Archive for September 15th, 2011
Booze shop hit in latest heist
(CNS): Two armed men both carrying what appeared to be black hand guns robbed a George Town liquor store on Thursday evening at around 4:55pm. Sources tell CNS that the two men who held up the Tortuga liquor store in Pasadora Place, off Smith Road, during rush hour, fled from the scene with an undisclosed quantity of cash, on foot. Police have now confirmed that the men brandished the weapons at staff in the store before grabbing the cash register during the daylight armed robbery. Police said the gunmen involved in the latest heist ran towards the Windsor Parkarea. Both suspects are described as having light brown complexions, 6ft tall, wearing black hoodies, masks and black gloves. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
No shots were fired and no one was injured.
Police said they need the help of th community to apprehend the suspects and if anyone saw the incident, the gunmane or has any information they are asked to please call the George Town Police Station at 9494222 or Crime stoppers at 800TIPS (8477).
Over sixty Caymanians get work on first Dart job
(CNS): Local construction firm Island Builders has won one of the first contracts in the projects on offer forming part of the For Cayman Alliance, a deal between government and Dart. The demolition works currently going ahead to strip the former Courtyard Marriot in preparation redevelopment of a new four/five-star hotel on the site is being down by more than sixty local workers. Dart Enterprise Contracting Company (DECCO) hired the local firm owned by Dean and Jennifer Scott who say people have been turning up to the site on a daily basis looking for work.
“As a Caymanian and an employer, I have never seen it this bad in terms of the volume of people looking for work,” Dean Scott said. “Time is of the essence; works are needed immediately and the numerous jobs created by this ForCayman Investment Alliance project will provide overwhelming relief to many people.”
Established in 1996, Island Builders previously worked with Dart on the construction of Camana Bay’s Arts & Recreation Centre and the firm is also working on the emergency shelter in Cayman Brac, known as “Hurricane Hilton.”
The premier who has stated on several occasions that the deal will help kick start the economy and get people back to work said that the alliance would create wealth and jobs.
“At the core of the ForCayman Investment Alliance is my government’s belief that the best strategy for achieving sustainable growth in the Cayman Islands’ economy is to encourage the private sector to do what it does best, create wealth and generate jobs,” Bush said. “The work currently taking place at the former Courtyard by Marriott is an example of this strategy in action. Over 60 Caymanians have work because a local company won the contract for demolition works.
“ForCayman will generate many more projects, which in turn will generate many more jobs. This work at the hotel is just the beginning and my government will continue to push forward with its negotiations so that our whole country can benefit, in one form or another, from this visionary alliance,” he added.
Jackie Doak, Chief Operating Officer of Dart Realty said this was the first of many contracts that will be awarded to local businesses for the redevelopment of the hotel. “Once we have determined the brand affiliation, service amenities and final design attributes, we will be in a position to move forward.”
Dart also said that Island Waste Carriers have been awarded the contract to remove the waste and MEPCO for temporary site electrics.
The redevelopment of this former Courtyard Marriot is part of a deal which has raised controversy as it will include a major swap of crown land and the closing of the West Bay Road. Dart has offered the government land in the Barkers area and West Bay, to finance and construct the Esterly Tibbetts highway to Batabano in West Bay, the enhancement of the existing Seven Mile public beach and a second public beach North of the new resort development in exchange for the 2000 foot stretch of West Bay Road land which will turn the developer’s plan project into a beachfront resort.
CHF to map location of AEDs to help save lives
(CNS): Nine offices across Grand Cayman have installed automated external defibrillator machines (AED) in an effort totreat sudden cardiac arrest, one of Cayman's worst life-threatening medical emergencies. According to the Cayman Heart Fund (CHF), most occurrences of sudden cardiac arrest will happen in a home or public place and chances of survival are reduced by ten percent for every ten minutes without immediate heart recovery. CHF which continues to appeal to businesses, schools, homeowners, and public entities to install the machines is currently mapping all AED locations in order to circulate to the public.
“We are compiling a list of all AEDs installed on island," said Dr. Sook Yin, Medical Director of the Cayman Heart Fund. “We would like to encourage any person or company who purchased an AED, not necessarily from CHF, to email the CHF and let us know so we can include their location as well. For a victim of heart failure, the presence of an AED machines can mean the difference between life or death.”
