Archive for February, 2012
Stomach bug still plaguing community
(CNS): Government’s public health officials are urging the community to practice good hygiene to help stem an on-going outbreak of gastroenteritis. Medical health officer Dr Kiran Kumar said that although there has been a decline in the number of cases during the past week ending 25 February another 85 cases had been reported. “Usually, we see between 15 and 25 cases of gastroenteritis per week at the Health Services Authority facilities, however, in the week ending 5 February, we had 64 cases and for the following two weeks 132 and 133,” Dr. Kumar added. Since 5 February, 42 children and 5 adults were hospitalised and all have recovered.
“During the same period (5 – 25 February), we tested 22 stool samples of which 11 were positive for Norovirus and 8 were positive for Rotavirus, thus indicating that we are experiencing a viral gastroenteritis outbreak,” the public health boss said.
See attached guidelines for advice on keeping the illness at bay
Cubans repair boat but move on towards Honduras
(CNS): A boat carrying 22 Cuban refugees was intercepted off the coast of Cayman Brac on Sunday night (26 February), the Department of Immigration has confirmed. Officials stated that 20 men and two women were aboard the vessel, which was spotted off Spot Bay around 6:50pm. The migrants, who originated in Manzanillo, Cuba, were informed by local authorities of the Cayman Islands’ immigration policies. The migrants requested, and were allowed, to perform minor repairs to their craft before they departed at about 11:15 that night, destined for Honduras, a government spokesperson said. Officials said that all 22 appeared to be in good health.
The refugees were monitored by immigration officers, and were last seen about 2:00am off the west end of Cayman Brac, travelling south-west.
Striken cruise ship to be towed to Seychelles
(BBC): The Italian cruise ship left adrift with more than 1,000 people on board after a power failure now faces a longer journey before reaching land. The Costa Allegra is being towed to the main island in the Seychelles, rather than a nearer island, and is not now due to arrive until Thursday. A fire in the ship's generator room on Monday caused it to lose all power. The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in January, killing 32. A statement from the ship's owners Costa Cruises said that after checking with maritime experts, it had decided that the planned disembarkation on the smaller-but-nearer Desroches Island could not go ahead.
It said the facilities on the island were inadequate to cope with the arrival of so many people.
The statement also said it was not safe enough for the ship to dock in the small port and for guests to get ashore.
Petitioners keep up pace despite Bush’s position
The first public meeting will be at the civic centre in North Side this evening, followed by a second meeting in South Sound on Wednesday evening. The petitioners are also beginning the door-to-door campaign and petitions are available in various shops and locations, including Book Nook, Four Winds Esso, Walkers Road Texaco, the Health Care Pharmacy and many others.
Those interested in signing the petition can call one of a number of volunteers, who will ensure a petition gets to them so they can sign. Ezzard Miller said anyone who has time to help is also being asked to join the volunteers and help keep the momentum going.
“We need foot soldiers to help, as this can be done,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do and I am comfortable that the premier will see the writing on the wall if we get enough signatures and move the amendments to change election law and implement one man, one vote before the next election,” he said.
With civil servants now given the green light to sign petitions, and the opposition leader and the PPM throwing their weight behind the campaign, the goal of 5,000 signatures is in easy reach, the organisers believe.
Miller says Bush is hiding his responsibility to the people with his reaction to the one man, one vote referendum when he can see that across the country the tide is turning in favour of single member constituencies.
However, according to section 70 of the constitution, the premier has the power to control the vote date. Even if the petitioners can get wide support from the country for a November referendum, the premier probably can, under the constitution, choose to disregard the wishes of the people and hold out until May 2013.
Anyone wishing to sign the petition can contact any of the following volunteers:
Al Suckoo Jr 916-1689 alva.suckoo@gmail.com
Noel March 916-1429 ntmarch@hotmail.com
Chris Goddard 928-6534 sportnzone@candw.ky
Betyann Duty 916-1494 bettyann.duty@hotmail.com
Kent McTaggart 928-3449 kent@spscayman.com
Bo Miller 916-0003 miller.bo@gmail.com
Sharon Roulstone 516-0220 cayshay@hotmail.com
Marco Archer 939-7474 msarcher@candw.ky
Edward Caudeiron 916-0157 terrycaudeiron@hotmail.com
Terry Caudeiron 916-7895 terrycadeiron@hotmail.com
Ezzard Miller 327-5757 ezyhealth@telecayman.ky
Arden McLean 916-0630 arden@candw.ky
Woody Da Costa 916-2470 woodyd@candw.ky
PPM Office 945-8292 ppm@candw.ky
Gregg Anderson 916-6777
Alden McLaughlin 916-3153
Bryan Ebanks 916-3048
Johann Moxam jmoxam@hotmail.com
Vote in the CNS poll:
If the petition for one man, one vote triggers a referendum, how soon should this take place?
