSET. WILL WORK WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS.

is looking for a:

RESUMES CAN BE DROPPED OFF AT HOTEL OR EMAILED TO KMCINTOSH@PORTSOFCALLRESORT.COM

We require a "hands on" Supervisor for a five-person maintenance and groundskeeping department. This is a "working" position, and the Supervisor will be expected to teach and lead by example.

• Riding and horse handling (grooming, tacking up, cleaning tack, cleaning stalls, and lunging) • Equine Nutrition • Teaching adults and children (mainly tourists) basic riding skills. • Trimming hooves and basic equine veterinary care including IV/IM shots • Experience in breaking and training young horses.

THE TUSCANY RESORT

Applicants should have basic mechanical, electrical & plumbing skills, English communication skills and driver's licence Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications & experience, and will include participation in the Resort's service charge pool.

MAINTENANCE SUPERIOR

FULL TIME/$7.50 PER HOUR

APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING WITH REFERENCES AND CV TO MS CYNTHIA JOSEPH AT INTER-ISLAND MEDICAL SERVICES, NEPTUNE COURT, GRACE BAY OR VIA EMAIL ADDRESS CYNTHIA.IIMS@TCIWAY.TC

Required to join our five person maintenance and groundskeeping department.

13132

CONTACT: 231-7034

13118

13117

CONTACT: DENNIS AT 946-5065

SPOTLESS CLEANERS

JOYGRAND CHARLES TURK

LABOURER/ CARETAKER (Preferable a Male) Must be willing to work six (6) days per week. Must be trustworthy and reliable. Salary: $250.00 per week

CLASSIFIEDS 39

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Entertainment

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016

Prince Charles to appear on Radio 4’s Just a Minute PRINCE Charles is to appear on BBC Radio 4’s comedy quiz Just a Minute. The Prince of Wales has recorded a message to be heard on a special Christmas Day episode. In his message he talks about the show as “one of this country’s great institutions” while trying to avoid a challenge from Paul Merton. However he does not take part in a normal round of the game - his message will be played before the festive contest starts in earnest. Host Nicholas Parsons said: “It was a pleasure to hear The Prince of Wales recount years of listening to Just a Minute with such fondness. “But when he delivers his message

will he make it to the end without hesitation, repetition or deviation? You’ll find out on Christmas Day.” The radio quiz, in which contestants are challenged to speak for one minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition on any given subject, will turn 50 in December 2017. Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams said it was “fitting” that the Prince of Wales should join the show as “we know the Prince of Wales has enjoyed BBC radio comedy over many years”. She added: “But Nicholas Parsons and Paul Merton take no hostages so I can only wish him luck!” The Christmas special - titled Just a Minute Does Panto! - sees Merton, Gyles Brandreth and Sheila Hancock

The Prince of Wales has recorded a message to be heard on a special Christmas Day episode.

journey through Panto-land in search of the missing Golden Whistle, joined by Pippa Evans, Tony Hawks, Rufus Hound and Josie Lawrence. It will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 13:15 GMT on 25 December. (BBC)

Sundance Head’s victory is somewhat a surprise, since former child star Billy Gilman was seen as a front-runner all season long.

Meghan Markle and Brad Pitt gained public interest for different reasons.

Markle and Pitt top Google’s list of 2016’s most searched celebs MEGHAN Markle’s romance with Prince Harry has definitely made headlines, but it’s also made her the most searched actress on Google. The Suits star, alongside Brad Pitt, topped Google’s list of 2016’s most searched actors. Interestingly, Pitt’s ex, Angelina Jolie, did not make the top 10. 2016 was also a great googling year for Beyoncé, who was the most searched musical artist -“Formation” was also the mostsearched song, and Rachel Roy was

the most searched fashion designer. Kanye West also made the list -coming in at the 10th most searched designer and 8th most searched musical artist. The top searched people, however, were perhaps more fitting for this year’s landmarks: the Rio Olympics and the presidential election. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were the first and second most searched people, respectively, while Olympians Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Simone Biles and

Usain Bolt all placed in the top 10. The Olympics was also the topsearched news keyword, with elections coming in second in both news and the “How to...” category. “How to register to vote” came behind “How to play Pokémon Go.” The popular app also topped election-related questions in the “What is” category. Though Kim Kardashian has taken a break from her selfie game since her robbery in Paris, the reality star still topped the list of most searched selfies.

