Archive for June 17th, 2014
Police officer and spouse appear in dock
(CNS): A police sergeant, who has been suspended from duty as he is facing charges of obstructing, preventing, perverting or defeating the course of justice, appeared in Summary Court Tuesday along with his wife. Represented by Charles Clifford, Shawn and Ruth Bodden’s case was adjourned for one week, as the local defence attorney said he had received no paperwork from the crown in relation to the charges against his clients. No details have yet been revealed about the allegations but the Anti-corruption Unit confirmed in the wake of the charges that it was not their case. Sgt Bodden is a member of the RCIPS marine unit and the couple were bailed by Chief Magistrate Nova Hall to return to court on 24 June.
Honeymooner charged over live ammo discovery
(CNS): Officers from the customs department arrested a 27-year-old American visitor at the weekend as he arrived in Grand Cayman for his honeymoon after 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition was found in his luggage at Owen Roberts International Airport. The man was subsequently charged and bailed to appear before the courts Tuesday. The honeymooner, who arrived in Cayman Saturday from the State of Wyoming, told local officers that he had forgotten the bulletts were in his bag. Customs officials said that the arrest resulted from ongoing operations designed to contain and control illegal activity at the airport. Samantha Bennett, the collector of customs, raised her concerns about the find and said it could not be overlooked.
“HM Customs remains resolute to controlling and containing criminal activity at our borders. The fact that 50 rounds of ammunition were found in a visitor’s luggage is very concerning and the consequences of such ammunition falling into the wrong hands cannot be overlooked,” she said.
A United States national was arrested at the airport in February as he was boarding a plane to leave Cayman after a spent firearm shell was found in his baggage but he was released without charge after police confirmed he was a licensed firearms holder.
Anyone with Information relating to this type of crime is asked to contact HM Customs’ confidential tip-line on 1-800-534-8477 or email: tell.us@customs.gov.ky.
Civil servants boost Haines’ charity coffers
(CNS): Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and 675 civil servants walked or ran the five kilometer challenge set by the public service boss to raise money for Derek Haines’ own marathon challenge, which aims to raise $1million for the local hospice. Planning on making it an annual event to raise money for good causes and to get the civil service literally as well as financially leaner, Manderson said $12,500 was raised by the event earlier this month. Immigration won the prize for the most participants while the National Archive got the highest percentage of workers from one department taking part. Derek Haines was also there limbering up for his next major challenge in Spain.
Haines has already complete the London and Paris marathons as part of his challenge to run six marathons in one year. He will be running in Pamplona on 28 June with his daughter and will be hoping to surpass the $500,000 mark with pledges as this race will mark the halfway point of the challenge. After Pamplona Haines will head to San Fransisco in July, Dublin in October but the 65-year-old veteran runner will end his exhausting challenge on home turf when he takes on the Cayman marathon in December.
The goal is to raise $1m to build an inpatient facility for the local hospice charity.
Go to six4hospice.com to help Haines reach the $1.M target.
Cops continue rounding up burglar suspects
(CNS): With burglaries still seen as one of the most pressing crime problems in the Cayman community, the cops are continuing to apply pressure on suspects and have rounded up another man believed to be responsible for breaks-in around the capital. Police have charged a 27-year-old man from Bodden Town with a burglary that occurred in the South Sound area of George Town on Friday 13 June. He appeared before a magistrate in Summary Court Tuesday and has been remanded in custody.
UCCI helps to grow Cayman’s own teachers
(CNS): The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) and the Education Ministry have worked together to design three quality education courses at the college to home-grow much needed teachers. UCCI President Roy Bodden encouraged people to sign up for the programmes, which have been designed to meet the needs of the local education system. Bodden said these teaching courses along with other courses and programmes designed to meet the needs of the local labour market, such as the nursing programmes and soon-to-come hospitality courses, demonstrate the importance of the UCCI.
The new Associate of Arts in Primary Education Programme prepares students to support teaching and learning in the schools, while the updated Bachelor of Science in Primary Education Degree prepares students to be qualified teachers. In addition, the new Post Graduate Certificate in Primary Education offers a 15-month programme for career changers or those holding a bachelor’s degree in another subject area who are in need of the education methods courses to become a teacher.
“We developed the curricula so that students learn best practice based on latest educational research,” said Terese Parker, Education Programme Leader. “We have ensured that education methods courses include classroom experience enabling students to connect educational theory with authentic teaching and learning in the classroom. Students will also benefit from knowledgeable and experienced instructors who will work closely with them to ensure their success,” she added.
