iNews Briefs, More & Community Events
Community Events
Grand Court Jurors Report Date Changed
The Grand Court jury report date has been changed.
Grand Court Jurors who are in the 1 April – 30 June 2015 session are now to report on Monday, 29 June 2015 at 9:45 a.m.
Please call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information.
Education Bill 2015 District Meetings
The Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs will be hosting public meetings in every district, including Cayman Brac, to discuss the Education Bill, 2015 and gain the public’s feedback on the proposed changes.
The meetings will be as follows:
Cayman Brac: Saturday 20th June, 2015, Layman E. Scott Snr. High School Hall from 2:00pm – 3:30pm
George Town: Monday 22nd June, 2015, Mary Miller Hall, from 7:00pm – 8:30pm
West Bay: Wednesday 24th June, 2015, Shirley Kidd Memorial Hall, Sir John A. Cumber Primary School from 7:30pm – 9:00pm
North Side: Thursday 25th June, 2015, Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre from 7:30pm – 9:00pm
East End: Tuesday 30th June, 2015, East End Primary School Hall from 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Bodden Town: Wednesday 1st July, 2015, Savannah Primary School Hall from 7:30pm – 9:00pm
All residents of the Cayman Islands are invited to attend the meetings.
Members of the public can also obtain and review the Education Bill, 2015 and complete the online survey on the Ministry of Education’s website: www.education.gov.ky
THU JUNE 25
Immigration Front Office Closes this Thursday
The Department of Immigration public counter will close at 3:00pm on Thursday, June 25, to facilitate a staff meeting. All other sections will operate within the usual business hours.
Persons are encouraged to take advantage of the extended opening on Wednesday evenings to conduct business. Front counter is opened until 7:00pm every Wednesday.
Front office hours will resume as normal on Friday June 26, 2015 at 8.30am.
Immigration officials apologize for any inconvenience resulting from this closure.
Education Bill 2015 Public Meetings North Side
Education Bill 2015 Public Meetings head to Craddock Ebanks Civic Center in North Side on Thursday (25 Jun) at 730pm
RCIPS Community Clinics
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service community clinic will be at Clifton Hunter High School from 5 — 9pm on Thursday (25 Jun)
Cayman Islands Diabetes Association Education Seminar
The Cayman Islands Diabetes Association will be hosting an education seminar at John A Cumber Primary School hall on Thursday (25 Jun)
FRI JUNE 26
BBQ & Hoedown 2015BBQ & GOSPEL HOEDOWN
St George’s Anglican Church 6PM
Annual Fundraiser
From the grill: Choice of BBQ Chicken, Pig Tails, Pork Ribs, Beef
Ribs or Fish. Plus a large selection of Side Dishes. Drinks and Desserts on sale.
Entertainment: Earl LaPierre on Steel Pan, Line Dancing and so much more!
A Sacred Setting
The Bodden Town Seventh Day Adventist Church presents A Sacred Setting — an evening of instrumental vesper music of praise, worship and adoration on Friday (26 Jun) at 745pm.
Island Living Show
The Island Living Show is Friday (26 Jun) & Saturday (27 Jun) from 10 — 5pm at the Arts & Recreation Center.
Enrollment for Government School Students
The registration of students enrolling in or transferring to Government schools for the 2015/2016 school year continues through June 26th. For more information contact the Department of Education Services on 949.1199
Cayman Islands most photographed blue iguana mauled to death by dog
It is another very sad day for the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme in the Cayman Islands when another iconic blue iguana was found dead last weekend.
This is the second of the rare blue iguanas this month that has been found mauled to death by a dog or dogs at the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park.
Even worse is this last victim was the star attraction at the park – Inky – the most photographed blue iguana.
12-year-old Anglican school student charged with murder in St. Vincent
From CARIBBEAN360
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Tuesday June 23, 2015 – A 12-year female student of an Anglican school has been charged with killing a teenager.
The minor, a student of the Lowmans Leeward Anglican School, is accused of fatally stabbing 15-year-old Moesha Primus in the chest, during an altercation last Thursday evening.
