Kids giving back to Kids- Charity event.

 Montessori By The Sea Parent Guild is a fundraising and awareness body for the school, based in Prospect area. This year MBTS decided to gift wrap outside a local toy store and with support and donations of materials from Little Darlings toy store. During the weekends leading up to Christmas, children from MBTS had great fun volunteering to gift wrap and raise funds for children in the community (NCVO- Nadine Andreas Foster Home & Maple House). “What a great way to have the children in our community involved in helping those in need! We are so grateful for the students and staff of Montessori for their donation towards the NCVO’s Foster Home.” says NCVO Coordinator, Alta Bodden Solomon.

The NCVO Children Services programmes 35+ year record of assisting those in need of support continues to be dedicated to the care, education and well –being of children and families throughout the Cayman Islands . Visit www.ncvo.org.ky or for more information or to donate please contact the NCVO at 949-2124 or [email protected]

Caption: NCVO Coordinator, Alta Bodden Solomon (left) and MBTS Parent Guild Secretary Chloe Goodfellow (right

Same sex unions for Cayman Islands?
Robert Wintemute, of King’s College London, said some of the Cayman Islands laws are in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights and this could lead to the country having to legally recognize civil partnerships between same-sex couples.
Professor Wintemute specialises in human rights and was speaking at the first of a series of legal lectures organized by the students of the Truman Bodden Law School on Grand Cayman.
He said, although European courts would probably not require member states to sanction gay marriage they could mandate legal recognition of same-sex unions that would give gay couples many of the same rights as heterosexual married couples.
He further said the government was lucky no one had as yet challenged Cayman laws in court because in his opinion the government would have lost. Because of the absence of specific anti-discrimination legislation for homosexuals in the Cayman Islands this could also be open to legal challenge in the European courts as well.

Digicel strikes deal to acquire BTC
By Patricia Rey From BN americas
Digicel has reached an agreement to acquire the Bermuda Telephone Company (BTC), subject to regulatory approval, for an undisclosed amount, which would allow the former to expand its services to include fixed telephony and internet in addition to its mobile offerings.
“Digicel believes that BTC’s fixed voice and internet services will complement Digicel’s mobile offerings, allowing Digicel to bring better services and value to consumers,” the company said in a statement.
Digicel entered the Bermudan telecom market in 2012 after it acquired local operator Transact. As of 2013, it held a 48% market share of the country’s 94,300 mobile users, while the remaining 52% were CellOne users, according to data from Bermuda’s regulatory authority (RAB).
“Our intention is to grow our business here in Bermuda and to invest in the future,” said Digicel. “That will see us working to improve the service delivered to customers with an ultimate view to delivering an enhanced multimedia experience across multiple devices.”
The Ireland-based operator will also absorb BTC’s broadband services and market share.
Bermuda has an internet penetration of 91%, according to Internet World Stats figures, the second highest in the Caribbean after Bonaire and Curaçao, with 94%.
Under current arrangements, two operators – an access provider and a service provider – are involved in providing access to the internet. According to a survey by RAB, 84% of residents said that it was preferable to have a single provider for both services.
The acquisition will give the combined Digicel and BTC group its own landline network as well as maintaining its status as an internet service provider – putting it in direct competition with rival CableVision.
The Digicel-BTC merger is pending regulatory approval.
For more: http://www.bnamericas.com/news/telecommunications/digicel-strikes-deal-to-acquire-btc

Big drop in fuel prices on Grand Cayman
Some of the Rubis-supplied petrol station on Grand Cayman were showing a whopping 40 cents drop in fuel prices last weekend with some down to as low as CI$4.37 per gallon.
Some of the Esso-Sol stations were down by 25 cents.
It is expected more petrol stations will follow suit this week.

