Archive for April 10th, 2013
Runners wanted for local vertical challenge
(CNS): Runners with a head for heights are wanted for this weekend for the 4th Annual Observation Tower Run held at Camana bay in partnership with Special Olympics Cayman Islands (SOCI). The early morning three mile fun run and is to raise money for the local non-profit sports training programme. Taking inspiration from tower runs around the world such as the Empire State Building Run Up in New York and CN Tower Climb in Toronto this beginner-friendly interpretation gives both Cayman’s best and novice athletes a chance to the local landmark. The vertical challenge up and down the 30-feet or 231 steps to the top of tower takes place at 7am on Saturday.
The SOCI is funded mostly via donations and fundraising activities such as this tower run and all are welcome to take part. The entry fee is CI$25 for adults and CI$15 for 15 years which includes a participant t-shirt, official race timing and post-race refreshments. All proceeds will benefit Special Olympics Cayman Islands.
Online pre-registraiotn is at caymanactive.com or contact towerrun@camanabay.com
Olympic bronze medalist joining all-star meet
(CNS): Another Jamaican Olympic running star will be joining an array of athletic talent in Cayman next month officials have revealed. Hansle Parchment will return to the Cayman Islands for the second annual Cayman Invitational track and field meet, set for 8 May at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. One of the largest track and field meets of its kind in the Caribbean, Cayman Invitational has already attracted some oftoday’s top names in athletics, including the world’s fastest man, six times Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt and Olympic gold medallist Carmelita ‘The Jet’ Jeter.
Just 23, Parchment won a gold medal at the 2011 Summer Universiade, held in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, running a personal best of 13.24s to win the 110m hurdles title for Jamaica.
While In June 2012 Parchment won the Jamaica Olympic trials in a new personal best of 13.18s to qualify for the Jamaican team for the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London and went on to win the bronze medal in the final of the 110m hurdles, achieving a new Jamaican record of 13.12s. Parchment said he was delighted to be joining such well known athletes in the upcoming meet.
“I enjoyed my first visit to the Cayman Islands last year. The people were warm and friendly which made the experience even better. I’m definitely looking forward to visiting again to have a good time, as well as to perform to my best for the people,” he said.
Aside from training for the Cayman Invitational, Parchment said he is determined to get on the Jamaican team for the IAAF World Championships to be held in Moscow in August of this year, focusing on specific aspects of his training.
“I believe I need to work on the first half of my race, that’s a very important for next season,” he confirmed.
Cayman’s own Commonwealth Games gold medal-winner Cydonie Mothersill-Stephens of KyStar Athletics is the organiser behind Cayman Invitational and has put together an exciting track and field meet that will host ten track and two field events and will feature over eighty professional track athletes.
Mothersill-Stephens said she is excited by the calibre of athletes the meet has been able to attract.
“Hansle Parchment will no doubt be a huge draw for young aspiring athletes, having showcased his incredible skills at the London Olympics. He is a wonderful role model for young people from the Caribbean because he has succeeded in getting to the top of his game beating considerable competition from the world over,” said Mothersill-Stephens. “We are really pleased to host Hansle again at this year’s Cayman Invitational and very much look forward to seeing him perform.”
Mothersill said the event will achieve International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) – the governing body for professional track events – recognition as a World Challenger meeting, which means the event will be included on the official IAAF calendar.
While there are still opportunities for sponsorship of this exciting event, the following organisations have already pledged their support: CI Government – Office of the Premier (Platinum Sponsor); Cayman Airways, Dart, VTB (all Gold Sponsors); LIME, PUMA, Tower (all Silver Sponsors) and dms, National Building Society, Water Authority, Western Union and Casa Luna (all Bronze Sponsors).
For more information visit: http://caymaninvitational.com/ or please contact: info@caymaninvitational.com
Treating rules soften up
(CNS): As it will be up to the RCIPS Anti-corruption Unit to enforce the elections law regarding ‘treating’ and the issue of refreshments at public meetings, elections officials have revealed a softening towards the provision of water, soda, sandwiches and finger foods. However, they said lavish catering, booze and excessive treating will not be tolerated and the police will be patrolling public meetings over the next six weeks of the campaign. With a clampdown on any kind of vote buying or inducement, the Elections Office is urging people to call the corruption hotline on 928-1747 to report infractions of the elections law and the anti-corruption law.
