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Eye Clinic Helps Thousands in the Turks and Caicos

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#Providenciales, August 9, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – The Sandals Foundation, the charitable arm of Beaches Resorts, is reaffirming its commitment to the Turks & Caicos Islands by partnering with US-based charity organization Great Shape! Inc. iCare Project, the Community Fellowship Centre and the Ministry of Health & Human Services to host their first free eye care clinic for residents across the islands.

The five day free eye clinic which took place at the Community Fellowship Center Church on the Leeward Highway from July 27 to August 3, 2018 saw 42 volunteers from the USA, Canada, UK, Jamaica, and Australia consisting of, among others, 7 optometrists, 1 ophthalmologist, 5 registered nurses, and 6 opticians. They provide hypertension and glucose screening, full eye exams, sunglasses, reading glasses, and prescription glasses to patients in need.

“We have touched and transformed so many lives with the Eye Care clinic, from our senior citizens to children and everyone in-between,” said Elanor Finfin Krzanowski, PR Manager for Beaches and the Sandals Foundation.  “The human impact was incredible, I am so happy that were able to secure a mission trip for Turks and Caicos and of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t say think you to our great partners, we are thankful to Great Shape! Inc. iCare along with the volunteers,  the Ministry of Health and Human Services, Community Fellowship Center and everyone else who came on board to make this health initiative happen. We really  couldn’t have done this without partnership. ”

Director of the Great Shape! iCare project, Steven Stern, said they hope to treat over 1000 patients over the five days.  “We are happy to bring the Great Shape! iCARE project to the people of the Turks and Caicos.  We are grateful for the great sponsorship of Sandals Foundation and Beaches Resorts who enable us to perform our much-needed services through our long-time partnership.  The joy of receiving a pair of glasses and seeing properly for the first time in your life is powerful and life-changing.”  Stern added that a full pallet of supplies was shipped ahead of time to accommodate this outreach.

Over the past nine years, the Sandals Foundation has supported the Great Shape! Inc. to provide free eye-care, dental services, literacy, and teacher training programs to residents in several Caribbean islands, providing accommodation, meals, transportation, communications, and logistical support to all volunteers to make these mission possible.  To date, the Sandals Foundation has impacted over 209,000 across the Caribbean through healthcare initiatives, standing firm in its belief that proper health care should be accessible to all.

Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, Heidi Clarke, said the expansion of the clinic to Turks and Caicos is another indication of the Foundation’s commitment to supporting residents across the Caribbean.   “We are very pleased to see the expansion of this much-needed clinic to benefit even more people who are in need of eye care services.  Health Care is one of the basic needs of every human being, and we are thrilled to bring this service to the residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands, some of whom might otherwise not have the opportunity or resources to get their eyes checked,” Clarke said.  The clinic will be based at the Community Fellowship Centre Church on Leeward Highway, Providenciales from July 30 to August 3 and Clarke encourages all residents to make very good use of the opportunity

This will be the project’s first vision clinic outside of Jamaica where they have served over 29,000 residents over the past 9 years.

 

Release: Sandals Resorts

 

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TCI Court

Still locked up, Confessed School Burglar awaits Sentencing

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

Appearing before Acting Resident Magistrate Ms. Patricia Arana, from the Grand Turk Magistrate Court via video link on Monday March 25th, 2024 was a second North Caicos defendant.

DEVANO HANDFIELD, 25 admitted that he burglarized more than one classroom of the Raymond Gardiner High School (RGHS) in Bottle Creek, North Caicos.  The charge read that on 13th/14th March 2024 he was armed with a knife and used that knife to gain entry in the school classrooms and stole a number of laptops and other items from the school.

The accused was in a very loud argumentative mood, and when first addressed by the learned acting Resident Magistrate, he shouted, ” Who’s the judge? Because I need to know who I’m talking to!” 

The accused added, “I see all kinds of people on the screen, I don’t know who’s the judge.”

At the time, there were indeed, at least six people appearing on screen, all at once during the video link ; they were awaiting their matters to be called. 

It was difficult to distinguish who was speaking.

Once the accused was satisfied about who was the Magistrate in his matter, it proceeded and her Hon Arana asked the Crown to read the facts of the case since the accused had pleaded guilty. 

She then asked the obviously agitated accused Devano Handfield, “Do you agree with the Crown’s fact? He replied, “I ain’t agreeing to nothing. I just want this case over with. He then changed his position, and sucking his teeth said, “Man, yes, I agree with everything she said.”

