Archive for January, 2011
Pedestrian struck by car
(CNS): A 24-year-old female pedestrian was hit by a passing car on Thursday evening at around 6pm as she walked along the Newlands East West arterial by-pass. The woman, although seriously injured, survived the incident and is currently in hospital. She is believed to have sustained a broken collar bone, a broken arm and head injuries. Police said that a Mazda Atenza apparently lost control and collided with the woman, who was walking on the side of the road. Senior accident investigators attended the scene and an investigation is underway by the Traffic Management Unit. The female driver of the car, who was also aged 24, was uninjured. The incident comes days after senior police officers had warned that accidents on Cayman’s roads were exceptionally high. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
On Tuesday, following the end of Operation Rotate, the police seasonal road safety campaign, Chief Inspector Angelique Howell had stated that she had real concerns about the number of collisions and smashes on Cayman’s roads after almost 300 incidents during the six weeks.
“For a country the size of the Cayman Islands 298 collisions in six weeks is a terrible figure and clearly demonstrates the lack of care and attention paid by many people on our roads," she said. "The RCIPS intends to work closely with our partner agencies to develop a national road safety strategy – as it’s clear that much more needs to be done by all agencies involved in road safety to address this issue.”
Top cops were on duty at Kittiwake sinking
(CNS): The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has confirmed that its senior officers were on duty when marine vessels and the helicopter attended the sinking of the Kittiwake off Seven Mile Beach on Wednesday morning. A number of senior police officers were spotted close to the sinking aboard one of the Marine Unit boats and the police helicopter was present throughout the event. A police spokesperson said senior officers from Silver command aboard the Tornado were on active duty during the sinking itself, as well as familiarizing themselves with the location of the Kittiwake for future security and safety operations. (Top cops Chief Inspector Richard Burrows, Chief Superintendent John Jones and Detective Chief Inspector Peter Kennett aboard the Tornado – Photos by Dennie Warren Jr)
The police were there, officials revealed, not only to police the exclusion zone but to ensure the safety and security of the operation.
“The RCIPS did have an official role in relation to the security and safety of the operation and would have been responsible for co-ordinating an emergency response to any mishap,” the RCIPS spokesperson told CNS. She explained that the service would retain ongoing responsibility in relation to any possible future diving incidents and therefore had to acquaint themselves with the layout of the vessel for rescue purposes.
“The sinking of the vessel certainly carried an element of risk and it was necessary to police an exclusion zone until the ship came to rest on the ocean floor. We are pleased to say that the operation passed off without incident and ask that those planning to dive or snorkel around the 
wreck follow CITA rules published on their website.”
The police spokesperson confirmed that Chief Superintendent, Head of Operations John Jones was aboard the marine vessel, together with two chief inspectors who carry silver command responsibilities for emergency situations. There were no other senior officers on board.
(The RCIPS helicopter joins Cayman Helicopters in the sky over the sinking – Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Meanwhile, over at the Spotts Dock area the Marine Unit was involved in a rescue operation following a distress call. A boat was drifting out to sea with one soul on board and The Guardian assisted in ensuring the boat was taken to shore safely, police confirmed.
UK students could end academic education at 14
(The Guardian): Students will be able to leave academic education at 14 in favour of vocational training at specialist colleges under coalition plans. Up to 70 technical schools teaching practical skills could be opened before the next election, according to Lord Baker of Dorking, the former Tory education secretary who is heading the scheme. Baker said the schools were not a small experiment but a movement designed to tackle a shortage of young people with vocational skills. Critics fear it would create a two-tier system, with less able students at risk of being pushed into vocational courses and pupils forced to make important decisions about their future at too young an age.
Kittiwake closed on first day
(CNS): Following the excitement of Wednesday’s events, just over one day after the Kittiwake was sent to its watery resting place off the coast of Seven Mile Beach the new dive attraction has been forced to close before it has opened to the wider public due to the Nor’wester that blew into Cayman late Thursday afternoon. Members of the Cayman Islands tourism Association said that the contractors who were expected to work on the wreck on Thursday making the site was safe for the public to dive were unable to complete that work because of the weather. As a result Cayman’s brand new dive attraction is off limits to divers until further notice. (Photo by Elly Wray of Ocean Frontiers)
“We have been advised that the contractors have not been able to complete the moorings and preparatory work to be done at the Kittiwake site,” a spokesperson for CITA said. “We will advise the public when it is open after the weather clears and work has been completed.”
