Archive for October, 2008
Sex offenders to be listed
(CNS): A proposal for an official Sex Offenders Register was approved by the Attorney General more than two years ago and sent to the Legal Drafting Department. However, no bill has since been submitted to the Legislative Assembly (LA). While police say it would be up to the LA to decide who would have access to a Cayman Islands register and to what level, local activist Sandra Catron, insists she will continue to fight until the government database is accessible to the public at large.
Catron announced in October that she intends to create a private sex offenders register on a website that would be open to all, and if necessary she would host and upload it in the United States to avoid running foul of the local Information Communication and Technology Authority (ICTA) or privacy laws. Following a release from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) about the official database, Catron said that if that was not made public her own would still go on the Internet.
According to police, the proposal is for the official Register to be a collection of information relating to persons convicted of any sexual offence and would include information such as the individual’s name, aliases, distinguishing marks, photograph, place of abode, work place and DNA samples.
The purpose of such database would be to monitor and supervise the offender, say police. In the United Kingdom this information is not made public, however in the United States under Megan’s Law the public has access to information about convicted sex offenders.
“In 2006 the RCIPS Family Support Unit (FSU), in conjunction with the Legal Department, submitted a Sex Offenders Register proposal to the Commissioner of Police for review,” an RCIPS release stated. “Soon after, the draft was forwarded and approved by the Attorney General and sent to the Legal Drafting Department where it is at present until its submittal to the Legislative Assembly to be made Law.”
Police say the advantages of such a register include the increased supervision and tracking of convicted sexual offenders, particularly those at high risk of re-offending after expiry of their parole or probation period, through knowledge of their patterns of offending and place of abode and employment, which would highlight any contact they may have with potential new victims.
The main intended use of the Register is for the personnel who have been recommended to supervise such offenders, such as police andprobation officers, who could have readily available information on all convicted offenders.
"The government seems to be half hearted in their commitment to a sexual offenders registry,” said Catron. “Now that the issue is in the forefront and one of major concern to the public they are able to reveal information that seems to have been on the back burner for far too long. How much longer will the people of these islands have to wait for a proper sex registry to be put in place?”
She continued, “Having said that, I am pleased that they have at least admitted the need for one. However, I will not stop my fight until this database is accessible to the public at large. Recent events and the number of persons that have come forward to me only confirm that this is the right thing to do. In other jurisdictions, the government mandates, oversees and maintains such a registry and it would be the right and proper thing to do. However, it is clear that private sector oversight is necessary as there’s a lack of political will to take this topic on with full force.”
Catron said the statement on the Sex Offenders Register by the RCIPS “proves that every person can make a difference in this community about issues that affect us and we should never rest until all our children are safe."
According to the FSU, one of the most important things you can do if a child has been sexually abused is respond in a calm and matter-of-fact manner. Listen to the words and feelings of the child and observe his or her body language. Believe the child – children rarely lie about sexual abuse.
If you don’t have enough information about what is going on, it is a good idea to ask questions and let the child know you are someone they can safely talk to about this issue. Be sure you do not ask leading questions. What is most important for you as someone who cares about the child is to say that no matter what happened or what they say, you will still love them.
Also, take the time to reassure the child that he or she has done nothing wrong. Let the child know that you will do whatever you can to keep him or her safe. Many people are tempted to handle the disclosure on their own. However, there are resources throughout the Cayman Islands that can help a family through this difficult situation. Furthermore, sexual abuse is illegal so it is important to seek professional help. By taking action you may reduce the risk of others in your community or family from being sexually abused.
Anyone wanting more information should contact the Family Support Unit at 946-9185 or the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre at 949-2422.
Esso boss says increase to Texaco fair
(CNS): As pump prices finally began to fall across the islands’ fuel stations today, Alan Neesome, Country Manager for Esso Standard Oil, defended accusations made by Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts last week that the firm had passed on an unfair increase to the islands’ second fuel supplier, Chevron-Texaco, for use of the storage facility.
