TCI News
EDITORIAL – Saving the Judah Gails; are we doing enough?
#Turks and Caicos Islands – Saturday August 4, 2018 – Was enough done to rescue murdered man, Judah Gail? I admit to not knowing all of the intimate details of the life of the man gunned down in the parking lot of a popular Providenciales lounge early on Friday morning, but I do have an understanding of this type of story and it is continues to be, to me, deeply distressing.
If you have been following the reports, you would have read or heard that Judah Gail seems to have been a menace to society, who was cold and heartless, with no respect for the rule of law and, by his own words in a video posted two weeks ago, willing to kill anyone who got in his way.
It is a sad eulogy and those who knew him best are not surprised at his demise.
I did not know Judah Gail. I do know that his name means Praise and that his life appeared to be exactly the opposite of one which would be praised in a civilized society.
I did some asking though. I learned that as a little boy, Judah – who is Turks and Caicos, Jamaican and Haitian – lost his mother. A little boy was suddenly all alone and left to raise himself pretty much by himself. I have been told that his mother’s sister did come over from Haiti eventually to assist in rearing the child, but perhaps it was too little, too late.
Perhaps no one really considered how the loss of his mother affected him emotionally and how, if left unaddressed, his feelings of sadness and hurt, turned inside out could become a monster and maybe it did.
Learning this about Judah Gail’s life caused me to read the words of other people who lost their mother or father or both parents while still young children. These words were particularly striking to me:
The sad fact is… there is pain which there is no cure for. This is such pain.
You can’t do anything to fill that void, nor take away the pain.
Life sucks when you lose a single parent let alone both. You stop being a child. Your loss is presented to you daily (friends with their both parents etc.) which all hurt and you can’t really prevent it. You hear the word ”Dad” out of your friends mouths which hurt too…because you can’t use that word anymore (or the word Mom)
Judah, born in the Turks and Caicos Islands, inherited a string of apartments and rented them in his community of Kew Town in Providenciales.
Despite this blessing, young Mr. Gail, was no stranger to incarceration found himself walking through a revolving door. Judah was in and out of jail since his teenage years.
At around 14, Judah Gail was sent by the Turks and Caicos Islands to a boys’ correctional institution in Jamaica. There, I am told, Judah saw drug peddling, Judah saw violent stabbings, Judah witnessed murder and bloody assaults. Judah was hardened and not helped by this experience and then he returned home.
I am also told that the Jamaica boys’ institution to which teen trouble makers were banished by the Turks and Caicos were all ruined not rehabilitated. These teenage boys were toughened, now as young men, they threaten the peace and serenity of the Turks and Caicos Islands today.
There is an image of Judah Gail flashing a ‘gunk’ of money in his grasp and video of him boldly smoking illegal marijuana as he gives a commentary about street life and rules, using the most profane language.
I asked if the money was authentic and if Judah’s sentiments were his credo. I am told the money was very real and Gail, without getting regular employment, was living the high life. There were brand new cars, ‘money like dirt’, and he was a bossy guy and a bully of a man with a deadly habit.
Judah Gail, loved to credit the stuff he sold. That stuff was said to be illicit drugs. Gail would borrow the drugs – marijuana and cocaine – with the promise to flip it and pay a profit to the lending drug-dealer.
I know. Sounds fantastic right? And not in a good way! It is very concerning. But it is what I am told. 
This is the life young men, too many of our young men are living and loving in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Judah Gails are on brilliant display and our young boys are watching the show. They are lapping up this apparently luxurious life which seems so very possible, so very profitable when compared to the stories and sagas of their working fathers and uncles.
Gail and his cohorts are earning thousands of dollars per week without a traditional job. They seem to have all they want and more than they need. And while the risk is high and the life is illegal, the rewards may seem to be worth the while. After all, the hard working, honest fathers and uncles are struggling to make ends meet and to buy even a little Japanese car to get around.
Honesty is devalued. Hard work on a job site is scorned. The criminal life can become a glamorous alternative to a silly kid bombarded with silly notions about what really matters in life. Our problem, as those who chose the honest path, is not in the not knowing. Our problem, as leaders and movers and shakers, is in the not doing enough. Turks and Caicos must recognize, that despite headlines of falling crime rates and modernisations in policing; we have a problem where a life of crime is dangerously camouflaging itself as good and this is a gross misrepresentation.
The spiritual enemy, which so many of us believe exists due to our predominantly Christian faith, is working creatively and assiduously to delude and deceive our young men and the Satan we know will kill them, steal them, destroy them. 
