iNews Briefs
Tourism minister invites cruise lines to talks
The tourism minister and Acting Premier, Moses Kirkconnell has confirmed plans for bilateral discussions with cruise lines that will be the end users should Cayman go ahead with the development of a berthing facility in George Town.
The tourism minister said it was to find out what the cruise lines would need.
“Government has approached the FCCA and cruise lines as they will be the prime users of the berthing facility, and it is important that any specific user requirements they might have are determined early on in the process. Once this has been accomplished, we will then look at the best ways to incorporate those needs, while ensuring value-for-money for the Cayman Islands,” Kirkconnell said.
Man lucky not to have received mandatory 10-year sentence receives 4
Shane Bodden, who had been found guilty of possession of an imitation firearm with intent, shooting at another man and common assault, received four years for the shooting, three years for the threats to kill and six months for the common assault, all to run concurrently.
Bodden escaped the mandatory minimum sentence of ten years for possession of the firearm because the crown never recovered the weapon. The slight abrasion sustained by the victim, who had been quick enough to avoid the bullet, was not confirmed as a bullet wound also contributed to Bodden not receiving ten years.
Bodden had committed the offence whilst on bail regarding other serious offences.
Cayman Arts Festival Event: String Fever/Amy Dickson
String Fever:
A string quartet like you have never seen before! The world’s first genetically modified string quartet creates magical music and is an aural and visual delight.
Date: February 6th
Venue: First Baptist Church, 7.30pm
Amy Dickson:
Classical saxophonist Amy was recently awarded Mastercard’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year and also performed at the 2013 Brit Awards.
Date: February 7th
Venue: First Baptist Church, 7.30pm
The Cayman Arts Festival will run from 5-15 February 2014 and will also feature other artists including, Danny Driver, Yorgui Loeffler, Juilliard Dance and Harlem Gospel Choir.
Anne Frank’s toy marbles found
By Audrey Graanoogst From NL Times
Toosje Kupers had no idea how valuable the marbles were she had stored in a cabinet for dozens of years: Anne Frank’s marbles, who were given to her when the Franks had to move to “het Achterhuis.”
Anne Frank gave her marbles to Toosje, almost seventy years ago, when her family had to go into hiding in “het Achterhuis” on the Prinsengracht.
Toosje Kupers, now 83, kept the marbles all these years. She didn’t realize how valuable they would be to the “Anne Frank Huis.” Earlier, Kupers had already donated a small tea set and a book that were Anne’s, for an exhibition.
‘We already had pictures of Anne, playing on the Merwedeplein, but it’s fantastic to now also have Anne’s original container with marbles,’ said conservator Teresien da Silva. The marbles present the first tangible proof that Anne played outside carefree before 1942.
The families were close and shared an entrance hall on the Merwedeplein at the start of the war. Before they went into hiding they took some valuables over to the neighbors. After the war, Anne’s father returned to bring the Kupers’ family the bad news about Anne and Margot.
The marbles will be on display in Rotterdam, in the exhibition “De Tweede Wereldoorlog in 100 voorwerpen in de Kunsthal,” which will be opened Tuesday by King Willem-Alexander. 100 objects with special value from 25 war and resistance museums in the Netherlands are exhibited from February 5 to May 5, 2014
For more go to: http://www.nltimes.nl/2014/02/04/anne-franks-toy-marbles-found/
PwC Report suggests downsizing Turtle Farm
Even though the PwC’s recently tabled “Economic Impact Study of the Cayman Turtle Farm” paints a surprisingly picturesque view of our Turtle Farm, saying it has a ‘positive economic impact of US$11.1 million, compared to a subsidy of about US$4 million per year’, it cautions the Farm should consider downsizing its operations, laying off employees and selling assets.
It also shows even with a captive stream of cruise ship passengers, and even if the George Town dock is built, attendance is far too low for the Turtle Farm ever to recoup its operating expenses!
CITA Director predicts rebound in cruise ship numbers but still need new dock
The Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA) Executive Director, Jane van der Bol, predicted on local television CITN/Cayman27’s news last Tuesday (4) a rebound for cruise ship passenger numbers this year to 1.8million arriving in Grand Cayman.
