Archive for August, 2011
Irene lashing Bahamas at major hurricane status
(CNS): The Atlantic’s first hurricane of the season also became its first ‘major’ hurricane on Wednesday morning. The National Hurricane Centre in Miami reported that Irene had become a category three hurricane at 7am local time as the eye headed for the Crooked and Acklins Islands in the Bahamas with winds of almost 115 mph. Travelling at 9 mph toward the west-northwest experts said the hurricane was expected to turn toward the northwest during the day and further strengthening was possible. On the forecast track the core of Irene will move across the Southeastern and Central Bahamas today and over the Northwestern Bahamas tomorrow.
Hurricane force winds currently extend outward up to 40 miles from the centre and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. An unofficial reporting station at Pine Cay in the Caicos Islands recently reported a wind gust to 65 mph earlier this morning.
As the storm began pounding the Bahamas where storm surge could hit 11 feet, Geoffrey Greene, senior meteorologist with the Bahamas Department of Meteorology told the Miami Herald that flooding was always more of a concern. "We are a flat island nation. We know we're going to get some flooding."
Meanwhile, the US press was also reporting that evacuation was starting in North Carolina where forecasters predict that Irene will make landfall in the US sometime on Saturday as a category four hurricane.
Go to NHC for more on Irene and two other areas of low pressure brewing in the Atlantic
Summer cruise arrivals continue the decline
(CNS):Statistics from the Department of Tourism reveal cruise passenger arrivals continued to drop this summer as had been predicted by the tourism industry as a result of the cruise lines sending their new mega-ships to other ports. In June, just over 87,000 passengers stopped in Grand Cayman representing a more than 26% decline on the arrivals for the same month last year. At the year’s half way point cruise arrivals in total are down by only 3.4% because of a good start to the yea. But with the passenger numbers expected to continue falling this figure is likely to be considerably lower by the year end. However, air arrivals continued the on-going upward trend with almost 27,000 people flying into the Cayman Islands.
While the cruise arrival statistics make for depressing reading the air arrivals indicated that stay-over tourism is holding its own with the second highest number of people flying into Cayman in June since 2002. 26,960 people arrived by air an increase of 7.6% on 2011. So far air arrivals have soared in 2011 compared to 2010 which was also a much better year than 2009. At the year’s half way point air arrivals are currently up by 9.4%
This month the increase in arrivals was not dependent on the boost from Canadian visitors which went into decline as a result of the changes in the WestJet summer schedule, but was down to a growth in passengers from North America with 23,493 coming to Cayman from the states compared to 21,380 last year.
However, occupancy rates at local hotels were not improved by the air passenger arrival figures which were less than 60% full compared to more than 70% this time last year. Condos and apartments fared slightly better enjoying a 42% occupancy rate compared to just under 37% last year and visitors are staying in Cayman slightly longer with hotel stays averaging at four and a half days and guests in apartments staying for almost seven and a half days. Last year the average length of stay in a hotel was 4.3 days and less than a week in apartments.
Carnival promises Jamaican ports over 1.2m visitors
(Gleaner): Carnival Cruise Lines has reached an agreement with the Jamaican government guaranteeing Montego Bay and Ocho Rios at least 1.2 million visitors over 3 years. The agreement will ensure both ports maintain current levels of cruise arrivals, despite the competition from the new Falmouth cruise ship pier. Carnival has also agreed that if it fails to deliver the 1.2 million visitors, it will pay the difference between the actual numbers and the guaranteed figure, said transport minister Mike Henry, Tuesday. "This development means that Ocho Rios and Montego Bay will continue to see the same volume of visitors ..and everyone can now plan in relation to the arrival of cruise ships from Carnival to these ports," said Henry.
In its first three months of operation, February to April, the Falmouth pier is said to have received close to 150,000 passengers and crew, and surpassed Ocho Rios as Jamaica's main cruise ship port. Royal Caribbean, a financial partner with the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) in the Falmouth port, has said it will bring in as many as eight million visitors to the historic coastal town over a decade.
