Archive for February, 2009
Boxing bout knocked out
(CNS): Update: The Minister of Tourism has announced that there will be no international televised boxing extravaganza featuring local boxing hero Charles Whittaker at the top of the bill in Cayman this year. Charles Clifford said that the expected cost of $1.85 million to stage the event was too much given the current economic climate and that the boxer had been informed of the decision. Reports that the World Boxing Council had refused to sanction a fight in the Cayman Islands between Whittaker and junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest are, apparently.
Forrest’s promoter Gary Shaw had made a request to get permission from the WBC to stage Forrest-Whittaker on April 25 in the Cayman Islands, televised by Showtime, as it was believed that residents would pay to see one of their own fighting for a major title. However, the WBC refused to sanction any fight for the title other than one between Forrest and Sergio Martinez, and Forrest risked being automatically stripped of the title if he went ahead with the bout with Whittaker.
“Over the past several weeks the Ministry of Tourism, along with the Ministry of Sports and some of our departments have been in serious negotiations with Gary Shaw Promotions in an effort to bring a world class, televised boxing event to the Cayman Islands that would feature our very own Charles Whittaker,” said Clifford.
“However, given the current global economic climate and its impact on available discretionary government funds; coupled with the fact that this Showtime bout was an unbudgeted item of very large magnitudewhich only presented itself this year, the government yesterday decided that it was just not possible to move forward with the event at this time.”
Clifford said the first Showtime boxing event, ‘Cayman Knockout’, held in 2008 at the Royal Watler Terminal, cost US $1.1 million but this next event with ‘Killa’ toping the bill would have cost US$1.85 million, or over 60% more. The minister stated that following the government’s decision on Friday, he advised Charles Whittaker and Gary Shaw Promotions of the decision.
"We hope that similar opportunities to work together for the benefit of Charles Whittaker and the Cayman Islands tourism industry will be available in the future when circumstances allow us to pursue them," he added. "The Government is truly disappointed that we were not able to pursue this opportunity at this time. We hope to eventually work together to find an opportunity for our local champ but unfortunately we are not in a position to pursue this proposed unbudgeted event at this time."
The decision to stage ‘Cayman Knockout’ last year as a tourism event, which featured Whittaker on the bill but did not televise his bout live, raised considerable controversy. The Leader of the Opposition, McKeeva Bush and other critics accused Clifford of vanity over the costly exercise which was not consider an appropriate promotional event for Cayman’s tourism market.
The Minister defended his decisions and the cost saying that the boxing match was beamed live into the homes of millions of people in the US and around the world promoting the Cayman Islands in a way that would be difficult to buy through the normal course of promotion and marketing.
Sportsman clinches YCLA
(CNS): Elroy Bryan has won this year’s Young Cayman Leadership Award, a Senior Teacher / PE Teacher at the Lighthouse School, Bryan received the title and trophy at a gala dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman last night (22 February). Well known in the community for his commitment to youth sports, Bryan is Coordinator for the Cayman Islands National Little League Programme, Head Track Coach for Special Olympics and represented the Cayman Islands at CARIFTA and CAC.
At his day job Bryan is responsible for assisting senior management with the overall running of a special needs school, liaising with government entities regarding facility management, computers and peripheral devices as well as planning lessons and educating over 60 students in physical education.
Described as a young man of integrity, compassion, respect and love who balances his work, family and physical and spiritual well-being in a way that is to be admired by everyone, Bryan beat out Marilyn Connolly, Raquel Solomon, Chris Duggan and Sean Parchment to take the coveted title.
Cayman signs deal with Saudi aviation authority
(CNS): The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI) has signed an agreement with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia allowing aircraft registered in the Cayman Islands to be operated for commercial purposes by a Saudi Arabian airline. Signalling a new level of cooperation between the two aviation regulatory authorities, the Director-General of Civil Aviation Richard Smith said it was quite an accomplishment for the Cayman Islands.
This agreement, known as an Article 83 bis Agreement in accordance with the International Convention on Civil Aviation (ICAO), provides for the sharing of aircraft regulatory oversight responsibilities between the State of Registry (Cayman Islands) and the State of Operator (Saudi Arabia).
“This agreement has been well thought out, it follows established international standards for safety oversight and we have created a partnership that is beneficial to all parties involved. I am quite pleased with this accomplishment and the high level of aviation safety oversight that the CAACI is able to provide globally,” said Smith.
TheCAACI says that Cayman’s Aircraft Registry is one of choice and is attractive to prominent global corporations, affluent individuals and aircraft leasing companies due to the highly regulated and stable jurisdiction Cayman offers. As a movable asset, it is important for aircraft leasing companies and financiers to have their assets registered in a jurisdiction such as the Cayman Islands.
In entering into such agreement, the UK, as signatory to international treaties, must be satisfied and give its approval. The CAACI was provided with an entrustment by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to sign this international agreement, which is in keeping with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
This level of commitment and partnership is indicative of the credible reputation and quality of safety oversight the two authorities will provide to aircraft affected by this Agreement, the CAACI said. The Agreement was signed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by the Director-General of Civil Aviation for the Cayman Islands Richard Smith and Capt Mohammad Ali Jamjoom, Vice President of Safety & Economic Regulation for the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Saudi Arabia.