Neesome said it was fair and the last time Esso increased “seaberth thruput fees” (sic) was in 2001. “The increase made in September is only 0.12 CI cents per Imperial Gallon (about a tenth of a CI cent per US gallon). This is relatively insignificant and does not cover the real inflation rate for the elapsed period (2001-2008),” he said. He explained that since 2004 Esso has invested over $2Million to replace seaberth pipelines and hoses.
“We installed a second larger diameter discharge hose and pipeline system which allows for two different products to be off-loaded from a ship simultaneously, ensuring an added degree of redundancy in the instance one of the receiving lines is out of service for maintenance and enhancing stability of fuel supplies to the island. It also means that ships can off-load in less time, which reduces risk exposure to changing weather situations because a ship can typically berth, off-load its cargo and unberth in about 18 hours,” he added.
Neesome said that it also reduces the instances of demurrage charges being incurred because discharge times are less. “In other words, by reducing the time that a ship has to be unloading its cargo, we made it a safer operation, reducing the potential impact for environmental impact.”
Denying any dispute with Chevron, he said the company was in fact negotiating a potential aviation joint operation at the airport with them, which he said was of interest to the government. “These on-going commercial negotiations are, of course, of a private and confidential nature,” he noted. Last week LoGB had said the suppliers were in a business dispute and the government would intervene if the two firms were not able to settle things among themselves.
The issue of fuel prices has remained extremely controversial as prices in the US seemed to fall dramatically recently while Cayman’s pump prices remain significantly high. However, Neesome explained yet again that the market in the United States is so different to the Cayman Islands that comparisons cannot be fairly made.
“The Cayman Islands’ fuel demand is extremely small. You can’t make a fair comparison of this market with the USA market, which represents 25 percent of the global demand and has totally different supply logistics,” Neesome added. “USA pump prices change more quickly reflecting the volatility (ups and downs) of the international fuels markets. Vessels currently come to the Cayman Islands for Esso on average every 21 days. To ensure consistent fuel supplies to the island these vessels are scheduled up to 3 months in advance by Esso Cayman’s suppliers and load several days or in some cases weeks prior to arriving in Cayman depending on the fuel source and the route to Cayman.”
He said that landed prices in here reflect international prices perhaps up to 20 or 30 days prior
to the date that the fuel actually arrives in Cayman and Esso pays the international price of the date the ship loads the fuel, not the international price of the date the ship discharges the fuel in Cayman.
“The lag is real,” he said. “In the volatile international environment which is subject to daily fuel
price fluctuations caused by many international factors, unlike the USA which has huge volumes and is constantly resupplied through its vast storage and distribution network, Grand Cayman because of its fuel supply logistics and very low fuel demand does not reflect this daily volatility in the domestic Cayman market. This is true whether international prices increase or decrease. “
He explained that the Cayman Islands, as well as the Caribbean, are exposed to international fuel price variations but with very limited influence on prices. However, Esso was doing what it could to be as efficient as possible in order to keep costs as low as possible.
“Our international fuel suppliers are sourcing their products from the most convenient points of supply in terms of quality, price and reliability,” Neesome added.
Justice case reveals 3rd party
(CNS): Legal wrangling over the sensitive contents of an affidavit presented to the court at Justice Alex Henderson’s Judicial Review has revealed that the special investigation team could be trying to protect the identity of further key witnesses in the police investigation. When the possibility of limited disclosure to the legal counsel was proposed by the presiding judge, the interests of at least one other mystery party were raised by the legal team.
As proceedings in front of expert UK Judge, Sir Peter Cresswell, regarding the Judicial Review for Henderson (who was not present) reconvened on Wednesday, 22 October, they centred on an extended affidavit by Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bridger. This long version had been presented at the start of this week’s hearing to the judge only, which, the special police investigating team’s legal counsel, Nicholas Purnell, QC, had sought to protect from open court through an application for Public Interest Immunity (PII).
