2012 TURKS & CAICOS INTERNATIONAL FLAG FESTIVAL
The Providenciales Flag Festival Committee is pleased to announce the 1st Turks & Caicos International Flag Festival. The festival will take place from June 1-4, 2012. The Turks & Caicos Islands is home to nationals from more than 50 countries and this International Flag Festival will bring everyone together for a weekend of fun, cultural exchanges
and will also give each person an opportunity to display their national pride.
President of the Provo Flag Festival Committee Abigail Delancy commented “We realize that we live in a multi cultural society and our neighbors are now closer to us then they were twenty years ago.
The Turks and Caicos share its culture with over 50 different nationalities and this is why we believe we should celebrate together. We recognize that at the end of the day all of us here in TCI
are working towards the same goal, which is to make the Turks and Caicos Islands a better place”.
Flag Fest 2012 will include a kickoff party, a beach picnic and the grand event will be a motorcade & flag party which will also include the Little Miss Flag Fest Pageant at the National Stadium
on Venetian Road. There will be prizes given for the Best Flag Outfit and the Biggest Flag at the parade. A soccer match between Haiti & Jamaica will take place on Sunday June 3rd and a Beach Party & Food Festival will be held on June 4, 2012 at the Kids Park on the Lower Bight Road. Musical guest will include DJ’s from TCI, DR, Jamaica, Trinidad & Haiti and the featured Band will be Lee & the Force from TCI.
Turquoise Morning wins Three Telly Awards
The Telly Awards named Turquoise Morning as a double Silver winner, and a Bronze winner in the 33rd Telly Awards for its shows on the Battle of the Bands, the World Travel Awards and the Haiti Reconstruction Forum.
With nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 United States and numerous countries, this is truly an honour. The local and internet television show was honoured with three awards; two in the People’s Telly category, the third selected by the Telly Awards Judges’ Panel as outstanding content on two major conferences, including the OECD Global Forum held in Bermuda last year.
The Haiti Reconstruction Forum show got the nod in the News or News Segment category. The episode opened the door to a discussion which will prove a game changer for regional relations and can contribute to the redevelopment of earthquake, hurricane and disease stricken Haiti. During the sessions, it was described how companies can access the two billion dollars in grant money coming from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Host of Turquoise Morning, Deandrea Hamilton, conducted heartfelt interviews with IDB executives including: Gustavo Arnavat, Executive Chairman and Eriq Pierre, Senior Counsellor in Haiti.
“We gained and were able to share the tremendous insight and opportunities available in Haiti with our countrymen, the rest of the region including the Americas. It is rare to see Haiti as the land of progress and an investment haven, but the experts and discussions we featured during the show have the power to open the door to a flood of interest for the island nation.”
Turks and Caicos business man, Harold Charles sponsored Magnetic Media’s coverage of the Reconstruction Forum held at the Double Tree Hotel, in Miami, Florida. It was jointly hosted by the City of Miami Dade County and featured Mayor, Carlos Gimenez.
The other shows were given to the people where voting support was solicited by driving friends and fans of Turquoise Morning to the Telly Awards channel on YouTube. Magnetic Media garnered support through e-blasts, texting, social media and news reports.
The Battle of the Bands show led in ‘thumbs up’; it chronicled the preparations and performance of the Bahamas All Stars as the first international marching band to perform at the Florida Classics, held in Orlando, Florida in November 2011. The community based band applied to be among the ten schools showcased, and won the chance, bringing a riveting Caribbean-styled performance that proved a show stopper.
“It was just a month before that we travelled to Montego Bay, Jamaica for the Caribbean leg of the World Travel Awards. It was no surprise to us that our fans loved both the Battle of the Bands and the World Travel Awards glitz and glamour enough to earn them each a Silver Telly Award.”
The Telly Awards was founded in 1979 and is the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online commercials, video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations, cable operators, and corporate video departments in the world.
