Turks & Caicos Weekly News

Weekly News Volume 26 | No. 23 | June 9 - 15, 2012

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Anglican Bishop

Criticises Gov't

– unhappy with several moves 5 made by the interim administration PAGE 

inside

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VAT protestors take their message to the Queen’s parade

NEW PNP LEADER PLAN TO CHANGE PARTY IMAGE

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UNDER the leadership of recently elected Dr Rufus Ewing, the Progressive National Party (PNP) is in for a shake up.

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Club Sodax gutted

CLUB Sodax was gutted by fire early Wednesday morning around 2:00 hours and owner...

PAGE  4

Ewing says TCI ready for independence NEWLY elected leader of the Progressive National Party ...

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Protestors created a stir at the Queen’s Birthday Parade in Provo, at the downtown Ball Park, calling for everything from a return to democratic rule to a change in the decision to implement VAT. Members of the police force ensured a peaceful protest, but the impact of the protest at the Queen’s jubilee celebration was clear.

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New pnp leader plan to change party image

By Vanessa Narine UNDER the leadership of recently elected Dr Rufus Ewing, the Progressive National Party (PNP) is in for a shake up.

The new leader is looking to make several changes – changes that he hopes will help to repair the party’s tarnished image.

Ewing, at a press briefing on Wednesday, said images change through action.

“There is nothing wrong with the PNP, the PNP is a party…there have been individuals against whom allegations have been levelled that caused the image to be tarnished,” he said, “Just watch us now, watch our actions.”

Ewing explained that the party is in for some reorganisation that will prove the PNP a party worthy in the eyes of the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a party that holds true the values of transparency and accountability.

“Now is the time to unite and move forward,” he said.

OUTREACH According to him, the PNP leaders will be visiting the different islands in an outreach effort to not only reach out to the party’s constituents, but also build the party’s support base.

Ewing said the issues raised at these meetings throughout the islands will form the drafting of the PNP manifesto.

He pointed out that the party will be engaging stakeholders on current issues to take on board their concerns and make representation.

“What we do should reflect the views of the people,” Ewing posited.

The PNP leader explained that the party is currently looking at the establishment of a committee to review the Value Added Tax (VAT) Green Paper.

He said the committee will consist of members of the party, as well as specialists from outside the political arena, whose combined opinions will form the party’s position on VAT.

Newly elected leader of the PNP, Dr. Rufus Ewing, centre, with members of the PNP’s NEC

“As a party we should have a position of everything,” Ewing said, maintaining that that position when given will be an informed one.

He added that the party will be making statements soon on the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Bill, as well as the budget, among other topical issues.

Ewing added too that the PNP will be meeting with the Governor to address the necessity of the milestones as the deciding factor on whether or not elections will be held this year.

He stated too that meetings are also planned with the People’s Democratic Party, to align priorities for the TCI in moving forward.

Asked if he was sure that he could command the support of all the PNP supporters, since many of them supported the other contender for leadership, Mr Carlos Simons, Ewing expressed confidence in doing so.

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

He made it clear that at the end of the day they are all PNP supporters and while they may be disappointed, PNP supporters will rally around the party.

“My leadership style is one that is consultative and one that places much importance on team effort,” Ewing said.

According to him, going forward

there will be challenges, but he expressed confidence in the party.

Ewing won the leadership by six votes ahead of Simons at the PNP Congress last Friday and Saturday.

A section of the damaged building

Club Sodax gutted CLUB Sodax was gutted by fire early Wednesday morning around 2:00hours and owner, Mr. Puritan Higgs, estimated losses at over $1m.

According to him, investigations are ongoing and the most recent

report from firefighters indicated that the origin of the fire could have been electrical, although they have not yet ruled out arson.

The food and entertainment spot was a popularly frequented by islanders and Higgs noted that

hopefully he should be back in business by December.

He said the business was thankfully insured and once construction goes well Club Sodax will be up and running before long.

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Anglican Bishop criticises Gov't

– unhappy with several moves made by the interim administration

By Vanessa Narine BISHOP Laish Boyd of the Anglican Diocese of the TCI and the Bahamas, on Monday, came down hard on the interim administration, addressing what he called concerns of the ‘Anglican flock’.

After a lenghty consultation with the Governor, the Bishop made his report at a press conference at St. Monica's Anglican Church in Provo.

At the same time he called on TC Islanders to be respectful in dealing with the interim government.

Boyd said, “I am disturbed to learn that there have been numerous instances when persons have been impolite, rude and even insulting to the Governor and other government officials...this is inexcusable.”

However, that said, the Bishop noted too that the sense of hopelessness and disenfranchisement among the locals is too strong and widespread for such a small country.

Asked why the church chose to speak now rather than earlier, Boyd noted that his statements came after several meetings with different stakeholders, including Governor Ric Todd, in the past months.

He defended his decision to speak on political matters, pointing out that the church is not interfering with politics; rather is voicing the concerns of its followers.

The Bishop stressed that this is not interference, but representation.

“We are concerned about the whole person…this situation is one where our people are concerned and we are speaking to the administration on behalf of the people,” he said.

DISRESPECT According to him, the epitome of disrespect is seen repeatedly in the actions of the interim administration.

Boyd said, “There is the widespread view that in some instances successive Governors and other British officials have shown little respect for the recommendations of the Consultative Forum…This is the epitome of disrespect.”

He made it clear that the people of the TCI need to be respected continually and be heard through deference to the Advisory Council and the Consultative Forum.

The Bishop said, “Generally persons feel that their views are not being heard in the discussion about tax increases and in major decisions affecting their lives.

“Public meetings for consultation appear to many persons to be routine and merely a formality and the views that are expressed seem not to be taken into consideration.”

Boyd pointed toward what he called another blatant show of disrespect, the disbanding of TC Invest.

While he agreed that the agency had problems, he said there was not sufficient consultation and interaction with the board and staff before the decision was taken.

The Bishop acknowledged that the British’s efforts to rectify the myriad of problems facing the TCI, but stressed that the approach to bring TCI back on track is unsettling for citizens.

“What might be understandable and justified is made tremendously burdensome by the unfortunate widespread concern…what good would it be for the country to achieve a balanced budget if, when the county has elections, the incoming government inherits a country with crumbling infrastructure and one that is lacking in some basis and essential programmes, particularly for the less fortunate and the youth,” Boyd queried.

From left Father Bernard Been, Bishop Laish Boyd and Archdeacon Keith Cartwright

He criticised the moves that question whether students should be compelled to receive religious education, the decrease in the allocations for scholarships, the downsizing of the civil service and the pursuit of the milestone goals, all done with little regard to the people.

The Bishop also touched on the unfairness of making TC Islanders culpable for wrongdoings under the past administration, but not subjecting the British to the same level of accountability.

“We are alarmed that the British government appears to accept no party in ultimate culpability… one would assume that the serving Governor at any given time had knowledge of and consultation about many matters, even if he was not

in agreement with some of them,” Boyd said.

He stressed that although the Commission of Inquiry did not indicate any criminal wrongdoing on the part of any serving governor, there are moral implications that must apply ultimately.

MAKE THE CHANGE He called for the interim administration to make the necessary changes to their approach.

The Bishop noted that the administration needed to ask itself if the current approach is the best for the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Boyd called for TC Islander to bank together, remain vigilant and knowledgeable of current issues and register to be eligible to vote

in the general elections so they can participate in democracy.

He charged the political parties also to put aside partisan prejudices and work together for the betterment of the TCI and its people.

“There is no doubt that considerable things have been accomplished,” the Bishop posited.

However, he made it clear that there can be no denying that the TCI people view themselves as twice taken advantage of, once at the hands of their own people and now at the hands of the people they appealed to for assistance.

Boyd said, “We continue our vigilance through the on-going monitoring of the political, social and spiritual situation, and though our on-going dialogue with Turks and Caicos Islanders.”

Ewing says voter registration cost deterring eligible voters

By Vanessa Narine

PROGRESSIVE National Party (PNP) Leader, Dr. Rufus Ewing, tackled the issue of voter registration as one of the first orders of business as the party’s new leader and he contends that the cost of registering is deterring eligible voters.

Ewing is calling for the cost of birth certificate to be waived and the introduction of a special stamp to be used on the free birth certificates, which would only be used for registration process.

While some argue that this suggestion is nonsensical since persons need a birth certificate regardless, the PNP Leader explained that specially stamped document that is free of cost would help to ensure that all eligible voters register

without hassle and be the proof of Belongership that is needed.

Some argue the logic of that proposition, but Ewing maintains that the current process is too slow, reiterating that the cost factor is a deterrent.

The PNP Leader added that with only few weeks to the deadline for registration, only just over 3,000 persons have been registered.

BEST PRACTICE Elections Department Supervisor Dudley Lewis maintains that the process being followed is internationally accepted as best practice.

According to him, persons need only to go to the registration centres, present their documents to the Ministry of Labour and Border

Control and be verified as Belongers.

“There are two forms that they need to fill out, one for the Ministry and the other for us…the Ministry verifies that you are a Belonger and we take information for our database.

At the end of the process the Ministry will issue a TCI Status Card, a form of national identification,” Lewis explained.

He added that the registration process ends in June, after which a preliminary list of elections will be provided.

He said, “The list will be very accurate. We will have done cross checks with the Ministry of Border Control so I am confident that the list will be a true reflection of the eligible voters in TCI.” Lewis noted that once the preliminary list is available, there

will be a Claims and Objections period of about two weeks, where persons will be able to look at the list and verify that their information is correct.

“At the end of the Claims and Objections period, the Boundaries Commission will be appointed and they have to set the boundaries.

There is a change this year to reduce the 15 boundaries we had in previous elections to 10,” he said.

He noted that once the Department has assigned the electors to their 15 districts the final Voter Register will be compiled.

Lewis explained that once this is done, other arrangement will be made by the Department, including the appointment of returning officers, polling clerks and presiding officers for the electoral process.

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

has Skippings' speech set a new tone ?

FORMER Chief Minister Oswald Skippings trampled the nerves of the powers that be when he delivered his hard-hitting National Heroes Day speech in Grand Turk recently.

Has this speech set the tone for a new type of militancy and a new kind of dialogue on the local political scene?

Much left to be seen

Skippings spoke with passion that could be the fuel that fires up “sparks of revolution” he says is smouldering.

He called it straight when he said that the people of the TCI are divided and the British simply followed in the footsteps of “disingenuous locals”.

These locals let themselves be overcome by greed and self-interest, instead of pursue the interests of the people. Hence, we have the situation we are in today.

However, all the people have heard from our local politicians is talk, talk to oppose this or that and no offer of an alternative to what the British are putting forward.

The past administration and the current one are not that much different.

The first didn’t listen to the people and let the country go to the dogs and the current one is doing what they think is best to pull the TCI back on track, but they are still not listening to the people.

There are truths to what Skippings said and for the betterment of the people our politicians should sit down and begin a new

kind of dialogue.

Whether this is what will happen is still to be seen.

Honeymoon over

Yes. It sure did. The UK’s honeymoon period is over.

Their attitude is neo-colonial and we are in the 21st century. Talking to many of these guys it is clear that this is their first stint outside of the UK so you can understand that the reason for their behaviour.

History of militancy

Mr Skippings has a history of militancy from years past.

Unfortunately, all we hear from the politicians and pundits is what is wrong.

I have yet to hear any of them come up with potential solutions to our problems.

Alternatives needed not militancy

Skippings of all people. Where has he been

all these years? Hiding out in Grand Turk?

The speech was standard Skippings.

While what he said was almost correct, he gave us no alternative.

That is Skip, great at tearing something down.

He and Shaun Malcolm with their big dose of negative failed for years to bring down the Misick administration.

Skip is loaded with baggage and if he reappears, the milestones and election will roll further away.

The speech was about our hero JAGS McCartney but if JAGS was alive and saw the current condition of his party, he would be spinning in his grave.

Skippings may want us to think he is JAGS reincarnated but it is not so.

Militancy is not what we need. We need informed voices articulating their alternative to direct rule.

Skippings gave them a wake up call

The speech of Oswald Skippings was powerful, earth shaking and far reaching in effect and implication for these islands.

It was time somebody spoke the truth to the Governor about what is going on in this country.

They are literally running this place into the ground and in the style of Mike Misick.

This point was powerful and it would seem that only Oswald Skippings has the power, courage and conviction in these islands to stand up to the gay agenda and confront it for what it is, “evil and satanic”.

Thank God, in these crisis times, these

islands are finding a leader who can speak up and one who can stand up for what is right.

The dialogue with the interim government needs to change to one of strident militancy.

They must understand that the TCI is not taking this crap sittin' down.

It is time people heeded this message of unity, putting away the pettiness and embracing national unity.

Less talk more action

We need people to speak up and act on it.

The Governor has some ideas that are good, but the way in which he is going about it is wrong.

He is not a man that appears to understand the dynamics of a democratic country. He is acting like Hitler and Castro in one body.

On the other hand, our leaders need to truly practice what they preach. If you say you are for the country and its people then do that.

The systems we have in place are good ones they just need to be carried out in the way they were set up to.

 Become a contributor Want to become a contributor or have a suggestion for a Talk Back topic for us? What questions do you think we should be putting to the public? And what are your thoughts on it?

Call our news team on 946 4664 or email tcweeklynews@gmail.com

Ewing says TCI ready for independence

By Vanessa Narine NEWLY elected leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP), Dr. Rufus Ewing, contends that the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) is ready for independence.

Ewing, speaking at a press briefing at the PNP Headquarters on Wednesday, noted that the party has taken a resolution to support the move towards independence.

He made it clear that the PNP is pro-independence and going forward any moves the party makes will take into consideration an independent TCI. The PNP Leader acknowledged that there are a few things that can be improved on before the step towards independence is taken.

According to him, the people need to be educated on the pros and cons of independence.

However, he reiterated that the TCI has long been ready to assert itself independent of the United

Kingdom.

Ewing stated that before any decision is taken the views of the people have be taken into consideration, adding that the new PNP will move towards an approach that seeks to increasingly involve the people of the TCI in decisionmaking.

When asked about a possible timeframe for the attainment of independence, the PNP Leader noted that because this is something that needs to be approached strategically, setting a timeframe would be premature, particularly considering that the return to democratic rule has not been confirmed to happen this year.

Ewing said in going forward, independence has to be planned and strategically implemented in stages to achieve the vision leaders have for the TCI. He maintains that independence is not to be rushed.

In a prior interview in

for that day,” he said then.

NEWLY elected leader of the PNP Dr. Rufus Ewing

April, Ewing made it clear that independence is ultimately up to the people, adding that developmental milestones that are advanced by an elected government will indicate the country’s readiness for independence.

“My duty is to prepare the people

10 YEARS AWAY Former PNP Leader and retired politician Daniel Malcolm addressed the issue of independence in an interview with the Weekly News in the latter part of March.

He contends that the TCI is too young for independence, but noted that achieving a measure of selfdetermination is a move in the right direction.

“We are at least 10 years away from being ready for Independence… we must develop our country and our people so that when we move to Independence we will do so from a position of strength,” he said.

However, Malcolm, like Ewing, stressed that TCI must prepare for that eventuality down the road.

“Self-determination is where the government and the people of TCI, and other territories like us, make advances toward greater political, social and cultural determination or

say within the framework of their own situation,” he posited.

The former PNP Leader was recently been invited to join the Special Committee of experts with regard to the implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence of Colonial Countries and Peoples.

This endeavour is supported by the Decolonization Unit of the Department of Political Affairs, which is part of the United Nations (UN) Secretariat, via monitoring the implementation of the Declaration, hearing statements from the non-self governing territories, organizing an annual regional seminar and making recommendations regarding the dissemination of information on the decolonization process.

Governor Ric Todd in addressing the issue of independence in the past has said unequivocally that the United Kingdom would grant independence to the TCI, if that were the choice made by the TC people.

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Protestors marching around the Provo ballpark in objection to the actions of the interim administration

VAT protestors take their message to the Queen’s parade PROTESTORS took their message to the Queen’s birthday parade at the downtown ballpark in Provo, last Saturday, making clear their rejection of the not only the decision to implement Value Added Tax (VAT), but several other issues.

A small band of approximately 13 people called for everything from

a return to democracy to the need to expose the InterHealth Canada scheme.

Escorted by police officers the group entered the ballpark and joined the parade put on by the police force, to mark the Queen’s jubilee.

The consensus among the protestors was the need to make their

Tourist complains of being hassled by immigration

– Was told he needed $500 to enter the country FLORIDA resident Charles Pool voiced his annoyance at being accused of “slipping into” the country after he got off American Airlines’ flight 1653 on May 30.

According to Pool, a female immigration officer at the Providenciales International Airport gave him a lengthy interrogation after demanding that he present a copy of his return ticket.

Pool stated that he had to wait 45-minutes for an American Airlines representative to print his return itinerary.

The annoyed tourist noted that after presenting the return ticket to the immigration officer he was told he needed to have $500 in cash to enter the country

and documentation to show that he owned property in Provo, as well as proof that he will not be working during his six-night stay.

The tourist explained that he has visited he Turks and Caicos Islands more than 90 times and owns a vacation home here on Providenciales.

“I was hoping for another relaxing week on the Grace Bay beach,” Pool said.

He informed the Weekly News that after a long list of questions he was allowed to go, but after being warned that he will not be able to “slip in” as easily as in the past.

Pool maintained that the unnecessary hassling of tourists does not improve the image of the TCI as a welcoming destination.

message understood and the impact of staging a protest at a celebration to mark the Queen’s milestone was clear.

Although unnamed, the anti-VAT group is making waves in the local community where the introduction of VAT is increasingly unpopular.

The group has started a petition to

reject the implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) that is targeting some 3,001 signatures.

It is calling for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to delay the scheduled July 13th passing of VAT Bill, until concrete answers can be given to even the most basic questions that plague

stakeholders.

The petition makes it clear that the territory should not be burdened with unnecessary governmental or administrative trappings more appropriate for a much larger nation.

Up to press time the petition had some 700 signatures. (VANESSA NARINE)

More cases of gastroenteritis confirmed

The Ministry of Health and Education (MOHE) and Environmental Health Department (EHD), this week, disclosed that tests done on 10 individuals confirmed the presence of norovirus, the virus that causes gastroenteritis.

The tests were conducted at the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) Reference laboratory and the Ministry maintains that the local health team has been strengthened with the arrival of CAREC’s Food borne Diseases Manager, Dr. Lisa Indar, and CAREC Epidemiologist, Ms. Leslie Edwards.

This is in addition to an Epidemiologist from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Ms. Diane McDonald.

According to the Ministry, additional assistance is due to arrive shortly from PAHO in the form of two Environmental Health Officers with extensive experience working with the hotel industry.

Over the weekend, Beaches

Turks and Caicos agreed to follow a recommendation by the Ministry of Health not to accept new guests at the resort until Saturday 9th June, in order to undertake precautionary cleaning programmes and break the 14-hour incubation of the illness.

However, according to the Ministry on Thursday, reports of new illness have decreased and investigations by the Public Health Team are ongoing and are now focused on supervising and monitoring the hotels and resorts as they implement the required deep cleaning and sanitization procedures.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness, which is common in outbreaks of gastroenteritis (diarrhea and vomiting) throughout the world. It can be rapidly transmitted from person to person, through contact with vomitus or feces of infected individuals, contaminated food or water, soiled surfaces, bed linens, gym equipment etc. Other than supportive therapy, it usually

requires little by way of medical interventions and usually resolves without incident.

