Archive for December, 2013
Car prizes at Triple C fundraising golf tournament
(CNS): Now in its third year, the Captain Theo Bodden Memorial Golf Tournament is a fundraising event that enables Triple C School to raise funds for the school’s ongoing capital improvements. The tournament will tee off at the North Sound Golf Club on Friday, 7 February 2014, beginning at 1pm. Entry fees are CI$600 for a team of four or CI$150 per individual. Two vehicles will be up for grabs in the hole-in-one competition, including a 2014 Toyota T86 from Vampt Motors and 2014 Kia from GT Automotive. Participants will also be able to compete for excellent prizes in a putt-for-cash competition and a longest drive contest. (Photo: Robert Lankford, Vice-Principal Triple C School (left) and Gregg Radley, Home Gas GM)
Proceeds raised at this event, which is sponsored this year by Home Gas, will go towards the school’s classroom modulers project.
The tournament is a four-person scramble accommodating up to 72 players in 18 teams; the tournament is open to the public and all are encouraged to enter. Companies and individuals are encouraged to sponsor holes with two types of sponsorship package available: premium holes (i.e. numbers 1,9,10 and 18) cost CI$350 and the remaining standard holes cost CI$250.
Bodden Holdings, the parent company of Home Gas, has been involved at various sponsorship levels since its inception. The namesake of the tournament and founder of Bodden Holdings, Captain Theo Bodden, was also one of the founders for Triple C School.
Contact Nathania Mayers, at Triple C School at development@triplecschool.org or call 949-6022 to register or request sponsorship information.
CIS champions again at RBC inter schools regatta
CISA): This much anticipated annual sailing regatta saw close to 50 sailors from Primary schools across Grand Cayman competing in perfect conditions on North Sound. Teams of 6 students from each school took turns to race their boat round a short course and the very close racing made for exciting viewing close to shore.“Students come to the club to sail throughout the year and then every November they compete fiercely for bragging rights in this team competition,” explained Rick Caley from the sailing club.
“It’s the team aspect of the competition which highlights the virtues of sailing as a sport. They all help each other to get a good start, take care of their boat and encourage each other in every race,” he added.
After 24 races Cayman International School came out on top for the second year running. They were closely followed by Cayman Prep and Savannah Primary. Hope Academy, who were competing for the first time and had only been sailing together for 8 weeks, took a creditable fourth place.
Claire Hughes, teacher in charge of the Cayman Prep sailors, thought it was a spectacular event. “This regatta is a wonderful event for our budding sailors. It’s very professionally run, allows the kids to work together as a team and most of all have a great deal of fun in the process.”
Head Sailing Coach Raph Harvey was quick to congratulate all the sailors. “It’s one thing to sail around having fun on the water, but when you get into a racing situation you need to be aware of the wind conditions and develop strategies to ensure you beat the opposition. I saw a lot of you doing just that today and it meant that you were putting into practice all the skills that you have learned in lessons”
Rick Caley thanked the coaching staff for preparing the sailors so well and RBC Royal Bank who sponsored the event for the 15th consecutive year.
“RBC is pleased to again sponsor the RBC Inter Schools Sailing Regatta” said Michael Munnings, Area Vice President & Branch Manager, RBC Main Branch, Cayman Islands. “At RBC, supporting local youth is one of the core areas of focus for our community programme. We sponsor this event each year because athletic training is critical to helping young people realize their full potential.”
NCL won’t kill development
(CNS): The environment minister has said that the much anticipated and much discussed National Conservation Law will not be the death knell for development but it would not be possible to further amend the law “without rendering it absolutely useless”, as he emphasised the need for this legislation. Presenting the bill to his legislative colleagues on Wednesday morning, Wayne Panton said he was fulfilling a campaign promise and a legacy for the future by legislating the requirement for consideration be given to the natural environment in all future decisions. With no conservation law but many obligations for conservation in the constitution and international treaties, government needed the law now, he stressed.
“This bill is not going to be death knell of development. This is about making sure development can continue in a sustainable way,” Panton told his colleagues as he emphasised that the law was not about dictating anything but giving appropriate consideration to the islands’ natural resources and to secure biological diversity.
The law will also provide a way to protect endangered and threatened endemic wildlife and their habitats and give environment enforcement officers some powers to actually protect the land and marine environments from poachers.
After more than ten years in the making, the minister said it had been through numerous drafts and had been thoroughly reviewed and commented upon. He said it had benefitted greatly from input of a wide cross-section of the community and was essentially a product of three separate governments. More recently it was influenced by contributions from the independent members of the House, who nevertheless remain opposed to the bill.