The Voice champ Sundance Head: I thought ‘Billy or Wé was going to win’ A COUNTRY singer does it again! Sundance Head, the 37-yearold crooner from Texas, was named the winner of Season 11 of “The Voice” Tuesday night, giving coach Blake Shelton his fifth win. Shelton hasn’t come out on top since Season 7 with Craig Wayne Boyd. Head’s victory is somewhat a surprise, since former child star Billy Gilman was seen as a frontrunner all season long. Still, three of Head’s performances were in the top 10 downloads on the iTunes chart this week ? with his original song, “Darlin’ Don’t Go,” nabbing the No. 1 spot ? so many probably saw this coming. All we

know is Head looked shocked when host Carson Daly said his name. Before finding out the results, Head let Shelton know how much fun he had working with him. ”I just want to thank you for being such a great guy and being so sweet to me, man. I know you don’t have to do that. You do this for a job, you know, but you really are such a genuine person, man. I thank the Lord that he put you in my life.” Head beat out Team Adam contestants Gilman and Josh Gallagher and Team Alicia’s Wé McDonald. The final members of coach Miley Cyrus’ team were eliminated last week. (Huffington Post)

December 17-23, 2016

Entertainment

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, Salem was a game changer for WGN America when it debuted in 2014 as the network’s first original scripted series.

‘Salem’ to end after three seasons on WGN America

The Guyanese writer E.R. Braithwaite’s “To Sir, With Love,” draws on his experiences as a teacher in the East End of London.

THE current third season of WGN America’s supernatural drama Salem will be its last. The network has opted not to order a fourth season of the series, which reimagines the infamous 17th century witch trials in a world where witches are real, but they are not who or what they seem to be. Salem‘s storyline will wrap with the conclusion of the 10-episode third season in early 2017 as the season finale will serve as series finale. That is something Salem creators Brannon Braga and Adam Simon are prepared for. “We knew this would be the third and final season and were able to craft an exciting climax to Mary’s transformational saga,” they said. Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios, Salem was a game changer for WGN America when it debuted in 2014 as the network’s first original

scripted series. Salem was a breakout, drawing 1.5 million viewers for its premiere to become WGNA’s highest rated telecast in more seven years at a time when the network only covered 62% of the country and was a single-feed channel. That debut Live+same day viewership is yet to be matched by a WGNA scripted series. After the big start,Salem‘s ratings tapered off pretty quickly. In its current third season, the series has averagef between 200,000 and 300,000 viewers in L+SD. “Salem is a fantastic show that greatly contributed to our successful launch into original programming,” said Matt Cherniss, president and general manager, WGN America and Tribune Studios. “We thank Brannon, Adam, our talented cast and our partners at Fox 21, for entrusting us with their unique and

remarkable vision for the world of Salem. We also thank the fans for their loyal support of the show.” Salem stars Janet Montgomery, Shane West, Seth Gabel, Ashley Madekwe, Tamzin Merchant, Elise Eberle, Iddo Goldberg, Joe Doyle, and Oliver Bell, with Marilyn Manson guest-starring in Season 3. “We are grateful to WGN America and Fox 21 for being terrific partners and giving us free reign to create a satisfying conclusion—one we believe respects our love of storytelling and the show’s passionate fans,” Braga and Simon said. “It was a magical experience to create Salem and we want to thank every producer, writer, director, actor and crew member, for all they have done to help us bring the world of Salem to life.”

E.R. Braithwaite dies: ‘To Sir, with Roberts to star in her first TV Love’ author was 104 series, Today Will Be Different E.R. Braithwaite, a Guyana-born novelist, writer, teacher and diplomat who wrote the international bestseller To Sir, With Love, has died. His companion, Ginette Ast, told the Associated Press that Braithwaite died Monday at a hospital in Maryland. He was 104. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Braithwaite attended Queen’s College, Guyana and the City College of New York. During World War II he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot and afterward attended the University of Cambridge, earning a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in physics. Frustrated he could not find work in the field despite his qualifications and experience because of racism, he reluctantly took a job as a schoolteacher in London’s East End.