Infection control measures focused on proper hygiene and deep cleaning and sanitization are vital to prevent the spread of norovirus. These are being promoted throughout the TCI. Public Health teams continue to conduct active surveillance at airports and affected hotels to educate and monitor the implementation of these measures.

Persons experiencing diarrhea, abdominal pain or vomiting should report to the nearest health care facility. Health surveillance team members are continuing to interview persons experiencing such signs and symptoms.

The Ministry of Health and Education is urging the public to practice healthy hygienic measures at all times such as frequent hand washing, especially when preparing meals, before eating and after using the toilet.

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TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

PNP gets new Is Your Business Compliant? leadership team THE Progressive National Party (PNP) has a new leadership in place, with Dr. Rufus Ewing at the helm, following the party’s two-day national congress last week.

The new National Executive Committee (NEC), under the new leader, will be responsible for the continued running the day to day affairs of the party and will be integral to the success of the party moving forward.

The new NEC members include:

• National Chairman - Mr. Trevor Cooke • Deputy Chairman - Ms. Petagaye Blake • Secretary General – Ms. Sharon Simons (Appointed by the leader)

• Assistant Secretary General - Ms. Sonia Williams (Appointed by the leader) • Treasurer - Mr. Gordon Burton • Public Relations Director - Mr. Justin Missick • Party Whip - Mr. Stanley Taylor Chaplin - Mr. Conrad Howell • Caretaker Member - Mr. Arthur Lightbourne (appointed by the Leader) • Caretaker Member - Mr. Crayton Higgs (appointed by the Leader) • Caretaker Member - Mr. Royal Robinson (appointed by the Leader) The new party leader has indicated that he has shortlisted potential candidates for the post of Deputy Leader, an appointment Ewing said

Yet still I rise

By Kayla Higgs

The hurt The shame, The pain, The tragic irony all in vain, All they see is my glory, I wish I had time to tell them the story.

I am me, The only person I know how to be.

Never wondering 'what if' Always thinking 'as if' POSITIVE I'm going to walk another mile with a smile.

They got my number on speed-dail, Meanwhile they dare to think I’m living in denial.

Then they wonder ‘How’ But I guess everyone has a chance to shine and this is mine now.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes, Say what you like I know I tried.

Looks like I had the world on my shoulders.

I’m weakened by my silent cries.

You can shoot me with your words, Cut me with your lies, Kill me with your hatefulness.

But yet still i rise, Surprised?

Look into my eyes reader, I know you success at its best Like the dirt from the ground I rise, Yet still you see no frown beneath my crown, Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise.

Into the break of dawn that dwells so maraculously clear.

Living the dream my late loved ones desired.

I am the hope and the dream.

So naturally I rise.

(The Weekly News invites budding poets to submit their pieces for publication at tcweeklynews@gmail.com )

he hopes to make within the week.

Held under the theme ‘Moving Forward Together’, the gathering was hailed as a success by the party’s Delegates and members.

Governor Todd meets with FCO and DIFD

Governor Ric Todd had a series of meeting with Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development on Wednesday and Thursday.

Todd, who left the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) on Tuesday, is expected to update Minister Alan Duncan on progress against the milestones and other recent development in the TCI. He returns to the TC on Monday, June 11th..

TCIG’s Chief Executive, Mr. Patrick Boyle, has been sworn in as acting Governor until the Governor returns.

514 students take 2012 GSAT SOME 514 students from 22 schools throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) sat the Grade Six Achievement Tests (GSAT) on last week.

And the results are expected to be out on or before June 18th.

According to, coordinator, Mr. Maurice Ingham, the prize giving ceremonies will commence on July 5th.

GSAT determines whether a child will move onto the secondary education level of learning. In order to proceed to the secondary learning, each student must obtain a passing grade of 50 per cent or more.

The exam consists of seven subjects covering areas such as Mathematics, Science, General studies and English. All papers in general add up to approximately 630 points.

This year the students, from 22 schools throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands, in preparation for the exams were able to make use of ‘Go GSAT’, an online learning website.

The online programme gave students the opportunity to complete practice questions, download handouts and access live tutorials in relation to topics that more than likely appeared on the examination.

GSAT coordinator, Mr. Maurice Ingham said, “I’m expecting anything more than 80 percent passes, maybe even 90.”

Last year’s performance resulted in 82 per cent passes. (KAYLA HIGGS)

The Consultant’s Role

Like in any other country, there are government regulations that must be followed by all businesses.

Yes, some may argue that in TCI, there seems to be an increasing number of regulations.

Nonetheless, it is important to adhere to regulations, simply because non-compliance can costs your business hundreds of dollars. Compliance means adhering to a policy, regulation, specification, or standard.

It you are not clear as to what laws you should adhere to, it is wise to consult a Business Advisor/Consultant.

The last thing any Smart Entrepreneur would want is to have trouble with enforcement authorities responsible for monitoring compliance of the various regulations. This does not present a good image for your business particularly in a small society like ours.

Sometimes it takes years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.

Businesses may comply with standards such as those produced by Environmental Health, Planning, or Road Traffic Departments to gain customer confidence and acceptability.

However, while this is good, regulatory compliance should be the focus.

It is wise to obtain as much information as possible about the regulation, which would ensure your understanding of it.

Likewise, it is wise to educate ourselves about VAT so that whenever it is introduced we are ready.

As a Smart Entrepreneur, it is also wise to ensure that all concerned employees are aware of these requirements and how to comply with them.

A Business Consultant can provide formal compliance training in specific areas where necessary.

Compliance typically involves doing specific things in certain ways and maintaining records/ data as evidence that these have been done as required.

Maintaining documents is a key component of compliance management.

Some regulations to ensure that you are compliant with in

By Sophia Thomas

Business Consultant and Trainer

the TCI include: 1. Incorporation and annual registration fees for companies paid to the Registrar of Companies.

2. Business licence fees: you may also require additional licences or permits depending on the type of business you are in e.g. fishing, taxi, school, bar, water sports and so forth.

3.

Business name registration fee: paid to the Financial Services Commission 4.

National Insurance Registration: register your business and employees with any NIS office and make monthly contributions.

5. National Health Insurance Registration: register you and your employees and make monthly contributions.

6.

Work Permit Fees: mandatory if you are employing non TCI Belongers. You may also need a temporary work permit for short term nonBelonger employment.

It is important to note that most if not all of these licences are renewal yearly. Business Licence in particular should be renewed April 1st otherwise your business incur late penalty fees of 10 per cent per month.

Many of the laws that affect businesses are designed to protect customers, employees, the public, but they can also protect your business. Opinions will always differ over what is fair or unjust, particularly in today's environment where most business owners are struggling with cash flow and keeping their business alive.

However, the Smart Entrepreneur should ensure that he or she builds compliance into their code of ethics or company values.

For further information you can contact me at telephone number 231-2486 or email fenelonempowerment@ yahoo.com

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Keeping fashion fresh

A YOUNG fashion designer was given the unique opportunity to showcase her clothing at two Jamaican fashion exhibitions this March.

Elsian Delancy, from The Bight in Providenciales, was delighted to be chosen to exhibit her work in front of hundreds of spectators.

The 23-year-old, also known as LC, prepared designs on an ‘animalistic’ theme for the first show in Jamaica Papine and named her collection Exotique.

She explained: “I debuted my pieces, a red patched Betta Fish dress, coco sack shorts and a beach hat draped into a top.

“On the day of the show all hard work paid off. My pieces were well received and I got numerous offers to partake in other shows.”

She added that because of the unique nature of her collection she was among just a few who were selected to take part in a second fashion show.

The event for Style Week was hosted by Saint International on May 26.

“Due to time constraints it really was a more challenging event, as my pieces were due to be shown alongside numerous international designers,” she said.

LC’s second collection

followed the theme ‘Bold and Bare’ and she named it her Caicos Colours collection.

She designed various styles of swimwear based on the colours in the Turks and Caicos national dress.

In answering who was her inspiration, she said her home economics teacher Mrs Romain Pratt from Clement Howell High School.

Mrs Pratt was the one who encouraged her to consider pursuing higher education in clothing and textile.

LC also thanked her apparel design lecturer from the University of Technology, Jamaica, Ms J Becker, who helped her to see a bigger and brighter way to more established and elegant designs.

Finally, when asked what her next goal as a designer is, she said: “My intention is to establish a TCI first locally made clothing production company.

“We as Turks Islanders rely mostly on imported clothes when our resources and skills are underutilised.”

LC already has a diploma in Home and Consumer Science from the Mico University and has nearly completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Apparel Design at the University of Technology, Jamaica.

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June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

We welcome letters from all members of the public on a variety of topics Please note that all submissions are subject to editing in keeping with defamation laws and newspaper style. Letters should be accompanied by the author’s full name, location and phone number. Names will be withheld if requested.

Open letter to the Governor, CEO and CFO

Gentlemen, You are all very aware of the rapidly-building opposition to the introduction of a VAT programme early next year.

Most of this opposition flows from a belief that the VAT will impose an additional tax burden, of yet-undetermined amount, on this country – something we can ill afford with the current fragile state of our economy.

In the May 26 - June 1 issue of the Turks and Caicos Weekly News, the Permanent Secretary, Finance, Ms Anya Williams, was directly quoted as having said: “VAT is a new tax, but it is really a replacement for existing taxes.

“It is not intended that VAT will raise additional tax, other than the opportunities it will provide for improved collection in some business sectors.”

Will one or all of you gentlemen please confirm, unequivocally and on behalf of the government, that the VAT is not intended to, and indeed will not, impose any additional overall tax burden (with import duties and customs processing fees clearly understood to form part of that overall tax burden) on the residents or businesses of the Turks and Caicos Islands, or on the tourists that are our lifeblood?

If we can get this commitment from government, I believe that the largest part of the growing opposition to VAT will subside.

Most of us here appreciate the need for the country to have a revenue-generation model that is much more even and consistent than in the past, notwithstanding the cyclical nature of our tourist-related businesses.

We will welcome any changes that help reduce the level of tax shrinkage known to exist under the current system.

Provided that appropriate measures are put in place to ease the regressive effect of this new tax on the less fortunate members of our society, I do not believe there will be significant reasoned opposition to the introduction of a VAT that is guaranteed to be simply a re-alignment of the existing tax load, and not an additional tax bite.

In the interest of an informed population, and the transparency that your government is forever advocating, may we please have this commitment?

Respectfully requested, FW Lorne Rowe Chartered accountant

Open letter to the CFO Dear Sir, It was has been said to whom much is given that much is expected.

In this way Mr CFO you have been cast with enormous power and responsibility.

Your job is to see that the books are balanced, the new minister prepares the budget and you approve.

There is so much to do before we get there. Yet before the interim government had to get here there are a number of things that irk us and have been making our lives harder.

That is the Stevedoring deal at South Dock, Providenciales, causing consumer prices to increase some four times.

Now there is the InterHealth deal, the National Health Insurance deal and many other inflationary deals.

The interim government has so far increased our taxes, increased the payments to NHIP by a further one per cent and is paying some $60m annually to InterHealth Canada.

All of this even before the interim government with gas tax was inflationary.

Next is the agenda to change the burden and incidence of

taxation by shifting the burden of taxation off developers, tourists, visitors, land sales, customs duties and off onto the backs of the wider population as a whole with a newer tax.

There are plans to remove a number of taxes, though not all, such as the communications tax and a few customs duties.

There seems no commitment to remove the Stevedoring deal at South Dock, Providenciales, or the InterHealth deal.

Yet our payments and taxes are increased to pay for these to date.

We are paying over $6 a gallon and $0.75 goes to the government.

The shift in taxation, mentioned earlier, is being accomplished by Value Added Tax (VAT) which may be 15 per cent or 17 per cent.

You expect that with the removal of customs and a few taxes to be replaced by VAT that prices may go down.

You have been met with cries from the public that people want price control to force prices downward to the extent of the removal in taxes.

Many fear that merchants will increase their prices, cause inflation and there will be more suffering.

SPACE IS LIMITED!

Mr CFO, please seriously consider and implement price control in these islands.

We need laws enforced that would give you the power to maintain a consumer price index and to monitor prices.

Please abandon the free market economy notion because that cannot work here.

We need relief all over. You must control prices.

Finally sir, please review the 17.5 per cent rate of return on Fortis prices.

You are collecting revenue in good times but the consumer is hurting. We need relief.

The whole PPC and Fortis deal requires review and the monopoly with that 17.5 per cent over our heads removed.

The answer is price control so that inflation cannot be artificial or manufactured.

In the Bahamas the Consumer Prices Commission has the power to go in stores, monitor prices, shut the place down and close shelves if price controls are not adhered to.

The TCI needs the same here.

Samsune Taylor

Leaderships settled, now onto TCI matters

Dear Editor, For a while, and still maybe for a while longer, there was much uncertainty as to the stability of the leadership of the country.

Recall, resignation, arrest, reelections, and musical chairs were common talk and words of the PNP and PDM. Let us now take a fresh breath of air, sit back, and think of the path and direction that the Turks and Caicos Islands must now take to regain that stellar and reverenced position in the region.

Much easier to say than do, the following matters and issues now need the most urgent attention of our government, political parties, leaders, churches, and last but just as important, the real stakeholders, the people.

- Employment, recruitment and labour.

- Minimum wage vs living wage, equal pay.

- Immigration.

- Taxation = Value Added Tax (VAT), tax rebates, equity.

- Citizenship, voters’ registration, voters’ boundaries.

- Elections.

- Education, scholarships, higher

education.

- Finances.

- Integrity, race relations, discrimination, harassment.

- Crime.

- National service.

- Independence.

As leaders we need not wait until the British bring these actions to us after hearing of them from us, we need to be proactive, rather than reactive.

We must establish that we have the requisite skills, abilities and knowledge to manage and govern our country without the distained interference of any other bodies and forces.

I shall be most happy to lead these discussions be it in person, online media, or even though the local printed media.

I invite the TCIGR as a partner in these efforts!

For the suspecting minds, I list my qualification in and to establish support of such efforts.

I await word and release.

Regards, Edward E Smith, PhD, FFA Leadership practitioner-scholar

Registration process flawed

Dear Editor Many Turks and Caicos Islanders have written about the procedures of registration for upcoming elections indicating their concerns and I agree with some of these concerns.

But I am writing now from a different point of view.

I have two issues relating to the application form for registration as an elector and to the time of the registration.

Firstly the application form for registration as an elector has an error - specifically question number nine which states: ‘Have you been in the Turks and Caicos Islands for not less than 12 months in aggregate out of the last two years immediately preceding the qualifying date of 31st March. If so, state how many months you have been so resident.’

This is a very important question on the form as the answer to this question will determine the eligibility and the right to vote.

When I was completing the form, an officer and her supervisor, Mr Lewis explained to me that if I have been in the Turks and Caicos Islands for 12 months or more in aggregate out of the last two years, the answer should be ‘no’.

I argued that for the question to be proper ‘not’ should be removed and the question will be read as:

‘Have you been in the Turks and Caicos Islands for less than 12 months in aggregate out of the last two years immediately preceding the qualifying date of 31st March…if so, state how many months you have been so resident.’

Both the officer and the supervisor, Mr Lewis did not agree with me, they said that it is in the ordinance and they continue to advise the public wrongly to answer the question.

All the registered persons, their answer to this question is no, while they have 12 months or more in the TCI. This question is very much a legal question and the wrong answer to this question will result in the termination of all registration process. Also the election result will be unlawful.

This form must be revised and the registration must be redone.

The other issue is that the election date is not yet ascertained.

Thus the qualifying period of the 12 months that the person is required to be in the country must be immediately before the election date.

In light of the above, this question at this time serves no purpose.

Concerned citizen (name withheld by request)

Please keep your letters to a maximum of 450 words or we may not be able publish it.

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

The Royal Flush

NEWS 11

COMMENTARY

This is not about a poker hand, but is about how governments, large and small, make stupid decisions.

A number of years ago USA politicians, decided to save water by passing a law that toilets must only use 1.6 gallons of water per flush. What government failed to realize is they could not control the number of flushes. Some politicians lack common sense.

Many years ago a British fellow named John Crapper, seriously improved the WC, water closet or toilet. The device and its contents have inherited his name. The first one invented by another “John” (Harrington) was installed in the first Queen Elizabeth's bathroom creating the first Royal Flush.

Isn't history wonderful?

New York Mayor Bloomberg has

By David Tapfer now limited the size of soda bottles containing high calories and caffeine to 16 ounces. The 20-ounce size is out.

Is this what Bloomberg was elected to do? Now people will buy two bottles and guzzle 32 ounces.

We have been told that come April next year VAT will be the law of the land. The consultants do not know

LIME to sponsor Miss Body Beautiful pageant LIME will be the premier sponsor for the annual upcoming Miss Body Beautiful TCI Pageant.

LIME is expected to provide the winner, first and second runners up of the Miss Body Beautiful TCI Pageant with an opportunity of a lifetime – winning a chance to appear in a LIME advertising campaign.

Additionally, the telecommunications company will present the winner with a high-end cellular phone with complementary post-paid service for one year; while the first and second runners up will receive a high-end cellular phone with complementary service for six months.

LIME’s Country Manage, Mr. Drexwell Seymour, said, “We are delighted to be the premier sponsor of Miss Body Beautiful, an avenue that will allow women to show case their beauty and talent which in turn will allow LIME to further promote the beauty of our women not only in Turks and Caicos Islands but throughout the World. We are excited about this venture.

“We are very grateful that LIME has agreed to partner with us, and be our premier sponsor – that, along with bringing new faces to the Turks & Caicos Islands advertising landscape,” said Courtney Robinson, the event’s Executive Producer.

“This is an ingenious idea and a fantastic way for a diverse group of women to have such an privilege. LIME have always

striven to place local and fresh faces at the forefront of their marketing campaigns and we hare indeed happy that they are doing through our event.”

The Miss Body Beautiful TCI Pageant recognizes that beauty, health and strength come in all ages and sizes. The pageant is open to ladies 18 years of age and older, has no restriction on height, body shape, marital status or nationality – will see contestants of diversity compete for the LIME advertising campaign, cash and fabulous prizes.

To enter, registration will be held on Saturday, June 23rd at The Culture & Arts Commission in Turtle Cove, Providenciales from 10AM to 12Noon.

With ‘Stronger, Confident, Beautiful’ as its motto, Contestants will be judged during four segments - a preshow interview round, and over the course of the event Introduction, Swimwear and Fantasy Swimwear/Active-wear.

After the Fantasy Swimwear/ Active-wear round, Contestants will be invited to answer a question posed by the judges on health, fitness and/or the body beautiful.

The Miss Body Beautiful TCI Pageant will take place on Saturday, July 28th at The William’s Auditorium, South Dock Rd, Providenciales.

Performances by some of today’s leading singers, rappers, dancers and other headliners are also expected to be a feature of the pageant.

what size businesses will be exempt; they do not know the rate of taxation nor do they know what items will have import duty reduced or by how much.

They suggested that business would love it because they will have the VAT portion of import taxes rebated.

However the business people of the Chamber of Commerce has rejected the tax?

Make sense please!

No one with vat likes it, St. Lucia is up in arms over VAT and Cayman has rejected it. No other Overseas Territory has it.

The Value Added Tax grew out of a concept applicable to manufacturing based economies where raw materials costing 10 per cent of the finished products price have 90 per cent of its “value added” as they are transformed into usable products. We

only manufacture straw goods and souvenirs and they will certainly be exempt. Edington Powell of Fortis has said he is against manufacturing in the TCI. Yet empty container ships leave our shores every day.

