Archive for July 28th, 2009
Cop going for gold
(CNS): One of Cayman’s finest will be doing his best to bring some silver or even gold wear home for the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) cabinet next month. PC Gabe Rabess, an officer with the Uniform Support Group, will represent theCayman Islands and the Service the 2009 World Police and Fire Games in Vancouver, Canada in the fields of squash and cycling. The World Police and Fire Games sees police officers, fire-fighters, customs and correction officers from around the world compete in over 65 sporting categories.
Following months of hard training Rabess says that he plans on bringing home at least one medal. “This will be my third time competing in the games and hopefully I will make the Service and the Cayman Islands proud by bringing home a medal or two,” said Rabess.
In 2005, he took part in the games for the first time and brought home a Gold medal in the squash category. In 2007, he competed again, this time in Australia, where he retained his title bringing home a second Gold Medal. “This year is the first time I will compete in cycling in addition to squash and I am quietly confident of success,” he said. “I look forward to representing the Cayman Islands on an international level once again.”
The trip has been made possible thanks to Ministry of Sports and Education, CL Flowers and Sons, Department of Tourism, Cayman Contractor Store and Aire-flo, Arch Automotive – AUDI, Scimitar Sports, and the RCIPS. In addition to these PC Rabess also thanks Powerhouse Gym for its support over the past months. “I am very excited about this trip and am extremely grateful to everyone who has made it possible,” added Rabess. “I really want to repay my supporters by coming home with a few medals.”
PC Rabess’ progress can be monitored on at www.2009wpfg.com.
In 1985, the World Police and Fire Games Federation, a non-profit organisation, run by the Californian Police Athletics Federation, established the games for the first time. Held biennially, the World Police and Fire Games will kick off in Vancouver, Canada on 1 August
Jackson for Peace Prize?
(Sky News): Michael Jackson fans have launched a campaign calling for the superstar to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The late star’s fans have flocked to sign online petitions supporting the move. They say he should be honoured for his charity work and "lifelong dedication to the well being of humanity". So far, more than 2,000 people have added their names to the campaignstarted by Los Angeles student Anneliese Nichole Brown. She hopes 100,000 will lend their support for the Thriller singer who died on June 25. A similar petition has been signed by 10,000 fans. News of the campaign is spreading virally online on sites such as Twitter.
Driving forces at camp
“It’s about learning the language of the industry. Although sales are down, auto repairs are increasing since people always need to have their cars fixed. Plus there is car part sales, an area which is still pretty lucrative,” she added.
Motta noted that technological advances have added glamour to the business, contrary to the traditional perception of ’greasy’ mechanics. “Being a mechanic is no longer necessarily a dirty job; a single piece of equipment, the diagnostic machine, now makes it possible for you to learn what is wrong with a car without taking it apart or getting under it,” Motta explained.
Thirteen-year-old Alex Balls said he enjoyed the summer camp tremendously and as a big fan of rally racing something he is aiming to become involved with in the future, he was fascinated to learn about turbo engines, specifically the differences between a turbo and a twin turbo engine.
At 14, Ahmed Myles sensibly thinking ahead said he was sure that learning how to fix a car would save him repair and service costs in the future.
LIME customer nets latest gizmo in competition
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Two muggings in one night
(CNS): Police said this morning that detectives from George Town are investigating two robberies which took place overnight. The first saw a man attacked outside his home in South Church Street, in which he sustained a head injury, and in the second a couple were robbed at knife point as they walked in Courts Road. Police said that the two incidents, which took place within around 40 minutes of each other, could be linked and are warning residents to be extra vigilant.
The first attack took place, police said, at around 11.50 last night (Monday, 27 July). A woman called the 911 Emergency Communications Centre reporting that her husband had been attacked outside their home in Cayman Cove, South Church Street. Police responded to the scene and the victim told officers he had been approached by a man who asked if he could borrow a cell phone charger. The victim said that after he offered to lend the man his phone, two other men approached him and he was struck on the head and sustained a laceration for which he was taken to hospital for treatment. The offenders ran from the scene.
The second incident occurred around 12.30am this morning (28 July) as a man and a woman walked in Courts Road. The victims have told police they were approached by three men, one of whom was carrying a knife, who demanded they hand over their possessions. The offenders made off with the woman’s handbag and the man’s wallet and cell phone. Detectives from George Town CID said they are now investigating both incidents and are looking into the possibility that they could be linked.
“People should always put their personal safety first,” said Detective Inspector Kim Evans. “Walk in groups if you can, stay to well-lit areas and be aware of your surroundings. Think about what you might do if you are approached by a stranger who wants to steal from you. Possessions can always be replaced.”
Inspector Evans also asked residents to be wary about answering the door to strangers. “If someone you donot know calls at your home asking to use something or asking for cash, be very wary,” he said. “We recommend that you never let a stranger into your home.”
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact George Town CID on 949-4222 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous, and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000, should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.
Women still face pay gap
(CNS): Despite the fact that more women than men in the Cayman Islands have a college or university education they are still earning less than their male colleagues in the work place. Among the many revelations in the latest Labour Force Survey produced by the Economics and Statistics Office, is the fact that women continue to suffer inequality in pay even in the same professional groups as men. Acording to the report which was conducted in the fall of last year more than 46.6% of women in the Caymanian workforce have been to college or university compared to 36.7% of men. However, even though the work force is almost equally balanced among the sexes it is not balanced when it comes to earnings.
In the highest earning bracket on the island (those earning over $7,200 per month) men out number women by more than two to one and in the second highest (between $4800-7199) there are 2189 men and only 1944 women. There are almost four times as many women in the lowest earning bracket (less than $799 per month) than men and almost twice as many women in the second lowest earning bracket ($800-1599 per month).
