Local News
Board confirms NYE booze licence extensions
(CNS): The chairman of the Liquor Licensing Board has confirmed that people holding booze licence will get a time extension for New Year’s Eve, which this year falls on a Wednesday. Officials stated that liquor-licence holders in all seven categories will get a one-hour extension beyond their existing regular closing times on New Year’s Eve. Board Chairman Mitchell Welds said, however, that it is not automatic and licence holders must apply for the extension. He also explained that the additional hour is added to the closing time, so a business that normally closes at 1am in accordance with its licence can apply for an extension to close at 2am. Welds also noted that all other licence stipulations remain in effect.
“Liquor sales and the playing of music must cease during the last ten minutes of permitted opening hours for retail, hotel, restaurant, and beer or wine categories of licences,” he said. ‘Furthermore, customers are to vacate the premises before closing."
For more information, licence holders and members of the public may contact the Liquor Licensing Board’s Executive Secretary, Marva Scott, on 244-3168 or marva.scott@gov.ky
Cops investigating major GT crash
(CNS): Police have confirmed that they are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding a major road crash that happened on Tuesday morning (9 December) in the capital. At around 10:15am officers from George Town Police Station received a call reporting a collision at the junction of Shedden Road and North Sound Road in the vicinity of Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits. The accident involved a car and an SUV, but the details of the models were not revealed. An RCIPS spokesperson said that major damage was sustained by both vehicles, and the driver of the car was taken and admitted to the George Town hospital with head injuries.
Piped water project resumes on Cayman Brac
(CNS): Over thenext eight months the Water Authority will install approximately three miles of pipes on Cayman Brac. The authority resumed its work there Monday and engineers have started work at the intersection of West End Road and Cross Road, the WA said. Workers will lay pipes from there to West End Primary school and all developed side roads in between. “The new pipeline will ensure that theWater Authority can deliver piped water efficiently and reliably to more customers,” said Water Authority Deputy Director Tom van Zanten. The project is part of the Water Authority’s 10 year plan to expand water infrastructure and services in the Sister Islands.
Since November last year, approximately two miles of new water main has been installed and one mile of existing water main has been upgraded.
“We are confident that these infrastructure development works will offer employment opportunities while expanding the services to residents and businesses in Cayman Brac and ultimately to Little Cayman," said Water Authority Board Chairman Lemuel Hurlston.
Although the authority said it does not anticipate any road closures during the pipelaying work, motorists traveling in the area are urged to proceed with caution and obey all road signs.Where required, flag men will facilitate traffic flow.
For more information visit www.waterauthority.ky.
Struggling students supported by charity and school
(CNS): With the help of a local literacy charity, its volunteers and the school’s teaching assistants, John Gray has introduced a specialist literacy programme to help struggling readers in Year 7. The programme has been underway since September and students have already shown improvement and responded well to the intervention, officials said. As part of the partnership to improve literacy standards among all kids the education service and LIFE – Literacy is for Everyone, an independent charity, have selected Levelled Literacy Intervention a supplementary small group intervention program that encapsulates expert teaching; quality levelled books; and good instructional design.
Despite the massive improvements in recent years of student’s year end exam results literacy standards in students are still a hot topic and the education system has come in for criticism from the private sector that it is not producing students that it can employ.
There are also a significant number of local students who have special needs but after some success in the primary school with the programme, LIFE has helped the education ministry to introduce the programme into John Gray for new students there.
“LIFE received a lot of positive feedback about LLI from primary school teachers last year,” said Woody Foster, Chairman of LIFE, as he added the group was pleased to bring it to JGHS.
The programme runs during the regular school day with the help of JGHS’s teaching assistants and is being spearheaded by the school’s Special EducationNeeds Coordinator Elliot Smith, and supported by the school’s principal, Lyneth Monteith. “We are delighted to partner with LIFE and grateful for the hard work of the two teaching assistants running the programme. The literacy initiative bodes well for literacy at JGHS,” said Monteith.