Loan supplied by jet owner
(CNS):Another critical report of government’s procurement process, which will be officially released by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) on Wednesday morning, also sheds light on a connection between the private jet on which the Cayman premier travelled in style last New Year’s Eve and a government loan. The leaked report reveals that one of the interim financing loans arranged by Cohen & Co came from Banque Havilland, which is owned by the Rowland family, which also owns the company that in turn owns the Gulfstream registered as M-ABCT on which McKeeva Bush, his family, friends and members of government flew from the Bahamas to Grand Cayman on 31 December 2010.(Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
The trip caused considerable public attention and generated more than 160 comments on the CNS website. However, it was never made clear if the premier had paid for thejet from government funds, his own money or if he was offered the trip courtesy of the owner. At the time the press secretary responded to CNS enquiries stating that the premier had no financial interest in the aircraft. “The premier has no financial or ownership interest in the private jet to which you refer. The premier was on a personal trip and returned on a privately owned aircraft,” his office said about the flight, which was reportedly a one way trip from the Bahamas back home.
However, the connection to Banque Havilland, which has done business with the Cayman Islands, now raises questions about whether or not the premier should have declared the trip in the Register of Interests. According to the Register of Interests law, if any member of the Legislative Assembly receives a gift or hospitality valued at more than $175 from a person or entity doing business with government or with them as a result of their position as an MLA then it should be declared.
The OAG’s report reveals that an interim financing agreement was signed between the Cayman Islands government and Banque Havilland for US$36 million on 14 December 2010, on which government paid $75,911 in interest and an arrangement fee of $76,000 for the emergency stop gap loan which was for some 37 days.
The Banque Havilland was opened in September 2009 and generally offers financial services to high net worth individuals. The Rowland family owns a number of other companies, one of which is Pillar Securisation, which is the registered owner of the jet.
Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin said that if the plane is owned by the same people who own the Banque Havilland that provided the financing and the premier travelled on this jet free of charge, it would be something he should have revealed in the Register of Interests.
“Any benefit that a representative from government receives from anyone connected to the financing arrangements should have been declared in the register of interests,” McLaughlin said.
The PPM leader told CNS that this is an issue that the Committee for Standards in Public Life should be examining. He noted that there does not need to have been anything criminal to have occurred for the committee charged with overseeing the ethics of public servants and politicians to take a look. He said, however, that if there was anything that could be considered against the law then that would be a matter for the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The information regarding Banque Havilland’s loan to government is contained inside the second part of the auditor general’s report on government procurement, which reveals a litany of problems associated with government’s decision to circumvent the central tendering process and go with a firm recommended by UDP members.
Check back to CNS Wednesday to see the full details of the AG’s report
See CNS report of private jet trip along with comments here.
Salt Creek best for boat hole
(CNS): A group of local boat owners say that Salt Creek and not the head of Barkers, as claimed by Captain Eugene Ebanks, will be the best place for a hurricane boat hole. Despite claims by the UDP West Bay backbencher that he had the support of around 23 boat captains for his proposal, a group of more than 35 boat owners and operators have said that although they support the need for a safe harbour for local boats during bad weather, they all believe that Barkers is the wrong place as it is not safe enough and also environmentally sensitive. Government should create the hole on crown land in Salt Creek and sell the marl to cover the costs, the boat owners say.
Captain Bryan Ebanks said that claims made by Capt. Eugene Ebanks at public meetings recently regarding the ForCayman Alliance were misleading. He said that while captains from the West Bay area have long advocated a boat hole for local vessels to seek safe harbour when a hurricane threatens, he stated that few of them actually supported the boat hole being in Barkers.
As a result, he says, some 35 captains have signed a letter which has been sent to the governor, the premier, Cabinet and all members of the Legislative Assembly setting out a proposal for the facility at land owned by the crown at Salt Creek. “We suggest that government could finance the project with the money it gets from selling the marl that will be produced as a result of the creation of the boat hole,” he said.
Bryan Ebanks said that historically the area was always a place where sea captains had brought their boats and he said it was Benson Ebanks who had ensured the land remained in public hands with the view of creating a proper safe harbour there.
Capt Bryan said he and several other boat owners were concerned when they heard about Capt Eugene’s proposals as they believe the head of Barkers is not a safe choice. “While nowhere on Grand Cayman can ever be completely safe from a hurricane, the Salt Creek area is about the safest and nearest location for West Bay,” he added.
The other issue was that Barkers has been earmarked as a place for special protection as an environmentally sensitive area. “It makes no sense to swap land to set aside and create a park, employ rangers and everything else, and then go ahead and dredge there as well as build roads,” Capt Bryan added. He warned that once commercialisation starts in Barkers it would be hard to stop it.