The Lawyer and The Global Law Summit Partnership
The Lawyer is proud to announce that it is the exclusive media partner for The Global Law Summit (GLS), a one-off three-day event taking place in London from 23 to 25 February, 2015. Held in the 800th year since the sealing of Magna Carta, the summit will champion the Rule of Law as the foundation of the best commercial environment for business growth and for fair societal development, grounding the legacy and values of Magna Carta in the increasingly globalised economy of today.
Branded under the ‘Great Britain’ banner, the GLS will shine a spotlight upon the United Kingdom, London, and in particular the City of London, as a centre of trade, commerce and finance, and professional legal services.
The Summit will address four key themes:
Driving economic growth through the rule of law
Law at the heart of 21st century business
Magna Carta principles and modern world solutions
Law as the foundation of a strong and prosperous society
The Lawyer will be bringing you in-depth coverage of this unique event, live on www.thelawyer.com and via our Twitter feed @thelawyermag.
For more information about The Global Law Summit visit http://globallawsummit.com and to book to attend click here at: http://globallawsummit.com/registration/

LIME warns of phishing scam
LIME wants to warn all customers against a phishing email that is circulating.
A phishing email is the practice of sending phony email messages that are disguised as legitimate and often include company logos that look real. A typical phishing email will include a false claim about a customer’s account and either a link or button that takes them to a “spoof” website that mimics a reputable company’s actual website in the hopes that people will disclose personal information such as a credit card number.
The email that is currently circulating to LIME customers has the old LIME brand and comes from [email protected].
Julie Hutton, Head of Marketing LIME Cayman Islands said “LIME will never ask you to perform security related changes to your account or send emails to collect user names, passwords, email addresses or other personal information. If you receive an email claiming to be from LIME that asks for account information, it should be considered fraudulent and an attempt to obtain personal information that may be used to commit fraud. Do not click on any of the links and delete it. If you have clicked on a link in the email change your passwords immediately.”

Switzerland, Italy Reach Agreement On Tax Treaty
From Offshore Bankers
Italy and Switzerland have agreed an amendment to their double tax agreement to enhance tax information exchange provisions. It is hoped that the agreement will be signed before the March 2 deadline set by Italy’s new voluntary disclosure program to enable Switzerland’s removal from Italy’s “black list.”
After three years of talks, the conclusion of the agreement follows a recent push by Italian lawmakers to approve the voluntary disclosure program, which will allow Italian residents to regularize undeclared capital held abroad.
To read the whole story go to: http://www.tax-news.com/news/Switzerland_Italy_Reach_Agreement_On_Tax_Treaty_____67011.html
SOURCE: http://www.offshore-bankers.net/article/19554/switzerland-italy-reach-agreement-on-tax-treaty

Cayman Islands to play Belize in first leg of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying
The Cayman Islands will travel to Belize to play the first leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying football games.
The date has not been finalized but Round One will be played in two legs from March 23rd – 31st. It also features six other home-and-away games among the CONCACAF teams ranked 22-35 in the region.
Whoever wins will play Dominica.

JetBlue pilot forced to hit brakes to avoid collision after Caribbean Airlines plane crosses path on runway at New York’s JFK Airport
By Chris Kitching For Mailonline
JetBlue plane heading to Texas had been given clearance to depart
It was rolling down the tarmac at full speed when Caribbean plane landed
JetBlue pilot hit the brakes at tower’s request to avoid a collision
US aviation officials have launched an investigation after a JetBlue passenger jet was forced to abort its take-off when another plane filled with holidaymakers suddenly crossed the runway.
After being given clearance to depart, JetBlue flight 1295 was rolling down the tarmac at full speed at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport when a Caribbean Airlines plane crossed into its path without authorisation, said officials.
The JetBlue captain hit the brakes to avoid a collision with the Caribbean Airlines Boeing 737 which had just landed from Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana on Saturday night.
Jet Blue passenger Brandon Card told WABC-TV: ‘We were headed full steam down the runway and the plane came to a screeching stop.’
Passenger Krista Hollis added: ‘When they said a collision was inevitable if the pilot hadn’t braked, I said “What?”’
JetBlue spokesman Rick Clark said no one was injured.
The Caribbean Airlines flight crew did not answer air traffic controllers because they were on the wrong frequency and never heard tower instructions to stop, WABC-TV reported.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen toldNewsday that air traffic controllers immediately ordered the JetBlue crew to cancel its take-off and stop.
She said: ‘The closest proximity of the two aircraft was more than 2,800 feet.’
The Jet Blue plane, an Airbus A320, returned to the gate at about 10:30pm and took off for Austin, Texas, three hours late.
For more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2916413/JetBlue-pilot-forced-hit-brakes-avoid-collision-Caribbean-Airlines-plane-crosses-path-runway-New-York-s-JFK-Airport.html#ixzz3PHWRdHUd

