Getting To Know

Paul Wilkerson’s interest in local weather proved essential this season. By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos Courtesy Paul Wilkerson Lots of people come to the Turks & Caicos and fall in love with its turquoise waters. Paul Wilkerson went further. The American meteorologist extended his love to the TCI’s clouds, winds, rains, dry spells . . . and ...

Rescued birds find a home on North Caicos. By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos By Tom Rathgeb Calling someone a birdbrain usually isn’t very nice, but if you take the words literally—as in, someone who thinks about birds a lot—you have a pretty good description of Patti DesLauriers and Howie Bartels of North Caicos. When they moved to the ...

Lovey Forbes By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos By Tom Rathgeb Music has been a journey for Lovey Forbes. Songs and sounds have carried him from his North Caicos beginnings, where he grew up hearing local gospel and country music on the radio, to other countries and cultures, to meeting new people, to exploring his own feelings and ...

Paul Stephenson Higgs, Sr. By Dr. Carlton Mills One of the TCI’s “unsung heroes” is Paul Stephenson Higgs, Sr. During the early years of TCI’s political history, he was a tireless advocate for the rights of Turks & Caicos Islanders. Before the first hotel was built in Providenciales, he foresaw tourism as being the key to the ...

Veteran educator Mrs. Marjorie Basden By Dr. Carlton Mills and Beverly Malcolm The Marjorie Basden High School in South Caicos is known throughout the Turks & Caicos Islands for its achievements in academics, student representation in national events, music, and sports. In fact, several of the nation’s highest ranking politicians, including the country’s first female premier Hon. ...

Meet illustrator Alizee Zimmermann. By Alizee Zimmermann, Kathy Borsuk, and Zachary Musgrove Adult coloring books are very much in vogue these days as a means to relax and rejuvenate. Alizee Zimmermann is a young artist from the Turks & Caicos Islands who is using her new coloring book Reefscapes to spotlight the unique underwater landscapes of the ...

Meet wine expert Shane Jones. By Trish Flanagan We’re being chauffeured through the crimson, gold, and russet vineyards of the Champagne region in France. Think New England fall foliage on a smaller scale. Autumn here is a glorious blaze of multi-coloured fields, as the meticulously pruned vines die off after harvest. I’m in the company of Grand ...

Student/intern Mark Connolly By Jody Rathgeb ~ Photos By Sean Brady, Kaieri Photography Among students seeking summer internships, it’s usually a given that you want a job that lets you do more than make coffee. For Mark Connolly, however, making coffee was the point of his summer stint. Coffee . . . and lunches, and dinners . ...

Robyn Hinds By Kathy Borsuk Although I am not a fan of electronic media, this is one time when print falls short. The only way to do justice to Robyn Hinds’ talent is to hear it! Her powerful, soulful voice lifts glorious praise to the Lord, to Whom she gives all thanks for her awesome gift. In July ...

Nikeira Stuart By Dominique Rolle & Kathy Borsuk TCI’s Top Model Contest was created to encourage local people interested in the fashion industry by giving them an edge of experience and connections so necessary in that competitive world. Nikeira Stuart won the Fashion Forward Award in the 2011 TCI Top Model Contest. Since then, she’s taken full advantage ...