Local environmental experts have confirmed that creating a boat hole in the area would be a threat to the sensitive environment, including loss of mangrove habitat as well as the threat to water quality, which would have a direct impact on the surrounding marine environment. The Department of Environment (DoE) also noted that the proposed location forms part of the area designated to be a national park.
“The DoE led an extensive public and stakeholder consultation process on the potential layout of the park and a marina/hurricane hole was not part of the plan,” the department stated. Any kind of marina is not in keeping with the proposals for Barkers and it would also have considerable environmental impacts.
Without all of the specific construction details of the proposal, the DoE, when asked, said it could not give an accurate assessment about all of the possible negative environmental impacts but it noted some obvious and unavoidable impacts in dredging a boat access channel from the existing borrow pits associated with Morgan's Harbour and The Shores development.
“Dredging impacts include direct loss of shallow sea grass habitat in an important nursery area, short term heavy siltation associated with mechanical dredging activities and then chronic low levels of sedimentation associated with boat traffic and water currents continually stirring up the unconsolidated seafloor in the footprint of the channel,” the spokesperson added.
The DoE also warned of additional undetermined long term impacts, which might include alteration of local water current and wave regimes, as deeper waters allow larger waves closer to shore. It said the creation of a deeper water basin with low flushing ability would also have impacts on water quality draining out of the basin on to the surrounding marine environment.
“There is also the direct loss of the Red and Black mangrove habitat and respective fauna in the Barkers area associated with the channel through the fringing mangrove and subsequent basin footprint,” the government’s environmental scientists said.
The DoE said that there were other practicalities to consider if a boat hole was to be dredged there, such as the lack of existing access and infrastructure. “The area is also prone to high levels of flooding.”
Environmental experts also say that the North Sound is a basin that can easily be influenced by any hurricane from any direction and as such there are not many ideal locations for a boat hole. Wind strength and flooding are probably the two major issues with the site that is currently being discussed, however, as the mangrove tree cover is not particularly high or robust and the low lying wetland and basin type will mean that storm surge will be high.
Bill of Rights will demand speedier justice
(CNS): One of Cayman’s Grand court judges has warned local attorneys that justice delayed really is justice denied and that once the Bill of Rights comes into force, the courts will need to see speedier justice for those accused of a crime. Not for the first time, Grand Court judge, Justice Alex Henderson, pointed out on Friday that the length of time that many cases take to get to trial in Cayman is unacceptable and there was “going to have to be some changes made.” As case after case was adjourned on his ‘mentions’ list, the judge pointed out that defendants not only have a right to a fair trial but they have a right to answer charges in a reasonable time frame.
The Bill of Rights which forms part of the Cayman Islands 2009 Constitution comes into effect next November. Article 5 of the Bill of Rights makes it clear that anyone who is detained in connection with a crime and not released on bail has a right to be tried promptly. If the person “is not tried within a reasonable time he or she shall be released,” the BoR reads. In Article 7 it also states: “Everyone has the right to a fair and public hearing in the determination of his or her legal rights and obligations by an independent and impartial court within a reasonable time.”
Although “promptly” and “reasonable” are not defined in the articles, these questions will be in the hands of the courts. If a case is brought by a defendant under the bill of rights because of undue delay, it will be local judges who will be deciding what is considered prompt or reasonable. With some cases currently dragging on for literally years, the courts could be facing a number of human rights applications once the bill is in effect and the prosecution may lose cases before the trials even begin.
Defendants are facing persistent delays for a diversity of reasons, but one of the most common is the lack of legal representation, as well as finding courtroom time or available judges. The number of criminal attorneys prepared to do legal aid work in Cayman remains limited to around a dozen lawyers and even less firms. With criminal cases increasing each year, finding suitable advocates for those charged with serious crimes who are not conflicted is becoming more and more challenging.
Finding court space and judges is also adding to delays as the first available dates for those cases now ready for the courtroom are in March 2012, more than seventh months away.