VAT is just a complicated sales tax in disguise and is in fact a tax imposed and later easily adjusted upwards without the vote of the people.

Taxation without representation; high taxes are needed because Mike, and company ran up the bills and installed something called NHIP. Health now soaks up 40 per cent of the governments income.

Cooler heads believe that NHIP cannot be touched because it will expose certain conservative British Lords and UK based owners of Interhealth Canada. We wonder how far Helen will go. Attorneys do insist

on money up front, so SIPT can be stopped by the Tory run FCO by simply halting the money flow to Garlick.

Rufus says he was only responsible for the medical issues of NHIP. However, sick folks walk in the hospitals front door and are carried out the back door. The clinics level of care has plummeted; Patrick Boyle says Rufus was a central player in this mess. We call it Ewing-care. With the huge cost increases for health care it is in the toilet.

There is after all a certain rewarding sound when those 1.6 gallons carry the stuff away.

When we flush away VAT and NHIP it will be much more rewarding sound.

Creating chiropractic care THERE is a new chiropractor in town and he is here to join his wife in making the TCI the healthiest islands in the world.

Dr Mike Reid, an author, international lecturer and head coach of Chiropractic Masters, is based at the Courtyard Chiropractic where his wife Dr Lise Cloutier has been seeing patients one year now.

Together they have over 30 years of chiropractic experience in working with different cases from babies to seniors.

However, with Dr Cloutier being a petite lady and her husband a burly man, they decided it would be better if he dealt with the big guys who require a little more strength.

“Besides, we’ve discovered that being both male and female adds a nice dynamic to the practice,” Dr Reid smiled.

“Everybody is adjusted differently,” he stated.

He explained that although most people experience the same health threatening hazards in life that ultimately lead to deterioration of their spine and by extension their health, not everyone is the same.

Therefore, everybody is adjusted differently. It may seem as though everyone gets the same treatment, but by placing his hands in a slightly different position, the doctor can tailor treatment to suit that particular patients’ needs and help them back on the path to optimal health.

“Health” Dr Reid said, “has three dynamics, the physical, wellbeing and body”.

According to him, the body has the wonderful ability to heal itself but it is always in a breakdown process and that is where chiropractic comes in.

Instead of popping pills that only mask the symptoms for a while, Dr Mike and his wife believes that one

Dr Mike has over 20 years chiropractic experience and is passionate about helping people achieve optimal health.

should deal with the problem from the root.

“Our approach to health is one of wellness, which includes the physical aspect of the body,” the father of two boys stated.

“Chiropractic allows for structure and function of the spine and nervous system, allowing your body to work at its full potential and optimal best.”

That means, you digest food better, excrete waste better and breathe better.

“When the body is working at its best it is better able to deal with environmental stressors.”

Then there is the wellness aspect and Dr Reid believes that once your body is at its optimal best, you should have wellness care to keep it there.

There are three components to chiropractic care - the emotional

component, the physical, and the nutritional component.

Dr Mike disclosed that they intend to put their nutritional experience to work by holding workshops and classes on foods and proper food combinations, sometime in the near future.

Current patients and new ones can expect a ‘creating wellness centre’, which will involve coaching people how to supplement their chiropractic care.

Chiropractic care will help get rid of migraines, asthma, stabilise the blood sugar and pressure and banish all manner of illnesses but the patient must be willing to do their part in maximising their health.

“Like eating right, practicing proper posture and exercising regularly.”

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June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Little Miss Guyana

Flag Fest a major hit

By Kayla Higgs

Little Miss. Haiti, winner of the pageant

TCI’s first annual Flag Fest stressed the message of unity when residents from different countries turned out in support of the different flag fest events,

waving their flags side by side.

Flags represented at the events showcased the pride of the Turks and Caicos Island, Jamaica, Bahamas, Guyana, the Philippines, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Techno Sounds and DJ Shakes hosted a kick off party at Club Pillows on Friday night with live Dj entertainment.

On Saturday afternoon cars, trucks, vans and buses were decorated with

flags representing different countries.

The colourful motorcade moved from Marketplace to National Stadium on Venetian Road, blasting some of their favourite cultural music.

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Teenagers enjoying Flag Fest

Following the motorcade was the Little Miss Flag Fest pageant, which featured eight beautiful contestants who did their best in making their countries proud.

The crowd enjoyed the entertainment from the little girls as

13

Flag Fest Motorcade

they waved their flags and danced while to the music from the Dj booth in between each segment of the show.

The crowd stretched from the front of the stage to the main entrance of the Turks and Caicos National

Stadium’s parking lot.

Little Miss Haiti in the person of Jamika Prosper blew the crowd away with her boldness and flawless talent.

Happy with her performance, the judges announced her the winner and Jamika took home with her the title

of the first ever Little Miss Flag Fest.

Little Miss. Jamaica Ranique Robinson, took home second runner up and Little Miss. Philippines Judi Sayo received third place.

The event closed off with an after party at Club Pillows and a final

close out party on Monday at the Shore Club Beach in Long Bay. The general consensus from Flag Fest’s patrons was that it was well put together and that it was very entertaining – something they can hopefully look forward to next year.

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TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

June 9 - 15, 2012

autism awareness

TC Islanders urged to be prepared for Two sides to every story hurricane season

By Nicole Cox, a mother living with autism

TC ISLANDERS are being urged to be prepared for hurricane season, which started early on June 1st, and so far two storms have already developed.

Scientists are predicting a belowaverage season, with possibly 10 named storms, four of which will develop into a hurricane and two possibly into major storms of Category three level or above.

However, TCIG is insisting that “below average” is not a reason for islanders to relax.

While it is unlikely that a hurricane will hit the Turks and Caicos Islander, the past devastation is a clear reminder of the need to be prepared.

The Government of the TCI has the responsibility to make necessary preparations; develop the response and relief capabilities that exist both in the country and through international partnerships and collaboration; and to review and hone our

planned responses.

TCIG’s aim is to mitigate impacts from these storms and alleviate associated displacements and hardship in the most effective and humane manner.

However, TCIG maintains that effective preparations for and effective management of these events rests not only with the Government, but with each islander.

The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies (DDME) will lead and co-ordinate planning and preparations.

Private sector entities to meet the minimum level of preparedness by having in place a business continuity plan and emergency supplies and families are encouraged to have a basic family emergency plan and emergency supplies for up to 72 hours.

Further information can be obtained from the DDME or the District Commissioners Offices throughout the TCI.

Side One: As parents, we drop our children off, leaving them in the hands of a set of individuals, trusting those persons to give our kids the tools to succeed for the rest of their lives!

No pressure, right? Including extracurricular activities, our children can be in the custody of educators up to eight hours a day! Then teachers are expected to go home and make more plans for our children for the upcoming days or weeks and come back the next day COMPLETELY enthused to execute those plans.

However, being the daughter of an educator and now having to participate actively in the education plan for our son, my already deep respect for the teaching profession has taken on a new dimension.

With that new perspective, I see two sides to the parent/teacher relationship that somewhat disturb me: Denial and Mediocrity. Let us start with denial.

Parents, let us get real. We cannot possibly expect our children to receive the best education possible if we are not honest with their teachers about our kids. There are children in both the private and public school systems right now demonstrating very definite developmental, learning or behavioral

issues. A teacher may not be able to pinpoint the names of the deficits, but they can tell easily that the deficits are there. Let us give teachers some credit, they spend a very concentrated time with our kids and therefore can give definite answers to how our children respond to specific stimuli. Now, the problem is that these issues largely go undiagnosed or even acknowledged because parents are in denial. Some of the children have been filtered through, passed from grade to grade based on the fact that somehow they manage to complete the class work assigned to them. However, the unbelievable energy that teachers expend to reach these children academically or manage their behaviors in the classroom subtracts from the energy that SHOULD be spent on implementing new and creative education techniques for the class collectively. Instead, they are playing the roles of special education teacher, school psychologist, behavioral therapist and grade school teacher all day long. Teachers are expected to simply figure out ways to solve the issues that parents see, but do not want to talk about. That is not fair to the teacher, to the child or to the classmates of the child with the deficits. Any educator worth their salt

(Part 1)

would gladly go the extra mile to do independent research on ways to help any child that needs more support, IF the parents would meet them halfway to partner in the effort.

Do we want bandages or cures?

Do we really want to see progress in our children? If so, we have to be willing to talk to our teachers about the issues that they may see in our children. We have to see the school system as our partner in bringing out the best in our children. Be objective enough to admit when the “typical” approaches may not be enough for the needs our kids may possess. We should be anxious to have meetings with teachers to discuss IN DETAIL what difficulties are being displayed and what steps can be taken to overcome them.

Fearing labels on our children we exchange their progress for ambiguity. Dodging social stigma we sell our children’s futures to keep up appearances. This is a cruel injustice to our children and the persons who dedicate themselves to the art of opening children’s minds to the possibilities of what they can become Teachers.

For more on autism visit: http:// iloveaba.blogspot.com and http:// dawnprogram.blogspot.com

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If you have already responded to this ad please do not respond again

Please send your resumes to relax@spatropique.com by June 15th, 2012

June 9 - 15, 2012

15

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Governor to present Queen’s Diamond jubilee medals EMERGENCY services workers across the TCI are to receive a special decoration to mark the Her Majesty the Queen’s 60 years on the throne.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal will be awarded to 250 police officers, firefighters, paramedics and prison staff who have completed a minimum of five years of service within the Commonwealth by 6 February 2012.

The presentations are expected to be made soon.

As respective heads of their organizations, RTCI Police Commissioner Colin Farquhar and Superintendent of Prisons Ian Sargent were presented with their medals

during the Jubilee celebrations in Grand Turk on Monday, while other qualified recipients will receive theirs over the coming weeks.

Governor Todd said, “The Queen has dedicated her life to the service of Britain and the Commonwealth, and the Diamond Jubilee has given us all the opportunity to celebrate the commitment, loyalty and faithfulness with which she has served over the last 60 years. Her Majesty has decided, as part of her Jubilee celebrations, to honour those people in the TCI who, like The Queen, continue to dedicate their lives to public good.

“I hope the medal will serve as a mark of thanks to those who give so

much in the name of the community and public service.

“I extend my congratulations to all recipients here in the TCI and look forward to presenting them in due course.”

Governor Todd also offered his thanks to all those who organized and took part in the Queen’s Birthday Parades on Providenciales and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations on Grand Turk, which included the lighting of a beacon in Grand Turk.

“These were all spectacular events and I would like to congratulate everyone who were both involved in the organizing and those who participated,” he said.

this week

Friday, June 8 to Thursday, June 14 Friday, June 8

 Danny Buoy’s is Provo’s premier live music and sports destination, serving lunch and dinner daily from 11:30am.

It is the perfect place to escape from the heat and hang with friends, all in smoke free airconditioned comfort.

Happy Hour specials from 4-7pm Monday-Saturday

Weekly Community and Farmers’ Market call (649) 247-8911. With regard to the TCI Red Cross’ services or how you can volunteer or donate, contact our Provo office on (649) 941-8056 or email redcrossprovo@tciway.tc OR for Grand Turk call (649) 946-2761 or Email:tciredcross@tciway.tc  If you’re looking for a serene and relaxed way of starting your weekend, bring your yoga mat at Graceway Sports Centre every Saturday at 9am and let David Bowen lead you into the wonderful world of yoga!

Amazing fees for an amazing class! More info at 442-6348”  Mums and Tots Dance Party classes are held every Saturday at Graceway Sports Centre for mothers and their little ones.

Mothers, bring your little ones to dance, jump, twist and shake! Children have fun learning movement basics to fun music and mums get a light exercise while spending quality time. Mums and Tots classes begin at 10am and cost just $10. Dads are welcome!

Call Shara Bowen on 244-1103 for more details.

Sunday, June 10  Get into the weekend mood with the intense and electrifying Tae-Bo class at Graceway Sports Centre from 6pm to 7pm. Free for fitness members, $12 for non-members.

Visit www.gracewaysports.com for more information or call 4426349.

Partygoers turned out in full support for the police fundraiser

Partygoers raise cash for police GRACE Bay was a sea of red, white and blue as the TCI celebrated the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Hundreds gathered for a Royal Party hosted by Island Scoop ice cream store in aid of Crime Stoppers and the RTCI Police.

Revellers were treated to an afternoon of entertainment with the Provo Primary School Steel Band topping the bill.

Other attractions included face and nail painting, quizzes and karaoke, while delicious traditional British dishes such as fish and chips, cucumber sandwiches and scones were also on offer.

Island Scoop's Robin Spruce said, “We wanted to do something to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the party has proved

a huge success. People from all cultures and backgrounds have come out to enjoy themselves and it's been a wonderful event.

“As well as having fun, we wanted the party to have a serious meaning and that's why we decided to donate all the proceeds to the RTCI Police through Crime Stoppers. The police are out there working hard for the whole community and this is a way of showing our appreciation.”

He added his appreciation for those wo helped organise the day, as well as the businesses that offered support.

Spruce said, “A huge thanks goes to everyone who attended and helped raise money for a great cause.”

Among the guests were officers

from the RTCI Police community department based at Saltmills Police Post.

Inspector Nigel Couch said, “On behalf of the RTCI Police I'd like to extend our gratitude to the Royal Party organisers for their generosity.

Crime Stoppers does such great work in conjunction with the Police Service and the donation will certainly be put to good use.

“It is fantastic to see hundreds of people coming together to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and it's wonderful to see so many children from all different cultures having fun and enjoying the occasion.

“Events like these do so much to bring the community together and I congratulate the organisers on a really enjoyable afternoon.”

 Craig Archibold gets the party started at the Regent Palms from 7pm on Friday nights with the sound of classic Caribbean and Motown tunes. Call 946-8666 for details

Saturday, June 9  Monthly market at Graceway Gourmet kicks off from 2:00pm to 6:00pm. Come along, support TCI local artisans and get everything from conch fritters, children’s clothes to baskets, jewelry and plants.

The table fees are donated to a different charity each month! The Weekly Community and Farmers’ Market organized

by TCI Red Cross is on at the organization’s headquarters, opposite Lime on the Leeward Highway in Providenciales, from 10am to 2pm.

Persons will be able to purchase freshly grown produce and locally sourced items.

For more information on the

 13th annual Jadot Cup Golf tournament. Fun starts at 10:00am To register please contact the Provo Golf Club on 946-5991

Wednesday, June 13  Demo night at Royal Flush gaming parlor (old players club) located in Turtle Cove.

Fun starts from 7 to 9 come try out our new poker-pro tables, get all the key info, free practice rounds, drinks and cash games.

Seats are limited and must be reserved. Call 332-5078 Schedule is subject to change.

Thursday, June 14  Demo night at Royal Flush gaming parlor (old players club) located in Turtle Cove.

Fun starts from 7 to 9 come try out our new poker-pro tables, get all the key info, free practice rounds, drinks and cash games.

Seats are limited and must be reserved. Call 332-5078 Schedule is subject to change

Got an event you wish to advertise?

Call us on 946 4664 or email tcweeklynews@gmail.com for a free listing.

Lifestyle...

16 NEWS

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

June 9 - 15, 2012

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

Oral care during pregnancy Vol 2 In this second part of two dealing with oral care during pregnancy I will cover the specific dental problems that can occur as a result of being pregnant and the best way of dealing with them. Do not worry if find that you are experiencing one or more of these problems. However, ensure that you are maintaining a good dental care regime of twice daily brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and daily flossing. Try to visit your dentist at least once during your pregnancy.

Pregnancy Gingivitis (gum disease) The symptoms of pregnancy

Garlic Chicken

Dr Mark Osmond gingivitis are the same as those for general gingivitis- red and inflamed or swollen gums that bleed easily.

However, the causes are different.

Pregnancy gingivitis is due to the increased hormone levels in the body exaggerating the degree to which the gums react to the bacteria in plaque.

It is also thought that the increased levels of hormone may enhance the growth of certain bacteria that cause gingivitis.

It can start as early as the second month and tends to peak around the eighth month.

Whilst it is a common problem and generally not too severe, it is important to maintain good oral hygiene to minimize the effects of pregnancy gingivitis and prevent it escalating into anything more serious. A sensible regime to follow is: brush your teeth twice a day, (when you wake in the morning and

before you go to bed at night) using a fluoride toothpaste and a soft bristled brush paying particular attention to the gum line; floss gently between the teeth once a day and if you wish, use a non-alcohol-based mouth rinse.

It is recommended that you visit your dentist for a check-up during your pregnancy and a professional cleaning can help to treat pregnancy gingivitis.

More aggressive treatments (such as gum surgery) are not recommended until after delivery.

Pregnancy granuloma (pregnancy tumor) This is a growth on the gums that occurs in 2-10% of pregnant women and whilst it sounds scary is actually harmless. The only problems associated with are discomfort and on occasions interference with speech or eating.

A dentist can diagnose a pregnancy granuloma. They are red nodules, typically found near the upper gum line but can be found elsewhere in the mouth and usually develop during the second trimester.

They can bleed easily and can form an ulcer.

It is not known exactly why

pregnancy granulomas occur but poor oral hygiene is definitely a contributing factor and women suffering with them usually exhibit the symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis as well. Other factors are also thought to be hormones, viruses and possibly trauma.

They are generally left untreated and will disappear after the baby is born. The only exception to this may be it impedes speech or eating, in which case a dentist can remove it.

However, even when removed there is a chance that it might grow back.

to brush your teeth immediately after vomiting, this is not advised.

Immediately after vomiting the enamel will have been weakened (by the stomach acids) and brushing will remove that enamel permanently.

The best course of action is to rinse the mouth with water and wait 30 minutes to allow the enamel to reharden.

Tooth Erosion This can be an unfortunate side effect of severe and prolonged morning sickness. Over a period of time the stomach acids that are brought up during vomiting that can erode the enamel of the teeth.

Whilst it might be quite instinctive

Dry Mouth This is a common complaint of pregnant women although not serious. The best was to deal with it is to ensure you drink plenty of water throughout the course of a day.

Sugar-free chewing gum may also be helpful.

If you have any further questions or concerns regarding your oral health during your pregnancy, consult with your obstetrician or your dentist who will be happy to help.

I must give thanks to God for his grace and mercy towards me, and in closing I leave with you, words of wisdom from Maya Angelou,

who said, “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs is good for him.”

health Tip 

Simple to make, just dip and bake!

Garlicky goodness in a breaded chicken dish. Yum! Ingredients: • 2 teaspoons crushed garlic • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Directions 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2. Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

(Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving Calories: 299 | Total Fat: 16.8g | Cholesterol: 73mg)

Herb of Herbs Lets talk about a herb that is often used, and I am sure you would understand why I said often used after I have given you the name of the herb, and I am sure you can find some of this herb growing in your backyard garden?

Some called it 'the herb of herbs' its 'garlic'.

Based on my findings: Garlic is one of the most versatile flavors to ever grace a kitchen. It is also one of mother natures' precious gifts to cooks of all levels of expertise.

Garlic is native to Central Asia, Africa, and Europe. The American garlic, with its white papery skin and strong flavor is one of the most common varieties.

Garlic provides an excellent source of Vitamin C, manganese, and selenium. Garlic is also a good source of other minerals

By Phillip Simmons and vitamins including calcium, copper, phosphorus, iron, folic acid, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B1, B2, B6, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K. Studies have shown that garlic provides protection against artherosclerosis and heart disease.