A prestigious judging panel of over 500 accomplished industry professionals, each a past winner of a Silver Telly and a member of The Silver Telly Council, judged the competition, upholding the historical standard of excellence that Telly represents. The Silver Council evaluated entries to recognize distinction in creative work and entries do not compete against each other, rather entries are judged against a high standard of merit.
“The Telly Awards has a mission to honor the very best in film and video,” said Linda Day, Executive Director of the Telly Awards. “Magnetic Media’s accomplishment illustrates their creativity, skill, and dedication to their craft and serves as a testament to great film and video production.”
Magnetic Media will share its prizes with Turquoise Morning show sponsors, including the Bahamas All Stars, Harold Charles, the Government of Bermuda, One Caribbean Television and The Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board.
Grace Bay Club to continue taking new reservations
Award-winning Grace Bay Club to continue taking new reservations as of today June 1 Meanwhile, the Grace Bay Club, this country’s first luxury resort, will again begin to take new reservations as of today June 1. Mark Durliat, Chief Operating Officer of the Grace Bay Club, which has won several coveted international awards, including the world’s best beach, had confirmed that like other resorts
on Provo, some of his guests and he had indicated that the Grace Bay Club’s primary concern is to ensure guests’ health and safety, and said that a full sanitization of Grace Bay Club was fully underway to circumvent further symptoms.” In order to fully ensure all guests safety, Grace Bay Club made the decision not to accept new reservations from Wednesday May 23rd until today June 1. During this seven day period,
a few on-property amenities would have been reduced to ensure the property was fully sanitized. Also during this period, Durliat said Grace Bay Club would have been providing hand sanitizers throughout the resort to all guests and staff; and all public spaces, kitchens, restaurants,
plumbing systems and guestrooms were being thoroughly sanitized with bleach according to the safety standards of the Department of Environmental Health. “Grace Bay Resorts values every guest experience and offers its fullest attention and assistance to address concerns immediately and effectively,” Durliat said. He added that Grace Bay Club was also providing medical assistance to affected guests, alerting current and future guests of the situation and offering them the option
to adjust existing reservations without penalty. “Once all guests depart the resort, a more extensive, full-property sanitization will take place,” Durliat said in the wake of the mysterious illness, which has since been confirmed by the Ministry
of Health, as noro-virus – a form of gastro-ente-ritis, adding that the resort will be accepting room reservations on June 1. Grace Bay Club, which rates can go as high as US$5,000 per night, and which sits on 11 acres of prime beach front, is the resort that first lured jet-setters to Turks and Caicos Islands.
Its guests have included Barbadian singing sensation Rihanna, Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith, former US Vice President Al Gore, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, actress Gabrielle Union, American songbird Alicia Keyes, superstar actor Denzil Washington, the legendary Stevie Wonder, best-selling novelist John Grisham, American Chef and television celebrity Beau McMillan, Russian tennis star and former world number one tennis player Maria Sharapova and many others.
TOURIST DIED OF HEART ATTACK
An autopsy report has ruled that the death of a tourist at one of the major resorts in Providenciales, was not due to the mystery sickness that has plagued a number of hotels and resorts
on that island. The autopsy report confirmed that the male visitor to the Turks and Caicos Islands, who was found dead in his hotel room at the Grace Bay Club, died of a heart attack and not as a result
of the mysterious sickness of vomiting and diarrhea that has affected at least a dozen hotels in Grace Bay, and over 150 persons on the island of Providenciales. The TCI SUN quoted a reliable source as saying that the visitor, whose name has been given as Steve Ware, suffered from “acute myo-cardial infarction” or a heart attack. “His death had absolutely nothing to do with the virus that has affected several persons on the island. He had 70% left artery blocked and 80% right artery blocked and there were some blood
clots. They did not find signs of diarrhea, and Mrs. Ware never saw him vomiting,” the SUN quoted the reliable source as saying. Ware and his wife were reportedly in the Turks and Caicos Islands celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. His death just happened to coincide with the mysterious illness, characterized
by diarrhea and vomiting, that has sickened over 150 persons (hotel employees and visitors alike) from the various hotels and resorts on Providenciales.