The contractors were scheduled to install moorings, remove sinking equipment and ensure the wreck was free of air-pockets allowing the vessel to settle further down on the sandy seabed.
According to the Cayman Islands official weather forecast, the Nor’wester is expected to last into the early weekend but fingers are crossed that the site will be open to licensed operators from Saturday 12noon.
For more details visit www.kittiwakecayman.com
Ralph Harvey is new coach at CI sailing club.
(CISC): The Cayman Islands Sailing Club is preparing for 2011 by ramping up its staff in preparation for another busy sailing season. It is with regret that Mike Weber, who spearheaded the growth of the youth sailing programme, has decided not to renew his contract and will be moving on to new opportunities.Denis Murphy the vice commodore at the Sailing Club said, “Mike’s enthusiasm and direction led to increased activity and use of the Club, and over the last five years we have given thousands of children the experience of sailing in Cayman. Mike has been instrumental in building the youth programme and we would like to thank him for all his efforts.”
Raph Harvey, who has been coaching at CISC for almost two years, has accepted a promotion to the position of Lead Instructor and he, together with two new coaches will continue to provide a top class youth sailing programme in 2011.
Murphy said, “We would like to welcome Raph into his new role at the Club. Raph has shown outstanding dedication to the club since he started coaching and has built a great rapport with both students and parents. He is already coming up with some great new ideas on how to further develop the youth programme and we are excited about its future.”
For more information about the 2011 sailing programme please contact the CISC manager, Rick Caley at admin@sailing.ky.
Cuba rolls out red carpet for liner
(UKPA): A salsa band, dancing schoolchildren and showgirls in bikini tops and feather headdresses welcomed around 1,500 tourists on a British cruise liner – one of the biggest ships to visit Cuba in years. Once a frequent sight, cruise ships had become a rarity since 2006, after then president Fidel Castro complained that the industry did little more than flood the communist-governed country with rubbish. But the cash-strapped government now led by Fidel’s younger brother Raul appears to have taken a rosier view. Tourism Ministry official Jose Manuel Bisbe said the arrival of the Thomson Dream underscored the recent resurgence of cruise traffic to the island.
In a brief address as passengers in shorts and flip-flops streamed off the ship, Mr Bisbe said a number of deals had been signed with European cruise operators to add regular stops in Cuban ports, and more accords were in the works.
Cayman to host another health conference
(CNS): Following on from the country’s first National Health Conference in November, the Cayman Islands will be playing host to the health leaders at another conference on the subject later this month. Cayman Island Healthcare Thought Leaders Forum will take place in the afternoon of 19 January at the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman. Expected to focus on the short and long-term improvement in the quality of healthcare in the region, as well as searching for ways to reduce healthcare costs and increase employment for Cayman Island citizens, the conference is being organized by CBCA Administrators, a US based employee service organisation.
Ken Di Bella, CBCA Administrators president and CEO, will lead the forum, officials said in a release, with a presentation detailing ways that wellness and chronic illness management programs benefit the Cayman Island population by reducing healthcare costs and promoting healthy living. Di Bella is also expected to reveal “innovative ideas on how to keep more Cayman healthcare dollars on island,” the release stated.
“Through my relationship with CINICO, I have come to understand and appreciate the unique aspects of the healthcare system of the Cayman Islands,” Di Bella said. “Our goal is to create an open discussion that will foster growth and bring revolutionary ideas to the future of healthcare on the Cayman Islands.”
Health Minister Mark Scotland will give the opening address. Dr Edward Cabrera, KePRO chief medical officer, and Kelly Burn, a respected healthcare consultant with significant ties to the Caribbean Island Nations, will also be speaking at the Forum.
Cayman’s Stingray City to get UK TV exposure
(CNS): A celebrity documentary programme airing on UK television on Thursday evening will be giving the Cayman Islands’ Stingray City a welcome plug. British comedian, actor and scuba diver Martin Clunes will be starring in a show where he fulfils his own “burning ambition” to swim with Stingrays firstly in Cayman then in various other locations around the world. The show will air on one of the UK’s leading channels at 9pm considered a primetime adult slot. The new documentary "Man to Manta" which shows Clunes kissing one of the fantastic sea creatures at Stingray City will be seen by millions of British viewers as ITV is the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster.
