Archive for April, 2009
Westtel first round playoffs
(CNS): Since the inception of the WestTel Five-A-Side Football League the opening round of the playoffs have been more of a formality, however this season the teams took to the pitch with thunderous enthusiasm, a release from King’s Sports Centre said. The week started off with an unfortunate forfeit by Ocean Frontiers, giving the Brickhouse Devils a free pass to the 2nd round; and the opening round started to look like those of seasons past. However the Gold Conference teams came to life and in the 2nd match-up of the night, underdog BDO-Tortuga pulled off the upset of the first round, coming from 10th place to defeat #7 Old Man United 2-1.
BDO-Tortuga goal scorers included Andy Bellfied and Paul Pearman with a goal apiece. Jon Pump scored the lone goal for Old Man United. The 3rd game of the evening proved to be equally exciting as Gold Conference ESSO defeated a strong Maples and Calder squad from the XGen Conference 3-1. Trent Christie, Chris Thorburn and William Fenton each scored a goal for ESSO in the victory, while Desmond Harris scored Maples and Calder’s single goal
Tuesday night saw the WestTel Division 1 teams make their appearance, with both #1 seeds, RCC Strikers and Burger King, exerting their dominance over Dart and UBS respectively. Atlantic Star, from the XGen Conference came up big against the Transformers in a very physical and competitive game. Kris Maguire earned the player of the game with his 2 goals for Atlantic Star with Alan Glasgow scoring the team’s third goal. Dominique Pearson, the Transformers leading scorer, put up the team’s only point of the match. Atlantic Star will go on to face Burger King in the semi-finals. The matchup will feature Rene Carter and Ben Marler going head-to-head yet again. The two players were part of last season’s leading scorers race with Marler coming away with the title. This season may prove to be a bigger challenge for Marler, as his Atlantic Star squad takes the floor against the perfect 13-0 Burger King powerhouse team.
Wednesday night’s feature presentation and the final D1 matchup saw #2 PWC and #3 Coconut Joes give the spectators an amazing show. PWC, from Gold Conference scored early in the match, and lead the match for most of regulation, but in the final minute of the game, Chris Ordolis of Coconut Joes scored to equalize the game and send it into overtime.
With less than a minute left of extra time, and on the brink of going to penalty kicks, Joes again pulled off the clutch goal, with Ian Kenyon scoring to win the match. Coconut Joes will continue to fight the uphill battle, as they move onto the semi-finals against fellow XGen Conference rival #1 RCC Strikers. The two teams met early in the season, with the Strikers proving to be the dominant squad.
The Division 2 teamsalso wrapped up their opening round games on Wednesday night. McAlpine United convincingly defeated the KPMG Blue Rays in the 2nd game of the night.
eanwhile, the third match featured Marriott Int. F.C. taking down C.I. Law School 2-Nil with Lee Parry and Jose Quintero each scoring in the victory. In the final game of the week, the KPMG Cat-5 Hurricanes and Old Boys put on a defensive showdown with the Hurricanes taking the match 2-1. KPMG goal scorers included Given Chanetsa-Mazarura and David Fernandes with a goal apiece. Bryan Hydes scored the lone goal for Old Boys.
All in all, if the teams keep up the intensity of the opening round, next week’s second round games are sure to offer fans some incredible Five-A-Side Action! Paramount All-Stars and HSBC, who earned a bye through the first round of the Division 2 playoffs, will take to the pitch for the first time this playoff season, and both Division 1 match-ups are sure to be very entertaining. On behalf of the WestTel Five-A-Side Football League, good luck to all of our competitors.
Fans are encouraged to come out and support the local athletes throughout the playoff tournament. The full WestTel Five-A-Side playoff breakdown, along withall other King’s Sports Centre sports program info is available at www.csa.ky. For all other inquiries, please contact Ray at ray_singh@candw.ky.
Second Round Playoffs
Monday, April 6th
7:00 pm RCC Strikers v. Coconut Joes
8:00 pm Atlantic Star v. Burger King
9:00 pm Paramount All-Stars v. KPMG Cat-5 Hurricanes
Wednesday, April 8th
7:00 pm HSBC v. ESSO
8:00 pm Brickhouse Devils v. Marriott Int. F.C.
9:00 pm BDO-Tortuga v. McAlpine United
Man charged over attack
(CNS): A 41-year-old man has now been charged with three offences following an attack on a woman in George Town on Monday, 30 March. Garfield Silburn will appear in court this morning (Friday, 3 April) charged with GBH, GBH with intent and aggravated burglary. Police said at the time of the assault that the woman suffered injuries to her face, head and neck which required hospital treatment.
The 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call at approximately 12:15 pm on Monday reporting an assault at a residence off South Church Street. Officers responded and found a 30-year-old woman, who said she had been repeatedly assaulted by her boyfriend. The man, who was still at the residence when police arrived, was arrested for various offences including ABH.
