iNews Briefs & Community Events
Cayman Islands: North Side, Cayman Brac Focus Groups Postponed
Due to the predicted inclement weather conditions for tomorrow, Tuesday, 2 August 2016, the North Side district Focus Group meeting for the National Older Persons Policy scheduled to commence at 10 am at the William Pouchie Church Hall has been postponed.
Likewise, the Cayman Brac Focus Group meeting scheduled to be held at the Aston Rutty Centre has also been postponed.
Gawker’s Nick Denton looks to Ch. 11 to slip sex tape judgment
By Jonathan Randles
Law360, New York (August 1, 2016, 11:30 AM ET) — Gawker founder and chief Nick Denton filed for personal bankruptcy protection Monday in New York to shield himself from Hulk Hogan’s $140 million sex tape judgment after losing previous attempts to put the judgment on hold pending an appeal.
Earth’s third pole under threat
At the top of the world lies a region containing the largest area of frozen water outside of the North and South Pole. Known by scientists as Earth’s Third Pole, there is a climate disaster unfolding that will impact the lives of more than 1 billion people.
Despite its relative anonymity, the Third Pole is vitally important; it is the source of Asia’s 10 largest rivers including the Yellow, the Yangzi, the Mekong, the Irrawaddy and the Ganges — and their fertile deltas.
Flows from the glaciers that give the pole its name support roughly 1.3 billion people in China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — and the glaciers are melting fast.
The rate of melting has almost doubled in the past decade. In the last 48 years, 226 glaciers in the Tiger Valley have lost 27 square kilometres of ice, and in the wider area of the Qilian mountains — where there are a total of 2,684 glaciers — the damage has been even more devastating. 509 smaller glaciers have vanished in the past 50 years and many more will go by 2050.
The reason for the great melt is that the temperature has been increasing at a much faster rate up in the Tibetan Plateau because, in the high altitude areas, the temperature is more sensitive to the effects of global warming.
But scientists are discovering another factor that is causing the big melt: pollution from vehicle exhaust and coal burners. Black carbon particles and dust land on the glaciers and absorb the sun and heat, unlike the white ice that reflects it.
The bigger worry is the melt will set off a chain of climate disasters like the recent epic floods in Pakistan and China, or unprecedented heatwaves in India, or increasing desertification across the region.
And the deeper concern is that while scientists know the changes in the Third Pole will affect global weather patterns such as monsoons and the El Nino, they don’t know by how much.
And in a region where tension between countries over shared water resources is becoming increasingly common, the environmental threat is likely to spark a political one.
For more: http://www.thecarbonwars.com/earths-third-pole-under-threat/
Global warming temperatures underestimated
From The Carbon Wars
A study conducted by a group of scientists from NASA has found that nearly 20 percent of the global warming over the past 150 years has been underestimated.
The study conducted by a team headed by Mark Richardson of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, suggests that global warming projections based on historical data may go wrong because of the quirks in the recorded data.
A clear example of the peculiarity of temperature recording is that of the Arctic which is warming at a higher rate than the rest of the world. But, due to the inaccessible nature of the Arctic, fewer historic temperature rates from the region were recorded in the past compared to lower altitude areas. As a result of this, the combined data shows a lower rate of global warming compared to a climate model that fully represents the Arctic.
The second problem is that when temperature recordings began in the 1860s, only air temperatures from the Arctic and adjacent areas were taken into consideration. There were more sea-ice-covered areas in the Arctic during the period. But, when the ice melted in subsequent years, the researchers switched to water temperature. This also resulted in bringing down the global warming indicators from the actual figures.
Mark Richardson said that the scientists have known about the quirks for some time. “They’re quite small on their own, but they add up in the same direction. We were surprised that they added up to such a big effect,” he said.
These quirks in the historical recording have hidden almost 19 percent of the global warming since the 1860s. This is the reason for the estimates made from the historical records showing cooler temperature than the results from the climate models that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) uses.