It was that experience that inspired his first book in 1959, the autobiographical To Sir, With Love. In 1967, the novel was made into a film starring Sidney Poitier as Braithwaite (renamed Thackeray) and Lulu, and the film’s title song became a No. 1 hit that year. The setting for the film was changed from postwar London to the “swinging ’60s.” In 1996, Poitier reprised his role in the TV movie To Sir, With Love II. A stage production of the original story toured in 2013. His other books included the novel Paid Servant, based on his time as a social worker, and Honorary White, a report of his visit to South Africa in the 1970s, as well as the autobiographical Reluctant Neighbours. (Deadline.com)

JULIA Roberts is doing something different. The megawatt movie star is set to play the lead role in a smallscreen adaptation of Today Will Be Different, Maria Semple’s bestselling novel about a beleaguered Seattle woman whose plan to have a calm, productive day goes sideways. In addition to starring, Roberts will produce the limited series, which marks the first project announced under Annapurna Pictures’ new TV initiative. Semple will write the adaptation and also serve as an executive producer alongside Annapurna’s Megan Ellison and Sue Naegle. A network is not yet on board. Published in October, Today Will Be Different chronicles a fateful day in the life of Eleanor Flood, a former

In addition to starring, Julia Roberts will produce the limited series.

wunderkind of the New York art world who is caught in a rut as a half-

desperate housewife in the Pacific Northwest. (EW)

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Science & Technology

December 17-23, 2016

Ageing process may be reversible, scientists claim

Moaza’s baby boy was born in a London hospital.

Woman has baby using ovary frozen in childhood A WOMAN has given birth in London after doctors restored her fertility using frozen ovarian tissue removed when she was a young child. The 24-year-old is thought to be the first in the world to have a baby after having an ovary frozen before the onset of puberty. Moaza Al Matrooshi, whose son was delivered at the privately-run Portland Hospital yesterday, told the BBC: “It’s like a miracle. “We’ve been waiting so long for this result - a healthy baby.” Her doctor, Sara Matthews, a consultant in gynaecology and fertility, said she was overjoyed for the family - and delighted by the hope it offered to others too. “This is a huge step forward. We know that ovarian tissue transplantation works for older women, but we’ve never known if we could take tissue from a child, freeze it and make it work again.” Doctors say it will give hope to many other girls and young women who risk losing the chance of motherhood as a result of treatment for cancer, blood or immune disorders. Moaza Al Matrooshi, who is from Dubai, was born with beta thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder that is fatal if untreated. She needed chemotherapy, which damages the ovaries, before receiving a bone marrow transplant from her brother at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. So, prior to treatment, when she was nine years old, she had her right ovary removed in an operation in Leeds, where the tissue was frozen. Fragments of her ovarian tissue were mixed with cryo-protective

agents and slowly reduced in temperature to minus 196C, before being stored under liquid nitrogen. Last year, surgeons in Denmark transplanted five slivers of the ovarian tissue back into her body four were stitched on to her failed left ovary and one on to the side of her uterus. Moaza had been going through the menopause. But after the transplant, her hormone levels began returning to normal, she began ovulating and her fertility was restored. In order to maximise the chances of having a child, Moaza and her husband Ahmed underwent IVF treatment. From the eight eggs that were collected, three embryos were produced, two of which were implanted earlier this year. Moaza said: “I always believed that I would be a mum and that I would have a baby.“I didn’t stop hoping and now I have this baby - it is a perfect feeling.” She also thanked her mother, whose idea it was to save her young daughter’s ovarian tissue so that she might be able to have a family in the future. Dr Sara Matthews, who conducted the fertility treatment, said: “Within three months of re-implanting her ovarian tissue, Moaza went from being menopausal to having regular periods again. “She basically became a normal woman in her 20s with normal ovary function.” Prof Helen Picton, who leads the division of reproduction and early development at the University of Leeds, carried out the ovary freezing. She told me: “This is incredibly encouraging. Moaza is a pioneer

and was one of the first patients we helped back in 2001, before any baby had been born from ovary tissue preservation. “Worldwide more than 60 babies have been born from women who had their fertility restored, but Moaza is the first case from pre-pubertal freezing and the first from a patient who had treatment for beta thalassaemia.” Researchers in Leeds have been at the forefront of ovarian tissue freezing. In 1999 scientists from Leeds were instrumental in performing the world’s first transplant of frozen ovarian tissue. Prof Picton said that in Europe alone, several thousand girls and young women now had frozen ovarian tissue in storage. This is usually done prior to patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment, both of which damage fertility. Moaza still has one embryo in storage as well as two remaining pieces of ovarian tissue. She told me she definitely plans to have another baby in the future. Earlier this year a cancer patient from Edinburgh became the first UK woman to give birth following a transplant of her frozen ovary tissue. The mother, who conceived naturally, wished to remain anonymous. Last year a woman in Belgium gave birth using ovarian tissue frozen when she was 13. Unlike Moaza, she had begun going through puberty when her ovary was removed. The first woman in the world to give birth following the transplantation of her own ovarian tissue was in Belgium in 2004.

