Archive for April, 2010

Creighton dominates M$R

Cayman News | 06/04/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): All the glitz and glamour of Cayman’s annual power boat race was even more visible this year when the Million Dollar Run débuted its new course along seven mile beach. Dale Crighton was this year’s winner of the main event as he dominated the race in his super fast craft, followed by Michael Ryan who came in second and Andreas Ugland who came in third (photo left). The boats powered up and down seven mile beach at an incredible speed and offered a fantastic spectacle for viewers all along Grand Cayman’s famous stretch of beach.

“We are extremely happy with the new location of this year’s event,” stated organiser Kenny Rankin. “Being able to host the race on Seven Mile Beach, really opens up the event to allow spectator interaction and builds a lot of excitement for the race. We had a few new captains involved this year as well as some new and exciting crafts, such as, Michael Ryan in the Punisher, Ian Tibbetts with his new craft, More Pressure, the Concrete Boyz and the Concept Dragon Captained by Mario Rankin. A few of the captains experienced engine troubles during the race, but overall we had a safe race and the captains had a great time out there.”

Coming in first for the Dragon Bay Trophy for the Best Time Offshore prize, Dale Crighton made this year’s win his fourth over the years, taking home a cash prize and an exquisite Corum timepiece presented By Magnum Jewelers. Dale Crighton of Team Heavy Metal raced in a 42-foot Yellow and Blue Fountain which was also the winner of the Harbour House best Craft Trophy. Crighton was joined on the water by international throttle-man Troy Hannon of Fort Lauderdale.

(Photo Winner of Best Craft 2010, Heavy Metal Captained by Dale Crighton).

Following in second place was first time racer Michael Ryan of Dragon Bay, competing in an all black 32-foot Buzzi named ‘The Punisher’ and third place Andreas Ugland of Ugland Offshore Racing in his all red 42-foot Buzzi.

In Circuit Class, the Crighton Properties, best time prize was won by a new captain racing for his first time in the event, Wayne Kirkconnell taking to the water in a 38-foot Fountain ‘Way To Go’. As first time competitors Team ‘Way To Go’ started the race at a good pace, but when they saw Ian Tibbetts of ‘More Pressure’ and Merlin Seymour of “Ole Ally Cat” drop out at the last few laps due to engine problems, they took the chance to step up their game and eventually reached first place.

(Photo: Best time winner of the circuit class, Wayne Kirkconnell from Team Way To go.)

In the outlaw class, which encompasses boats under 500 horsepower, Pablo Rousseau of Team Powerplay in the thirty-two foot, 500 horsepower Powerplay craft came out the winner of the Goldfield Cayman Outlaw Class Trophy.

Team Powerplay also managed to hold onto the prize as best crew, with a team of girls decked out in a blue and white sailor outfits they walked away with the Titan Security best crew Trophy.

And the Ugland offshore racing best poker hand prize went to Bob Watler of ‘Team Happy Ours ll’ after having dropped out the last lap on the circuit course due major engine problems; this was the highlight of the team’s day.

For results and more photos, log onto www.mdr.ky.

One-stop-cop-shop now open

Cayman News | 06/04/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): The new police licensing and records office opened its doors to the public this morning Tuesday 6 April offering a one-stop-shop for all RCIPS records and licensing services. The new records office is operating from the former DVDL office in Walkers Road which is now home to the RCIPS Professional Standards Unit, Firearms & Security Licensing Unit and the Criminal RecordsOffice. Twelve members of staff will be based at the site which boasts a large reception area and dedicated interview rooms – facilities which were not available at the old locations.

The office will also be home to the police IT department which will relocate from George Town police station. This move will free up operational space at the police station and allow plans for a purpose-fit room for video and tape-recording of interviews to progress.

“I’m pleased to say that long queues, unwelcoming surroundings and lack of privacy will soon be things of the past for people who have records or licensing enquiries,” said Commissioner of the RCIPS, David Baines. “As a result of this amalgamation we will be able to increase efficiencies of service, and savings, without recruiting additional staff, which is extremely important in the current financial climate.

“This one-stop-shop approach to the provision of these services will offer a much more practical working environment for our staff and, critically, the new location and centralisation of these Units will greatly enhance the quality of service we provide to our customers and communities.”

Contact details for the new department are as follows:

Address — 461 Windjammer Plaza, Walkers Road.

