iNews Briefs
High tech hide and seek comes to Cayman
A high tech hide and seek game called “geocaching” has been brought to the Cayman Islands by a group of local residents.
Geocaching is a global treasure hunt that involves participants using GPS devices to locate containers hidden by other enthusiasts all over the world.
There are already 100 “caches” on the Cayman Islands at locations including the Mastic Trail, the Wreck of the Ten Sail, and even underwater at the Kittiwake and at Stingray City.
There are 2,344,169 active geocaches around the world and over 6 million geocachers.
Participants use a website to get coordinates and then seek out the cache.
For information on geocaching go to: http://www.geocaching.com/
London turns World War II shelters into underground farms
By Alex Magdaleno From Mashable
One hundred feet beneath the bustling city of London, in air raid shelters used during World War II, a company is growing leafy greens. Welcome to Growing Underground.
Using a hydroponics system — a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water — and LED lighting, the company grows nine kinds of veggie and three herbs year long in the 2.5 acres underneath the London Underground’s Northern line.
As a part of the larger company Zero Carbon Food, cofounded by Richard Ballard and Steven Dring, Growing Underground prides itself on being a carbon neutral operation. The underground farm estimates that its hydroponics system uses 70 percent less water than the traditional open-field farming.
Besides providing eco-friendly food, Growing Underground’s system seeks to reduce “food miles” — or the distance it takes for produce to reach your plate. Because the company grows in, around and under London for London residents, the time between harvest and sale could be as little as four hours.
“Global farming is responsible for a third of the world’s output of CO2, the depletion of oil, water resources and the use of phosphorous, which just isn’t future-proof,” the duo behind Growing Underground said in their video pitch. “Our method uses virtually no food miles, no pesticides, giving you a longer shelf life.”
In an effort to continue the growth of the actual operation and not its underground greens, Growing Underground started a crowd funding campaign on CrowdCube. For now, the company has raised about £45,000 (a little under $75,000) of a £300,000 (about $490,000) goal with 51 days left to go.
Teens riding unlicensed, uninsured and un-roadworthy motorcycle sue Cayman government following crash
Ernest Reynolds and Nicolas Bush have filed a writ against the Cayman Islands Attorney General, seeking the award of monetary damages in connection with a crash they were involved in caused by a police officer on March 16, 2011.
The writ states Reynolds and Bush [who were 16 and 15 at the time of the incident] were riding on a motorcycle heading southbound along West Bay Road when an RCIPS officer noticed it crossing the intersection at Lawrence Boulevard with its lights switched off around 3 a.m. The officer made a U-turn and followed the motorcycle in his vehicle “negligently” in pursuit of the two boys at speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour and did not alert his supervisors about the chase.
The writ admits that at the time of the accident “and because the motorcycle was being repaired, it was not insured, the license had expired, was not illuminated, did not have a valid certificate of road-worthiness and was being driven by [Reynolds & Bush] without being qualified to drive it.”
It is also alleged in the writ the police officer drove his vehicle in a “careless, reckless and/or dangerous manner, weaving from left to right behind the motorcyclist who was riding the motorcycle at 28 miles per hour.” The police officer then collided with and/or forced the motorcycle into the back of a Honda Civic causing a collision just before the junction of West Bay Road and Slate Drive.
Reynolds is seeking damages for his medical expenses of nearly $10,000 and Bush $325,000 plus additional cost of an airlift to Miami and treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital there.
Potential burglar driven from store by robotic singing bass
By Laura Northrup From Consumerist
When you see a Big Mouth Billy Bass mounted on the wall, running away isn’t a bad idea. We never would have thought of using one as a theft-deterrent system, but police say that a burglar ran out of a store when he or she activated the singing fish by walking past it. Naturally, the store was a bait shop.
The electronic fish can be set to burst into song whenever someone walks past, if you are a reprehensible person. At least it’s appropriate at a store that sells fishing supplies, and the owner had set up the fish to activate whenever someone walked in the door. Including when a potential burglar broke in.
“[W]hen I tried to close the door and it wouldn’t close at all,” the owner told TV station KTTC. “I just knew that Billy Bass had done his job, and let somebody know that [the store] wasn’t just empty or somethin’.”
The burglar took off without stealing anything. Well done, Billy! This may be the first documented case of one of these things being useful for any purpose.