THE world’s oldest water, which is locked deep within the Earth’s crust, just got even older. The liquid was discovered deep down in a mine in Canada in 2013 and is about 1.5 billion years old. But now, at the same site, University of Toronto scientists have found a deeper source of water that is at least 500 million years more ancient. The work was presented at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco.Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who led the team that made the discovery, told BBC News: “When people think about this water they assume it must be some tiny amount of water trapped within the rock. “But in fact it’s very much bubbling right up out at you. These things are flowing at rates of litres per minute - the volume of the

water is much larger than anyone anticipated.” The first pool of ancient water was discovered 2.4km-down in a copper, zinc and silver mine. “It really pushed back our understanding of how old flowing water could be and so it really drove us to explore further,” said Prof Sherwood Lollar. “And we took advantage of the fact that the mine is continuing to explore deeper and deeper into the earth.” This new investigation led by Dr Oliver Warr, from the University of Toronto, found water at a depth of nearly 3km. And tests have revealed that it is at least two billion years old. It provides scientists with a unique insight into the history of our planet, and gives a glimpse at the life that was present at this time.

This photo provided by Sofia Menconero in December 2016 shows preliminary digging and cleaning operations at the Laetoli site in northern Tanzania.

Babies made from three people approved in UK BABIES made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK’s fertility regulator. The historic and controversial move is to prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases. Doctors in Newcastle - who developed the advanced form of IVF - are expected to be the first to offer the procedure and have already appealed for donor eggs. The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017. Some families have lost multiple children to incurable mitochondrial diseases, which can leave people with insufficient energy to keep their heart beating. The diseases are passed down from only the mother so a technique using a donor egg as well as the mother’s egg and father’s sperm has

been developed. The resulting child has a tiny amount of their DNA from the donor, but the procedure is legal and reviews say it is ethical and scientifically ready. “It is a decision of historic importance,” said Sally Cheshire, chairwoman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). “This is about cautious go ahead, not gung-ho go ahead, and there is a long way to go. “I’m sure patients will be really pleased by what we’ve decided today.” But some scientists have questioned the ethics of the technique, saying it could open the door to genetically-modified ‘designer’ babies.

December 17-23, 2016

Sports Interational

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Ken Reyes registered a new national record in the 800M (1:58.00).

Jeffrey Loria thinks highly of his franchise. (Getty Images/Rob Foldy)

Loria will reportedly sell the Marlins for $1.7 billion EVER wanted to own a baseball team? Have $1.7 billion laying around? If so, you’re in luck, because you might have enough money to buy the Miami Marlins. If that figure seems excessive, well, that’s because it is. Forbes valued the franchise at $675 million back in March. That ranked the Marlins 29th out of 30 teams. Only the Tampa Bay Rays ($650 million) were valued lower than the Marlins according to Forbes. Now, it’s important to note here: Loria isn’t actively trying to sell the team. Forbes

notes that he “has not hired an investment firm to work the deal and is likely just floating a $1.7 billion price tag.” He’s basically just throwing out a crazy number and seeing whether anyone will bite. (The Big League) Hey, maybe it’s crazy enough to work. The difference between $1.7 billion and $675 million seems pretty large, but you’re not just buying the team here, you’re also buying the giant dinger machine in the outfield. You can’t put a price on that, as far as we’re concerned.

Chapecoense to play first game since plane crash in January THE Brazilian football team which lost most of its squad in a plane crash in Colombia last month will return to action for the first time at the end of January, club officials have confirmed to CNN. Chapecoense will face Inter de Lages on January 29 in the opening round of the Santa Caterina state championship at its Arena Conda stadium in Chapeco. A plane carrying Chapecoense players and staff went down as it approached José María Cordova International Airport in Medellin on November 28, killing 71 people on board. Three players were among six people to survive the crash, while nine did not travel with the squad which was due to play Atletico Nacional in the first leg of the

Copa Sudamericana final. The charter plane’s pilot told air traffic controllers that the aircraft was “in total electric failure and without fuel” moments before crashing, according to audio released to the Colombian media this month. The experienced Vagner Mancini was announced as the new manager of Chapecoense last week after previous coach Caio Junior perished in the air crash. Spanish champion Barcelona has also invited Chapecoense to play a friendly match at its famous Nou Camp stadium in mid-2017. A statement on the Catalan club’s website last week also stated its intent to “collaborate on the institutional and sporting reconstruction of Chapecoense.”