She was slapped with the charge yesterday and taken before the Family Court. Her parents were in attendance.
The pre-teen remains in custody.
However, I-Witness News in St. Vincent reported the juvenile’s team of three lawyers would be making attempts to have her released on bail, because there is no facility in the country specifically for the detention of minors charged with criminal offences and they were concerned about the conditions under which she had been held since her arrest.
Primus, who attended the Intermediate High School in Kingstown, was rushed to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital after she was wounded, but was pronounced dead about an hour after the stabbing.
Deadline Reminder: The Bahamas Screenwriters Residency Program
6 winners will be chosen for an all-inclusive trip to The Bahamas for mentorship with top Hollywood professionals.
Contest regular deadline is July 1st.
The organisers’ have had so many requests from writers for this program, that they’ve expanded! They will now be selecting six winning writers for a FREE trip to The Bahamas to join the team for a career-launching opportunity. Join an all-star line-up of mentors including a producer from Game of Thrones and an exec from The Weinstein Company (and many more) for this exclusive program at The Bahamas International Film Festival!
Accepting Feature and TV screenplays.
This program will provide six talented screenwriters with an all-inclusive trip in December for mentorship, networking and screenplay development. Come join us — TV and Film screenwriters are both welcome. If you don’t win the contest, we’re also going to open for full-tuition applications in September for up to four more attendees. We’d love to see you there.
This year’s mentors include:
Vince Gerardis: Producer (HBO’s Games Of Thrones)
Dan Guando: Weinstein Co. Executive Vice President of Acquisitions, Production & Development
Taylor Benzie: Literary Manager at Kaplan/Perrone
Sean Covel: Film Producer (Napoleon Dynamite, Beneath, Cafe)
Cameron Cubbison: co-founder of ScreenCraft, studio-trained development executive
Matthew Helderman: CEO and co-founder at Buffalo 8 Productions and Bondit
Elizabeth Hunter, Screenwriter of Jumping the Broom and ER.
To sign up go to: https://screencraft.org/bahamas/
Cayman Islands Lions Club receives donation from Seafarers Association
The President of Cayman Islands Seafarers Mr Ivan Farrington presented a donation to the Lions Club in appreciation of their work in educating the public about Prostate and colon Cancer at their social on Tuesday (16).
Titanic’ composer James Horner feared dead after plane crash
By Josh Dickey From Mashable
IMAGE: James Horner at the premiere of “Avatar” in 2009.
LOS ANGELES — James Horner, the Academy Award-winning movie score composer behind dozens of major films including Titanic, Braveheart and Avatar, was unaccounted for Monday after the crash of a small plane registered in his name.
Fire officials said they found the burning wreckage about 2 miles west of Highway 33 sometime after 9:30 a.m. Within the one-acre burn zone they discovered the tail section of the two seater turboprop plane, which was registered in Horner’s name.
Horner’s agency did not immediately return messages left Monday evening, and his lawyer told Mashable only that no one had heard from Horner since the crash was spotted about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara.
Ron Howard, who collaborated with Horner on several films, tweeted this reaction late Monday night. It was not immediately clear whether Howard had any inside information on whether Horner was killed in the crash, and renewed outreach to fire officials in Santa Barbara were not immediately returned.
It was not disclosed how many victims of the crash were found, but fire officials did say there were no survivors and TMZ reported that the pilot was alone. The FAA said the plane was a single-engine S-312 Tucano MK-1, an advanced military trainer.
Like Harrison Ford, the 61-year-old Horner is known as an avid aviator. He scored the 2015 documentary Living in the Age of Airplanes, and like Ford, his choice of military training aircraft is a testament to his seriousness about flying.
Horner has dozens of iconic film scores to his name, including Apollo 13, Jumanji, A Beautiful Mind and was working on the Avatar sequels. He’s been nominated for nine Oscars, winning two in 1998 for “My Heart Will Go On” and the Titanic score.