“This agreement has been well thought out, it follows established international standards for safety oversight and we have created a partnership that is beneficial to all parties involved. I am quite pleased with this accomplishment and the high level of aviation safety oversight that the CAACI is able to provide globally,” said Smith.
Farmers stock arrives in good shape
“This has been a challenging undertaking but we are very satisfied that the Department has been able to facilitate this shipment and assist local farmers to both replenish and expand herd numbers and more importantly, upgrade and enhance the quality of livestock in the Cayman Islands,” Estwick added.
Under the programme, which started last year, local farmers were able to select and purchase new breeding stock of both cattle and goats in the US independently or as part of a buying trip organized by the DoA in October last year. Once the purchases were completed, the DoA then assumed responsibility for all of the costs of quarantining the animals, including housing, feeding and veterinary testing, as well as all shipping and insurance costs.
“The way the programme was designed allowed farmers to select and purchase exactly what animals they wanted and still benefit from a cost-effective and affordable mechanism for upgrading their herds,” explained Estwick. “Essentially our farmers were able to buy top-quality breeding stock at the same price paid by ranchers in Florida.”
On arrival all of the animals, in their six specially outfitted forty foot containers, were taken directly to the Department of Agriculture’s Lower Valley facility where they were held to undergo various inspections and health checks. Once completed, release of the animals to their new owners began on Wednesday 4 February. Animals for Cayman Brac were delayed due to weather conditions butthey left on Tuesday, 10 February.
Prior to receipt of their animals the farmers signed a contract which specified that the animals are to be used for breeding purposes and are not to be slaughtered fiveyears for cattle and three for goats, except for medical reasons and with the express written authorization of the DoA. Failure to adhere to the contract will make the farmer liable to repay the government for the cost incurred in importing the livestock.
“This contractual obligation was first proposed by the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society (CIAS) and endorsed by both the Ministry and the Department, when the programme was first initiated,” Estwick said. “The purpose of the contract is to protect government’s investment, which has been substantial, and to ensure that the animals are used for the purpose intended, that is to expand and upgrade local livestock operations and ultimately local meat production.”
DoA takes aim at fruit flies
(CNS): They may be very small in the grand scheme of things but fruit flies can present a significant threat to crops — one of the reasons why staff from the Department of Agriculture were putting them under the microscope last month during a week-long workshop. Partnering with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the DoA’s aim was to improve its capability to identify fruit flies of economic importance.
The workshop was also designed to help staff create a network of trapping sites to aid in the early detection of the potential entry of fruit flies into the Cayman Islands as well as confirm the absence or presence of fruit flies in the Cayman Islands. Other goals were to learn identification techniques, which will enhance the capabilities of the front line Inspection Services staff to detect, identify and prevent the entry of the fruit flies and enable the DoA to fully participate in and contribute data to the regional programmes related to the identification, monitoring and management of fruit flies within the Caribbean.
The department was also seeking to train and enable the DoA staff to respond to the needs of the agricultural sector in the event of the confirmation of the presence of these pests or their entry intothe country.
Minister for Agriculture Kurt Tibbetts, who is also a fruit grower, said he was comforted by the fact that the DoA is taking steps to improve local crop outputs, and undertaking training to protect the existing fruit production
Lionel Wayne De Chi, Agricultural Scientist with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), highlighted the USDA’s commitment to assist the Caribbean region in combating exotic pests of which fruit flies have been identified as a priority area.
“The region is aware of the fact that when there is an invasion of a pest to any country in the Caribbean area this eventually spreads to the other islands, and as such, this group has decided that transparency and the sharing of information between each other must be a cornerstone in the success to the forum,” said De Chi.
Cops meet youth workers on drug and alcohol issues
(CNS): People who are working with Cayman’s youngsters were given the chance to discuss the issues regarding the use of drugs and alcohol among them with officers from West Bay Police Station recently, when the Youth Services Department organized a collaborative meeting. “This was a highly constructive session which centred on identifying creative ways in which to reach young people within the community,” said Area Commander Chief Inspector Angelique Howell.
Using statistics from the National Drug Council the police and youth workers looked at ways to effectively educate young people on the dangers of getting involved with illegal drugs or alcohols. “We need to work together with other agencies and community leaders who have the expertise and knowledge to captivate young people to make a real difference,” added CI Howell.
She explained that the session was just one of the ways the police plan to target young people and assist them where necessary. “We’re planning a series of meetings to take place in March between the police and young people so we can hear directly from them what concerns they have. Our young people are our future and we want to assist them with their personal and professional development in any way we can,” she said. Held at the John Grey Memorial Church, 11 people attended the session including MLA, Rolston Anglin.
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.
Tax havens not to blame
(Reuters): Gibraltar’s leader Peter Caruana has said that tax havens are not to blame for the global financial crisis and should not be made scapegoats for the banking sector’s woes. “Everybody knows where the cause is and it’s not in Jersey, it’s not in Guernsey, it’s not in the Isle of Man, it’s not in Switzerland, it’s not in Gibraltar," he said. The global financial crisis stemmed from events in the major finance centres of the world — New York, London and Frankfurt and one or two centres in Asia, Caruana added. Go to article.