Tel – Records/ Licensing – 945-4924, Professional Standards Unit – 946-2094

Jamaica wins final gold

Cayman News | 06/04/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): The CARIFTA 2010 games ended on a high last night for the Jamaican team which dominated the competition throughout. While the Cayman Islands athletes put in some tough performances during the finals the absence of the country’s sprint star Chantelle Morrison due to a hamstring injury left fans disappointed. More than a dozen CARIFTA records were broken during the event including by Kemoy Campbell of Jamaica, on Monday night for the 5000m.The Jamaican U20 4 x 400m relay team picked up the last gold medal of the games pushing the Bahamas team into a very close second. (Photo by Dennie Warren)

Check back to CNS later today for more coverage and pictures from the games.

Gordon Brown calls 6 May general election

Cayman News | 06/04/2010 | 0 Comments

(BBC): Prime Minister Gordon Brown has confirmed that the UK general election will be held on 6 May. Flanked by his entire cabinet, Mr Brown said it was the "least well-kept secret of recent years". He said Britain was on the "road to recovery" and urged voters not to put it "at risk". But David Cameron said the Conservative Party offered a "fresh start", while Lib Dem Nick Clegg said only his party offered "real change". Mr Brown made the announcement outside Downing Street, after a 20-minute meeting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace to seek the dissolution of Parliament. The prime minister – who faces his first election as Labour leader – said he wanted a "clear and straightforward mandate" to continue the work of economic recovery.

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Insurance industry facing government survey of rates

Cayman News | 06/04/2010 | 22 Comments

(CNS): The high rate of insurance coverage came under the spotlight in the Legislative Assembly during the last meeting when a private member’s motion gained backing from government to investigate current rates and examine the possibility of making them more affordable. Following Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 insurance rates increased significantly — not just because of the risk but because of the cost of rebuilding at that time and the concept of ‘under insurance’. But while property prices have fallen since then as well the cost of building materials, there has been no marked reduction in insurance premiums.

The independent member for North Side, Ezzard Miller, who filed the motion, said people could no longer afford insurance so were going without, which posed a considerable risk for the future. He suggested that the Economics and Statistics Office conduct a study comparing insurance rates throughout the Caribbean region with countries that also have similar risk exposure to hurricanes, as he said insurance rates were currently linked to inflated property prices and reflected a higher cost to re-build than the reality.

Miller said that insurance rates were simply too high, pricing many people out of the market and leaving them exposed to losing their homes. The independent member said these premiums were high as a result of the idea of “under insurance”, which emerged after Ivan, but he added that since then property prices and building material costs had come down and that the rates were now unrealistic.

“The value of real estate is believed by some persons to be inflated,” he told the Legislative Assembly, asking government to conduct the study by the second meeting of the 2010/2011fiscal year to try and address the problem.

The premier agreed that there were problems with insurance rates, and while he appreciated the complexities of insurance coverage and its links to the worldwide re-insurance market, he suggested it would be possible to ring fence the Cayman Islands in some way to make insurance more affordable.

McKeeva Bush said that, given the vulnerability of the Cayman Islands to hurricanes, people needed to be covered. In the wake of Ivan’s devastation, Bush noted that the country’s recovery had been heavily dependent on the insurance payouts that allowed people to rebuild and renovate, stimulating the economy.

“But the rates are so high now people are not insuring,” he observed. Bush recognised that some people had stopped paying premiums because, after paying all of their lives, they made one claim after Ivan to discover they were “under insured”. He said that while there were good insurances companies in Cayman there were also some who “left a lot to be desired” and noted that the insurers had collected their premiums year after year but had never mentioned “under insured” until they had to pay out.

“It is important that people are properly insured,” Bush stated. “The government is concerned about this and we support the request.” The premier said a survey or review of the situation would help develop a strategy about how the problem could be dealt with and a system of more affordable coverage found.

Anglin to get youth working

Cayman News | 05/04/2010 | 35 Comments

(CNS): A new intensive course designed to get Cayman’s unemployed into work will start this month for the country’s youngest job hunters. The National Employment Passport Programme will eventually be rolled out for all of the country’s jobless, but the 11-week pilot course will focus on school leavers and young people who are struggling to find and keep a job. This new initiative is not just about workplace skills but attitudes and employability, the minister for labour said. Launching the Passport2Success on Thursday, Rolston Anglin said the first 25 people are set to begin the course on 19 April.

The minster explained that the youngsters who will take part in this new full-time free programme at the International College of the Cayman Islands will be taught what to wear, how to behave, how to mix and what’s expected of them in the workplace environment. It will teach them how to apply for a job, what to do at an interview and how to survive the first three months to get past probation periods and hold on to their jobs. Students will get a crash course in the basic numeracy and literacy they need for work as well as use of grammar, vocabulary, computer skills, problem solving and how to use office equipment, from photocopiers to telephones.

