Archive for August, 2014
Former turtle farm provides example for CTF
(CNS Business): A former sea turtle farm in the Reunion Islands in the Indian Ocean has successfully transitioned into a respected research centre where groundbreaking science is conducted but remains one of the islands' top tourist attractions. It also maintains the cultural heritage of the islands and their involvement with turtling, while continuing to employ people, according to Neil D’Cruze from World Animal Protection. See video
Ex-health minister director at new air ambulance
(CNS): A new air-ambulance service that will be doing business with the Health Services Authority, Health City Cayman Islands, as well as Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital will be housing a Cessna Citation Ultra V jet on Grand Cayman dedicated to providing air medical services 24 hours per day, seven days per week, according to the firm, Aitheras Aviation Group. Mark Scotland, the health minister during the previous administration, is now a director of the firm, which was founded in 2005. A recent report by the auditor general had raised concerns about the management of such services, on which government spends more than three-quarters of a million dollars per year.
According to a release from Aitheras Aviation Group, its air ambulance will be based at the Island Air hanger at the Owen Roberts International Airport. Describing itself as Cayman’s first air medical provider, it has partnered with Dr Steve Tomlinson and the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital to provide critical care transport personnel for all air medical transports. In addition to the jet on Cayman, a backup Citation is being stationed in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
A report by the auditor general published in 2013 examining how government deals with medical emergency airlift during the financial year ending June 2012 stated that there were 71 medical evacuations via the government health insurance company, CINICO, costing government US$814,623. Alistair Swarbrick had raised concerns over unlicensed operation of a ground handling service, uncertainty over medical personnel, political interference, a lack of proper public tendering and a failure to document proper procedures by the HSA, CINICO and the CIAA.
Whether or not this new service will make a difference to government costs or whether it will be focused entirely on those covered by private insurance has not been stated but in a release Scotland, who was described as being "instrumental in establishing the company" here in Cayman, said it would reduce the time it takes to get patients to the care needed.
“By having a plane based on Grand Cayman, Aitheras will significantly improve the response time for air ambulance services. We are also glad to be working with Chrissie Tomlinson Hospital to use local personnel for the medical transport,” he stated.
Aitheras Aviation Group, LLC is based in Cleveland, Ohio and has transported patients to over 38 countries. The company operates 13 aircraft specially configured for medical transports as well as executive charter. It is an on-demand aircraft operation that arranges for transports from anywhere around the world. The Aitheras call centre and crews are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to dispatch immediately available aircraft.
Mitch Stanaland is the company’s Operations Manager and he now has an office on Airport Road.
See the auditor’s report on the Management of Air Ambulance Services below.
Our unsung heroes
In the indecent haste to discard the civil service 3.2% cost of living allowance (COLA) many unsung heroes have been left behind. There are many government workers who do not show up on the radar screen of employee awards who daily give the people of the Cayman Islands free labour. Whether shortened lunch hours or uncompensated weekend workloads, there are many that go without regularly.
Daily days of extra minutes to hours can become astronomical over a year. Days in lieu cannot pay CUC or the supermarket. There are many uncompensated gifts of labour from all branches of the civil service from the economically depressed.
It must stop.
There should be a work to rule until those who receive the highest salaries face up to this inequality. They cannot comprehend the fragile existence of month to month pay life. Improbable as this may be, the unpaid must become the unreasonable.
Unpaid work in the private sector would find employers before the labour tribunal. In the criminal court this is called obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception, more frequently applied to unpaid hotel bills. The cutbacks have overstayed their welcome in the hotel of free civil service labour.
If there is any intention to discard long serving, long suffering government employees or limit their compensation, it should only happen if free labour comes to a halt or arrears paid up.
A better start would be a higher salary reduction the higher the salary. Lower salaries would see a 1% reduction and highest salaries a 10% cut.
People are not beasts of burden to be taken to the abattoir of economic convenience.
Gunshots pepper West Bay
(CNS): Although no one appears to have been injured, the police have revealed that the gunshots reportedly fired near Super C’s restaurant in West Bay in the early hours of Saturday morning were not an isolated incident. An RCIPS spokesperson confirmed Monday that officers have now recovered more spent shells and casings and discovered bullet holes at several more locations. Alongside the spent shells found not far from Super C’s following a report about gunshots being heard there at around 4:50am on 23 August, police have now also found a bullet hole in the plywood sign to the rear of the restaurant. Aln undisclosed number of spent shells have also been found in front of a residence on Jefferson Road and at another in Topaz Lane, all in West Bay.