With the quick response of a rescuer and accessibility of an AED unit, a victim of cardiac arrest’s survival rate can substantially increase compared to just CPR. AEDs cost $1,800 per machine including installation and training courses are offered by St. Matthew’s University and the Cayman Islands Red Cross.
The AED machine assists to restart a normal heart rhythm by administering a brief, controlled, electric shock in the minutes before heart arrhythmia causes death. A user-friendly device, it provides clear, audible, textual, and visual instructions that walk the rescuer through the process even without previous training.
Maples and Calder, Pure Healthcare, AON Risk Solutions, RBS Coutts, Smile Dental Clinic, Water Authority (Cayman), A.L. Thompson, Public Works Department (Cayman), and Cayman Red Cross are the companies that in partnership with CHF are now joining the campaign to protect the public from heart attacks.
Maplesrecently installed seven AEDs at their offices to provide accessibility for rescuers in the event of an emergency. "We are very pleased to partner with the Cayman Heart Fund on this initiative," said Nick Evans, a Partner at Maples and Calder. "Every precaution taken is a step in the right direction." The HR department is also coordinating AED and first aid training for the firm’s staff.
For more information on AED installation and training, please contact the Cayman Heart Fund at (345) 916-6324, alternatively via email at caymanheartfund@gmail.com.
First district council picked
(CNS): The first advisory district council to be appointed under the government’s recent legislation, which does not allow for a public vote, has been approved by the Cabinet. The premier made the announcement in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, saying the seven members had been selected as a result of two district meetings but the opposition had failed to make any recommendations for the council, despite being asked twice. PPM leader Alden McLaughlin told CNS that this was a deliberate boycott as the opposition disagrees fundamentally with the way the government has decided to approach what should be independent local bodies offering advice to MLAs about the community’s needs, not political rubber stamps.
During his statement in the LA, Bush said that he was well aware the opposition leader didn’t like the way the advisory councils are set up but it was now the law and he was not in a position to flout it.
The premier revealed that the members of the district council that will serve his constituency and offer advice to him and his Cabinet colleague Rolston Anglin, as well as back bench representatives Capt Eugene Ebanks and Cline Glidden, were nominated in meetings held by the four UDP West Bay members of the Legislative Assembly in March.
The chair is Darlene Glidden, vice chair is Cora Grant-James, the secretary Eziethamae Bodden, treasurer Clinton Hunter and ordinary members include Carson Denny Ebanks, Ivan Farrington and Tammy Welds.
Bush said that although the opposition leader was invited to submit nominations at the time of the meetings and again in May, no recommendations had been submitted.
“The view taken was that government should wait no longer and risk losing the interest of the community,” the premier said as he revealed the members and said he would again ask the leader of the opposition to submit recommendations.
“It is a requirement of the Constitution … that these councils be established,” Bush said. “I did not make this up; and while I know that the opposition does not agree with how the advisory district councils are to be set up, it is now the law of the land. Not the leader of the opposition, not myself, none of us are at liberty to flout the law.”
Speaking on Thursday after the parliament was adjourned, McLaughlin said that the opposition did not support the way government had decided to establish the committees, which “runs counter to the spirit” of the original intent. McLaughlin said the objective had been to create councils that could give MLAs advice that was not political.
“What the government has created is party political councils weighted extremely heavily in favour of government and extensions of the UDP… We are not going to participate in them,” he said, as he explained that the failure of the PPM to make nominations was a legitimate protest in the face of government’s decision to politicise what should have been independent bodies.
During his speech, Bush said the public was required to actively participate in order to strengthen “peace, order and good government in this country,” as he pointed out that the councils were required “to canvass opinion and do independent research on their own volition,” so as to give advice to the elected members. He also said the councils should “review and seek input on policies and programmes proposed” by their MLAs, who in turn were meant to consider the advice.
Encouraging other members of the Legislative Assembly to move forward with their appointment of councils, the premier said the George Town members had started the process but he said the MLAs should put in more energy as the possible benefits were considerable.
The independent member for North Side also opposed the way government opted to make the councils appointed predominately by government and the failure to take into account that the Legislative Assembly has an independent member and talked only about the ruling and opposing political parties. Having already established his own democratically elected district council in North Side immediately after elections, Ezzard Miller says he intends to keep taking advise from that local body.
