Archive for July, 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.
Power restored to Grand Cayman
(CUC): The sole electricity supplier for Grand Cayman says it restored power to all areas following an island wide outage yesterday (Friday 16 July). CUC says power was restored to all customers across Grand Cayman by 7:00 this morning and that the outage was caused by severe lighting strikes to its system. “CUC crews have been working hard to ensure that electricity is restored to all homes and businesses on Grand Cayman in a timely and safe manner,” a spokesperson said. Any customer who is still without electricity should call CUC’s outage hotline at 945-1282.
CUC apologises for any inconvenience this outage may have caused and would like to thank its valued customers their patience and understanding during the restoration process.
Mangroves disappearing faster than land-based forests
(CNN): The destruction of the world’s mangrove forests is happening up to four times faster than the world’s land-based forests, according to a new report. A study commissioned by the ITTO (International Tropical Timber Organization) reports that one fifth (around 35,500 square kilometers) of the world’s mangroves — forests straddling both land and sea — have been lost since 1980. Although the study reports that annual destruction has slowed to 0.7 percent a year, the authors of the "World Atlas of Mangroves" report warn that continued coastal destruction and shrimp farming could cause financial and ecologic havoc. Studies estimate mangroves generate between US$2000 to $9000 per hectare annually from fishing. (Photo by Dennie Warren Jr)
CNS note: The report was a joint initiative of ITTO (funding agency), ISME (International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems, the implementing agency), FAO, UNEP-WCMC, UNESCO-MAB, UNU-INWEH, and TNC. The authors are Mark Spalding (lead author), Mami Kainuma and Lorna Collins with map preparation lead by FAO and UNEP-WCMC. The project received majority funding from ITTO through a Japanese Government grant.
HRC queries jury removal
(CNS): Following the recent revelations that the government proposes to remove the right to trial by jury for all firearms related offences, the Human Rights Commission has also sent its concerns to the Attorney General’s Office. In a letter, which is available on the commission’s new website, the HRC writes that the jury trial is a fundamental right. Richard Coles, chair of the commission, further points out that as the law will make the judge alone trial mandatory in these cases, the prosecution will be under no obligation to demonstrate the danger of jury tampering. He also noted that when these trials were introduced in Northern Ireland they were severely criticised.
“The total power and authority of the judge alone to make decisions on the case at hand where the defendant has not chosen to be tried this way may raised questions regarding the individual’s right to a fair trial,” Coles, a former attorney general, wrote in the letter to the AG.
The HRC chair does not entirely condemn a move that has raised significant concerns throughout the legal community and those concerned about the gradual erosion of civil rights. Coles says there is an element of proportionality in the changes to the law provided assurances can be given of the judge’s discretion to minimise the potential for a breach of human rights.
However, the chair reminds the attorney general that the imposition of judge alone trials in other places raised significant concerns about human rights. “Where ‘judge alone’ trials have taken place in the past, in other jurisdictions (e.g. Northern Ireland) their use was severely criticised,” Coles wrote.
The full letter can be seen on the HRC’s newly launched website, which, the chair says, marks a step forward in the Commission’s work. “While fulfilling our public education mandate, the launch also provides a primary avenue to stay connected with the public," he said.
Although the Bill of Rights does not come into force until 2012, the commission is still tasked with advising government on new and amended legislation to ensure the country’s laws do not breach human rights.
The website also offers access to the commission‘s policies and procedures, minutes of its meetings, responses to public and media enquiries and copies of correspondence with government officials. It also explains the different types of human rights infringements, complaints and breaches that will be heard by the HRC, as well as procedures for filing such complaints. In future, the HRC will regularly update the website to expand its educational material and a major focus will be an interactive educational section intended for youngsters.
"We hope that the website will become a major source for learning about the Commission and the Bill of Rights and we will appreciate feedback on the content," Coles added.
‘Career camp’ offers behaviour lessons
(CNS): Teenagers were given the opportunity this week to help prepare them for their future vocations, thanks in part to the support of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise. Youth Vocational Camp, also known as "Career Camp", presented at the University College of the Cayman Islands, is focussed not so much on how to get a job but on how to behave in the working world. The campers were exposed to four distinct sections of camp: Fashion Design, Multimedia and Broadcasting, Office Procedures and Interviews.
James "Jamo" Myles, the Youth Services Coordinator who is responsible for Career Camp, said that each day they were given a brief presentation from visiting professionals in the teaching, legal, hospitality and human resource management professions, according to a Rotary release.
The government’s Youth Services Unit ran the camp because the teens are on the verge of choosing subjects for their external examinations, and the sooner young people focus on a career, the better their choices of subjects will be as they make their high school class selections.