In case you haven’t had the privilege of encountering one of these in the last few decades, there’s a video of a Billy in action at the website below:
For more: http://consumerist.com/2014/02/05/potential-burglar-driven-from-store-by-robotic-singing-bass/
New addition to Cayman’s Bar
Annalisa Wallace was admitted to the Bar of the Cayman Islands in a Grand Court ceremony last week.
Ms. Wallace will join the Insolvency and Corporate Recovery Group at Walkers Global as an associate, focusing on commercial litigation, complex cross-border litigation and trust disputes.
Walkers Global Managing Partner Ingrid Pierce moved her admission before Justice Charles Quin, listing her qualifications and achievements.
Ms Wallace was articled to partner Ramesh Maharaj. She commenced her articles with Walkers in September 2012 and completed them on March 3, 2014.
Elderly woman mauled to death by three pitbulls in Trinidad
From Caribbean360
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Wednesday March 26, 2014, CMC – Police shot and killed three pitbulls on Tuesday after the dogs mauled to death an 83-year-old woman, who had gone into the yard of her home to check her mailbox in Tunapuna, east of here.
Police said that Sylvia Roberts was killed by the three pitbulls that belong to her 43-year-old son, who had been at work.
The dogs were unleashed in the secure compound of the home.
The attack is likely to intensify debate here for the government to ensure the proclamation of the Dog Control Amendment Act that has been passed in both houses of Parliament.
Earlier this week, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TTSPCA), Sita Kuruvilla, said she was concerned that at least 200 pitbulls had been abandoned over the past months as government moved to enact the new legislation.
In addition, she described as “fear-inducing” full-page advertisement by the government in the daily newspapers calling for support of the legislation.
“We were a bit concerned because we saw the full-page ad in the paper and it is basically seeking support for the Dog Control Act…it was pretty alarming.
“We had a couple of problems with it—we find that the Government is taking an approach that is…it is either you are for the Bill or you are against the Bill, or you are for responsible ownership or you are not for responsible ownership. Our organisation, the TTSPCA as well as Animal Welfare Network fully support legislation that promotes responsible dog ownership,” she added
Cayman’s immigration website to be updated because of unclear definitions relating to permanent residency
Because of the revisions to the Cayman Islands Immigration Law regarding permanent residence a more comprehensive explanation from the Department of Immigration will be forthcoming.
Chief Immigration officer, Linda Evans said the Immigration website was being revised to make it clearer as to the process will now be for those holding permanent residence prior to the law change and those obtaining it since the law change.
From now, current permanent residence-holders who received that status under the previous Immigration Law, are being required to fill out a five-page form listing various details of the applicant’s personal and professional life.
There was confusion regarding whether existing property owners would have to obtain a new property valuation each year they apply to renew their resident status.
Barbados AG says mandatory death penalty to end
By David Mcfadden From Boston.com
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — The Caribbean island of Barbados plans to abolish its mandatory death penalty for murder convictions — a penalty that the government has bypassed for three decades.
No killer has been executed in Barbados since 1984 despite the law, but Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite told reporters Tuesday that the automatic penalty should be formally dropped. He said the government is preparing legislation to remove the clause that prevents judges from taking into account the circumstances in which a slaying was committed or other mitigating factors.
Brathwaite expects there will be considerable public opposition to the change because many people in Barbados ‘‘feel that once you commit murder you should forfeit your lives.’’
‘‘I know it will be a battle but …. I believe that it is a better path for the country,’’ he said, adding that the government will engage islanders in a public dialogue on the issue.
44 Students inducted into Cayman Rotary’s EarlyAct
Forty-four students from John A. Cumber Primary School have been inducted into Rotary’s EarlyAct service club program.
EarlyAct is a school-wide service club for elementary students from ages 6 to 13, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Central (Rotary Central). It provides young students with the opportunity to gain an increased awareness and knowledge of their community and the world.
At the induction ceremony at the school, Naude Dreyer, president of Rotary Central, and president elect Larry Tibbetts presented new club members with a banner and welcomed the youngsters into the Rotary family.
Student Janani Kumar was chosen as president; Ashley Ebanks as vice president, Lilly Powery as secretary, and Hayleigh Sciamonte as treasurer of the club.
Stating her commitment to the club, Janani promised to work hard to plan and carry out activities and projects that would benefit them, the community and the environment. “I promise to show commitment and enthusiasm in carrying out my responsibilities as president. I am confident that being EarlyActors will allow us to build goodwill and better friendships and, in so doing, we will be better citizens,” she said.
