TCI News
Turks and Caicos National Museum Gala – Theme: Building for the future, to protect the past.
#Providenciales, June 12, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – In the presence of the Hon. Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, Hon. Derek Taylor and Hon. Mike Eman, former Prime Minister of Aruba, The Turks & Caicos Islands National Museum Foundation (TCNMF) held its sold out inaugural gala at the beautiful Shore Club, sponsored by Stan Hartling and the Hartling group, to launch the fund raising campaign for the new national museum on Provo.
The gala was a resounding success and incredibly raised over $200,000 from this event alone! With funds coming from ticket sales, event sponsorship, advertising, silent auction, sale of engraved pavers and donations; with an unbelievably generous $100,000 alone coming from Martin & Donna Seim, Son of the original museum founder and board director respectively, to name the main gallery in honor of the late Nils and Grethe Seim.
MC for the night was Dr. Hugh Fulford, President of the TCI Community College and Board Director of TCNMF. Hugh kept everyone entertained and managed to extract additional funds from many!
The Hon. Premier made an impassioned speech about the importance of historical and cultural preservation and her governments support for the national museum, including a budgeted $50,000 in this year’s budget, increasing to $100,000 thereafter. The Hon. Premier also introduced the guest of honor and her old friend, Mike Eman, who she received the Chairmanship of OCTA from in February 2017.
Hon. Mike Eman traveled from Aruba to support the event, along with his wife Doina Eman and spoke about the importance of economic growth and increasing our capacity for luxury tourism, as they have done in Aruba, but also to ensure that education, housing, health and general well-being of our citizens is an intrinsic part of that growth and to take lessons from the past, particularly in relation to the sense of family, belonging and community. He also touched on the similar pre-Columbian history and architectural elements found on Aruba, at the other end of the Caribbean.
Award winning architect, Ron Shaw walked everyone through the new building design with an audio-visual presentation and spoke of the architectural elements throughout the island that inspired his incredible vision for the new national museum building and the ability to expand for future requirements without issue and to the energy efficiency of the building and the ability to utilize renewable energy.
Dr. Michael Pateman, Director of the TCNM spoke passionately about his vision for the future of the new museum, and how it should of course be informative and reflect the amazingly diverse history of the Turks & Caicos Islands, but that it will also be fun and entertaining; also what the museum will exhibit, with a real emphasis on the people of the islands and on embracing new technologies to appeal to a younger and wider tech savvy audience.
A truly delicious Dinner was prepared by the Shore Club’s Executive Chef Martin Davies and his team, which was served by The Clement Howell High School Tourism Club, who did an incredible job, as they pleasantly and efficiently served the entire gathering in record time; beaming with pride throughout the entire process. Future tourism professionals one and all!
During Dinner TCI cultural legend David Bowen and Friends stunned the entire audience with an incredible and unique cultural show that was especially put together for the gala with dancing, singing and storytelling about family, fishing, bush medicine and times past, with the beautiful voice of TCI songbird, Barbara Johnson.
TCNMF Board members, Hon. Derek Taylor, Dr. Don Keith and Mr. Thomas Saunders all received long service awards for their incredible 27 years of volunteering on the board of Directors, since the museums inception, and were presented with plaques made from the last 3 pieces of oak left over from the Grandfather Clock in the national museum and executive pens made from hurricane damaged trees from the museum garden on Grand Turk, to make a real connection to the museum. The awards were presented by the Hon. Premier.
A vote of thanks was given by Séamus Day, President of the TCNMF, acknowledging the sense of community that brought everyone together for the event and thanked the TCI Government, and all the incredible companies and individuals, that made the event possible, particularly the Hartling Group: The Shore Club, The Palms & The Sands, Mr. Ron Shaw, Karen Whitt, Martin Davies, Graceway, Jackson Family Wines, Ministry of Tourism, Gilley’s Enterprises, TCBC, TCHTA, Ritz Carlton, Amanyara, Parrot Cay, TC Collection, Grace Bay Resorts & Gracebay Foundation, Beaches, Wymara, Ocean Club, Fortis TCI, Turks Head Brewery, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Sotheby’s, Clearwater Capital, ERA Coralie Properties, The Agency, Intercaribbean Airways, Olympic Construction Ltd., Projectech, Spa Tropique, High Point Resort Orlando, Grace Bay Car Rentals and Grace Bay Paint & Supply. Additionally, the TCNMF team of professionals and volunteers, with special mention to Vanessa Pateman for her design work on the commemorative booklet and banners and the Krieble Foundation for all their incredible support spanning over a decade.