The extended statement, as was later revealed, contained details of another, so far unnamed person involved in the special investigation, who although not directly related to the accusations made against Justice Henderson appeared to have some significance to the overall mystery police investigation into alleged corruption in the RCIPS and possibly the judiciary.
The day began with Purnell’s request to withdraw the extended affidavit and leave only the shorter version which was already in open court. He said that in reality the extended affidavit did not really impact the arguments surrounding the subject of the review and he was happy to set it aside. “If your Lordship, as has been previously suggested, can put this out of his mind then we are happy to proceed without this evidence,” said Purnell.
However, the request to withdraw the evidence, having already been seen by Cresswell, raised concerns both from the judge himself and Ramon Alberga, QC, Justice Henderson’s lead counsel, who was clearly disadvantaged having not had sight of the entire affidavit and unable to asses how relevant this was to his client and the case. “I believe I should be entitled to see it,” Alberga noted.
As a result, Cresswell proposed a counsel to counsel disclosure of the sensitive part of the affidavit to allow Alberga to decide whether or not he was prepared to allow the long affidavit to be withdrawn in the interest of protecting a sensitive police investigation or whether he would like to argue for disclosure.
At that point Purnell announced that if the extended affidavit was to be disclosed to anyone, including just counsel, then another interested party (not in the court or ever disclosed) had to be informed first. Causing an apparent unease among the special investigation team, the potential disclosure just to the applicant’s counsel triggered a flurry of activity from the members of the special investigation team.
Secret notes were then written and passed around the legal teams, including Alberga’s team and the judge, regarding the identity of thisthird and possibly fourth party and why they needed to be informed. Although no details of the person’s identity was given in open court it was clear through Purnell’s requests that at least one other person had a significant interest in keeping the details of Bridger’s affidavit closed, and if the Judge was to suggest even counsel to counsel disclosure it was emphasized that this other party may want to file another PII to stop it.
Throughout the day’s hearing Purnell pushed for the need to keep all of the latter part of Bridger’s affidavit from disclosure to anyone, as it was so sensitive and was concerned with matters unrelated to theJudicial Review but crucial to the integrity of the ongoing police investigation.
In the end, with an interest in moving the case forward, Alberga stated that he would not object to Purnell withdrawing the sensitive paragraphs of Bridger’s statement provided he disclosed any details that may directly affect his client, Henderson. Eventually, all parties agreed to withdraw some 20 paragraphs from Bridger’s original affidavit and get ready to argue the actual case tomorrow at the urging of Creswell, who expressed his desire to hear the matter as quickly as possible. “I want to get on with it,” he said frequently. However, Purnell persistently argued that time could not be allowed to constrain the hearing.
During the day’s proceedings, the Attorney General (AG) Sam Bulgin was also called to the court in case he was needed to assist Creswell in hearing arguments regarding the proposed PII application. However, the possibility of the AG seeing the sensitive elements of Bridger’s affidavit was raised again by Purnell, who noted that although he was happy for the AG to offer advice on the law and the principle of PII in general, he did not want him seeing the full affidavit.
The AG also brought with him literature regarding the role and duties of Justices of the Peace in the Cayman Islands to assist Creswell in his decision regarding Carson Ebanks’ signature on the warrants to both arrest justice Henderson and allow his home and office to be searched, along with the seizure of his computer and cell phones.
Meanwhile, as speculation mounted that the third party and other details in Bridger’s secret affidavit concerned other senior members of the Cayman Islands judiciary as potentially accused and witnesses, it was revealed that Chief Justice Anthony Smellie had left the island. However, Acting Chief Justice Charles Quinn confirmed that Justice Smellie had gone to Miami owing to a serious illness in the family, but was himself in good health and would be returning both to the island and work as soon as the family medical emergency permitted.
The judicial review continues Thursday and is expected to see the parties argue the points submitted by Henderson and the fundamental issue of whether the warrants were actually lawful.