See the Bill of Rights here
Wolverines still undefeated as pythons bite back
(GCFFA):There are only three weeks remaining in the Dart Women’s League of the Grand Cayman Flag Football Association, and as expected, upsets, tie games and new stars are emerging in the 7-a-side league. The Domino’s Pizza Wolverines held tight to their number one spot in the league with a13-0 win over the Lone-Star Jager Monsters; and the Pythons had their best game yet, tying at 6-6 with the Androgroup Killa-Panthers during last Saturday’s games at the Camana Bay Field. The Wolverine’s did better this week on offense, but it was their tight defense that won this game, as Antoinette Lewis was not the usual quarterback we’ve come to see, completing 13 of 31 passes, including one interception thrown.
Shamar Ennis, who has not been present for much of the Wolverines’ games this season, had an explosive presence this week leading the offense with three receptions, including one for a short run into the end-zone for a touchdown. Lewis’ favorite target, Alexandra Terry also received three balls, followed by Schmarrah McCarthy, Jahzenia Thomas and Saneata Smith, each with two receptions on offense, and Smith also bringing in the extra point.
Ennis also led the defense with three tackles and an interception. Thomas had another excellent game as she rushed the Monsters’ quarterback, successfully sacking her three times. Shinette Rhoden also contributed to the Wolverines’ defense with two tackles and Francesca Hamann came through with an interception.
The Monsters’ starting quarterback Christina Hefner returned after missing the previous weeks games, but it did not help the team on offense. Hefner was under pressure, completing only seven of 18 passes, with two interceptions thrown.
Tricia Bell led the offense in receptions, catching four of Hefner’s passes, followed by Erica Bosch-Bone with two receptions and Christine Bisnauth with one. The Monsters were not able to move the ball much, with too many balls thrown to the middle of the field, where they were picked off by the defense, stopping the team from making it down to their end-zone.
Bell also excelled on defense, with three sacks to the Wolverines’ quarterback. Monique Roberts led the team with three tackles, followed by Renee Thompson and Kayleigh Jennings each with two tackles, and Erica Bosch-Bone came up with the team’s lone interception.
The second game between the two lower seeded teams, the Androgroup Killa-Panthers and the Pythons, had the most action and excitement of the day. Interceptions kept the Pythons in the game and a lack of cohesiveness kept the Killa-Panthers from performing on offense.
For the Pythons, Carrie Barnett and Jamesette Anglin shared quarterback duties, with Barnett completing three of seven attempts and Anglin completing two of seven passes, and one interception thrown.
Tajae Grey was the recipient of most of Pythons’ balls. Playing in the running back position, Grey received a number of handoffs and chipped away down the field. Barnett also received two passes, and Sheyla Torres, Carla Martin and Jessica Maxwell each had a reception. Torres looked like she was going to put the Pythons ahead six points after eluding several defensive players on her 20 yard run from a hand-off, but the sprinter was stopped short of her attempted glory.
On defense, Jessica Maxwell once again led her team with four tackles, making incredible stops and diving for flags, and adding an interception to her game. Coming up with the game changing interception in the first half was Tajae Grey, who picked off a short pass from the Killa-Panthers’ quarterback, and ran the ball in for a 30 yard defensive touchdown. Grey also came up with two tackles and a sack to the quarterback. Karina Chiari had her best game yet with four tackles, and players Anna Nyaundi and Violet Whittaker-Powell each had an interception.
The Androgroup Killa-Panthers looked confident in the first-half of the game, but the excellent defense from the Pythons and an unlucky day for the Killa-Panthers’ quarterbacks and offensive players killed the team’s momentum.
Christina Pineda and Lisa Hill-Malice shared quarterback duties again. Pineda completed five out of fourteen attempts, with two interceptions thrown; and Malice faired a bit better with four passes out of eight completed, and two interceptions thrown.
Sophia Dilbert and Jennifer Allen each had three receptions, and Heather Roffey caught the touchdown pass in the first half of the game. The speedy Dilbert was open several times on fly routes, but the quarterbacks simply did not see the wide receiver open in time to make crucial plays.
Becky Coe led the Killa-Panthers on defense, with five tackles, a season high for the defensive player. Janique Samson followed with two tackles and an interception and Phillipa Knights and Delicia Ebanks each sacked the Pythons’ quarterback one time.
There will be no games held this Saturday, August 27th at the Camana Bay Field; however, games will resume the following Saturday, September 3rd at 10am with the Hammerheads Lady Sharks versus the Pythons, followed by the Lone-Star Jager Monsters against the Androgroup Killa-Panthers.