This is after cruise ship numbers plummeting to levels not seen in a decade.
However, she said, we must have a new cruise ship dock and an expanded airport. Both must be addressed for Cayman’s tourism industry to stay vital.
The airport has been very busy with 20,000 more visitors arriving here in 2013 than in 2012.
UK style academies may be introduced in Cayman
Education Minister Hon. Tara Rivers said government has been meeting with private sector representatives to determine whether they are interested in contributing to the governance and management of local schools as is done in the United Kingdom with academies.
Academies are privately funded state schools.
Rivers recently returned from England where she visited some of these schools.
New chief executive joins Hawksford
By James Qualtrough From Jersey News
Maxine Rawlins, a former partner at Ernst & Young, has taken on the role of chief executive of Jersey based trust company, Hawksford.
A former partner at Ernst & Young in Jersey, Mrs Rawlins led the Channel Islands’ Tax Practice and was Head of EMEA Asset Management Tax. Prior to this, she was chief executive of Maples Finance, an international financial services business headquartered in the Cayman Islands. During this time she drove significant growth of the business, including expansion into six new jurisdictions. Mrs Rawlins was also director of business development and in-house legal counsel at Close Brothers. She is a qualified barrister and Cayman registered attorney.
David Williams, partner at Dunedin, who sits on Hawksford’s board, commented: ‘We would like to join the board in welcoming Maxine to Hawksford. She is highly experienced in her field and has successfully led businesses through periods of growth and expansion, which will be very relevant at Hawksford. Our focus remains on providing excellent service and increasing client choice by growing our international footprint.
‘We would also like to acknowledge the very significant contribution made by departing CEO, Peter Murley. Since we backed Hawksford in 2008, the company has gone on to establish itself as one of the largest independent trust companies in the Channel Islands with an international footprint, revenues in excess of £20 million and a headcount of 160 people. We wish him a well deserved retirement.’
Mrs Rawlins added: ‘Hawksford is one of the most progressive and innovative organisations of its kind and I am delighted to be a part of its future and continued success.’
In 2013, Hawksford acquired Key Trust, its fourth acquisition since its MBO in October 2008. In the last two years, the business has also completed the acquisitions of Trustcorp Jersey Limited, L-S&S GmbH, a Swiss boutique private wealth law firm, and the employee solutions business of Standard Bank Dubai.
For more: http://jersey.isle-news.com/archives/new-chief-executive-joins-hawksford/20725/
Man arrested for bullet casing found in luggage
CITN/Cayman27 have reported a US citizen was arrested after officials found a spent bullet casing in his luggage whilst trying to leave Grand Cayman at Owen Roberts Airport.
After being taken to George Town Police Station he was later released without being charged.
Former retail store turned into courtroom
A ground floor retail store that supplied athletic shoes and clothing in Kirk House on Albert Panton Avenue, has been turned into a new courtroom.
It’s numbered Courtroom #7.
Kevin McCormack said it was a necessary decision owing to the backlog of cases. The alternative was to put off cases he said.
Ice stops Cayman Airways flight from leaving on time
A Cayman Airways flight at New York’s JFK’s airport last Monday (3) was delayed for a number of hours past its scheduled departure because of ice.
The aircraft had to be de-iced because of the frigid conditions all over the United States.
Caribbean politicians gather on Richard Branson’s isle to plan ways to move off fossil fuels
From Fox News
In an effort to spur small island nations to slash their dependence on fossil fuels, Caribbean politicians and renewable power experts are discussing clean energy on British billionaire Richard Branson’s private isle.
The CEO of the Virgin Group of companies is hosting a three-day meeting of political and business leaders at Necker Island, Branson’s home in the British Virgin Islands. It started Tuesday.
The event is organized by the Carbon War Room, a nonprofit firm Branson co-founded to promote cutbacks in greenhouse-gas emissions through private enterprise. It hopes to help islands become carbon-neutral.
Branson tells The Associated Press that the Caribbean can set a global example by embracing renewable power and energy self-reliance. The region now derives nearly all of its electricity from plants that burn imported oil and diesel.