Odd smell on plane brings out emergency services
(CNS): What was described as “an unusual odor in the cabin” by the country’s national airline but described by passengers as a burning smell brought out the emergency services, on Wednesday, at Owen Roberts International Airport. As Cayman Airways flight KX113 bound for Grand Cayman from Miami, Florida was cruising home on 5 January the odor was detected in the cabin but no abnormalities were indicated in the cockpit. However, as a precautionary measure, Cayman Airways Chief Pilot, Captain Gary Hydes who was in command of the flight, elected to begin an early decent into Grand Cayman.
“On final approach into Grand Cayman, Captain Hydes informed Air Traffic Control of the odor and as a precaution, requested for emergency services to be on standby. The aircraft landed safely at Owen Roberts International Airport without incident, and a normal deplaning process was completed on arrival,” a spokesperson for Cayman airways revealed.
Maintenance inspections on the ground in Grand Cayman found that one of several ventilation fans (provided for system redundancy) had developed a defect in flight, resulting in the unusual odor. The defective ventilation fan was removed and replaced, and the aircraft was returned to service with minimal delays to the day’s scheduled operations.
“Cayman Airways would like to assure everyone that the nature of the defect, while creating an unusual odor, did not impact the safety of the flight,” said CEO Fabian Whorms.
“We at Cayman Airways hold the safety and security of our passengers as our highest priority and, as such, we commend Captain Hydes and his flight crew for their precautionary measures and the professional manner in which they addressed the situation. We would also like to thank all concerned for their understanding and apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced by our valued passengers,” he added.
Ritz developer cuts jobs
(CNS): Both Caymanian and ex-pat workers have been let go at Orion Development Ltd this week, officials confirmed today. Sources told CNS on Tuesday that a significant number of redundancies had been made by the developer of the Ritz Carlton, Grand Cayman and the proposed Dragon Bay project, Michael Ryan, who is the owner of Orion. Although a spokesperson for Orion said that the Dragon Bay project is still going ahead, other sources told CNS that most of the people who lost their jobs this week were connected to that planned development. The developer has not revealed how many jobs and which roles were lost but admitted that Caymanians as well as foreign workers had been in the firing line. (Photo of Dragon Bay site by Dennie Warren Jr)
In an email to CNS in response to enquiries about the redundancies, Orion said that it had made a consistent effort to retain as many Caymanian members of staff as possible. “No Caymanians were let go from our main office staff and the minimum possible from field staff,” the firm owned by Ryan stated. CNS has asked Orion to clarify what that figure is and is awaiting a response.
“The job losses resulted from a review of the business and the decision to end duplicating services that the hotel can and does offer. The realignment does not affect the Dragon Bay development or our capacity to deliver to our owners, in fact we expect to see an improved and streamlined operation going forward,” the company said.
The spokesperson added that the company would be focusing on its core business of marketing and selling the real estate, managing the hotel assets and focusing on the ongoing development work on Dragon Bay. “We are transferring ancillary services to the hotel – including the boat and car operations, and oversight of the properties’ strata programmes,” she said.
The email went on to state, “The realignment does not affect the Dragon Bay development or our capacity to deliver to our owners. In fact we expect to see an improved and streamlined operation going forward.”
The spokesperson said the Dragon Bay project had always been a long term project, and has been planned that way. “We made the decision to realign and refocus our business to improve and strengthen our core capacity to move the Dragon Bay project forward,” the spokesperson stated.
Although Orion offered few official details on the number and type of jobs lost, sources told CNS that on Tuesday lunchtime most of the administration staff, as well as the construction and sales teams working on the Dragon Bay project had been let go.
In May last year CNS revealed that Ryan had given the go ahead, in accordance with the planning permission that he had been granted, to remove over 378,000 square feet of mangrove buffer zone along the North Sound shore in preparation for the work on Dragon Bay .
At the time Ken Crews from Orion Development told CNS that the goal was to replant a new 50 foot buffer of red mangroves out into the ocean. CNS has also made enquiries with the developer about the future of this replenishment project.
More recently, in September, it was revealed in the Legislative Assembly that Ryan had stopped making quarterly payments to the public purse on deferred duties which were now owed. It was revealed that the developer had asked the Cayman Islands government for an extension on the payment plan for his other development firms, Stingray and Condo Co., on some $6milllion in connection with the development of the Ritz Carlton.