Archive for August 23rd, 2010

Danielle’s weakening expected to be short lived

Danielle’s weakening expected to be short lived

| 23/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): Updated 4pm- The National Hurricane Centre says that although Danielle has been downgraded even further to a tropical storm environmental conditions are such that it is expected to become a hurricane again later tonight or early on Wednesday. At 5pm AST Danielle was about 895 miles east of the Leeward Islands with maximum sustained winds of 70mph and moving west -northwest at 18 mph. Danielle is still expected to slow down and turn toward the northwest during the next couple of days when re-strengthening is forecast. Tropical storm force winds currently extend outward up to 140 miles.

 
Forecasters continue to predict that over the next few days Danielle will become a significant hurricane and remains on a track heading east of Bermuda.
 
 

 

 

Continue Reading

DoE solves mystery of suspected pollutant

DoE solves mystery of suspected pollutant

| 23/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(CNS): Following a number of reports to the media and marine officers the Department of Environment has solved the mystery of what some believed was oil floating in the sea around the Seven Mile Public Beach. The material is in fact peat likely churned up by wave action from underneath the beach a phenomena which occurs from time to time and as it’s a natural substance local marine life is under no threat. Deputy Director, Scott Slaybaugh confirmed that officers had followed up on the reports and carried out a thorough investigation. He said the department was grateful to the public for bringing it to their attention so they were able to examine what it was and reassure everyone that it is safe. (Photo – Scott Slaybaugh, hand model – Tracy Galvin)

 
“On this occasion it has turned out to be peat which occurs naturally and is an organic material so its harmless but its important that we investigate any sightings in the ocean that look suspicious and we want people to call into the DoE whenever they see things in the ocean that they are not quite sure about so we can check on them,” Slaybaugh said.
 
He said that peat is a common substance where the mangroves grow and there is a lot of this organic naturally forming, material, which is essential slowly decaying plant life, in the area around the public beach where it was sighted on this occasion. The Deputy Director of Operations & Enforcement said the material can get churned up from under the sand and be carried out into the ocean where it picks up all sorts of ocean detritus and as it gets tumbled around in the waves it takes on a smooth appearance making it look like a tar ball or oil. (Underwater shot by Chief Enforcement Officer, Mark Orr.)
 
 
When it breaks up Slaybaugh said it makes the water cloudy as it is very crumbly material and it is easy for people to mistake it for something harmful. He said that the DoE has reports regarding the peat a couple of times a year, to varying degrees, but as there is peat under the beaches its not unexpected for it to make its way in to the ocean. The marine expert reassured the public that it will not cause any harm to marine life or to anyone swimming in the area.
 
 
 

Continue Reading

Private school grows due to public school uncertainty

Private school grows due to public school uncertainty

| 23/08/2010 | 11 Comments

(CNS): One of thecountry’s private Christian schools says it has seen an increase in demand for places as a result of changes to the government high school. Triple C has added new sections to both grade 6 and 8 to meet the demand for students leaving year six in their district schools that don’t want to go to what it described as the huge “city” high school. Secondly, the private school claimed some year 8 students are still unsure how the demise of the middle school concept will affect them, and finally parents have expressed nervousness over their children in a huge school and are looking for a smaller and safer environment Triple C claimed in a statement.

The school stated that parents have said they also observed the behaviour, ability, and work ethic of Triple C graduates in the workplace and say they value the Christian character that is integrated into the academic expectations at the faith based school.
 
“Creating these two new sections has provided a number of spaces in both grades and parents are encouraged to inquire now in order to secure a space,” the school said. It explained that year 6 students in the British school system have completed Grade 5 in the American system so would go on to grade six if they are to swap schools. Similarly those who would be in year 9 in the government system will go in to grade 8 at Triple C. The school emphasized that this is not a step backwards but just a different way of designating the grades since in the US first year of formal schooling is called Kindergarten and the second year is grade 1.
 
Turning to the younger students Triple C said it has also introduced another section of Pre-Kindergarten for four 4 year olds but there is still a waiting list for the Kindergarten class. 
 
“There are some elementary grades that are not quite full and there is still room in the Pre-School. We are pleased that we can provide a safe option for students leaving Year 6 and Year 8 and we continue to welcome all student applications,” stated Jennifer Allen, Vice-Principal of Academics.
 
Triple C School was founded in 1941 and said that it partners with parents to provide an internationally competitive education using the American school model. Call 949-6022 or visit our website at www.triplecschool.org for more details.

Continue Reading

Young Caymanian sailor battles on in Singapore

Young Caymanian sailor battles on in Singapore

| 23/08/2010 | 1 Comment

(CNS): Lizzy Wauchope continues to struggle on in the sailing competition of the Youth Olympic Games, according to reports from the CIOC. Day four of the event at the youth Olympics in Singapre brought rainy conditions with wind strength between 10-12 knots and in the first race of the day, Wauchope had a mediocre start and was not able to make any moves to get ahead of the rest of the fleet.  She finished in 22nd place. In the second race of the day,  won the start and rounded the first mark in seventh position.  Unfortunately, a mistake caused her to capsize downwind and most of the boats passed her as she was unable to recover, finishing in 27th place out of 32 racers. 