Panton said he was well aware of the opposition in some quarters and said that while they claimed to be in favour of some sort of conservation, they were bent on delaying the passage of any meaningful legislation.
“Some people would cut down an ironwood tree so they can sit on the stump to issue proclamations about what kind of conservation they want,” he said of the bill’s critics. “I do not think that it is possible to amend this legislation further without rendering it absolutely useless.
“We feel what we have today and what we are about to debate is a bill which reflects a substantial compromise and principles that we should all be able to accept,” he said, adding that conservation of the environment was integral to the success of Cayman’s economy and existence.
Reviewing the long history of the bill, Panton said it had been subjected to extensive public consultation that had resulted in this final draft, which included a review by the attorney general for human rights compliance.
From the constitutional requirements and Cayman’s treaty obligations to the need to preserve a legacy for the future, Panton listed the numerous reasons why Cayman needed a conservation law.
“We campaigned on basis that we had no more time to waste and we would be passing the conservationlegislation,” he said, noting that the government was elected on that basis; it was a campaign promise made by the PPM and one it was going to keep.
“In an ever more crowded world, where others have left a better legacy, for our failure to begin the process in these three tiny islands, these tiny jewels … we will be judged harshly,” he warned. “It is an economic reality that we will not have a successful economy without proper conservation measures.”
Going into the details of the law, Panton said he did not mind repeating for the 500th time that the bill makes it very clear that only crown land may be designated a protected area and it is Cabinet under the bill not the misinterpreted Conservation Council which has the authority to designate a protected area.
Addressing the significant misinformation and what he described as “abuse” repeated by the few that oppose the law, including a local media house, which had fuelled misunderstanding and confusion in order to create unnecessary fear.
Repeating yet again that there are no provisions in the bill to take anyone’s private property, he said no land will be designated critical habitat without the support of the owner. If a private land owner says they are not interested in selling land, even if it is seen as an important habitat to protect, “that will be the end of it,” the minister assured MLAs.
He said the scaremongering fuelled by those who oppose the conservation law had led to people believing they could be arrested for stepping on a bug if it was a protected species, which was completely untrue.
He explained that the protection of species is about creating management plans so they can be helped to survive. All of this will be discussed openly and publicly and will not be dreamt up behind closed doors, he added. Panton said the council will operate under a policy of open government and complete transparency and will be the first board in Cayman to do so.
The minister spoke for over two hours detailing the legislation before he asked members for their support for the legislation and opened the floor for the debate, which is expected to continue this morning.
Miller calls for an end to LCCLs regime
(CNS Business): With changes in local economic conditions, the member for North Side is calling on the minister with responsibility to review the regime surrounding the Local Company Control Licence, where 100% foreign-owned companies are now allowed to compete with local businesses, making a difficult environment even tougher for Caymanian entrepreneurs. Ezzard Miller has raised concerns that companies are abusing the system and in a short statement in the Legislative Assembly he said he had evidence that a recent grant by the Trade and Business Licensing Board of an LCCL to a company called KN Network Services (Cayman Ltd) in the telecommunications business could prove detrimental to local companies already covering that market. Read more on CNS Business
EC135 helicopters flying again after grounding
(CNS) Bond Air Services, which operates the EC135 helicopter, the same model that crashed into a Scottish pub last month and killed ten people and the same helicopter used by the RCIPS, grounded the machines this morning. However, the choppers returned to the air in the UK Thursday night. The suspension of services came after a fault was discovered on an EC135 operated by Bond for the North West Air Ambulance in the UK. All Bond's 22 UK air ambulances and police helicopters were affected, the BBC reported today. The machines which were found not to be at fault were returned to service.
The aircraft's manufacturer, Eurocopter, said it was not telling other operators of the EC135 to ground their helicopters and the local police air support unit was not impacted.
The helicopter operated by Police in Glasgow came down on a busy bar around 10-30 in the evening on 29November. Its three crew and seven people in the pub were killed. An initial report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it had found "no evidence of major mechanical disruption of either engine" on the helicopter.
The police here stated that despite the crash they believed the EC135 had an exceptional safety record.
But Bond Air Services said on Thursday that one of its EC135 fleet experienced an indication defect that requires further technical investigation during normal operations. "As a precautionary measure we have temporarily suspended service operations whilst we undertake detailed diagnosis. We commenced investigations overnight, are continuing this morning and are in close liaison with Eurocopter regarding this investigation," the firm told the UK media this morning.
Eurocopter said the decision taken by Bond did not apply to the rest of the Eurocopter fleet in the UK – a total of 57 aircraft. The manufacturer said it would be working with Bond Aviation and would issue a further statement later.