In keeping score or a tally by strictly looking at the national murder rate, we may be distracted and duped into believing we are way ahead of that enemy’s game.
But a murder rate is not a true indicator of what is really happening among our youth and young men in a broader sense. In one day, two are killed and what a tragic loss this is… but in the one day, we also see how many more young men are rejoicing in the killings, endorsing the murders and prepared to keep on taking lives and creating havoc.
Crime and criminality is not a Turks and Caicos problem. But the ongoing spree of violence – which we have seen is unafraid of threatening preachers, teachers, executives, government ministers, law enforcers, grand-mothers, little children or tourists and guests – begs the question, are we doing enough? Are we finding creative and effective ways to represent a life of rightness and discourage a life of wrongness. Are we there for each other at those critical, pivotal, life-shaping times. Is there enough energy toward empathy? Are we investing the time, creating an equitable environment and are we willing to invest the sweat today to shape the Turks and Caicos we want for tomorrow?
I do not believe we are there. I want to be wrong. I need to be wrong.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks and Caicos has refreshed the grounds of Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays, Providenciales, ahead of the new school year, with a landscaping team from the resort, pruning and cutting back overgrown branches to give the campus a cleaner, safer look.
The project focused on the school’s exterior plantings, where tangled growth had begun to encroach on walkways and outdoor learning
areas. The team spent time trimming hedges, thinning dense shrubs and removing deadwood to improve sightlines and airflow around the buildings.
Assistant Landscaping Manager, Kemar Jones said the work at Enid Capron is a regular priority for the department, which views community giving as a core part of its mandate. He noted that supporting local schools, particularly through hands-on environmental work, has long been a focus area for his team.
Jones, said the effort reflects the group’s wider commitment to the islands. “As a team, our goal is to give back to our communities and especially providing support for the environment and education,” Jones noted. “The team is always ready to share our skills with making the school environment more comfortable for our students and teachers.”
General Manager Deryk Meany framed the project as part of Beaches’ broader approach to working alongside the community beyond the resort gates. “At Beaches Turks and Caicos, we operate as a team not only within the confines of the resort but also with our communities,” Meany added. “Being able to share our varied skills is always our main focus. Providing a comfortable learning environment allows for a greater relationship with our educational collaborators.”
He added that the resort seeks opportunities to support range of school-based initiatives, from environmental and leadership clubs to creative programmes.
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Rachel Taylor described the landscaping mission as a continuation of a long-
standing relationship between the Ministry and Beaches Turks and Caicos. “This mission from our major private sector supporter, Beaches Turks and Caicos is a long standing activity,” Taylor said. “At Enid Capron Primary School, we are treated as family. Once we reach out to the resort, they have always responded in a positive way.”
Hon. Taylor said the support is particularly valuable in the areas of education and community development, where consistent private-sector engagement can amplify government efforts.
Nelene Swann, vice principal at Enid Capron Primary welcomed the refreshed grounds as a boost to morale before classes resume. “This is what true collaboration looks like,” she noted. “This is more than a facelift for the school. The team from Beaches Turks and Caicos has shown true commitment in adding to this learning environment for our students and teachers.”
She said the improved landscaping contributes to a more comfortable and inviting campus for all stakeholders. “This is a good way to start the new school year. This facelift will certainly make the facilities here at the school more appealing to our students, teachers and parents.
News
Beaches Turks & Caicos strengthens year-round commitment with local craft vendors and transport operators
Turks and Caicos Islands, October 8, 2026 – Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort is deepening its long-standing collaboration with local
craft vendors and transport operators, maintaining active support even during the off-peak season to sustain livelihoods and strengthen the islands’ tourism ecosystem.
Local entrepreneurs say the resort’s commitment is felt throughout the year, with particular emphasis on keeping businesses vibrant when visitor numbers dip. Veteran craft vendor Cassandra Gardiner highlighted the consistency that has become a hallmark of the association. “We are satisfied with the consistency shown by the resort and the local entrepreneurs,” Gardiner said. “During the slower season, they have taken the time to keep the entrepreneurial team active with customer service and marketing training workshops.”
The workshops, delivered in collaboration with the Sandals Foundation and the Sandals Corporate University, focus on practical skills such as product display, guest engagement and digital marketing-tools that help artisans convert resort traffic into steady sales even outside peak periods. The Cultural Marketplace, located adjacent to the property, continues to serve as a primary platform, while vendors are welcomed onto the resort grounds on scheduled days to reach a wider audience.
