By Pat Saxton
Museum Director

Continuing our efforts to renovate Guinep House through funds from the TCIG Infrastructure Fund, we installed new windows on the second floor of the Museum.  Renovations to a 200-year-old house are never easy. To the untrained eye, one would think that the windows were fine. However, there always seems to be something unknown lurking behind the paint!  True to form the windows were no different

The sills had degraded over time because of wet rot. Photo by Rene Carrillo, AND Construction.

Deep “reveals” or sills are common in a house this old. The new window in place before the addition of the new sills. Photo by Rene Carrillo, AND Construction

Not only were the shutters rotten, which had not been opened in years, but the windows themselves had succumbed to the weather and insect damage.  Luckily, the insect damage was stopped through the efforts of AND Construction last year. However, all of the mechanics of the windows had failed and wet rot had invaded the deep reveals that surround the windows.

We were able to close the Museum to the public for 5 days, including the weekend—while the work was completed.  Any renovation is never easy but being a Museum that means covering or moving everything. Not an easy task when under a time limit.

New surrounds and sills. Photo by Rene Carrillo, AND Construction.

AND Construction, under the leadership of Rene Carrillo (Project Manager) not only finished on time, but cleaned up every bit of dust, and residue from the work.  The windows look great, in fact one would never know they were even replaced, because AND Construction made sure they kept the integrity of the building….now that is a good renovation!

Completed window! AND to the rescue once again. Photo by Rene Carrillo, AND Construction.

By Candianne Williams
Gift Shop Attendant

The Richmond Hill Preparatory School class are all smiles.

A very excited and eager group of twenty –two students visited the museum on Wednesday 12^th June 2013.

The grade three and four students of Richmond Hill Preparatory School in Providenciales were on a field trip to Grand Turk to visit historical sites. They were accompanied by parent Mrs. Maria McPherson and teachers, Mrs. Georgia Brown and Mr. Wilbert Brown.

The students were very attentive took lots of notes and pictures and also purchased souvenirs. They really enjoyed their learning experience.

By Candianne Williams
Museum Gift Shop Manager

Diane Dibbins-Kretz is the great great granddaughter of the illustrious Jerimiah Murphy.

On Monday May 27^th Diane Dibbins Kretz, the great great granddaughter of the illustrious Jeremiah Murphy, visited the museum.

Jeremiah Murphy, adventurer and pioneer of deep sea diving made Grand Turk his home from the 1850’s to the time of his death in 1895.  A new exhibit which the museum plans to create on the history of diving in the Turks and Caicos will begin with the exploits of Jeremiah Murphy as a helmet diver.

Diane is very excited about this new project and said that she will be willing to help however she can.  She loves Grand Turk and was enjoying her visit. However, snorkeling was the extent of her underwater adventures although she did not quite rule out becoming a diver at some point. You just never know. It is in the genes.

By Dr. Toni Carrell
Treasurer, Friends of the Turks & Caicos National Museum

Yes the rumors are true, April 30, 2013 was the last day that Museum gift shop and volunteer manager Jackie Garbarino was an employee. Jackie is leaving, but happily for us, she won’t be completely gone. She will continue her involvement by remaining on the Museum Foundation and Friends Boards.

Jackie and Joseph vanquishing Mother-in-Law Tongue and in the process excavating out an anvil!

It’s hard to believe that nearly three years have flown by – it was September 2010 when Jackie and Pat Saxton took over the reins of the Museum and began its renaissance. They rolled up their sleeves and went to work. Jackie took on the daunting task of completely reorganizing the Gift Shop bringing in wonderful new goodies to tempt shoppers. Under her guidance the shop space was remodeled, repainted and renewed. Jackie even brought us into the 21^st century by adding a credit card machine!

Exercising her green thumb, or at least good landscaping sense, Jackie cleaned up the entry area with its small garden and made it more open and inviting. Not being satisfied, new signs at the front door welcome visitors and residents alike. True to her Italian roots, she made everyone feel at home the minute they arrived with a “My House is Your House” smile.

Jackie and Cathryn – Popcorn Divas Supreme!

Having her finger on the pulse of the Grand Turk social scene, Jackie organized “Movie Night at the Museum.”  With a popcorn machine (what’s a movie without popcorn!), cookies, drinks, and lots of laughs, it’s become a regular, much looked-forward-to event. It also raises money to support the Museum.

Jackie also quickly recruited volunteers to do everything from fixing electrical outlets, flying items from Grand Turk to Provo, helping with membership and data entry, cleaning exhibits, popping popcorn and bartending on movie night, cataloging the museum’s small library, helping with gift shop inventory and sales, to doing a gift shop makeover.

For those of you who have seen the Museum blog, you will recognize Jackie’s wicked, funny sense of humor.  Her unique outlook on life and perspective on what the rest of us would call ordinary has made for some laugh-out-loud posts.

Who’s idea was it to take a “Queen” to Provo in Mitchell’s plane?

Jackie arm-wrestled the flagging membership. Under her guidance not only has the Museum membership grown but renewals are up. Who can resist her emails with a reminder to renew?

In all ways, Jackie was the visible face of the Musuem. It was her smile that greeted dazed passengers from the cruise ships, wandering visitors from the hotels, local residents looking for that perfect gift, and volunteers who simply love the Museum and want to see it thrive.

Handing the keys, phone, and camera over to Candianne.

The short of it is Jackie will be sorely missed. Her understudy at the front, Candianne Williams, is stepping up to greet one and all with her own dazzling smile.  Although gone from the Museum, Jackie will still be around teaching yoga, working on her Italian, and making us laugh. Who knows, she may even find time to volunteer now and then. Ciao Jackie!

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

On April 8th Floyd and Candianne Williams hosted Floyd’s sister Dean and her friend Prue to a tour of The Best Little Museum in the Caribbean.  Dean and Prue traveled by land, air, sea and land again to visit from the UK.  They were very impressed with the exhibits and the wealth of information about the history and culture of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

From left to right: Prue (Family friend), Floyd, Dean (Floyd’s sister) and Candianne.

Of course having sister in law Candianne as the tour guide and brother Floyd as transporter in chief made the landing on Grand Turk very special.  They were off to other islands on their Caribbean cruise but none could match the museum and family combo they found here.  Museum Members make the most of family visits.  Join the museum and your family will visit!

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

Bernice & Allan (aka Big Red) Neasham of Bermuda have been members of the museum for donkey years and they gift a membership every year to a friend.  They spend some of the winter months in Grand Turk.

Big Red gets down at the Sand Bar.

Whenever they are here the local bands are happy to have Big Red play his bucket bass.  He is a retired professional musician so he adds class to whatever band lucky enough to have his as a guest.  Now the fact that he is a museum member probably does not improve his musical talent….but just maybe.  Join the museum and play the bass!

Mitchell and 65 pounds of Wahoo.

By Jackie Garbarino
Museum Gift Shop and Volunteer Manager

Mitchell Loeb, our “do whatever you need done” volunteer and loyal museum member, has expanded his repertoire to include deep sea fishing.  He landed this Wahoo in his small boat on his own!  It was quite a fight but luckily for his friends he won the battle.  And he now has more “best friends” than he was aware of but being a generous fisherman he shared.  Now the fact he is a museum member probably did not bring him luck…but just maybe.  Join the museum and catch big fish!