Racing was cancelled on day five as there was no wind leaving Wauchope in 26th position overall out of and disappointed with her performance so far.  "I wish I could have the first six races back because I feel that my mistakes are easy to correct.  But that’s sailboat racing and I’m going to try to forget about it and look forward to the rest of the regatta," she said.
 
Her coach, Mike Weber, is confident that things will improve.  "In the last race Lizzy showed that her starts are getting better and she was  able to execute the proper tactical game plan and sail fast with the
top sailors in thefleet.  It is only a matter of time before she is more consistent in her sailing."
 
The regatta continues Monday and Tuesday before the final race on Wednesday.
 
Full results can be found at http://www.sailing.org/yog/results-2010.php

Continue Reading

George Towners in the dark after circuit trip

George Towners in the dark after circuit trip

| 23/08/2010 | 1 Comment

(CNS):  Caribbean Utility Company has confirmed that George Town customers along North Sound Road, Walkers Road, Fairbanks and South Church Street were without electricity for just under an hour last night as a result technical failure. A spokes person for the electricity company said that he outage which occurred around 10:17 pm Sunday night was the result of the failure of a circuit tie breaker which caused two circuits serving the affected areas to trip.CUC crews were on the scene quickly however and were able to isolate the faulty device and restore power to all customers by 11:11pm. (Photo Dennie WarrenJr)

 
 
The company apologizes to its customers for any inconvenience this outage may have caused.

Continue Reading

Tourism stakeholders to grill immigration

Tourism stakeholders to grill immigration

| 23/08/2010 | 22 Comments

(CNS): The local tourism industry body says it has a number of concerns regarding the service it is receiving from the immigration department and that it could be getting a raw deal compared to other sectors when it comes to key employee. The Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) has set up a meeting for its members with senior immigration staff to allow industry stakeholders to voice concerns get answers to a number of questions and try to address the numerous work-permit problems that the industry is facing.  Harry Lalli, CITA president, who will be raising a number of common concerns expressed by members and the board said: “This is a crucial opportunity for CITA members to be heard and obtain guidance and answers by the Chief Immigration Officer and her team.”

 
 Linda Evans, Chief Immigration Officer, Danny Scott, Chairman of the Business Staffing Plan Board, Gary Wong,  Deputy Chief Immigration Officer (Enforcement and Intelligence) and Sherryl Miller, Director of Work Permits and Boards will form panel the panel on Tuesday morning to address a wide range of questions from key employee trouble to the level of service.
 
The president said members are concerned about the lack of a definite time period on processing work permits as some members have said despite paying express fees for temporary permits they are still taking more than 2 days. “It is proving difficult for businesses to gauge the processing time for work permits and a definitive timeline would allow businesses to plan more effectively,” CITA stated.
 
Members will also be looking for information on the length of time required to be off island due to a roll over as there appears to be some confusion that certain industries are being given preference.
“We need to know if this is rumour or is it a fact,” Lalli said.
 
CITA is also interested in seeking amendments to work permits held by its members so employees with reduced hours in their primary job function as a result of the economic climate can shift efforts to other areas through a work permit amendment. The industry body stated that this is of particular importance to large operations that could avoid hiring more staff if they utilize their existing employees more effectively. “It is beneficial to the business and to the staff member who receives cross-training and becomes well versed in another position. CITA members want to know if there is a way for those amendments to be fast tracked and the process sped up.” Lalli stated.
 
Another major concern is the confusing and mixed messages coming from the department. Members say they often receive different answers provided to the same question at the office than that received from phone attendants and Immigration staff. CITA said it is very hard for businesses to get a straight answer or know how to move forward and hopes the meeting will provide an opportunity for the panel to give answers to common work permit related questions.
 
CITA also said it wants the Immigration Department to consider key employee positions within the Tourism industry. The body is seeking recognition for what it considers some key roles such as maintenance supervisors at condominium or hotel properties. “They know the properties inside out and it is highly beneficial to the company to have that person stay on,” CITA stated. “Another example is an Executive Chef in a restaurant who is crucial to the kitchen and restaurant they helped create. Roll over’s can cost some of our businesses in a large way if appeals for key employee are not taken seriously.”
 
The organisation says it is also worried about the customer service experienced by visitors to the Cayman Islands. It would appear that on the busiest days at the airports (such as Saturdays) the immigration lines to depart are getting extremely long. CITA warned that as this is the last experience for a visitor it should be a pleasant one and the CITA Members are hoping to hear directly from the Immigration Department how it intends to address this issue.
 