The silent auction raised an additional $5,500 and a huge thank you to all that donated.
The museum also launched their campaign to raise funds through the sale of laser etched bricks and pavers, so if you would like to have a brick engraved with the name of a loved one or your company and logo, please get in touch by calling our Director, Dr Pateman on 649 232 4535 or visit the museums website: www.tcmuseum.org or email info@tcmuseum.org
These will be laid out on the main walkway to the new museum building, a wall of honor and the museum cultural and heritage gardens.
Other fund-raising initiatives include the naming rights to the new national museum building, galleries and gardens, so again, if you would like to support the national museum, please contact us to discuss partnering with The Turks & Caicos National Museum.
TCNMF is a registered not for profit organization aimed at recording, interpreting, preserving and celebrating the history of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.
Release: TCI Museum
Photo Credit: Sean Brady
Turks and Caicos, October 24, 2025 – Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey delivered an impassioned address to male students at Clement Howell High School, calling on them to recognize their power, seize their potential, and “awaken the sleeping giants” within.
In a message that blended humility, faith, and personal experience, the Commissioner reminded the boys that the decisions they make today will shape their future.“The choices you make today determine who you become tomorrow,” he said.
Bailey, who revealed he was the first in his family to attend high school, urged the students to embrace education and discipline as tools of
transformation.“Knowledge is power. If you want to be a real man, you need to read,” he told them. “Remember your potential — if others can do it, so can you. Some of you are sleeping giants waiting to be awakened.”
He emphasized that circumstances of birth do not dictate destiny, challenging the young men to carry self-respect, faith, and moral conviction wherever they go. “Self-respect is key; respect yourself, respect others, and respect God,” he said. “The circumstances you were born into do not define who you are.”
The Commissioner also spoke about resilience, advising that true strength often lies in restraint.
“There will be challenges, and people may try to impede your development — but rise above negativity. Sometimes, strength means walking away,” he said. “Some of you are sleeping lions; it’s time to awaken that instinct and rediscover your true potential.”
In closing, Commissioner Bailey delivered a stirring challenge:
“Each morning, look in the mirror and remind yourself that you were created by God and are capable of great exploits. You are a possibility with potential. Step forward with confidence — this is your country, your islands. Be the best version of yourself.”
Following his speech, the Commissioner engaged the students in open dialogue, answering questions and listening to their perspectives on issues affecting young men in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 23 October 2025 — The Crown Land Unit, supported by the Informal Settlements Unit
(ISU) and the Immigration and Border Services, led the successful execution of a reclamation exercise in Five Cays and Blue Hills on Tuesday August 26, 2025. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force provided security for the operation which formed part of the Government’s mandate under the Crown Land Ordinance to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown Land.
During routine inspections, the Crown Land Unit identified three unoccupied, illegally constructed steel and concrete block structures on parcels 60610/226, 60610/228, and 60610/239, located in the area commonly referred to as Sand Bar Street, Five Cays. Notices of Illegal Occupation were issued in accordance with the Crown Land Ordinance, however the owners of the structures failed to comply with the instructions contained in the Notices. As a result, enforcement action was taken to remove the structures and reclaim the land.
The exercise resulted in the full reclamation of 1.18 acres of Crown Land, with the removal of three unauthorized structures which were all
block and concrete structures from foundation to belt beam stages of development.
Following the reclamation in Five Cays, the team proceeded to Blue Hills where ten Letters of Illegal Occupation were served across two parcels, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to land protection and management.
The ISU reaffirms its commitment to supporting partner agencies in the coordinated management of Crown Land, ensuring that all enforcement actions are conducted lawfully, efficiently, and in the public interest.
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