LIFE volunteers are using a Diagnostic Online Reading Assessment (DORA) to anonymously measure progress in student achievement.
The charity has also contributed to literacy by organising groups of volunteers to support children in primary schools, purchasing literacy resources for government school use, partially funding the purchase of Levelled Literacy Intervention kits for government school use, and funding pilot projects as well as the Partners in Print programme across the system.
Tara Rivers the education minister said the commitment and collaboration with the e ministry has produced a partnership that benefits young Caymanian students and helps ensure the best education possible is provided in government schools.
Planning denies infractions over Kimpton permits
(CNS): The director of planning has written to the independent member for North Side, Ezzard Miller, denying allegations that it had not issued the necessary permits to Dart Realty and its associated businesses in connection with the development of a new hotel. Despite revelations made public through an FOI request released by the department last week indicating that a red permit had not been issued until well after the construction of the hotel, Haroon Pandohie said the permits were all in order as the developer had received a foundation only permit in October last year, a structural shell permit in April, and it was the full building permit which was issued to the hotel just last month.
This is at odds with the release by the information manager, which pointed to a different process (See Dart’s waivers exceed $11m on CNS). As a result, that FOI request now appears to fall outside the spirit of the FOI law, if not the letter. That law requires public servants to be open and honest about requests and not attempt to manipulate the information requested in an effort to limit what information is given out.
The original FOI response given to Miller also related to duties and waivers but not all of those were included in the FOI either. Days after Miller received the response, Finance Minister Marco Archer revealed these figures in the Legislative Assembly when he answered a parliamentary question submitted by the East End member Arden McLean. However, they were considerably less than those given via the FOI request.
In his letter to Miller, who had raised concerns about rules and regulations being bent to assist specific and often powerful or wealthy individual developers, Pandohie maintained that the rules had been followed.
Listing when the Kimpton permits had been issued for both the hotel and the proposed condo development, he said the “applicant had obtained all the necessary permits”.
See letter below.
Hundreds live with no power
(CNS) Updated with editor's note: A freedom of information request to the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has revealed that more than 640 CUC customers have been cut off by the power supplier, mostly as a result of non-payment of bills. Many of those cut off are families who have been living without electricity for 90 days or more. The request, which was submitted by a CNS reader, asked for the details of residential customers who had been cut off because their bills were not paid. The statistics show hundreds of people, which will include children, across GrandCayman have been without a power supply for more than three months, confirming fears that the number of people living in real poverty is increasingly significant.
The ERA said it was not able to break down all the statistics because CUC tracks connections and disconnections but not all of the details as a result some non-voluntary disconnections may also be due to safety reasons and not always because customers failed to pay their bills. The ERA also explained that CUC did not indicate whether these more long term cut offs were commercial or domestic.
Although some businesses may indeed be involuntarily disconnected, the situation would not be for extended periods, as any commercial enterprise without power would not last for very long. It is fair to assume that the disconnections are predominantly residential. According to numerous other sources and significant anecdotal reports to CNS it is clear that the number of people not able to afford to pay power bills is reaching unprecedented numbers.
CUC statistics show that as at November 24, there were 1,418 consumers both commercial and residential disconnected and had been for a period greater than 90 days. Of those 777 were voluntary disconnections and 641 non-voluntary disconnections ie customer cut off by CUC for non-payment, safety or other reasons.
The largest number of non voluntary disconnections are in the capital, where 306 premises have been cut off for more than three months, as at 24 November. Another 119 customers in Bodden Town were disconnected by CUC and some 117 in West Bay. Meanwhile, another 29 people were cut off in North Side and a further 23 in East End. A spokesperson for the ERA explained that the missing 47 are accounts that have been written off as CUC believes they are abandoned premises.
In addition, the ERA was able to state that 273 residential consumers had been disconnected for a period of less than 90 days, but these figures are constantly changing and any number could have been reconnected to the supply while additional households could have been cut off.