For more: http://www.thecarbonwars.com/global-warming-temperatures-underestimated/
A natural way of slowing climate change
From The Carbon Wars
The carbon cycle is well known. Carbon moves in and out of the Earth’s multiple systems through processes such as erosion, volcanic activity, evaporation, photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Carbon’s a vital element and life without it is impossible. But there is a balance: too little and the Earth would be a frozen ball in space. Too much and the planet overheats extinguishing life.
Trees play a major role in the carbon cycle by ingesting carbon in exchange for the oxygen they produce. As they grow they absorb massive amounts of carbon, naturally. Science may be on track to adding more trees to help slow the carbon crisis.
A group of arborists claim they’ve got part of the solution to slowing climate change: cloning trees. A group of “modern day Johnny Appleseeds” are cloning massive California sequoias and coastal redwoods and re-planting them worldwide, believing the trees are “ideal for absorbing greenhouse gases that drive climate change,” the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
David Milarch, co-founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, urgently wants to repopulate the planet’s forests. His nonprofit group has cloned 170 types of tress over two decades of work and planted more than 300,000 of those trees in seven different countries.
“It’s really a race against time,” Milarch said. “If we start right now, we can go after climate change and reverse it before it’s too late.”
The arborists believe the massive size and lengthy lives of the California trees — Sierra Nevada sequoias can be nearly 300 feet tall and 3,000 years old — indicate they’re ideal to absorb greenhouse gasses. Expert climbers, who scale the massive trees to collect the necessary samples, aid the cloning. The 66-year-old Milarch told the AP that science is beginning to bear out his ideas, but others were skeptical.
Todd Dawson, a professor of integrated biology at the University of California, Berkeley, told the news service he admires the effort but it’s not clear if the massive trees truly have superior genes that help prevent climate change.
“That’s one of the things about global warming — it’s a global problem,” Dawson told the AP. “You’re going to have to plant a lot of trees to combat global warming.”
Climate change is increasingly worrying. The first six months of 2016 were the hottest ever on record, according to NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It’s the third year in a row that has set a record. As the Arbor Day Foundation points out, “through the natural process of photosynthesis, trees absorb [carbon dioxide] and other pollutant particulates, then store the carbon and emit pure oxygen.” A study published in 2007 however, found that more trees wouldn’t necessarily mean decreased global warming.
For more: http://www.thecarbonwars.com/a-natural-way-of-slowing-climate-change/
Cayman Islands: LCCL applicants must advise TBL board of Caymanian participation
In order to ensure that the law is upheld, procedural changes for the Local Companies (Control) Licence Law (LCCL) will come into effect on 1 September 2016.
The LCCL requires foreign investors to publish ads that solicit Caymanian participation in their potential business endeavours. In these ads, Caymanians are asked to inform the foreign investor of their interest, in writing; however, as of 1 September, Caymanians also must supply a copy of that letter directly to the Trade and Business Licensing Board.
Also, when submitting their applications to the board, foreign investors must include copies of the two local newspaper ads, published in accordance with section 11 (4) (e) of the law, that solicited Caymanian participation.
‘These procedural changes will help the board to know if the applicant has complied fully with the LCCL’, said Minister of Commerce Wayne Panton.
LCCL applications must be submitted in person at the Business Licensing Counter, on the first floor of the Government Administration Building. The counter is open Mondays to Fridays, between 9:00am and 4:00pm. In addition to the two newspaper ads, applications must be accompanied by due diligence such as a police clearance, copies of passports, references, and the relevant fees.
Letters from Caymanians are to be addressed to the Trade and Business Licensing Board, c/o the Department of Commerce and Investment, Government Administration Building, 133 Elgin Avenue Suite 126, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
For more information, visit www.dci.gov.ky or email [email protected]
Chatterbox FREE programmes!
Chatterbox is being sponsored by the Special Needs Foundation of Cayman to present FREE programmes for children with special needs!
We have several programmes which children can join on Friday nights and Saturday mornings or you can request group or individual sessions according to the needs of your family.
Our aim is to give parents and caregivers a break for a few hours to run errands, organise a date night or just make time for yourselves, knowing that your child is in a safe, fun and supportive environment.
