iNews Briefs
Cayman’s Marathon Runner is NEARLY 2/3rd’s to his HOSPICE $1M goal
Androgroup are the latest of a number of local companies that have offered assistance to Derek Haines in his 6 marathon challenge to build a new Hospice. Andro Director David Woodcock has offered to provide the planning for the Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing requirements and will work in conjunction with the architects and other service providers to this end. Mr. Woodcock said, “Androgroup is pleased to support Derek’s Hospice challenge. Cayman HospiceCare is a great organisation and the much needed facility will serve the whole community”.
Derek said, “This is fantastic and I am very grateful to Dave and the Androgroup for this generous offer. Donations/pledges have been coming in at a steady rate and with two thirds of the marathons now run we are almost two thirds of the way to our CI$1 million target. The offers of help with services and equipment from companies will help considerably in ensuring that the Hospice is a reality.”
Other companies offering help are APEC (Engineers), BCQS (Project management), DART Cayman (Land), Digicel Cayman (Telecommunications) Home Gas, JDF (Doors and windows), John Doak Architecture and Precision Solar.
Derek’s next marathon is in Dublin on the 27th October with the final one being in Cayman on the 7th December. Donations can be made through the website at six4hospice.com or through the Digicel and Lime text initiative.
Cayman Islands Academy expands Junior football programme
Academy Sports Club, one of Cayman’s leading football youth programs has kicked off plans to introduce a new in house football league for players aged 6 to 8 years old.
The new in house league will be called ‘Academy Junior League’ and will run on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to noon.
The club has been offering a junior program for quite a few years for young football players aged 4 to 12.
“We will now expand and restructure that program so that the 6 to 8 year olds will now be organised into teams with uniforms and play games on Saturday mornings. The younger players of 4 to 5 years old will continue to play, learn and have fun as part of our regular junior football program”, explained Academy Head Coach Virgil Seymour.
Mr. Seymour said that the reason for introducing the in house league format for the 6 to 8 year old age group is that some of the younger players tend not to get the opportunity to play in the primary school league due to their age and stage of development.
What we are doing is complementing the PFL league which continues to have our full support”, said Mr. Seymour.
Those younger players can now play and have fun in the Academy Junior League and when they are a bit older they can transition to playing for their primary school’s under 9 teams.
Academy also notes that sometimes the schools have a lot of kids interested in playing for the team and some of the younger ones end up not getting a chance to play due to limited spots available.
“With the Academy Junior League we will try to help by bridging that gap so that those young players can still have fun playing during the school year”, said Mr. Seymour.
“We are encouraging all PFL coaches to refer those younger players to us so they can have a chance to play football during the school year”, he added.
The Academy Junior League plans to start on Saturday October 4th . Team uniforms will be provided by Academy and each team kit will be based on the world’s top club such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, and others. Parents with young kids born in 2006, 2007 and 2008 should contact Academy at [email protected] for registration details before September 30th.
Caribbean debt forgiveness needed
From Trinidad Express Newspaper
Just like what happened in Africa where countries were given debt forgiveness in lieu of revised economic plans, there has to be new policy for debt forgiveness put on the agenda so that a number of Caribbean countries can invest in education and long-term economic development programme,” said O’Brien.
“Many of the countries in the Caribbean have little or no growth and nearly half of their government budget is being spent on interest and capital to foreign lenders.”
He continued; “The joint IMF-World Bank African HIPC (heavily indebted poor countries) debt-relief initiative needs to be rolled out in eight Caribbean states immediately. This would result in a number of Caribbean states removing a debt burden it cannot manage. To date, in Africa, US$75 billion of debt has been relieved. A similar programme needs to be urgently implemented across eight Caribbean countries.”
The UN Conference on Small Island Developing States runs until Thursday.
For more: http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business/Caribbean-debt-forgiveness-needed-273495291.html
Wounding on Cayman Brac
Brac police arrested a 38 year old male Saturday (Aug 30) morning on suspicion of Wounding/Aggravated Burglary and Damage to Property.
The circumstances are the suspect forcibly entered a residential house on the Bluff where his ex-girlfriend and her partner were residing.
The suspect then proceeded to attack the victim and her boyfriend with a knife and a machete.
The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival.
The victims attended hospital where they were treated for non life threatening injuries and released.
Police commenced an extensive search of the island and located the suspect a short time later where he was taken into custody.
The male was transported to Grand Cayman Sunday morning and he appeared in court Monday morning.
A 42 year old male was arrested later yesterday for making threats to witnesses in connection to the incident.He is currently on police bail.
