Archive for April, 2013
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.
Dump EIA is a ‘whitewash’ say BT Activists
(CNS): Opponents of the plan to relocate Grand Cayman’s landfill to Bodden Town have described the environmental statement which was released to the public yesterday as a whitewash. The length of the document, at 1887 pages, makes it impossible for the public to digest and ensures controversies are “well camouflaged”, one of the leaders of the Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump free said in a release. Alain Beiner believes, however, that there was no hiding the fact that the proposal is nothing more than a clone of the George Town landfill and a long way from a promised modern eco-waste-management site.
Arlene Whittaker, another coalition leader, said the EIA notes the impact of the proposed site on the district’s traffic volumes, among other issues, as activists have long claimed, as well as odour problems. But she said these are “glossed over with assurances that they will be mitigated. But, with the new landfill to be operated by the same government department that currently runs the GT landfill with even less of a budget, things are unlikely to improve, she said..
Former Cabinet minister and candidate for the district, Charles Clifford, said the report ignores the needless waste of travel time, truck fuel, wear-and-tear of roads and vehicles, the increased noise, pollution and safety hazards involved in the additional truck mileage, or about the spike in illegal dumping, which is to be expected by moving the dump so far from the island’s main population base.
“On the contrary,” Clifford said, “not only are these negative impacts ignored, but the report’s summary identify as ‘significant factors’ in the choice of site location, its ‘remote location’ and the 'presence of nearby quarry operations’. One can’t help but question the values and priorities of the Dart Group and its hired help. The substantial residential community in neighbouring Midland Acres doesn’t seem to count at all. The proposed site is certainly ‘remote’ from Dart’s Camana Bay and from the main source of Grand Cayman’s trash, but it certainly is not ‘remote’ from these residents or from the thousands living in BT.”
Clifford said government had an overriding duty to represent and protect the public from developers that consider the community’s interests secondary. “The government and in particular Minister Scotland and Minister Seymour have failed in their duty to their community and have placed Dart’s interests above those of our people.”
Mark Scotland has still offered some support for the BT dump plan, but recently brushed the problem off as one for the next government to wrestle with. His new Cabinet colleague Dwayne Seymour, however, has distanced himself from the plan, claiming in an unexpected declaration at the last government press briefing that he never had and did not support the move.
Gregg Anderson, another hopeful candidate in the district, said there was little in the EIA to allay the serious health fearscaused by dumping toxic waste in such a vulnerable area.
“There is no financial study as to how much the project will cost the government, nor is there information as to the expected lifetime of the proposed facility. There is nothing mentioned about the economic and social impact on Midland Acres in particular and on the Bodden Town district in general – the certain loss in real estate and land value, the loss of new businesses, tourism facilities, new residential developments,” he added.
The Coalition has challenged the very legitimacy of the EIA process from the onset, underlining the unethical link between dump proponent and dump evaluator, the complete disregard of due process and the refusal to respect the conclusions of the Central Tenders Committee (CTC), which, after an open tendering process, had rejected Dart’s plan.
“The Coalition also protested the secrecy surrounding the deal between Dart and the then UDP government, as part of the so-called FCIA agreement,” Beiner said as he pointed to the refusal to consult the population about the relocation and the choice of BT as the Dart plan with no other alternatives. “The entire process surrounding Dart’s dump plan flouts the rule of law,” he said, as he pointed to the newly adopted Framework for fiscal Resonsibility, which was ignored.
“Reckless deals like the Dart dump plan, and the long-standing failure to properly manage the GT landfill – instead of ‘exporting’ it to BT — prove that past and present governments are responsible for our shameful environmental ranking,” he added, noting the recent news that Cayman came bottom for environmental protection among the UK’s overseas territories.
The Coalition is calling on candidates for the forthcoming election to stand up against the waste management facility in BT and commit to voting against any such project should they be elected to the next parliament.
Young swimmers invited to ‘Duel in the pool’
(SSC): The Ernst & Young “Duel in the Pool”, hosted by the Stingray Swim Club of Grand Cayman at the Lions Aquatic Centre (LAC) takes place this Friday, April 12th. It is a fun, fast paced meet designed specifically to provide younger swimmers with a stress free, competitive environment where they can just get used to diving off the blocks; and the older swimmers with a fun meet, where they can enjoy the comraderie of swimming and of competing before the third cycle of the training season kicks off in earnest. “Swimmers who want to take part in the Duel in the Pool need only indicate that they will be taking part,” said Stingray Swim Club’s Head Coach Andy Copley.
He added, “We will divide all the swimmers, being careful to keep the teams balanced by the Ernst & Young colours, on either Team Yellow or Team Grey; and swimmers will be assigned to events and relay teams as well.”