Caribbean Airlines – committed to safety and security – investigates alleged runway incursion
Port-of-Spain, Monday, 19 January 2015
Caribbean Airlines through our sustained efforts is committed to the safety and security of all passengers. We are concerned to hear of an alleged incident highlighted on internet news sites regarding JetBlue 1295, and BW flight 526 on Saturday night (17th January) at JFK airport, New York.
Caribbean Airlines takes allegations of this type very seriously, and is committed to working with the industry authorities to investigate all the facts. We are in the process of investigating and compiling the facts surrounding this allegation in cooperation with all Regulator agencies.
In the interim – Caribbean Airlines is complying with all incident management procedures included within its Safety Management System and adjunct regulations.
About Caribbean Airlines: Founded in 2007, employs approximately 1600 personnel, operates 22 aircraft with over 600 weekly flights into the Caribbean, North and South American and the UK. It is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Two Olympic gold medal swimmers in Cayman Islands to help raise funds
US gold medal Olympic champions, Peter Vanderkaay and Davis Tarwater, are in Grand Cayman this week to support the Splash, Dash and Brunch series of events that will raise money for the swimming programme.
KPMG are the sponsors of the events and helping the gold medalists enjoy their stay.
Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association president Michael Lockwood said, “This event is CIASA’s main fundraiser and it is a great opportunity for our swimmers to meet and develop relationships with great Olympic athletes such as Peter and Davis.”
Splash, Dash and Brunch runs from Thursday to Sunday and will have something for all types.
It starts with Age Group Clinics for the local swim community on Thursday and Friday, sea swims of 200 meters and 400m on Saturday and the Brunch with Olympians, Live Auction and Lucky Dip, and CIASA Annual Award Ceremony on Sunday at 9.30 a.m. at The Grand Cayman Marriott, Seven Mile Beach.
“Through our sponsorship of the Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association, KPMG is excited to promote and grow the sport of swimming in the Cayman Islands which enhances the development of our current and future swimmers,” said Sheenah Hislop of KPMG.
“KPMG is immensely proud to partner with CIASA, because we share their vision, passion, and determination.”
Funds raised at the 2015 Splash, Dash and Brunch will go towards all of CIASA’s swim programs, including learn to swim, coaching clinics and international swim meets such as CARIFTA, Island Games, Pan Am Games, World Championships and the Masters Competitions.
For more information on the 2015 Splash, Dash and Brunch with Olympians event, or to reserve tickets, contact Joan Link: [email protected] or 525-0525. Tickets are $75, children 10 and under are $50. For more information, visit www.ciasa.ky.

Kanantik Belize unveils affordable master-planned community on the Caribbean coastline
From AZO Build
Residences with unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea, a commitment to low-impact design, and amenities usually found only in the most exclusive luxury developments await investors at Kanantik Belize, now offered by Mango Springs Development.
This first-of-its-kind master-planned community is the ideal vacation retreat or retirement destination for buyers who want to preserve the raw beauty of Belize’s diverse ecosystem while investing in a residential and golf development that offers a superior living experience — and benefit from the surging real estate market as Belize’s profile rises internationally.
“In planning Kanantik Belize, we committed to creating one of the first sustainable, eco-sensitive and low-impact designs in Belize,” said Luke Chadwick, founder, Mango Springs Development. “And the result is a stunning model, where affordability intersects luxury, and ways to protect Belize’s natural resources while enjoying its immense treasures are built into daily life.”
Once completed, the private 5,800-acre gated community will offer 2,800 residential home sites, with 300 beachfront condominiums served by a private concierge. In addition to being the leading model of resort-style sustainable living in Belize, Kanantik Belize will boast the only 18-hole championship golf course in the country, designed by Casey O’Callaghan, the famed Orange County, Calif. golf course designer. It is slated to open in late 2016.
For more: http://www.azobuild.com/news.aspx?newsID=19496