Studies have also shown that garlic is effective in lowering blood pressure, it is also effective in fighting infections. The allicin in garlic has been proven to be effective against infections such as colds, flu, stomach viruses, and tuberculosis.

June 9 - 15, 2012

Lifestyle...

GARDENING 

NEWS 17

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

How does your garden grow

YOUR DIET

ASK TAMIKA

BY TAMIKA HANDFIELD

Tamika graduated from Florida International University in Miami with a Masters degree in Dietetics & Nutrition. She is a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and licensed to practice medical nutrition therapy in the state of Florida.

Email Tamika via tcweeklynews@gmail.com or tamikahandfield@yahoo.com with your healthy eating questions.

Three great ferns Ferns are seedless vascular plants that produce spores instead of seeds.

Ferns are a very ancient lineage of plants that date back over 400 million years. Today, ferns are used as specimens in atriums, greenhouses, and conservatories and can be found in the smallest apartments to the largest homes. They offer a quiet, graceful beauty by softening landscapes indoors and out.

Although ferns lack the bright colors of flowers, they are tremendously diverse in frond size, shape, division, texture, and color.

Ferns are especially useful in the shady garden and landscape.

Macho fern: Nephrolepis biserrata, and also called Giant sword fern is an excellent landscaping fern and a great addition to any tropical garden Lush symmetrical upright.

The macho fern is appropriately named, due to its sturdy, massive fern fronds. The macho fern can grow to 3 or 4 feet high. Clumps can easily be divided. Also an ideal fern for large baskets or pots.

Macho ferns are one of the easiest ferns to grow, so many novice gardeners are thrilled with how little effort they require. Pick a place to plant your fern. The macho fern prefers a partially shady spot, but will tolerate full sun.

Boston fern: Nephrolepis exaltata is native to tropical regions, but has widely naturalized over the world. Its finely divided pinnae give the plant an attractive, feathery look. It is the most commonly grown indoor fern, both as a popular houseplant, and as an ornamental accent plant for interior landscape design projects.

It is often seen decorating patios and decks. The ferns gained great popularity during the Victorian era, because of their light green color and fast growth rate. Boston fern is

BY DENIS Belanger - NATURE SPLENDOR For all your landscaping, installation or garden maintenance needs, please call or write for a free estimate: 332-3381 or naturesplendor@yahoo.com

widely used today in commercial floral arrangements.

Boston fern is common in tropical hammocks and areas with lots of light and moisture, where the plants may form thick blankets on the forest floor. It can often be seen growing on the trunks of palms.

The vegetative growth has the ability to filter pollutants out of the air and is sometimes planted to help purify and humidify an environment.

Asparagus Fern: Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri' is called fern, but in fact it`s not a true fern, but a member of the lily family (Liliaceae).

Long, arching stems densely covered with short, needle-like leaflets give this plant a delicate appearance. It has a cascading habit that makes it ideal for a hanging basket.

Mature plants will bloom in

summer with small, white-to-pale pink flowers, sometimes followed by clusters of green berries that turn red in the winter. These berries are poisonous if eaten.

When planted in the ground, asparagus ferns can be invasive.

Trim off old stems in the spring to make room for new growth and to keep the plant looking neat.

Keep your asparagus fern where it'll get filtered light. Water regularly, but take care not to overwater. The plant's thick, tuberous roots store water and soggy soil can cause root rot On a softer note, looking at Gardening News; if you care to share your gardening thoughts, insights, triumphs, disappointments or photos with your fellow gardening enthusiast then join the new active discussions gardening forum specially created for the Turks and Caicos gardeners.

Share your comments and thoughts at tcigardening.fullforums.org

The HEAT is on

The heat is on! No, I am not talking about the Miami Heats but the temperature that has been climbing since mid-April. It is evident that we are in for one extremely hot summer. Every year we make certain preparations for summer: stock up on bug repellant, prepare to pay higher than usual water and power bills, get ready for hurricane season and the list goes on.

However, there is one very important everyday task that is extremely important during the summer—staying properly hydrated. Drinking enough water and other fluids should always be a priority but especially so during the hotter months of the year because we can become dehydrated so much faster.

Water is an essential nutrient, yes, it is a nutrient. Water is a nutrient that the body needs more than any other nutrient. In fact, we can survive for weeks, months or even years with a deficiency in other nutrients but can only go a few days if we do not get enough water.

Therefore, it is important that we focus on drinking water. A very common question is ‘how much water should I drink?’ Well, when it comes to your water requirement, there is not a “one size fits all” formula.

The amount of water you need to function every day depends on your diet, activity level & pattern, gender, environmental temperature and humidity. However, the common recommendation of 8 cups of water per day does not hurt.

Even though I have been focusing on water alone, it is possible to stay hydrated by drinking other liquids such as milk, 100% juices and teas.

Let me be quick to add though, these other liquids do not take the place of water and cannot fulfill the many roles water play in the body. For example, water: • Helps keep your muscles and skin toned • Assists in weight loss • Transports oxygen and nutrients to cells • Eliminates toxins and wastes from the body • Regulates body temperature • Maintains blood volume which influences blood pressure Additionally, while other beverages, such as milk, may be a healthy choice, they all add extra calories to our day—calories that many of us just can’t afford. During the summer months, many persons’ beverages of choice are lemonade, iced tea and let’s not forget the beloved soda.

Maybe indulging in one of these drinks will not be so bad but because it is so hot here, we need to constantly reach for a drink to cool off.

Here is the problem. A can of soda has anywhere from 140-220 calories and around 35 grams of sugar. If you drink just three sodas during the day that can easily add up to 500 plus calories and over 100 grams of sugar.

Remember, we have not factored in the other drinks, this is just the sodas. Water on the other hand, is calorie free with no other additives.

Am I saying you are to never have another soft drink? Of course not!

However, you should choose your drinks wisely. Always drink for your health today; you can drink for pleasure another day.

ACCU Medical Nutrition is based in Graceway IGA Plaza, Providenciales.

Call 946 8308, 242 3978 or 442 3978.

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Regional News

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

FNM accused on “handing out bribes” on Election Day MINISTER of State for National Security Keith Bell in the Bahamas this week accused the FNM government of “handing out envelopes of money” on Election Day and using the police force for their own “selfish purposes.”

Mr Bell said on May 7 he witnessed firsthand, men in FNM T-shirts handing out money and giving bribes. He also said the men were being protected by members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“Let me tell you what I heard and saw directly, what I witnessed firsthand during election day.

“On election day the Free National Movement were giving out envelopes of money. The FNM government and I have evidence,” he said.

“On the day of election I would have witnessed persons adorned in

Construction company challenges Florida anti-Cuba law THE US subsidiary of Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht has filed a lawsuit in Florida over anti-Cuban legislation.

The Florida law bans local authorities from hiring companies that do business in Cuba or Syria.

Republican Governor Rick Scott says taxpayers’ money should not be used to support dictatorships.

Odebrecht USA argues the law is unconstitutional as it sets foreign policy.

Its lawsuit says it is up to the federal government to approve laws dealing with foreign affairs.

The Florida legislation was signed last month and is due to come into effect on 1 July.

It has wide support among Republican politicians in Florida, particularly those representing the large CubanAmerican population in Miami.

Odebrecht is a large company with operations in more than 20 countries, including Cuba, where it is working on a major development of the Port of Mariel, near Havana.

But its US subsidiary, based in Florida, says it has never engaged in any business in Cuba.

“We filed suit against the Florida Department of Transportation simply to defend our right to serve the State of Florida and its local governments,” a company statement said.

MINISTER of State for National Security Keith Bell (TNG file photo)

the Free National Movement T-shirts and persons who are associated with the Free National Movement party, operatives of the FNM, giving out envelopes of money.

“But, Madame president, what was disheartening is that the former administration used the Royal Bahamas Police Force to guard these people and I am in possession of reports to that effect. I have asked the Commissioner of Police to carry out an investigation as to how that could happen.

“That ought not to have happened

and I cry shame on the FNM.” Desmond Bannister, FNM Senator, denied the government was handing out cash during the elections and demanded Mr Bell withdraw his comments.

He said: “It is wrong for any member of this place to come here and say that the FNM government was giving out envelopes of money.

“If he saw persons giving out envelopes of money or a person give out money and then he should say who that person was he saw give out money.

“I am a part of the Free National Movement Government.

“I gave out no envelopes of money to anyone on election day or otherwise. So the party did not do it.”

Other allegations of bribery have surfaced in the weeks leading up to and following the general election.

Former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham accused the PLP of “vote buying” by allegedly stuffing money inside T-shirts attempting to buy the Haitian-Bahamian vote.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has accused the former administration of seeking to bribe voters with jobs and contracts.

Although some allegations of bribery have been investigated no one has been charged. (Tribune242. com)

Venezuela bans private gun ownership VENEZUELA has brought a new gun law into effect which bans the commercial sale of firearms and ammunition.

Until now, anyone with a gun permit could buy arms from a private company.

Under the new law, only the army, police and certain groups like security companies will be able to buy arms from the state-owned weapons manufacturer and importer.

The ban is the latest attempt by the government to improve security and cut crime ahead of elections in October Venezuela saw more than 18,000 murders last year and the capital, Caracas, is thought to be one of the most dangerous cities in Latin America.

‘MUST DO MORE’ The government has been running a gun amnesty in the run-up to the introduction of the new law to try to encourage people to give up their illegal arms without fear of consequences.

One member of the public in

Caracas told the BBC: “They’re killing people every day. This law is important but they need to do more, they’re not doing enough now.”

Hugo Chavez’s government says the ultimate aim is to disarm all civilians, but his opponents say the police and government may not have the capacity or the will to enforce the new law.

Criminal violence is set to be a major issue in presidential elections later in the year.

Campaign group The Venezuela Violence Observatory said last year that violence has risen steadily since Mr Chavez took office in 1999.

Several Latin American countries have murder rates far higher than the global average of 6.9 murders per 100,000 people.

According to a recent United Nations report, South America, Central America and the Caribbean have the highest rates of murder by firearms in the world.

It found that over 70% of all homicides in South America are as a results of guns - in Western Europe, the figure was closer to 25%. (BBC)

June 9 - 15, 2012

Caribbean islands agree on plan to reduce premature chronic diseases deaths OFFICIALS from 14 Caribbean islands have agreed on a regional action plan aimed at reducing premature death from chronic diseases as part of a global initiative to reduce deaths by 25 per cent by 2025.

A statement issued by the organisers of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition today said that the conference held in Jamaica late last month agreed on a Caribbean Civil Society Action Plan, 2012-2016 which will be used as a roadmap for Caribbean civil society contribution to the effort to significantly reduce death from chronic diseases in the region.

“The plan calls on civil society to enhance communication, build

capacity, undertake advocacy and apply mobile health initiatives in the Caribbean as its contribution to the achievement of targets as set out in the Political Declaration arising out of the United Nations High Level meeting on chronic diseases, 2011, and subsequently.”

“The reduction in sickness and death from chronic diseases requires the contribution and involvement of all sectors of society working towards the common goal of 25 per cent reduction of premature death from chronic diseases by the year 2025, said Professor Trevor Hassell, Chairman and President of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition. (CMC)

Haiti PM: Six ex-election officials arrested SIX FORMER election officials in Haiti were arrested Tuesday on charges of misappropriating government property, the office of Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said.

Lamothe’s office didn’t release the names of the individuals, but said a chief prosecutor and a judge made the arrests after authorities found the stolen government property. The property that was confiscated included 460 laptops, 160 photovoltaic panels and 207 memory cards, it said.

Haitian President Michel Martelly fired the nine-member electoral council in December through a presidential decree. His office at the time also ordered the ousted officials to return any government property.

Last month, the terms of one-third of the Senate, or 10 seats, expired because legislative elections weren’t held in time to fill the vacancy. The

government is expected to organize legislative elections for the empty Senate seats as well as mayoral posts, but it’s unclear when the vote will be held.

According to precedent, the new election commission still to be named will likely be composed of the president’s allies.

The earlier council, whose members were appointed by former President Rene Preval, oversaw an election that was marred with fraud and irregularities and almost cost Martelly the presidency.

The planned election will prove critical to the Martelly administration as it tries to jump start reconstruction efforts following the 2010 earthquake. Martelly has few supporters in either house of Parliament, and his first year in office was marred with sparring with lawmakers. (Seattletimes/AP)

Guyana’s finance minister calls for regional debt relief GUYANA’S minister of finance has called on the international community to take a special interest in offering debt relief to the Caribbean.

Dr Ashni Singh made this call as he addressed the second meeting of the Caribbean Development Roundtable (CDR) hosted by the government of Guyana under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Dr Singh charged that ECLAC had an important role to play “in helping us to move from the emotional aspect about our vulnerability and

our peculiar challenges, to a more credible case being made to the international community about the circumstances of the small states of the Caribbean.”

The finance minister also encouraged closer regional integration with a view to embracing hemispheric opportunities.

The forum centred on discussions about policies and strategies intended to encourage modern thinking in the search for solutions to current development challenges within the Caribbean and Latin America.

(Caribbean360)

June 9 - 15, 2012

Regional News

Arguments over women important factor in Bahamas’ climbing murder rate ARGUMENTS over women are a significant factor in the country’s steadily-climbing murder rate, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said.

In announcing the launch of Urban Renewal 2.0 at Police Headquarters yesterday, Mr Greenslade told participating officers that conflict resolution is a “huge problem” in communities across the Bahamas.

“Many of the murders that we recorded to date are as a result of arguments. I am ashamed to tell you, arguments over women - females, where young men are feuding over females,” he said.

“Family members are aware of it and they try their best to make the intervention and there’s this pinch-point and men who are best friends argue to the extent that at some point, a gunshot rings out and one falls dead because of jealousy or some jealous rage between two healthy bodied young men who are obviously miscommunicating and are totally confused.”

In addition to killing each other over women, “confused” men also pick fights over illegal drugs, Mr Greenslade said.

“Beyond females, there is silly arguments and strife over illicit drugs,” he said.

However, the Commissioner explained, “a lot” of men murder each other as a result

of arguments over women and police should pay “serious” attention to that.

In offering advice to the police officers set to engage in Urban Renewal 2.0, Mr Greenslade asked officers to intervene before an argument starts and then escalates into violence.

“This is killing us and it’s causing our people to die. We are going to have to make that intervention,” he said.

“We’re going to have get right up in their faces and say: ‘We know, we’ve heard.’ And you may have to talk to a young man and hurt his pride and say: ‘You’re a bigger man than that and I hear you’re feuding over this girl - let it go.’ And maybe take him for a drive and have a man talk.”

Mr Greenslade continued: “As I look at the details around many of these murders, I did not want to believe it, because there’s always the tendency to point to drugs - and, yes, drugs is causing a lot of our problems, but a lot of our problems with our young people stem from these relationships that do not work right.

“And they’re not even marriage relationships,” he said.

“They are just relationships that don’t seem to go right. It’s a huge problem and we are going to have to do a lot of work around it.”

(Tribune242.com)

Expedia reports Dominican Republic is a favourite tourists destination THE Dominican Republic is gaining popularity amongst travellers, says Expedia, a US-based online travel company, in a recently published report.

In the report the company claims that the Dominican Republic has become the second most popular destination for US travellers journeying to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic is also the largest Caribbean destination, and is just a flight away from the US cities of Miami, New York City, Atlanta, in addition to several of the major cities in Europe.

Miriam Hernandez, the head of the Dominic Republic market for Expedia, said, ‘The Dominican Republic has never been more popular for US travellers,

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TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

especially those from the east coast, but surprisingly, room night costs have remained mostly flat, making it one of the best deals for getting to the beach this summer.’

Travellers that book Expedia trips to the Dominican Republic usually do so 52 days in advance, and from five feeder cities in the US, including New York, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Punta Cana is one of the most popular destinations, according to those tourists that were surveyed, with around 50 percent of them making bookings for the resort. Santo Domingo, the capital city, is also popular, with 13 percent of tourists booking the destination through the company website. (travel-news. co.uk)

BVI’s premier announces plans to re-energise tourism THE PREMIER and Minster for Tourism for the British Virgin Islands Dr. D. Orlando Smith, OBE announced plans last Sunday to reenergise and reposition tourism in the Islands together with a renewed focus on the United Kingdom (UK) as a primary market with the appointment of a BVI Tourist Board Manager in the UK. Since taking office in November 2011, Premier Smith’s Government has embarked on a vigorous repositioning strategy to strengthen the British Virgin Islands tourism product. With tourism being the largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product of the Territory, the Premier announced that the focus will be on improving long term air access, growing the Superyacht sector, further developing the destination’s wedding and honeymoon business and strengthening the cruise tourism sector.

Commenting on air access to the Territory, Premier Smith said, “Air access is the number one strategic challenge facing tourism in the British Virgin Islands. To address this issue in the long term, we have taken the decision to extend the runway at the Terrance B. Lettsome International airport to accommodate direct air access from North America.

In addition, we are in consultations with local, regional and international carriers to ensure that visitors have direct access to the Territory for the winter season this year and beyond.

“We also recognise that another challenge we face is that of getting people from Antigua to the BVI, connecting via British Airways and Virgin. Our goal is to reduce the lay over time it takes to get to the BVI by this winter and we are in discussions with LIAT and other carriers who are looking at servicing this route.”

Premier Smith also outlined plans to target growth in the Superyacht sector with a focus on encouraging the development of the required

Premier and Minister of Tourism, Dr. D. Orlando Smith (second from left) and other dignitaries after last Sunday’s speech.

infrastructure and further supporting events such as the Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous.

As part of this focus, just two weeks ago the government declared Gun Creek in the North Sound area of Virgin Gorda an official port of entry, meaning Superyachts and other vessels can proceed directly to cruising grounds around the North Sound rather than having to clear in Spanish Town or Road Town.

As a third initiative to re-energise tourism, Premier Smith revealed a new policy to promote the British Virgin Islands as an attractive location for the weddings and honeymoons market by amending the Territory’s Marriage Act to reduce the residence requirement for marriages from a three day processing period to a one day requirement. This move will further develop the Territory’s destination wedding potential and allow the BVI a competitive advantage in this lucrative global market.

The Premier also took the opportunity to outline the

Government’s initiative to re-vitalise Cruise tourism in the Islands. “We are currently in discussions with two cruise lines, entertaining proposals for the expansion and upgrade of the cruise pier and the development of shore side facilities in the immediate area of the cruise pier, and also at upgrading the territory’s overall cruise experience”, said Premier Smith.

“This will include the upgrade of dedicated beach facilities for the sector with our objective to develop a more year-round cruise tourism sub sector.”

Turning his attention to the Government’s plans to focus on the UK as a primary market, the Premier announced the appointment of Ginny Hawksley to the role of BVI Tourist Board Manager in the UK with effect from 01 June 2012.

Having lived in the BVI for 14 years where she worked with a passion driving international travellers in to the territory, Ginny will be instrumental in driving trade initiatives to put the British back in to the British Virgin Islands. (SKNVibes)

Expedia reports Dominican Republic is a favourite tourists destination THE Dominican Republic is gaining popularity amongst travellers, says Expedia, a US-based online travel company, in a recently published report.

In the report the company claims that the Dominican Republic has become the second most popular destination for US travellers journeying to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Dominican Republic is also the largest Caribbean destination, and is just a flight away from the US cities of

Miami, New York City, Atlanta, in addition to several of the major cities in Europe.