Verification of Belonger Status and Voter Registration for overseas students
The Ministry of Border Control and Labor and the Elections Office have release information as it relates to the verification of Belonger Status and Voter Registration for students' studying overseas. According to the release, students who reside overseas and wish to verify their Belonger Status must: * Complete and sign the application and * Provide 2 photos with the required supporting documents to demonstrate their enrollment in an educational institution overseas, including proof of attendance at the institution,
which could be a letter confirming enrollment and attendance. Once this is done, the application can either be sent via mail to the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands.OR The applicant should provide a cover letter indicating that they have authorized a parent or guardian to present their application on their behalf. In this instance, the parent or guardian completing and submitting the application, will be required to take an oath confirming that they are authorized to make the application and
that the information given, is true and correct. Students who wish to register as a Voter must
* Sign the application form * Send it to the Supervisor of Elections, with proof of qualification to register as an elector. For further information regarding Verification of Belonger Status and Voter Registration, please contact: The Ministry of Border Control and Labour Telephone number 946-2801 ext: 81514 or 40711 The Email address is:- belongerstatus@gov.tc
Beyonce and Pitbull Lend Their Voices To New 20th Century Fox Animated Movie “Epic”
Twentieth Century Fox Animation has announced the voice cast for Epic, the studio’s upcoming 3D animated adventure-comedy featuring Beyonce and Pitbull.
In addition to Beyonce and Pitbull, lending their voice’s to the film, the cast of Epic also includes Aeromsith frontman and American Idol judge Steven Tyler, comedians Jason Sudeikis and Aziz Asari, and such actors as Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Johnny Knoxville and Amanda Seyfried.
Epic, which the studio hopes to have out by the end of 2013, follows the story of a “teenage girl as she is transported into another universe, which she then has to save in order to save the real world.”
According to Deadline, Beyonce will voice the character of Queen Tara while Pitbull will play Bufo. Aside from the characters names,no other details on their roles have been revealed.
Epic will be directed by Chris Wedge, who directed the Academy Award-nominated film Ice Age, which was the first installment in the studios massive Ice Age franchise which has now spanned four films.
The role will be Pitbull’s first official foray into acting despite creating the title song for last week’s release of Men In Black 3. Beyonce on the other hand is no stranger to the film world; her last film project was 2009′s Obsessed. She has been long-rumored to star in Clint Eastwood’s remaining of the 1976 film A Star Is Born.
Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J Officially Say Goodbye to ‘106 & Park’
After seven years as hosts of “106 & Park,” Rocsi Diaz and Terrence Jenkins have officially announced their departure.
For a few weeks now, only rumors prepared fans for a possible change with the program. But now it’s totally official.
Terrence told the audience in a very emotional moment that the dynamic duo has decided to part ways from the show and pursue other career paths.
“We have decided together that we will soon be leaving ’106 and Park’ as your hosts. This by no stretch of the imagination was an easy decision. But it’s the right one. It’s come after a lot of prayer, a lot of thought, and a lot of consideration,” Terrence said.
We had no idea–we can’t even express how amazing these seven years have been and how life changing they’ve been. We appreciate you guys so much,” said Rocsi.
A final show date has yet to be announced, but like any great host, they’ll have a huge going away ‘party’ on the show.
Michael Jackson’s Estate to Re-Release ‘Bad’ the Anniversary Edition
Michael Jackson’s “Bad” is making a blast from the past 25 years after it’s original release, along with some never-before-seen concert footage.
The “Bad 25” deluxe package will commemorate the King of Pop and will include original music, demos, and songs that didn’t quite make it to the general public.
The new songs were recorded in Jackson’s studio while he was making the album, and the package also offers a DVD of Jackson’s performance for Britain’s Prince Charles, Lady Diana and 72,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1988, say reports.
The footage was discovered among Jackson’s personal collection and could be the only known copy of the performance.
The collection is another way to keep the singer’s legacy alive.