World Cup: Europe’s top clubs oppose FIFA’s expansion plans FIRST Germany coach Joachim Low. Then Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. Now the organization that speaks for Europe’s biggest football clubs has rejected FIFA’s plan to expand the World Cup in 2026. The European Club Association said Thursday that the number of games played throughout the year was already at an “unacceptable” level, and urged the governing body to reconsider its idea of increasing the number of teams that qualify for soccer’s biggest tournament from 32 to 48. Last week FIFA president Gianni Infantino altered his October expansion proposal by saying he

wants 16 groups of three teams to compete, with the top two progressing to the last-32 knockout stage. His initial plan featured a knockout round before group games began, with the 16 defeated nations going home after playing just one match. The proposals will be put to a vote at a FIFA council meeting in Zurich in January, according to the AFP news agency. The ECA represents more than 200 clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Its chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge -- who played at three

World Cups -- pointedly opposed any expansion proposals. “We have to focus on the sport again. Politics and commerce should not be the exclusive priority in football,” the former West Germany and Bayern striker said in a statement. Last week, Guardiola told reporters football’s busy calendar was “going to kill the players” when asked about World Cup expansion. In October, meanwhile, 2014 World Cup winner Low was quoted by ESPN as saying he was not in favor of tournament expansion as “if you keep on raising numbers, there is a watering-down of quality.”

Nowitzki considers retirement after 2016-17 DIRK Nowitzki, not even in the middle of what has been a relatively hellish year for the future Hall of Famer, admitted that the 2016-17 season could be his last in the NBA. Nowitzki, who has missed all but five of his team’s 24 games this year with a sore right Achilles tendon, told German magazine Sport Bild that he could decide to hang it up after the season if his injuries prove too tough to manage. The 39-year-old, who was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to Dallas all the way back in June of 1998, is stuck on a Dallas Mavericks team that is currently tied with Philadelphia for the worst record in the NBA at 6-18. “If things don’t go so well and it hurts everywhere, it could be that 2017 will be the end,” the forward told German magazine Sport Bild. “It hurts everywhere.” Yikes. Understandable for someone who has been banging away against NBA defenses since the fin de siècle, and for someone who (despite Dallas’ fine work in limiting his minutes from the championship

The 39-year-old was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to Dallas all the way back in June of 1998.

2010-11 season onward) has tacked on another 145 postseason games (nearly two seasons’ worth) to say little of his time spent working with the German national team, from 1997 through 2015. Dirk, amidst retirement concerns, signed a two-year, $50 million deal

with the Mavericks during the 2016 offseason, but that final season (at $25 million) of guaranteed money wouldn’t get in the way of Nowitzki limping away from the game: “Actually, my plan is to complete the 20 years and play for Dallas until 2018.

Sports Interational

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Gayle makes stunning move to Patriots in CPL ST. KITTS Patriots announced this week their stunning acquisition of Twenty20 batting sensation Chris Gayle from the Jamaica Tallawahs for the next season of the Caribbean Premier League. The transfer means that the talismanic left-handed opener has cut ties with the Tallawahs, the CPL franchise based in his native Jamaica, which he has twice led to the title, including last year. It is a move that is likely to shift the balance of power in the fledgling T20 league and gives the Patriots the competitive edge they have lacked since they replaced the Antigua Hawksbills in the league two years ago. There was no hint that such a seismic shift was about to happen, as Gayle was essentially billed as the heart and soul of the Tallawahs over the previous four seasons. and he expressed his gratitude to the franchise for the support it had given over the last four years. “I am a proud Jamaican and I loved representing the Tallawahs,” said Gayle. “I would like to thank the owners and management who have been brilliant to work with, my team-mates who always gave me 100 per cent support, and of course, the Jamaican fans who made Sabina Park such a special home ground for me.” Gayle is the biggest box office draw in the shortest version of the game, with his 9,777 runs for West

Third-ranked Baylor clobbered Winthrop 140-32 on Thursday afternoon (AP)

Baylor shatters record for biggest rout in a Division I women’s game

The transfer means that the talismanic left-handed opener has cut ties with the Tallawahs.

