Archive for August 5th, 2010

Road works disrupt night time & weekend traffic

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): The Cayman Islands Water Authority will be continuing with its work in the South Church Street in area in down town George Town this weekend and over night for the next month. The WA is warning drivers that work at the junction of Harbour Drive and Shedden Road will begin on Sunday, 8 August at 5:00 am until 2:00pm when crews will carry out scheduled works which are part of the South Church Street Upgrade Project. Access to South Church or Harbour Drive via Shedden Road will not be possible and motorists will need to use an alternate route.

Night work will begin in the same area on the same day at 10:00pm until 6:00AM on Monday morning and will cover the same hours on weekday nights for approximately the next four weeks. As work progresses, road traffic may be reduced to one lane the Authority has warned.

All motorists traveling in the South Church Street area are therefore urged to take note of these road works and use caution while driving in and around this area. Drivers are asked to obey all the road signs and consider the safety of staff while the work takes place. The Water Authority apologizes in advance for any inconvenience caused and wishes to thank the public for its understanding as they continue to make service improvements.

Madoff trustee wins $I80m judgment

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(Bloomberg): The trustee for Bernard Madoff’s’s investment-advisory business won a $180 million default judgment against Vizcaya Partners Ltd. over claims the hedge fund profited from the fraud. Vizcaya, based in the British Virgin Islands, failed to plead its case “or otherwise defend itself” against trustee Irving Picard’s allegations, according to a ruling by US bankruptcy judge Burton Lifland in Manhattan. Vizcaya missed a deadline to respond to the lawsuit, which seeks to recover money the hedge fund withdrew from its Madoff account less than four months before the conman’s arrest. The default judgment applies to Vizcaya and affiliates Zeus Partners Ltd, Bermuda-based Siam Capital Management and the Cayman Islands-based Asphalia Fund Ltd.

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Bodden donates work to national archive

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): The Cayman Islands National Archive said it was very pleased to have played a part in the production of Roy Bodden’s latest work. The UCCI president spent a considerable time at the archive pulling together this riveting but controversial work on the country’s recent political history – Patronage, Personalities and Parties: Caymanian Politics from 1915-2000. By way of thanks Bodden donated two copies to the CINA reference collection.“It’s fantastic to know that members of our community are using our resources to create publications,” CINA Archivist Tricia Bodden said.

“This book fleshes out our political history during an 85-year period, adding details that had previously been unpublished, and from an insider’s perspective. We need more texts of this sort, so that our history can be safeguarded for future generations,” she added.

This book is the second in a series of three works examining the country’s society. Bodden’s first was titled The Cayman Islands in Transition: The Politics, History and Sociology of a Changing Society and in his third the former politician says he will focus on family, wealth, class, status, and the political economy of land in the Cayman Islands.

Bodden said that the book will provide the basis for understanding modern Cayman Islands politics. Also, readers will learn how the system works; what it takes to be successful in Cayman’s political arena; and about the major cast of personalities that have made up the country’s political history.

CINA staff are already preparing to work with him on his next piece of work and Bodden thanked them for their invaluable assistance. He said they were always willing to provide resources hints, and provide examples of materials.

Parks Unit lists public places for summer fun

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): The Recreation Parks and Cemeteries Unit (RPCU) says it is doing its bit to help parents keep their kids busy this summer break by listing, on its website, the parks, beaches and other venues across the islands. By checking out www.rpcu.gov.ky parents and guardians can discover which parks are nearby and w soon, they will also be able to access a map showing park locations. General Manager Jonathan Jackson said that while the website was developed to advise the public of RPCU roles and functions, it also provides information on public facilities — how to access and use them responsibly.

“The site is timely because during the summer people always want to explore interesting things to do. And at a time when ’staycations’ or stay-at-home vacations are being encouraged, our site can be useful to residents who are trying to reduce vacation expenditure,” said Jackson.

Noting that public spaces also exist for the convenience and enjoyment of visitors, he added that by logging onto the website and other media, they can make effective leisure plans ahead of their arrival in Cayman.

The website lists 16 public parks and 18 public beaches across Grand Cayman. It also provides data on other public areas maintained by the RPCU, as well as docks andramps and public restrooms.