To discuss your needs and to register and book, contact:
Suzanne on 949 7065 or [email protected]
Cayman Drama Society
2016 is proving to be amazing around the Prospect Playhouse! We have been busy renovating the auditorium this summer and getting ready for a smashing end to 2016!
And Yes! Its election season and what greater way to lighten the mood than coming to see the very funny, Yes Minister!
September 15,16,17,22,23,24,29,30, October 1
Yes Minister is a satirical look at the early career of Jim Hacker MP; a newly appointed cabinet minister in the fictional Department of Administrative Affairs at Whitehall. Hacker goes through various struggles to formulate and enact legislation or effect departmental changes that are continually opposed by the British Civil Service in particular his Permanent Secretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby. His Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley, is usually caught between the two. The British comedy, written by Sir Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, was fist broadcast by BBC Television in the 1980s has now been adapted to the Cayman stage by Chuck and Barrie Quappe. As the Cayman Parliamentary system is based on Whitehall, any of the situations will be undeniably familiar to all that live in Cayman!
Early Bird tickets on sale now! CI$20. Click here to buy: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yes-minister-tickets-26650478298
And you do not want to miss our continuing celebration of Shakespeare’s 400th!!!
Cayman Islands’ District Focus Groups to Inform Older Persons Policy
Focus groups in all six districts of the Cayman Islands will allow persons aged 60 and over to provide input into the ongoing exercise to create an Older Persons Policy.
The focus groups for older persons, will take place throughout the Islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) during the week of Monday 1 August to Friday, 5 August 2016. The group sessions will take place from 10 am–12 noon (Grand Cayman), unless otherwise mentioned. The venues and dates are:
North Side – Tuesday, 2 August – William Pouchie Memorial Church Hall
Cayman Brac – Tuesday 2 August; 10 am – 1 pm – Aston Rutty Civic Centre
George Town – Wednesday, 3 August – South Sound Community Hall
East End – Thursday, 4 August – William McLaughlin Civic Centre
Little Cayman – Thursday, 4 August; 6-9pm – Grouper Room, Little Cayman Beach Resort
West Bay – Friday, 5 August – John Gray Memorial Church Hall.
The Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports, Hon. Osbourne Bodden, JP, is encouraging all residents 60 and over to attend and participate in this very important policy initiative. “The more our seniors express their views and highlight issues, the better informed we will be when developing the policy,” he emphasised.
“The Steering Committee is continuing to consult and engage key stakeholders in the development of the National Older Persons Policy (NOPP),” explained Deputy Director in the Cabinet Office’s Policy Coordination Unit Deborah Webb-Sibblies.
Ms Webb-Sibblies added: “We thought it best to host the focus groups in each of the districts to ensure the older residents would be more comfortable speaking of the issues impacting them in their respective communities.”
Cayman Islands: West Bay Fire Station temporarily relocated
The crew, vehicles and equipment of the West Bay Sub Station are being temporarily relocated to the Ed Bush Sports Complex and will be dispatched from there when responding to respective incidents.
The move is to accommodate extensive repairs to the sub station. Work began on Monday 25 July 2016 and is expected to continue over a period of six weeks. There is no anticipated impact on the delivery of services or emergency response times due to the mandatory relocation. Residents are reminded to call 911 in the event of an emergency.
Cayman Islands Pirates Week calls for food vendors
The Pirates Week Festival Office is inviting participants for the annual Food Festival to submit their vendor applications for the below dates/times:
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Friday 11th November |
6:00pm to 2:00am |
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Saturday 12th November |
1:00pm to midnight |
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Saturday 19th November |
George Town |
2:00pm to midnight |
Vendor applications must be submitted beginning on Monday 1st August, 2016 to the Pirates Week Office on Shedden Road, George Town (upstairs next to KFC). Vendor space is limited therefore applications must be submitted as soon as possible after the opening date above. Deadline for submission is Monday 31st October.
All vendors must comply with the rules and regulations set by the Pirates Week Festival Office and must present a valid Food Handling Certificate for all persons handing food by the 31st October. Food handling certificates can be obtained from the Department of Environmental Health by contacting Mr. Gideon Simms on 949-6696 or email [email protected] .