Santa Barbara County Fire investigators did not immediately return Mashable’s requests for updated information Monday evening.
Horner composed “My Heart Will Go On,” aka “Love Theme from Titanic,” with lyrics by Will Jennings. Celine Dion recorded the song that became almost as big a hit as the 1997 blockbuster with which it was associated.
Cayman Islands government approves cinema ratings board
Members of the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly unanimously approved the Film Exhibition Control Bill last Friday (19) that will replace the old Cinematograph Law. The new board will be called the Film Control Board. The ratings
Commerce Minister, Wayne Panton, said ratings from internationally recognized film censors like the Motion Picture Association of America would not normally be challenged.
However, advanced warning to the Film Control Board will have to be given to them in advance of any public showing of a movie if it does not have a rating from one of the internationally recognized film censors. The board will then issue its own age limits rating
The board will also have the power to ban a movie from being screened if it deems it is “unsuitable for viewership in the islands.”
The three member board has not been named.
Jamaican gov’t website hacked by IS supporters
From Shanghai Daily
KINGSTON, June 22 (Xinhua) — The Jamaican government’s website was hacked by supporters of the Islamic State (IS) group on Monday night, local media reported.
Those who visit the website of Jamaica Information Service (JIS) could only find “Down For Maintenance” on it now.
But earlier, visitors were greeted with an IS propaganda message left by hackers who claimed themselves as “Team System Dz,” according to Jamaican newspaper Jamaica Observer.
The JIS is a government agency mandated to disseminate information that will enhance public awareness and increase knowledge of the policies and programs of the government.
This was not the first case in the Caribbean region. Last month, IS supporters hacked the official website of St. Vincent and Grenadines, and changed the front page into a picture of a man firing a machine gun from the back of a pick-up truck.
In that case, the hackers called themselves “Moroccan Wolf — Islamic State.”
For more: http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=289029
CEO of Cayman Islands Maritime Authority has all assault charges dropped
The chief executive officer of the Cayman Islands Maritime Authority, Joel Walton, who had three charges against him of assault causing actual body harm, causing fear or provocation of violence and insulting the modesty of a woman, dismissed last Tuesday (23).
The complainant provided a statement withdrawing her complaint and the director of public prosecutions had reviewed the matter and leave was sought to withdraw all of the charges.
The Largest Vacuum System in the Caribbean has been handed over
From FLOVAC
After three years of construction the first stages of the largest Vacuum Sewerage System in the Caribbean has been commissioned and handed over to the local operations group WEB NV. Special praise and thanks was given to Hans Staring, Manager of Bonaire Sewerage and Sanitation and local Flovac expert Hendrik Herrmann.
As all training courses require the participants to pass a rigorous exam which includes rebuilding of controllers and valves it was tremendous to see a pass rate in excess of 90% for the course.
The Bonaire vacuum system has over 1,100 different clients connected to the system and this includes residences as well as Hotels and Resorts. All sewerage enters the PE collection pits, produced by Flovac which house the Flovac valve, via gravity. It is important that the valve is situated in an easy location for operators to get to without any confined space issues arising. There is no power required at the collection pit as all sewage is moved through the valve and vacuum mains via a simple pneumatic process. The only power required in the project is at the vacuum Pump Station, which fits into the local surroundings.
For more: http://flovac.com/the-largest-vacuum-system-in-the-caribbean-has-been-handed-over/
Cayman Islands connection group in UK hold summer social
From CCUK
Members of Cayman Connection UK (CCUK) enjoyed a summer social get together on 5 June in London.
The event was the first summer social event for CCUK and the first time that cayman students and Friends of Cayman joined in London to celebrate the end of the academic year and to share stories of living in the UK.
The event was held at Jewel in Piccadilly, overlooking Piccadilly Circus.
Stay in touch at: http://caymanconnection.org for more events, the next up is the CCUK Annual Reception in Cayman on 14 August.
CCUK area also working on a Networking event on 1 October.