Joseph Wallace, the school’s principal said he believed that the EarlyAct program will be beneficial to students because it gives them an opportunity to gain an increased awareness and knowledge of the needs of their community and encourages them to be caring and helpful to others.
“Not only do we expect that this program will help those involved to become more empathetic to the needs and condition of others but we hope that it will also engender a sense of respect and gratitude for all that they have and the generosity that allows them to share with others who may be less fortunate,” Mr. Wallace said.
American drowned in Jamaica was to stand trial for vehicular homicide
From Caribbean360
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Wednesday March 26, 2014 – An American tourist who drowned while swimming off the coast of Negril was scheduled to stand trial in August on drunken driving and vehicular homicide charges in Pennsylvania.
David McCormick, 43, was swimming off the popular beach when he got into difficulties and “drowned before help could reach him,” according to a statement issued by the Jamaica Constabulary Force.
McCormick had been a guest at a nearby resort at the time of the incident.
The Pennsylvania man was facing charges for homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and other crimes after police said tests showed he was speeding and drinking before he crashed into another car on October 9.
In a criminal complaint, police wrote that that they found McCormick crying near the scene of the crash that killed 66-year-old Francis Cossick of Cumberland County.
The lawmen said that a blood test revealed that McCormick’s blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit for driving.
They added that a detective who analysed the crime scene suspected McCormick was driving his Audi at least 107 mph through a 45 mph zone before he collided with the Volvo driven by Cossick.
Shortly after the fatal collision, McCormick told investigators that he had had at least three drinks that night and was heading to an ex’s house.
“I hope I did not kill that man,” he added.
McCormick faced charges of homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and driving at unsafe speeds.
Vocational grant nominations sought by Cayman’s Rotaract Blue
Rotaract Blue is offering a vocational grant to young adults interested in pursuing a career in a vocational or technical service.
Every year, Rotaract Blue awards the Fred Speirs Vocational Grant to a local student to pursue technical and vocational studies as part of its professional development avenue of service. The vocational grant is heading into its 7th year of providing young professionals with the opportunity to further their studies home or abroad.
Eligible Caymanians between the ages of 16 and 30 wishing to pursue a vocational or technical course either locally or overseas can apply through an application process. Like a typical scholarship, the grant may be used for education expenses such as tuition, fees, books, accommodation, food and other related expenses.
Heading up the process this year, Rotaract Blue’s Director of Professional Development Ranel Grant said, “Young people are the future of this country and Rotaract Blue’s Vocational Grant program is an excellent tool to help them get a head start in life.”
She added, “Majority of the focus has always been on academics. However, it is clear that technical/vocational careers are definitely an asset to these islands. Therefore, I am happy that our club is able to raise funds towards this cause.”
Application forms can be found online at www.rotaractblue.org.
The grant provides young professionals of the Cayman Islands with the opportunity to further their studies home or abroad.
Deadline for submitting the criteria for the grant is May 2.
Conyers advises ADCM on Cayman-domiciled real-estate acquisition vehicle
Conyers Dill & Pearman has advised Abu Dhabi Capital Management (ADCM) on the formation and certain legal documentation of a Cayman domiciled real-estate acquisition vehicle that acquired 1 Palace Street, a Grade II-listed former hotel building located close to Buckingham Gate in London.
The building comprises 245,000ft² of development space, which will produce 78 luxury apartments, a restaurant and health centre.
ADCM was established in Abu Dhabi as an alternative investment firm seeking opportunistic investments across various sectors and regions. ADCM recently won the award for Best Private Equity Fund at the Banker Middle East Product Awards 2014 in recognition of the performance of its ADCM secondary private equity fund LP, which Conyers also advised on.
Fawaz Elmalki of Conyers’ Dubai office advised ADCM on the formation and certain legal matters relating to both the 1 Palace Street investment vehicle and the ADCM secondary fund.
High blood pressure #1 diagnosed illness in Cayman Islands
According to the National Health Policy and Strategic Plan 2012-2017 high blood pressure is the number one diagnosed illness in the Cayman Islands.
Chronic high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. One of the biggest contributing factors to high blood pressure is high sodium intake. However there is a misconception that if you cut out salt that you’re not taking in sodium, however about 75% of sodium consumption comes from packaged and restaurant food.