Longstanding corporate citizens of the Cayman Islands, Ernst & Young Ltd.’s Managing Partner, Dan Scott was delighted to once again support swimming in the Cayman Islands. “On behalf of Ernst & Young Ltd. I am proud to add our congratulations to the CARIFTA Swimming Team which just returned home from Cayman. The CARIFTA Swimmers are fine examples of what hard work and determination can do; but, even as we look forward to their continued success it is imperative that we continue to invest in those coming behind them as this is how we will build a strong legacy for Cayman swimming. This Meet is designed to do just that, to enourage younger swimmers. To give them experience on the blocks with a starter in a fun and nurturing environment. Best of luck to swimmers in Teams Yellow and Team Grey … you will all be winners.”
President Brenda McGrath added, “The Duel in the Pool is going to be a lot of fun,” she said, “Meets such as this are great for team building, and for exposing our youngest swimmers to competition in a non-competitive environment. We are going to have a potluck social afterward where we will celebrate the success of our CARIFTA Team, and particularly of the SSC members who were on the team, and we really hope that even if you are not going to swim that if you are interested in learning more about Stingray Swim Club, and seeing what weare all about, that you drop in to the Lions Pool and join us.”
The Meet starts at 5:30pm. All swimmers are invited to take part, and if you are not a member of a club or swim school with a Coach who can contact SSC then you can email stingraysec@gmail.com.
McLeans faced-off in first chamber forum
(CNS): The two East End McLeans, Arden and John Jr, launched the Chamber of Commerce political forums on Monday night with a head-to-head debate that demonstrated some significant differences between the two candidates on topical issues, such as the ForCayman Investment Alliance, how to tackle Caymans growing immigration dilemmas and the country’s voting system. The younger of the two McLeans seemed to be on the wrong side of the argument over one man, one vote in the district, while his opponent seemed to have the support of the district when he revealed his intention to abolish the work-permit boards and create a separate labour agency if he was a member of government after the election.
John McLean Jr revealed that, despite being a candidate in one of only two single member constituencies, he had voted against one man, one vote, as he said he thought it would create enclaves of foreign voters as more people from overseas got Caymanian status.
However, only 79 people in East End voted ‘No’ in the summer referendum while 297 had voted ‘Yes’, reflecting the position of the electorate on that issue where the inequality of votes in this election will be particularly hard felt. With only one vote compared to the six held by each voter in the capital, Arden said it was unequal and unfair. While his constituents still paid the same taxes as people living in George Town, they had six times less influence on government.
The men both answered well over thirty questions in a tightly managed debate. Disagreeing over the relocation of the landfill, which was supported by John McLean and opposed by Arden McLean, the men also differed over the West Bay Road closure. Arden pointed to the need for two roads into West Bay and the need to renegotiate the deal and the closure.
Asked about the constitution, John McLean said he was not in favour of the bill of rights and anything that was not in line with the Bible should be changed, while Arden, who was part of the team that negotiated the constitution, pointed out a number of things that may need to be changed now that the document was in use, including the need for a simple majority and not a two thirds majority to remove a an incumbent, given what had happened last year.
The candidates did, however, agree that the district councils set up under the constitution should be democratically elected and not appointed by government, as the law which was passed by the former UDP administration calls for.
They also agreed that politicians facing criminal charges should use their own moral compass and not run. And although both of the McLeans are associated with parties while running on an independent ticket, they both defended their independence.
The next forum which takes place Tuesday 9 April in Bodden Town but it will be more like a free campaign meeting for the PPM than a debate. Although 13 candidates are running in the district, only Al Suckoo and Wayne Panton, both from the Progressives, are scheduled for tonight’s forum as all of the other candidates have opted to attend one of the other scheduled forms. Nevertheless, despite the likelihood of agreement between the twonewcomers to the political scene, the Chamber is promising some tough questions for the Bodden Town hopefuls.
As well as being broadcast on Radio Cayman, the Chamber is also posting the audio of forums to allow people to listen again or catch up if they missed the event and find out where the candidates stand on the main issues of the day and what they plan to do about them if elected.
Cop arrested over weapons charges stays on job
(CNS): The police have now confirmed that a serving officer on Cayman Brac was recently arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and illegal Importation of firearm accessories. The RCIPS has made no comment regarding the details of the arrest but has confirmed that the officer has not been suspended from his post, even though he is currently on bail. The police officer, who has not yet been charged, remains on duty and is believed to have imported a stun gun and items that could be used with firearms. Police have not stated when he was arrested or when the importation took place.