Study abroad offers summer opportunities
By Vaishali Gauba From Daily Targum
A day on the beach is not Stan Piotrowski’s idea of a fulfilling summer, so he took to the ocean. Last year, from June 29 to July 16, Piotrowski spent his time in the Cayman Islands conducting surveys on marine species while scuba diving.
Piotrowski, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences junior, worked with students and renowned scientists from across the globe during his study abroad program. Living nearly 10 feet away from the Caribbean Sea, learning to identify species of stony corals and fish, Piotrowski said he had a once in a lifetime experience.
“It was like getting to live my dream as a marine biologist, spending three weeks in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, seeing things that most people see on National Geographic,” he said.
Piotrowski, dressed in a scuba suit, represented the Cayman Islands at the “2014 Summer Study Abroad Fair” last night at the Student Activities Center on the College Avenue campus. The
University’s Center for Global Education organized the fair, which featured nearly 40 study abroad and service learning opportunities available for Rutgers students to explore during the summer, said Loan Nguyen, marketing and outreach coordinator for the center.
“It meets a wide range of students’ interests in terms of activity or subject area,” she said. “Because of their schedule, students can’t commit a full semester, so we provide summer opportunities.”
Nguyen said nearly 75 to 80 students had attended the fair by 7 p.m. and they hoped for the number to go up to 100 by the end of the fair.
From traditional study abroad locations like France, China, Germany, Brazil, Australia and others to non-traditional service learning programs in Cuba, Senegal, Jordan and Turkey, Nguyen said the fair was evenly distributed between regions from many parts of the globe.
Faculty members from the School of Social Work, the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and the Department of Asian Languages and Culture, among others, collaborated with the center to organize the fair.
Nguyen said the center had launched some new programs such as “The Microbiology and Culture of Cheese and Wine” and the service learning program in Senegal.
Dubious draft law on Caribbean Dutchmen slammed
By Marvin Hokstam From NL Times
A Commission of international immigration specialists has slammed a plan by VVD Second Chamber member Andre Bosman to place conditions to the citizenship of people from the Dutch Caribbean.
“The Commission Meijers is aware that only a small portion of the Antillean Dutchmen cause serious problems and encounters difficulties integrating in the Dutch community,” the commission wrote today. It said that it is rather the law that does not effectively contribute to finding a solution to the problems. “The law … may well become the source of new problems for Dutchmen in the migrant groups,” it stated, adding that the law is in violation of several international requirements and two EU directives.
The draft legislation suggested by Bosman sprout from an article in the Governing accord that suggests that Caribbean Dutchmen –from the islands of Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten- who want to migrate to the Netherlands should be tested on police history and their income status.
D66 Second Chamber member Gerard Schouw called it “hurtful and unfair to make a differentiation between people from our own kingdom.” Bosman was adamant though. “The Netherlands has been suffering problems with underprivileged Antilleans for years. Statistics show that this group is omnipresent in the social structure as well as in crime. Their school dropout numbers are exponential. With this legislation VVD is trying to diminish the attraction that the Netherlands has, and force the islands to invest in their people,” he said.
The proposed legislation has been called racist and arbitrary on the islands.
For more: http://www.nltimes.nl/2014/02/04/dubious-draft-law-caribbean-dutchmen-slammed/
Caribbean Revolution – Bringing a bit of sunshine to England
From Community Sigames
A Caribbean revolution has hit English football. Whitehawk FC have been liquidated following a match fixing scandal, and their place in the Skrill South for the 2013/2014 season was left open. Filling the void are Caribbean Islanders FC, a football club based in London who are to promote and develop Caribbean footballers as they strive to advance up the English league system.
The club’s first manager is former Trinidad and Tobago international Philibert Jones (uncle of Kenwyne), and his job is to build a side of purely Caribbean players capable of success in England. He will focus on developing young players when he can, with the aim not only of domestic success but aiding the national sides who have only four World Cup appearances between them.
The club have decent facilities, a brand new 5000 seater stadium, and solid funding for the level they play at. Their reputation isn’t far behind the leading clubs in the division, so providing they can attract enough decent Caribbean footballers, the first few years may be quite fruitful. However, it remains to be seen whether Jones is able to lead his side to the dizzying heights of the Premier League, and whether the Caribbean is ever able to conquer Europe.