Miriam Hernandez, the head of the Dominic Republic market for Expedia, said, ‘The Dominican Republic has never been more popular for US travellers, especially those from the east coast, but surprisingly, room night costs have remained mostly flat, making it one of the best deals for getting to the beach this summer.’

Travellers that book Expedia trips to the Dominican Republic

usually do so 52 days in advance, and from five feeder cities in the US, including New York, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

Punta Cana is one of the most popular destinations, according to those tourists that were surveyed, with around 50 percent of them making bookings for the resort. Santo Domingo, the capital city, is also popular, with 13 percent of tourists booking the destination through the company website. (travel-news. co.uk)

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TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

June 9 - 15, 2012

Eurozone crisis: Merkel should not be 'singled out' says Cameron DAVID Cameron has said Germany cannot be expected to resolve the eurozone crisis on its own as a "whole series of measures" were needed.

Speaking ahead of a meeting on Thursday with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the prime minister said no one leader could be "singled out" for responsibility.

He was speaking after Spain again rejected suggestions that its troubled banks may need foreign assistance.

The European Commission has also set out plans for a eurozone

"bank union".

In a conversation on Tuesday, Mr Cameron and US President Barack Obama agreed on the need for an "immediate plan" to stabilise the single currency area and to restore market confidence in the ability of countries to support their banks and pay their debts.

Speaking in Oslo, where he is holding talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Cameron said "speed is of the essence" in dealing with the crisis.

"Every day that the European

economies are stagnant are days when opportunities are lost, wealth is lost, jobs can be lost so we need to get our economies moving," he told reporters.

"Clearly the eurozone crisis is the biggest threat to the world economy, it the biggest challenge that we face today. Obviously the Americans are concerned about this but the British economy is six times more exposed to the eurozone than the US economy.

"It is in our interest that we help the eurozone to take the right

decision."

The UK is pressing for a series of solutions including a larger bailout fund, euro bonds and structural reform within the European Union - which could lead to greater fiscal burden-sharing between the poorest and wealthiest countries.

The UK has welcomed plans set out by the European Commission to move towards a common "banking union" across the eurozone as a "positive step in tackling the problem of 'too big to fail' in the banking sector".

David Cameron: "The first priority is to stabilise the financial situation"

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

NEWS 21

22 fun zone

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Islanders celebrate Queen's Diamond Jubilee

TC Islanders enjoyed four days of celebrations as they commemorated the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, an event that featured much fanfare with parades by the Royal TCI Police Force, as well as other activities that involved most every age group.

In the Diamond Jubilee year, the Queen celebrates 60 years as head of the Commonwealth.

Queen Elizabeth II is also recognized as Queen of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada and

Papua New Guinea. Other countries for which she is the Head of State include the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Kick off of the Tug of War game in Grand Turk

Children enjoy game time as they participate in the celebration activities

The RTCIPF made their way into the downtown ball park in Provo for the grand parade

The Commissioner of Royal TCI Police Force accepting the General Salute at the Queen's Birthday Parade in Grand Turk

Provo’s dynamic trio give those in attendance a taste of their creative composition

Enid Capron’s budding musicians made a special appearance at the celebrations in Provo

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

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June 9 - 15, 2012

Prince Philip’s condition improving - Buckingham Palace THE DUKE of Edinburgh’s condition has “improved considerably” but he is likely to stay in hospital for the next few days, Buckingham Palace has said.

Prince Philip, 90, has spent two nights in hospital being treated for a bladder infection, after missing the end of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the duke was in “good spirits”.

The duke was admitted to hospital on Monday, just hours before the Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday, the Queen attended a lunch with Commonwealth leaders, as she continued to mark 60 years of her reign.

Prime Minister David Cameron was among the 70 guests at the lunch, at Malborough House on Pall Mall.

The engagement saw a protest by some members of the UK’s Tamil community, as Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived. They were demonstrating about the country’s record on human rights.

The BBC’s Naomi Grimley says

Police documents allege that James Ayers and Nicole Okrzesik discussed killing Juliana Mensch and argued over what to do with her body online and in text messages

Florida couple allegedly Googled how to kill girl minutes before they strangled her Prince Philip was disappointed to miss Monday’s concert, Buckingham Palace said.

the Queen will spend the rest of the afternoon privately following a busy four days of celebrations.

‘DOING WELL’ The duke, who had treatment for a blocked coronary artery in December, turns 91 on Sunday.

He is being treated at King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

A palace spokesman said: “The treatment of his infection continues with antibiotics.

“He is likely to remain in hospital over the next few days. He is in good spirits.”

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales, who earlier opened a sheep industry show in Scotland, told well-wishers the duke was “doing well”.

Israeli PM orders 300 new homes at West Bank settlement ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the construction of 300 new homes at the Jewish settlement of Beit El in the West Bank.

The announcement came hours after Israel’s parliament rejected a bill to legalise settlement outposts.

Mr Netanyahu, who opposed the bill, said he would honour a Supreme Court order to demolish homes on private Palestinian land at the Ulpana outpost.

The issue has been a source of tension between settlers and the government.

All settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The settler outposts are also illegal under Israeli law and the government agreed to remove them under the 2003 Road Map peace plan.

BUILDINGS TRANSFERRED Last year, the Israeli government committed to remove all or part of six illegal outposts following a Supreme Court ruling.

Five buildings which are home to 30 families at Ulpana, also known as Jabal Artis or Pisgat Yaakov, were built entirely on private Palestinian land, the court found.

Before Wednesday’s vote in

A FLORIDA couple who allegedly strangled a 19-year-old girl while she was asleep Googled how to murder her minutes before her death, according to police records obtained by the New Times.

James Ayers, 32, and Nicole Okrzesik, 23, are accused of plotting ways to kill Juliana Mensch and discussing what to do with her body in text messages and online, the newspaper reports.

Police claim that the pair, who were friends of Mensch, killed her after getting high with her in their Fort Lauderdale home on March 24 so that they could rob her for drug money.

Okrzesik did an Internet search for “chemicals to passout a person,” “making people faint,” “ways to kill people in their sleep,” “how to suffocate someone” and “how to poison someone” the morning of the murder, police records claim.

Authorities said Okrzesik also opened a forum titled “could you kill someone in their sleep and no one would think it was murder” on GoLivewire.com.

Mensch was reportedly asleep on the floor as the couple trolled the Internet for advice. Police said Ayers and Okrzesik killed Mensch minutes later.

Okrzesik posted a photo of her and Ayers enjoying themselves at a bar in South Beach hours after they allegedly murdered the teen, according to the New Times.

The newspaper reported that the police documents also show an incriminating trail of text messages left by the suspects the day after the killing.

Ayers texted Okrzesik to tell her he was calling the cops if she did not come home to help him with the body, according to the records.

“Why the f— would you do that and ruin both our lives when we can just get rid of the sh— and move on,” Okrzesik responded.

Ayers continued to threaten his girlfriend several hours later. “We have a dead body in the house and you want to play?” he allegedly said.

The couple discussed what to do with Mensch’s body on Facebook March 26, according to the police documents.

Spain: No request for bailout, says minister Settlers insist on their right to live on what they say is historically Jewish land.

the Knesset, Mr Netanyahu had warned that he would sack anyone in his government who supported the bill to bypass the court ruling and, in effect, legalise the buildings at Ulpana, because it would have prompted international criticism.

Ahead of the vote, hundreds of settlers marched on the Knesset, insisting on their right to live on what they said was historically Jewish land.

Ulpana is part of the bigger settlement of Beit El, which is built

on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians say it should be part of their future state.

Hours after the legalisation of outposts was rejected, Mr Netanyahu sought to placate settlers and rightwing critics in his own Likud party by ordering the transfer of the buildings at Ulpana to a nearby former army base in another part of Beit El and the construction next to them of 300 new housing units, reports the BBC Wyre Davies in Jerusalem. (BBC)

SPAIN’S economy minister has dampened speculation that the country is about to seek a bailout of its bank sector.

Luis de Guindos said no decision would be made until audits of the banks were completed, possibly by the end of June.

There have been reports in the past few days that Spain was seeking an immediate bailout from eurozone funds.

Mr de Guindos was speaking in Brussels, where plans have been published that aim to ensure that taxpayers do not have to fund future bailouts of banks.

An IMF audit of Spain’s banks is due next week, with further independent reports completed about two weeks after, Mr de Guindos said.

“I have absolutely not discussed any intervention in Spain’s banks today,” Mr de Guindos told reporters on the sidelines of meetings in Brussels.

Asked if Spain was preparing a request for EU aid, he said: “We are not preparing anything... we have a road map.”

The comments helped to lift shares on the Madrid stock exchange, but speculation remains that Spain’s bank sector is too weak to escape an eventual bailout.

On Tuesday, Spain’s finance minister said the credit markets were “effectively shut” to his country, inflaming worries that the country would be forced to join Greece, Portugal and Ireland and seek outside help.

June 9 - 15, 2012

World News

27

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Oregon woman wins Florida woman sentenced to 20 years $900K after contracting in controversial warning shot case herpes from sex partner A DENTAL hygienist in Oregon who contracted genital herpes from the man she was dating sued for pain and suffering — and now he’ll have to cough up $900,000.

The four-day trial wrapped up last week and required Multnomah County jurors to decide who was at fault, whether the man intentionally exposed the woman and what is fair monetary compensation after acquiring a sexually transmitted disease, The Oregonian newspaper reported.

The 49-year-old woman won nearly every penny she was seeking against her 69-year-old suitor, a retired dentist from Portland, although the initial amount wasn’t immediately known.

“He was 69, my client was a very attractive 49. My argument to the jury was he just wanted to sink his hooks into her,” the plaintiff’s attorney, Randall Vogt, told the Los Angeles Times.

The jury found that the man was 75% at fault, while the woman was 25% responsible. The jurors also decided that by exposing her to the STD, the man committed battery and made her suffer greatly, The Oregonian said.

“We all felt he should have told her — he had the responsibility to tell her,” juror Noah Brimhall told the newspaper.

Genital herpes is relatively common, affecting 1 in 6 people between the ages of 14 to 49, according to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention.

The woman, who used a pseudonym to protect her privacy, met her potential paramour on the online dating site eHarmony. He also was not identified. The pair reportedly had sex on their fourth date in May 2010.

During the trial — believed to be the first of its kind in Oregon — the plaintiff testified that she asked him to wear a condom and thought he had put one on. But after having sex, she learned otherwise, and he admitted he had genital herpes, she said.

She reportedly suffered a herpes outbreak 11 days after the sexual encounter, and said she became depressed and even started losing her hair from an anti-viral medication.

Vogt, the plaintiff’s attorney, said that sex partners owe it to one another to be honest about what diseases they may have and not “be governed by the law of the jungle,” according to The Oregonian.

But defense attorney Shawn Lillegren struck back at the woman’s story, claiming it was equally her responsibility to ensure his client was wearing a condom.

“Grow up. Come on. You’re an adult. He’s an adult. They had sex,” Lillegren told The Oregonian.

“The point is she is not some little innocent victim.”

It’s unclear if Lillegren plans to appeal the decision. (NYDailynews. com)

SAYING he had no discretion under state law, a judge sentenced a Jacksonville, Florida, woman to 20 years in prison Friday for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband.

Marissa Alexander unsuccessfully tried to use Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law to derail the prosecution, but a jury in March convicted her of aggravated assault after just 12 minutes of deliberation.

The case, which was prosecuted by the same state attorney who is handling the Trayvon Martin case, has gained the attention of civil rights leaders who say the AfricanAmerican woman was persecuted because of her race.

After the sentencing, Rep. Corrine Brown confronted State Attorney Angela Corey in the hallway, accusing her of being overzealous, according to video from CNN affiliate WJXT. “There is no justification for 20 years,” Brown told Corey during an exchange frequently interrupted by onlookers. “All the community was asking for was mercy and justice,” she said.

Corey said she had offered Alexander a plea bargain that would have resulted in a three-year prison sentence, but Alexander chose to take the case to a jury trial, where a conviction would carry a mandatory sentence under a Florida law known as “10-20-life.”

The law mandates increased penalties for some felonies, including aggravated assault, in which a gun is carried or used.

Corey said the case deserved to be prosecuted because Alexander fired

Marissa Alexander will spend the next 20 years of her life in prison because she allegedly fired a warning shot to scare off her abusive husband.

in the direction of a room where two children were standing.

Alexander said she was attempting to flee her husband, Rico Gray, on August 1, 2010, when she picked up a handgun and fired a shot into a wall.

She said her husband had read cell phone text messages that she had written to her ex-husband, got angry and tried to strangle her.

She said she escaped and ran to the garage, intending to drive away.

But, she said, she forgot her keys, so she picked up her gun and went back into the house. She said her husband threatened to kill her, so she fired one shot.

“I believe when he threatened to kill me, that’s what he was absolutely going to do,” she said.

“That’s what he intended to do. Had I not discharged my weapon at that point, I would not be here.”

Alexander’s attorneys tried to use the state law that allows people to use

potentially deadly force anywhere they feel reasonably threatened with serious harm or death.

But a previous judge in the case rejected the request, saying Alexander’s decision to go back into the house was not consistent with someone in fear for her safety, according to the Florida Times Union newspaper.

A jury convicted Alexander in March and Judge James Daniel denied her request for a new trial in April.

Daniel handed down the sentence Friday after an emotional sentencing hearing during which Alexander’s parents, 11-year-old daughter and pastor spoke on her behalf.

Several people had to be escorted from the courtroom after breaking out singing and chanting about a perceived lack of justice in the case, but Daniel made a point to say that he had no choice under state law.

(CNN)

Russian parliament backs huge protest fines RUSSIA’S upper house of parliament has voted through a controversial bill which sharply increases fines for breaking laws governing protests.

The bill boosts fines for violations from the current maximum 5,000 roubles (£99; $152) to 300,000 for participants and 600,000 for organisers.

The legislation was backed by 132 senators on Wednesday, with one voting against and one abstaining.

It now just has to be signed off on

by President Vladimir Putin.

He has previously signalled his support for the bill, which is backed by the ruling United Russia party.

Critics have accused the ruling pro-Kremlin party of destroying freedoms.

Opposition activists gathered outside Russia’s parliament on Tuesday to protest again the bill.

‘DRACONIAN’ BILL Under the legislation, people could be

fined for taking part in unsanctioned protests, or for violations during sanctioned ones.

The BBC’s Steve Rosenberg in Moscow says it gives local authorities more room to interpret restrictions on where public protests can be held and what form they can take, including the ban on participants covering their faces.

The bill had already passed the lower house of Russia’s parliament, the Duma, on Tuesday, after a long debate in which opposition lawmakers tried to submit nearly 400 amendments.

The government wants it to become law before a planned antigovernment street protest in Moscow next week.

Gennady Gudkov, an MP with the opposition Just Russia party,

described the bill as “draconian”, saying it reflected the Kremlin’s “fear of people”.

“It is the path toward civil war, it is the path towards massive repression and we all know how that ends: in blood, poverty and revolution,” Mr Gudkov said.

Human rights activists have said that the bill violates Russia’s constitution on the right to free assembly.

Mr Putin has recently publicly expressed his support for the bill.

“We must shield our people from radical actions,” the president said.

Russia has seen a number of huge anti-government protests following parliamentary elections in December, which the opposition says were rigged.

The authorities deny allegations of rigging. (BBC)

28

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Science & Technology

Green decline continuing, says UN report WITH forests and fish stocks declining, water demand rising and lack of action on climate change, humanity’s path is anything but sustainable, the UN warns.

The Global Environmental Outlook fifth edition (GEO-5) says that significant progress is being made on only four out of 90 environmental goals.

The UN Environment Programme (Unep) concludes that global treaties with specific targets can be effective.

It urges leaders to agree tough goals at this month’s Rio+20 summit.

Negotiations leading up to the summit appear mired in problems, with governments failing to find agreement since January on issues such as eliminating subsidies on fossil fuels, regulating fishing on the high seas and obliging corporations to measure their environmental footprint.

“GEO-5 reminds world leaders and nations meeting at Rio+20 why a decisive and defining transition to awards a low-carbon, resourceefficient, job-generating ‘green economy’ is urgently needed,” said Achim Steiner, Unep’s executive director.

“If current trends continue, if current patterns of production and consumption of natural resources prevail and cannot be reversed, then governments will preside over unprecedented levels of damage and degradation.”

POLLUTION COSTS The previous edition of the Global Environmental Outlook, published

China’s Great Wall is ‘longer than previously thought’

Climate change threatens to make life worse in areas such as sub-Saharan Africa

in 2007, warned that factors such as rising demand for freshwater were affecting human wellbeing.

For the current edition, researchers assessed progress in 90 important environmental issues.

They concluded that meaningful progress had been made on four making petrol lead-free, tackling ozone layer depletion, increasing access to clean water and boosting research on marine pollution.

A further 40 showed some progress, including the establishment of protected habitat for plants and animals on land and slowing the rate

of deforestation.

Little or no progress was noted for 24, including tackling climate change, while clear deterioration was found in eight, including the parlous state of coral reefs around the world.

For the remainder, there was too little data to draw firm conclusions.

This is despite more than 700 international agreements designed to tackle specific aspects of environmental decline, and agreements on alleviating poverty and malnutrition such as the Millennium Development Goals.

THE GREAT Wall of China has been officially declared even longer than previously thought, state-run media report.

The wall measures 21,196.18km (13,170.6956 miles) long based on the latest state survey results, staterun news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

A preliminary study released in 2009 estimated the wall to be 8,850km long.

The world’s largest man-made structure was built to protect China’s northern border.

This is the first time such a definitive figure has been released, Xinhua reports.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage released the results

based on an archaeological survey done since 2007.

Previous estimates of the wall’s length were mainly based on historical records.

Tong Mingkang, deputy chief, said that the survey revealed a total of 43,721 heritage sites that included stretches of the Great Wall, reports Xinhua.

Known to the Chinese as the “Long Wall of 10,000 Li”, the Great Wall is a series of walls and earthen works begun in 500BC and first linked up under Qin Shi Huang in about 220BC. Only 8.2% of the original wall remains intact, with the rest in poor condition, according to the report.

It was listed as a Unesco world heritage site in 1987.

Anxiety cranks up activities in women’s brain

WOMEN who worry a lot have brains that work overtime even during easy tasks, new research suggests.

The findings could help in the identification and treatment of anxiety disorders, according to the Michigan State University scientists who conducted the study.

“This may help predict the development of anxiety issues later in life for girls,” said Jason Moser, a Michigan State psychologist and the lead author of the study. “It’s one more piece of the puzzle for us to figure out why women in general have more anxiety disorders.”

Women are twice as likely than men to have anxiety disorders. To find out why, Moser and his colleagues used an electrode cap to measure electrical activity in the brain as 79 female college students and 70 male college students completed an easy task. The volunteers were asked to identify the middle letter in a series of letters. In easy versions, all of the

Worry may ramp up activity in the brain, causing burnout.

(CREDIT: Dmitriy Shironosov, Shutterstock)

letters were the same (“FFFFF”), and in more difficult versions, the middle letter was different (“EEFEE”).

The volunteers also filled out questionnaires about how much they

worried.

The data revealed that anxious women had more electrical activity in their brains during the tasks compared with their chill counterparts; anxious men didn’t show any excess activity. Even so, on the easy versions of the experiment, worried men and women performed about the same. But as the test got more difficult, these worried women did worse, suggesting that worry got in the way of doing the task well, Moser said in a statement. In men, self-reported worry wasn’t linked to busier brains.