Texas bidder wants open probe into ERA award
(CNS Business): A bidder involved in the tender to generate 36MW of power for Grand Cayman has called for an open enquiry following the reports of possible wrongdoing at the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA). Navasota Energy, a Texas-based firm issued a release Tuesday afternoon stating that it was disturbed by the recent public disclosures alleging inappropriate behaviour by ERA officials and bidders in the recent solicitation process and pointed out that this throws the fairness of the tender process into question. On Friday, as a result of the allegations made by Joey Ebanks, the former MD of the authority, since he was suspended from his job in the wake of his arrest over financial irregularities, ERA officials announced plans for a probe into the bid. Read more on CNS Business
Turtle Farm stands by commissioned report
(CNS): Following a statement by animal activist group, the WSPA, Monday, expressing its disapproval of a report commissioned by the Cayman Turtle Farm regarding the various welfare concerns at the facility the management said Tuesday it believes the findings are valid and based on the expert opinion of qualified scientists. The CTF said the report was independent and followed an intensive inspection of the facility in the wake of concerns raised by the animal welfare charity last year. The CTF said it has asked the WSPA to accept the report as a basis for dialogue but it has refused and the farm’s managing director said this was preventing the two parties from moving forward.
“The difficulty with trying to engage in a dialogue with WSPA is finding an agreeable direction for dialogue to proceed toward. WSPA proposed that CTF must stop visitors touching or holding turtles, and that CTF must stop farming turtles for meat,” he said. “Neither of those are end-goals that CTF is in a position to negotiate, as they would each be contrary to CTF’s remit to provide a highly attractive unique visitor experience and to provide a source of farmed turtle meat which preserves Caymanian culinary traditions and helps to preserve turtles in the wild. We believe however that pursuing the recommendations of the inspection report would have been a very worthy objective for our dialogue to be aiming towards.”
As part of the report the inspectors made some recommendations for improvement, which the CTF has said it is now working on but the Farm and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) have some fundamental disagreements. The charity rejects the legitimacy of the independent review on a number of grounds. Although they recognize the authors of the report as experts in the field of sea turtle biology they are concerned about the lack of detail and explanation in the report to back their conclusions. In addition, they suggest some bias but the CTF said none of the scientists who are “credible, conscientious internationally-recognized experts,” have been paid by the Farm.
The impasse also focuses on the CTF’s position that it will not accept the findings of the WSPA on which it has based its campaign to turn the farm into a conservation facility and move away from farming. The CTF said the WSPA report was based on limited observation and second-hand reports, despite extensive photographic evidence.
The WSPA claims that the independent inspection report “lacked detail and was not broad enough to be treated as an authoritative piece of work” – however, CTF points out that the same can be said of the WSPA research. The CTF believes that the methods the charity used in its case study are incomplete, as their research in Cayman was verylimited and conducted as part of an “undercover investigation” without the cooperation of the CTF.
The CTF said the four experts who produced the independent report were given full access to the Turtle Farm, its staff and records, and were able to take time to inspect the turtles in all the tanks both on the public display side and the “production” side of the farm. “Unlike the WSPA, the inspectors were not relying on clandestine practices or on photographs to try and give some interpretation of the actual situation with the turtles at the farm,” the farm said.
“These respected scientists were not going to risk their professional reputations by making a report that they were not confident had solid basis in facts that they could inspect for themselves,” Adam added.
Meanwhile, the farm is now pursuing the recommendations and issues highlighted by the report. It said the recruitment of a full-time Veterinarian and a Farm Manager is imminent and it has implemented a different type of treatment for skin lesions with very encouraging results. It has also adjusted feeding protocols to rectify what is said was moderate emaciation observed in some turtles and has increased hatchling tank capacity through the completed construction of additional hatchling tanks in time for the upcoming breeding season.
Necropsies are also being performed on turtle mortalities and tissue samples are banked for future pathology work. It is anticipated that this work will be done by CTF’s in-house veterinarian and through arrangements with overseas experts. As a long-term measure to continue improvements and evaluate the success of the Farm, a Scientific Advisory Committee is now being set up to oversee, review and make recommendations on the CTF’s improvement goals, farming and research operations.
However, the fundamental issue that is between the farm and the charity is that of animal welfare and the fact that turtles are not domesticated animals. The WSPA will be stepping back up its campaign for the Cayman and the international community to put pressure on the farm management and local politicians to put an end to the farming itself and move towards conservation only AT THE FACILITY.
Wth almost no political support for closing down the farming part of the operation and a continuing appetite for turtle meat the WSPA’s goal remains elusive regardless of its efforts and considerable international support.
Although the CTF sucks in some $10million of public money and is something of a political football, this surrounds the expansion of the farm into a wider tourist attraction which has been a costly exercise. The farming of meat is not the source of the financial losses at the facility which is caused by lower than hoped for visitor numbers to the now more costly attraction.