“Neither the CITA Board of Directors nor our membership wishes to point fingers. We merely wish to find answers and work together to improve the situations at hand and this meeting will be a great
opportunity to further some of these discussions and provide answers,” Lalli said, encouraging all of the membership sectors to attend and participate in order to provide a wide perspective on the challenges faced by the tourism Industry
 
The meeting is open to CITA members only and will take place at 10.00am until 12 noon Tuesday, 24 August at the Silver Palm, Camana Bay.
 
 

Continue Reading

Cayman women are Caribbean Rugby Champs

Cayman women are Caribbean Rugby Champs

| 23/08/2010 | 14 Comments

(Cayman RFU): The National Cayman Rugby women’s team won the Caribbean Rugby Championship with a stunning 49 – 0 display against Bahamas in the final of the week long competition. It is the first time that Cayman has won the tournament after finishing second in Barbados last year. The Bahamians were simply not able to stem the flow of nine tries scored by Cayman as Loletta Hanna (3), Lisa Bird (2), Lisa Kehoe, Rowena Lawrence & Emily Davies all crossed for Cayman scores. Lisa Kehoe controlled the game from fly half from the start and with the excellent ball produced by the forward pack she was able to set  all Cayman back row players, as well as center Loletta Hanna on devastating runs through the Bahamians central defense time andtime again.

Go to article

Continue Reading

Cousin marriages cause genetic disabilities

Cousin marriages cause genetic disabilities

| 23/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(Telegraph): More than 700 children in the UK are born with genetic diseases every year as a result of cousin marriages, an investigation has found. The problem is worst among children born in Britain’s Pakistani community, where more than half of marriages are between first cousins, and children are 10 times more likely than the general population to suffer genetic disorders. As adults, the children born from first cousin marriages are at increased risk of miscarriage or infertility. A third of children affected die before their fifth birthday. The medical risks of first cousin marriages include higher rates of infant mortality, birth defects, learning difficulties, blindness, hearing problems and metabolic disorders.

Go to article

Continue Reading

Wyly brothers break slilence on SEC suit

Wyly brothers break slilence on SEC suit

| 23/08/2010 | 0 Comments

(DallasNews.com): The billionaire Wyly brothers have broken their silence about the massive securities fraud suit against them. In the six years since the SEC started investigating Sam and his brother Charles, the pair have not spoken publicly about the business enterprises including a maze of 58 trusts and shell corporations based in the Isle of Man and the Cayman Islands. The brothers were silent when a Senate subcommittee released a report accusing them of using hundreds of millions in untaxed dollars to pay for business ventures and to acquire art and jewellery, including a $622,000 ruby. But after months of failed settlement talks the Wylys have decided to make the first jab in the fight over public perception.

 
"I can tell you one thing," Sam Wyly said. "They gonna lose. They gonna get nothing."
 
In separate interviews conducted in (Aspen) where they spend summers, the Dallas-based entrepreneurs offer a counternarrative to the government’s 78-page complaint. "I think it’s good politics to beat up on big companies and rich people," said Sam Wyly, 75. Soon, he said, "the election will be over, and this will forgotten about, or lost, be shut down, be gone, will be nothing."
 
 

Continue Reading

Changes at Weststar means no bar football

Changes at Weststar means no bar football

| 23/08/2010 | 5 Comments

(CNS): American football fans who enjoy watching the NFL in their local bar on Sundays may be disappointed this season as WestStar has confirmed it will not be offering the “NFL Sunday Ticket this year for technical reasons. The local cable TV company told CNS that last year it had fewer than 100 subscribers for the special season viewing ticket after a number of bar ownersand patrons had raised concerns that it could affect business. However foody fans and home decorators with the basic cable tier will get access to two new channels next month when the firm moves HGTV and the Food Netwrok to the digital classic package.

Regarding the loss of the NFL ticket a spokesperson for Weststar said a letter would be circulating to former subscribers explaining that a combination of programming changes and technical constraints would mean that it could not provide the service anymore but bar owners can still get the service through Direct TV.

 “This year, due to a combination of programming and technical constraints, we will not be offering the "NFL Sunday Ticket" package,” Westar said. “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, and wish to reassure customers that we are constantly looking for great, new, 24/7 entertainment options for our customers.”
 
Meanwhile, home improvement and foody fans subscribing to Weststar will be happy as changes to programming at the cable company will see HGTV and the Food Network moved to the basic package. During Cayman 27’s Island Living Expo, WestStar surveyed customers and found that HGTV and Food Network were two of the most sought-after cable channels.  “We are committed to improving our service and offering our customers more value for money,” Traci Bradley, Director of Operations said. “We are also working on adding more channels to Digital Classic and the Premiere Packages.”
 
On September 1, HGTV will move to cable channel 47 and Food Network to cable channel 48. For more on WestStar’s services log onto www.weststartv.com     

Continue Reading