“Anxious girls’ brains have to work harder to perform tasks because they have distracting thoughts and worries,” Moser said. “As a result their brains are being kind of burned out by thinking so much, which might set them up for difficulties in school.

We already know that anxious kids — and especially anxious girls — have a harder time in some academic subjects such as math.”

Venus (top left) seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory moving on to the face of the Sun.

Venus transit offers opportunity to study planet's atmosphere PLANET Venus has put on a show for skywatchers by moving across the face of the Sun as viewed from Earth.

The transit was a very rare astronomical event that would not be seen again for another 105 years.

Observers in north and central America, and the northern-most parts of South America saw the event start just before local sunset.

The far northwest of America, the

Arctic, the western Pacific, and east Asia witnessed the entire passage.

While the UK and the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and eastern Africa waited for local sunrise to try to see the closing stages of the transit.

Venus appeared as a small black dot moving slowly but surely across the solar disc. The traverse lasted more than six and a half hours.

(BBC)

June 9 - 15, 2012

29

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Science & Technology

Exercise ‘no help for depression’, research suggests

Rat takes a step while spinal cord is stimulated

Paralysed rats ‘learn to walk’ PARALYSED rats have been able to walk again after their spinal cords were bathed in chemicals and zapped with electricity, scientists have shown.

An injury to the spinal cord stops the brain controlling the body.

The study, in the journal Science, showed injured rats could even learn to sprint with spinal stimulation.

Experts said it was an “exceptional study” and that restoring function after paralysis “can no longer be dismissed as a pipedream”.

In 2011, a man from Oregon in the US was able to stand up again while his spinal cord was stimulated with electricity. Rob Summers had been paralysed from the chest down after being hit by a car.

Now researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) say they have restored far more movement in rats which became able to run and climb stairs.

‘REAWAKENING’ The spinal cord of the rats was cut in two places. It meant messages could not travel from the brain to the legs, but the spinal cord was still in one

piece.

The researchers then tried to repair the damage. In an advance from the Rob Summers study, the spinal cord was first injected with chemicals to stimulate the nerves in the spine. The base of the spinal cord was then electrically stimulated as well. The scientists say they were reawakening the “spinal brain”.

However, this was not sufficient to restore movement. The rats were supported in a robotic harness and were shown a treat which they needed to “learn” to walk towards.

The lead researcher, Prof Gregoire Courtine, said: “Over time the animal regains the capacity to perform one, two steps, then a long run and eventually we gain the capacity to sprint over ground, climb stairs and even pass obstacles.”

He told the BBC: “It is completely unexpected to see this recovery, they walk and climb stairs voluntarily.”

The scientists showed that new nerves were forming across the injury and there were also changes in the brain.

This is not, however, a cure for spinal cord injuries in people. (BBC)

COMBINING exercise with conventional treatments for depression does not improve recovery, research suggests.

In the NHS-funded study published in the British Medical Journal - some patients were given help to boost their activity levels in addition to receiving therapy or antidepressants.

After a year all 361 patients had fewer signs of depression, but there was no difference between the two groups.

Current guidelines suggest sufferers do up to three exercise sessions a week.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) drew up that advice in 2004.

At the time it said that on the basis of the research available, increased physical activity could help those with mild depression.

“This is a huge disappointment because we were hoping exercise would help lift depression. But we need to bear in mind that these were patients already on medication, so it considers exercise on top of medical care. It did not look at mild depression nor did it consider exercise as an alternative to medication.

“The message mustn’t be to stop exercising. Exercise has so many other benefits - it is good in terms of heart disease, lowers blood pressure, has a beneficial effect on the balance of fats in the blood, strengthens muscles, and burns up calories. A lot of people who have depression may have other problems too. And an active body helps to produce a healthy mind,” said Prof Alan Maryon-Davis, professor of public

Exercise does not help depression according to new research.

health, King’s College London.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS The latest study, carried out by teams from the Universities of Bristol and Exeter, looked at how that might actually work in a real clinical setting.

All 361 people taking part were given conventional treatments appropriate to their level of depression.

But for eight months some in a randomly allocated group were also given advice on up to 13 separate occasions on how to increase their level of activity.

It was up to individual patients what activity they chose to increase and by how much.

This approach produced good

results in terms of encouraging people to do more over a sustained period of time - something which could have benefits to their general physical health.

But at the end of a year, researchers found no additional reduction in the symptoms of depression in the more active group.

Prof John Campbell, from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, which also took part in the study, said: “Many patients suffering from depression would prefer not to have to take traditional antidepressant medication, preferring instead to consider alternative nondrug based forms of therapy.

“Exercise and activity appeared to offer promise as one such treatment, but this carefully designed research study has shown that exercise does not appear to be effective in treating depression.”

But he added that GPs were often faced with patients with a number of health problems for whom encouraging an active lifestyle might be of overall benefit.

“The message of this study of course is not that exercise isn’t good for you, exercise is very good for you, but it’s not good for treating people with what was actually quite severe depression.

“That buzz we all get from moderate intensity of exercise is certainly acknowleged but it’s not sustained and it’s not appropriate for treating people with depression.”

At present, the NHS can refer patients for a course of supervised exercise sessions as part of treatment for a number of illnesses, including depression.

Health risks of cannabis ‘underestimated’, experts warn EXPERTS are warning that the public dangerously underestimates the health risks linked to smoking cannabis.

The British Lung Foundation carried out a survey of 1,000 adults and found a third wrongly believed cannabis did not harm health.

And 88% incorrectly thought tobacco cigarettes were more harmful than cannabis ones - when the risk of lung cancer is actually 20 times higher.

The BLF said the lack of awareness was “alarming”.

WIDELY USED Latest figures show that 30% of 1659 year-olds in England and Wales have used cannabis in their lifetimes.

A new report from the BLF says

there are established scientific links between smoking cannabis and tuberculosis, acute bronchitis and lung cancer.

Part of the reason for this, say the experts, is that people smoking cannabis take deeper puffs and hold them for longer than when smoking tobacco cigarettes.

This means that someone smoking a cannabis cigarette inhales four times as much tar as from a tobacco cigarette, and five times as much carbon monoxide, the BLF says.

Its survey found that young people are particularly unaware of the risks.

Some studies have also suggested cannabis increases the chances of developing mental health problems such as schizophrenia.

Almost 40% of the under-35s

surveyed - the age group most likely to have smoked it - thought cannabis was not harmful.

However, smoking one cannabis cigarette increases the chances of developing lung cancer by as much as an entire packet of 20 tobacco cigarettes, the BLF warned.

Its chief executive, Dame Helena Shovelton, said: “It is alarming that, while new research continues to reveal the multiple health consequences of smoking cannabis, there is still a dangerous lack of public awareness of quite how harmful this drug can be.

“This is not a niche problem cannabis is one of the most widelyused recreational drugs in the UK, with almost a third of the population having tried it.

Young people are least aware of the risks.

“We therefore need a serious public health campaign - of the kind that has helped raise awareness of the dangers of eating fatty foods or smoking tobacco - to finally dispel the myth that smoking cannabis is somehow a safe pastime.”

The BLF’s report says there should be a public education programme to raise awareness of the impact of smoking cannabis and

increased investment in research into the health consequences of its use.

Peter Reynolds, leader of Clear, which used to be known as the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, suggested the BLF had been highlyselective in its use of research.

He added: “It is clear that this report was written not as a scientific document but as campaigning propaganda.

30

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Salary commensurate with experience. Send resumes to P.O. Box 452

6735

Mr. KEITH BURANT of MERIDIAN TRUST COMPANY LIMITED, P.O. BOX 599, MERIDIAN HOUSE, CARIBBEAN PLACE, LEEWARD HIGHWAY, PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS has been appointed as Official Liquidator of LOGWOOD HOTEL DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED, Registered Number 8883, P.O. BOX 127, RICHMOND HOUSE, LEEWARD HIGHWAY, PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS (the “Company”) with the following powers: (a) to bring or defend any action, suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings, whether civil or criminal, in the name and on behalf of the Company; (b) to carry on the business of the Company so far as may be necessary for the beneficial winding up thereof; (c) to sell the real and personal property, effects and choses in action of the company by public auction or private contract, with power to transfer the whole thereof to any person or Company, or to sell the same in parcels; (d) to do all acts and to execute, in the name and on behalf of that Company, all deeds, receipts and other documents; and for that purpose to use, when necessary, the Company’s seal; (e) to prove, rank, claim and draw a dividend in the matter of the bankruptcy or insolvency of any contributory, and to take and receive dividends in respect of such balance, in the matter of bankruptcy or insolvency, as a separate debt due from such bankrupt or insolvent, and rateably with other separate creditors; (f) to draw, accept, make and endorse any bill of exchange or promissory note in the name and on behalf of the Company, and from time to time raise upon the security of the assets of the Company and requisite sum or sums of money; and the drawing, accepting, making or endorsing of every such bill of exchange or promissory note as aforesaid on behalf of the Company shall have the same effect as if such bill or note had been drawn, accepted, made or endorsed by or on behalf of the Company in the course of the carrying on of business thereof; (g) to take out in his official name letters of administration to any deceased contributory, and to do in his official name any other act necessary for obtaining payment of any moneys due from an contributory or from his estate which cannot be conveniently done in the name of the Company; and in such case any moneys due shall, for the purpose of enabling him to take such letters or recover such moneys, be deemed to be due to the Official Liquidator himself; (h) to do and execute all such other things as may be necessary for winding up the affairs of the Company and distributing its assets; and (i) to appoint an attorney to assist him with the performance of his duties.

Dated this 23rd day of May, 2012 KEITH BURANT, Official Liquidator Meridian House, Caribbean Place, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

6720

June 9 - 15, 2012

32 CLASSIFIEDS

Engineering Design Services (EDS) Ltd. Is seeking the following position:

Site Supervisor

Worker

To work 5 days per week and sometime during weekends non-fixed and variable working hours salary $6.00 per hour babysitting and house cleaning involved fax resumes to

ASSISTANT SLOT PARLOUR MANAGER • Must have a minimum 3 years slot parlour or casino experience • Bartending experience preferred • Knowledge of MS Office and QuickBooks • Ability to work 9pm-5am shift weekends and holidays • Salary $7.00 per hour • BARMAID/ BARTENDERS • Minimum 2 years experience tending a bar • Ability to work 9pm-5am shift weekends and holidays • Salary $5.50 per hour

The Wine Cellar/ Discount Liquors

Domestic Worker

Is looking for a

Sales Clerk To work 6 days per week salary $5.00 per hour contact: 242-0288 6718

Is looking for a

Job Opportunties

6700

Jelly Bean at 649-941-8388

BAKERS

• Must be able to obtain sanitation certificate • Must have at least five (5) years experience in the preparation of Jamaican pastries to include all bread products

PASTRY CHEF

• Successful applicant must have at least 5 years experience in culinary arts • Must be familiar with the production of Jamaican Pastries especially wedding and birthday cakes and decoration using airbrush technology • Caribbean Cuisine Cooks • Must be able to obtain sanitation certificate • Must be able to cook without supervision Jamaican and other Caribbean Cuisine PLEASE APPLY IN WRITING WITH FULL RESUME TO:

The CEO Chinson Restaurant Group P.O. Box 293. Eden Courts, Leeward Highway Providenciales Applications should be in no later than June 15th, 2012

in Grace Bay is looking for a

Saucier

is looking for a bi-lingual

• Must be able to work weekends, nights and holidays 6 days per week • Must be able to clean the kitchen after service • Must have at least 8 years experience • Must have good knowledge of general restaurant cooking • Expert in sautéed seafood, shellfish, meat and poultry • Good knowledge of butchery • Good knowledge of sauces, broths and dressings • Expert also in grilling and rotisserie • Must be able to understand and speak English • Must be physically fit, dependable and hardworking • Salary is paid based on experience and quality of work All resumes CV’s letters of reference along with a clean police record must be delivered at Caicos Café, Grace Bay or email: caicoscafe@tciway.tc

6708

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

Contact: 242-5032

Accountant

Farmer

@@ Educational requirements - Bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Contact: 941-7120

@@ Business experience requirements - applicants should have a minimum of 15 years in a broad range of financial management roles at a senior level.

6721

To work on a farm 4 days per week salary $5.00 per hour.

Is looking for a

Technician To work 6 days per week salary $7.00 per hour.

Contact: 941-4667

6728

6713

CAFÉ MANGOS BAR BLUE HILLS

CAICOS CAFÉ LTD.

@@ Location - Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

THE TUSCANY RESORT

6716

CHINSON RESTAURANT GROUP

@@ Applications are invited for the position of Accountant

Must be willing to work six days per week. Must be trustworthy and reliable.

Salary: $5.00 per hour.

Hours are 8:00am-4:00pm

Email: discountfinance@ tciway.tc or fax: 649-946-4871

6698

ALVERIA B. DUNCOMBE

is seeking to hire

Is looking for a

Domestic

6704

Please email CV to eds@tciway.tc or call 649-941-3324 between the hours 8:30am until 5pm. Or submit to The Labour Officer, Providenciales.

Turks Islanders only need apply Email resumes to glmelite@hotmail.com

Adrianna Handfield

CHINSON RESTAURANT GROUP invites applications from suitable qualified persons to immediately fill the following positions:

Site supervisor to oversee civil/structural aspect of construction on developments throughout Caribbean including Haiti. 2 to 4 years experience in the production of structural general arrangement drawings primarily in the building structures field using AutoCAD, computer literate, experience in producing both general arrangement and reinforced concrete details to seismic standards in building structures is essential.

The candidate must be a team player with the ability to work alone and meet deadlines. Ideally the successful candidate should have a diploma in Civil/Structural Engineering or equivalent.

Salary - Commensurate based on qualification and experience.

FIVE CAYS ELECTRONICS

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

@@ Professional requirements – Certified Public Account or UK Chartered Accountant qualified (or equivalent) with a minimum of 4 years post qualification experience in auditing

@@ Experience in the following areas would be a significant advantage: financial and management accounting, business acquisitions and disposals, corporate restructurings, regulatory reporting, strategic financial and business planning, ability to interpret complex legal documentation. @@ Salary Range $50,000 to $75,000 per annum based on experience.

Belongers only need apply.

Please submit applications to: British Caribbean Bank Limited Phone: 649-941-5028 info@bcbtci.com P.O. Box 270 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

6712

June 9 - 15, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS 33

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

ACA/ACCA/CA

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Opportunities exist for three fully qualified accountants who possess a minimum of four years professional experience gained within a “Big Four” public accounting firm. General audit experience is essential as well as knowledge of International Financial Reporting Standards. Salaries range from US$40,000.00 to US$75,000.00 per annum.

If you wish to be considered for these opportunities please apply in confidence by sending details of your experience and qualifications to either: KPMG or P.O. Box 357 The Village at Grace Bay Providenciales Turks & Caicos Islands

PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LTD. is seeking an energetic, ambitious and hardworking accountancy graduate to pursue a training program with the firm. The training program is rigorous and intellectually challenging and the candidate MUST show 100% commitment. Applicants will be expected to have the appropriate credits to take the American CPA Exam.

The Labour Commissioner Labour Office Butterfield Square Providenciales Turks & Caicos Islands

Or fax your particulars to 946-4619

6735

Apply to: joseph.p.connolly@tc.pwc.com or fax: 649-946-4892 no later than June 9th, 2012 Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands

GILLEY’S ENTERPRISES

SHARMEA STUBBS

Group Controller

Labourer

is looking for a

Is looking for a

Responsibilities: • Day to day administration of all functions associated with finance and accounting • Preparation of monthly financial statements • Management of daily working capital requirements • Preparation of annual budgets • Setting up accounting systems for new businesses • Financial analysis, preparation of year end working papers • Implementation and monitoring of internal controls • Inventory monitoring and controls

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

Contact: 242-8407

M & S DELI

6738

WALLEYE CORP LTD.

Is looking for a

– CABANA BAR AT OCEAN CLUB Is looking for a qualified, experienced applicants for the position of:

KITCHEN HELPER

Requirements: • Completion of a recognized accounting designation with minimum 3-5 years post qualification experience • Bachelor of Business, Accounting, Finance or Commerce • Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) qualifications preferred • Computer skills proficiency, knowledge of point of sales and knowledge of counter point • Salary: Depending on experience

Cashier

Please forward resume to:

Discount Liquors/ The Wine Cellar Fax: 649-946-4871 or email: discountfinance@tciway.tc NO PHONE CALLS

6719

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION TITLE 60904/128 LEEWARD GOING THOUGH, PROVIDENCIALES A 0.62 ACRE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOT IN A QUIET SECTION OF LEEWARD LOCATED JUST OFF PRINCE OF WALES ROAD ON SEAGULL ALLEY WITH APPROXIMATELY 100 FT. OF ROAD FRONTAGE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF PELICAN BEACH. POWER AND WATER SUPPLY AVAILABLE TO LOT LINE. PROPERTY OF ANTONIA ZENDBIA KEMP THE AUCTION WILL BE HELD AT THE LAW OFFICES OF TWA, MARCELIN, WOLF, CHANCERY COURT, 1276 LEEWARD HIGHWAY, PROVIDENCIALES AT 10:00 A.M. ON FRIDAY JUNE 22, 2012.

FOR FURTHER PARTICULARS PLEASE CONTACT TWA, MARCELIN, WOLF AT: tmw@tmwlaw.tc reference “Auction” or call 649-946-4261 6715

To work 6 days per week salary $6.00 per hour. contact: 343-3324 6710

The successful applicant must possess the following skills and experience: • Kitchen experience necessary • Food safe certificate or equivalent • Must be willing to work holidays and weekends on a flexible schedule • Ability to speak English is essential • Preference will be given to experience and qualified Belonger

Please contact: 441-3466 for an appointment or interview Wages commensurate with experience

6722

REGISTERED LAND ORDINANCE, CAP 72

NOTICE OF LOST LAND CERTIFICATE TITLE NUMBER

SECTION

ISLAND

51205/36 51212/1

BOTTLE CREEK BOTTLE CREEK

NORTH CAICOS NORTH CAICOS

Whereas, LIGHTON JOLLY of Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, has declared that the Land Certificate for the above mentioned title number(s) registered in his/her/ their name was inadvertently mislaid and cannot be found.

Take notice that I, Andrew Gale, Registrar of Land, shall issue a new land certificate for the said title six (6) weeks of the date of the first publication of this Notice in a local newspaper and the Gazette.

6723

34 CLASSIFIEDS

LIMA LIMA 65

Professional Services Agency

is looking for an

Is looking to fill the following positions:

Labourer is looking for a

2 Labourers – salary $6.00 per hour

Electrician

Must be able to work unsupervised. Duties include looking after a large dog. Salary: $200.00 per week.

2 Masons Helper – salary $8.00 per hour

Must be willing to work 6 days per week Contact: 231-6364

6729

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

6736

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY! and enjoy the Widest circulation in tci

is looking for a

Diamond Development Ltd is looking for a

Labourer For yard maintenance.

3 and half hours per day Monday to Friday.

Salary: $6.00 per hour.

Cosmetologist To work 6 days per week salary $250.00 per week

Contact: 232-7827

contact: 243-6197

6699

Contact 232-7827

contact: 243-5723

6730

VACANCY Administration and Finance Officer – Grand Turk

Part time 20 hours a week - $10/hour The Red Cross is looking for a part time experienced Administration and Finance Officer who will be responsible for ensuring the fluent financial and administration management of the Grand Turk sub branch in relation to the overall TCI Red Cross, as well as providing basic admin support to the GT office and it’s programmes.