Women throughout the western world are still battling to earn the same as their male counterparts and the disparity in pay is often considered to be down to the fact that women are more likely to be in part time work then men. In Cayman the part time workforce is dominated by women, out of 2126 workers who are considered part time employees 1247 of them are female. However, according to this latest survey women still work on average just under 41 hours per week compared to the male average of just under 43 hours.
The pay gap is even more evident between the sexes with regards the professional occupations while 62% of workers in the financial services sector are women, one of the highest earning industries, women are dominating in lower paid positions in that profession.
Of the more than 1550 men earning $7200 per month or more almost all of them worked in professions described as Legislators, Senior Officials & Managers Professionals Technicians & Associate Professionals. Only 754 women in the same professions were in the higher earning bracket and most fell into the medium range salary brackets. Of the 6631 men working in senior professional occupations almost half, (3277) were in the top two earning brackets. In comparison in the same professional categories there were 7209 women but only around 35% (2467) of women were in the top two earning brackets.
The gender pay gap is seen by professionals as one of the many reasons why women tend to be poorer than men. In the recent National Assessment of Living Conditions researchers found that in the country’s lowest quintile, the poorest people in the community, conditions for women were worsethan men.
Despite various committees established to look into gender affairs the Legislative Assembly has yet to pass legislation to give domestic application to the UN Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Among Women, although it has been talked about for several years.
Athletes compete in Rome
(CNS): Three Cayman Athletes who competed in the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships in Sudtirol, Italy, came away with an experience that they will never forget. Travis Webb, Andrew Perrin and the Cayman Islands’ only female athlete, Gizel Wright, had fair results in their events, according to the Cayman Islands Athletic Association (CIAA). Perrin managed a 5th place finish in heat 10 of the boys 100m in a time of 11.32s, while Wright finished in 7th place in heat 2 of the girls 100m in a time of 12.87s. Webb equaled his personal best of 2.00m in group A of the boy’s high jump but did not advance to the finals. (Left: Andrew Perrin and Stephane Diagana of France)
Star performers at the Championships, which ended 12 July, were double Gold Medalist Kirani James of Grenada and Jodie Williams of Great Britain. James won the boys 200m and 400m, making him the first at this level to achieve such a feat. In the process, he set a new record of 45.24s in the 400m. Williams added her name to the history books as she is the first girl to ever take the 100m and 200m sprint double, winning both events in world leading times.
CIAA said the Cayman athletes made friends with their fellow athletes from around the world and met with Olympic legends at the IAAF sponsored master class clinic for all participants. In attendance was Mike Powell of the US, world record holder in the long jump; Kajsa Bergovist of Sweden, world in-door record holder in the women’s high jump; Kelly Holmes of Great Britain, double gold medalist in the 800m and 1500m at the 2004 Olympics games; and Wilson Kipketer of Denmark, world record holder in the 800m. (Right: Travis Webb and Lond Jump World Record Holder Mike Powell of US)
The main purpose of the clinic was to hear first hand from these legends of the sport about a wide range of topics including training, drugs, and how to make a career in track and field. These presentations were followed by an interactive session at the warm up track which included demonstrations of various events, tips and training cues, and an autograph and photo session with the stars.
The team was managed Ms. Sana Tugman and coached by Tyrone Yen. They returned to the Cayman on Tuesday 14 July. Below: 100m winner Jodie Williams (left) and Caymans Gizel Wright (right). All photos courtesy of the CIAA.
New cops take to streets after 14 week course
(CNS): Although the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is still short on cops 18 new officers started on the beat this week after graduating from their basic training course swelling the total number of officers in the RCIPS to 354. Police said that the fourteen week course tests the recruits’ mental, physical and emotional resilience and the new Police Commissioner David Baines said the recruits were a welcome addition.
“Having gone through 14 weeks of tough training they have sworn to protect the communities of the Cayman Islands and are a welcome addition to the Service,” he said at the graduating ceremony on Friday (24 July). Recognizing the supportive role played by family members Baines noted the challenges of the service. “Being a police officer is a challenging task that impacts upon officers but equally, yet less obviously, upon their families and the valuable support given by relatives should not be overlooked,” he added.
RCIPS’ Head of Training, Inspector Anthony White commended the graduates for deciding on a career in the RCIPS which he aid they would take up and bear witness for the protection and preservation of life and property. “They chose to lead and place themselves as a vanguard of what is decent in all of us. How noble that is in such taxing times in our country,” he said. "This class was continually challenged by tragic and unforgiving events surrounding their immediate families, yet they withstood when others may have succumbed. They are proud and will make a strong addition to our complement of officers. They entered as individuals and emerged as a collective, supportive body ready for assisting the community."
Much has been made in the community lately of the problems of recruiting Caymanian officers and the alleged distrust in the local community of officers from other jurisdictions but the break down of the nationality of these 18 recruits was not supplied.
According to the RCIPS website in April this year from the then serving 343 officers the vast majority are Caymanian with 173 local people in the service. There are also a wide selection of countries represented in the forces including 75 from Jamaica, 26 from the UK, 23 from Barbados 7 from Canada and 7 from St Vincent. There are four officers from each of the countries of India, Trinidad, Bahamas and the Philippines and three from Guyana, Honduras and St Lucia. There are also individual recruits from the US, Venezuela, Belize, Haiti and St Thomas.
Anyone with information about crime taking place in the Cayman Islands should contact their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS). All persons calling Crime Stoppers remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward of up to $1000 should their information lead to an arrest or recovery of property/drugs.