Police said the home on Topaz Lane was struck by what appeared to be a bullet. Officers are continuing their enquiries into the discharging of weapons but have not yet stated if more than one weapon was involved or if reports that the people involved were firing from a motorcycle are accurate.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact the West Bay Police Station CID at 949 -3999 or CRIME STOPPERS at 800-8477 (TIPS).
Governor won’t release report
(CNS): Leaving it until the last minute, the governor is seeking yet another costly judicial review in order to keep the report related to the controversial Operation Tempura secret following a refused FOI request. Helen Kilpatrick’s staff posted a statement on Facebook at around 1pm Monday about the decision. The office has already been through one JR, in which an outside judge was brought to Cayman at the local tax-payers’ expense to hear the case. But Sir Alan Moses referred the dispute back to the information commissioner after giving the governor a last chance to expand on just one part of the argument to keep the report under wraps. Some 45 days ago, the acting information commissioner dismissed the renewed arguments and again ordered the document's release.
The report in question relates to a complaint filed by the senior investigating officer on the ill-fated internal police probe which began in September 2007. Martin Bridger’s complaint was dismissed by the former governor, Duncan Taylor, and although the Tempura boss has a copy of the reasons why this was so, he was only given the resulting report under a tight confidentiality clause.
An FOI request was made for that document however and so began what has become the longest and most protracted battle the information commissioner’s office has had with any government entity to release information.
Despite having 45 days to consider Jan Liebaers’ most recent decision, which was handed down in July, the governor’s office waited until the very last day in law before placing the announcement on the Facebook page and informing the commissioner’s office that an application for another Judicial Review has now been filed.
The statement posted to Facebook from Kilpatrick was exceptionally short and reads as follows:
“I have considered the Information Commissioner’s Ruling of 10 July which ordered the disclosure of a complaint made in relation to Operation Tempura and my predecessor’s response to this. There remain several allegations and cases related to Operation Tempura that are not concluded. I believe that release of the documents at this time could potentially prejudice the progress of these. I am also concerned that releasing the documents at this time could breach a court order, and is not in the public interest. I have, therefore, sought leave for Judicial Review of the Information Commissioner’s decision.”
However, with just one narrow area of law to examine, the governor’s office is pushing the limits of the Freedom of Information law. Liebaers, who will be forced to continue the fight for transparency, said in the wake of the revelations that as the issue is now back before the courts he was unable to comment directly on the governor’s decision.
The governor’s fight to keep the details of the report secret will add to the growing cost in relation to the fallout of the operation, which continues to be plagued by secrecy and controversy. Once again it will be the cash-strapped public purse that will foot the bill for the cost of another outside judge to come to Cayman to hear the arguments as well as the costs of both sets of attorneys to represent the governor’s office and the information commissioner.
Check back to CNS for more on the ongoing issues relating to Operation Tempura later this week.
DoEH begins small battery recycling
(CNS): Although the Cayman Islands is still a long way for a comprehensive recycling programme for the majority of its waste the department of environment along with other NGOs around the island continue to make small steps towards removing some things from the landfill. Small Batteries are the latest items now being collected for recycling. Batteries used in cell-phones, cameras, pagers, two-way radios, calculators, small cordless tools, and other personal digital devices can all be recycled, officials said. While any reduction in waste going to the landfill no matter how small is welcome the main benefit with this latest effort is keeping the metals contained in the batteries from contaminating the environment.
The programme to collect small batteries in special containers located at supermarkets is in addition to the department’s existing programme of collecting lead-acid batteries used in cars, boats, heavy equipment and other large vehicles.
Urging everyone to support this latest and all the existing recycling initiatives the environmental Health, minister said he was pleased to see the department adding another element to the recycling programme. “Recycling is a key component to reduce overall waste volume,” Osbourne Bodden added.
The DEH is now asking the public not to throw the batteries in the household trash, but to bring them to the DEH battery recycling containers located at supermarkets, schools and central points throughout the three islands.
Metals such as lithium, zinc, copper, nickel, and manganese are used in small batteries, while lead is used in larger batteries. All batteries collected through the DEH recycling programme will be shipped off of the Cayman Islands to a recycling facility where they will be melted and recycled into other products.
The other items collected by the DEH recycling programme are aluminium cans, used motor oil, cooking oil, scrap metals, and batteries, as well as natural Christmas trees. In addition, receptacles for plastics, glass and aluminium are provided by private recycling companies and are located throughout Grand Cayman.