IMAGE: CCUK
For more: http://caymanconnection.org/ccuk-summer-social/
Another seven St. Lucian men missing at sea
From CARIBBEAN360
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Tuesday June 23, 2015 – St. Lucia marine officials have reported that seven more men are missing at sea.
On the heels of a search for four men who left Martinique almost three weeks ago for St. Lucia, and the discovery of four bodies in the French island, police have confirmed that seven men left St. Lucia for Martinique on June 13, but never reached their destination either.
The seven left on the fishing boat ‘Same Speed’ around 2 o’clock that morning.
A search for those men is now underway.
On June 5, four St. Lucian men left Fort de France on board a seven-foot pirogue, The Unexpected, and were expected to arrive in Rodney Bay, St. Lucia that same day.
However, they never arrived.
Three decomposed bodies were found by kite surfers on Saturday night off Cap Chevalier, on the eastern side of the island and another body was found last Thursday at Anse Aux Bois.
Investigations are being conducted to determine whether any of the bodies found are of the missing men.
For more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/another-seven-st-lucian-men-missing-at-sea#ixzz3dyg4t1D3
Analysts anticipate WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) to post $0.27 earnings per share
By Faye Duncan from Dakota Financial News
(NYSE:WX) June 23rd, 2015 – 0 comments – Filed Under –
WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Shares of WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) (NYSE:WX) have been given a consensus broker rating score of 1.86 (Buy) from the seven analysts that cover the company, Zacks Investment Research reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the company.
Brokerages have set a 12-month consensus target price of $46.60 for the company and are predicting that the company will post $0.27 earnings per share for the current quarter, according to Zacks. Zacks has also given WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) an industry rank of 107 out of 265 based on the ratings given to its competitors.
Separately, analysts at Zacks reiterated a “strong sell” rating on shares of WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) in a research note on Friday, May 1st.
WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE:WX) opened at 43.17 on Tuesday. WuXi PharmaTech has a one year low of $30.63 and a one year high of $46.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $43. and a 200-day moving average of $39.. The company has a market cap of $3.06 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.35.
WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) (NYSE:WX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $180.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $174.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.30 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that WuXi PharmaTech will post $1.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.
WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE:WX) Inc is an open-access research and development platform company. The Company is engaged in serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. The Company provides a portfolio of laboratory and manufacturing services in the drug and medical device research and development process.
To get a free copy of the research report on WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) (WX), click here. For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com.
More Cuban migrants arrive in Cayman Islands – detention centre full
The arrival of another group of Cuban migrants last weekend has filled the Fairbanks detention centre on Grand Cayman to its maximum capacity.
10 women and 26 men arrived on Cayman Brac on Saturday in a makeshift raft that was too precarious for them to continue on their way officials said.
Fairbanks now has 63 migrants and cannot take anymore.
The cost of detaining and repatriating the migrants is causing a huge strain of the Cayman Islands resources. The security at the detention centre is not as secure as it should be as it was not originally designed for its current use.
There have been a number of escapes and some have never been apprehended.
T&T hosts symposium on sustainable development goals
From Digital Guardian T&T
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean will convene a Symposium on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the Caribbean within the post-2015 Development Agenda in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday and Thursday.
This meeting, supported by the Caribbean Development Bank, brings together ministers and senior policy makers in the fields of planning and development, the environment, and social affairs, to consider among the SDGs those goals that are central to the sustainable development needs of the Caribbean.
Specifically, the meeting will highlight and raise awareness of the challenges faced by Caribbean countries in pursuing sustainable development, and provide a rationale for the selection of these priority goals.
Panel discussions will provide a forum for policy makers and experts to deliberate on the region’s development strategy as it transitions from the millennium development goals (MDGs) to the SDGs. Discussions will take into consideration the immediate and medium term constraints facing the region and the resource gaps that need to be filled from both domestic and international sources.
Strategies and opportunities for Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to implement the SDGs including financing for development, as well as data and institutional capacity needs will also be taken into consideration.