For application forms and more details please contact the Pirates Week Festival Office at 949-5078 or [email protected].
Red Bay Summer Roadworks Cayman Islands
Roadworks continue in the Prospect and Red Bay areas; to reconfigure the Red Bay roundabout and enhance the east-west arterial.
Most work is being done during off-peak times to avoid disruptions to traffic.
While work is being done, one of the lanes will be open for traffic as usual, but drivers may also use an alternate lane, as directed.
Please drive carefully, and pay attention to signs indicating lane closures or diversions.
Work in this area is to be completed before the end of August.
COMMUNITY EVENTS (Date Order)
WED AUG 3
1st of 3 Jaguar Land Rover Stroke and Stride events
The 1st of 3 Jaguar Land Rover Stroke and Stride events is Wednesday (3 Aug) at Sunset House. Log on to caymanactive.com for more details.
Immigration Closure
The Department of Immigration Headquarters, including Passport & Corporate Services, Visa Office and Front Counter, will be closed to the public for all but essential services on Friday (5 Aug.)
CARE Quiz Night
THU AUG 4
Memorial Service for former Cayman Islands Governor
The Government of the Cayman Islands will pay its final respects to the retired and much respected former Governor of the Cayman Islands, the late Col. Thomas Russell, CMG, CBE. The memorial service will take place on Thursday 4 August, between 8.00 a.m. – 8.45 a.m. on the lawn of the former Government Administration Building (Glasshouse).
The service will include tributes and reflections from those who knew or worked alongside Mr. Russell. Officials expected to attend include Her Excellency the Governor Helen Kilpatrick, Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Deputy Governor Hon. Franz Manderson, Leader of the Opposition Hon. McKeeva Bush. There will also be representatives from the Veterans and JP Associations. The general public is invited to attend the special ceremony.
In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place inside the current Government Administration Building. Notifications will be broadcast and posted should this change of location be deemed necessary.
UCCI Campus Closure due to Power Outage
FRI AUG 5
CAYMAN ISLANDS IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT CLOSURE ON 5 August 2016
The Department of Immigration Headquarters, including Passport & Corporate Services, Visa Office and Front Counter, will be closed to the public for all but essential services on Friday 5, August 2016. Only work permit and permanent residence applications (including applications for permission to continue to work (PCW)) that must be submitted prior to 6 August in order to allow continued employment will be accepted.
Time sensitive applications for visitor extensions will also be accepted.
The Department will resume normal operations on Monday 8th, August and will also remain open to the public until 7.00pm on Wednesday 3rd, August.
The Department apologizes for any inconvenience the closure on 5 August may cause.
Cultural Event Jamaica Independence Day Celebrations
All Day Cultural event on Cardinal Ave in George Town & an evening of Independence Celebration at the Jacques Scott Compound (Organizers: Mr. Aldington Stephenson (A.K.A. Banny) & Roma United Sports Club, Tel: contact # 916-0890)
FRI, SAT, SUN AUG 5, 6, 7
SAT AUG 6
Gospel Concert Jamaica Independence Day Celebrations
Gospel Concert to be held at the Lion’s Center (Organizers: Mr. & Mrs. Chris Durrant – Tel: contact # 927-1919) Event time 7pm to midnight.
SUN AUG 7
Jamaica Independence Day Service of Thanksgiving
WED AUG 10
2nd of 3 Jaguar Land Rover Stroke and Stride
The 2nd of 3 Jaguar Land Rover Stroke and Stride events is Wednesday (10 Aug) at Sunset House. Log on to caymanactive.com for more details.
SUN AUG 14
Pete Ribbins Memorial 10K or 40K Bike Ride
The Pete Ribbins Memorial 10K or 40K Bike Ride is Sunday (14 Aug) at 630am. Log on to caymanactive.com for more details.
WED AUG 17
Final Jaguar Land Rover Stroke and Stride
The final Jaguar Land Rover Stroke and Stride is Wednesday (17 Aug) at Sunset House. Log on to caymanactive.com for more details.