Police Commissioner David Baines has said that he will not be counting chicken wings served at the events but lavish hot buffet food and evidently excessive catering will not be allowed during the campaign period. Orrett Connor, the deputy supervisor of elections, said the Elections Office is taking any kind of voting buying or bribing seriously and as electors come to collect their voter ID cards they will be given a flyer which has formed the basis of the anti-election-corruption campaign launched last week.
“We want to be direct and blunt with the message and stop being diplomatic,” said the election official. “Infractions will be investigated and if confirmed people will be charged.”
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, both Elections Supervisor Kearney Gomez and Connor said they accepted the practical need for some refreshments to be provided at political meetings, as they can be very long . But the men warned that “lavish lunches and dinners” or excessive outlays of food and drink and entertainment, where everything is free, would not be tolerated.
Connor pointed out that in Hong Kong politicians were charged and convicted of corruption for providing expensive lunches during the campaign to voters. However, he said the office was confident that most candidates wanted to do the right thing as they have been calling the office for guidance on the issue of ‘treating’.
However, when infractions occur at meetings, especially if alcohol is being served, members of the public can call the hotline anonymously or send pictures of what they see from their phones to the police or the Elections Office.
The officials said the campaign should not be overshadowed by the food and entertainment issue but it was important that candidates staid within the rules and concentrated on delivering their messages about why the electorate should vote for them and not try to bribe them with cooked dinners. Any undue influence, coercion or bribery will trigger an investigation, Connor warned.
The incumbent representatives will have to be particularly careful as, despite the dissolution of the country’s parliament, they all remain on full pay until 22 May and are therefore still public officials subject to the anti-corruption law as well as the constitution and the election law.
Officials say no formal reports have been made yet but they are aware of several issues since the official campaign started on Nomination Day some two weeks ago.
No action has yet been taken regarding reports of alcohol being handed out at one district meeting and calls being made to new voters misinforming them that they could have their status revoked unless they vote a certain way. There have also been question marks raised about the level of catering at one meeting, where candidates pressed ahead regardless of the warnings issued by the Elections Office, while on the same night another candidate returned his food because of the clampdown.
So far, election officials and the Anti-corruption Unit have reserved comment on the recent revelations that money has been doled out to churches from the Nation Building Fund since the official campaign period began.
Meanwhile, candidates in the upcoming elections who have yet to appoint agents are being urged to do so as quickly as possible to ensure they can take part in the Elections Office training sessions. Candidates themselves are urged to attend the same training sessions, which break down key aspects of the Elections Law. Training dates are 10 April and 6 May. Contact 949-8047 for more information.
Candidates are also reminded to declare financial interests at the Legislative Assembly immediately, and to submit any government contracts that they intend to be published in the regular Gazette no later than noon on 10 May for publication on 21 May. The regular Gazette is billed at 65 cents a word. Submissions after this date will appear in the Extraordinary Gazette, which is only published on Wednesdays and Fridays and costs $600 per insertion. For more information individuals should contact the Legislative Assembly at 949-4236 or the Gazette Office 949-8092.
The list of people registered to vote in the general elections on May 22, is now available in various public locations around each district, including libraries, post offices, district health clinics. Voters are urged to review their listing to confirm the polling station where they will be voting on Election Day.
Postal ballot applications for voters who will be out of the country, as well as mobile ballot applications for the elderly and shut-ins, should also be made as quickly as possible. The deadline for receipt of such applications is 9 May. Contact 949-8047 for more information.
Mobile voting has been scheduled to begin in Cayman Brac on 10 May followed by East End and North Side on 13 May, then Bodden Town on 14 May, George Town on 15 May and finally West Bay on 16 May.
See anti-corruption campaign flyer below.
First local dengue case reported in North Side
(CNS): Although no local transmission cases of dengue fever have been confirmed since January of this year, local health officials said that four new suspected cases have been reported over the last month. One of those was the first to be recorded in North Side the others were in both West Bay and George Town and none had any travel history to endemic countries. On 6 April 49 cases of suspected dengue fever have been investigations in Cayman since the start of this year but only six have so far proved positive. With three results still outstanding all the rest were found to be negative and the last positive case for this year had an onset on 25 January. Reports of the fever are in decline with just nine suspected cases investigated over the last seven weeks.
With this trend, although cases may occur sporadically, and while the authorities are still waiting on the results of three possible cases as the last positive case for this year was on 25 January the outbreak is now over, officials said.
