Archive for April, 2014
Early morning eclipse produces rare sight
(CNS): Those who were able to stay awake into the early hours of Tuesday morning were treated to a relatively rare and beautiful sight as clear skies over Cayman gave a great view of the full moon lunar eclipse. The total lunar eclipse took place over three hours as the Moon moved into the Earth’s shadow and was seen across most of North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The moon changed colour from orange to blood red from around 1am to 4am local time. The Earth’s natural satellite was shrouded in a reddish glow for well over an hour, living up to the description of a blood moon.
Three further eclipses will occur this year with an annular solar eclipse on 29 April, a total lunar eclipse again on 8 October and a partial solar eclipse on 23 October. Tuesday’s eclipse was particularly special as alongside the red moon observers could also see the planet Mars, which was on its closest approach to Earth since 2008.
Former local pro footballer to nurture new talent
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) has appointed Renard Moxam as director of national teams. Moxam was the first professional football player from the Cayman Islands when he signed for Toronto Blizzard In 1979 and played in the North American Soccer League. He will now oversee the design and implementation of programmes aimed at identifying the best national talent the country has and improving standards of play. Jeffery Webb, CIFA president and boss of the regional body CONCACAF, said that Moxam brings three decades of experience in nurturing and coaching local youth players.
“We are certain, that Mr Moxam’s vast experience and passion for the game will strongly benefit our aim of developing a world class national programme,” said Webb. “Mr Moxam’s achievements inspired me and an entire generation and we know he will shape the future of generations to come.”
Thanking CIFA and Webb for the official opportunity to make a positive contribution and shaping the lives of young people in the game, Moxam spoke about the challenges ahead.
“There is a need for improvements in standards of play from technical, tactical, physical and mental perspectives in order for our country to acquire equal regional recognition, as a footballing country,” he stated at a press conference Monday announcing his appointment.
“To accomplish this objective, we have to build a positive dynamic footballing culture wherein a high level of conduct consistently exists, there is an overall sense of responsibility, and a positive atmosphere for character development of our young people is prevalent,” he added.
Pre-fab lock-up arrives at new custody centre
(CNS): Pre-fabricated jail cells that will hold suspects arrested by police until they are charged arrived in Cayman at the weekend and workers are now erecting and connecting the new custody centre, which officials say will open in six weeks time. The new facility being constructed behind the women’s prison in Fairbanks will replace the George Town lock-up, which has been condemned in recent reports by prison inspectors as unfit for human habitation. Sitting on top of locally built foundations, the structure was purchased via a tendering process for just over USD $2.1 million from a US company and came pre-wired and pre-plumbed.
The purpose built, temperature-controlled, hurricane resistant buildings will house up to 24 inmates — a maximum of two to each cell, according to a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The facility will make the detention of arrestees, in George Town at least, human rights compliant.
Describing the features that ensure compliance, the deputy chief officer in the ministry responsible for public safety and security, Wesley Howell, said, “The rooms are designed to allow detainees a certain amount of personal space. In addition the rooms have been constructed in such a way as to minimise opportunities for prisoners to self-harm.”
With recent policy changes that have reduced the number of hours that the RCIPS can lawfully hold people in detention from 72 to 48, the total number of people in lock-up at any given time should be reduced. Howell said the goal would be for single occupancy but, should the need arise, each of the twelve cells can hold two people.
As well as the new cells, the suites include a breathalyzer room, interview rooms, a visitation room and various other facilities.
Related article on CNS
National Trust launches after-school conservation club
(CNS): The National Trust has launched a new education initiative at a local school with the help of sponsorship from the private sector. The after school programme “Heritage Heroes” Youth Conservation Club at Triple C School is aimed at middle school students and will teach them the importance of protecting the natural environment, history and culture of the Cayman. Sudents will learn about the Cayman Islands’ unique natural, built and cultural heritage through participating in environmental and historic field trips, community service and practical skills including wildlife encounters, eco-projects, catboat sailing, thatch weaving, kitchen band music and Caymanian cooking.
The Club also boasts its own cast of original superheroe characters based on Cayman Islands’ heritage icons such as Cayman Knight — Caymanite rock, Orchidia – the Ghost Orchid, Thatch Woman — Silver Thatch Trees and Ironwood Man — Ironwood trees. The Trust plans to host an island wide competition for the creation of a 5th original superhero throughout all the schools.
“We would not have been able to reach a new segment of students outside of a traditional classroom setting without the generous support of Walkers and PwC. Their generous co-sponsorship will help foster conservation-minded future leaders who have a strong sense of national pride and identity” said Christina Pineda, National Trust Executive Director.
Andrew Miller, Partner and member of Walkers Charitable Foundatio said the initiative lined up the firms “charitable objectives” adding that it was “extremely important for our youth to know and appreciate the cultural history of our island. We thank the National Trust for implementing such a valuable programme and we know the children will have fun learning all about the heritage of the Cayman Islands.”
Meanwhile, PwC Assurance and Business Development Senior Manager Angilynn Baraud said the firm was “pleased to reaffirm its commitment to educating young people and helping them discover what they can do to make their country more sustainable.”
The Trust aims to expand “Heritage Heroes” to an additional school and offer the programme components to existing youth service organizations such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Girl’s Brigade and Boy Scouts in 2015.
For more information on “Heritage Heroes” visit our website at www.nationaltrust.org.ky or call 749-1121.