“The majority of the parks have playground equipment and sandboxes, plus other amenities for public convenience and safe enjoyment,” Jackson added.

He reminded the public that anyone wishing to reserve public beach and park cabanas for special events that they must first obtain an event permit from the RPCU.

Application forms are only available at the RPCU office.

Deputy Premier and Minister of District Administration, Works, Land and Agriculture Juliana O’Connor-Connolly noted: “Public spaces exist for the community’s enjoyment. Safe and responsible use of all facilities will ensure that they will be available for future generations.”

Fidel Castro set to address Cuba national assembly

Guest Writer | 05/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(BBC): The former Cuban president, Fidel Castro, is expected to address the national assembly this weekend for the first time in four years. Cuban state media said a special session of the assembly on international affairs, requested by Mr Castro, would be held on Saturday. Fidel Castro, 83, ceded power to his brother Raul in 2006 after falling ill. But he now says he has fully recovered and has made frequent public appearances over the past month. The official announcement of the special parliamentary session does not mention Mr Castro by name, or say who will be speaking. In recent speeches Fidel Castro has warned against what he sees as the danger of imminent nuclear war involving the United States, Israel, Iran and North Korea.

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Burglar takes less than minute to grab loot

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 42 Comments

(CNS): A young burglar was in and out of Funky Tangs electronic store with cash and video games in the early hours of Wednesday morning in under a minute. At around 3am the speedy burglar broke the back door, made his way through the burglar bars into the office and the store before leaving the premises with the loot – all within 50 seconds. News 27 reports that police searched the area but have not made any arrests in the case yet. The burglar is caught on camera, however, as Funky Tangs has video security on the premises as well as an alarm and a number of other security measures. Despite the shop owner’s efforts, it was not enough to prevent this break-in, though the manager says they will be upgrading the back door to one that is even stronger.

Mark Watler, the store manager, is asking anyone who recognises the burglar to contact Funky Tangs or the police.

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Warm weather boosts CUC profits

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 18 Comments

(CNS): A few more customers but mostly warmer weather have helped CUC to an increase in earnings, according to its latest financial report. Grand Cayman’s only power provider, Caribbean Utilities Company, is reporting an increase of 5 percent in sales for the second quarter of this year over the second quarter in 2009. According to the firm’s unaudited results, sales were "significantly impacted by hotter than average temperatures" in the Second Quarter 2010 compared to the cooler than average temperatures the year before. Net earnings for the Second Quarter 2010 were $6.2 million, giving the CUC an increase in profits of $1.2 million compared to last year and a boost to shareholders.

CUC also said it recorded a new system peak load of 102.1 Megawatts in June 2010 up 8.2% from the peak load of 94.4 MW recorded in June 2009. According to a release, the firm said that sales growth was due to higher temperatures and that modest growth in customer connections, partially offset by increased depreciation expense have contributed to this increase.

As a result of what it described as its “deliberate efforts to improve productivity” and cost control efforts, including “recruitment and salary freezes”, CUC has made a profit despite the challenging economic times.

President and CEO of CUC, Richard Hew, acknowledged the profit was down to people running their air conditioning units more than usual. “Although we have seen a relatively good first half of 2010 in respect of revenues and earnings, our analysis confirms that it is largely due to increased air conditioning loads in response to higher temperatures,” he said. “June in particular was a very hot month with average temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit recorded, compared to 82 degrees Fahrenheit in June 2009.”

Hew added that real underlying growth has slowed considerably. “We remain conservative with respect to the outlay of capital or other discretionary expenditures in advance of a sustained recovery of the Cayman Islands economy. However, we will continue our efforts to deliver reliable service to our customers.”

During the quarter, the company reached a new reliability peak Average System Availability Index rating of 99.99%, as compared to 99.91% in the Second Quarter 2009.

After the adjustment for dividends on the Class B Preference Shares of the company, CUC said earnings on Class A Ordinary Shares for the Second Quarter 2010 were $6.1 million, or $0.21 per Class A Ordinary Share, as compared to $4.9 million, or $0.18 per Class A Ordinary Share for the Second Quarter 2009. Earnings on Class A Ordinary Shares for the First Half of 2010 were $8.4 million, or $0.29 per Class A Ordinary Share, as compared to $7.3 million, or $0.26 per Class A Ordinary Share for the First Half of 2009.