The stones sink sidebar
(CRFU): Furnace hot temperatures greeted the teams for Match Day 3 of the KRyS Global National Mixed Touch Championships 2013 at the South Sound Rugby Club last Saturday. The energy sapping conditions put paid to any chance of sustained high-tempo touch rugby with players having to manage their reserves to last the distance. It was also a day when teams’ strength in depth was put to the test and was a telling factor in the outcome of all three games. The highly anticipated game of the day saw the much vaunted SIDEbar NWNT take on the accomplished SteppingStones. This was a match-up of touch rugby royalty and the vast crowd was on tenterhooks amid the pre-game hype.
Many believed this to be a rehearsal for the Grand Final at the end of the season and so both teams had a chance to claim bragging rights and lay down that ubiquitous “marker” so much loved by sports media pundits everywhere.
SteppingStones welcomed Mike McGrath, Ray Galletly and Marc Randall into their team for the first time this season whilst SIDEbar NWNT was without their key triumvirate of Chris Palmer, Jyoti Choi and Simon Crompton. The first exchanges were suitably intense and when Brandon Smith crossed the whitewash for SIDEbar’s opening try, SteppingStones needed to rack it up a notch if they were going to get through this one. They “stepped” up their pace and returned four tries, the pick of which scored by Scott McCarty whose quick thinking at a tappenalty allowed him to run two-thirds the length of the pitch almost unopposed. Riley Mullen got one back just before half-time and at 4-2 SIDEbar were still in the game.
They had little or no answer however to the marauding James Waters whose acceleration through defensive gaps became increasingly prevalent in the second half and whether it was to score himself or to set up teammates the SIDEbar defenders were fed up of the sight of the back of his shining head. The heat was taking its toll and SIDEbar never really gained a foothold in the match. Scores by Jo Ziegler and Adam Huckle kept their tally ticking over but the result was never in doubt. SteppingStones ran out 9-4 winners with Simon Raftopolous (3), Marc Randall and Lisa Bird also getting their names on the scoresheet. James Waters took the MVP award.
Injuries and absentees to key players left the Heineken Brew Crew with an unfamiliar look. Up against a Walkers team buoyant from last week’s victory they started lethargically and it was Walkers who put up the first score with talismanic Vikki Piaso once again dotting down over the line.
For the Brew Crew Biannca Johnson started to exert her influence and Steve Henshaw and Phill Thompson provided the go forward in terms of carrying in the early settles. But it was not the usual fluid performance from the Brew Crew. However, it is said “Cometh the hour, cometh the man” but on this day it was more a case of “cometh the three men” as Heineken were to rely on a trio of young colts who have learnt their rugby chops right here in Cayman.
Iain Currie, Paul Westin and Mark Westin may be new names in touch rugby circles but, as anyone with knowledge of age-grade rugby will know, these boys are part of a bright future for Cayman Rugby. They demonstrated a willingness to throw the ball around more akin to Sevens Rugby than touch but it was very effective as with youth comes vitality and, significantly, boundless energy. Like young pups they made scampering stop-start incursions into their opponent’s defensive line that continually had Walkers on the back foot. Three tries a-piece for Currie and Paul Westin and a brace for brother Mark as fellow Brew Crew-er and injured elder sibling Eddie sat on the sideline sore of shoulder but proud of heart.
Paul Smith was Walkers leading try scorer on the day, notching up his fifth and sixth try of the campaign. He’s scored in every match so far. Murmurings of “He ain’t ‘arf quick for a big lad!” could be heard around the ground as he ate up the turf with his giant stride. The final score of 8-4 to Heineken Brew Crew keeps them a’ top the table.
A wise man once said, “Make hay while the sun shines”, an idiom extolling the virtue of taking your opportunities when they best present themselves. And so in the first game of the day, below the beating midday sun, Genesis Trust reaped a real harvest of tries against a KPMG side which toiled in the field scant of reward for their labours. Shorn of their leader and leading try scorer Andrew Mackay, KPMG wilted under the intense heat generated by the wily old heads of Genesis.
They may have been ripened under the sun of many summers but this bunch of old fruits had plenty of juice in the tank, none more so than Lisa Kehoe and Michelle Bailey who ran amok with a vintage display as KPMG withered on the vine. Time after time, through a series of angled runs and dummy passes they broke the defence only to eventually be halted by the outstretched arm of a panicked defender. Such was the disarray caused by these incursions that in the next phase of play Genesis linked a few simple passes to score out wide. No-one benefitted more from this than Jerry “Five Tries” Beck.