However, on 24 November there were 51 households in Bodden Town, six in East End, 50 in George Town, Seven in North Side and 59 in West Bay without power that had been disconnected within the last 90 days.
CUC recently confirmed to CNS that the firm is now cutting off power suppy without warning to customers who fail to pay their bills within 30 days.
CNS Note: The ERA has asked CNS to clarify that these figures are not necessarily representative of the numbers of people living without power. The ERA states that the article fails to convey the fact that most of the disconnections may actually be caused by the transient nature of Grand Cayman i.e. people who choose not to pay their bill when they leave the island or simply due to vacant apartments/homes/commercial properties.
However given the information from other sources including the department of children and family services, the police, MLAs based on representations from constituents, as well as anecdotal evidence, the figure probably does represent genuine disconnections of households that cannot afford to pay their bills. Transient non-bill payments would represent only one or two months bills and those properties would be reconnected when a new tenant moves through and less likely to be represented in the three months plus category.
As a result CNS stands by the article based on the ERA figures.
Immigration employee suspended from job
(CNS): Government officials have confirmed that a senior member of the immigration department has been suspended from her job as a result of allegations that she has not complied with labour and immigration laws in connection with her own private businesses. Although government has not named the person concerned, CNS can confirm that Kimberley Davis, the director of boards, is under investigation. Davis is responsible for the administration of the department’s various boards, including the Work Permit Board, the Business Staffing Plan Board and the status and residency boards. The Home Affairs Ministry did not reveal any details in an email confirming the investigation at the weekend, as it said the enquiry was still in its early stages.
However, Davis has been on required leave with full pay since early November, when the formal internal investigation began. The Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed it was not involved in the probe into the senior civil servant but Wesley Howell, the deputy chief officer in the premier’s home affairs ministry, said that an investigation into alleged conduct of a staff member of the Immigration Department who have may breached the laws of the Cayman Islands was underway, but he did not state if the police were involved.
“As the matter is at an early investigative stage, the ministry is not at liberty to provide the public with details of the investigation nor is it in a position to state at this time whether any criminal charges will ultimately arise as a result of the investigation,” Howell told CNS via email. “However, the ministry can confirm that a decision was made in the best interest of the civil service, to place the relevant staff member on leave during the course of the investigation, to ensure the smooth running of the services that the Immigration Department provides to the public at large.”
The allegations against Davis are believed to relate to her own permit applications and her compliance with health insurance and pension payments.
The probe comes at a time when the immigration department’s board continues to come under fire for the approval of permits at a time when significant numbers of locals remain unemployed and in circumstances where many believe the boards are not properly scrutinizing the applications and allowing employers to manipulate the system in favour of cheap labour over Caymanian job applicants.
Gimistory opens with local and global line-up
(CNS): More than a dozen storytellers, both home-grown and from all over the world, will begin spinning their yarns and telling tall tales this weekend as one of Cayman’s favourite free festivals opens Saturday. Gimistory begins its more than week-long tour of the Cayman Islands on West Bay public beach. This year's Gimistory will feature seasoned international tellers, such as Ken Corsbie, Amina Blackwood-Meeks, Mighty Gabby, Edgar Ortiz, Lord Relator and Blacksage, alongside local tellers, such as Dexter Bodden, Matt Brown, Jevaughnie Ebanks, Priscilla Pouchie, and for the first time, Martin Keeley and Colin Wilson.
Quincy Brown will be making a special appearance at the Cayman Cabana event on 2 December, when Gimistory will also host a special youth event for some emerging local stars, including Vitoria Buttrum, Dairilys Ebanks, Zariah Anglin, Olivia Zimmer, Dior Seymour, Tahiti Seymour and Layah Ebanks.
This year the East End Gimistory venue has moved to Colliers Beach and will take place on Wednesday December 3 at 7pm. There will be a free shuttle bus running from East End Public Beach to Colliers Beach. The first bus is at 6.15pm and runs every 15 minutes until 7pm. The bus will then make one return trip at the end of the show.