“The RCIPS takes assaults of any nature, whether against females or males, very seriously,” said Acting Chief Superintendent Marlon Bodden. “As with all allegations of a crime, once there is evidence of an offense we take swift action to investigate the matter and prosecute the perpetrator.”
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.
Channel Isles white but Cayman in grey area
(CNS): Although the Cayman Islands has avoided the dreaded G20 summit blacklist, it has still found itself on the so-called grey list, while in comparison the UK’s crown dependencies have landed on the white list. Caymans and six other UK overseas territories were put on the OECD’s grey list while the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey appear on the white list, despite the OECD’s praising Cayman in a statement on Wednesday. (Left: Jeffrey Owens, Director of the OECD)
Reports stated that the crown dependencies have signed a flurry of tax agreements in the last few weeks ahead of the G20 summit. Not surprisingly the Manx government, which has signed over 14 tax information agreements, said it welcomed the OECD report. ‘We are delighted that our work has been recognised at the highest level and a distinction made between those jurisdictions that have made great strides in this arena and those that have not," said Tony Brown.
Cayman, however has also engaged in a flurry of its own and now has some 20 agreements in place with others pending. Reports from G20 suggest that the OECD has placed Cayman on the grey list as it needs to review its most recent agreements.
Yesterday, the Cayman Islands government said that the agreements it had made were not too late and had been timed to draw attention to Cayman’s level of compliance at the right time, which was demonstrated by a recent OECD statement that described the recent deal with the seven Nordic countries as a significant step forward.
“The Cayman Islands was one of the first jurisdictions to commit to the new standard in May 2000,” said Jeffrey Owens, Director of the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy Administration. “I welcome the fact that this commitment is now being implemented by the latest TIEAs. Their new legislation is innovative and could speed up the process of implementing the standard.”
The OECD also noted that Cayman was one of 11 jurisdictions that contributed to the development of the Model Agreement on Exchange information Matters.
“I am very pleased to see the pace of implementation now being accelerated and I appreciate the fact that the Cayman Islands has sought to simplify the means by which to broaden its information exchange relationships. The Cayman Islands is setting a good example,” Owens added.
Temporary housing tenants trigger local meeting
(CNS): The pending arrival of new residents on the government’s temporary housing assistance programme into their neighbourhood prompted the people of Flute Lane in West Bay to convene a meeting with the local police recently. Existing residents had the opportunity to meet with the newcomers, who are currently housed in temporary accommodation on Scholars Drive but who will shortly be moving into the old John Silvers hotel, and discuss what were described as issues of “mutual concern".
The meeting was hosted by West Bay police in a private home on Tuesday, 31 March, and chaired by Area Commander Chief Inspector Angelique Howell. “Almost everyone from the neighbourhood attended the meeting and issues were discussed in an amicable and productive manner,”said Howell. “It demonstrates that people will work together in doing all they can to live peacefully with each other.”
Inspector Charles Best and Diana Brodowska, a West Bay resident who formally served as a neighbourhood watch scheme coordinator in England, were also at the meeting. “Ms Brodowska is volunteering with West Bay police on educating communities on the benefits of neighbourhood watch schemes,” CI Howell explained, adding that attendees were given information on the schemes as well as crime prevention brochures.
“The scheme proves beneficial to both the community and police, and all neighbourhoods should come together and work with their local police to tackle crime together,” 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.
Reprieve planned for vehicle licensing misery
(CNS):
“Current facilities are no longer adequateto meet the demand for the department’s services,” Minister of Communications, Works & Infrastructure Arden McLean said. “Moving to Shamrock Road will also help increase efficiency and alleviate the George Town congestion.”
The main Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) office in Elgin Avenue has is notorious for long queues and frustrating waits. Once the new office opens, the Elgin Avenue and the Walkers Road locations will be closed.
According to plans the larger facility will offer two inspection pits, one for heavy equipment the other for all other vehicles, as well as a 400 sq ft gazebo and an 84-space car park. The building will also be built to category 5 hurricane standards.
Government said construction is scheduled for completion by January 2010 and will be constructed by Edgewater Development Ltd
Beverage consumption a bigger factor in weight
(ScienceDaily): When it comes to weight loss, what you drink may be more important than what you eat, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers examined the relationship between beverage consumption among adults and weight change and found that weight loss was positively associated with a reduction in liquid calorie consumption and liquid calorie intake had a stronger impact on weight than solid calorie intake.
Relief over Blues protection
(CNS): The International Reptile Conservation Foundation (IRCF) has said that letters of congratulations and expressions of relief that Cayman’s endemic Blue Iguanas can be saved for the long term are pouring into their office in California as the news spreads of a new protected area in the east interior of Grand Cayman. The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme (BIRP) announced this week that the government had formally committed to protecting almost 200 acres of Crown land through a 99-year peppercorn lease to the National Trust.
In addition, the Trust is receiving a European Union grant for managing this area to conserve the Blues in the wild, along with their unique shrubland habitat.