Now, there have been some famous gloves in history. One remembers the 1968 Olympics where African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos famously raised a black leather glove during the US National Anthemas a protest against human rights abuse. There was Michael Jackson’s bejewelled single glove that became part of his iconic faux-military uniform, or the bloodied glove of O.J. Simpson, the focal point of his trial for murder. But now we have an up-to-the minute memory – the alabaster-white gloves of Mr Jerry Beck. Shimmering in the sunlight, like the blinding reflection of an arctic ice-flow, these whiter-than-white gloves seemed more akin to those worn by the referee at the World Snooker Championships than a game of rugby but none-the-less they seemed possessed of some magical magnetic force that compelled the ball to come his way and stick to them.
Beck ran in a personal haul of five of the best. A flag football aficionado, he really laid down the gauntlet and used all his skills and not-inconsiderable speed to dodge and outrun a stretched defence. As he came off the field at the end I swear I heard him quietly singing to himself a variation of the old Beatles classic “All You Need is Glove”. The other tries scorers were Mitten Lang (2), Michelle Bailey (3), Lisa Kehoe (2), Roger Priaulx (2) and young Neil Montgomery.
A final score of 15-1 to Genesis Trust makes painful reading for KPMG but one man, Gauthan Ganeshan, won’t be too sad as he picked up his first try of the season.
So, after three rounds Heineken Brew Crew sit on top of the pile but they have yet to be really tested. Behind them SteppingStones are waiting for their opportunity to take them down. Should be worth watching!
Cops throw book at Joey
(CNS): Despite his continuing protestations of innocence, the former MD of the Electricity Regulatory Authority and candidate for North Side has been charge with 29 different counts of theft and fraud related offences during his short time as the ERA boss. Joeseph 'Joey' Ebanks has been bailed to return to court on 16 April to answer the multiple dishonesty charges. The controversial character, who is also facing a number of civil legal threats as a result of the allegations he has been making on his Facebook page, answered bail on Tuesday morning as required, the police said. He was then charged by officers from the Financial Crimes Unit, as Ebanks had predicted.
The 49-year-old would-be politician was arrested in the Pedro area on Wednesday6 March on suspicion of abuse of office, theft and suspicion of possession of a drug utensil, shortly after he was suspended from his job at the public authority when a number of financial irregularities turned up in a public audit.
Ebanks has categorically denied the allegations, which he says are all part of a conspiracy against him as a result of his efforts to expose corruption.
However, he has been charged with eight counts of obtaining property by deception, seven counts of theft, one count of obtaining a money transfer by deception, one count of transferring criminal property, nine counts of making a document without authority, one count of obtaining property by deception and two counts of forgery.
No charges have been laid in relation to the drug utensil.
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Nursing award nominations process opens
(CNS): Nominations have been invited for the 2013 Eloise Reid Award for Excellence in Nursing, which takes place during Nurses’ Week and acknowledges nurses for their services to the community. Nurses can be nominated by their peers, patients, or colleagues for exceptional contributions to the nursing profession in clinical practice and excellence in the application of nursing practice standards and the code of ethics. The deadline for submission of nominations is Friday, 26th April. Eloise Reid, former Health Services Authority CEO and Chief Nursing Officer for whom the award is named, explained, “There are so many dedicated, outstanding nurses livingand working in the Cayman Islands. This award is a great way to bring us all together to celebrate the hard work that nurses do, and recognise the vital support that they offer to the healthcare profession.”
She added, “I encourage everyone to take the time to think of a nurse who has gone above and beyond in her duties, and make the effort to submit his or her name so that we can in turn show our appreciation as colleagues.”
The assessment criteria for nominees includes, high ethical standards, mentoring others, leadership, competency, achievement, and contribution to the profession. The winner will be chosen by a selection committee, which is appointed by the Chief Nursing Officer, Hazel Brown. A representative from sponsor, Nueterra Global Alliance, will also review nominations. The winner will be announced at a welcome cocktail reception on Tuesday, 7th May at the Marriott Beach Resort hotel.
2012 Eloise Reid Award recipient, Rebekah Brooks, said, “I felt extremely honoured to be chosen for such a prestigious award because it recognises the on-going contributions to clinical practice of individual nurses working across the island in both the public and private sectors. It was very motivating and rewarding to be nominated by my colleagues and patients, and selected by the panel of judges. Nurse Eloise Reid is one of Cayman's best role models, and an inspiration to the nursing profession. I had the privilege of working for her whilst she was the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Executive Officer at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, and she was always so compassionate, professional and motivational to all of the nurses.”
Nomination forms are available at the Health Services Authority and the Cayman Islands Nurses Association’s website, www.cina.ky.