Archive for September, 2010

Bakery robbed in rain

Bakery robbed in rain

| 29/09/2010 | 26 Comments

(CNS): Updated 4:45pm — Despite the inclement weather conditions it appears local robbers were not put off by the downpours and squally conditions. Police have now confirmed reports that Caribbean Bakery on Mount Pleasant in West Bay was robbed just before noon today. Two armed assailants escaped with a small amount of cash after threatening a female member of staff. One of the men was armed with a hand gun but no shots were fired and no one was hurt. Detectives are now appealing for witnesses and say that both men are described as approximately 5"7 in height, slim build, both wearing blue jeans and long light coloured shirts with their faces covered. (Photos Dennie Warren Jr)

The police helicopter was deployed in the wake of the armed robbery and police confirmed on Thursday morning that three teenagers had been arrested in the West Bay area soon after the robbery. Officers were seen  arresting two young men close to the entrance of The Shores along Batabano Road. A third suspect was then apprehended along  Mount Pleasant Road. All three men are now in police custody.

Detective Constable Marcia Myles of West Bay CID is appealing for anyone who has information regarding this crime to come forward. The public can phone West Bay CID on 949 3999 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS)

 

 

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CUC and CBP&L battling to keep power on

CUC and CBP&L battling to keep power on

| 29/09/2010 | 2 Comments

(CNS): Update 2:32pm Wednesday – A 30 minute power outage on Cayman Brac was cause by a tree falling off the Bluff, CB Power & Light Co General Manager Jonathan Tibbetts said.  P&L staff are working in the rain to keep the system up but Tibbetts said that there were many weather related problems appearing and if there were too many for the crews to handle they might have to close down the power later today to protect the system. Electricity consumers in certain areas of Grand Cayman have been experiencing sporadic power outages as a result of the ongoing inclement weather, the local power company said this morning. However CUC said it was working to ensure power was restored as quickly as possible on each occasion.

Power interruptions have been ongoing throughout Wednesday morning in certain areas such as Prospect and Spotts/Newlands but outages have usually been limited to less than 30 minutes a spokesperson for the firm stated. At 11:00pm last night customers in the Breakers, Frank Sound and East End areas were without power due to an electrical fault on the distribution lines also as a result of the severe weather conditions.

Line crews repairing the fault were hampered throughout the night and early Wednesday morning by strong winds and heavy squalls. Service was restored to customers at approximately 2:00am on Wednesday morning. A similar problem reoccurred on the lines at approximately3:00am and the Company’s line crews were again hampered by the inclement weather. Service was periodically restored to customers throughout the morning and all customers were restored by 7:30am CUC stated.
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Customers experiencing power outages should call the Company’s 24-hour fault reporting number at 945-1CUC (1282). CUC regrets the inconvenience to customers in the affected areas.

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Hews to redevelop Dorcy Drive site with FedEx

Hews to redevelop Dorcy Drive site with FedEx

| 29/09/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): After almost ten years a locally owned family business has finalized its plans to help improve the look of one corner of George Town’s dusty industrial park area. Close to a decade after developing a plan for the land at the corner of Dorcy Drive and Portland Road, the Hew family will be using the site to provide a new home for FedEx as well as their own offices. The first plan was derailed by the evens of 9-11 in the US, then again by the impact of Ivan in 2004 but now they have found a solid partner with the international courier service and hope to have the project complete before early next year.

 
 “We had a plan in place back in 2001 with another courier service, a much smaller project, that was derailed by 9-11 and so we just had to bide our time,” said Joey Hew, the family’s lead on the project. Hurricane Ivan dealt the family a second setback as they were about to launch a second development plan. “It seemed to us at that time that perhaps fate had something else planned for us for that site” he added. “When the Phoenix Group inquired on behalf of FedEx in 2008 I knew then what we had been waiting for all along”
 
Neil Rooney of Exeter Development, the Phoenix Group’s development arm said the firm had been in discussions with FedEx since 2004 about managing a design/build/lease solution for them.
 
“Over the years, while we waited for FedEx Head Office to prioritize the project, we examined multiple sites for traffic flow, travel time, access, visibility and, critically, the right corporate partner for FedEx. The site, as it turns out, was right in almost every way and the Hew family was exactly the sort of landlord in which FedEx could see a long-term future,” Rooney said. “It was our job to make sure that the every aspect of the projectwas consistent with the long-term goals of the all parties involved.”
 