The OECD unleashed yet again
If anyone had any doubts about the storm brewing for Cayman, the reports following the recent meeting of 17 OECD member countries (the rich club that does not want anyone else to become rich) led by France and Germany will make the position clear. Offshore financial centres are in the spotlight again and a renewed attack is under way.
Various extreme and aggressive statements have been made by certain political leaders about prying open and/or shutting down tax havens, punishing those who deal with them and the like. That may be the standard rhetoric we have come to expect from the US and European (including the UK) politicians trying to deflect criticism from the mess they have created in global financial markets and in their own domestic economies. And a significant number of important global financial players, such as the US, Luxembourg, Austria and Switzerland opted not to attend the meeting.
Code of Conduct issued for Cayman Directors
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Directors Association (CIDA) has announced the issue of its code of professional conduct. A release from CIDA explains that the association was formed earlier this year to promote and maintain professional standards of directors serving on the boards of Cayman Islands companies.
There are presently 120 members of the association. Requirements for membership are that applicants must be directors and must either be employed by a Monetary Authority licensed entity or be individuals sponsored by two existing members of the association. The Executive Committee is made up of Paul Harris (President), Don Seymour (Vice President), Allison Nolan (Secretary), Rex Rankine (Assistant Secretary), Jonathan Nicholson (Treasurer), Garry Wilkins, Victor Murray, David Egglishaw and Peter Anderson.
At the first AGM of the Association held on 27 May 2008 the membership voted to appoint a Committee to develop a code of professional conduct for members (photo above). After a review of several codes of conduct from various sources, the Committee entered into correspondence with the Institute of Directors (IOD) in the United Kingdom, a UK recognised body defining the conduct of directors in the United Kingdom and several other jurisdictions. As a result the IOD has given CIDA permission to base its Code on their Code of Professional Conduct for Chartered Directors and to refer to the link provided the CIDA Code did not differ materially. The CIDA Code is therefore almost identical to the code for directors prevailing in the UK.
The Executive Committee of CIDA has accepted the recommendation of the Code of Conduct Committee and, in accordance with the articles of association of CIDA, has approved the Code as a Code of Professional Conduct with which all CIDA Members must comply. Paul Harris, president of the association, said he was pleased with the recommendation since members would obviously be comfortable conforming to a Code which is so widely recognised in the UK and internationally.
The secretary of the IOD, in giving permission for the IOD Code to be used as a base for the CIDA code summed up the advantages to this alignment when he noted in correspondence with CIDA: "My view on best corporate governance practice is that it should be widely shared, as there is no point in it, if it does not carry general accord."
Harris also noted the importance of the Code being launched at this time when there have been failures in the fund sector. “In view of the state of the world financial markets, there is a possibility that further failures, or at least restructuring, will occur. In such cases additional pressures will no doubt be placed upon the directors of those funds. Hopefully the Code will play some part in assisting directors successfully confront the issues they are expected to face in the months to come.”
Asked what would be the situation of directors who were not members of the Association, Harris agreed that they would not be subject to the Code but pointed out that most Cayman resident directors involved in the fund industry were in fact already members of the association and the remainder would probably soon join now that the Code was in place.
A copy of the Code is published on the Association’s web site at www.cida2008.com
New Manager for SMB Post Office
(CNS): The new district manager of the Seven Mile Beach (SMB) Post OfficeMartena Villalobos, who will be responsible for managing that facility’s daily activities and everything that entails, as well as liaising with customers and supervising seven staff members. However, Villalobos says she welcomes the challenge.
“Just knowing that I am manager of the fourth-largest post office on these islands fills me with pride. My greatest satisfaction comes when a customer walks inside to mail a letter; knowing that I am part of the team that will ensure that that piece of mail arrives safely, gives me such a good feeling,” she said.
Promising that the excellent service that Seven Mile Beach Post Office customers have come to expect will continue, Villalobos said, “Nothing’s carved in stone, so I will listen to suggestions that have the potential for us to do even better.”
