McTaggart says “it’s doing right for his country”

In an interview Coalition for Cayman Member of the Legislative Assembly Roy McTaggart gave CITN/Cayman27 on Thursday (6) he said, “To me it’s all about doing what’s right for the country. So I didn’t have much hesitation, I thought about it but truly realised if I want to make a difference, then this is what I really needed to do.”

He was answering Premier Alden McLaughlin’s surprise announcement, also on Thursday, that McTaggart has been appointed as a government councillor. He will work with Ministers Wayne Panton and Marco Archer in both the Financial Services and Public Finance ministries.

McTaggart had opted to sit on the opposition bench when the MLAs were sworn-in last week but has now had a change of heart. “I am not forgetting the people who elected me,” he said. “They elected me as an independent. It’s important that they understand that I will still remain independent and still express my independent views. But this does give me an opportunity to influence policy and to help resolve some very significant issues this government is facing.”

Levitt receives more charges

Michael Sean Levitt, who was first accused of stealing US$289,205.22 from Solomon Harris, a Cayman law firm, between 16 December, 2011 and 9 October, 2012 has had two new charges of theft and possession of criminal property brought against him in Summary Court last Tuesday (4).

These new charges were in addition to the previous second charge of alleged theft of US$226,591.05 also the property of Solomon Harris that took place between 16 December, 2011 and 20 December, 2012.

The new charges were that Levitt –

1. stole US$281,392.19 from a Solomon Harris bank account, using Solomon Harris cheques between 24 December, 2009 and 24 January, 2012.
2. between 24 December, 2009 and 24 January, 2012 possessed criminal property, namely US$711,219.30.

Levitt, 56, has been in custody since April, when he asked that his bail be revoked.

Hollywood comes to Cayman

On Friday, 31 May, young filmmakers were delivered by limousine to the Harquail Theatre for a red carpet premiere that would have done Hollywood proud.

The Hollywootreatment was for the “Youth Film Fest”, where the top films from two film competitions were screened, and winners announced.

The Cayman National Cultural Foundation partnered with the Department of Tourism to co-produce the event.

Students, ages 10 to 17, had the opportunity to participate in the “Young Image Makers Short Film Competition” and the Department of Tourism’s “Cayman Through My Eyes” competition.

Students were asked to produce films between one and three minutes in length, filmed with their cameras, phones, Go Pros or other recording devices.

Of the more than 70 submissions received, 20 were selected from the Young Image Makers competition and 10 from Cayman Through My Eyes. The directors of these films went on to participate in special film making workshops. They then had the opportunity to improve on their films, or create entirely new ones.

The submissions for the Young Image Makers competition, for which no topic was specified, ranged from comedies to horror films and some documentary-style films. Meanwhile, some of the Cayman Through My Eyes films showcased the natural wonders of the islands, while others focused on the people, music and culture.

Both competitions were divided into two age groups, 10 to 13 and 14 to 17, and winners, first and second runners up were announced for each age category and competition.

The winners were Matthew Whittaker (YIM 14 to 17) for “Sheol”, Marianne McMurdo (YIM 10 to 13) for “Once Decision, Two Fates”; Mark Westin (CTME 14-17) for “Living on a Rock, in the Sea” and Harriet Richardson (CTME 10-13) for “Cracking Cayman Coconuts”.

The public was also able to view the films online and cast votes for both competitions. The People’s Choice awards in both instances went to Mark Westin, for “Living on a Rock, in the Sea”.

The first prize winners in each category win a scholarship to the New York Film Academy this summer, where they will spend a week honing their filmmaking skills and learning about the different roles available in the industry.

Theft of metal is escalating says companies but RCIPS says it’s not

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has said they are aware of the problem of metal thefts, but said in all of 2012, they had received only a handful of complaints and in 2013 they had received no complaints at all.

This is in sharp contrast to a recent Caymanian Compass story that said metal thefts were escalating.

“The toll runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars, likely more; thefts are escalating, spurred by lack of reporting and recognition; regulations are only a dream and the authorities are sceptical a problem even exists,” the article says.

“Contractors in the Cayman Islands say theft of metals and fresh wiring from construction sites is growing, as thieves are emboldened and prices for metal – particularly copper – escalate.”

The article quotes reports of huge quantities of metal theft running into thousands of dollars from a number of companies on Grand Cayman including power supply company Cayman Utilities Company (CUC).

“CUC has had several cases of theft of copper conductors where perpetrators have entered CUC property and removed stored cable, and at least two cases where installed underground cable was removed,” CUC spokeswoman Pat Bynoe-Clarke is reported as saying. “New insulated high-voltage cable, which CUC uses costs in the region of CI$12.50 per foot; however, the low-voltage cables that our customers would use in their installations typically have more copper and less insulation and are therefore more valuable to the thieves for recycling.”

Perhaps the anomaly is because the RCIPS equate in numbers of theft complaints and not the actual value of the “handful” of thefts?

Lionfish photos and vids wanted

The Cayman Islands DoE is looking for lots of photos and videos of lionfish on the reef for a study that we are participating in. We need photos and videos that show lionfish in a natural, unposed manner rather than artistic ones. If you have any that you would be willing to contribute to this study please send us a Facebook message or email to [email protected]. They will not be published.

Whoops, it’s not logical but we cut your cable!

Last Tuesday (4) workmen for communications company Logic accidentally sliced through an underground fibre optic cable that provided internet to a number of government departments.

Logic were executing trenching operations in Walkers Road when they damaged the cable cutting two fibre lines between two man holes that needed approximately 400 feet of fibre cable to be replaced.

According to a statement from the Cayman Islands government’s computer services department Internet access was affected to several government departments including the fire, prison and the police traffic.

All departments were back online Wednesday, according to a government spokeswoman.

Other locations affected included the Campbells’ building, Cayman Centre, Cayman Islands Environmental Centre, the Marco Giglioli building, BritCay House, customs, solid waste, public works and the National Roads Authority.

Also affected was the National Hazard Management Council, whose members were running through a hurricane simulation exercise at the airport fire station.