The new project, along with the new Thompson Building going up alongside it represent the next steps in an area that is gradually changing to a more up-market profile than the dusty face of the Industrial Park that it used to be, the parties involved said.
 
 “We always felt that the area would evolve” Hew said of Grand Cayman’s industrial area. “We are seeing more quality retail in the area with the classy refurbishment of Car City, the reno of Cayman Air Conditioning and the additional retail space that will be available in the new FedEx building, which will be called Hewden Place – in fact, we also have some additional office space for lease in the new building” he added.
 
The project, which has been financed by HSBC will open in early 2011.

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Some Thought for Food

Some Thought for Food

| 29/09/2010 | 30 Comments

Here is some food for thought and at the same time some thought for food. Lately we all seem to be ranting about politicians, corruption, crime, unemployment, just to mention a few of the seemingly urgent problems facing us in Cayman. However, none of these issues can be properly addressed without first considering our most pressing problem as outlined here.

It is the penultimate problem we are facing which will eventually render all other problems as insignificant.

Cayman’s current population (not counting tourists and visitors) is about 50,000 men women and children who represent the complete spectrum of class structure from the very wealthy to the poorest of the poor.

We all have one thing in common in that each of us wants and needs to eat 3 meals a day. It is estimated that the AVERAGE cost per person per day for food is CI$20.00. The math shows that 50,000 times $20 = 1 million dollars per day for all of us to eat each and every day. That translates to $365 million per year. It is probably more since this does not take into account the restaurants and hotel food service facilities catering to tourists.

So each day we all eat about 1 million dollars worth of food. Since very little is produced or grown here, most of the money will be sent to the USA to buy more food for tomorrow and the next day, etc. The money keeps flowing out and the food flows in. But wait! If the money keeps flowing out without being returned, won’t we eventually run out of money? The answer is YES. In fact, we have already run out. We are on our second loan from the UK and have a half billion dollar debt load. Why? Because the money is flowing out faster than it is flowing in.

The money can only return here if it is brought by tourists, investors or the financial industry. Of course, there is one other way, which is in the form of the Cayman Government seeking loans from Great Britain to help keep us afloat. So in essence we already have run out of money. When we are finished spending the latest money loaned to us by the UK, what then? There are not enough tourists to make a dent in our debt situation.

The financial industry is leaving for greener pastures where other governments offer little or no fees and taxes. In trying to remedy this massive debt problem the government has decided to try the "quick-fix" solution of raising duties and fees in order to get the badly needed capital to pay off past due loans and to make the civil service payroll. All government fees and taxes are the reason for the increase in the cost of living; such fees also act as a dam or blockage which prevents money from flowing to Cayman.

The real solution to our financial crisis is to lower or eliminate government fees and duties for a time in order to allow the economy to make a recovery. Lower prices mean more tourists and investors. It appears that the current government, for whatever reason, does not see the big picture and is destined to make the same mistakes that have been repeated many times throughout history.

Two things are noteworthy about all of this. First of all, you will notice that it does not take someone with a degree in economics to exercise some common sense and use some simple math to see that we are headed for certain disaster. Secondly, the above million dollar a day scenario is only for food. It does not take into account our other daily needs such as gasoline, electricity, water, clothing, mortgages, cars, furnishings, dishes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap etc (you get the idea).

All in all, we import about a billion dollars worth of stuff each year. The money flows out but it’s not coming back. We need to lower government duties and fees NOW (yesterday would be even better) because no matter what causes or organisations people are a part of, their causes will be dwarfed by the need to find something to eat.

Defenders of the government’s policies will show you that our cost of living is on a par with other similar places to Cayman. But Cayman does not grow sugar cane, or coffee or have anything to export. We are unique in this way and cannot be compared to other places. Such explanations are obviously hollow or we wouldn’t be in this negative spiral that we find ourselves. It is also silly for the UK or the government to consider a system of direct taxation since if the money going out is greater than money coming in, there will be an ever decreasing amount of money you can tax.