Watchdog launches website with Mac as lead story
(CNS): The long standing newsletter highlighting the ups and downs of the offshore world has launched a new website. Originally a monthly subscription newsletter, OffshoreAlert, which is known as the unofficial watchdog of the offshore financial industry, has turned into a modern interactive site. David Marchant, owner and editor, said the focus remains the same as it was 14 years ago when he started with a faxed news letter, which is to provide subscribers with credible information about offshore financial centres, but now the site includes more tools to make that happen more effectively. The revamp was unveiled this week with the Cayman Islands premier the subject of the site’s news lead.
The website reports that McKeeva Bush is “embroiled in yet another scandal” as a result of revelations in Cayman about the investigation into financial irregularities concerning a letter Bush sent to developer Stan Thomas over land once owned by the American in Cayman. Marchant also reveals that a list of questions sent to the Cayman premier by OffshoreAlert about the probe went unanswered.
Speaking about the new site, Marchant states that in future OffshoreAlert will be able to update news from the offshore world as it happens.
"OffshoreAlert's aim is to become the go-to website for anyone looking for credible and accurate information about offshore financial centers and those who conduct business in and through them,” Marchant said. "Our target audience falls into three categories: providers, buyers and investigators of offshore products and services.”
However, Marchant said one of the key focuses of the website will be to continue to focus on fraud and corruption investigations, not least because of his ability to avoid legislation in OFCs that otherwise curtail media freedom. “One of the reasons that fraud and corruption thrives in OFCs is because they typically have draconian libel laws that discourage journalists from exposing illegal activity. OffshoreAlert is not bound by such laws,” Marchant added.
"Now that OffshoreAlert has a website that allows us to publish news and documents as we receive them, I encourage residents of OFCs to send us anything they believe will be of interest and which the local media will not publish for fear of a libel complaint. Any information we receive will be treated in confidence," Marchant promised.
Alongside the exposé news stories, guest blogs and commentaries, the new website also offers an extensive document library and search facility to subscribers, including court filings, indictments and extraditions.
Visit the new look OffshoreAlert website
China offers military aid to Jamaica’s defence force
(CNS): The Chinese government is providing $1.1 million in military aid to the Jamaica Defence Force under an agreement signed in Kingston on Monday by Chief of Defence Staff Major General Antony Anderson and Major General Jia Xiaoning, the deputy chief of China’s Foreign Affairs Office. According to the Jamaican Information Service Jamaican officials said the agreement represents one of the most significant military aid packages to Jamaica. “What it will do is to provide logistic support to us and this will enhance our capabilities by providing more resources that we can apply to everything we do,” Anderson said in the wake of signing the deal.
Officials said the two sides haven’t yet decided how the money will be spent but members of the People’s Liberation Army and Jamaican officials are expected to discuss the matter over the next few months.
“How to utilise this amount is an issue which we will address later, and if we reach consensus on the utilisation of this amount, we will sign another protocol to put in practice this agreement,” Jia Xiaoning said.
The deal follows a major investment by China into Jamaica’s sugar industry that was finalized last week. China is also spending funds on road construction on the island, along with rebelling infrastructure and a national convention centre in western Jamaica.
United Airlines switches to iPads in cockpit
(CNET): United Airlines has announced its cockpits will go paperless by swapping out printed flight manuals in favor of Apple's iPad. As part of the swap, the carrier is giving 11,000 iPads to all United and Continental pilots. The iPads are loaded with Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck, an app that contains navigational charts and local airport information. United estimates that the change from paper will save it 326,000 gallons of jet fuel a year, based on the paper the iPads are replacing. "Each iPad, which weighs less than 1.5 pounds, will replace approximately 38 pounds of paper operating manuals, navigation charts, reference handbooks, flight checklists, logbooks and weather information in a pilot's flight bag," the company said in a statement.
"A conventional flight bag full of paper materials contains an average of 12,000 sheets of paper per pilot."
United says it began doling out iPads to pilots a few weeks ago and that all its pilots will have them by the end of the year. Both Delta Airlines and Alaska Airlines began testing iPads for navigational purposes earlier this year as part of a trial program. Executive Jet Management, a unit of NetJets, announced in February that it had gained approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use Jeppesen'sapp as well.