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LIME repairing cable failure
(CNS) Updated 6pm: LIME customers may have problems with internet and phone services following a failure early yesterday on their submarine cable system that runs north and south out of the Cayman Islands, the local telecommunications company said. LIME is working on repairs but said that 34% of the Cayman international circuits are still down. Customers will likely experience difficulties throughout the day when calling internationally, and inbound calls will also be impacted. LIME said that customers may also experience intermittent failures with international dialing and roaming customers may encounter call issues. Michael Edenholm, CEO of Logic, told CNS Monday evening that Logic TV and internet customers were not experiencing outages due to the MAYA-1 cable failure.
LIME has also confirmed that, contrary to an earlier statement in which the company said that other carriers had issues with international capacity, Logic customers were not experiencing any issues with voice or data traffic, as a result of having restoration arrangements.
In their initial release, LIME said that in the early morning of Sunday 28 July, at approximately 6am, a failure occurred on the MAYA-1 Cable System, which is a submarine cable system that runs north and south out of the Cayman Islands. It is this system that provides internet and international capacity for LIME Cayman Islands, LIME Jamaica and LIME Turks and Caicos.
LIME’s initial findings are that the Maya-1 Cable System has suffered a shunt fault at on Segment 6, which is located between Half Moon Bay (Cable station) and Repeater 1 (Line Amplifier) in Cayman. The failure is preventing the local power feeding units from reaching their operating output levels and forcing them into shutdown mode despite numerous attempts to restore them. This first repeater is some 47km out to sea, and at this stage there is no definitive information on the exact location of the impairment that is causing the shunt fault so LIME’s team is continuing to work with local resources,suppliers and the other MAYA landing stations on this matter.
As no damage on the "Land Segment" of the system has been found, LIME said the team has now turned their efforts to more closely examining the shore-end of the cable system. These activities are now underway with divers familiar with the cable-landing, making the necessary preparations to conduct this detailed survey. The divers are expected to specifically identify any possible impairments that may be of concerns and potentially leading to this outage.
LIME took steps yesterday to restore as much traffic as possible to go via the Cayman Jamaica Fibre system. At the moment traffic has been activated where capacity is available and operators have prior agreements.
Detailing current customer impact, the company said that internet customers (ADSL and Mobile data) may experience degradation of internet service; customers may also experience intermittent failures with international dialing; customers of Logic and West Star will experience issues with the international capacity; and roaming customers may encounter call issues. 34% of the Cayman international circuits are still down. Customers will likely experience difficulties throughout the day when calling internationally. Inbound calls will also be impacted.
In addition to the ongoing inspections, LIME has also taken the preliminary step of advising a cable repair ship as a member of the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement body (ACMA), effectively placing them on standby in the event the fault is proven to be at sea.
Lastly, LIME is also working with the MAYA Consortium to reconfigure the system in an attempt to power-feed the cable from Miami. This is a complex process that will require a complete system outage and will be attempted starting at mid-night, Tuesday 0000. At this stage the Cayman traffic is down, but LIME stressed that MAYA traffic between the Americas (not destined for Cayman) is still working, however this reconfiguration will force a full system outage.
LIME GM Tony Ritch stated, “This is obviously a major outage for the country, and we apoligize for this protracted downtime and impact to consumers and businesses. Regrettably given the complexity of this system, it is taking quite some time to identify the fault. At this stage we are expecting the system configuration changes that will commence in a few hours to yield positive results and restore the traffic. Our local team is also working diligently to re-route traffic where possible to minimize the impact. As more information becomes available, LIME will provide updates to the media and via various channels including text alerts to the wider base.”
He concluded, “Until we are able to conduct some additional tests (in the early hours of Tuesday morning) once the entire system is off-line, we may not be able to definitively identify the likely location of a possible cable fault. Unfortunately, LIME will not be able to offer any additional details on the likely restoration time-frame until more information becomes available.”
The Information and Communication Technology Authority (ICTA) and the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure (PLAHI) have been kept informed of all developments, LIME said.