Equally silly is that the "quick-fix" of raising duties on fuel and electricity in order to get some quick cash to rescue the economy for the near term is the government taxing itself. Government is the biggest user of fuel and electricity in Cayman so by increasing the cost of these items means the cost of running government went up as well which causes the need for even more money than before. The tragic part of this logic is that now, by making everything even more expensive than before when it was already too expensive in the first place, we have further deterred visitors from coming here and bringing back the money we need to survive.

My only hope is that you read and understand this, email it and share it with as many people as you can. Shout it from the mountaintops!

 

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FOI ‘ID’ing’ will be costly

FOI ‘ID’ing’ will be costly

| 29/09/2010 | 14 Comments

(CNS): The information commissioner has pointed out that removing the right for the public to make freedom of information requests anonymously could be a difficult and costly exercise. Following comments by the premier on a number of occasions that he does not think that it is right for people to withhold their identity when applying for information, Jennifer Dilbert has said that trying to verify who people are would require even more work on the part of government information managers. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, which was Right to Know Day, Dilbert said while government had the ability to remove the right to anonymity it would not necessarily be in its interests to do so and would be both expensive and impractical.

“As I have said before, I don’t see how it can practically work,” said Dilbert. “It won’t be easy for information managers to verify the identity of an applicant. I imagine they will have to request a passport or a notarised application, which will just add to their workload and, of course, the costs. It is also very likely that those concerned about revealing their identity will simply ask other people to make their requests for them, so there is little point in attempting to remove the anonymous application.”
 
The information commissioner pointed out that the elected government has the power to change the law but, as elected officials, they must do what the electorate wants and she doubted that there would be support for the removal of anonymity. She explained that during the upcoming review of the law, while there were a number of changes the Information Commissioner’s Office was recommending to speed up the process, it would be down to the Legislative Assembly to decide what changes, if any, would be made.
 
Jan Liebaers, the deputy information commissioner, questioned why the identity of a requester was relevant, except where an individual is asking for their own personal files, because general public information belongs to everyone. “Why would you want to know, what could possibly be the reason?” he asked rhetorically, adding that there was certainly no good reason why a government official would need to know an applicant’s identity.
 
The deputy commissioner said he believed that there had been some association with some people in government departments confusing vexatious requestswith anonymous requests. However, Liebaers pointed out that they were different and that the law dealt very clearly with vexatious applications.
 
“It is inappropriate to associate anonymity with vexation,” he said. “These are two very different things and it is clear what is vexatious and we have seen very, very little of it.”
 
Liebaers said that for a wide number of reasons the ability to request information anonymously was important and it underscored the fact that the information was for everyone and anyone and not just the person making the request.
 
The country’s premier has made a number of public criticisms of the Freedom of Information Law and in McKeeva Bush’s latest interview with Cayman 27 he said the “wrong information should not be allowed to get into the wrong hands” and accused the “haters" of using information against people. At both press briefings and from inside the Legislative Assembly Bush has also criticised CNS and other media  for making requests, as well as members of the public who have used pseudonyms.
 
However, the information commissioner said that despite the rhetoric and the comments by the premier, no one was interfering with her work and the law was providing access. “I am under no pressure. My office remains independent and I do not feel fettered in anyway,” Dilbert added. “Whatever is being said, the law’s working as the information is getting out there.”

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TS Nicole redefined

TS Nicole redefined

| 29/09/2010 | 15 Comments

(CNS): Updated 11:30am — Tropical Depression #16 turned into Tropical Storm Nicole at 10:00 am local time as the NHC redefined the centre of the system. The south east bands of Nicole continued to drench the Cayman Islands with more and more rains as yesterday’s forecasts that conditions were expected to improve today (Wednesday 29 September) proved incorrect. Cayman Islands Weather Services said the newly formed Tropical Storm was now closer to the Cayman Islands than previously forecast with an area of TS winds over the sister Islands. A report from Cayman Brac at 10:15am indicated sustained winds of 30 knots with a gust to 44 knots. All three islands will continue to experience overcast skies with frequent heavy showers.

 
Strong southwest to west winds reaching tropical storm force and rough seas, with wave heights of 8 to 10 feet are expected over our area. The south and west coasts of our Islands will continue to experience heavy wave action and some beach erosion. All boating interests should remain in safe harbour until further notice.
 
Cayman remains under a tropical storm warning and att 10:00am local time Nicole was located 120 miles ESE of Havana Cuba and moving towards the north east at 9 mph with maximum sustained Winds of 40mph.
  