You will need proven experience in word, excel, as well as other basic software. Seven plus years of finance experience and three plus years in basic administration or the relevant education. Experience in the Red Cross or another humanitarian organization would be an asset.

The successful candidate will also be sensitive to diversity, able to work cross-culturally and adhere to the Red Cross principles throughout daily responsibilities, as well as provide support and work in Disaster Response.

For the full job description and an application form, please contact our Provo office 941 8056 redcrossprovo@tciway.tc or our Grand Turk office 946 2761 tciredcross@ tciway.tc Deadline for applications is 22nd June 2012. Belongers only need apply.

NEALS CABINETRY & SUBCONTRACTING is looking for a

Painter 6731

KPW CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

ANNY GARCIA BEAUTY SALON & BOUTIQUE

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

• Must be able to verify skills • Must be able to hang and finish drywall • Must be willing to do some laborer tasks as needed Salary $7.00 per hour

Contact: 231-1928

6739

NEEDED FOR DIVE OPERATION

Experienced PADI Dive Instructor & PADI Divemaster

Must have valid insurance & certification Must have a good personality to work around people Must have mechanical maintenance experience Flexible hours a must- Holidays & Sundays Required Please contact Donna at Caicos Adventures: 941-3346 for interview All applications must be submitted by June 15th, 2012 Salary starts at $350.00 per week

6741

CHEF POSITIONS NOW AVAILABLE BNC Consulting Group is currently seeking qualified individuals to fill the following openings with its resort clients.

CHEF | CHEF DE PARTIE | SOUS CHEF Candidates must possess a minimum of 2 years’ experience, and be hardworking, dependable individuals with a passion for hospitality. A strong work ethic and excellent culinary knowledge are required. A culinary degree or relevant training is vital. Fine dining experience within a five-star resort environment is essential.

The ideal candidates will be team players who work exceptionally well in a fast-paced environment. Responsibilities may include, but not be limited to: • • • • • • • • •

Assisting in the creation and planning of menus and specials Preparing, seasoning and cooking salads, soups, fish, meats, vegetables and other foods Participating in the preparation, cooking and baking of menu items Properly displaying and presenting food as designated by the Executive Chef Properly receiving, storing and rotating food products in compliance with HACCP standards Maintaining the cleanliness and organization of all kitchen and food and beverage areas Monitoring and controlling the maintenance and sanitation of kitchen equipment Physical ability to lift, carry, move, push or pull heavy items up to 100 lbs Working in confined spaces with extreme temperatures (hot or cold)

Submit resume to Bridgette Thomas at bthomas@bnccgroup.com for immediate consideration or call 332-2565 for additional information. Candidates must possess relevant skills and experience for consideration. A clean police record and stable work history is required.

Closing Date: Open until filled

ONLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED 6733

June 9 - 15, 2012

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

REGISTERED LAND ORDINANCE, CAP 72

CLASSIFIEDS 35

NOTICE LOST LAND CERTIFICATE

VACANCIES

TITLE NUMBER SECTION ISLAND 10104/40 NORTH WEST SUBURBS GRAND TURK

- Permanent

Whereas, HENRY VYVYAN-ROBSINSON of 5, Rue des Paquis, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland, has declared that the Land Certificate for the above mentioned title number(s) registered in his/her/their name was inadvertently mislaid and cannot be found.

FINANCE ASSISTANT

Reporting to the Finance Manager, you will be an integral part of the Finance team ensuring all work is performed in line with Digicel policies and procedures.

Duties will include: • Preparation of monthly management accounts within tight deadlines • Balance sheet reconciliations • Preparation and presentation of detailed financial analysis supporting commercial strategy • Budgeting, Financial planning and Financial analysis • Assisting in accounts payable and accounts receivable • Stock reconciliations • Review of daily sales • Assisting Finance Manager in ad hoc duties

Take notice that I, Alun Rees, Registrar of Lands, shall issue a new land certificate for the said title within six weeks of the date of the first publication of this Notice in a local newspaper and the Gazette.

Dated this 2nd day of May, A.D. 2012 6740

NOTICE AmSouth Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“in Voluntary Liquidation”) Registered No. E31340

NOTICE is hereby given, pursuant to Section 133 of the Companies Ordinance 1981, that, pursuant to a written resolution of the shareholders of AmSouth Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“the Company”) on 15th day of March 2012 it was RESOLVED that the Company be wound-up voluntarily and that Gary Brough of KPMG Restructuring Ltd. be appointed Liquidator for the purposes of such winding up.

NOTICE is hereby given that creditors of the Company, which was located at The Village at Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, are required, on or before 27 July 2012, to send their names and addresses with particulars of their debts and claims, to the liquidator of the Company at the following address:

Gary Brough KPMG Restructuring Ltd. KPMG Building The Village at Grace Bay Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands (F) 649 946 4619 and, if so required by notice in writing by the said liquidator are, by their Attorney’s or personally, to come in and prove their said debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved.

Academic Qualifications & Functional Skills • Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting • Pursuing a professional qualification e.g. ACCA/CPA • Experience in a dynamic fast-paced multinational environment desirable • Experience in auditing, reporting, balance sheet analysis and budgeting/ financial planning • Excellent communication skills • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite with particular emphasis on Excel is essential • Working knowledge of Microsoft Great Plains would be desirable but not essential • Flexible and adaptable to an ever changing set of responsibilities, constrained by tight deadlines Only Belongers need apply – Salary Based on Experience

Interested applicants should forward their resume to hrtci@digicelgroup.com

FINANCE ASSISTANT – 6 month contract

Reporting to the Finance Manager, you will be an integral part of the Finance team ensuring all work is performed in line with Digicel policies and procedures. Duties will include: • Accounts payable and liaising with creditors • Accounts receivable and liaising with customers • Assisting in the month end process • Perform bank reconciliations • Assisting Finance Manager in ad hoc duties Academic Qualifications & Functional Skills • Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting • Pursuing a professional qualification e.g. ACCA/CPA • Experience in a dynamic fast-paced multinational environment desirable • Excellent communication skills • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite with particular emphasis on Excel is essential • Working knowledge of Microsoft Great Plains would be desirable but not essential • Flexible and adaptable to an ever changing set of responsibilities, constrained by tight deadlines

Dated the 29nd Day of May 2012

Only Belongers need apply – Salary Based on Experience

Gary Brough, Liquidator, Range Insurance Company, Ltd.

Interested applicants should forward their resume to hrtci@digicelgroup.com

36

Entertainment

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

June 9 - 15, 2012

Sheryl Crow: Brain tumor is a ‘bump in the road’ SINGER-songwriter Sheryl Crow says she has a brain tumor, something she described to CNN on Tuesday as a “bump in the road.”

“Please don’t worry about my ‘brain tumor,’ it’s a noncancerous growth. I know some folks can have problems with this kind of thing, but I want to assure everyone I’m OK,” she wrote on her Facebook page.

Crow, a breast cancer survivor, spoke to CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon, about the diagnosis.

She told him the tumor was discovered months ago. Crow doesn’t need surgery but will have periodic scans to monitor the growth, she told Gupta.

According to the singer’s representative, Crow was diagnosed with meningioma, a common type of brain tumor. Elizabeth Taylor had one; so did Mary Tyler Moore, said Gupta.

Between 6,500 and 10,000

Sheryl Crow is not too worried about her brain tumor.

people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a meningioma each year.

Approximately 85% of those are non-cancerous, according to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Meningiomas represent about one-third of all primary brain tumors

and are most frequently found in middle-aged women, the American Brain Tumor Association’s website states. Although they’re known as brain tumors, they actually don’t grow in the brain. Meninges are the thin layers of tissue that protect the brain and the spinal cord under the skull.

Symptoms often include headaches that worsen over time, hearing loss, changes in vision and memory loss. Crow says she went to her doctor after forgetting the lyrics to her hit song “Soak Up the Sun” while performing.

Depending on their size, some people will have their tumors removed right away. Some, like Crow, take the wait-and-see approach, while others might never need an operation or treatment.

“Really appreciate everyone’s love and concern, I feel so blessed to have the support of all my fans, but I’m good -- really!” wrote Crow.

(CNN)

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth are engaged, a representative for Hemsworth said Wednesday.

Miley Cyrus engaged to ‘Hunger Games’ star

MILEY Cyrus is engaged to her off-and-on boyfriend of three years, “The Hunger Games” star Liam Hemsworth, a representative for Hemsworth told CNN on Wednesday.

“I’m so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam,” the 19-year-old Cyrus told People magazine.

The two met when they co-starred in “The Last Song” in 2009. The broke up the following year, then reunited less than a year later.

Hemsworth, 22, proposed on May 31 with a 3.5-carat diamond, according to People.

The couple sparked engagement rumors in March after Cyrus was seen flashing a noticeable diamond ring on her finger at an Arizona event, but representatives for both denied it.

In February, Hemsworth told Details magazine he was smitten with Cyrus.

“What happened, happened,” he said. “She makes me really happy.

When you start (filming), you want to be professional, but when you’re filming those scenes with someone and pretending to love them, you’re not human if you don’t feel something.”

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy split in April 2010 after more than five years of dating.

Jenny McCarthy: Jim Carrey turned his back on my autistic son

JENNY McCarthy doesn’t joke around when it comes to her autistic son.

But the former Playboy model and current host of new dating series “Love in the Wild” recently revealed that her ex, actor Jim Carrey, isn’t quite as serious about her young son Evan, 10.

“I’ve tried to ask (Jim) numerous times (to see Evan), because my son still asks,” McCarthy told Howard Stern on his radio show Monday, adding that Evan told her he missed Carrey “almost weekly.”

“I haven’t (reached out directly),” she said of trying to get ahold of her ex. “I think that sometimes people need to take a real break from each other.

“But I still love him. I think you can love people from a distance and respect him. But as a mother, you just hope when you have a relationship with someone, it has nothing to do with the child when you break up.”

Hunger Games star Hutcherson holds aloft his best male performance award.

The Hunger Games wins four MTV movie awards BOX OFFICE hit The Hunger Games beat the competition at this year’s MTV movie awards, winning four of the eight prizes for which it was in contention.

Its stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were both recognised, with additional gongs coming for best fight and “best onscreen transformation”.

Bridesmaids, the penultimate Twilight instalment and the final Harry Potter film won two awards apiece.

Russell Brand hosted the ceremony, held at Universal City in Los Angeles.

The event saw actor Johnny Depp

receive the MTV Generation Award, the show’s version of a lifetime achievement trophy.

“It’s like the ‘get out of the business award’ because you’ve done too much,” joked the Pirates of the Caribbean star, going on to perform with rock duo The Black Keys.

Other prizes went to former Friends star Jennifer Aniston, whose role as a predatory dentist in Horrible Bosses saw her named “best onscreen dirtbag”.

Shailene Woodley, meanwhile, received the breakthrough performance award for her work opposite George Clooney in The Descendants.

“I mean, how does a guy who’s obviously quicksanded, how does he, consider any of it a victory?” Charlie Sheen said.

Charlie Sheen to Rolling Stone: ‘I was in total denial’ CHARLIE Sheen looks back on his rocky past while plotting the next phase of his career in the new issue of Rolling Stone, on newsstands Friday.

The actor, who walked away from the massively popular CBS sitcom “Two and a Half Men” last year after a bizarre public meltdown -- complete with its own set of memorable catchphrases, from “Winning!” to “Tiger Blood” -- will soon star in the new FX show “Anger Management.”

On his post-”Two and a Half Men” antics: “Clearly, a guy gets fired, his relationships are in the toilet, he’s off on some f****** tour, there’s nothing ‘winning’ about

any of that. I mean, how does a guy who’s obviously quicksanded, how does he consider any of it a victory?

I was in total denial.”

On being off the wagon and making no bones about it: “I mean, the s*** works. Sorry, but it works.

Anyway, I don’t see what’s wrong with a few drinks. What’s your drink? Tequila? Mine’s vodka.

Straight, because I’ve always said that ice is for injuries, ha ha.”

On his foot fetish: “I’ve not dated girls because of their feet, just the length of certain toes and the shape of where things should be and they’re not. Hammertoes are bad.

And the second toe being too long?

That’s bad, too.”

June 9 - 15, 2012

Entertainment

37

TURKS AND CAICOS WEEKLY NEWS

Fitness trainer gains and loses 70 pounds in one year—on purpose

Paris Jackson opens up to Oprah Winfrey in an interview airing on OWN Sunday.

Paris Jackson says dad’s death “never gets easier’ MICHAEL Jackson’s daughter, Paris, talks about her late father in an interview with Oprah Winfrey airing Sunday.

Paris Jackson, 14, will be featured on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” the channel said Tuesday. She and Winfrey discuss how the teenager is faring three years after the 2009 death of her pop star father.

“It never gets easier,” Paris says in a promotional spot aired by OWN, which also shows Winfrey asking if

Michael Jackson wanted her to have “a quote `normal’ life.”

Paris and her brothers, Prince and Blanket, were closely sheltered during Jackson’s life but have been in the public eye since, appearing onstage at Grammy Awards and on other TV shows.

“Oprah’s Next Chapter,” which also will include an interview with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, will air at 9 p.m. EDT Sunday on OWN. (Nydailynews.com/AP)

WHEN Drew Manning stepped out from behind the cardboard cutout of his former fat self on Monday, the audience of “Good Morning America” was appropriately shocked.

The fitness trainer’s journey had come to an end after successfully losing more than 70 pounds -six months after he purposely gained the same amount. “Like it never happened,” host George Stephanopoulos said.

“Kind of,” Manning said. Both Manning and his wife, Lynn, can attest that a lot actually has changed in the past year. While Manning’s body may have returned to its six-pack heydays, his mind, in many ways, has not.

Always a fitness junkie, staying in shape comes naturally for Manning.

He’s that guy at the gym the rest of us love to hate, the one who likes to use his biceps for pumping iron instead of changing channels, and who prefers sucking down a spinach shake to indulging in a brownie sundae.

Because of that, Manning was a “judgmental” trainer, his wife says.

“He would look at someone who was overweight and say, ‘They must really be lazy.’

“I was convinced people used genetics or similar excuses as a crutch,” Manning writes in his new book, “Fit2Fat2Fit.” “You either

Fitness trainer Drew Manning gained 70 pounds in six months, then lost it all before a year was up.

wanted to be healthy or you didn’t.”

That point of view wasn’t helping Manning help his clients. When he failed yet again to push someone over to the light side, he knew something was wrong. In order to better understand the struggles his clients were facing, he had to face them himself.

He gave up the gym and started consuming junk food, fast food and soda. In just six months, he went from 193 pounds with a 34-inch waist to 265 pounds with a 48-inch waist.

Lynn saw the difference in her husband in less time than that. He

became lethargic, stopped helping around the house and was less than eager to play with their 2-year-old daughter.

“He was so insecure -- saying ‘I’m so fat. I look so horrible,’ constantly complaining about how he looks,” she said.

Manning says he didn’t realize the effects of his weight gain would be more than physical. It altered his relationships and his self-confidence.

Returning to the gym after the Fit2Fat portion of his journey made him nervous. The fact that he had to do push-ups on his knees was almost humiliating.

Legendary horror writer Barker sued by ex-bf for HIV infection Miss USA pageant co-owner Donald Trump Legendary horror maven Clive Barker -- who’s responsible for the “Candyman” and “Hellraiser” franchises -- gave his ex-boyfriend HIV ... and then kicked him out on the street ... this according to claims in a new lawsuit.

Emilian David Armstrong says in the suit ... he met Barker in early 1996, and they quickly moved in together. Armstrong had a daughter from a previous heterosexual relationship. She also moved in.

Armstrong says in November, 1996, he was diagnosed with HIV. The suit claims Barker had tested positive and had urged Armstrong to get tested. Armstrong is convinced -- Barker gave him HIV. Armstrong says Barker confessed he had previously engaged in a sexual relationship with his own cousin, who had AIDS -- and also engaged in sadomasochism in prior relationships that involved syringes.

As for why Armstrong waited 16 years to file a lawsuit -- Armstrong says he and Barker tried to work out their relationship and battle the virus together ... but things started to go south in 2003.

According to the lawsuit, that’s when Barker became addicted to prescription painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet, Demerol, and Oxycodone. Armstrong claims

threatens to sue after Miss Pennsylvania resigns

Clive Barker has been an exceptional writer.

Barker would mix these drugs with alcohol, cocaine, and/or crystal meth and use them for recreation.

But Armstrong says he still didn’t give up on the relationship -- and tried to help Barker through his drug problems ... but they only got worse.

Armstrong says Barker started throwing drug-fueled parties with young men ranging in age from 19 to early 20’s.

The suit claims in 2009, Barker kicked Armstrong out of his house -- along with Armstrong’s daughter -- and left them destitute.

Armstrong claims he was a partner in Barker’s business ventures and is entitled to a cut of the profits. He also says he was promised support for life. (TMZ)

MISS PENNSYLVANIA will likely not be getting the Miss Congeniality award.

Sheena Monnin resigned from the Miss USA pageant Monday, one day after it aired on television, charging that the beauty competition is fixed and calling it “trashy” and “fraudulent.”

Miss USA organizers say the dark-haired beauty tossed in her crown because she opposed the organization’s decision to allow transgender contestants.

“I have decided to resign my position as Miss Pennsylvania USA 2012,” she wrote on Facebook on Monday. “Effective immediately I have voluntarily, completely, and utterly removed myself from the Miss Universe Organisation.”

“I can no longer be affiliated in any way with an organization I consider to be fraudulent, lacking in morals, inconsistent, and in many ways trashy,” she wrote.

The statement has been removed from Monnin’s profile, but not before it made noise around the world.

A spokeswoman for the Miss Universe Organization said in an email to the Daily News that Monnin resigned after sending the group an

Sheena Monnin resigned her Miss Pennsylvania crown.

email protesting its new policy on transgender entrants.

The organization sent the Daily News what it claims is an email from Monnin stating she “refuses to be part of a pageant system that has so far and so completely removed itself from its foundational principles as to allow and support natural born males to compete in it.”

“She has changed her story by publicly making false accusations claiming that the pageant was fixed,” the spokeswoman said. “However,

the contestant she privately sourced as her reference has vehemently refuted her most recent claim. We are disappointed that she would attempt to steal the spotlight from Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island on her welldeserved Miss USA win.”

The organization altered its policy this year after a campaign to allow Miss Universe Canada hopeful Jenna Talackova to compete.

On Wednesday, the organisation’s co-owner, Donald Trump, said he planned to sue Monnin over her remarks.

“She said some really strong things. When she’s using the word ‘fraud,’ that’s pretty strong, so we’re going to be suing her on that basis,” he said in an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, and dismissed her claims as merely “loser’s remorse.”

Monnin also alleged on her Facebook page that she “witnessed another contestant who said she saw the list of the Top 5 before the show ever started.”

Monnin claims she knew the show was rigged when the top five was announced in the same order she had seen it before the show.

That post has also since been deleted.

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Bolt: ‘I can break 100m world record’ JAMAICAN sprint star Usain Bolt has told CNN he can set a new 100 metre world record at the London

2012 Olympic Games -- and could run as fast as 9.4 seconds.

Bolt took the 100m gold medal at

World record holder Usain Bolt feels that the can run the 100M in under 9.4 seconds.

