Archive for March, 2009
Gardeners to save local trees
(CNS): Much more than a garden centre the opening of the Native Tree Nursery at the Botanic Park at the weekend signals the start of a concerted campaign to get Cayman’s gardeners and landscapers growing local. “As development increases across Cayman and natural habitat is lost, then gardeners become increasingly more important in the drive to save our endangered endemic species,” said Mat Cottam (left with Governor) from the DoE. “More than ever we need gardeners to propagate the trees and plants which are unique to Cayman and save them from extinction.”
Aside from the over riding need to preserve local species there are also a number of other good reasons for gardeners to grow local, not least the fact that they are far easier to grow than plants or trees which are not native to the islands. Having evolved here Cayman’s endemic species are perfectly adapted to our climate and environment so even those with less green fingers can enjoy the fruits of their gardening labour if they choose local species. And many native species have been here so long they too have adapted to the geographical and climate conditions and therefore flourish without the constant tending of exotic species.
Officially opening the nursery, which was a three year collaborative effort between amateur conservation groups, the Botanic Gardens and the Department of Environment, the Governor commended the hard work and offered his support to the project. “This is a very important and worthwhile contribution towards preserving the local environment and I thoroughly encourage all our gardeners to go Caymanian,” the governor, who has contributed to the nursery project through the FCO Governor’s fund, said.
The nursery is selling some thirty different species of plants, shrubs and trees under the Cayman Collection label from white fiddlewood to black mastic and staff at the nursery say, growing your own tree even from seed, will only take a couple of years something which is more difficult with non-native species.
Cottam said local trees and plants require less water and fertilizer and are often suited to our challenging environments and are both salt and drought tolerant. Moreover, they are also stress adapted and tolerant to disease. Above all they attract local wildlife such as birds and butterflies and will contribute to preserving the bio-diversity of the islands.
“Native trees make for hardy, inexpensive and low maintenance landscaping,” Cottam said. “Gardeners can play a significant part in saving many species which are becoming increasingly rare by planting them in their gardens and letting them grow.”
Preserving local plant life is also about preserving Cayman’s heritage as many of our unique species have cultural significance as they were used by early settler for medicinal purposes and other practical purposes as well as in construction and boat building.
The amatuer gardener’s role as well as the professional landscaper can never be under estimated and their assistance in preserving species on the brink is demonstrated by the revival of Cayman Sage. Only a few years ago Cayman Sage was believed to be extinct however, it was rediscovered by chance by a local gardening enthusiast who drew it to the attention of the DoE and the Botanic Gardens. As a result the team at the nursery has been able to save the species and bring it back to life. Now the nursery is in a position to sell seedling s for only $3 and help spread this traditional plant back into the kitchen gardens of Cayman.
Most experts agree that biodiversity is critical in maintaining the ecological balance of our wider environment and the more we can protect the diversity of local habitats the more we are able to save the critically endangered species. Efforts to preserve the blue iguana for example would be in vain if we cannot also preserve the wider habitat which supports it.
For more details of the Native Tree Nursery visit www.caymanbiodiversity.com
Burned to the ground
(CNS): A 76-year old house on Cayman Brac was destroyed by fire Saturday night. Two adults and a baby who were inside the house when the fire started escaped out of a back window and are unhurt. The old home of Captain Edward and Mary Foster, built in 1933 in The Rock area and now owned by their descendents, contained much of the original furniture, as well as family photographs, artifacts and jewelry. Nola Bodden said that among the family treasures in her grandparents home were the baby clothes of her father, the late Nolan Foster.
However, she said she was relieved that the occupants were safe, though they had lost all their possessions, including important documents. Three cars in the yard of the house were also destroyed.
Faith Foster, who lives close by, said her daughter heard what sounded like a gunshot at around 11:15 pm Saturday, which alerted them to the fire. “The flames were huge,” she said, adding that people had said they could see them from the Coral Isle Club on the south side of the Brac. Hearing screams from the direction of the house, her husband, Eddie, and their son went through the bushes to the burning house to rescue the three occupants, who had managed to climb out of a back window but were then cut off from the road, she said.
The Fire Service apparently arrived approximately 11:30. On the scene Sunday were officers from the Brac station and an officer from Grand Cayman investigating the fire. No official reports have been released at this point.
Travers to head up taskforce
(CNS): Veteran of the offshore financial services sector, Chairman of theCI Stock Exchange and a former partner of Maples and Calder Anthony Travers will be chairing a newly convened Cayman Islands Financial Service Association (CIFSA) taskforce which will work in tandem with government to tackle the increasing opposition to offshore financial centres. The formation of the force was announced on the eve of the G20 Finance Minister pre-summit meeting at which a list of uncooperative nations drawn up by the OECD was discussed which includes Cayman.
The creation of the new task force was announced at a televised press briefing on Friday afternoon by government ministers and CIFSA representatives when the Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said he was happy that the private sector wanted to collaborate with government in the effort to get Cayman’s message out.