Another 2 to 4 inches of rainfall are likely during the next 24 hours leading to extensive flooding of low lying areas. Residents of these areas should continue to take the necessary precautions.
 
Road networks are flooded and Hazard Management is asking motorists to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary. Standing water poses a risk, particularly when driven through at speed. Heavy rainfall can cause deep pockets of water to accumulate making roads impassable. When driving through flood water drivers are asked to proceed with caution as flooded roads could hide significant potholes. 
 
The CI National Weather Service will continue to monitor the progress of this system, and all residents are urged to stay tuned to the local media for further updates. Additional information on weather conditions over our area for the next 24 to 48 hours can be found in the local weather forecast. www.weather.ky or www.caymanprepared.ky
 
All public service announcements about Tropical Depression #16 will be posted on CNS Storm Watch, which has a quick link on the main menu bar in Classifieds to the latest updates about hurricanes and storms under the sub-categories ‘Be Prepared’, ‘Business Update’, ‘Official News’ and ‘Personal Notes’. The link to the Cayman Islands Weather site is also on the Classifieds menu bar so that all the weather information is easily accessible. 
 
 

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Schools closed to students

Schools closed to students

| 29/09/2010 | 128 Comments

(CNS): Updated 7:30am –Education officials have now confirmed that all government schools remain closed this morning for students. Staff who can travel safely, however, are asked to attend.  With continuing worsening weather and more rain expected, officials said parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor local media for further updates. The government run Cayman Brac Day Care Centre, which is an official hurricane shelter, has also been closed today, so too has UCCI and all private schools. At this stage government offices remain open. Schools closed at lunchtime yesterday in the wake of a tropical storm warning. HMCI said there is flooding on the road networks and drivers are asked to proceed with caution.

"Standing water poses a risk, particularly when driven through at speed. Heavy rainfall can cause deep pockets of water to accumulate making roads impassable," HMCI said, adding that when driving through flood water drivers should proceed with caution. "Maintain a very slow, steady speed. Flooded roads could hide significant potholes. Be especially vigilant when driving at night."

Government urges the public to listen for updates on the radio or view CaymanPrepared.

All public service announcements about Tropical Depression #16 will be posted on CNS Storm Watch, which has a quick link on the main menu bar in Classifieds to the latest updates about hurricanes and storms under the sub-categories ‘Be Prepared’, ‘Business Update’, ‘Official News’ and ‘Personal Notes’. The link to the Cayman Islands Weather site is also on the Classifieds menu bar so that all the weather information is easily accessible.

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Economic struggles tough on community’s elderly

Economic struggles tough on community’s elderly

| 29/09/2010 | 5 Comments

(CNS): Government officials are drawing attention to the plight of the older members of the community as the tough economic times can be even tougher on senior as they may not be physically, emotionally or financially independent. During Older Persons Month this October the focus will be on economically challenging times and helping old folks cope. Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Deanna Look Loy explained that the theme was selected to draw attention to the importance of older persons’ care, particularly during the current economic difficulties.

 
“Older persons face similar challenges to the rest of society. However, their situation is exacerbated because some cannot care for themselves either financially or physically and must rely on others to look after their affairs,” she said. “We hope to guide seniors in better-managing their resources, but also to reinforce the message that the community can make a positive difference in the lives of older citizens.”
 
Community affairs minister Mike Adam said that the community must redouble efforts to care for, protect and empower seniors especially in the face of the global economic situation. 
“We must help to guide them; assist in providing their material needs where possible; keep them engaged as active members of the family and community, and last but not least, learn from their wisdom,” the Minister said.
 
Detailing the month’s activities in a release from government information services, Older Persons Month Committee Chairperson Zemrie Thompson said that the extended celebration is intended to show appreciation to seniors. It will launch with the much-anticipated Governor’s Tea Party at Government House on Friday, 1 October.
 
A seniors’ weekend retreat is scheduled for 7 to 10 October at the Ramada Grand Caymanian Resort, and a Wellness Fair at the Seafarers Association is slated for Wednesday, 20 October from 10:00a.m to 1:00p.m.. The ultimate event – a Seniors’ Bash, again at the Red Bay Seafarers Association, will take place on Friday, 29 October between 7:00 and 10:00p.m.
 