Officials of the United Nations system, representatives of regional civil society organisations, academia, regional development institutions and international development partners will also be invited to participate and contribute to the discussions.
For more: http://indepth.guardian.co.tt/business/2015-06-23/tt-hosts-symposium-sustainable-development-goals
Cayman Islands local TV station’s Island Living Show this weekend
The Cayman 27’s Island Living show takes place this weekend at the Art & Recreation Centre (ARC) at Camana Bay.
Cayman 27’s Island Living Show
26 & 27 June
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Friday
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Saturday
ARC, Camana Bay
Caribbean nations start bid for CONCACAF Olympic qualifying
By Nicholas Mendola From ProSoccerTalk
While the United States, Canada and Mexico already know their Olympic journeys begin in October, part of the hopeful field starts up on Wednesday.
Central America (UNCAF) won’t start its journey until Aug. 11, as Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize mix it up for three spots, but the Caribbean Zone starts up group play in just under 24 hours.
Three groups of four and one group of three — Curacao withdrew — will open up play in four host nations.
Four group winners will make it to the knockout rounds, with two finalists qualifying for the 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic qualifying Championship.
This is called the 2015 CONCACAF Men’s Olympic qualifying Championship qualification.Yeah, that’s a title.
Group 1 (in Haiti): Barbados, Cayman Islands, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Group 2 (in Antigua and Barbuda): Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Guyana
Group 3 (in Dominican Republic): Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint Lucia
Group 4 (in Puerto Rico): Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago
Denmark, Brazil, Germany and Argentina are the only nations to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
New Cayman Islands morning show for former Rooster radio talk show host
The Cayman Reporter has announced former Rooster talk show host Mr Austin Harris has signed on to do a morning talk show on radio station Star 92.7. The new morning show will be called ‘Straight Talk with Austin Harris’ and is scheduled to air on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 7:45am to 10am.
The new talk show is a collaboration between Star 92.7 and The Cayman Reporter “with a goal of bringing a conservative talk show devoted to the expression of viewpoints on issues relevant to the Cayman Islands”.
SOURCE: http://www.caymanreporter.com/2015/06/23/harris-returns-morning-show-star-92-7/
CTWD highlights the healing power of film at 2015 Caribbean Studies Conference
By Johaila Kinney From Tropical Fete
New Orleans, Louisiana – CaribbeanTales Worldwide Distribution (CTWD) presented an important panel discussion on the unique role of film and new digital technologies in healing the historical hurts created by our colonial past, that have fueled divisions between Africa and the Creole cultures of the Caribbean and the Americas. The presentation took place during the 40th Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Presenting on the panel were CTWD Chair, Dr. Keith Nurse; renowned filmmaker and Co-founder of Banyan Ltd., Christopher Laird; and filmmaker and ‘art-ivist’, Nicole Brooks. CTWD’s attendance at CSA was made possible by CTWD’s ‘3D Distribution Project’, financed by the ACP Cultures+ Program.
Caribbean Studies is growing in popularity among scholars and universities worldwide. This educational field is a core market for CTWD’s catalog of over 300 titles, many of which are used effectively as curriculum tools on a range of subjects, including history, cultural studies, immigration, sociology, economics, politics, and gender studies.
During the CSA Conference, CTWD also announced its landmark partnership with the Banyan Archives. This unparalleled Collection spans 4 decades and includes more than 3,000 high-quality documentary video recordings of Caribbean rituals, cultural festivals, and hundreds of interviews with celebrated Caribbean artists and icons.
Christopher Laird said : “After two presentations at the CSA and the enthusiastic response from those who attended and who heard about the existence of this remarkable entrance into the resources available for Caribbean enquiry and research – which one person described as ‘epic’ – I think the use of video/film as a research tool in a context heavily invested in text is at last getting some traction. The excitement generated was palpable”
“Film records and documents our cultures, both past and living, and has the power to unite territories divided by distance, language and bodies of water. The synergies and similarities throughout the Diaspora are undeniable, haunting, resonant, and healing. Films on Caribbean subjects provide tools for education that did not exist before. They are invaluable for education, documentation and forward development, ” said Frances-Anne Solomon, Founder of CTWD.