Rotary Sunrise President Michael Levitt sums up his club’s determination to help the Youth Services Unit in its efforts. "When I assumed my position as President of Rotary Sunrise, I committed my year to the Youth of the Cayman Islands. By supporting this Career Camp, it is the beginning of how we are assisting with empowering and preparing the youth of these beautiful islands for a future that is full of hope and bright with promise."
The government’s Sizzling Summer Series Camps is for youths from ages 12 to 18. It is part of the Youth Services Unit’s effort to implement the National Youth Policy through the empowerment of young people.
The career camp is going on this week at UCCI in the G Block, next to the Library building. Teens can still sign up for next week’s Wellness Camp for a fee of $50. Interested people can call Jamo Myles at 943-1127 or 927-3372.
Photo by J.D. Mosley-Matchett: (left to right) Rotary Sunrise President Michael Levitt, James Myles of the Youth Services Unit, and Sunrise Youth Director Frank Balderamos.
Little Cayman restaurant offers sustainable eating
(CNS): When it comes to protection of the marine environment, the choices people make about what seafood they eat are very important, and with Little Cayman Beach Resort becoming the latest restaurant to join the National Trust’s Cayman Sea Sense (CSS) there is one more place where people can help. The Cayman Sea Sense project is a local sustainable seafood education programme dedicated to helping restaurants and their customers make environmentally positive seafood choices. The project assists chefs and restaurant owners to reduce the number of non-sustainable seafood items on their menus.
Catherine Childs and Sharon Adam-Whitmore, the new directors of CSS, said they were delighted to welcome Little Cayman Beach Resort to the list of those restaurants already making good choices about what seafood they serve.
“As the new directors of CSS, we have been encouraged by the support of CITA and the National Trust; we have also created a page on Facebook whose 58 members are committed to education and conservation,” they said. “CSS empowers more diners to confidently identify and choose restaurants that provide environmentally responsible seafood menu items, and provide restaurants with the information and support to continuously improve menus from an environmental sustainability perspective.”
In order to be eligible to carry the Sea Sense logo, restaurants and staff must make a commitment to provide at least one sustainable option on their menu with a commitment for continuous improvement. Full certification comes when all seafood items on the menu are sustainable. For more information about CSS, including how to join or become a volunteer, you can email Catherine or Sharon at caymanseasense@gmail.com or visit the CSS Facebook page.
For a list of participating restaurants, visit the National Trust website.
National Trust scores big in HSBC Golf Tournament
(CNS): The first HSBC Golf Tournament raised $26,000 in total for the National Trust for the Cayman Islands through sponsorship from HSBC, team registration, hole sponsorship and putting contest. CEO of HSBC Bank (Cayman) Limited, Gonzalo Jalles, also surprised the National Trust with an additional $10,000 cheque at the end of the day’s festivities. Eighty golfers participated in the half day tournament, which was hosted by HSBC Bank (Cayman) in partnership with the National Trust on Friday, 9 July, at the North Sound Club golf course, and played in a range of contests, including five closest to the pin, closest to the rope, the chance to win a Mercedes-Benz from Auto Haus and a putting contest.
The top three teams received one-of-a-kind glass-blown figurines from The Island Glassblowing Studio. The winning team Genesis Trust (Colin MacKay, Nick Rogers, Mike McDonald and Roger Prialux) each received glass-blown blue iguanas and vouchers to participate in a Blue Iguana Safari at the Blue Iguana Recovery Program located in the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Runners-up SRS Cayman Ltd (Seamus Tivnan, Daniel Maclean, Ron Sulisz, Peter MacKay) were each awarded green parrots and a voucher to go on a Birding Tour on the Mastic Trail, while third place team KPMG (Joel Dodson, Greg Bennet, Colin Nicklson and James Walton) received sea turtles and vouchers for to go on a guided Historic Walking Tour of George Town. The players of Team Spectrum Global Fund Administration (Cayman) the last place team, received two rounds of golf for four from the North Sound Club Golf Course and The Britannia Golf Course.
Contest prizes were donated by Auto Haus, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, Cayman Luxury Charters, Audi, Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, The Lobster Pot, Agave Food and Drink Jacques Scott Ltd., Seven Fathoms,The North Sound Club, The Britannia Golf Course.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated in the tournament, our hole sponsors, our prize donors, the North Sound Club, Welly’s Cool spot for providing the buffet dinner and the glassblowing studio for the wonderful team prizes,” said Frank Bladeramos, General Manager of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. “The National Trust would especially like to express appreciation to the team at HSBC and their support throughout the event. Without you the tournament would not have been able to happen. We hope to see everyone next year for a bigger golf tournament!”
Photo: Frank Balderamos, General Manager of the National Trust (left) receives and unexpected donation cheque from Gonzalo Jalles, CEO of HSBC Bank (Cayman) Limited.