For local taxi associations, the resort’s backing translates into reliable business and sponsorship for community activities. Loftan Ellis, a veteran transport operator, described the support as “magical,” noting that Beaches is often the first to confirm sponsorship for association events and planned activities. “The consistency in business from Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort is one of the main reasons for us to maintain our livelihood while helping to build our primary industry, tourism,” Ellis added.
This alignment between resort operations and local transport providers helps stabilize income during quieter months, ensuring that drivers
and small operators can remain active participants in the destination’s tourism value chain.
General Manager Deryk Meany framed this collaboration as central to the resort’s corporate social responsibility and philanthropic mission. “We remain committed to providing support to our environment and the communities that we serve,” Meany said.
He emphasised that growth at the property is intended to create shared opportunity. “As we grow, we will create greater opportunities for the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands to grow alongside us,” Meany said.
By maintaining training, market access and sponsorship across the calendar, the resort is helping to build resilience in a sector vulnerable to seasonality. For craft vendors and transport operators alike, this local support offers more than intermittent income; it provides a structured pathway to professionalise services, expand customer reach and contribute to a more diversified and sustainable local tourism economy.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, 2nd October 2026: Invest Turks and Caicos officially opened Caya
Hico Collective, the Grand Turk MSME Storefront, on Friday, September 18, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the Agency’s ongoing efforts to support local entrepreneurs, expand access to market opportunities, and strengthen the small business ecosystem.
Caya Hico Collective has been established as a dedicated retail space to showcase and sell locally made products, initially featuring entrepreneurs participating in the MSME Programme. As the initiative develops, there are plans to expand participation to include other small businesses producing locally made goods, including those not directly supported under the Programme. The storefront will provide local businesses with greater exposure and direct access to both residents and the thousands of visitors who arrive in Grand Turk each year creating stronger linkages between local entrepreneurs and the tourism economy. The store currently features fourteen (14) inaugural vendors, representing a diverse selection of local businesses and products from across the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Ms. Alexa Cooper, Chief Domestic Investment Officer, said:
“This storefront represents a practical and meaningful step in supporting our MSMEs by providing access to market, one of the most
critical components of business growth. It is a space where local talent, creativity and entrepreneurship can be showcased, supported and connected with new customers.”
A Name Chosen by Grand Turk’s Youth
The name Caya Hico Collective was selected through the Grand Turk MSME Storefront Naming Competition, an initiative conducted in partnership with H.J. Robinson High School. Students were invited to propose an original name that reflected Grand Turk’s identity, culture and heritage while also being suitable for a storefront showcasing locally made products.
Following an independent judging process, Mauvarii Selver was selected as the competition winner for the submission Caya Hico Collective.
The name was recognised for its cultural and historical significance, distinctiveness and strong storytelling potential. “Caya Hico” is derived from the Lucayan term meaning “string of islands,” reflecting the archipelagic identity and heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The use of “Collective” further reflects the purpose of the storefront: bringing together products from multiple local entrepreneurs under one shared retail platform. Together, the name Caya Hico Collective connects the Islands’ heritage with the initiative’s vision of bringing local businesses, products and creativity together in one space.
The naming competition provided students with an opportunity to participate directly in a real-world branding exercise and contribute to an initiative that will form part of Grand Turk’s commercial and tourism landscape.
Mauvarii was formally recognised during the opening ceremony, alongside the other students who participated in the naming competition, the inaugural MSME vendors, and key stakeholders whose contributions supported the successful development and opening of the storefront.
Angela Musgrove, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Turks and Caicos, added:
“Caya Hico Collective is more than a retail space. It reflects our continued focus on strengthening linkages between local businesses and
the tourism sector, creating more opportunities for MSMEs to reach visitors, increasing sales and participate more fully in the tourism economy. At the same time, it gives visitors greater access to authentic products that reflect the creativity and culture of the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Supporting Local Enterprise and Tourism Linkages
Caya Hico Collective is expected to serve as an important platform for local entrepreneurs by increasing the visibility of locally produced goods, creating additional sales opportunities and providing visitors with greater access to authentic products from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Through the storefront, Invest Turks and Caicos aims to encourage residents and visitors alike to discover, purchase and support locally made products, while creating a stronger connection between entrepreneurship, culture and the visitor experience in Grand Turk. The initiative is intended to increase opportunities for local businesses to benefit from tourism activity by connecting visitors directly with locally made products that showcase the creativity and talent of entrepreneurs across the Turks and Caicos Islands. This forms part of Invest Turks and Caicos’ broader commitment to promoting economic diversification, sustainable business development and stronger linkages between local enterprises and the tourism sector.
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