Cayman Islands theft and false accounting defendant in USA
Crown counsel Candia James told Grand Court Justice Charles Quin last Friday (16) that Arthur Screaton, who left the Cayman Islands after being charged with theft and false accounting, has been located in the USA.
Screaton, has been charged with stealing $4,132 and $6,723 from Rackam’s Bar and C-Blu Lounge between October and December 2010 and false accounting. He pleaded not guilty in March, 2012, and his trial was set to start on Sept. 17th the same year but he did not appear.
Screaton had been allowed to travel to the USA on a surety of $10,000 as he had not seen his wife and child for a long time.
Crown counsel James said a decision was being made as to whether extradition proceedings will be instituted.
The Judge set Friday, Feb. 13th as the next mention date.

Statement by the Community Council of Ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) condemnation of Acts of Terrorism in Nigeria
By: CARICOM Secretariat, Press Release
Recalling the statement of the COFCOR condemning acts of terrorism in Nigeria, the Community Council of Ministers expresses strong condemnation of the continuing brutal massacre of thousands of innocent civilians in Nigeria by the terrorist group Boko Haram.
The Council appeals to the international community to display greater urgency in addressing the continuing slaughter by these terrorists in Nigeria and nearby countries.
The Council is of the view that acts of terrorism wherever they are perpetrated must be met with the strongest international response and calls for concerted action to bring an end to the horror being experienced in Nigeria in particular.
The Council also calls for greater support to the Nigerian Government to combat these acts of terrorism and so enable their citizens to conduct their daily lives without fear.

Cayman Compass and Washington Post to present new publication
The publishers of the Cayman Compass have announced beginning Monday 19th January and every Monday going forward – the Cayman Compass will include The Washington Post National Weekly, a 24-page newspaper that will feature the finest news reporting, feature articles and commentary from the editors and writers of The Washington Post.
The tabloid newspaper, with full color and beautiful design throughout, will be included in the print editions of the Compass at no additional cost to their readers.
Publishers David and Vicki Legge said the collaboration with The Washington Post “presented an ideal opportunity to add value to our Monday newspaper.”
Each issue of “The Weekly” will include articles on U.S. and international issues, sports, the economy, lifestyle, culture and the arts.
For more: http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2015/01/19/From-the-Publishers–Compass-and-Washington-Post-team-up-to-present-new-publication/

The Bahamas’ New Solar Push
From Caribbean Journal
The Bahamas is planning a major new green push.
The 700-island archipelago is set to launch a wide solar energy project, according to Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett, who was addressing the fifth session of the assemblies of the International Renewal Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
As part of its participation in the Carbon War Room’s Ten Island Challenge, the Bahamas will advance 20 megawatts of solar utility-scale farms on “several islands” in the archipelago this year, Dorsett said.
That would be among the largest solar initiatives in the wider Caribbean region.
The country’s Parliament has recently been debating an amendment to the electricity act which would allow for grid connection and incorporate renewables in the Bahamas’ energy matrix, he said.
Indeed, the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (which is owned by the government) has already prepared a renewable energy power purchase/interconnection agreement that would provide the framework for both residential and certain commercial customers capable of renewable energy generation to connect to the grid.
For more: http://www.caribjournal.com/2015/01/17/the-bahamas-new-solar-push/

Fire at Cayman Islands shopping plaza under investigation says police
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) have confirmed that officers from the George Town Police Station and the Criminal Investigation Department are investigating a fire at a shopping plaza in George Town, Grand Cayman.
The fire broke out last Thursday (15) outside Sea Inn Bar at Central Plaza on Shedden Road.
Fire Service officials said emergency services were called to the fire at 6:35pm. and arrived on the scene at 6:39pm.
Although no major damage were reported the Water Authority’s Water Supply Department conducted emergency works to stem leaks and were conducting repairs to affected meters on Friday.
According to Fire Chief John Bodden, “It appeared a box had caught on fire which caused the water mains to burn away.”
“How and why the fire started was unknown to the Fire Service,” he added.