In previous years Ms Villalobos has worked in several capacities, chiefly in the hospitality sector. Formerly a human resources manager at the Reef Resort, she also did a stint with the Postal Service—where she was Savannah’s District Manager.
Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow said, “Managing the Seven Mile Post Office will certainly keep Ms Villalobos busy, given the facility’s volume of customers and mail. But I am sure she’s up to it and will be a positive addition there.
Growing up in East End, one of Villalobos’ childhood responsibilities was collecting mail. That sparked her interest in the postal service because, as she explained, her father, Thomas Carter, was a seaman.
“Mail was our only method of communicating in those days, and receiving a letter from my dad always filled our household with such pleasure. Iwant to extend that same feeling to today’s customers,” she said.
New Junior Minister of Tourism
(CNS): For the third year in a row, a student from Cayman Brac High School (CBHS) has been selected to hold the post of Junior Minister of Tourism after winning the 2008 Ministry and Department of Tourism Speak-Off Competition, held last Friday, 17 October. Karthika Velusamy proved herself to be an expert debater after successfully arguing her position on the three given topics. (Photo: 2007-2008 Junior Minister of Tourism Myfanwy Leggatt – left – presents Karthika Velusamy with her winning plaque)
According to a release from the DoT, the Competition was held in the Multi-Purpose Hall at the University College of the Cayman Islands and housed a crowd eager to learn who the new Junior Minister would be for the coming year. The three contenders were Andrel Harris (John Gray High School), Jovonnie Anglin (CBHS) and the new Junior Minister of Tourism, Karthika Velusamy.
Prior to the competition the participants were given two of the three topics in order to effectively prepare their speaking points. Students were allocated two minutes to argue their position on each topic to the officials judging the Competition.
The first topic was “Climate Change and the impact on Cayman Islands tourism” and the young debaters were asked to discuss what two major ideas or activities they would recommend in order to put a serious focus on climate change in the Cayman Islands.
Second, they were asked to discuss what measures they would recommend putting into place to encourage more young people to seriously consider lending their talents to build and grow Cayman Islands tourism for the betterment of the country. Every participant felt that properly educating young Caymanians was key to attracting Cayman Islands youth to view tourism as a viable career option. Karthika also spoke about the DOT’s Tourism Apprenticeship Training Programme, referring to recent graduate Bethany Ebanks whose dream of becoming a pastry chef has become a reality because of the Programme.
Additionally, a mystery topic was asked and each student was given one minute to prepare their thoughts and 90 seconds to respond to the topic. The three participants were asked to pretend that they were the Cayman Islands Chief Minister and discuss what two or three measures they would recommend that Government put in place to significantly boost tourism in the Cayman Islands over the next 12 to 18 months.
With three winning arguments, Karthika proposed offering travel packages to all three islands to increase revenues and the value appeal to visitors. She also discussed increasing the number of cruise arrivals, as well as the use of public transportation so that visitors could avoid spending money on car rentals. Andrel discussed reducing the cost of airfares and increasing the production of locally-made goods to act as inexpensive keep-sakes for the visitor; while Jovonnie felt encouraging the use of Hybrid cars and targeting the wealthier market who may not be feeling the effects of the economic downturn were important measures to consider.
Patrice Donalds, Tourism Training and Development Coordinator for the Department of Tourism, said that the initiative of using debate as a means of building students’ awareness of the complexities of the tourism industry began six years ago as a team-based tournament. She went on to list all of the previous Junior Ministers of Tourism, referring to them as hall of famers:
2003 – Joni Ebanks (JGHS), who went on to compete in St. Thomas, USVI
2004 – Heidi Knowlton (CBHS), who competed in Aruba
2005 – Thea Bush (JGHS), who travelled to St. Thomas to represent the Cayman Islands
2006 – Nickolas DaCosta (CBHS), whose debating skills took him to Puerto Rico
2007 – Myfanwy Leggatt (CBHS), whose quiet grace and eloquence earned her placement of First Runner-Up in the CTO Youth Congress, a new laptop and US$300.