He told the Resident Magistrate that he is on drugs, naming crack cocaine and other drugs, “but yes I broke the school open.” 

The Hon. RM then attempted to adjourn the case but Handfield butted in, demanding that the matter be settled no.

“No, no, no I wa get this over with today” “I ain’t into my case getting put off over and over again and gotta come back and forward to court.”

The RM told him, “you don’t dictate the process. The matter is adjourned until 10th April for sentencing, and you’re remanded in custody.

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Crime

North Caicos man admits Guilt to Cocaine and Marijuana

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Wilkie Arthur 

Freelance Court Correspondent

Monday, March 25th, 2024, in the Magistrate’s Court before Her Honor the Acting Resident Magistrate Ms. Patricia Arana, from the Grand Turk Magistrate Court via video link, the following matters were called:

North Caicos man #1 DYRON FULFORD pleaded guilty to two of three charges in relation to the cocaine and marijuana he was found with at Bellefield Landing in Kew, North Caicos on Valentine’s Day of 2024.

After the Crown had laid out the facts surrounding the case to the learned Resident Magistrate, and when he was asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, he said “I would like if you can probation me or give me reasonable fine and I’m saying sorry for getting into this trouble.”

The cocaine was eight grams with a street value of $80.00. The weed was 4,689 grams with a street value of $4,680.00. 

One final charge was read to the accused Fulford, and that is of intent to supply the large quantity of cannabis taken from him by police Superintendent Dean Holden in an undercover sting operation on the Island of North Caicos. 

The Crown may withdraw the intent to distribute the weed charge or proceed with a trial on that count alone following the sentencing of Fulford.

His sentencing for the guilty pleas is adjourned to next month.

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TCI News

Setting Bad Precedent or Unfair Administration of the Law? Same Sex decision ignites public debate

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Garfield Ekon

Staff Writer

Former premier Michael Misick has levelled fraud assertions against his former employee, Richard Sankar who was successful in a court case challenging his Turks and Caicos (TCI) Islander status.

The case was decided in Sankar’s favour in 2021, and the former Premier is now saying the man, a Real Estate Broker, who once worked for his family real estate business, married a woman for Islander status, and never consummated it, then married a man to give him status. 

Sankar and his spouse, Timothy Haymon won a claim for his same-sex partner to work in the Islands, in line with permissions granted under the TCI Constitution. That landmark ruling was handed down by Justice Anthony Gruchot on March 12, 2024 upholding his partner’s right to work in the TCI, as typically provided for heterosexual spouses. 

Hour after news of the ruling broke, Misick took to his official social media page to blast the Real Estate Broker. The former Premier called on the Government to revoke Sankar’s Turks and Caicos Islander status, claiming that it was obtained by fraud.

“I further call on the Government, after revoking Richard Sankar status, to have him deported never to set foot in our country again. This is making a mockery of our system and country. Deem him to be persona non grata,” the former premier stated. 

In a response, Sankar through his attorney Tim Prudhoe, said the claims, stating that he married the local woman in 2008 and their divorce became final in 2020. 

He stated: “At no stage during that period up-to-any, including the Decree Absolute, was any evidence presented either by or on behalf of my then wife that the marriage was not valid or somehow otherwise void.”

Sankar further added that prior to his marriage, in the first half of 2005, he had applied for a Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) based on the then requirement of five continuous years of work permits.

“That application was never decided.  Its existence at all was not even acknowledged on behalf of TCIG until 2021.”

Sankar also exposed in his statement, that during 2007, when Michael Misick was premier, he was “placed on the Stop List (a power of the Director of Immigration, then Desmond Wilson).  Thus, preventing my re-entry to the jurisdiction.  No reason has ever been given as to why Part VI (Sections 59-60) of the Immigration Ordinance was used to so designate me.”

Sankar admits that he married a Turks and Caicos woman in 2008, once he returned to the islands having been removed from the Stop List.

In May 2021, Sankar says he finally managed to secure his Turks and Caicos Islander status and had hoped to understand, “how an employment disagreement with a powerful family of Turks and Caicos Islanders could ever be used for the purposes of the Stop List.”

That matter remains in court and pending, according to Sankar.

While Michael Misick remains resolute that, “If this is allowed to stand as it is setting a terrible precedent that anyone can become married through fraud and then get a status and divorce a Turks and Caicos Islander and marry someone else and pass it on to them.”

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