Mary Rodrigues, the Chief Officer in the Ministry of Education said the programmes provide opportunities for students to meet the requirements of the Cayman Islands National Professional Standards for Teachers. “The standards define the professional attributes, knowledge, understanding and skills expected of all teachers in the Cayman Islands Public Education System,” she stated in a release from the college.
Tara Rivers, Minister for Education, urged students interested in teaching to sign up for the UCCI programmes. “There will be opportunities for individuals enrolled to work along experienced teachers in schools and therefore gain first-hand practical experience. The UCCI education programmes are specifically designed to bring together theory with practice and to ensure that potential teachers receive the necessary preparation to be successful in our school,” she stated.
Part-time and evening classes are being offered to accommodate students who are working full-time jobs. For further information and to apply, please contact Terese Parker via email, tparker@ucci.edu.ky, or call 623-0526.
Flowers Sea Swim draws biggest ever line-up
(CNS): Over 960 people signed up for the 22nd Annual Flowers sea swim this past holiday weekend, setting a new record for the race, which drew Olympians and elite swimmers from around the world to compete and hundreds to watch the open water spectacle. More than $100,000 of prizes and rewards were handed out to the competitors that swam the ocean course from the Ritz-Carlton to Royal Palms in the welcomed calm conditions. The race, which is one of the most important annual sporting event in Cayman’s emerging sports tourism calendar, was won by Mateusz Sawrymowicz in 18 minutes, 9 seconds followed by Keri-Anne Payne and Jake Zakale.
Mac furious over marinas
(CNS): The opposition leader became outraged on Friday over what he claims is the unfair treatment of Cleveland Dilbert and his application for a marina on Cayman Brac. During the Finance Committee session in which the environment department’s appropriations were being discussed McKeeva Bush attempted to move a motion to make Cabinet grant a costal works licence for Dilbert’s proposal alongside two other projects which government’s inner circle has passed without the requirement of an EIA. The marinas are all very different propositions and the minster responsible said each one had been considered on its own merits and Dilbert was not being discriminated against, as implied by Bush.
The committee chair, Marco Archer, refused to accept the motion from the leader of the opposition as he said finance committee did not have the authority to do what the motion was requesting. Despite Bush’s continued protestations, the finance minister stuck to his position and Bush said he would be bringing the issue to the Legislative Assembly as a privatemembers motion if the Speaker would allow it.
Bush then proceeded to berate both the environment minister, Wayne Panton, and director of the Department of Environment, Gina Ebanks-Petrie, over the situation in Cayman Brac, where three different potential marinas have been given costal works license approvals.
However, the one known as the Dilbert Marina which is planned for an inland pond by the side of the Alexander Hotel, was the only project that required an Environmental Impact Assessment. Although all of the project approvals are conditional on certain things, the scale of the Dilbert project and the cutting of a channel from the ocean inland led to the most stringent of the conditions.
Bush, however, believed that the requirement for Dilbert to undertake an EIA was discriminatory. The minister explained that the two other marinas are in areas which have been dredged before and the DoE is more aware of the impacts that these smaller scale projects will have. The owner of the Alexander recently announced for the second time this year that his hotel would have to close unless his marina project could go ahead. Although Cabinet has also issued an approval for the project against the DoE’s advice, the government has asked for an EIA. However, the owner seems reluctant to undertake such a study.
During his questions about the other smaller coastal projects, Bush became incensed and described the various explanations given by Panton about the other two proposals as “cockamamie answers” and went on to suggest the other two projects were equally significant. He accused the environment director of “fixing it” for what her minister wants while making Cleveland pay for an EIA.
Panton said Bush’s view of the other two marinas being equally as damaging was completely inaccurate and it was the risks associated with Dilbert’s proposals that had led the DoE to advise Cabinet not to approve it, which was why Cabinet had insisted on an EIA but Panton said the proper process was followed on each of the applications.
Bush told the minister he was sick of his "Nancy stories", as he yelled at the government benches saying, “We know what you did; we know how you operate!” as he hurled numerous allegations at the environment director about her department’s review of the Dilbert application. The opposition leader said the whole thing was duplicitous and carried out by “those purveyors of good governance and butter cant melt in their mouth excuses” who he said were doing what they wanted, whether it was auditing his travel or “digging out the Queen’s bottom”.
Panton said he and everyone else was familiar with the opposition leader’s position of “substance over process arguments in the past” but he was giving him the facts, and while they may be inconvenient, they were still the facts. He said in the case of all three applications the proper process was followed.