Archive for November 12th, 2010
Mac heads to London for OT’s talking shop
(CNS): The country’s premier will be leaving for London this weekend on his way to the annual Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) meeting, which starts next week, the premier’s press office revealed on Friday afternoon. While there, McKeeva Bush will hold bilateral talks with the overseas territories minister Henry Bellingham on Tuesday, 16 November. Following that Bush and the other OT leaders will visit Windsor Castle for an audience with Queen Elizabeth II. The premier will be travelling with his political assistant, the education minister, the attorney general, the cabinet secretary, the financial secretary and the director of the CAA.
The OTCC is a forum where British Ministers and the Heads of Overseas Territories meet to discuss policy issues and this is the first forum since the new UK coalition was elected in May of this year.
Chaired by Bellingham, the main meeting on 17 November has a full slate of issues on the agenda. The heads of delegations meet with the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee the following day –Thursday morning — and that afternoon Bush will meet with the Friends of Cayman at the Cayman Islands Government Offices and then members of the Cayman Islands All-Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster.
On Friday, both Bush and Rolston Anglin will host a reception for Caymanian students again at Cayman’s London office.
The premier returns home on 20 November and during his absence Deputy Premier Julianna O’Connor-Connolly will act as premier.
Cops arrest six in George Town drug bust
(CNS): Police have arrested six men following an RCIPS operation in the George Town area on Thursday night, 11 November. At about 9pm uniformed staff and officers from the USG carried out an operation in the Washington Boulevard area. The six men, all aged between 21 and 40 years of age, were arrested on suspicion of various offences such as possession of Cocaine, possession of Ecstasy, possession of Ganja, consumption, aggravated burglary and damage to property. Police stated that the drugs seized are currently undergoing forensic testing. (Photo Dennie WarrenJr)
All six remain in police custody while enquiries are ongoing
War on weight wins 79lbs worth of flab to date
(CNS): As the second half of the War on Weight (WOW) transformation contest comes towards a close, the organisers said this week that the contestants have lost more than 79 pounds and 100 inches in total. The challenge officially kicked off on Tuesday 24 August, with 10 contestants competing to be crowned the biggest loser after sixteen weeks on Tuesday 14 December. Committee chairperson, Leandra Charles, said that she was delighted with the progress this year’s contestants are making. "This year has really been one of the most successful to date and the camaraderie amongst the group is really inspiring,” she added.
Since the start of WOW, contestants have taken a whole new lifestyle approach, aided by a wide range of health and fitness industry experts. In addition to exercising five times a week at Body Sculptor or Curves, contestants have joined in a wide range of introductory classes on Saturdays exposing the group to enjoyable activities that they can possibly continue after the contest is over. This has included spinning at Revolutions, martial arts at Purple Dragon, yoga at BodyWorks, stretch classes at Flow, Zumba at Miss Jackies, Qigong at the Wellness Centre, and Bollywood dance at the Dance Studio.
WOW contestants also host a two-mile walk every Sunday at Safehaven starting at 7:00am, in which the public are encouraged to join at no charge. This past weekend as part of WOW’s “pay it forward” component, the group walked together for Meals on Wheels and even brought a few furry friends from the Humane Society to tag along.
“The group’s overall health has progressed tremendously; they smile bigger, walk taller, and work out with confidence and effortless enthusiasm,” Leandra said. “You wouldn’t recognize them from their application pictures, thanks to this year’s sponsors for their generosity we’ve been able to motivate them with a variety of activities and prizes."
The committee also arranges social events for WOW which have included a salsa party hosted by the Wharf Restaurant and Family Fun Day at the Oasis with catering by WOW’s official grocery store, Foster’s Food Fair, and Subway.
During the sixteen weeks a personalized diet, under the watchful eye of registered dietician Chad Collins and a guided grocery tour at Foster’s Food Fair Airport helped contestants learn how to shop wiser and read past misleading food labeling. Prizes for winners inseveral categories such as most weight loss, most body fat lost, and most participation, include a blackberry from LIME, a makeover at La Mer and studio time at Picture This, and gift certificates from Reflections and Funky Monkey. To join in our events and to follow the contestant blog on their journey to a healthy lifestyle, visit www.caymanactive.com/wow or email wowcayman@yahoo.com.
Cops burn $2.75m of cocaine
(CNS): Millions of dollars worth of drugs went up in smoke at the George Town landfill this morning as the RCIPS officially burned a huge haul of drugs recovered from the country’s coastline recently. Police said a significant portion of the drugs that were set alight had washed ashore on Monday night in East End. On 8 November officers were informed that a large quantity of drugs had been found on the beach. Investigations revealed that the packages contained around 78 lbs of cocaine. Together with a smaller haul in West Bay last month, which police think is connected, the cocaine recovered represents a street value of $2.75million the police said. (Photos Dennie Warren Jr)
Following the discovery in East End the drugs, which was one of the biggest hauls of cocaine in recent times, were transported to a secure location while a land, sea and air search was conducted but no more drugs were found in the area. Police do believe however, that the haul was related to a smaller find in West Bay last month.
“Around two weeks ago a smaller package of cocaine weighing around 3 pounds was recovered from the beach in West Bay,” said Inspector Bennard Ebanks. “The packaging used for both the West Bay and East End hauls is similar and we believe they may be from the same shipment.”