“We in government welcome the opportunity to partner our existing efforts and resources with those from CIFSA to augment and diversify our voice on the international stage, particularly in relation to the strength, stability and contribution of the Cayman Islands financial services sector,” he said.
Minster Alden McLaughlin who has responsibility for policy relating to international financial services said that the collaboration was recognition of the seriousness of assault that the Cayman Islands is currently under and was part of ongoing process to continue to send message that Cayman is well regulated. “The world will not end on 2nd April,” the Minister added referring to the G20 summit. “We will continue to face these international issues and the more effort that is made both by government and the private sector the better. We are delighted about this partnership. This not just some superficial arrangement but the CIFSA is actually prepared to put money where its mouth is and is investing significant sums.”
Rejecting the idea that the formation of the taskforce was too little too late Eduardo Da Silva President of CIFSA said that the association had been working hard to change perceptions about the Cayman Islands for the five years since it was formed. He said that tax havens had been under assault for a long time and CIFSA had always been dealing with it and would continue to do so.
CIFSA Director James Bergstrom said the users of Cayman’s jurisdiction are very sophisticated and that deal flows had not necessarily been adversely affected by the growing rhetoric but the possibility of being blacklisted at G20 was very strong but not because of any fair or objective criteria.
He said there was a need to get to the decision makers to find out what their real concerns are and then try to address those concerns. Bergstrom added that whether Cayman was or was not on a blacklist the likelihood of new regulations emerging from G20 was very high and the taskforce would be ready to work with the international community. “If there is a silver lining about this,” he said, “with so much attention focused on us we can now go forward and assist with regulatory change and work with the international community to take reasonable steps to deal with any real concerns.”
Although no specific details of what the task will do in the first instance or who it is meeting were given Silva read a statement from Travers who was unable to e at the meeting stating the primary goal.
“We need first to understand better the real concerns of those legislators in the US whose opinions count. We then have a clear obligation both to them and to the people of these Islands to assist with effective solutions and ones that are not counterproductive,” Travers stated. “That will require a far better understanding by some of the benefits enjoyed by the US from capital that flows through the Cayman Islands to American financial institutions. There is nothing new in this endeavour. Co-operation of this sort has always been the accepted position of the Cayman Islands. We see it as the primary function of this task force to ensure that if change is to be made, it should be made for the benefit of all interested parties.”
Initial members of the task force include: Anthony Travers, Chairman; Eduardo D’Angelo P. Silva, Vice Chairman; Dan Scott, Ernst & Young; Nick Freeland, PricewaterhouseCoopers; Conor O’Dea, Butterfield Bank; James Bergstrom, Ogier; Simon Whicker, KPMG; Stuart Dack, Cayman National; Gary Linford, AIMA representative.
The taskforce has identified a number of primary concerns and immediate objectives which will be to promote the clear water that exists between the Cayman Islands and those jurisdictions which are non-OECD compliant and a review be undertaken of Cayman Islands legislation and appropriate changes be recommended. I t will also seek to develop a better appreciation of the tax information exchange agreements and the unilateral disclosure of information mechanism already legislated by the Cayman Islands Government and recognition is given to the role of the Cayman Islands in providing trillions of dollars of funding to U.S. financial institutions and that the threat of extra territorial taxation is likely, as before, to reduce the tax base of the US not to increase it.
The taskforce will also be emphasizing the excellent history of cooperation in matters of crime, money laundering and tax evasion between the Cayman Islands and the U.S. and Europe and given the extraordinary stability shown by Cayman Islands financial institutions and the domestic economy throughout the credit crisis, that no credibility should attach to those who suggest that the Cayman Islands or its investment vehicles were in some way responsible.
“Fish Your Style” on Cayman Brac
(CNS): The Lions Club of Cayman Brac is hosting a fundraising fish food sale and family fun night at Scott’s Dock, West End, on Saturday 28 March, starting at 6:30 pm, with all proceeds going towards ongoing Lions community service projects. At “Fish Your Style 2009” members will be serving fried, steamed, baked, Cayman style, and roasted fish, served with your choice of rice and beans, festival, bammy and vegetables, as well as fish tea. Entertainment will be provided by Arlen Tatum & the Band, along with other local artists.
Raffle tickets will also be on sale, and can be purchased in advance from Lions members, for the grand prize of US$500, plus many other prizes. The Lions Club of Cayman Brac meets every 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, now tentatively in room 2 at the Cayman Brac High School.
“All about me” students
(BBC):The growing expectation placed on schools and parents to boost pupils’ self-esteem is breeding a generation of narcissists, an expert has warned. Dr Carol Craig said children were being over-praised and were developing an "all about me" mentality. She said teachers increasingly faced complaints from parents if their child failed a spelling test or did not get a good part in the school pantomime. Schools needed to reclaim their role as educators, not psychologists, she said. She told head teachers the self-esteem agenda, imported from the United States, was a "a big fashionable idea" that had gone too far.