Students shun Christian colleges
By Nadine Wilson-Harris, Staff Reporter From The Jamaica Gleaner
Local faith-based tertiary institutions struggling to attract scholars
At a time when the viability of a college depends on how many students it can attract, local faith-based colleges are struggling to keep their enrolment levels steady without compromising their standards.
It is a real struggle which administrators at the Mandeville-based Regent College of the Caribbean had to confront as they changed the institution’s name from the Jamaica Bible College in 2012.
Academic Dean Dr Bryan Wallace said that although the school continues to maintain its Christian values, the perception of them being a theological college was a deterrent to those who weren’t called to be pastors.
“We sort of recognised that there was this prevailing perception that existed in the market, that we were just a Bible college,” Wallace told The Sunday Gleaner.
Since changing its name, the institution has seen a drastic increase in student intake. In fact, the school’s intake increased by up to 25 per cent within the first two years of the name change. Wallace believes that with so many colleges to choose from, students are more likely to attend those with fewer restrictions.
For more: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20150118/news/news1.html

Cayman Islands Family Resource Centre wants Cayman’s teens to ReThink Teen
The Cayman Islands Family Resource Centre (FRC) is hosting a leadership workshop that will educate and empower teens to tap into their skills and use them in a positive way.
They want you to ReThink Teen. The one day programme is designed to help teenagers in different ways through both individual & group self-discovery activities.
ReThink Teen is a free event and those who are interested to attend are asked to register before Friday 23rd January.
Date: Saturday 24 January
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: ARC, Camana Bay
[email protected] Tel: 949-0006

DHL earns 20% of Caribbean revenue from Jamaica
From Loop News Service
Courier company DHL revealed that it controls 49 percent of the package delivery market in Jamaica and as a result earns 20 percent of its income from the entire Caribbean from Jamaica.
The company said Jamaica represents 26 percent of its volume of shipment from the Caribbean and 34 percent of the kilos shipped to international destinations.
Recently, DHL increased its rates by 4.9 percent as part of its annual adjustments across the globe.
SOURCE: http://loopjamaica.com/2015/01/16/latest-jamaica-news-business-dhl-earns-20-of-caribbean-revenue-from-jamaica/

Cayman Islands dive operator fined for breach of safety regulations
Sunset Divers that is one of the Cayman Islands oldest dive operators pleaded guilty to failing to have a lookout on board its boat at all times on a scuba diving trip where a tourist died in January a year ago.
This was a violation of the Port Authority Law and the dive operator was fined $750 for the offence in the Cayman Islands Summary Court on Tuesday (13).
David Byles (57) was an American diver who went missing after getting into difficulties when he swam back to the boat following the dive.
However, Sunset Divers said the breach of regulations had no bearing on his death and there was a staff member on board at the time of the incident.
Keith Sahm, the dive operator’s business’ general manager said after the hearing, “Sunset Divers has always conducted its business in a manner which ensures the safety of all its guests and divers and the fact that a dive master was not on board for 5-7 minutes while the first diving team got on the boat and the second went down did not affect the safety and security of our divers and had nothing to do with the disappearance of the diver who surfaced with the second team.”

Caribbean Stakeholder Forum, 20-21 January
Exploring key issues and best practice experiences in the Caribbean region private sector, the Stakeholder Forum to support SME development in Bio & Renewable Energy in the Caribbean will be held in Guadeloupe on 20-21 January, 2015, from which footage will be immediately available to media.
Filmed interviews with the following high-level attendees will be available for use in news stories:
· H.E. Victorin Lurel, President of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe
· H.E. Irwin Larocque, Secretary General, Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
· H.E. Mikael Barford, Head of the European Union to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean
· Ms Tessa Williams-Robertson, Caribbean Development Bank/Caribbean Investment Facility
· Mr Rene Perez, Head of the Regional Office of the European Investment Bank in the Caribbean
· Mr Escipion Oliveira, Deputy Executive Director, Caribbean Export Development Agency
Regional and international experts, private sector actors, local enterprises, policy makers, technology providers, fund managers, project developers and regional and multilateral financial institutions actively involved in the development of renewable Energy in the Caribbean will gather tomorrow and Wednesday to improve financial access for early stage investments.
The Forum is hosted by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) with the collaboration of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe and the support of the ACP Business Climate Facility (BizClim).