Indies, Tallawahs, Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and other teams around the World, the most of any player in the format. “Moving to St. Kitts is a move which hugely excites me at this time,” he said. “As with all franchise leagues, there is always the opportunity to move from one team to another and I am looking forwards to joining the Patriots for the upcoming season.” No doubt his move to the selftitled “Sugar City” of Basseterre, the capital of island federation of St. Kitts & Nevis, has the owners of the Patriots cock-a-hoop. “We are overjoyed to have Gayle join the franchise,” said Uday Nayak, part owner and team principal

of the Patriots. “I would like to welcome one of the World’s greatest batsmen to the Patriots squad for the forthcoming CPL season. This is a transfer I am certain will capture the imagination of our many fans in St. Kitts, the Caribbean and beyond. “Chris’ record is phenomenal, not just in the West Indies, but across the cricketing world. He has a reputation that is revered everywhere and is the kind of player who will drive our team forward.“This is one of the biggest transfers in CPL history and I know from speaking with Chris that he is motivated to do well for his new franchise. Success has followed Chris throughout his career and we as owners will give him and the team our full support to achieve similar success for the Patriots in 2017.”

ONE team is a perennial women’s basketball power whose only loss this season came against fourtime defending national champion UConn. The other team is a smallconference minnow whose only win this season came against Division III North Carolina Wesleyan. Everything about Baylor’s matchup with Winthrop screamed mismatch, yet nobody could have seen this margin of victory coming. Third-ranked Baylor clobbered overmatched Winthrop 140-32 on Thursday afternoon, setting a NCAA record for margin of victory in a Division I women’s basketball game. The 108-point margin eclipsed Grambling’s 139-37 win over Jarvis Christian back in 1986. Even though Baylor coach Kim Mulkey rested her leading scorer the entire game and did not play anyone else more than 21 minutes, the Lady Bears’ lead still kept ballooning larger and larger. They held the Eagles to just 13.6 percent shooting, opening up a 32-point lead after one

quarter, increasing it to 59 points by halftime and boosting it to 79 points after three quarters. Remarkably, it was the fourth quarter that was the most lopsided. Baylor outscored Winthrop 29-0 despite Mulkey experimenting with lineups she hadn’t previously used all season. “In this business, what goes around, comes around,” Mulkey told reporters in Waco after the game. “I tried to play tons of people in and out of the lineup. I called timeouts trying to get people off the floor. I am most grateful that [Winthrop coach Kevin Cook] recognized that. Kevin said, ‘Thank you.’ Baylor’s record-setting margin of victory serves as a reminder that the Lady Bears are a title threat this season. They’re now 10-1 with Top 25 victories over UCLA, DePaul and Ohio State in addition to another quality win over unranked perennial power Tennessee. They arrived as massive underdogs and left on the wrong side of history. (The Dagger)

VALTTERI BOTTAS:

US world boxing champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford jailed

WILLIAMS are prepared to release Valtteri Bottas to become Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate in 2017. Mercedes want the Finn, 27, to replace Nico Rosberg, who retired after winning the world title last month. Deputy team principal Claire Williams told BBC Sport the team would let Bottas leave “if an experienced, credible alternative was available”. Williams suggested Felipe Massa could return, despite retiring at the end of this season. “I’m delighted to see that a team like Mercedes lists Valtteri as a potential replacement for Nico,” Williams said. “We have always known Valtteri is one of the sport’s key talents and are proud that the championship leaders recognise this. “However, Williams has its own ambitions and we must always ensure we give our team the best

US world boxing champion Terence “Bud” Crawford has been given a 90-day jail term after a fracas at a car body shop. A judge also ordered Crawford, 29, to serve two years probation and do 120 hours of community service. He was found guilty of disorderly conduct and damage to property in April in the shop in Omaha, Nebraska, where his car was being resprayed. His sentencing comes five days after he defeated John Molina to retain his WBC and WBO world super-lightweight titles. 600LB ENGINE During Thursday’s sentencing, Judge Marcena Hendrix told Crawford: “You’ve continued to act as if you are above the law, and you are not”. He is expected to serve about 50 days under Nebraska’s sentencing guidelines. In April, Crawford confronted the owner of the shop which had been

Williams open to Finn joining Mercedes

Bottas is a highly rated driver and has scored nine career podiums, but is yet to win.

opportunity to move forward. Any changes would only be made if Williams remains in a strong position to compete and develop in 2017. “If we did allow Valtteri to leave, we would only do this if an experienced, credible alternative was available, such as someone like Felipe Massa, for example.” Williams, who finished fifth in the championship in 2016, have rejected Mercedes’ first offer for Bottas, but

talks are ongoing. The team are playing hardball with Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff because he is in a difficult position having to find a team-mate for Hamilton when all the leading names are under contract. However, it is a sensitive situation because Williams use Mercedes engines and want to keep a good relationship with the German manufacturer.