Blue Cilantro Cayman awarded Caribbean Restaurant of The Year 2014/2015
The Blue Cilantro Restaurant at Fidelity Financial Centre, Box 31414, West Bay Road
George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands has announced it has been awarded Caribbean Restaurant of The Year 2014/2015. The award was from The Jamaica Observer Best Dressed Chicken event held at the end of last month in Jamaica.
The Blue Cilantro is owned by well known chef Vidyadhara Shetty and long-time Cayman developer Benjamin Torchinsky.
It was opened at the end of 2011.
Chef Shetty was born in Mumbai, India and came to Cayman in 1994 to work with the Hyatt Regency Hotel. In 1999, he earned the Chef of the Year award from Cayman Culinary Society, where he has since become president.
IMAGE: Blue Cilantro
HSUS employee charged over criminal Caribbean caper
From Humane Watch
Last night, news broke that HSUS employee Atiya Pope has been charged with embezzling over $30,000 from the animal-rights group. Obviously this should be concerning for those who have supported the animal rights organization with their donations. Ironically, the charges that Pope ran up on the company credit card allegedly include a fancy vacation to Aruba.
Perhaps this didn’t immediately raise red flags with the organization, since they have so many other dealings in the Caribbean. Incredibly, HSUS has stashed $50 million of donor money into Caribbean-based hedge funds. It’s telling when a “humane society” favors tax shelters over pet shelters.
Other purchases that Pope allegedly ran up on the company credit card include a $17,307 Enterprise Rent-A-Car bill, and additional food and gasoline expenses. But as ABC 7 News reports, the fraud went on for two years and was uncovered when her new supervisor did a “light audit.”
What incompetence at HSUS.
ABC 7 News reported that staff at the Humane Society of the United States were “stunned” by the allegations, but we believe the public and HSUS donors would really be stunned if they realized not just how much money HSUS sends to the Caymans and Bermuda, but what a tiny percentage of HSUS’s money goes towards local pet shelters. Our polling shows that 87% of HSUS donors are unaware that HSUS gives just 1% of its budget to local shelters.
For the amount of money HSUS sends to this area instead of helping presently needy animals, someone should consider naming a beach bar drink after HSUS. Something that gives you a good hangover and induces vomit.
For more: http://www.humanewatch.org/hsus-employee-charged-over-criminal-caribbean-caper/
A bountiful summer bloom of Cayman’s Wild Banana Orchid
From Plantana
Besides the white sands of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach and the crystal clear blues of the Caribbean Sea, the landscape of Plantana is abundant with lush tropical trees, shrubs and colorful flowers, most of which bloom year-round. But we have one very special plant, the Wild Banana Orchid, which blooms only once a year after the spring rains in May or early June. This year in late May, our thriving Wild Banana Orchid displayed a shower of eight stems covered in bountiful blooms which lasted for over four weeks as the flowers on the last lingering stem are only now fading. The Wild Banana Orchid’s lovely bloom is a bouquet of small white flowers laced with rich purple lips. When in bloom, one simply must pause on the pathway to admire the delicate beauty.
The Wild Banana Orchid is The National Flower of the Cayman Islands. The Wild Banana Orchid (Myrmecophila thomsoniana var. thomsoniana) is an endemic species which means that it is naturally found only in the Cayman Islands and it is one of 28 different varieties of orchids found in Cayman. Although these orchids grow wild in woodlands, they are also very popular in gardens. The Wild Banana Orchid can be seen at the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park along with other orchids. For more information on Cayman’s orchids, visit the websites for The National Trust for the Cayman Islands http://www.nationaltrust.org.ky/#!wild-banana-orchid/cr0r and the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park http://www.botanic-park.ky/nature/orchids-at-the-park/. Attached is a sampling of the bloom easily seen along Plantana’s central pathway leading to the pool and beach.