Food does not have to taste salty in order to contain a large amount of sodium.
There are ways you can cut your sodium intake, they include:
– Reading nutrition labels
– Preparing your own food
– Using herbs & spice to flavour food
– Eat fresh food
– Rinse off sodium filled canned food
The daily recommend sodium intake is 2,300 mg per day. You should reduce your intake to 1,500 mg per day if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, are African American or are age 51 and older.
Parents should also keep in mind that food labels are set for adults, not children, so they should be sure to limit their child’s sodium intake.
See also iNews Cayman story published March25 2014 “Caribbean urged to ban sale of high salt foods, high sugar beverages to children” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/caribbean-urged-to-ban-sale-of-high-salt-foods-high-sugar-beverages-to-children/
CARICOM again urges U.S. to end Cuban embargo
From Fox News Latino
The Caribbean Community on Tuesday renewed its call for an end to the United States’ five-decade-old trade embargo against Cuba.
“CARICOM knows well the value of unity on the international front given that coordination of foreign policy is one of the pillars of our integration movement,” Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque said as he accepted the credentials of Cuba’s new envoy to the regional grouping, Julio Cesar Gonzalez Marchante.
“We have, as a bloc, joined with like-minded states to both advance and protect our interests and support causes and initiatives of priority concern to us,” LaRocque said.
“This is why we have consistently supported United Nations resolutions aimed at ending the U.S. embargo on Cuba and will continue to do so,” he said.
Washington imposed the trade and economic embargo against Havana in late 1962, nearly four years after Fidel Castro came to power with the overthrow of the Batista regime.
The relationship between Cuba and CARICOM is unique, LaRocque said.
“In fact, since the historic day of 8 December 1972, which saw the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the bonds of friendship and solidarity between our countries have grown and deepened significantly,” he said.
LaRocque said the relationship between Cuba and CARICOM has been a trailblazer in South-South cooperation, highlighted by summits every three years and meetings of foreign ministers every 18 months.
“These high-level political encounters provide our countries with the opportunity to discuss areas of mutual interest and identify areas for cooperation. That cooperation has also extended to the practice of mutual support in the hemispheric and international arenas,” he said. EFE
For more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2014/03/25/caricom-again-urges-us-to-end-cuban-embargo/
Cayman Islands to introduce new directors registration and licensing regime
By Jon Fowler and Nicolas Butcher From Maples and Calder
The Cayman Islands government has announced, by way of a Gazette dated 21 March 2014, its intention to introduce a registration and licensing regime for directors of certain regulated entities in the Cayman Islands. This has been anticipated since the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (“CIMA”) conducted its industry wide corporate governance consultation in 2013.
At this time, the proposed new law has been published in the form of The Directors Registration and Licensing Bill, 2014 (the “Bill”) and a short consultation period will now follow before the new law is enacted. The complete Bill can be reviewed here.
In summary, the proposed law if enacted in the form of the Bill will require all directors, whether resident in the Cayman Islands or non-resident, of (i) regulated mutual funds and (ii) companies which maintain a registration as an excluded person pursuant to the Securities Investment Business Law to register with CIMA. Persons who hold more than 20 of such directorships will need to be licensed by CIMA and will be subject to enhanced regulatory requirements. Corporate directors, irrespective of directorship numbers held, will also need to be licensed by CIMA.
Both registrants and licencees will need to pay a fee (amount to be determined) and will have three months from the date the new law is passed to complete their respective applications and be registered or licensed. The new law could be enacted as early as mid-April 2014.
A further detailed advisory will be issued on publication of the new law in final form following the consultation period.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
New Cayman women’s rugby 7’s league kicks off this Saturday (29)
A new women’s rugby 7s league kicks off in earnest Saturday, with a new format, new teams and a host of players trying the game for the first time.
Women’s rugby continues to grow in Cayman, with more and more females attracted to the sport, especially Caymanians including Shenel Gall, Chynae Samuels, Jenna Richards, Jodie McTaggart and Tracey Seymour.
Following the success of Cayman’s national team last year in the NACRA 7s held in Cayman and the Tobago 7s, the game has continued to grow.
A boot camp in February attracted several new recruits who have been honing their skills and getting ready for the start of a new league.