Bond Air Services temporarily grounded EC 135 models last year as well following safety concerns over the receipt of a Safety Information Notice from Eurocopter regarding cracks on the lower hub shaft flange on the EC 135.
See BBC news item here.
Activist takes issue over dangerous dogs
(CNS): A well-known local activist is taking up yet another issue which is likely to strike a chord in the community. Sandra Catron has once again identified an area of neglect by the authorities which members of the public have been concerned about for years – dangerous dogs, mistreated pets and the lack of enforcement by the authorities. The activist and campaigner told CNS that for over one year she has been contending with a dog on a neighbouring property which has attacked her own pet canine on three separate occasions. Although the owners have chained the animal, she said that it manages to get lose and each time it goes after her own dog. Despite her calls to 911 and the reports made to the police, no action has been taken about the animal, which she says is genuinely dangerous.
Catron said she now has had enough and is demanding that the authorities do something about this dog and take all aspects of animal neglect seriously. The most recent attack on her and her dog happened on Sunday outside her own home, which she described as nothing short of an “ambush” by the out-of-control dog on her pet, Coco.
“I was so shocked I fell to the ground trying to save her life,” Catron stated. “The dog had her in a death grip and then my boyfriend, who was inside, came to her rescue. He was hitting the dog to get her off Coco to no avail. I finally got a grip of the dog’s neck and Coco ran inside to safety,” she said, but the neighbouring dangerous dog was still on her tail.
Catron said that she called 911 but despite her twelve-month long history of emails with the Department of Agriculture, pleading with them and the police to intervene, they have never done so. Catron said that after one visit the authorities concluded the dog was not dangerous, despite evidence to the contrary.
Following Sunday’s attack Catron said her dog was taken to the vet for treatment and has been recovering since and she also sustained some injuries to her hand and left side.
While Catron said she would be seeking to recover the cost of her vet bills and other damage to property from the dog owner, what was of wider concern was the failure of owners in general to take proper care of their animals and, in turn, the failure of the authorities to act when there is clear evidence that animals are being neglected or mistreated.
"I am very disappointed that people in Cayman do not see taking care of their pets as an obligation,” she said. “No one is forced to be a pet owner but if you do, the pet must be taken care of and cannot endanger others. The attacks on Coco have been vicious and the dog's intent is clearly fatal. I have decided to take all reasonable steps to protect my dog. I am hopeful the police can remove this dog before this happens again. I have CCTV footage demonstratingthe ferocious nature of this dog,” she added.
Catron also supplied a picture of the dog (above) chained up, in which it appears to be suffering from neglect and covered in ticks.
Sprint and middle distance track meet results
(CNS): Organisers ofthe Damion Rose Sprint & Distance Track Meet which took place on 7 December at the Truman Bodden Sports complex and included Sprints and Middle Distance events have now published the full schedule of results which are posted below. The next event on the athletics calendar is the Trinity Odd Events Track Meet which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 14 December beginning at 3:30pm.
DoT to help government fill up admin building
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (DoT) will be relocating to the new Government Administration Building (GAB) in George Town on Monday, helping with the PPM administration’s goal of boosting the occupancy rate of the modern energy-saving building. During a Public Accounts Committee meeting in September government officials revealed that the building was only 65% occupied as a result of a combination of factors. The downsizing of government, the reluctance of some public authorities to move and the costs of adapting space for others were all cited as reasons for government entities not moving into the GAB.
Deputy Governor Franz Manderson stated at that time that the DoT was making plans to move, which would help improve theoccupancy at the building commissioned and built to save the government rent money and, through high energy efficiency, cut down on its utility bills.
DoT officials confirmed its move to join other government entities in the environmentally friendly building this week. It said all services offered by the DoT would continue at the new location, including cashier services, which will now join other revenue collections for government on the first floor.
To facilitate final closure of the present location at Regatta Office Park on West Bay Road, the DoT offices will be closed to the public on the 12 and 13 December. Regular services will resume at 1:00pm on the 16 December in the GAB.
The department apologizes for any inconvenience the office closures may cause but looks forward to working with its customers at the new location.
The contact details for the department are as follows:
To reach by phone, callers should continue to use 345-949-0623
The new address is:
Cayman Islands Department of Tourism
Government Administration Building
133 Elgin Avenue
P.O. Box 67
Grand Cayman KY1-1102
CAYMAN ISLANDS
The hours for the DoT cashiers will remain the same: 8:30am – 3:00pm as of Tuesday, 17 December.
