Archive for July 18th, 2010
Celebrity Waiters raise funds for conservation
(CNS): The National Trust for the Cayman Islands hosted another successful “Celebrity Waiters” evening at Edoardo’s Restaurant on Wednesday, 23 June, raising $2,375. Once again, four members of Rotary Sunrise have answered the call to become “Celebrity Waiters” for an evening to support the National Trust’s fundraising initiative. Edoardo’s closed its doors to the public to accommodate Joanne Rutty, Anthony Lawson, Tony Catalanotto and Dawn Cummings and their guests. The waiters were assisted by the staff of Edoardo’s, who donated their time, to serve a three-course meal with wine to 76 attendees.
Blackbeard’s gave the celebrity waiters an excellent discount on Italian wines to add to the feel of the evening. Attendees paid $50 for the three-course and tipped their waiters generously.
This group of celebrity waiters was the first to incorporate a raffle, which made the evening exciting and raised extra money. Prizes were donated by Cayman Distributors, Papa Johns, Papperman’s and Edoardo’s.
“The support of my fellow Rotarian’s has been overwhelming and I’m truly grateful,” said Frank Balderamos, General Manager of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. “In future we’d like to see other ‘celebrity waiters’ join such a fun effort.”
Celebrity Waiters is a fundraising initiative of the National Trust where prominent Caymanians and residents, or as the National Trust likes to call them “Celebrities”, choose a restaurant of their choice, invite their friends to dinner and act as the waiters for that table. The National Trust raises money from the tips the waiters receive and the restaurant charges the normal price for the meal and beverages.
If you have a celebrity waiter team and would like to participate please contact Erika Walton, Development and Marketing Officer at the National Trust by calling 749-1129 or e-mail ewalton@nationaltrust.org.ky.
Students gain MSc in Human Resource Management
(CNS): Thirteen people who have achieved a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from University of Portsmouth were presented with their certificates on Saturday, 3 July. All the graduates are either in HR or in management positions and from a combination of government departments (Immigration, Public Works, Portfolio of the Civil Service, Ministry of Community Affairs & Housing, District Administration, the Cayman Island Hospital) and private sector organisations (Dart, Seaboard Marine, Black beards, and Trident Trust).
According to Principal Lecturer in HR Management, Stephen Pilbeam, the degree is a UK validated Masters programme and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) as meeting UK HRM Professional Standards, and is delivered on island by University of Portsmouth tutors. The University of Portsmouth received an invitation from CI Government back in 2000 and this is third time this Masters in Human Resource Management has been delivered in the Cayman Islands, Pilbeam said.
The successful Masters graduates are: Nikki Allen, Cara Anderson, Justin Bodden, Maribelle Brown, Cindy Downing, Katrina Ebanks, Tamara Ebanks, Juliet Osbourne, Brenda Riley, Dorothy Robertson, Raymond Scott, Mark Tibbetts and Marion Wilson-Lindsay.
Previous graduates include Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Samantha Bennett, Director of Children and Family Services Deanna Lookloy , Prison Director Dwight Scott, Chief Meteorologist Fred Sambula, and Walling Whittaker (former director of employment relations).
At the ceremony held at UCCI, Pilbeam told the graduates, “You are a talented group of individuals who have worked hard to achieve an internationally recognised Masters Degree – go forth and make a contribution to your employers and your society, and always take joy in learning.” Deanna Lookloy, Director of Children and Family Services, presented the Certificates and emphasised the importance of creating a work environment in which people could grasp opportunities for learning and demonstrate their talents.
Master of Ceremonies Graham Wood praised the contributions of the 200 family, friends and employers present at the ceremony in supporting the graduates throughout their studies. Janet Farrington-Martinez was present to receive her Award of Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. Tamara Ebanks in replying for the students recounted the many valuable learning experiences, the mutual support provided to each other and the professionalism and expertise of the university faculty who taught the programme on island.
Video shows downside of Jamaica’s tourism industry
(Environment News Service): The Jamaica Environmental Trust on Thursday night launched "Jamaica for Sale," a 92 minute video documentary highlighting disturbing issues behind the island’s normally rosy sun, sea and sand tourism image. "We want to raise hard questions about the tourism industry, especially in light of the recent rise in a certain kind of tourism. There are costs. We are asking questions about these costs," said Diana McCaulay, chief executive officer of Jamaica Environmental Trust. The video features the faces and voices of Jamaicans and other Caribbean personalities talking about life in the wake of a burst of construction of mega-hotels across Jamaica’s coastline. The film shows how gains from tourism development come at a high price to the people.
British Iraq war veterans to visit Cayman Islands
(X-Ray Mag): Four wounded British veterans of the Iraq war will be travelling to the British Overseas Territory of The Cayman Islands later this month to experience the islands’ acclaimed diving in an extraordinary rehabilitation programme known as Deptherapy, which has been pioneered by paraplegic Scottish diver Fraser Bathgate. The four British soldiers will be on the first ever British-led programme by The Deptherapy Foundation, which has been established by Bathgate. They will join six US soldiers to undergo a week of this unusual but highly effective form of intensive therapy. Deptherapy is in fact a scuba diving programme which has been specifically designed to help wounded soldiers rehabilitate after their return from active service.