275 poached conch recovered by DoE
(CNS): Over the last month four poachers have been arrested in connection with two separate incidents, one involving 156 conch and one 119 conch illegally taken from a protected zone, and the Department of Environment (DoE) is warning that anyone who takes conch from Cayman’s waters or purchases conch taken from Cayman waters between the beginning of May and the end of October is doing so illegally. Reminding restaurants that it is illegal to purchase local conch in the off-season, the DoE said that poaching and illegal sales threaten the conch population.
Two poachers were arrested in each of the two incidents, and both incidents are still under investigation, according to DoE Chief Enforcement Officer Mark Orr.
In a release Monday, the department said that it takes poaching and buying poached conch seriously, and anyone caught with poached conch is liable to face serious charges under the law.
During open season, which runs from 1 November to 30 April, the daily limit is five. These restrictions are in place because the Cayman Islands conch population, while sufficient for limited personal consumption within the law, cannot support a commercial fishery.
‘We understand that many people are without work due to the downturn in the economy, but that is not an excuse to destroy the balance of our natural environment by stealing,” said Orr. ‘We must be vigilant because at this rate, our children and grand-children will not have the luxury of diving for conch, or enjoying a delicious conch meal in open season, because there simply won’t be enough left.”
Referring to the poaching incidents, he said, “In both cases they had other illegally taken marine life as well and in one case the offenders kept some of the more attractive conch shells, perhaps for sale to tourists,” said Orr. “Everyone has an obligation to obey the law and I hope that individuals and local businesses will assist us in reporting this kind of illegal activity.”
Illegal catches that are seized and confiscated by the DoE are donated to the Pines or the Pink Ladies who provide receipts that are later presented to the courts as evidence of the proper disposal of the perishable seafood.
The Department encourages the public to report any suspicious activity by calling 911, Mark Orr on 916-4271, or the DoE on 949-8469.
Copies of the Marine Conservation rules are available online here, from the DoE or in the ‘Government Blue Pages’ of the telephone directory.
Pope Francis: “Who am I to judge a gay person?”
(CNS): Pope Francis has softened the Vatican's attitudes to homosexuality but affirmed its resistance to female priests. While taking questions from reporters on the plane back to Rome from Brazil last week, the Pope was asked how he would respond to learning that a cleric in his ranks was gay, though not sexually active. "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" he said in Italian. "You can't marginalise these people." Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, formally barred men with what the Vatican deemed "deep-seated" homosexuality from entering the priesthood.
But Pope Francis said gay clergymen should be forgiven. When someone sins and confesses, he said, God not only forgives but forgets. "We don't have the right to not forget," he said.
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well," Pope Francis said in a wide-ranging interview with Vatican journalists. "It says they should not be marginalised because of this but that they must be integrated into society."
The pontiff also addressed the question of the Vatican's reported "gay lobby", saying he hasn’t run into significant resistance to reform inside the Vatican, and joked that if there really is a “gay lobby” he hasn’t yet seen it stamped on anyone’s ID cards. However, he condemned lobbies in general.
"The problem is not having this orientation," he said. "We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem."
Asked about Italian media reports suggesting that a group within the church tried to blackmail fellow church officials with evidence of their homosexual activities, the Pope stressed that Catholic teaching calls for homosexuals to be treated with dignity but it was something else entirely to conspire to use private information for blackmail or to exert pressure.
Francis was responding to reports that a trusted aide was involved in an alleged gay tryst a decade ago. He said he investigated the allegations according to canon law and found nothing to back them up. But he took journalists to task for reporting on the matter, saying the allegations concerned matters of sin, not crimes like sexually abusing children.
On the role of women in the Church, he said: "We cannot limit the role of women in the Church to altar girls or the president of a charity, there must be more. "But with regards to the ordination of women, the Church has spoken and says no … That door is closed."