After tallying the total marks for each student, Karthika Velusamy was chosen to represent the Cayman Islands as the 2008/2009 Junior Minister of Tourism. Andrel Harris finished as First Runner-Up and Jovonnie Anglin, Second Runner-Up. Karthika addressed the crowd for the first time as Junior Minister of Tourism and thanked the Ministry and Department of Tourism for giving her an opportunity to represent her country.
Karthika and her coach, Yvette Gayle, and Patrice Donalds travel to Port of Spain on Saturday, 25 October, to represent the Cayman Islands in the Caribbean Tourism Conference and participate in the Caribbean Youth Congress.
Photo: From left, 2008 Tourism Speak-Off Competitors Jovonnie Anglin, 2008-2009 Junior Minister of Tourism Karthika Velusamy and Andrel Harris.
Prison choir celebrates first anniversary
(CNS): On Saturday, 17 May, the Voices of Hope (VOH) gospel choir at HMP Northward hosted a concert for fellow inmates. According to a release from HM Prison Services, the occasion was to celebrate and give God the glory for the one-year anniversary of the choir. The program included special items by fellow inmates from Northward and Fairbanks and two special items from visiting guests.
Songs included “Why me, Lord?”, “God on the Mountain”, “My God is Real”, “Just a little talk with Jesus”, “Men of Faith”, “Jesus hold my hand” and many other favorites.
The VOH choir commenced on 15 May 2007, under the direction of volunteer Cathy Gomez and was the result of a request from inmate Dwight Plummer to form a quartet. The first practice resulted in 16 inmates attending, and so a choir was born! Over the period of the year 28 inmates have participated in the choir, with 7 members being released and 8 of the original members remaining. Currently the number of choir members remains at 16. The choir meets twice per week and is accompanied by Gomez on the keyboards along with experienced and enthusiastic drummer Dave Whittaker. On occasion, guest bass guitarists or keyboard players have participated at special events.
During the concert, Gomez provided a short reflection of the events of the past year, including the fact that the first practice was without music! Nevertheless, she acknowledged at that early stage that the sound the choir produced was simply awesome. Since that time the ministry to others has been very rewarding and a blessing to all who participate and all who come to listen. The members have been faithful, many times attending practice when they are tired from work or even feeling ill.
Over the past year, the VOH choir acquired uniforms consisting of black pants and light blue shirts with the VOH cross logo in colors of red and gold. They have presented a Christmas and Easter Cantata to fellow inmates and staff of Northward, Fairbanks and Eagle House, participated in a Christmas concert, and sang at a number of church services at Northward. The concerts have been uplifting and well received by all.
Small tokens of appreciation were presented to all choir members, in addition to five members receiving special recognition for attendance, including two for perfect attendance.
Several visitors attended the concert from various church groups. Brother Courtney Perrin of the Savannah Seventh Day Adventist Church, attended choir performances on many occasions prior, and had this to say: “Heartiest congratulations to Cathy Gomez and the Voices of Hope Choir on their first anniversary as a choir. It is a blessing to see men interested in something like this. I believe this is a ministry that has manifold blessings. First, coming together to engage in something that is so positive is in itself therapeutic. Taking time out to consistently attend rehearsals, show commitment to a cause. Then there is the fellowship and interaction of the choir, coupled with the positive messages they bring. This has been truly a blessing. Once again, congratulations Ms Cathy, and may God continue to bless the ministry of The Voices of Hope.”
Rev. Dr Dave Hazle from Elmslie Memorial United Church commented, “I was most inspired by the experience of attending a performance of the Voices of Hope Choir on Saturday, 17 May 2008. It was pleasing to hear these inmates singing Christian songs, both traditional and contemporary. The enthusiasm and effort was evident and I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation. The concert experience has given me hope for the future of these men, and visions of an unprecedented move of God that would bring many of them to faith in Christ. Congratulations to the hard working choir director Cathy Gomez and to all the members of the choir.”