Cayman Islands college launches Employer Information Day
The International College of the Cayman Islands (ICCI) last Thursday (15) launched its Employer Information Day.
This is part of a series of presentations by businesses that inform students about their organisations to connect them with opportunities such as internships and possible career paths.
The Employer Information Day is held at least once each quarter.
Companies taking part include Butterflied, Dart, Maples and Calder, Deloitte, Berman Fisher and CITN/Cayman 27.

Man told $500,000 ‘winning’ lottery ticket is a misprint
By Tom Koch From WABC
ROSWELL, NM — When is a winning lottery ticket not a winning ticket? When it’s a misprint.
Lottery officials in New Mexico say a Roswell man’s ticket was definitely a misprint and they won’t give him any payout, KOB-TV reports.
John Wines bought a scratch-off ticket at a gas station in Roswell in December. As he started scratching, five winning numbers, ones and twos, were revealed for a prize of more than $500,000.
“There’s a 1 right here for $250,000,” said Wines. “Right below that is another 1 and it’s a $250,000 winner.”
But here’s the problem: The maximum prize for the game is only supposed to be $250,000.
Still, Wines thought he’d struck it rich and went back to the gas station to claim his money. The clerk put it through the machine to verify the ticket and discovered the ticket was a misprint.
The clerk told him the store doesn’t pay out for misprints, and Lottery officials told him the same thing when he contacted them. They then sent Wines an email thanking him for bringing the printing error to their attention and offered him $100 in scratch-off tickets for his trouble.
Wines, who just retired, still wants his half million.
“I mean, if you thought you won $500,000 and somebody tells you that you didn’t, and you can prove to them you did, it’s pretty stressful for somebody to say, ‘No, you’re not getting your money,'” Wines said.
Wines likely doesn’t have legal grounds for a fight. Buried in the fine print of the official lottery rules is this line stating, “The NMLA is not responsible for erroneously printed or mutilated Tickets.”
For more: http://7online.com/finance/winning-$500000-lottery-ticket-a-misprint/463695/

Music On The Menu – Cayman Islands 5 Feb 2015
Reservations now being taken for ‘The Trout’ … Music on the Menu 2014/15 Series sponsored by Stepping Stones will take place on Thursday 5th February 2015 at LUCA. Tickets $100CI (includes welcome drink & canapés, 3 course dinner with wine and, of course, the performance!) please email us at [email protected]
Flyer for Trout MOM
The second event in the 2014/15 Music on the Menu series is based on Schubert’s popular song, “The Trout”.
Ems Melland will sing the song at the beginning of the concert and the Piano Quintet which Schubert composed based on the song will follow. For the quintet, we have piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass.
Please revisit the site soon as we will be posting bios and photos for the programme from the performers.
SOURCE: http://caymanartsfestival.com/updates/music-on-the-menu-5-feb-2015-luca-2/