Cops catch burglary suspect
(CNS): The burglary suspect who was chopped in the head with a machete by a homeowner as he entered a house in Sandy Ground Road, Savannah, last Thursday has been arrested and is in police custody. The 28-year-old man was arrested in the George Town area late Sunday night and was immediately conveyed under police guard to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where he received treatment for his injuries. He is now in custody at George Town police station on suspicion of burglary. At about 11:30 on 25 July, a green Honda car with three men inside approached the house. One of the men left the car, broke a window of the house and then entered the building. However, the householder was home and he confronted the suspect and struck him with a machete.
All three men were said to have dark skin and were wearing ‘construction attire’.
anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the Bodden Town police station 947-2220, the RCIPS tip-line 949-7777, or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS).
The Splits now all in National Trust hands
(CNS): One of the most pristine areas of Cayman Brac, a unique inland freshwater ecosystem known as The Splits, is now protected in all its natural beauty thanks to a second donation to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands by its former owners. The family of the late Dr Roy Herrman and Estelle Herrman has given 8.6 acres to the Trust to add to the adjoining 17.5 acres they gifted in 2004. Both donations, totalling 26.1 acres, were facilitated by the International Reptile Conservation Fund. The limestone Bluff, which runs along the length of the island, has a “split” down its centre, in some places so narrow it can be stepped across. However, at The Splits, in the West End of the island, it is at its widest and the deep natural fissure provides one of the few year-round sources of water to the birds and animals of the Brac.
The Splits is an area of ecological significance as it is a nesting site for two species of heron, home to two endemic species of freshwater fish and a popular watering hole for local and migratory birds.
“In fond memory of our parents, Dr Roy and Estelle Herrman, we gift our Cayman Brac land to the Trust to help maintain a pristine home for rare birds and animals,” the Herrman sisters, Shirley, Barbara, Louise, and Carol, said in a written statement to the Trust. “We have very fond memories of time spent on Cayman Brac and the white sandy beach overlooking sparkling blue water, and this is our way of giving back to such a beautiful island.”
"Conserving this land is critical for preserving the beauty and biodiversity of our islands and the Splits is one of Cayman Brac’s true ecological gems being one of the very few inland sites with freshwater year round. With the exception of a rough footpath from the north, the site is undisturbed and contains many endemic and native plants,” Christina McTaggart, executive director for the Trust, said. “We thank the landowners for their generosity and vision in permanently protecting this natural treasure.”
For more information on the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, log on to www.nationaltrust.org.ky or call 749-1121.
For free nature tourism guides on Cayman Brac visit www.naturecayman.com or call (345) 948-2222 ext. 4420 (w) or (345) 916-8457(c), or email Chevala.Burke@gov.ky or naturecayman@gov.ky.
Lions donate to help Brac chemotherapy patients
(CNS): The Lions Club of Tropical Gardens have given the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) with funds to cover the cost of three pumps for chemotherapy treatment and for the training of two nurses in Cayman Brac to administer chemotherapy. “Currently, chemotherapy patients in Cayman Brac must travel to George Town for their treatments,” said Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer of the HSA. “Many times they are alone and unwell after their treatment and must travel back to Cayman Brac. This donation will help allow these treatments to take place in Cayman Brac, eliminating additional travel for the chemotherapy patients.” (Left: Elva Smith presents donation to chemotherapy nurse RN Cyndy Ebanks and Lizzette Yearwood)
Presenting the cheques last month, LCTG President Elva Smith said, “On behalf of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens, it is with great pleasure that I present these two cheques to the Health Services Authority. This donation will help fulfill a need, benefiting both patients and the community."
40 Blue Spot parkers nabbed
(CNS): Following the launch of a grassroots campaign to stop healthy drivers from parking in spots reserved for those with disabilities, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service says that in the past two weeks 40 people have each been fined $100 for illegally parking in disabled bays. On Thursday morning, the police said they had joined forces with ‘The Blue Spot’ campaign to warn drivers who use the designated parking spots illegally that they will be targeted. However, the RCIPS noted that the campaign has highlighted the fact that many disabled people have not applied for a parking permit, which costs $5 and lasts up to five years. People with short-term disabilities can apply for a temporary permit, they said.