See petition below.
Gruelling sailing during J22 Commodore’s Cup 2012
(CISC): The annual J22 Commodores Cup was held over the weekend of 14th and 15th January 2012. Nine boats competed in the first major J22 sailing regatta of the year in what turned out to be one of the most gruelling Commodore’s Cup regattas for many years. The regatta was hosted by the Cayman Islands Sailing Club’s (CISC) Commodore who himself had, almost exactly a year ago, faced even more gruelling conditions in an expedition to Antarctic. The regatta was held in the North Sound in testing conditions.Five races were run on the first day and with 20+ knots of wind on the second race day, a long distance race around Booby Cay worth double points proved a fitting challenge to decide the winner.
Congratulations to Ciao! helmed by Tomeaka McTaggart and her crew for taking the honours. Ciao! beat Mike Farrington and his crew in Just Leaving by a single point, with his brother Simon Farrington taking the third place position. Meanwhile there was fierce competition in the middle of the fleet between Bruce Johnson, Jo Richards and John Carmichael with only six points separating them all.
Results:
Rank Boat SailNo HelmName R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 Total
1st Ciao! 6 Tomeaka McTaggart 3 1 2 1 1 4 12
2nd Just leaving 4 Mike Farrington 2 2 3 2 2 2 13
3rd Sunshine 3 Simon Farrington 1 3 4 3 3 6 20
4th Yahoo 9 Bruce Johnson 5 4 1 4 7 12 33
5th Mayhem 10 Jo Richards 4 6 6 5 4 10 35
6th Moonstruck 1 John Carmichael 7 5 7 6 6 8 39
7th Wreckless 14 Steve Adams 8 7 5 8 5 14 47
8th DMS 2 Raph Harvey 6 8 8 7 10 16 55
9th Onion Barj 5 Simon Dickson 10 9 9 9 10 18 65
Over the last year, the boats and crews have been competing for the honour of qualifying to participate in the Race Cayman 2012 regatta to be held 15th-18th March 2012 with competing crews from USA, Jamaica, Bahamas, UK, USA, Norway, Germany and South Africa. Jane Moon and the Ciao! team are leading the final qualifying event still to be completed (J22 Nationals) and the overall qualifying standings are as follows:
Boat Helm Cum
1st Ciao! Jane Moon 70
2nd Just Leaving Mike Farrington 65
3rd Sunshine Simon Farrington 60
4th Yahoo Bruce Johnson 52
5th Mayhem Mark Edmunds 51
6th Moonstruck Mark Macfee 42
7th Wreckless Steve Adams 21
8th Calima Eduardo Bernal 17
9th DMS Raph Harvey 11
10th Onion Barj Peter Hayden 9
11th Scaramanga Ben Webster 8
In addition to J22 Racing, Race Cayman 2012 will include the Open and Western Caribbean Optimist Championships with young sailors visiting from Bahamas, Jamaica, BVI, USA and Russia. The Regatta is supported by the Ministry of Health, Environment, Youth, Sports and Culture, HSBC Bank (Cayman) Ltd, Flowers Bottled Water, Cayman Islands Sailing Club and the J22 fleet owners. Further opportunities for sponsorship are available by contacting Rick Caley admin@sailing.ky
Local models recruited for cayman fashion event
(CNS): The Cayman National Cultural Foundation has recruited over forty local models for its April fashion event. The novice models will walk the runway for competing local designers Jacqueline Bleicher, Shirley DaCosta, Melissa Dilbert, Virginia Foster, Mara McBean and Sandra Lichtenstein. Guest designers Kidan Brooks and Jawara Alleyne will also present their latest collections during the event. “Over seventy female and male models reached out to the FRESH 2012 Production Team and CNCF with an interest in participating in the event,” said Production Manager Kareem-Nelson Hull who was very pleased with the turnout at the model casting.
“The chosen models represent the 41 flavours of FRESH 2012; they are all of different ethnicities, complexions, body types and ages with each model bringing a unique element to the event. The 41 ladies and gentlemen chosen to rip the runway and event floor demonstrated attributes of an aspiring model, including a solid sense of fashion, a high level of poise and grace and of course a fierce and confident runway walk,” he added.
The models attended a photo shoot earlier this month with local photographer David Goddard. It was their first official appearance as a FRESH 2012 model.
Event Manager and photo shoot director Patrice Beersingh feels the models are excited to be involved in a major fashion event such as FRESH 2012.
“They are eager to learn more about the modelling industry and FRESH 2012 is the perfect avenue for them to build relationships with people in the business. Already, photographer David Goddard has expressed an interest in shooting a number of the girls outside of the event and it just proves how much of a positive impact FRESH 2012 can have on the models.”