Crawford celebrates after defeating Molina in Omaha on 10 December.

painting his 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Crawford, who had paid half of the fee for the work, refused to pay the rest, saying he was dissatisfied with the service. That triggered the confrontation, during which Crawford managed to forcefully remove his car which was placed on a hydraulic lift.

December 17-23, 2016

Sports National

Mrs Susan Garland received an award for being the first female P.E teacher and one of the first persons in the Turks and Caicos to receive an IAAF coaches’ certificate.

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Mrs Karen Missick was recognised for her outstanding contribution to high school athletics. (Photos Gertrude Saunders-Forbes)

Mrs Beatrice Robinson-Beam received an award for being one of the first females to represent TCI at the CARIFTA Games (1978) and Florida Relays.

Women in Sports recognises nine at Gala Banquet NINE women were recognised for their outstanding contributions to sports in the Turks and Caicos Islands by the Women in Sports organisation last Friday at their annual Gala Banquet. The event, which featured a masquerade theme, ‘Glitz, Glamour and Mystery,’ was held at the Yellowman and Sons’ Building in Grand Turk. THE AWARDEES INCLUDED: • Mrs Susan Garland, a former physical education teacher at the Turks and Caicos High School (now the HJ Robinson High). Mrs Garland received an award for being the first female P.E teacher and one of the first persons in the Turks and Caicos to receive an IAAF coaches’ certificate. • Ms Judith Robinson for her years of representing TCI in international competitions. • Rev. Claire Robinson for her outstanding contribution to high school athletics. • Dr. Ruth Ariza for her outstanding

Some of the Women in Sports members at the Gala Banquet.

contribution to high school athletics. • Ms BerthaLee Belle: for her outstanding contribution to high school athletics and for her participation in the CARIFTA Games as a young athlete. • Mrs Beatrice Robinson-Beam: for being one of the first females to represent TCI at the CARIFTA Games (1978) and Florida Relays.

• Mrs Karen Missick: for her outstanding contribution to high school athletics. • Mrs Lisa Glinton-Williams: for her outstanding contribution to high school athletics. • Ms Olmeisha Williams: for her outstanding contribution to high school athletics. WIS President, Angela Brooks, and her team did an excellent job

in making the event successful. According to a release, “The night was complimented with good food, beautiful people and lovely company”. Special guest speakers for the night were female athletes: Sanadia Forbes and Alivia Brooks, who both eloquently shared their experiences as young athletes. The building was beautifully decorated by the talented Mrs Janet Williams, while the food was prepared by Chef John Virgil, aka Mumbles. The entertainment by Master Benjamin and DJ Roberts was very relaxing and enjoyable, while fourth and fifth form students from the HJ Robinson High School and students from the Community College assisted greatly. The highlight of the evening came from Ms Bonka, a local comedian who kept the audience in a jolly mood. According to information from WIS, the event would not have been possible without the assistance

of several persons and businesses including: Mrs. Janet Williams, students from the HJ Robinson High School, Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Rose from HJ Robinson, Master Benjamin from the Seventh Day Adventist Church, DJ Roberts, Chef John Virgil, Ms Bonka, Sanadia Forbes, Alivia Brooks, students from the Community College, Grand Turk Liquors, Gender Affairs, Commonwealth Games, Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports & Library Services, Royal Jewels, Clarke & Associates, Ashwood Forbes & Associates, Mr and Mrs Rodney Adams, Any Occasions, Graceway IGA Supermarket, FLOW, Latoya Massage Parlour, The Palms, HLB (TCI) Ltd, Faboutique, Gold Smith, Kishco, E and Really Supermarket, Mr Edd Dickenson, Wally Hair Salon, Central Gas, Durham’s Treasures, Durham Home Centre, Tourist Board, Bohio, Elizabeth Hair Salon, Nina Hair Salon, Fabulous Styled, Osprey Hotel, Shacoyas, Ms Sandra Walkin and Ms Mercedes Smith.