Disabled parking permits are issued by the Department of Vehicle and Driver's Licensing (DVDL) and allow the holders to use the many designated bays throughout the islands.
The warning from the RCIPS comes after one of their own was photographed getting back into her vehicle, having parked outside a coffee shop, blocking a disabled parking spot.
Inspector Adrian Barnett, of the RCIPS Traffic Management Unit, said, “The Blue Spot campaign has certainly helped raise the issue of people misusing the disabled parking bays, but it has also highlighted that many people who have disabilities don’t have permits. So, if you have a disability, and you need to access the disabled bays, then please make it a priority to get your permit. The last thing we want to do is issue a ticket to someone who is genuinely disabled and needs access to the bays. Help us to make sure that we target the right people by obtaining and displaying your permit now.”
Inspector Barnett is also encouraging business owners who have provided disabled bays at their premises to ensure that they are clearly marked / painted.
Kent McTaggart, of The Blue Spot campaign, said, “We are really pleased to be partnering with the RCIPS in a joint effort to change the sensitivity of Cayman in regards to the use of the handicap spots. We are proud and thankful to all of those who have taken active rolls in this effort, as it has rapidly shown results and there is a marked improvement in the number of handicap spaces that are open for those who are legal to use them.
"We would urge every person who feels they have the need to utilise the handicap spots, but who do not have a handicap placard or DV license plate to discuss their situation with their health care provider and obtain the appropriate recommendation letter to allow them to get the placard from the Licensing Department. We are working hard to keep these spaces available for those who need them, and we need those who are handicap to do their part and get the placard, we certainly do not want anyone who is in genuine need to be fined, and the only way to guarantee you will not be fined is to get the placard.”
The RCIPS said they would continue to work in partnership with The Blue Spot campaign throughout all districts in Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands to robustly enforce the legislation relative tothe designated disabled bays. Members of the public are encouraged to report any violators to their local police station.
Visit The Blue Spot Facebook page, and email TheBlueSpot345@gmail.com with photos of inconsiderate drivers.
Related article:
Judge hands down lengthy sentence for violent attack
(CNS): Justin Ramoon (21) was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison Thursday, after being found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to 20-year-old Andrew Lopez outside Archie's Bar on Shedden Road last August. Ramoon was convicted of stabbing him eight times to the left side of his body. Justice Malcolm Swift said in his ruling that he entirely agreed with the conviction by the jury. "I can find nothing that assists me to reduce the sentence for any mitigating reason," the judge said. Justice Swift arrived at this sentence after taking into account the time Ramoon had spent on remand as well as his time on curfew and electronic tag when he was bailed in February.
Ramoon's defense attorney indicated to the judge today that he would be applying for an appeal of the conviction after the sentence was handed down.
In her submission, crown counsel Toyin Salako stated that during the attack Ramoon had made a comment which she believed related back to an incident that occurred only a week prior to the stabbing and helped suggest that Ramoon had a degree of premeditation.
After the first stab wound, Lopez claims that he heard Ramoon ask, "Where all your mouth is now?" before continuing with the attack.
Counsel noted a remark made by Justice Charles Quin that there had been an increase in violent crimes involving knives and weapons, and submitted that Ramoon had a previous conviction for the possession of a prohibited weapon, which also happened to be a knife.
During his closing arguments on Ramoon's behalf, Ben Tonner made submissions that there was no proof to support the claims that the weapon was a knife, or that he had gone out armed with the intention to hurt someone.
In his conclusion, however, Justice Swift determined that Ramoon had been "harbouring the grudge over the course of the week", in reference to the incident which is alleged to have happened at a well known spot called Jah T's. He added, "You saw him, you decided to (exact) revenge on him and did so from behind, without him realizing he was about to be attacked."