Sir John A Cumber outlast Cayman Prep in U9 Cup
(CUC-PFL): The second round of the 2013/2014 CUC Primary Football League (PFL) Playoffs concluded this past Saturday at the Annex Field with 12 games in the Champions and Consolation Cups. In the Under 9 Champions Cup, Sir John A. Cumber Primary secured a second win in two weeks as they held on to defeat Cayman Prep 3-2 thanks to a hat trick from Rashaad Powery, which included two penalties. Pierce Terry’s two goals for Cayman Prep were not enough as the Group A champions tasted defeat for the first time this year and slipped to second in the Playoff standings.
In other Under 9 Champions Cup games, Cayman International School bounced back from a 0-1 loss to Cayman Prep in the first round last week to defeat South Sound Schools 3-0 with two goals from team captain Francisco Magno and a single strike from Jonathan Rado. Other scores included Savannah Primary 7 vs. Prospect Primary 0 and St. Ignatius Prep 0 vs. NorthEast Schools 0.
In the Under 9 Consolation Cup, Red Bay Primary defeated George Town Primary 4-0 and a Jacobi Tugman led Bodden Town Primary were 3-1 victors over Truth For Youth. In the Under 11 Champions Cup, the ‘game of the day’ turned out to be Sir John A. Cumber Primary against South Sound Schools. With both schools coming off draws in the first round each were eager to get the three points.
The game was an exciting affair with the majority of play taking place in midfield. South Sound Schools’ Aidan Hew and his band were trying their best to find gaps in Sir John A. Cumber’s defence marshalled by Romeo Thomas. Likewise, Daniel Wallace and his group of midfielders from Sir John A. Cumber were trying to do the same against a Kiran Conolly-Basdeo led rear guard from South Sound Schools.
With the score tied at 0-0 going into half time both schools were confident that a win was in reach. In the 39th minute, Sir John A. Cumber made the breakthrough as a Daniel Wallace corner was not properly dealt with by the South Sound Schools defence and in a brave attempt to clear the ball off the line, Ryan Godwin inadvertently put the ball through his own net giving goalkeeper Brandon Jackson no chance.
South Sound Schools pressed forward for the equaliser but found Omar Bodden in the Sir John A.Cumber unbeatable. The young shot stopper easily dealt with the long range shots and was happy to see the South Sound Schools forwards unable to connect ona few dangerous crosses that flew across his penalty area.
Although on the losing end, South Sound Schools’ Kiran Conolly-Basdeo was a ‘rock’ in defence and clearly the “man of the match” for his tireless running and excellent tackling. In other games in the Under 11 Champions Cup, George Town’s Isaac Ebanks scored twice for George Town Primary in the 21st and 38th minutes and NorthEast’s Jaquan Miller grabbed two in the 33rd and 50th minutes in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Itana Villalobos scored in the 29th minute for NorthEast Schools and Jordan Sommerville scored in the 24th minute for George Town Primary to round off the scoring.
St. Ignatius Prep salvaged a draw with Prospect Primary thanks to goals from Corey Smith in the 11th minute and Nathan Trickett in the 48th minute. Prospect’s Andrew Suberan opened the scoring in the 5th minute and a ‘sweet’ volley from Joshua Cox in the 37th minute had Prospect heading for their first victory in the Playoffs until the Nathan Trickett leveller settled this exciting encounter. Undefeated Cayman Prep kept their record intact after defeating Savannah Primary 3-1.
In the Under 11 Consolation Cup, Truth For Youth defeated Bodden Town Primary 5-2 and Cayman International School outlasted Triple C 3-1. Special thanks to Chastine Rankine, Dwayne Ebanks and Shakur Welcome for handling the officiating duties.
The third round of the 2013/2014 CUC PFL Playoffs continues this Saturday, December 14 at the Annex Field with a further 12 games scheduled in the Consolation and Champions Cup in both age groups. This will be the final set of Playoff games before the Christmas Break. Fans of ‘the powerful game’ are invited to the Annex Field for another extremely exciting day of youth football action.
Future development will depend on market reaction
(CNS Business): How the real estate and property development markets react and adapt to the new conservation law when it is implemented will dictate the future of development in the Cayman Islands, not the bill itself, local lawyers have said. In a statement released on Wednesday morning, as legislators began debating the bill in the parliament, the Cayman Bar Association (CBA) issued a report on the law which pointed out the need for the legislation as a result of government’s legal obligations under the constitution. In their review of the law, the CBA said it did not threaten property rights and the council was not all powerful. Like any other legislation, it is not perfect, they said, but the legislative process of refinement and revision will apply equally in the case of this bill, as any other. Read more on CNS Business