Secret child transfer ‘inhumane’, says professor
(CNS): Professor Barry Chevannes has called a government decision to prevent a mother from saying goodbye to her child being transferred to Tranquility Bay as “inhumane". However, the UWI consultant and author of a report surrounding the details of a Cayman Islands teenager that was sent to the reform school in Jamaica (left) states that the decision to send the girl to the controversial school was justified.
Despite the significant amount of evidence that the methods used at this particular school, which is now closed, were questionable, neither Chevannes or the Minister of Health and Human Services Anthony Eden believed sending young at-risk Caymanians to the facility was inappropriate — it was considered a viable last resort option for troubled youngsters despite it being offshore and having a very controversial reputation.
The minister told the press yesterday (Thursday 19 February) at a specially convened briefing that the reason his ministry had commissioned the report was because the child’s mother had complained about the decision to send her daughter to Tranquility Bay and to keep that decision from both her and her daughter.
Although this young girl is not the first troubled youngster sent from Cayman to the school, it was the first time a parent had complained publicly about the decision and, as a result, the ministry had promised to investigate. In his report summary, Prof Chevannes said that, in light of the child’s behaviour and its deterioration, the decision to send her to Tranquility Bay was justified, but the decision not to tell her mother was unwarranted and violated the mother’s right to know.
Chevannes added that the decision to deny permission for the child to spend Christmas with her Grandmother was “…most insensitive, even taking into consideration the child’s history of absconding.” He said the failure to advise the child’s mother of the departure date and time of her daughter’s removal from the island and further denying her the chance to say farewell were inhumane.
In his report, Chevannes says he supports the government decision to establish its own facility and recommendsthat in future the right of parents to know shoudl be enforced and for the Department of Children and Family Services to be restructured to minimise divergence by staff.
The minister said there would be no direct consequence to anyone in the department as a result of the report but the recommendations were already being addressed with the DCFS being divided into two units. He also said that government was seeking to establish a secure facility somewhere in the eastern side of the island. He explained that the problem of what to do with young people who were at risk or in trouble was problematic and more so now Tranquility Bay was closed.
“We do recognise that our best option is an on-island facility and work is underway to confirm the most suitable site, complete drawings and other detailed discussions,” the minister stated, but he said the most important thing was to build a robust therapeutic rehabilitation programme that is appropriate for young persons and run by qualified experienced staff.
“The needs of young persons in this area are indeed pressing and I trust the goodwill of the entire community can be summoned to give priority to the necessary funding in the present economic realities; and to appreciate that someone will have to be the neighbour to this facility,” the minister added, saying his ministry was committed to addressing the needs of children.
However, the Children (Amendment) Bill, which was originally drafted in 2003, has still not been brought to the house during his four year tenure, as was indicated by government. Eden said that he hoped to table it and debate the bill before the dissolution of the House, which will be in approximately four weeks time.
He also confirmed that, despite contravening international laws regarding the rights of the child, there were still children inside both of Cayman’s adult prison facilities – HMP Fairbanks, the women’s facility and HMP Northward, the men’s facility. Moreover, Eden acknowledged that adult prisoners are now also being accommodated in Eagle House, which is a secure unit for young offenders up to the age of 21.
The problem of how Cayman deals with its young offenders or troubled youth has long been at issue, but over the years the courts have sent more than twenty young people to the controversial Tranquility Bay facility, whose owners have admitted to using pepper spray on their wards and to making them lay on the floor for days. The use of painful restraint techniques that do not leave bruising have also been reported at the facility by parents and former attendees.
A number of international organisations have raised concerns about the school, including the Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse. However, the Department of Child and Family Services said they had visited the facility along with officers from the Family Service Unit of the RCIPS and interviewed the children who were kept there, and said they believed they were doing well at the facility and there was no indication that they were being abused.
Justice Priya Levers was the first of Cayman’s judges to question the tradition of sending very troubled youth to the facility, and last year said the policy should be reconsidered until a report of the facility was completed.
It beggars belief
It appears that (yet another) UK Government appointed team is due to arrive shortly with a mandate to probe
MoneyGram scuppers scam
(CNS): A woman who fell for a scam was prevented from sending $850 to a bogus company in Africa by vigilant MoneyGram staff. Officers from the RCIPS Financial Crime Unit were called to the money transfer company after a woman informed staff she wanted to send the cash to Nigeria. The company has instigated a system where transfers to countries which regularly feature on scam warning lists throw up a red flag.
Detectives attended and found that the woman was sending the cash in order to receive a $40,000 loan from a bogus company. The woman was assured that once she had sent her cash the loan would never be forthcoming and she would not hear from the company again. The woman was extremely grateful to the staff at the store and the detectives who collectively saved her 850 dollars.
“Scam artists are continually coming up with new ways to target consumers,” said Detective Constable Sherry Francella of the FCU. “It’s really good to see companies being aware of these issues and doing what they can to protect their customers.”
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.