CI Owens said,”ANY FORMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HERE IN THE SISTER ISLANDS WILL BE TREATED WITH ZERO TOLERANCE AND THE FULL FORCE OF THE LAW WILL BE UTILISED”
Costa Rica battles invasive species with lionfish consumption campaign
By Lindsay Fendt From The Tico Times
Deep-fried lionfish may be the new dish du jour along Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast thanks to a new campaign intended to curb the growth of the invasive species’ local population.
Lionfish are known for their beautiful stripes and highly venomous spines. The fish first appeared along Costa Rica’s Atlantic coast in 2009, likely released accidentally from an aquarium in Florida. Lacking natural predators in the Atlantic, the invasive lionfish feed on local reef species. Reports from some fishermen claim an 87 percent reduction in the catch of native species of fish, lobster, shrimp and crabs since the lionfish’s introduction.
Laying up to 2.5 million eggs per fish every year, the lionfish has rapidly reproduced throughout the entire Caribbean. A study conducted by Costa Rica’s National University in 2011 found 91 lionfish per hectare near the Caribbean beaches of Cahuita and Manzanillo. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the further spread of the lionfish throughout the Caribbean could have irreversible effects on the region’s reef ecosystems.
According to the “Regional Strategy for the Control of Lionfish,” a report compiled by Caribbean environmental agencies, full eradication from the Caribbean is unlikely, but there are strategies to control the population. One way is to start eating it. As long as the spines are removed, lionfish are safe to eat, and turning the invasive creature into a hit menu item is the best way to make it commercially viable for fishermen to seek it out.
During a trip to the Caribbean over the weekend, President Luis Guillermo Solís announced his support for a local plan to kill off as many lionfish as possible.
Caribbean local govt ministers meet in The Bahamas
From Jamaica Observer
NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – Local government ministers from the Caribbean met over the weekend to finalise the agreement of the Caribbean Forum of Local Government Ministers (CFLGM).
CFLGM’s eighth general meeting also discussed the Regional Policy and Cooperation Framework (RPCF) as well as securing recognition by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
CFLGM has set 2014 as the deadline for signing off on the RPCF by member states. So far the Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Vincent and the Grenadines have endorsed the RPCF.
Bahamas Local Government Minister Alfred Gray said the meeting also sought to set the stage for carrying out the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as having CARICOM leaders sanction the recommendations “to advance and approve the Millennium goals in 2015.
“I believe it is very true to say that regional bodies such as the Caribbean conference and the international conferences of local government, their efforts seem to work together to ensure that every country in the Caribbean is on the same page when it comes to deepening democracy and advancing the cause of local governments throughout the world,” Gray said.
For more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Caribbean-local-govt-ministers-meet-in-The-Bahamas-_17457074
National Security vs Freedom of Expression and 7 more classes
From Dallas Morning news
Stephen Whitfield, Brandeis University
Recent leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have provided new insight into how the government monitors domestic and foreign communications for threats to national security. This timely class will focus on how the necessity to ensure national security must be reconciled with the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment – a democratic dilemma that continues to demand public attention.
One Day University: Full Day Event
September 20, 2014 • 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
AT&T Performing Arts Center | Margot and Bill Winspear
Opera House and Dallas City Performance Hall
Treat yourself to a full day of enrichment. Each class is 75 minutes. You choose the four you want to attend.
Register at: https://www.onedayu.com/events/detail/181
Lunch available for purchase
Or call 800-300-3438
For more: https://www.onedayu.com/events/detail/181
BCayman, BTS-Cayman dispose of 70pc stake in Berjaya (China) Great Mall – From malaymail
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — Berjaya Land Bhd’s unit, Berjaya Leisure (Cayman) Ltd (BCayman), together with Berjaya Times Square (Cayman) Ltd (BTS-Cayman) are disposing of a total of 70 per cent stake in Berjaya (China) Great Mall Co Ltd (GMOC) to Carnival Group.
BCayman and BTS-Cayman are divesting 35.7 per cent and 34.3 per cent stake in GMOC respectively, it said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia today.
The cash consideration is yet to be negotiated, it added.
BCayman owns 51 per cent of the registered capital in GMOC, while the balance of 49 per cent is owned by BTS-Cayman, a company controlled by Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun and his son, Rayvin Tan Yeong Sheik. GMOC was incorporated in China on July 28, 2004.
It is involved in the development and construction of hotels, restaurants, recreational centres and commercial shops on two parcels of land located in Yanjiao National High-Tech Industrial Development Area in Sanhe City, Hebei Province.
Carnival Group is principally engaged in theme-based leisure and consumption businesses, such as theme parks, hotels, shopping and leisure facilities, in key cities in and out of China. — Bernama