CUC connected 749 new customers between June 30, 2009 and June 30, 2010. Of these, 678 customers were added to the residential category and 71 customers were added to the commercial category. Total customers as at June 30, 2010 were 25,817, an increase of 3% over the 25,068 customers as at June 30, 2009.

Hurricane experts stick with season forecast

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 3 Comments

(CNS): Colorado State University researchers are sticking to their earlier hurricane season predictions n of 18 named storms in the Atlantic this year including 10 hurricanes — five of which will be severe. The forecast update released yesterday is based on a much warmer-than-usual Atlantic and a cooling tropical Pacific driven by the climate pattern called La Nina. "It’s really come on quite strong," said Phil Klotzbach, lead author of the CSU predictions. "It was a very rapid transition from El Nino to La Nina."

Although long term hurricane forecasting comes in for considerable criticism the Colorado team have a relatively good track record and last year, their August prediction came close.

They called for 10 named storms, four hurricanes — two of them major storms reaching at least Category 3 strength. The season saw nine named storms, including three hurricanes — two of them major. This is the team’s third prediction for this season. In June the team increased by three storms their April prediction of 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes.

Klotzbach said conditions this year most resemble 1998’s abrupt El Nino-to-La Nina shift, when 14 named storms formed, 10 of them hurricanes — three with winds of 111 mph or greater. Conditions also look like 2005 but not as extreme, he said, when 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes formed.

The US government is set to update its outlook later today. In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration federal forecasters predicted the Atlantic basin could see as many as 14 hurricanes this year. and a 70 percent chance of 14 to 23 named storms, eight to 14 hurricanes and three to seven major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater

So far this year three named storms have developed. Hurricane Alex made landfall June 30 in northern Mexico. Tropical Storm Bonnie forced crews drilling a relief well in the Gulf to evacuate last month. Tropical Storm Colin dissipated earlier this week over the Atlantic.

However, forecaster said Colin may come back to life later today or Friday posing a possible threat to Bermuda. Colin briefly grew into a tropical storm and then degenerated into an open wave on Tuesday. Now its remnants are pulling together and forecasters give it a 50% of regaining tropical storm status over the next two days.

Turtle Farm to release baby Cayman Parrot

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 7 Comments

(CNS): Officials at the Cayman Turtle Farm are turning their attention to the release of a very different kind of creature than the one most frequently at the centre of the farm’s wild release programme. Staff are currently preparing to release a Cayman Parrot that has recently fledged in the aviary. The baby parrot was hatched two months ago in early June to Leo, a male parrot who has called the farm home since the 1980s and Sweetpea, a wild parrot rescued from a poacher and donated to the Turtle Farm’s aviary by Cayman Wildlife Rescue. The count down to the parrots release will see the young bird isolated from human contact and a weaning from commercial feed.

The staff will introduce natural wild food such as hardwood seeds and fruits, along with the branches of the trees so the young parrot will recognize the sources. Once the parrot has ignored the commercial feed and gone only for the wild diet, which could take up to a month or more then the bird will be released into the wild.

“We are excited and happy that our fledgling is doing well and in good health,” said Geddes Hislop, Curator – Terrestrial Exhibits, Education Programs, & (Acting) Marine Exhibits.

. We feel that he/ she will be a success in the wild and look forward to being able to be a part of the preservation of the local Cayman Parrot population. We appreciate the support of members of the public in enabling us to continue our efforts towards the conservation of our local wildlife,” said Geddes Hislop, Curator – Terrestrial Exhibits, Education Programs, & (Acting) Marine Exhibits.

This is not the first feathered creature that the Turtle Farm has repatriated as part of the Headstart project. Other injured and rescued birds have included White-Crowned Pigeons, Caribbean “white belly” doves, as well as a couple of Cayman Brac parrots that were injured in Hurricane Paloma.

The Release (Headstart) Program was started in 1979 and is usually associated with turtles. Since its inception the farm stated that over 31,000 endangered green sea turtles have been released back into the wild population.