Each district will also be staging community luncheons throughout the month. First up will be West Bay’s, on Thursday, 7 October at the Ramada Grand Caymanian Resort. It is a by invitation only event.
 
The North Side luncheon will take place at the district’s civic centre, 10:00am to 1:00pm on Tuesday, 12 October, while in Bodden Town, Coewood Beach has also been selected to host the 4:00- 7:00pm, Saturday,23 October dinner.
 
The venue for the Monday, 18 October George Town lunch is the Walker’s Road Family Life Centre, between 10:00am and 1:00pm. East End’s celebratory meal will also take place at the civic centre, on Tuesday, 19 October between 10:00am and 1:00pm. On Cayman Brac, a senior’s social celebration and the Launch of the Cayman Brac Seniors Social Club will be hosted on Thursday, 23 October at 7:00pm in the Aston Rutty Centre
 
 

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Selita features in rapper’s new video

Selita features in rapper’s new video

| 28/09/2010 | 43 Comments

(CNS): According to Rap-up.com, while the two may not be admitting any romantic involvement, Kayne West has shot a 40-minute video in Prague starring Cayman Islands supermodel Selita Ebanks. The song “Runaway” will be available October 4 on iTunes, the music website reports. The single is from the platinum-selling rapper’s much-anticipated new but yet to be titled album, which is set to be released on 22 November. Although West and Ebanks have been photographed together at a number of venues in recent weeks, Cayman’s supermodel has dismissed the rumours, insisting their relationship is purely platonic.

Ebanks recently commented on the speculation about rekindling her former romance with the rapper and said: "No, no, no … I’m just happy that he’s a great friend. I love his creativity. I love that he thinks outside the box. He’s just himself. Not only am I a fan, I support him 100 per cent."

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Healthcare takes centre stage

Healthcare takes centre stage

| 28/09/2010 | 10 Comments

(CNS): Government says it is planning a major national health care conference in November as part of its goal to improve the country’s health care system and see the industry play a part in developing the local economy. The Ministry of Health said the 11-13 November gathering will include insurance companies, patients, healthcare professionals, regulators and the Chamber of Commerce. Health minster Mark Scotland said the industry would be a future driver of growth. “It affects everyone, and our goal is to create a forum where we can bring together the divergent views, interests and collective intellect of all stakeholders with the benefit of international experts to develop a cohesive approach that will ensure a modern and sustainable healthcare system in the Cayman Islands” he added.

“A Participative Approach in Setting the Agenda for Health” will cover topics such as Medical tourism and its impact on economic and social development; Chronic disease and implications for the islands’ future; Health insurance: affordability, coverage, portability; The impact of technology on healthcare delivery; Healthcare careers for Caymanians; The potential for public/private-sector partnerships in sustainable healthcare delivery and questions of the sustainability of current expenditure on healthcare.

Scotland said healthcare impacts almost every area of life and it  was important for all groups interested in healthcare, particularly the private sector and the Chamber of Commerce, to be at the conference, the minister stated. “Healthcare is critical to economic growth and the involvement of the private sector is essential to our goals in making healthcare a major growth pillar of the Cayman economy,” he revealed.
 
The country’s premier said Cabinet had given its full support to the conference as government was committed to making healthcare a driver of economic development in the Cayman Islands.
 
“This conference will provide the opportunityfor everyone to bring our collective minds together to identify areas for the Cayman Islands to continue to modernize our healthcare delivery whilst taking advantage of global opportunities for growing our economy,” said McKeeva Bush.
 
Scotland explained that with technological innovation the way healthcare is delivered is changing and with easier access to healthcare information came a more knowledgeable patient. “Our challenge is to maintain a high quality cost effective service,” the minster said. “Hence the timeliness of this national conference, which will help to ensure that we are ahead of the curve in making sound, decisions to guarantee the sustainability of our healthcare-delivery system well beyond the next 20 years.”
 
Government said that a number of local and international organizations have already agreed to sponsor the event: LIME; Cerner Corporation, a leading US-based provider of healthcare information technology; Deloitte; Joh Alli Medical; Baptist Health; Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, which owns and operates acute care hospitals and related businesses; and The UK-based Medical Protection Society, a provider of comprehensive professional indemnity and expert advice to health professionals.
 
 
 

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