The course is expected to beef young people’s skills and attitudes and help them become ‘work ready’, but will also offer the country a better way to asses the skills of school leavers and find out why Cayman’s youngsters are struggling to find work or hold down a job when they find one.

“Local employers tell us that large numbers of young people are not meeting the basic skill standards that they expect,” Anglin said. “We are trying to drill down and discover what is really happening and hope to deliver what the economy needs and what business needs in terms of well rounded people.” The minister explained it was about assisting young people and equipping them with the skills employers actually want so that they will be better placed to find a job.

The eleven-week workplace “boot camp” will be directed and taught by Lynne Banker, an HR professional and educator who has helped design the programme, and Shannon Seymour of the Wellness Centre, a clinical psychologist who is also a corporate trainer. Banker said the students will be put through their paces on everything they will need to get them into work.

“The programme comprises various elements, such as education, employment workshops, work experience, community services and extra curricular activities such as attending service clubs, playing sports and even working towards obtaining a drivers license,” she added.

Seymour explained that the course would be guiding the young people over what is expected of them as well as what they can expect when they join the workforce. “They have to understand that working for a company is not an extension of high school,” Seymour said. “You have to conform to a corporate culture. There are certain expectations which we will prepare the young people for, from how to interact with work colleagues to the general guidelines about behaviour.”

The course will carry a stipend of $70 per week, and for the candidates that complete the course there will be an opportunity to earn a performance bonus.

The minister explained that the programme was a perfect example of a public-private partnership as the ministry was using tutors from the private sector to deliver the course and local businesses LIME and CML Offshore Recruitment were the main sponsors, although the bulk of the cost for the course would be paid for by the ministry. Anglin said other businesses would be helping with placements and presentations, and as the initiative was created with their needs in mind, the goal was to ensure local employers took on the youngsters who successfully completed the passport programme.

The minster said that students not ready for work because of skill gaps such numeracy or literacy problems could be placed in further education at UCCI in order to address those basic skill shortages, but the hope was that a significant number of the students would be ready for work.

The minister explained that the first course would give the ministry an opportunity to begin measuring and gathering data and facts about the standard of school leavers and exactly what the ministry needed to focus on to give Cayman’s young people at better chance at better careers.

Athletes break records as competition heightens

Cayman News | 05/04/2010 | 6 Comments

(CNS): Following two days of athletic competition six records have now broken been broken at the CARIFTA 2010 games in both track and field events. One of those new records belongs Jehue Gordon of Trinidad & Tobago who logged a time of 49.76 in the Men’s U20 400 Meter Hurdles knocking a quarter of a second of his own CARIFTA Record. Cydonie Mothersill (left) one of Cayman’s elite athletes received a bronze medal at a special ceremony due to a change in result of a 2003 World Championships 200metre race when she was pushed out of the medals by a competitor who has since been foundto have used an illegal drug. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)

Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman, CARIFTA 2010

Meanwhile, back on the track, the Cayman Islands’ athletes were making their presence. According to the CARIFTA site Cayman’s boys U17 4 x 100 metre relay team came in fourth on the second day of competition the Jamaicans took gold in the race but Dimitri Chambers, Troy Long, Rajay Reid and Rejaun Henry, Rejaun put in a great performance with a time of 44.06. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)

Chantelle Morrison who already has a gold medal has qualified for the 200 metre U17 final today however, the runner incurred a hamstring injury during the semi-finals yesterday (4 April) and it is not yet certain if Morrison will be competing in today’s finals where the young athlete could take her second medal.

Cayman is currently in 8th position on the medal’s table with one gold medal while Jamaica is still way out in front with 47 medals 23 of which are gold.

Medal count climbs for swim team in Jamaica

Cayman News | 05/04/2010 | 8 Comments

(CNS): Updated Monday 8:30 am. Cayman’s young swimmers now have nine medals in the bag at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships in Jamaica. As the region’s athletes of the future battled it out in Cayman on the track and field, in the pool Cayman’s future swimmers took two more medals in Kingston. In Sunday evening’s first event, Coral Tomascik (left) picked up her 4th medal, taking silver in the 11-12 girls 200 Individual Medley. Lara Butler collected Cayman’s 3rd gold when she won the girls 15-17 final, in which she took the lead after the first 50 metres and never looked back with a time 4 seconds faster than her previous best. The action begins at 9am today (Tuesday 6 April) the final day with preliminary heats and the finals start at 6pm.