Fried fish and frittas will be on sale each night of the festival this year, as well as other local dishes and heavy cakes plus complimentary swanky.
Gimistory began in 1998 and is acclaimed by many who have attended other storytelling festivals in North America, the UK and elsewhere as being among the best in the world. Audiences fill the picturesque venues – beaches, backyards and parks – to enjoy this annual festival, which has become the official start of Cayman's "winter" season.
Listed below is a full schedule of all the Gimistory events for 2014. For more information please call 949 5477 or email culture@candw.ky.
Crisis Centre hopes to raise 40k with Christmas run
(CNS): Offering the only safe haven in Cayman for women and children suffering domestic abuse, the Cayman Islands, Crisis Centre is hoping to raise $40,000 this Christmas with the Jingle-Bell charity fun-run. All of the money raised will go directly to fund the operations of the island’s only emergency shelter, which like all charities is struggling to meet the growing demands for its services. People are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible and join in the run, which has already attracted much needed support from private sector sponsors. The event takes place on Sunday 14 December at the Holiday Inn Resort. Cayman Islands Crisis Centre fund-raising committee chair Melisa Johnson said the event could not happen without the support of the community, as she thanked the companies and individuals who have donated time and funding.
“This event is our major fundraiser for the year and the Centre relies heavily on it for its operations,” she said.
Registration is CI$25 and includes a full breakfast on the beach as well as gifts from Santa (above) for every child registered. The first 300 registrants also get a free t-shirt. Sponsors have also been very generous in offering raffle prizes. There will be Cayman Airways return tickets to Tampa and to Miami, a staycation with breakfast at the Westin and another from Comfort Suites, and vouchers for the island’s hottest restaurants up for grabs, but you have to be present to win.
Main sponsors include Greenlight Re, Maples and Calder and LIME others are Rawlinson & Hunter, Kobre & Kim, dms X107.1 and Kiss 106.1, Insurance Managers Association of Cayman and Walkers,DART, Cayman Airways, KPMG, Strategic Risk Solutions, The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, ICWI, Kane, Cayman National, The Security Centre, Zolfo Cooper, Kensington, Advantage, Krys Global, ITA Group and PKF, Conyers Dill & Pearman, Rotary Sunrise and the Water Authority. Donations have also been received from The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, Red Sail Sports, Fosters Food Fair, Agua, Abacus/Deckers/Karoo Group, Books & Books, Le Visage, Luca, Regal Theatres, Calypso Grill, Icoa, Eclipse Hair Design & Spa and Cayman Tennis Academy.
Online registration is now live at www.caymanactive.com. Registration will also be available at Cost U Less November 29 and Dec 6, Fosters Strand Dec 6 and Dec 13 and AL Thompson's Dec 13.
French customs pass on tips to local officers
(CNS): Sixteen customs officers are currently undergoing training and sharing information with a team of French Consular customs officials. The session which began Tuesday, at Customs Headquarters, is to help local customs officers and bosses with theoretical and practical experience of international customs operational techniques, said custom’s training manager, Langlie Powery. Topics cover information and techniques to combat the smuggling of drugs, firearms and other contraband.
Deputy French Customs Attaché for the US, Rodolphe Gautreau, who is stationed in Miami, as well as Customs Officers, Sebastien Messy from La Rochelle, France, and Gregory Branzi from Guadeloupe are the trainers.
“We are very pleased to be in the Cayman Islands to share our knowledge and techniques about a number of customs operations with officers here,” said Gautreau. “This meets a common goal of all customs officers, which is to ensure that nefarious activities are curtailed and the rule of law is upheld.”
Thanking the French officers, Collector of Customs, Samantha Bennett said she was delighted that local could benefit from the French expertise, “gaining a new perspective on Customs operations worldwide that can add to our knowledge and enhance our skills,” she added.