500 Men host 5th Annual MLK, Jr. shut in
From Caribbean Life
500 Men Making a Difference Inc. is embarking on its largest community project to date. The progressive Brooklyn-based organization in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service will gather men from around the tri-state area to participate in a 72-hour building restoration project. The project calls for the interior clearing and refurbishing of the historical Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford Stuyvesant, located at 677 Lafayette Ave. The 40-year-old education institution was founded by community activist Hattie Carthan whose efforts to save a 100-year-old neighborhood magnolia tree resulted in preserving three historic brownstones that currently house the institute.
For a full 72 hours, 500 Men Making a Difference Inc. male participants will paint, repair and clear the lobby, basement, stairwell, clean various rooms and fix the outside of the three adjoined Brownstones that currently house the center and other non-for-profit agencies. “In honor of Dr. King, Jr. legacy we are rolling up our sleeves and taking on the challenge of making our community better one building at a time,” says Wayne Devonish, the organization’s founder.
The annual Shut In project will begin at midnight Friday, Jan. 16 and will end midnight Monday, Jan. 19. 500 Men Making A Difference Inc. believe this is a fitting way to pay tribute Dr. King, a man who remained committed to uplifting the community and the people. In addition the agency will host a men’s breakfast Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 at 10:0 a.m. at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church’ fellowship hall, 760 Dekalb Ave. This effort is being coordinated by community minded men who want to work collectively in large groups to make a difference in the communities they live in.
500 Men Making A Difference Inc. past efforts included a clearing of the Paul Robeson Theater, Community Men’s Day at Boys and Girls High School, mentoring young men, walking for breast cancer, competitive basketball competitions with students of PS 260’s athletic program, supporting Park Manor Shelter’s sports initiatives, toy drive, single mothers initiatives and much more. The organization has participated in missions work in Haiti, provided relief during Hurricane Sandy and supports other agency whenever male presence and volunteer efforts are needed.
The mission of 500 Men Making a Difference is to recruit volunteers, provide mentors and develop leaders within the community in which they serve by having positive men work collectively. The Brooklyn Based organization continues to bring awareness and resources to help improve the condition of urban communities through volunteer efforts. To learn more about the organization, visit on line www.500MenMakingaDifference.com.
For more: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2015/1/2015-01-15-sub-500men-cl_2015_1.html

Severn visited Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
British Warship HMS SEVERN visited the island of Grand Cayman on the 18th and 19th of this month to continue her Wider Regional Engagement programme in the Caribbean whilst deployed on Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North).
During the visit the Ship hosted a number of local dignitaries, held a Reception and Capability Demonstration and also played a friendly football match against a team from HMP Northward. The ship also hosted the 2013 British Master Chef finalist Chef Adam Handling, allowing the Ship’s galley team a chance to exchange professional views and experiences, whilst showing Chef Handling some of the difficulties of catering for a Ship’s Company whilst at sea.
Before arriving in Grand Cayman the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander Steve Banfield said “HMS Severn is very much looking forward to visiting the Cayman Islands as part of our Atlantic Patrol Tasking (North) deployment. The Royal Navy is committed to supporting British Overseas Territories and strengthening the ties we have with the Cayman Islands by conducting reciprocal training and engaging with the local population.”
HMS SEVERN is a Portsmouth-based River Class Offshore Patrol Vessel which will be stationed in the Caribbean and surrounding region until July 2015.

Blue Diamond’s Starfish brand opens second resort in Cuba
From Caribbean Journal
Another new resort has opened its doors in Cuba.
Blue Diamond’s Starfish brand has officially debuted its new resort in the Varadero area of the island.
The Starfish Cuatro Palmas is the brand’s second resort on the island, with a total of 282 rooms. It is a family-targeted, all-inclusive resort property.
It’s the latest new Blue Diamond resort to open in Cuba. Blue Diamond’s Royalton brand has been on a major expansion push on the island.
Blue Diamond is the hotel division of Canadian travel giant Sunwing Travel Group.
For more: http://www.caribjournal.com/2015/01/18/blue-diamonds-starfish-brand-opens-second-resort-in-cuba/

A healthy start for Cayman Islands families: One family at a time                                              The Cayman Islands Family Resource Centre (FRC) hopes this year is a healthy one for all families throughout the community.
Starting on Wednesday, 21 January 2015 from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm this month’s family skills session will focus on the theme: Healthy Start.
Held at FRC located in Compass Centre, Shedden Road, the session will include presentations about oral health by local author and Dental Hygienist, Elizabeth Mahadeo from Mahadeo Movement.
Dr Elaine Campbell of Tropical Optical will also share information on optical health.
Families will get to explore connections with eye issues and behaviour.
Experts from the Health Services Authority will also be on hand to discuss vaccinations and tips about health preventions. Families are encouraged to register early.
A light dinner will be provided.
For more information or to register, contact 949-0006 or [email protected]