He has said it will be down to the government to create another council under non-democratic terms if it chooses, but Miller said he was very happy with the advise he receives from his constituents, whom he consults regularly and who were voted on to the North Side district council.
See premier’s full statement on advisory councils below.
Roll it over and face the music
The rollover policy was implemented for one reason only: to prevent a large number of non-Caymanian residents from becoming Caymanian and to comply with international law/convention, that after a certain number of years (I believe 10) it was the proper thing to enable people to become citizens/have certain rights in a country.
The likelihood of a large number of persons becoming citizens at the time was seen as particularly overwhelming in Cayman and the primary focus was on one nationality which observers felt was becoming too dominant in the society.
Once the rollover started to ‘roll’ however, politicians and observers alike added another ‘fake’ objective in retrospect: that somehow the rollover was intended to help Caymanians progress in the labour market. This was never the case (despite the sound bites) and it has in fact never ever played out that way, as the evidence has shown.
So, let's start at the beginning: the suspension of the rollover now has absolutely nothing to do with whether Caymanians will progress in the workplace or secure jobs because work permit holders have for the most part simply been replaced by other work permit holders. In fact, all the rollover has acheived is to increase the recruitment and training cost of businesses, created some disruption in families and encouraged a larger percentage of people within our population without a vested interest in, or familiarity with, the islands.
The suspension of the rollover now will, however, bring us back to the same questions we were asking when it was created. And if we are still concerned about that particular group having a large Caymanian population (or indeed any new group), and if we believe the international law issue remains a human rights concern, then we need to find other ways to either re-introduce the ‘social engineering’ some of us still wish to have and comply with such international conventions.
Our reality as an island is that we will never be able to avoid the cosmopolitan and very diverse demographics that we have had and this will only increase in the future, simply because we cannot have enough babies to grow our “indigenous” population to meet the demand of firms seeking new employees.
Perhaps we should give up on the social engineering and accept the diversity, which is where we are already, and find creative ways to ensure that issues such as crime, education of Caymanians, progression in the workplace are addressed. These issues can be addressed through investing in education and enforcement of immigration rules, etc, and relying less on these protectionist mechanisms, which are only designed to make the few feel good about their sovereignty/rights but ultimately do nothing to better the progress of our own people.
The entitlement culture is not something dreamed up by “evil expats” looking to harm our locals: it is a real phenomenon that needs to be addressed with our young people in particular so that they can become competitive by international standards. The rollover had become one of the recent factors which has helped to sustain a false sense of security among our people, and assuming we can address the international compliance issue, it is probably a good thing that the rollover be remove completely so that we can face our issues properly. Time to face the music and move on.
CINICO clients to get cards for instant service
(CNS): The government’s health insurance company will be giving its clients cards that will offer instant verification when they attend as patients at home or abroad. Officials said that the new instant insurance verification system, called CarePay will allow for simpler, more efficient, secure access to health care and streamline the payment process for treatment at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA). The CarePay Card can be used globally for any medical or dental service with a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) or Chief Dental Officer (CDO) Pre-authorized Referral.
The new CarePay card used with valid personal ID will be the only one CINICO members need to access health care services and will become operational in October. Every CINICO member will be issued a new CarePay card which will contain information that will be used to verify coverage and benefits to the health provider. To receive a card members need to complete a simple registration form, which will be distributed within the next few days, and return the completed form to CINICO.
“It is extremely important that CINICO members complete and return the forms to ensure they get their new CarePay card before the end of September” said CINICO Chief Executive Officer Lonny Tibbetts. “The new CarePay card will replace the current CINICO card, which will no longer be accepted by health care providers after September 30. The new CarePay card will streamline the process of health care delivery, not only for patients, but is also much more cost effective for health care providers and insurance companies.”
Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer of the HSA, explained that CarePay will validate coverage and guarantee payment for medical services at the hospital and clinics, allowing the HSA to increase revenue and reduce expenses. About 90% of the authority’s budget comes from CINICO and private insurance companies that require claims processing. Each year, the HSA processes about 400,000 claims.