Justice Swift said he was able to come to the conclusion that Ramoon was a regular offender, being in possession of weapons while in public places. He mentioned that in light of his two previous weapons charges, this could be viewed as an aggravating feature.
The judge said he had arrived at the starting point of an eight year prison term but had deducted a total of 168 days that Ramoon spent in custody at the Northward Prison, as well as the time he spent electronically tagged while on bail.
Related articles on CNS by Ashleigh Hydes
Ramoon evades attempted murder rap for GBH
11th group of young Caymanians graduate from P2S
(CNS): The government programme which aims to prepare young people to enter the workforce has now helped over 220 Caymanians, following the graduation of 23 more earlier this month. At the graduation ceremony the new education minister, Tara Rivers, confirmed her support for the programme that started under her predecessor, Rolston Anglin, and is now in its third year. “The Passport2Success programme provides a great opportunity for young people who are eager to be their best as they enter the workforce. By helping them to develop professional skills as well as belief in themselves and their abilities, it offers a considerable competitive advantage,” Rivers said.
On average 85% of participants complete the programme, around 35% find work before graduation and 61% within a year of graduation, according to the education ministry. In the twelve months post-graduation, 18% of graduates also report furthering their education.
Addressing the 23 newest graduates, sponsors, internship providers and family members, as well as the councillor for her ministry, Winston Connolly, and Chief Officer Mary Rodrigues, the minister said, “I confirm my support of the programme to continue and look forward to experiencing more of our young Caymanians succeed not only in the work place but in their personal lives.”
At the ceremony held at The Wharf Restaurant on Monday, 8 July, Programme Facilitator Hylton Grace said that although each cohort has unique dynamics, they consistently try to meet the various needs of their expanding clientele. “Cohort 11 was diverse and complex with varying backgrounds, yet they persevered and today we have a group of individuals who are determined and highly motivated to continue making positive changes in their lives.”
This was the second group this year to complete the 12-week employment preparedness programme. The participants received practical hands-on training in occupational, personal and job-specific skills. Work placements also offered a chance to impress potential employers, and earn a monthly stipend, including potential performance related bonuses.
For more information regarding the P2S programme, as well as application forms and start dates for the next cohort, visit www.passport2success.ky or Passport2Success Cayman Islands on Facebook.
LIME donates MiFi to budding court reporter
(CNS): Local telecommunications provider LIME has given a helping hand to Cayman News Service’s trainee court reporter by giving her a personal mobile-broadband router (MiFi). Ashleigh Hydes first worked with CNS in 2010, when she was 15, as part of the education department’s “Worklink” programme for senior high school students and is now a part-time intern, learning the ropes of court reporting. Her new MiFi enables her to get connected wherever she is – an essential part of being a good journalist in the Internet Age. “It's very convenient because I can use it anywhere and not have to worry about signal strength or open connections while on the go,” Hydes said. “Thanks to LIME and their support, I'll be able to get my reporting done in a more timely manner.” (Left: Ashleigh Hydes receives her MiFi from LIME's Julie Hutton)
One of a number of “Worklink” students that have spent a week with CNS, Hydes immediately took an interest in the courtroom battles. Having worked with CNS over her summer holidays and now working part-time as an intern, she and has developed her skills to the point where she can cover long and involved trials from the first mention through to the sentencing.
“Ashleigh’s natural ability for this type of reporting, which can be very demanding, was apparent even when she was in high school, and since then she has just got better and better, as readers will have noticed from her by-lined articles,” said CNS reporter Wendy Ledger. “I’m very pleased by how far she has come. She is already an enormous help to me, and if she sticks with it, she will be an excellent court reporter.”
Julie Hutton, LIME's Head of Marketing & Sales, said the company was happy to encourage a young Caymanian on a career path that few local people choose.
“We're delighted to provide Ashleigh with a MiFi to assist her with reporting for Cayman News Service during her internship,” she said. “Being able to connect and send information straight away will be a great help to her, as we know news happens 24 hours a day and connectivity is crucial.”