The league consists of three new teams: the OMNI Sharks, the John Doak Architecture Lady Iguanas and the Kirk Freeport All Diamonds.
They will play for the annual Hob Nob Trophy twice a year, in the spring and fall, providing more domestic play and vital experience.
Gall, better known as a footballer, is the newly appointed captain of the OMNI Sharks.
“I had a great time last season, my first in rugby, but the last few months have been a little frustrating without proper competition,” Gall said. “But with the new league kicking off and a tour to Texas next month, I can’t wait to get my boots back on.”
McTaggart will skipper the All Diamonds and Joanne Ziegler, the national captain, will lead the Iguanas.
The three teams will compete on Saturdays until May to see who can claim the title. The women’s national team competes in the Texas 7s next month against some excellent teams from the southwestern United States, another place where rugby is growing fast.
But for now the girls are looking forward to the first games of the new season that kick off at the rugby club in South Sound at noon Saturday and run through until 2:30 p.m.
The teams thanked their sponsors, OMNI, Kirk Freeport and John Doak Architecture for their support.
Hurlstone General Contractors Ltd. in voluntary liquidation
Notice of Voluntary Winding Up (O.13, r.2) THE COMPANIES LAW NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY WINDING UP
TAKE NOTICE that the above-named Company was put into liquidation on
12 March 2014 by special resolution passed by the sole Shareholder of the Company.
AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that Mr Michael Pearson and Mr Andrew
Childe of Fund Solution Services Limited of 2nd Floor Harbour Centre, 42
North Church Street, George Town, Grand Cayman have been appointed voluntary liquidators of the Company.
Creditors of the Company are invited to prove their debts or claims on or before 11 April 2014 and to establish any title they may have under the Companies Law (2013 Revision), or to be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before the debts are proved or from objecting to the distribution.
A meeting of creditors shall be held at the address of the Liquidator set out below at 10.00am on 22nd April 2014.
Dated this 12th day of March 2014.
Michael Pearson
Contact for enquiries: Caroline Moore
Fund Solution Services Limited
2nd Floor, Harbour Centre
42 North Church Street
George Town
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Tel: +1 (345) 947 5855;
Mail to: 10 Market Street #769, Camana Bay, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands KY1-9006.
Caymanian Bar Association elects new council members
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – 26 March 2014 – The Caymanian Bar Association (the “CBA”) held its elections at an AGM on 18 March 2014 to vote in its 2014-2015 council members.
Abraham Thoppil, Brett Basdeo, Neil Timms, QC and Nick Rogers were elected to the executive positions as President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, respectively. Popular outgoing President, Dale Crowley, returned as a council member, along with Anna Goubault and Nick Joseph, who have been joined by newly elected members Sharon Roulstone, Sophia Scott, and Stephen Watler.
Speaking on behalf of the new council, CBA President Abraham Thoppil said,
“We intend to build on the precedent set over the past three years under Mr Crowley’s leadership and have already set our agenda for the coming year. The recent level of interest in the CBA has been particularly encouraging and augurs well for the Council’s continuing mandate of promoting the interest of the profession. We look forward to great results in what will be the CBA’s 26th year.”
“The Council wishes to thank outgoing member Martin Davies for his valuable input over the past year, despite the notable time difference between Cayman and his location in the Singapore office of Walkers.” Mr Thoppil added.
Questions can be sent to [email protected]
About the Caymanian Bar Association
The Caymanian Bar Association was established in 1988 after senior Caymanian attorneys perceived the need for an organisation to address issues of particular relevance to Caymanian attorneys and effectively to represent the views of Caymanian attorneys who were, and are, a minority in the profession in the Cayman Islands. To that end, all Caymanians (as defined in the Immigration Law (2012 Revision)), who are admitted to practise as an attorney in the Cayman Islands and possess a current practising certificate, are eligible to be members of the CBA. Most Caymanian attorneys that are eligible have joined the CBA, and today it represents the interests of more than 140 Caymanian attorneys.
Cayman Islands Premier meets with Fire Officer
While in London this week, Cayman Islands Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin met with the UK’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Peter Holland who was in the Cayman Islands last month to review the Cayman Islands Fire Service.
The review was requested last November during Ministry of Home Affairs Chief Officer Eric Bush’s trip to the UK, which was sponsored by the Governor’s Office. The review is expected to identify areas of improvement within the Fire Service
See attached photo of Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin & UK Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Peter Holland