“The CarePay card will make the entire bill-paying process much more user-friendly. Patients will find that the system is very simple to use and will help to quickly clarify insurance coverage. We hope that this will be a model that other insurance companies will be able to adopt in the future so that all insured patients can benefit from this much simpler process,” Yearwood added.
Forms will be delivered to government employees through their relevant departments and those working in statutory authorities will receive them from their Head Offices. CINICO said that forms for seafarers and veterans will be available through their association offices, civil service pensioners will be receiving their forms through the mail, while children & family services will give the forms to their clients. Standard Health Insurance Contract (SHIC) plan holders (Affordable, Challenger & Silver) will receive their forms in the mail or they can collect a form from the CINICO office on Grand Cayman or at the Government Administration Building on Cayman Brac.
For more information on CINICO or CarePay, please visit the CINICO website at www.cinico.ky or call the CINICO offices 949-8101
New judge starts work after being sworn in
(CNS): Justice Richard Williams, who served as a Supreme Court Judge in the Turks and Caicos Islands for several years, has joined the local Grand Court as its newest Judge and began hearing cases on Wednesday, 14 September. He was sworn in by Governor Duncan Taylor on Monday before he began working through his case load which consists of all types of criminal, family and general civil claims, but not Financial Services. The new judge arrives at a time when the work load on the criminal side of the courts in particular is increasing significantly.
“The Court is fortunate to have obtained someone of the calibre of Justice Williams, who has had extensive experience in a legal system very similar to that of the Cayman Islands,” Acting Chief Justice Alex Henderson said as he welcomed Williams on board.
Williams is the first Grand Court judge appointed by the Cayman Islands governor on the advice of the new Judicial and Legal Services Commission established in the new Constitution introduced in November 2009.
The commission carried out the recruitment process and shortlisted six candidates who were interviewed by a panel, which comprising of four members of the JLSC and the Chief Justice, The recruitment panel was unanimous in its view that the qualifications, experience and skills Williams possesses made him the strongest candidate.
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WOW contestants battle the bulge in week two
(WOW): The WOW Warriors have completed week 2 of the competition and have survived another four grueling days of Bootcamp with Ernest from Body Sculptor. On Saturday they had the pleasure of an hour workout with Jen Bily of Life Extension Sports and Fitness. Jen’s lively and bubbly personality was pure enjoyment for all the contestants and committee members who joined in with them. Her class focused on low impact core body strengthening with short bursts of cardio workout movements. Last Saturday the class was low impact stretching and breathing, this weekend we took it up a notch for a great Saturday workout to burn those little extra calories some of us consumed on our “Free from Workout Friday Night”.
“Week two of boot camp was awesome and thankfully I’m not as sore,” commented contestant Lakiva Ebanks. “The workouts felt great and I'm actually starting to get the hang of it. Jen Bily is a rock star. She is amazing and so is the ‘Work It Wow’ class she designed for us. I would love being able to workout with her every Saturday…she is fun and has a very bubbly personality which makes working out so much more fun.”
On Thursday evening of Week 2 the contestants had their first weigh-in with dietician Chad Collins who was impressed with the weight-loss. For the first year ever all 10 contestants lost weight during the first two weeks of the competition. A total of 58.1 lbs has been shed. The contestant losing the most during the first two weeks was Tunisia Barnes with 9.6lbs.
“When I discovered I lost the most at the first weight in I was completely shocked," she said. "For me it wasn't so much about losing weight as it is about living a healthy lifestyle. I'm even more motivated to continue on this journey. Each week we participate in various fun activities such as Yoga at Body Works and aerobics class with Jen Bily from Life Extension Sports and Fitness which keep me motivated. Moreover, I appreciate the friendships that have formed with the other WOW contestants. They are truly a wonderful support team.”
During the first two weeks all contestants were required to complete blood tests and a physical screening with Dr. Sook Yin and Dr. Enoka Richens of Seven Mile Medical Clinic to insure they were healthy enough to compete. Contestant Jhaklin Cano-Reeves discussed her visit with Dr. Sook Yin. “My experience with Dr. Sook Yin was very good.
She took her time to explain the results of the blood tests and the risks that we can face when we are overweight; especially if there is any familyhistory of heart related problems, cancer and diabetes amongst others. She also noticed that I have a 5 year old son and she took the time to advise me on teaching my child about healthy eating and exercising habits now when he is small in order for him not to be facing the same issues related to obesity that are affecting people worldwide. Her concern about my child made me feel really good!”