Basketball U-19 Boys and Girls Leagues Action
(CNS): Three weeks into the season and already the entertainment and action are getting better and better in the Cayman Islands Basketball Association’s (CIBA) U-19 Boy and Girl Leagues.
In the games, which took place at the CIBA court off Eastern Avenue on Saturday, Tarheels Playmakers defeated Young Wolves 81-55 in the first game of the evening (left); Monarch took down Comets 56-25 and Links doused Sparks 37-31 in the final game of the evening for the U-19 Girls.
According to a release from the CIBA, young Josh Cotterell (Tarheels) entertained fans as he dunked the ball on several occasions. Cotterell was architect of his team’s win as he scored 27 points, secured 16 rebounds and was responsible for five steals and two blocks. Side-kicks David Taylor scored 18 points and Haymond Rankine had 14 points and secured 20 rebounds. They also provided those in the stands with some flying action.
Truth be told, the evening’s first game featuring Tarheels and Wolves was a one-sided affair, as the defending champs (Tarheels) secured their second win of the season. This is not to say that Wolves did not have some shining players of their own. Darrel Paddyfoot and Ruben Smith were the top-scorers. Paddyfoot netted 16 points and 15 rebounds. Smith was second with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Tarheels placed Wolves under their heels in the first moments of the game with Josh landing the first couple of shots in the rim. In fact, the score was 33-26 at the opening of the second quarter. In the third quarter, Wolves slowed the onslaught of Tarheels to nine points. This was due in part to young Tikko Moore, David Terry and Ben Stoner who closely guarded Cotterell. The three took turns sticking closely to Cotterell, which kept the Tarheels’ main player under wraps. In the end, Tarheels changed their game plan as they drew on other players. Wolves, on the other hand, had a very short bench of only six players.
This is the first time that Young Wolves is appearing as a team in CIBA’s U-19 Boys League so coach Durand “Trini” Whittaker” stressed that he views this season as developmental period.
“We have a young team, some players are only 15 years-old and for some this is the first time they are playing organised basketball. We are looking to the future and not immediate results and I would like to thank our team because each time we play, we are getting better and better,” he added.
Monarch, the defending champs of the women’s U-19 league ruled Comets 56-25 in the second game of the evening.
It seemed that the stars were aligned for Monarch – they have the height, the experience and fitness to out match the younger, less experienced Comets, as the results showed.
However, Comets’ 12-year-old Felicia Conner’s three-pointer in the first quarter put Monarch on notice not to toy with their opponents.
In the second quarter, Comets were on a run and came within eight points of catching Monarchs. However, Monarchs rallied to win the game in the third and fourth quarters.
Conner was the leading scorer for Comets with nine points. Tracey Hydes added 12 rebounds.
Monarch’s top-gun was Christsanian McLean, who led with 16 points and 14 rebounds and April Ebanks had 14 points and 10 rebounds along with five steals.
In the final match of the evening, Lynx overcame Sparks 37-31 in a close and exciting game.
Catherine Ebanks led with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 4 steals; Annique Holness added 14 points and 15 rebounds in her game debut. Kimberly Pitta led with 16 points and 22 rebounds.
Cayman Islands Basketball Association’s U-19 Boys games are played on Tuesdays (6.15 p.m.) and Saturdays (4:00 p.m.). CIBA U-19 Girls games are played on Saturdays from 6:00 p.m.
All games are played at CIBA’s court off Eastern Avenue.
Chagos exiles ‘cannot return’
(BBC): Exiles of the Chagos Islands will not be able to return to their homeland, the House of Lords has ruled. The government won its appeal against a previous court decision that had ruled in favour of 2,000 former residents of the British Indian Ocean territory. They were evicted in the 1960s when the colony was leased to the US to build an airbase on the atoll of Diego Garcia. Go to article