Craig Marks, editor of Popdust.com, said the anniversary edition of the famous record is a true testament to Jackson’s all-around talent.
“It continues to focus fans’ attention on his music … hopefully it brings to the fore what an incredible live performer he was and his songbook, given that ‘Bad’ was at the time considered to be very successful but was in the shadows of ‘Thriller,’” Marks told Reuters.
Madonna world MDNA tour kicks off in Israel
Madonna has kicked off her MDNA world tour in Tel Aviv, Israel, wishing peace in the Middle East.
The two-hour concert at Ramat Gan Stadium saw the pop star perform tracks from her latest album, as well as some of her other hit songs.
Midway through the show, she told the 30,000-strong crowd: "If there is peace in the Middle East, there can be peace in the whole world."
The tour will run until December and take in more than 65 cities worldwide.
"I chose to start my world tour in Israel for a very specific and important reason," the singer said.
"As you know, the Middle East and all the conflicts that have been occurring here for thousands of years - they have to stop.
"If we can all rise above our egos and our titles and the names of our countries and our religions, and treat everyone around us with respect, then we are on the road to peace," she added.
However, a number of the singer's dance routines featured guns and violence.
Her performance of Like A Virgin featured Madonna seemingly lowered into a volcano as a virgin sacrifice, while for Gang Bang - she wrestled with armed intruders before shooting them.
The routine for Revolver also saw the star wielding a Kalashnikov rifle, while one of her dancers brandished an Uzi.
The 53-year-old also took a sly dig at Lady Gaga, performing a mash-up of 1989 hit Express Yourself with Gaga's track Born This Way - which many critics and fans have claimed is strikingly similar.
Madonna, dressed as a marching band conductor, sang the lyrics, "She's not me", into her re-worked version.
Following Tel Aviv, the MDNA tour will move on to Abu Dhabi before dates in Europe, North and South America.
The singer's last tour grossed more than $400m (£261.5m).
Bahamas to strengthen ties with Turks and Caicos
Newly-elected Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie pledged to strengthen ties between The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) during a recent meeting in Nassau with Doug Parnell, deputy leader of the TCI’s Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). The Bahamas prime minister was relaxing after a grueling and hard fought election campaign as he welcomed Parnell to his home on Cable Beach.
They spoke about the need for closer ties and association between The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Christie recognized that there are more than 40,000 Turks and Caicos Islanders living in The Bahamas.
Parnell congratulated the prime minister on his Progressive Liberal Party’s (PLP) 29-9 victory at the polls on May 7 over the Free National Movement (FNM), then led by former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham. Parnell complimented Christie over his messaging of generational leadership change within the PLP.
Christie sympathized with the Turks and Caicos people over the suspension of elected government and hoped for an early return of self rule. Parnell encouraged Christie to continue to follow developments in the TCI, as Britain is expected to set elections for the end of this year.
The PLP leader and the PDM deputy leader also discussed Christie’s pledge to overhaul the existing air sector policy to create a safer and more efficient air transport system.
According to the Speech from the Throne in The Bahamas Parliament, this will include the creation of a modern civil aviation regulatory regime, the creation of a fully independent body to investigate air accidents, enhanced communications technology and upgraded radar equipment. Additionally, steps will be taken by the Christie-led PLP administration to address the management of The Bahamas Flight Information Region, which will permit access to over-flight fees on the upper airspace of The Bahamas.
Parnell also indicated that the return of upgraded air services to Mayaguana would increase trade between the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands and called on The Bahamas PM to help facilitate these trading links in the southern Bahamas/Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago by returning customs and immigration to that island by making it a port of entry.
Currently, aircraft and vessels destined for Mayaguana must enter The Bahamas by travelling south to Inagua, presenting a cost barrier to trade. Mayaguana is less than 20 miles from Providenciales.
The PDM deputy leader thanked Christie for paying attention to the ongoing situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as a former PM (2002-2007) and as leader of the opposition (2007-2012). Parnell invited The Bahamas prime minister to pay an early visit to the TCI.