To become a part of the Turtle Farm’s Wild Release (Headstart) Sponsorship Program companies and individuals are asked to call 949.3894 or e-mail India Narcisse at India.narcisse@boatswainsbeach.ky.

Mac pushes for 6th minister

Cayman News | 05/08/2010 | 70 Comments

(CNS): The country’s premier is seeking to change the country’s constitution some eight months after its implementation in order to nominate a sixth cabinet minister. In a letter to the opposition leader, McKeeva Bush asks for the support of the People’s Progressive Movement as he says he has the backing of the UK’s Overseas Territories Minister to make what he calls a “minor change”. The new Constitution provided for the Minister of Finance to be an elected member of government and removed the third official member from Cabinet. Since then there has been one less person in the Cabinet carrying out the government’s workload, which Bush says has “created more strain” but the constitution does not allow for another minster to be appointed until after the next election.

In his letter to Kurt Tibbetts, Bush says that Henry Bellingham will permit the appointment if the legislators are agreed.

Speaking about the recent meeting between Bellingham and Bush, when the two men discussed good governance, the premier says the UK minister was surprised to learn that during constitutional discussions it was agreed to move to a 2/5 majority of non-governmental ministers in the Legislative Assembly but there was a stipulation that no additional ministers could be appointed until after the House was next prorogued.

“After discussions with Mr Hendry (the UK leader on the Constitutional talks) Mr Bellingham has written back confirming his willingness to allow a minor change to the Constitution by Order in Council. In accordance with the agreement he would like to have consensus of the Legislative Assembly before doing so," Bush wrote. “I am hopeful that you will agree that this was an oversight at the time, which can be corrected rather simply in the best interest of the Country.”

At the next election the number of MLAs is expected to increase to 18 in order to increase the size of Cabinet to seven elected ministers and maintain the democratic balance between government and the backbenchers and opposition. The ratio must be 2/5 so that a Cabinet could be overturned by the MLAs without needing the support of any of those ministers.

If Bush is allowed to go ahead with this move he will be able to appoint one of his four backbenchers to a new Cabinet post. At present Bush has the role of Minister of Finance, along with Tourism and Development and Planning, although the Financial Secretary is still in post and remains in Bush’s ministry. It is not clear what departments would be taken from which existing ministries in order to create the new ministry if the appointment is made, but the likely candidates would be Cline Glidden or Elio Solomon. These two back bench government members were recently given councillor titles by the premier who has described then as “junior ministers”.

The PPM said yesterday that, having only just received the letter, the opposition would be considering the request amongthe party’s executive as well as the MLAs. Alden McLaughlin stated that it may be necessary to take this discussion out to the wider community as it is not, as the premier claims, a minor change.

“The Constitution has only been in effect since 6 November after a long and difficult gestation period when lots of issues were discussed,” he noted. “There was plenty of opportunity available to the then opposition to raise questions such as this during the talks but the question of the interim position for ministers was never a subject of discussion or raised by them at that time. It seems the UDP was more focused on derailing the talks than discussing what was in the Constitution.”

He said it was rather ironic that the premier, who had fought so hard against the constitutional change, now wanted to speed up the implementation of its provisions.

McLaughlin stated that the party was not certain of its position and would come to a considered view after extensive consultation this week as changing the constitution in a significant manner so soon after it was in place had to be something that was carefully considered, and the question of the need for a referendum also discussed.

McLaughlin noted that the forthcoming changes to the legislature at the next election would mean there would be an even number of members and the preference would have been for an odd number. But between the cost constraints and the need for a bigger Cabinet of elected members with the removal of voting powers from official members, 18 was the minimum the UK would allow in order to maintain the 2/5 ratio, which is considered to be an important democratic check and balance on government.

Archive for August 5th, 2010

Road works disrupt night time & weekend traffic

Madoff trustee wins $I80m judgment

Bodden donates work to national archive

Parks Unit lists public places for summer fun

Fidel Castro set to address Cuba national assembly

Burglar takes less than minute to grab loot

Warm weather boosts CUC profits

Hurricane experts stick with season forecast

Turtle Farm to release baby Cayman Parrot

Mac pushes for 6th minister

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