FRI AUG 19
Cayman Islands Liquor Licence Holders: Remember your 19 August deadline
Liquor licence holders – including those with music and dancing licenses – are reminded of the Friday, 19 August deadline to apply for licence renewals.
They also are reminded that before they can apply for a renewal, their premises must be inspected by relevant Government agencies. Depending on licensees’ particular operations, these inspections may include the Fire Service, Department of Environmental Health, Planning Department, and Port Authority.
To help speed up the process, the Planning Department has advised that licensees must have inspections done by private, licensed plumbers and/or electricians. These inspections are then submitted to the Planning Department for approval.
The Planning Department added that there are a few exceptions. For example, package licences (for retail outlets such as stores and warehouses) do not require electrical or plumbing inspections.
Only complete renewal applications, with either inspection certificates or proof of inspection requests, that are submitted by the 19 August deadline will be heard at the Liquor Licensing Board’s annual session on 30 September.
Applications can be downloaded from the Department of Commerce and Investment’s website, www.dci.gov.ky . For more information, contact the Liquor Licensing Board through Acting Secretary Gavin Dixon on 244-3167 or DCI’s Shelise Jeffery on 244-2202.
SAT & SUN SEP 18 & 19
British Schools Fair Cayman Islands
Street: Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman
District: Seven Mile Beach
Island: Grand Cayman
Country: Cayman Islands
Description
Ritz-Carlton
Sat 18 Sep & Sun 19 Sep
2.00-6.00 p.m.
A chance for Cayman families to meet leading UK boarding schools. If you are considering the possibility of your children having the opportunities afforded by an overseas education, this is your chance to speak to some of the top schools.
Free entry
For more information contact [email protected]
August Events at Camana Bay
Be part of the action and support your nation with The Games at Camana Bay – a series of festivities inspired by the 2016 Olympics. Take in cultural experiences by catching the last chance to see Rundown, getting lost in poetry readings or by supporting a local author as they celebrate their latest book.
Moonlight & Movies: Summer Series
Tuesdays until 30 August
7pm
Gardenia Court
Music Happy Hour for Kids
Fridays until 26 August
3:30-4:30pm
Starfish Village
Got Milk?
Friday 5 August
3pm
Bedside Manor
The Games at Camana Bay: Opening Ceremony and Fireworks
Friday 5 August
5:30-9pm
The Crescent
Tai Chi
Sunday 7 August
8:30am
The Crescent
The Bookends Club
Wednesday 10 August
6:30-7:30pm
Books & Books
Douglas Schofield Book Signing
Thursday 11 August
6:30-7:30pm
Books & Books
The Games at Camana Bay: Moonlight & Movies
Thursday 11 and 18 August
7pm
The Crescent
The Games at Camana Bay: Kids’ Challenge
Saturday 13 August
2-5pm
Town Centre
Floetry
Wednesday 17 August
6:30-7:30pm
Books & Books
Culture at the Cinema: Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Saturday 20 August
7pm
Regal Cinemas
Theatre in the Court: Rundown
Saturday 27 August
7pm
Gardenia Court
National Gallery
Early Watercolours
Rarely displayed watercolour paintings from the early collections of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands (NGCI) and the Cayman Islands National Museum (CINM) will be on show at the National Gallery throughout summer. The temporary exhibition titled, A Legacy of Light features a wide selection of landscapes, seascapes and architectural studies by both established and lesser-known artists from the Cayman Islands. The exhibition opens to the public 1 July 2016 and ends 16 September 2016.
Light & Colour Workshop
Take part in a special watercolour workshop with Lois Brezinski Saturday, 13 August 2016 – 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. This intensive workshop explores the use of watercolours to capture the dramatic effects of light in the tropics. The workshop is designed for all levels and is open to adults and mature teens.
Watercolour Kids Club
Saturday Mornings 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
9 July to 13 August 2016
Free watercolour art activities for kids! These creative drop-in sessions will be sure to inspire families of all levels and abilities. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings are not required.
Take it Home
The gift shop at the National Gallery has a fabulous selection of creative gifts for all ages. Brand new watercolour paint sets, brushes and books have arrived so you can try your hand at creating a masterpiece of your own!
Learn more about the shop.
