News
Beach Party protest concerning, evidence leaked that Developer told to remove blockades, Mike on beach with petition
#TurksandCaicos, January 6, 2018 – Providenciales – There is concern being expressed about the call for a beach party protest on Taylor Bay Beach in retaliation to a resident of the area trying to throw locals off the beach.
At least three political leaders have called for discretion after a former premier has summoned those against the idea that Taylor Bay Beach is private to come out to a beach party today, January 6, which will be complete – according to the invite – with DJ music by a popular local jock.
In a media release overnight, Premier Sharlene Robinson weighed in on the matter. There had been repeated calls for the country’s leader to speak out and on Friday night she did with a statement which outlined the land transactions and transitions of Taylor Bay Beach over the years, referenced the Planning Department’s recent denial of the property owners to legally erect a gate to prevent public access and addressed the planned party protest set for today.
“Once again, as already communicated by Hon Ralph Higgs, Minister with responsibility, we remind all persons seeking to enjoy Taylor Bay or any other beach, to do so in a dignified and respectful fashion and in a manner befitting our slogan, ‘beautiful by nature’. Turks and Caicos Beaches are known as being the Best in the World, bar none, let’s keep it that way.”
A message issued a day following the confrontation on January 1 involving beach goers and a known and vociferous resident who claims anyone on the beach is trespassing.
Hours before the Premier’s statement, documents exposing an application which was denied by the Planning Department by the owner was leaked. The document revealed that there was a request to erect a six foot chain link fence and six foot gate and that there was a denial of that request on six grounds as outlined by the Physical Planning Board.
The reasons cited by the Board were that the land is a public easement to the public Taylor Bay Beach; that the 11 foot wide easement has been used for 28 years as the public access to Taylor Bay Beach and is the only public access; that the applicant was after the fact requesting the permission because already erected was a six foot gate on the parcel of land in question; that the permission for the gate to be constructed after it was already put up on the land is a disrespect to the order of how things should be done and that any other development at the site would attract enforcement procedures and that if the development – ie the gate and fence – were to be approved, it would set a wrong precedent for future developments.
The applicant was also asked by the Board to remove the gate and the rubble blocking access. The denial and order to correct the situation at Taylor Bay Beach was addressed by Planning since May 2017, yet the property owner persisted in blocking access without legal repercussions as promised by the Board.
Also leaked, an email where the property owners were told to allow the beach party protest to go on unhindered by them. In response to a query, the property owners, numbering 19 people – were advised to gather evidence of the beach party by getting photographs and to capture the reveling, the noise, the parking and trash left behind.
It was said in that email that it was not expected that the Turks and Caicos Islands Police would get involved.
The issue has grabbed local and international attention and has spawned at least one original song, which sends the message that ‘in our country every beach is public, and the beach belong to we…”
So far, the Michael Misick led protest appears quiet. Photographs shared by the former premier on his Facebook page show people on Taylor Bay Beach quietly signing a petition after accessing the beach through the gate, which was left open.
Photo credit: Michael Misick
Caribbean News
Agriculture Ministry Providing Two Water Trucks to Serve St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine
#Kingston, Jamaica, April 24, 2024 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is to unveil two more water trucks this week, which will be used to service communities in St. Elizabeth and St. Catherine.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
He also informed that of the $90 million earmarked to support farmers being impacted by the current drought, the Ministry will be
providing additional support for storage and drip-irrigation systems.
“So, we have targeted about 600 water tanks and about 400 12-millimetre drip irrigation hoses, and that distribution has already started. Additionally, we have earmarked about $8 million to really help with our livestock farmers,” Mr. Green said.
“We know the difficulty that you’re facing now in this time; [it’s] very hard to get the right nutritional support for your animals. As such, we will be providing some hay, and we will [also] provide some trucking of water to you. Again, our livestock farmers, if you are in need, please contact the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and let us see how we can help in these times,” he further stated.
Mr. Green also encouraged farmers to download the RADA App, so that the Agency can “help guide you, not only in relation to what is happening on the rainfall side, but also in relation to your integrated pest management”.
“We do see some increases of certain types of pests during this time, and it’s important that our farmers are paying attention to that. It’s also important that you’re taking drought management seriously [by undertaking] soil mulching, looking at planting drought-tolerant crops, timely harvesting, implementing land husbandry treatments and contour ditches,” he stated.
Contact: Latonya Linton
Release: JIS
Photo Caption: Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, speaking during Wednesday’s (April 24) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.
Donald De La Haye Photo
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, April 19, 2024 – In an attempt to move to 24-hour-a-day operations Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is steadily recruiting Air Traffic Controllers to work at the Providenciales/Howard Hamilton International Airport, according to Godfrey Smith, TCIAA CEO, reporting to the Appropriations Committee.
Speaking on April 8th Smith said a cabinet paper would be sent soon requesting six more Air Traffic Controllers to make round the clock operation at the Provo International possible and to open the airport in Grand Turk till 12 a.m.
Currently, 17 posts are filled and seven are vacant.
Smith was candid with his responses to recent industrial action from ATCs which led to resignations and firings.
“What we have to do is find systems to mitigate such actions and that has to start with filling these jobs, putting people in that want to
work and doing right by people – and we always try to do right by our staff. Persons may not think that we are but we always do – we ain’t pick no fight,” he said in the meetings held at the NJS Francis building ahead of the National Budget Communication.
Smith indicated that recruitment was an issue across the board, ‘we need to find ways to recruit a little bit better’ he told the committee. Also in need of a push was capital spending or projects according to the CEO, who said the agency had ‘not been very good’ at meeting that mark but insisted they had recognized the issue and could do better.
A very important key performance indicator drawn up by the TCIAA is increasing passenger satisfaction at the Howard Hamilton International Airport. For the TCIAA part of this means a 30 percent increase in seating by Q2 of this year.
When queried on if they could even handle this increase the CEO said,
“The fact of the matter is we already have the capacity there. What we need is to make the service a bit better.”
Staff shortages have become such a frustrating issue that the TCIAA is instituting a scholarship program created by Authority Chairman, Selvyn Hawkins
“What the board wants to do is basically allocate $25,000 annually for a scholarship and they’ve approved it already.”
This process would cover tuition and all other costs for one student.
The student would return as a summer intern and other breaks to work at the TCIAA and upon graduation, assume a role at the company.
“We identify a particular skill we need, we go after it and we build capacity that is in a nutshell the nexus of the program,” Smith said.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA) is allocated $49 million this financial year; over $20 million goes to salaries.
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