“Many residents and visitors are supportive of our current recycling programme,” said DEH Director Roydell Carter who said recycling conserves energy, saves natural resources, keeps the environment cleaner, reduces the country’s carbon foot print and allows the public to play its part in helping save the environment. But above all locally recycling cuts down a little on the stuff taken to the ever-growing George Town dump.
For further information on recycling, contact Tania Johnson at 743-5952 or through email at recycle@gov.ky or visiting the DEH website at www.deh.gov.ky
Underdogs ride to historic medal place at youth games
(CNS): Local horse-rider Polly Serpell, who is representing the Cayman Islands at the Youth Olympics in China, has made history as part of an unknown equestrian team and snagged a bronze medal for the country’s trophy cabinet and its first ever YOG medal in Equestrian. Serpell competed in the team event on 20 August representing North America, along with Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Dominican Republic. The team rode to third place bagging a bronze medal, despite being the underdogs in the showjumping contest. “I still can’t believe it. Me and my team are over the moon and I’m just so excited,” Serpell said.
The European team took gold and silver went to the South America team but 16-year-old Serpell and her team mates, Macarena Chiriboga Granja (Ecu), Sabrina Rivera Meza (Esa), Stefanie Brand (Gua) and Maria Gabriela Brugal (Dom), were delighted with their third place.
Hoping that nerves would not get the better of her, she had a rough start on the first day when she fell off the horse she is riding in China, Giorgio Zan. But the entire team held its ground on the second day and walked away with zero penalties.
“We came in unknown, an underdog, so we proved ourselves,” said Equestrian coach Mary Alberga. “Polly scored and tied for first in the overall in our team, she came tied at the number one position in team, so we have really stepped up to the plate.”
The Cayman Islands Olympic Committee commended Serpell and the team for the historic achievement. “This is truly a great moment for the CIOC and we would like to thank all of our top sponsors,” the committee stated in a release.
Swim club invites kids to try out for next season
(CNS): The Stingray Swim Club will be holding try outs for the 2014-2015 swimming year over the next two Wednesdays. Startng this week at 4pm on 27 August and then next Wednesday, 3 Sept kids who would like to join the club are asked to show up at the Lion's Pool. There is no fee to try out but swimmers must demonstrate their ability to swim 25 meters freestyle with bi-lateral breathing, (breathing on both sides comfortably) 25 meters backstroke, 25 meters breaststroke with legal kick as well as knowing the streamline position and the dolphin kick.
The invitation to try out for the team is also contingent on available space in the appropriate level as well as the skills of the swimmers.
Officials from the club said that passing the swim test does not automatically mean that all kids will get a place but they hope to find appropriate swim programmes at the Lion’s pool that suit the abilities of all of the young people that try out.
English tests still being takenin Cayman
(CNS): Although the immigration department had stated earlier this year that prospective employees whose first language is not English would need to take a language test before arriving in Cayman officials said Friday that the option to sit the test here will remain in place for several more months. Following a review of the of the requirement for overseas English Language Testing, the department of Immigration said it will allow both options for the benefit of both businesses and potential employees.
With more than one hundred nationalities working in Cayman many of which do not have English as their first language, DOI introduced the formal requirement for overseas English Language Testing on 1 July. Two companies administer the test throughout the world – the International English Language Test and Test of English for International Communication. Prospective employees can still choose whether to attend a relevant centre in their respective country or travel to the Cayman Islands for testing.
For more information see the DOI website at www.immigration.gov.ky
AIDS foundation needs volunteers for board
(CNS): The Cayman AIDS Foundation is looking for seven new board members with the skills to help the organisaiton continue its work supporting people in Cayman living with HIV and its education campaigns to prevent the spread of the disease. “As the preeminent AIDS Service Organization in the Cayman Islands and a leader in the Caribbean region in providing services, resources, education and policy, CAF intends to continue a history of excellence in the field. This is an exciting opportunity for seasoned professionals based in the Cayman Islands” said Interim Director Noel Smith.
Board members are expected to attend twelve board meetings per year, and participate in the life of the organization between board meetings, advising the staff team and acting in an ambassadorial role for CAF at all times.
Officials from the NGO said that special attention will be given to volunteers with previous experience in the areas of Medicine (with an emphasis on pharmacology, infectious diseases, public health, research), Law, Finance and audit.
Candidates are asked to apply with hard copies (cover letter, CV, references and police clearance less than a year old) by mail or by hand to CAF’s offices, available on the Foundation’s website at www.caf.ky
The unpaid board posts are for a period of one year although terms may be renewed.