Pirates’ week team makes early start on raising cash
(CNS): With public money thin on the ground and private sponsorship getting scarcer by the year, organisers of the Pirates’ Week festival are making an early start with fundraising for the annual celebration of skulduggery. Not without its critics the week still proves popular and while it may not be a money making venture the annual heritage event brings a boost to tourism at the end of the low season attracting overseas visitors especially for the festival. This year it will open on 6 November and finish on 16 November but Pirates Week fans can help make a contribution long before then by taking part in a special music and food event on 26 April.
Music for your Palate, organisers said will be one of a series of events leading up to the Pirates Week Festival and the money raised will be used to fund the Fireworks and Family Fun Day — two of the festival’s main family events.
See details below
Crown makes third attempt to prosecute cop
(CNS): A police officer accused of blackmail and breach of trust appeared in the dock in Grand Court Monday at the opening of a jury trial for the third time in less than six months. Elvis Kelsey Ebanks is accused of asking a Filipino national for a $500 bribe to avoid a prosecution following the possible theft of a phone at the Auto Spa in Red Bay. Two previous trials were halted as a result of problems with Tagalog speaking interpreters, as the key witness against the local cop has only limited English. Following the selection of a jury, the crown opened its case again against Ebanks who has denied asking for a bribe and told police that the man had offered to loan him money.
The case is set to continue in Grand Court one through this week and next before Justice Charles Quin and a jury of four women and three men
Self-defense claim rejected in conch shell assault
(CNS): A judge rejected a claim of self-defense Friday when he delivered his verdict in an assault case where a victim was hit on the head with a conch shell during an altercation over $2. Following a judge alone trial last month, Alvin Brown from West Bay was found guilty of wounding when the judge said he did not believe his account of the incident, which took place near Al Fresco's restaurant in West Bay last October. Brown had claimed that he and Garfield Powell had argued over the debt and Powery had come at him with a knife, which was why he had picked up the two conch shells and used one of them to hit his assailant on the head.
Justice Williams, however, found Powell's account of the incident, that Brown had launched the conch shell at him in an unprovoked attack, more plausible. During his verdict the judge said the victim's account tallied more accurately than Browns account, with the evidence before the court from CCTV footage obtained from cameras at Al Fresco's Restaurant near to where the altercation took place on Town Hall Road, West Bay.
Following the verdict Brown was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing, which is expected to take place in June.
Speedy justice in West Bay firearms case
(CNS): A West Bay man is scheduled to go on trial for possession of an imitation firearm with intent wounding and interference with a witness within two months of the incident a court heard Friday. Despite the backlog of cases on the Grand Courts dockets, Shaquille Bush will have his case tried before a judge sitting alone on 12 May in connection with an incident in Daisy Lane on 20 March. Bush has denied the charges which relate to allegations that he threatened a woman with a gun, assaulted her and then sent her a text message threatening further harm if she was to give evidence against him. The court heard that the trial date was obtained after the case was swapped with one involving a defendant on bail.
Groceries robbed at gun point
(CNS): A woman was robbed of groceries, cash and personal belongings at gun point as she took a short cut home to her apartment in Lakeside Villas, George Town on Sunday night, police have said. The gun man who was dressed in a large hoody was said to have pushed a handgun gun in the victim's back as he demanded money as the 33 year old resident walked home through Courts Road at around 9:35pm. The robber reportedly took the woman's blue leather backpack which contained her shopping, a designer purse, cash, cards and other personal documents. The suspect was described as tall, very slim male with a skinny face and brown complexion. He was wearing black three-quarter-length pants, a white top with a hoody which appeared to be huge on him because of his skinny build.
Officers from the George Town, CID said the victim was unhurt during the robbery as she walked home from Delworth’s Esso on the junction of North Church Street and Eastern Avenue. According to the details of the report one loaf of bread, one quart of milk, one dozen eggs, two bottles of ice tea, a white Louis Vuitton purse containing CI $120.00, US $30.00, a Butterfield and a Scotia Bank Debit Cards along with other documents were in the back-pack stolen from the victim.
The robbery comes in the wake of a doorstep mugging of another resident at the Lakeside Apartments just one week ago as he tried to get into his home. Police urged the public to be more vigilant and not walk alone or take short-cuts in secluded areas and advised people "to stay in well-lit areas as much as possible" and remain aware of their surroundings and "avoid bushy areas and other potential hiding places."
Haines bags 2nd medal in 6 marathon challenge
(CNS): Just one week after he covered more than 26 miles of pavements in Paris, on Sunday veteran local distance runner Derek Haines took another step towards his mammoth goal of six marathons in one year. Derek Haines not only completed the London marathon, he did it in under four hours with a time of 03:57:01, despite aching legs from the previous week's onslaught. Haines may well have been inspired as more donations poured in for Cayman HospiceCare, the charity for which Haines is planning to wear out his legs around the world to raise $1 million to build an inpatient centre. Since he started the challenge in Paris last week, another $100,000 has now been pledged. Kenyan world record holder Wilson Kipsang won the race and his second title in London, finishing with a course record of 2:04:27.
The UK’s Olympic champion Mo Farah finished eighth on his marathon debut with a time of in 2:08:21.
Haines was placed 54th overall in his category of 65-69 year olds, but more than 36,000 people hit the streets of London for the race through England’s capital.
Haines will now be taking a well-earned but relatively short break in marathon running terms as he looks ahead to the next 26+ mile race, which will be in June in Pamplona, Spain, where he will be running with his daughter, Lizzy. After that, it’s San Francisco in July and Dublin in October (Haines missed the New York registration), and finally finishing on home turf in the Cayman Islands marathon in December.
Anyone who wishes to help Haines reached the goal of $1 million can donate at www.six4hospice.com.