He explained that the RCIPS was actively liaising with other law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions in connection with the recovery and maintaining observations and patrols throughout the Island, particularly the East End area.
“Whether the ultimate destination of the drugs was Cayman or any other island or jurisdiction we are pleased that they are now out of circulation and did not make it onto the streets,” he said. “I would remind anyone who finds any suspicious package, particularly when it containsdrugs, they should immediately contact the police. Possession of drugs is an offence and carries a heft prison sentence.”
Along with the more than 80lbs of cocaine destroyed on Friday morning (12 November) police also burned 167.5 lbs of ganja and a small amount of ecstasy and methylphenidate.
Chamber seeks answers for future of Cayman
(CNS): A day long forum on Thursday hosted by the Cayman Islands Chamber of commerce was focused on finding ways to secure a successful economic future for the country. Bringing together public and private sector experts, Stuart Bostock the Chamber president said the Future’s Conference was not an initiative to meet for the sake of meeting, but a commitment to getting results. Having identified five key drivers of the countries economy he said the goal was to pool knowledge resources and come up with the answers. The conference was opened by Mike Adam on behalf of the premier who said the five drivers were in line with government’s goals.
Bostock explained that these so called economic “drivers” were not plucked out of the air but had been identified by government and industry associations and confirmed based by the results of the Chamber of Commerce annual State of Business Survey. The drivers he said are to develop talent , create a business friendly climate, build a smarter infrastructure, enhance the quality of life, and agree on ways to diversify our economy.
The goal of the forum the president stated was to find ways to achieve the goals. “Cayman’s answers are right here in this room and we can start here,” Bostock said to the delegates. “The pooling of our minds and resources, putting individual gains and agendas aside, I am confident will provide the answers we need.
He explained that the work of the groups during the forum would lead to a report based on the thoughts and initiatives. “Within a week we will start to see the product of today’s breakout sessions and within a month or two we will see that product developed into a report by the Steering Committee and approved by government. That report, identifying common objectives will be the foundation of an economic development strategy that we have all created,” he added.
Bostock said the expertise and experience had brought the delegates to the forum where the goal was to develop the objectives and actions. “I honestly hope that today’s discovery of working together, will commit you all to the process of the Future of Cayman and that your efforts will continue,” the president told the people there.
In the address to the audience at the opening of the forum by Adam – from the premier, who had travelled to St.Lucia on a hurricane relief mission, he said the drivers they would examine during the forum were compatible with much of what the premier would like to see achieved in the Cayman Islands. “Creating a business friendly climate and developing talent are priorities of this government,” Adam said on behalf of McKeeva Bush, adding that governmentwill pay close attention to what comes out of the forum .
The main objective is for the chamber to compile a full strategic plan for the country which will be given to government and Bush said he would take its recommendations under advisement,
A web-site has been developed for the initiative where more details of the aims and objects can be found www.futureofcayman.ky.
Shetty to run GT heart unit
(CNS): Dr Devi Shetty has signed an agreement with the Cayman Islands Government to establish a heart unit at the George Town Hospital. The renowned cardiac surgeon’s own Narayana Group will be funding and managing the special unit, which will give Cayman’s heart patients access to proper cardiac care on island for the first time. The announcement was made at the opening of country’s first national health care conference on Thursday evening. Minister Mike Adam delivered an address on behalf of the premier explaining that the unit would save money for government as funding overseas health treatment was one of its biggest costs but would also save patients the need to travel.
The HSA’s chief officer, Lizette Yearwood, said the unit will be up and running in about eight to nine months time as some modifications needed to take place in the operating room but the unit and much needed cardiac cath lab would be operational in well under a year.
Health Minister Mark Scotland said the agreement with Shetty was in keeping with government’s promise to improve the quality of and access to care and pointed out the enormous savings in time as well as money. The HSA will also benefit as patients will receive aftercare at the Cayman Islands Hospital following their procedures.
The gesture by the Indian surgeon, who will be footing all of the set up costs and then managing the unit, also offers a clear demonstration that he is still committed to his much larger planned health city.
The premier, who was delayed on his return from St. Lucia, arrived in time for the signing ceremony, when he thanked Shetty for delivering on the cardiac unit, something which, he said, the country had been in need of for many years. McKeeva Bush said he also looked forward to the establishment of Shetty’s proposed health city, of which he was in full support.
At the opening of the conference and before the announcement Shetty delivered an impressive presentation on his work to reduce the cost of health care in India and his view of the importance of the industry in the world economy. Shetty spoke about his belief that the world can be brought out of recession through the health care industry, which can create millions of jobs.
The surgeon called for the need for health practitioners to be able to transfer their skills from place to place as this was the key to making health affordable for everyone. Shetty said that the reason why health care costs so much is because there is an acute shortage of manpower around the world, but he said this need not be the case and it was medical councils that created an artificial shortage.
The doctor revealed that health care is the world’s second biggest industry at more than $4.5 trillion annually but because it was so fragmented people did not realise its size. He indicated that most of that money was spent in the United States, where the sector was worth some $2.5 trillion. As the world’s population ages, Shetty said, the industry was set to grow even more but he lamented the fact that while so much money was already spent, less than 10% of the world’s population can actually access any kind of operation when they need it, which was something he wanted to change and separate health care from affluence.
The 20-20 Health Conference continues on Friday and Saturday at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman. Shetty will deliver a second presentation on medical tourism at 2:15 on Friday afternoon.