FILIPINO BASKETBALL LEAGUE:

Danesh beat Freedom Fighters to stay unbeaten DENNIS Cimafranca exploded from the three point line in the second half as Danesh Quality Food Centre defeated rivals Freedom Fighters in a much anticipated clash of the Filipino Basketball League. The two teams ended with the number one and two seeds and are favourites for making the final, not only because of their dominance in the regular season (which has now ended), but because the top seeds only have to win a single game in the semi-finals, while third and

fourth place will have to win twice to advance. The game, at the Gus Lightbourne Sports Complex Court on Sunday, could have ended differently if one of the top players from Freedom Fighters’ Mark Micabalo was not fouled out in the second quarter. Micabalo scored four points (his tally for the game) in the first quarter as his team opened with a 24-11 lead, by the half way mark the lead was 41-27. Danesh fought back in the second half with Cimafranca

scoring six of his eight three pointers and Capoy scoring 13 of his 23 in the last quarter to win the game 86-77. Cimafranca finished with a game high 27 points, while Apa added 11. M. Tagalog, who scored 10 points in the first quarter for Freedom Fighters, finished with 22, while Bugche added 17 and bench player Tony Lamanilao added 12. Also on Sunday AMS defeated MoneyGram 80-76 and Hartling Group brushed past LCC 79-57.

Dennis Cimafranca scored a game high 27 points to keep Danesh unbeaten.

Sports National

MVP winner Wilkins Sylvain was consistent throughout the championships.

CHHS played unbeaten to the title.

December 17-23, 2016

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

The 11-team event lasted for four days at the Gus Lightbourne Sports Complex court.

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

MVP Sylvain says CHHS Eagles win was team effort

THE Most Valuable Player of this year’s National High School Basketball Championships, Wilkins Sylvain felt that the Clement Howell High School Eagles’ dominance was due to each player understanding his role and executing to the best of his ability. CHHS Eagles claimed a 6051 point victory on Monday evening against the ever improving Maranatha High School in the final of the tournament at the Gus Lightbourne Sports Complex court. The last minute of the game

proved to be very exciting, since not only were difficult shots made by the Eagles, but Karly Noel powered through for an and1 dunk, which sent the crowd wild. Point guard Sylvain scored consistently throughout the game to finish with 20 points, two rebounds and an assist. His backcourt partner, shooting guard, Daniel Dubious added 17 points and two steals, while Noel finished with seven points. “We came out strong and did exactly what coaches (Kenneth Grant

Pyjamas Color Funrun

and assistant Kevin Harvey) wanted and ended up champs,” Sylvain told the Weekly News after the four-day tournament. Maranatha, who finished third last year, proved that they are legitimate contenders after an overall solid tournament. The team bounced back from a 58-30 blowout by the Eagles in the early rounds to match them with intensity for a large part of the final. They relied on three main players, who controlled the scoring and rebounding. Brendan Handfield powered

The Pyjamas Color Funrun organised by the Provo Roadrunners and the Filipino Community proved to be a fun event last Saturday. A large amount of persons took part in the run on Saturday morning in Provo.

his way to a double-double for the second place finishers. The Kings’ point guard scored 19 points and grabbed 10 boards. Jaden Lewis was also outstanding with 16 points, seven rebounds and

three assists while Jervomio Rigby added nine points, five rebounds and four assists. HJ Robinson High School finished third in the eleven-team 20game tournament.

Missick wins 200M heat in season opener NATIONAL sprinter Courtney Missick opened his track season with a 200M victory in his heat last Saturday at the Chantique Tyser-Mills Classics at the GC Foster College in Jamaica. The Jamaica College student finished seventh overall in the event which was contested by 70 athletes. Since his heat was a slow one, he felt his time of 22.83s would have been fastest under different circumstances. “Most likely if I was in the race with the persons who ran faster times than me I would’ve put out more effort. Fastest time of the day was 22.41s which came from the first heat and my training partner. Even top Jamaican athletes ran slow times due to early season and the headwind.” School mates and fellow TCI

Courtney Missick won his 200M heat, but finished seventh overall.

athletes Jevoy Knight (23.19s) and Fenelon Wilkenson (23.58s) also competed in the event.

December 17-23, 2016

Sports National

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

December 17-23, 2016