Beijing 2008 in a world-record time of 9.69s, before bettering that mark one year later with a stunning 9.58 at the World Championships in Berlin.

The 25-year-old, who is also the record-holding world and Olympic champion over 200m, is confident he can become the first man to smash the 9.4 barrier in the British capital in August.

“After my trials leading up to the Olympics, then it depends on where my fitness is,” he said. “If everything goes well, I can determine, how fast I think I can go.

“Everybody has been talking about this 9.4 all season. If it’s possible, I’ll be the one to run 9.4 seconds.”

Bolt was talking to CNN Olympic contributor Linford Christie, a 100m gold medalist at the Barcelona Games in 1992, after recording 9.76 in Rome on Thursday -- the fastest time this year.

The Kingston native’s electric performances and exuberant personality have made him a global celebrity, with his “lightning bolt” pose now recognized all over the world.

“I think it was God sent,” said Bolt when asked about the iconic stance.

“But it was slightly originated from an archery pose.

L.A. Kings lose to Devils, must wait for first Stanley Cup THE LOS Angeles Kings will have to wait until at least Saturday to see whether the Cinderella skates fit.

The Kings lost to the New Jersey Devils 3 to 1 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday, in a game that could have clinched L.A’s improbable run to its first ever Stanley Cup Championship.

The Kings lead the series 3 to 1 and game 5 with be played Saturday in New Jersey.

If the Kings win Saturday, the series would end in New Jersey to the chagrin of some.

“I want them to win the Cup in six games so we can see them win here in Staples Center,” said Joey Giffee, as he held his ticket for the sixth game in Los Angeles.

A record crowd of 18,867 fans were at a fever pitch Wednesday night, but the Devils hushed the crowd with three third period goals.

“I wanted to see blood and guts and L.A. take them down,”said Ann Marie Love, standing outside the arena.

For most of the game, the Devils and the Kings remained in a tight scoreless battle.

New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur and Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick seemingly put

“I just copied it and made it my own and it worked. It’s catchy and I’m like the Michael Jordan of track and field really!”

Bolt’s charisma on the starting blocks sets him apart from previous generations of sprinters, who would take a far more serious approach to race preparations.

He revealed how an encounter with U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin, who served a four-year doping ban between 2006 and 2010, influenced his approach to racing.

“For me it never happened until Justin Gatlin,” he said. “I ran once with him in Zagreb, he did something which was really funny to me.

“We were walking back and forward and he actually spat across my lane. And when he did it, I knew he was trying to intimidate me and I found it really funny.

“Today it doesn’t really bother me. I just go there, enjoy myself and relax. It’s just one of those things where over the years the game has changed.”

Bolt suffered a setback at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, when a false start in the 100m final allowed his compatriot Yohan Blake to claim the gold medal.

In London, Bolt will once again face competition from Blake as well as longtime rival Tyson Gay of the United States -- the 100m world champion in 2007.

Despite fierce competition, Bolt insists he will be focused on his own race if he reaches the London 2012 final on August 5.

“I can’t really say who’s going to

be my main rival but for me the main thing is the seven guys in the lanes beside me,” he said.

“You never know what can happen on the day so I’m really focused and I’m not really worried about one thing or one person.”

Christie believes Bolt can be challenged at the forthcoming Games, but his rivals with have to be confident if they are to capture his crown.

“There’s always a challenge,” the Briton told CNN. “It’s whether they believe enough to challenge him.

Does a challenge mean beating him?

That’s tough.”

When asked about the biggest threats to Bolt’s dominance, Christie highlighted the American duo of Gay and Gatlin as the men most likely to mount a serious challenge.

“We don’t know what Justin Gatlin is capable of, Tyson Gay hasn’t competed yet. We also need to wait until after the Jamaican trials.”

Christie said the impact Bolt has had on athletics is similar to that of American legend Michael Johnson, a world and Olympic champion over 200m and 400m, while also comparing him to other sporting icons.

“Not meaning it in a horrible way, but he’s one of the freaks in our sport. Michael Johnson came along and everybody thought ‘wow.’

“Muhammad Ali was a freak in his sport, now we’ve got Bolt. Every so many years, someone like that comes along. Pele, Maradona, it’s one of those things.” (BBC)

EURO 2012:

France’s coach expects a physical England team

The Los Angeles Kings have a shot at their first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 44-year history.

up walls in front of their nets in a defensive struggle.

From the start, the Los Angeles Kings seemed doomed to be underdogs.

They are a hockey team in a land without snow or even ice. They couldn’t even find a puck for their first practice in 1967.

Not even the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, could bring the team a Stanley Cup. And to marginalise them further, the Kings had to compete for fans against other local teams, some legendary: the Lakers,

the Dodgers, the Angels and the Clippers.

But the Kings are positioned to win their first Stanley Cup in the franchise’s 44-year history.

The Kings have been having a Cinderella run, entering the playoffs as the lowest seed in their conference. But they have been nearly unbeatable, with a 15-3 playoff record.

In his 39th season as the announcer for Kings games, Hockey Hall of Famer Bob Miller said the anticipation was unbearable. (CNN)

FRANCE coach Laurent Blanc expects a physical challenge when his side come up against England on Monday. England go into the match without Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Gary Cahill and Gareth Barry but Blanc believes Roy Hodgson’s men will be tough opposition.

Blanc said: “They are not at full strength but what concerns me is that England will play in a certain style. “We are going to have to be extremely strong physically. That is going to be a difficult match.”

England’s preparations for the tournament have been hampered by suspension and injury, while Blanc’s France are unbeaten in their last 22 matches. But Blanc - who had a spell as a player in England with Manchester United - expects the rivalry between the two nations to give England an edge. “England will give

everything because, when there are French against English, it raises the game above the normal international match,” he said.

“But we don’t fear them more than other teams.” Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema have been in sparkling form in France’s warm-up games, but Blanc admits that he has some reservations over his team’s defence. He said: “Fundamentally we always knew that we had a quality attack. “In the last three games Ribery has rediscovered his club form at this level.

“With Karim Benzema, who has carried on his excellent form for Real Madrid, that makes two hugely talented players.”

In qualifying we relied on a good defence, I hope that we can rediscover this level of performance in defence.”

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McLaren feels that Hamilton will stay despite issues

Kevin Durant led the Thunders to their first Western Conference title with 34 points and 14 rebounds.

Thunders march into NBA finals

AFTER years of nagging Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks not to take him out of games, Kevin Durant finally got his wish.

And now, he’s one big step closer to making his basketball dreams come true.

Durant had 34 points and 14 rebounds while playing all of regulation for the first time all season, and the Thunder claimed a spot in the NBA finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 on Wednesday night.

Russell Westbrook added 25 points for the Thunder, who trailed Game 6 of the Western Conference finals by 18 in the first half and erased a 15-point halftime deficit

before pulling ahead to stay in the fourth.

“It’s an amazing moment for him to play like this in this moment, in this setting, and I wasn’t going to take him out,” Brooks said.

“I was not going to take him out. I don’t care how many times he looked at me fatigued. He has enough, and I think all of our guys have enough to play. You just have to fight through it.”

Durant grabbed the final rebound, dribbled the ball across halfcourt and raised his right fist to celebrate with a sold-out crowd wearing free white T-shirts. The franchise will play for the NBA title for the first time since 1996, before relocating from Seattle.

MCLAREN believe their stuttering form will not affect whether Lewis Hamilton decides to stay with them next year. Hamilton is out of contract this season and has said the team are “falling behind race by race”. But McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale does not believe the last three races are key to Hamilton’s future.

He added: “We’ve said we would like Lewis to continue racing for us.

He has said he would like to continue racing for us.”

Hamilton has qualified fastest for four of the six races so far this season but has yet to win a grand prix. Heading into this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, he is lying third in the championship, 13 points behind the leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Hamilton, who won the world title with McLaren in 2008, is weighing up his future and is also of interest to Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

But Neale said Hamilton would not look at “the last three races in terms of where he’s going to be comfortable in the future”. “We have plenty of time; we don’t need to make that decision until much later in the year,” he said. “You have to

Lewis Hamilton will be free of a contract by next season.

look at the performance of the team in the long-term relative to other teams. Against that we stand fairly well placed.”

This season has been the first since 2008 that McLaren have started with a fully competitive car, but a series of operational errors have affected their results.

Pit-stop problems affected Hamilton and team-mate Jenson Button in China and Bahrain, and Hamilton was then demoted from pole to the back of the grid at the

Spanish Grand Prix because the team had to stop him on the track as there was insufficient fuel in the car for him to get back to the pits and provide a sample.

Monaco was arguably their least competitive race of the season - Hamilton qualified fourth and finished fifth. Neale said: “I am not going to walk away from the fact that we have to work hard and continue to eliminate those mistakes as well as finding upgrades in performance.

(BBC)

Gayle returns to West Indies squad for England one-day series

Andy Murray feels that better fitness would improve his game.

Murray says he needs to get fitter before Wimbledon ANDY Murray says he needs to work on his fitness levels before Wimbledon after finding it hard to keep up with David Ferrer on Wednesday.

The world number four was beaten 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-2 by the Spaniard in the French Open quarterfinals. His attention now turns to grass and the events at Queen’s and Wimbledon.

“I need to get some good physical work in between now and Wimbledon. I need to make sure I am in slightly better shape,” said Murray. “I think that is going to be important for me. I was a little bit out of breath after some of the longer rallies today.”

Murray, 25, announced in April that he would play at Queen’s Club for another five years, until 2016.

His participation in this year’s event, which starts on Monday, has been in question because of an ongoing back problem that caused problems in his early-round victories at Roland Garros.

“I haven’t even discussed the possibilities [of not playing] with any of the guys who I work with so the plan is to play Queens as it always has been,” he insisted. “It’s my preparation for Wimbledon and it’s worked well for me but I will sit down with the guys and discuss what I am going to do over the next two weeks before the tournament starts.”

Chris Gayle will play international cricket for the first time in 14 months after being recalled by West Indies for the one-day series against England. The 32-year-old former captain has been out of the team following a dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board.

Dwayne Bravo returns as vicecaptain, while all-rounder Kieron Pollard and spinner Sunil Narine are also included in the 15-man squad.

The three-match series begins at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl on 16 June.

Gayle, the fourth highest-scoring West Indies batsman in ODI cricket with 8,087 runs at an average of 39.06 from 228 matches, has not played for his country since the World Cup quarter-final defeat by Pakistan in March 2011.

The cavalier left-hander, who was involved in contract disputes with the WICB in 2009, when much of the team took strike action, was left out of the team for a series with Pakistan soon after the 2011 World Cup defeat and was highly critical of the WICB and coach Ottis Gibson in a radio interview. During his absence he played in Twenty20 tournaments across the world and was the leading scorer in this year’s Indian Premier League with 733 runs, including a fine 128 from 62 balls.

Clyde Butts, chairman of the

Chris Gayle would play for the West Indies after a 14-month hiatus.

selection panel, said: “Chris is a player of proven quality and we are looking forward to him adding this dimension to the side and his contributions as a senior member of the squad.”

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the number one-ranked batsman in Test cricket, has been overlooked along with openers Adrian Barath and Kieron Powell, who struggled in the first two Tests. Narine, a 24-year-old off-spinner from Trinidad who has taken 14 wickets in eight ODIs, was the second leading wicket-taker in the IPL with 24 victims at 13.50 apiece.

He also boasted the second lowest economy rate in the competition.

Butts added: “There is a balanced

combination of young rising players like Sunil Narine in the bowling department and Johnson Charles in the top order of the batting - in addition to the well known seasoned internationals.” West Indies lost the first two Tests - and the series against England, with the final match at Edgbaston starting on Thursday.

West Indies one-day squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wicketkeeper), Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith.

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JAGS McCartney Relays “should never die” – Says CGA President Rita Gardiner PRESIDENT of the Commonwealth Games Association (CGA) Rita Gardiner is imploring all of TCI to not let the JAGS McCartney Relays lose support after a successful hosting of the event two Saturdays ago.

She said that all persons involved will work hard to make it an annual event.

Many persons who participated in this year’s relays, including TCI’s Golden Boy Delano Williams see it as a very competitive athletic event

that brings about national unity and camaraderie.

“This is one event that Turks and Caicos Islanders should never let die. This is just one way we can commemorate and keep JAG’s legacy alive. He was a great sportsman,” Gardiner pointed out.

McCartney was the island territory’s first Chief Minister and a sports advocate.

The Organisers of the JAGS McCartney Relays said that the relays would not have been

The JAGS McCartney Relays showed the determination, team-work and skills of the TCI athletes. Many of these youngsters will be the future stars of this island chain. (Photo from Grandturkevents.com)

successful without the contributions of individuals and companies.

Among those the names that made the event a success were: The Commonwealth Games Association

Men’s Beach Soccer League:

AFC National continue to impress THE Men’s Beach Soccer League reached the half-way stage with the AFC National producing another impressive performance, this time a 12-6 win against the Northern Star. Evens Jeans led the way with six goals. He was ably supported

by Luis Turbyfield (3), Fred Dorvil (2) and Michael Laird. Despite a revival in the third period, Northern Star struggled to keep pace with the young team. A Chris Bryant hat-trick and goals from Jon Flanagan, Ian Hurdles and Richard

Lock gave last year’s winners some respectability, but they were beaten on the day.

FIRST WIN The other clash was a close affair as the AFC Academy recorded their first win in a dramatic penalty shootout. The final score was 8-8 and extra time could not separate the two teams. The shootout was equally dramatic as both teams scored five goals apiece before Terry Lubin scored from the spot and Yves

Mondely saw his shot sail over the crossbar to give the Academy the win. Herby Magny put in another strong performance to score five goals. Lubin (2) and Anell Super added the others for the Academy with Jean Guerrier (4) Baptiste Valmyn (2) and Mondely scoring for Conch Shack.

AFC National look certain to ensure they will play off for the overall championship, but with the remaining teams close on points there is still a lot to play for.

The Under-14 Boys Sailrock League individual winners

- for their Financial Support, Turks and Caicos Amateur Athletic Association – for their Technical Support, LIME - for providing the Telephone Line, Turks & Caicos Utilities – for providing the power, Radio Turks and Caicos – Advertising the Event, Derek Been – Grand Turk Events, Unique Creation. Other Sponsors included: Wally’s Restaurant, Building Materials, Sidney Garland, Nathan Smith and Betty Pena.

Organising Committee: Edith Skippings – President of the TCAAA, Rita Gardiner – President

of the CGA, Rosalie Ingham – Secretary General of the TCAAA, Cheryl Forman – Secretary General of the CGA, Thelma Van Alstine – PRO of the TCAAA, Charlene Higgs – Treasurer of the TCAAA, Brenda Lightbourne – Asst. Secretary of the TCAAA Winston Quelch – Member of the TCAAA, Edwin Astwood – Member of the CGA, the clubs, the athletes, the PE teachers, Rex Swann – Member, Sports Commission, Nick Dickinson, Trent Dickinson, Ronald Parker and Andy Clarke and the spectators.

Captain Marvin’s Women’s Beach Soccer League:

Mermaids end regular season undefeated THE PINK Mermaids ended the 2012 Captain Marvin’s Women’s Beach Soccer League undefeated after a closing win against the Purple Pirates. On the final weekend of the league stage the Mermaids recorded an 8-6 win with Kadine Delphin scoring five times for the winners.

Yarileny De La Cruz (2) and Griet Vanbrabant got the others. Tina Hinds scored a hat-trick for the Pirates and Yarielca De La Cruz, Jacinda Alfrena and Janice Fernandez added the other goals. The game was evenly matched throughout and ended in a 5-5 stalemate. The period of extra-time was a tense affair as the Pirates took the lead through Hinds, however the Mermaids showed their resolve as they fought back with Yarileny and

Delphin combining well to score three goals in quick succession.

FINAL The Mermaids will now go into the final against the Blue Marlins full of confidence, since the latter was defeated 7-4 by the Great White Sharks. The Sharks had lost all their previous games, but put in a strong all-round team performance to secure a well earned win. Sarah Cenary (2), Jenny Fluerenvil and Marie Dorcellus scored for the Marlins, but goals from Simone Smith (3), Jessica Lange, Guerline Hall and Shinaydine Pluviose gave the Sharks a taste of victory before they play in next week’s playoff for third place.

Captain Marvin’s Women’s Beach Soccer League table

Lucus de Boer was voted as the most improved player of the league.

Gabriel Diotte-Joly out classed his opponents to win the man-of-theseries award in the U-14 league.

Team P W L O GF GA GD PTS

1 2 1 4

Pink Mermaids Blue Marlins Purple Pirates Great White Sharks

6 6 6 6

6 3 2 1

0 2 4 5

0 1 1 0

49 47 40 25

26 38 53 44

+23 +9 -13 -19

18 10 7 0

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TCI youth athletes inspire Williams DELANO Williams might be running at the UK trials this month for a place on the home team for the 2012 Olympic Games, but his heart is still in TCI. At the JAGS McCartney Relays recently in Grand Turk, he said he was inspired to see the quality of young athletes that this island chain is currently producing. He was also impressed with their levels of commitment.

“Seeing the little children taking part in the relays means a lot. It shows the Turks and Caicos Islands as a whole, has a lot of potential.”

At the relay event his local

track club, the Pistons of Grand Turk, edged out the Panthers of Providenciales for the top prize.

The championship award was not as important to the internationally recognised athlete as local support.

“I was so happy running in my hometown with family and friends watching me and cheering me on.”

MENTALLY PREPARED Williams has had a good athletic year and has won numerous accolades, including medals and improved timings in his Olympic count-down.

For the London trials, which will take place from June 22-24, he is

Delano Williams will look to transfer his regional success onto the international stage when he competes in this month’s UK Olympic trials.

trying to fine-tune his preparations for the 200M race.

“I’m ready for the trails. At the moment I am just trying to get the

final steps in and prepare myself mentally for it.”

The double national record holder (10.34s in the 100M and

20.53s in the 200M) is currently in school, Munro College in Jamaica, where he is also doing some physical work.

HAB Group/Gansevoort Resort T20 Cricket

Beaches advance to final four BEACHES have booked the last spot of the final four in the HAB Group/Gansevoort Resort T20 Cricket competition currently being played at the Downtown Ball Park in Providenciales.

The Guyana Jaguars, Police and Quality Supermarket Kings have already advanced to the semi-finals.

Beaches needed to win one of their final two games of the preliminary round (the first against Jam Turk and the second this Sunday against the Jaguars); they won their first with ease.

After Jam Turk batted themselves to 168-6 in their allotted 20 overs, Beaches then passed the target in 18.2 overs with four wickets to spare.

Dane Richie belted five fours and a six in his score of 39 for the Jam Turk side. Support came from Glen Campbell (29 4X4s) and Douglas Brown (28 5X4s), but runs did not come fast enough to post a defendable total. Ancell Williams led the bowling attack with 2-30.

At the crease it was an aggressive

Man-of-the-match Anthony McKnight led the attack with 44 runs

Jam Turk’s Douglas Brown scored 28 runs while Dane Ritchie (right) led the attack with 39 and took two wickets, but it was not enough to stop Beaches from winning the important clash.

knock of 44 (6X4s, 2X6s) from Anthony McKnight that pushed the winners over the line. Osmand Sicard

Hall captured 3-28 from 3.2 overs and Dane Ritchie took 2-23 runs from four overs.

22 and Yohan Grant 21 assisted with the bat.

Bowling for Jam Turk, Delano

After this Sunday’s clash the competition moves into the semifinal stage.

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