Again WOW and the Cayman Heart Fund would like to say a big thank you to all our sponsors for their support!
Accountant to run through jungle for charity
(CNS): A local marathon runner who is no stranger to extreme conditions when running long distances is taking on another running adventure for charity next month. Founder & CEO of KRyS Global Ken Krys will be heading to Brazil and the Amazon rainforest for the Jungle Marathon where he will be running 220km for the charity Facing Africa and for the Cayman’s NCVO. The jungle marathon will take place from 6-15 October like the Marathon des Sables which Krys ran in 2009, runners in the Jungle Marathon are expected to be completely self-sufficient – bringing their own food, provisions, and even their own hammockto sleep in between the running stages.
Competitors have a choice of completing 110 km or 220 km in either 4 or 6 respective stages over the course of the week. Krys has chosen the longer distance of 220 km, which includes a gruelling non-stop overnight stage of 89 km.
Anyone who wishes to sponsor Krys on this gruelling run in the jungle should contact Peggy Based at Peggy.Basdeo@KRyS-Global.com or +1 345 947 4700 for further details.
Facing Africa is a charity dedicatedto helping children in Nigeria and Ethiopia who suffer from a devastating disease called NOMA, which is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face. The victims are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in a vicious cycle of extreme poverty and malnutrition. Facing Africa provides funding for teams of volunteer surgeons to travel to Sub-Saharan Africa to perform facial reconstruction surgery on the victims of NOMA. Further information is available at www.facingafrica.org.
The NCVO, or the National Council of Voluntary Organisations, is an independent, non-profit, charitable organisation that engages in projects to meet the ever-increasing social needs of the community. Further information on the current projects of the NCVO in the Cayman Islands can be found at www.ncvo.org.ky.
Defence team to help kids stop bullies FAST
(CNS): A local self-defence group will be holding a seminar next month for kids aged between six and eleven to learn how to tackle bullying in school without resorting to fighting. Bob Daigle from the FAST defence team explained that the workshop teaches kids how not to look like a person a bully would easily pick on and how to look confident, how to deal with teasing, name calling, protecting themselves and their possessions and how to verbally back a bully away. “We also teach students how to deal with the fear that we all experience when faced with a scary situation. Children are also taught how to defend themselves against an adult predator,” he said.
Daigle said that the ultimate goal is for the “Stop Bullies FAST “ seminars to be taught in the Cayman Islands' public schools as statistics in the US show 60 percent of students characterized as bullies in grades 6 to 9 had at least one criminal conviction by the age twenty-four . “Many gravitate to gangs and may grow up to abuse their spouse, children, and co-workers,” he said.
Daigle explained he had recently discussed the issue with a parent who was pointing out the need to do something to stop the violence we are currently seeing in Cayman. “Maybe if we teach our young that bullying and violence is wrong, it will be pay big dividends in the future. I know of several inmates in Northwood that were bullies and troublemakers when I was in school,” the concerned parent had told the defence expert.
Laura Ribbon from the fitnesscentre where FAST will be holding this and another personal safety workshop for adultssaid both here and her teenage son had attended FAST seminars.
“We have held several seminars here at Fitness Connection and we are definitely interested in holding more, since the safety of our community is of our utmost concern,” she said.
“The last session was attended by many teens and their parents, all of whom left with high praise. From the office we could hear the girls cheering each other on when they were in combat with the bullet men. We find there are many mothers who enrol their daughters to empower them as well as ensure that they are capable of self defence. From our experience this is a worthwhile, fun and exciting seminar.”
The bully seminar will take place On Friday October 8th from 5:30pm – 7:00pm then on Saturday morning October 9th Daigle will be teaching a personal safety seminar from 9:30am-12:00pm.
“Over the past 3 years Cayman has seen an increase in violent crime. Police cannot be everywhere at all times. We need to take responsibility for our own personal safety,” Daigle added as he questioned how many people in the community really knew what to do in an armed robbery situation or deal with an intruder in their home or a suspicious person while walking to a car, which were the scenarios that would be addressed in the workshop.