Campaign moves to next stage
(CNS): Equality Cayman, a nongovernmental organization actively campaigning for a choice to be given to people in the referendum vote concerning the scope of section 16 in theBill of Rights, wrapped up its petition drive today. Members of were out in force Saturday, 14 March, at supermarkets in George Town and West Bay and spoke with members of the public, gave away information sheets about the proposed Cayman Islands Constitution, and collected petition signatures. (Photo: Equality Cayman member Parthna Bhojani with a Saturday shopper stopping to sign the petition)
The grassroots group, which has about 10 active members, says hundreds of new signatures were added to their petition on Saturday, substantially raising the total number of signatures collected since the group was launched just a few weeks ago. Equality Cayman’s petition asks government to give voters the chance to choose between the full right to be free from discrimination by the government or the limited right that is contained in section 16 of the Bill of Rights in the current draft Constitution.
“We were very happy with the enthusiastic response from the public,” said Carlene Alexander, an Equality Cayman member. “We are finding that most people want to be protected from discrimination and they want their children and grandchildren to be protected from discrimination. It was great to see so many more signatures added to the substantial number that we had already gathered in previous weeks. We will present the petition to our elected leaders this week in the hopes that they will recognize the serious concern many people have with current draft constitution. It is important for the public to understand that all we are asking government to do is give people the chance to choose on 20 May when they vote. We feel very strongly that the current draft is far from acceptable because it simply falls short in protecting the people from discrimination. Saying that future governments will fill in the gaps with legislation is just not good enough.”
Alexander added that Equality Cayman will announce to the press and public this week the total number of signatures on its petition as well as plans for the next phase of its efforts toward securing the best possible constitution for the Cayman people.
The work of Equality Cayman was cited by Human Rights Watch in a release which stated that the territory should revise the draft constitution to give full protection to all against unequal treatment, and the British government should ensure that this happens.
Thai monkeys floss with hair
(BBC): Making sure your offspring know how to clean their teeth appears to be as important to monkeys as to humans. Female monkeys in Thailand have been observed showing their young how to floss their teeth – using human hair. Researchers from Japansaid they watched seven long-tailed macaques cleaning the spaces between their teeth in the same manner as humans. They spent double the amount of time flossing when they were being watched by their infants, the team said.
Go to video (Reuters)
Cayman lawyers say toxic asset funds multiplying
(Reuters): Distressed asset funds targeting US toxic bank assets are being set up at a rapid clip using Cayman Islands legal structures, said lawyers from a Cayman law firm on Tuesday. "There are a lot of funds being established now to take on the toxic assets," Charles Jennings, managing partner at the law firm of Maples and Calder, told Reuters. Prominent hedge fund, private equity and other distressed asset investors are involved, said Henry Smith, also a partner at the firm, which specializes in international and offshore law, particularly Cayman Islands financial law.
No night time access to Barkers
(CNS): As part of a crime prevention strategy, Barkers area in West Bay will be closed to the public every evening from 6:30 pm to 6:00 am the following day. Police say that the decision, which came into force Thursday 12 March, has the full support of the landowners. “It is important for us as a police department to do everything possible to try and prevent crime and we ask the community to work with us in this endeavour,” said West Bay Area Commander Chief Inspector Angelique Howell.
“Our decision to close Barkers is a temporary crime prevention strategy that we are employing until other measures, to address community concerns of criminal activity in the area, can be put in place. We would like to thank the landowners who have responded quickly and positively to these measures. We will regularly review our position on the closure of this area and ask that persons work with us to make West Bay a safer community,” Howell added.
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.
Butterfield awards post-graduate scholarship
(CNS): Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited has awarded the Butterfield Employee Post-Graduate Scholarship to Antonette Alexander, who will be attending the University of Leicester by correspondence in the Spring of 2009, to work towards her MBA. The first-ever recipient of the award, Alexander has worked with Butterfield for over 15 years and is currently the Branch Manager, overseeing the management and operations of Butterfield’s three Banking Centres. (Left: Antonette Alexander with Butterfield’s Deputy Managing Director Mike McWatt)
“I am truly humbled and absolutely delighted to be this year’s recipient of Butterfield’s Post-Graduate Scholarship Award,” said Alexander in a release from the bank. “Butterfield has always supported me in my professional development, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest thanks to the Bank and my colleagues for their continuous encouragement.” The release said Antonette submitted a top-notch application for the scholarship, which is awarded every two years to an employee with a strong commitment both to Butterfield and to his or her own personal and professional development..
“Antonette symbolises lifelong learning and growth in everything she approaches at Butterfield. I feel very proud to be able to offer such an outstanding opportunity to an extraordinary colleague,” said Samantha Nehra, Butterfield’s Learning & Development Manager.
Butterfield also offers annual Associate’s and Bachelor’s level scholarships to its employees, as well as an Overseas Undergraduate Scholarship available to young Caymanians.