Previously, Coral Tomasick took her second medal of the meet with a bronze in the Girls 11-12 100 metre backstroke and just 30 minutes won gold in a dominating performance in the 400 metre Individual Medley Event, leaving the second place finisher some 12 seconds behind her. Lara Butler picked up her first medal in the 15-17 Girls backstroke shaving 9 seconds from her personal best to finish 3rd in the event and take bronze.

The medal total of 9 has already surpassed last year’s total for the meet of 5.

Yesterday the team had 103 points putting them in 9th place of the 16 competing countries.

Other results for the Cayman team include:

1-12 girls 200 Individual Medley — Lara Butler finished 4th ind Seiji Groome was 7th.

In the 50 Metre Breastroke finals, Seiji swam to a 6th place finish, producing a personal best time in the event.

200 Butterfly Iain McCallum competing in his first CARIFTA final, picked up 8th place in the boys 11-12 category, a point for the team and a personal best time.

The girls 15-17 4×200 relay team of Summer Flowers, Abi Drummond, Ariana Bain and Lara Butler ended the nights action with a 7th place finish.

11-12: Coral Tomasick – 200 Freestyle – 5th (PB)

Simon Butler – 400 Individual Medley(IM) – 7th (PB)

Girls 4×100 medley Relay – 7th

Boys 4×100 Medley Relay – 6th

13-14: Tori Flowers – 200 Freestyle – 4th (PB)

Tori Flowers – 400 IM – 5th (PB)

Geoffrey Butler – 400IM – 7th (PB)

15-17: Lara Butler – 100 Backstroke – 6th (PB)

Seiji Groome – 400IM – 6th

Selita leads ladies to victory and wins for charity

Cayman News | 05/04/2010 | 16 Comments

(CNS): Cayman’s very own supermodel secured $20,000 for her chosen charity on the latest episode of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice when the women’s team won the challenge with Selita Ebanks as project manager. The two teams were tasked with creating a 3-D display to promote Universal Studio’s new Harry Potter attraction and despite being separated from her team as part of the challenge Ebanks did a sterling job using technology to communicate with them. Ex governor Rod Blagojevich who was called on to act as the project manager for the guys found the communication a little more challenging and led to the men being defeated for the third time in a row.

Donald Trump fired the ex-governor after he struggled to handle the communication. On a previous episode, Blagojevich had already demonstrated his lack of technological prowess and on Sunday’s (4 April) show, he had trouble sending text messages and e-mailing.

After receiving their task the project managers were separated from their teams and put on a plane to Florid. Selita got right on the task watching the CD given to them outlining the challenge, multiple times, taking notes, making sketches and preparing documents to send through her phone the minute the plane landed. The governor however struggled to turn on the lap top.

Following a short meeting with the executives from Universal the project managers began communicating with their teams. Ebanks clearly had a plan in place and passed solid information to the team back in New York. Blagojevich selected Curtis Stone as the communications person and Bret Michaels in charge of design and creative properties and told him, “..use your best judgment..”It was no surprise that the women came out way on top.

Ebanks’ success at the helm as project manager is not only a boost for Shine on Sierra Leone charity, but it will also stand her in good stead as the game progresses. The longer the Victoria’s Secret supermodel can stay on the hit show, the better exposure she will get. With the men’s team down to 4 members Trump may decide to re-shape the teams in the next episode which airs Sunday, 9:00 p.m. on NBC.

Two quakes in two days

Cayman News | 05/04/2010 | 27 Comments

(CNS): The earth was moving once again off the coast of Grand Cayman this morning (Monday 5 April). A moderate earthquake registering a 5 on the Richter magnitude scale occurred at 2:30am some 95 miles south of George Town. According to the US Geological survey the tremor was located 17.926°N, 81.548°W at a depth of 6.2 miles (10Km). The earthquake comes around 31 hours after a 4.2 shook things up on Saturday evening around 7pm some 64 miles south of Bodden Town. Since the 19 January 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 32 miles south of Bodden Town there have been several smaller tremors in the Cayman Islands area.

There are no reports of damage on the Hazard Management website which says it is continuing to monitor the seismic movement ion the area.

Archive for April, 2010

Creighton dominates M$R

One-stop-cop-shop now open

Jamaica wins final gold

Gordon Brown calls 6 May general election

Insurance industry facing government survey of rates

Anglin to get youth working

Athletes break records as competition heightens

Medal count climbs for swim team in Jamaica

Selita leads ladies to victory and wins for charity

Two quakes in two days

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