John Binns, the CEO of IRCF, said, “The Cayman Islands Government is to be commended for its decisive action in providing prime habitat to help save the world’s most endangered iguana. Considering that Grand Cayman covers only about 76 square miles, the government’s landmark decision to preserve some of the island’s last remaining prime real estate for its flora and fauna is a benchmark for island conservation.”
The grant also focuses on developing sustainable, low-impact nature tourism, education and recreation with a visitor centre and trail system. (See CNS: New home for the Blues)
“For those of us who have personally struggled and sacrificed, as well as the countless local and international folks who have contributed to changing the course of a species headed on a fast track to extinction, this news is simply overwhelming,” said Binns. “It brings the Caymanian people one step closer to ensuring that the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana will be around for their children’s children to admire, and raises hope around the world that species can be saved. Despite the loss of some very special Blues along the way, the Blue Iguana Recovery Program has been blessed with success unmatched by any other reptile conservation program of which I am aware. It is by all rights a model conservation program.”
Thanking those who have supported BIRP over the years, he said, “Although much work remains to be done and many challenges have yet to be faced before we can relax our vigilance, a summit has truly been reached.”
Nevertheless, BIRP director Fred Burton says they will still have to raise much more money to complete the programme, including funds for access to the area.
Obama hails the new world order
(The Independent): Gordon Brown declared that a $1 trillion package to stimulate economic growth agreed at yesterday’s G20 summit in London will ensure that the world pulls out of recession more quickly. Speaking after the one-day summit of the world’s richest nations in the Docklands, the Prime Minister said there were "no quick fixes", adding: "Today’s decisions will not immediately solve the crisis. But we have begun the process by which it will be solved." He said: "This is the day that the world came together to fight back against the global recession, not with words, but with a plan for global recovery and for reform and with a clear timetable for its delivery."
Country not broke says LoGB
(CNS): Even though the government is operating with abudget deficit, Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said today (Thursday) that the country is not broke and that the government is forecast to have a cash balance of $126.01 million at 30 June 2009, despite the predicted operating deficit for this financial year. “This is some $7.47 million more than anticipated in the original 2008/9 Budget,” he said. He explained that the revised 2008/9 forecast indicates that the government will be in compliance with all but one of the principles of financial management specified in the Public Management and Finance Law.
“The one area of non-compliance is the principle which requires the government to have an operating surplus,” he said.
Tibbetts noted that the operating deficit was caused by the global economic crisis, which he said would require continued close monitoring and careful policy decisions to minimize the negative impact in the Cayman Islands. And because of that, to be compliant with the operating surplus principle would mean cutting public spending at a time when this would cause the people real hardship. “Thegovernment did not want to do that when people are hurting, so we will have to operate with the deficit,” he said.
He explained that when the 2008/9 Budget was presented to the Legislative Assembly in April last year it was projected that in the 2008/9 fiscal year the government’s operating revenues would be $528.21 million, its operating expenses $500.91 million and Financing Expenses of $13.44 million, resulting in a net operating surplus of $13.86 million.
He said the supplementary budget presented in the Legislative Assembly last month, however, contained the updated financial forecast. “This captured the known and likely variances to the original budget based on actual circumstances from July 2008 to February 2009 plus projections through to 30 June 2009,” Tibbetts added.
He said the $21.16 million reduction in operating revenues, the $15.19 million in Extraordinary Expenses and the $4 million increase in the cost of tertiary care at various overseas institutions as well as the $2.1 million increase in financing expenses have all contributed to the predicted deficit.
“The United States of America is the major source of business for this country and as a result any downturn in that economy will have a negative impact on the Cayman Islands. No one knows with any certainty what the magnitude or severity of those negative impacts will be on the Cayman Islands. The budget was prepared on the best available information at that time,” Tibbetts explained.
Some of the revenue classifications that he said were forecasted to decline included Other Company Fees–Exempt Companies ($11.04 million); Motor Vehicle Import Duties ($5.48 million); Cruise Ship Departure Taxes ($2.45 million); Environmental Protection Fund Fees ($1.48 million); and Tax and Trust Undertakings ($1.29 million).
The LoGB also noted that the extraordinary expenses incurred by the government in the 2008/9 financial year forecast to be $15.19 million included the government’s response to Hurricane Paloma, the Special Police Investigations and the Judicial Tribunal. “These items are beyond the normal scope of the government’s normal recurring activities and could not have been reasonably forecasted at the time the budget was prepared in April 2008. Therefore, they have been classified as Extraordinary Expenditure. The Portfolio of Finance and Economics has advised that this is the correct treatment for expenditure of this nature,” he added.
UK tax havens: sinking assets
(The Economist): In benign times Britain could smile remotely on its far-flung territories, sending the odd royal to fly the Union Flag. But corruption in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which might soon require direct rule again from London, are a harbinger of what may happen closer to home as the crackdown on offshore tax havens gets tougher, gaining momentum from the G20 summit this week. Jersey and Guernsey, two islands less than 100 miles from Britain, owe 50% and 40% respectively of their income to financial services.