Now in its fifth year, FRESH is the longest running fashion event in the Cayman Islands and is a part of the CNCF’s annual Cayfest series of events celebrating all things Caymanian. The production of the event is being led by five local volunteers with Kidan Brooks, Design Manager; Brian Trickett, Marketing Manager; and Nasaria Budal, Public Relations Manager, rounding out the remainder of the team.
A number of pre- and post-show events are scheduled around FRESH and the public is encouraged to check Facebook and Twitter for updates about the event and to learn more about the models and designers.
Teen hospitalized following West Bay smash
(CNS): A 19-year-old man was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital late last night with serious injuries after the car he was driving crashed into a wall in West Bay. The single vehicle smash occurred just after 11:05pm on Monday (27 February), police said on Tuesday morning. The teenager was driving a Ford Explorer on Bosun Bay Road, near to the New Testament Church when the car left the road, crashed into a wall and came to rest on its side. The car was extensively damaged and the driver sustained head and leg injuries. The man remains in hospital but his condition is described as stable.
Enquiries into the cause of the crash are on-going and any witnesses should call West Bay police station on 949-3999.
Teacher’s learn to improve student’s behaviour
(CNS): Teachers from schools across Grand Cayman have been expanding their own education with a specialist training programme that helps educators influence positive behaviour in school. The National Programme for Specialist Leaders in Behaviour and Attendance (NPSLBA) is designed to be a catalyst for positive change in school. The18 month long training programme was developed in the UK by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for all professionals in the field of behaviour and attendance and was rolled out here in February 2009.
Handing out certificates for their participation in the NPSLBA course recently the Minister of Education Rolston Anglin said the programme is a step in bringing quality education to Cayman’s young people. “By equipping our teachers with the tools and resources they need to provide the best classroom experience for all students, we are creating an environment of consistent learning,” he said.
Sean Cahill, the policy advisor for behaviour said the NPSLBA has not only provided local staff with a rich learning experience, but it has equipped them to work effectively with colleagues in influencing the working practices that will support improved outcomes for our most challenging students.
Throughout the Cayman Islands, participants have been responsible for taking the lead on initiatives such as ensuring that school based discipline and student behaviour policies are in place across both the primary and secondary sectors, developing and implementing support systems for students displaying behavioural Difficulties, delivering training on conflict and confrontation, and developing rewards and incentives to promote positive behaviour.
Cayman unfazed by proposed US tax reforms
(CNS Business): Cayman’s financial services industry believes that even if they ever get off the ground in the first place, President Obama’s recently published proposals for reforming the US business tax system will have minimal impact on business in the Cayman Islands and may even be “highly problematic” for US corporations, according to Anthony Travers, Chairman of the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. “Without a far more radical overhaul of domestic US tax legislation than is suggested by the marginal tinkering of this report, opportunities for legitimate tax structuring through jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands will remain,” he said. Read more on CNS Business
Ministry says think about importance of women
(CNS): Officials from the ministry of community affairs is calling on the community to take time to think about the positive impact women have had on their lives in March for the 14th annual Honouring Women Month (HWM). Under this year’s theme: Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures, the ministry with responsibility for gender and the Family Resource Centre (FRC) have partnered to organize activities throughout the month. The evening should be fun for families of all ages. “Although we should honour women 365 days, I urge you to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of the notable and ordinary women in our lives,” said Mike Adam.
FRC’s Programme Coordinator Miriam Foster said during this month we should take a moment and reflect on the many influential women in your lives and try to emulate their positive qualities. “Be a role model for girls around you and motivate them to achieve their dreams. In keeping with this year’s theme, I encourage all to do their part to ensure that the future for girls is a bright, equal, safe and rewarding one.”
In celebration of the UN’s International Women’s Day, a revamped International Women’s Day Ceremony will be held on 8 March at Gardenia Court, Camana Bay from 5:30 – 8 p.m. The celebration will feature music by Isadora Ferrao-Powell from Bonafide, dance performances and several exciting competitions.
For a chance to win $250,competitions range from photography to fashion design to poetry to cooking. There will be a live fashion show and an engineering competition. Registration is still open for all competitions. All contests are open to girls and women age 14 and up with selected contests open to boys and men.
The event is free to the public, but will also be a fundraiser for the Family Resource Centre. A Shoe Silent Auction will benefit FRC’s psycho-educational programmes for girls and women. Donations of new shoes are appreciated. Companies can also sponsor shoes on their behalf for $100. The shoes will be displayed with sponsor’s name with an opportunity to showcase promotional items. There will also be a prize for the shoe that goes for the highest bid.
For more information on Honouring Women Month festivities or other Family Resource Centre services, contact 949-0006 or email frc@gov.kys
See programme of events below