IMAGE: photo courtesy of Patrick Broderick Photography
For more on this story go to: http://www.plantanacayman.com/blog/a-bountiful-summer-bloom-of-cayman-s-wild-banana-orchid
Cayman Islands University seeking hosts for Foreign Exchange students
The University College of the Cayman Islands is seeking families to host foreign exchange students (male and female) beginning in the Fall 2015.
Families of students currently enrolled at UCCI would be ideal. Accommodations sought are preferably within easy access to public transportation.
Interested parties are invited to a meeting with President JA Roy Bodden at the UCCI Cascade Room on Tuesday, 30 June 2015 at 4:00pm.
For further information, please contact the President’s Office at 623-0574 or email [email protected].
Council of Conservative Citizens is infamous because of terrorist attack at US church
From Rational WIKI
The Council of Conservative Citizens is a racist hate group that advocates white supremacist positions including white separatism. It is based in St. Louis, Missouri and was founded in 1985, rising from the execrable ashes of the White Citizens’ Councils formed in the 1950s to oppose de-segregation. They have published various columns describing African-Americans and other non-white ethnicities as “a retrograde species of humanity.” They are also, unsurprisingly, anti-gay and anti-Semitic.[1] The C of CC is organized into various chapters spread across thirteen states. They hold the most influence in (surprise surprise) the Bible Belt states of Tennessee, Mississippi, and South Carolina, where several state legislators are members; their activity in other states is sporadic, where it exists at all.
According to their Statement of Principles they feel that the United States is a Christian country, and all of the public leaders of the US of A should reflect Christian beliefs and such. They also believe that the US of A is to be, and always should have been, a European American country with all of the European heritage and people that entails. They most likely collectively shat their pants in November 2008. They also strongly dislike the following: The United Nations, Communism, racial diversity, immigration (legal or illegal) of non-Europeans, feminism, homosexuality (especially in the military), affirmative action, women in the military, NAFTA, the World Trade Organization, and any government agency not found in the Constitution (such as the Department of Education). But they loves them some guns.
The Western Tennessee CCC is responsible for The Political Cesspool, a radio show affiliated with (among others) Stormfront and the Institute for Historical Review. They also called for a boycott of the movie based on Marvel Comics’ Thor character, because a black actor was cast playing Heimdall, a Norse god
Veiled validation for a villain
In the wake of Dylann Roof’s terrorist attack at a Charleston church in June 2015 the organisation was quick to condemn his acts, if not his ideology. It couldn’t, however, resist claiming that he had ‘legitimate grievances’. Its statement was silent on whether the organisation would have felt his actions were justified if he’d drawn the line at pistol-whipping his victims instead of killing them.
For more: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Council_of_Conservative_Citizens
Cayman Islands asks their fans to share their ‘beach face’ for a chance to win
By Alice Lankester From friend2friend
Cayman Islands just launched a new contest powered by the Friend2Friend Platform asking people in Dallas and Fort Worth to submit their ‘beach face’ for the chance to win weekly prizes and one grand prize of a round trip flight to Cayman. Users can submit their photo via the direct upload or using the hashtag #CaymanBeachFace when posting from Twitter or Instagram.
Check out the contest here: http://www.caymanislands.ky/eventsoffers/
SeaDream Yacht Club heads for Southern Caribbean in 2016
By Theresa Norton Masek from Travel Pulse
SeaDream Yacht Club’s 112-guest twin mega-yachts will once again return to the Caribbean for the winter 2015-16 season. Both vessels will ring in the New Year overnighting in St. Barts on sold-out itineraries.
Then, SeaDream I will make its way to the Southern Caribbean for 12 sailings departing between Jan. 3 and April 2. The itineraries will showcase St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia and more.
In response to popular demand, three round-trip sailings from Bridgetown, Barbados, will be available, complemented by nine itineraries between Bridgetown and Marigot, St. Martin.
“The islands hold a special place for the SeaDream Yacht Club crew and guests, evident by our recent onboard fund-raiser during the trans-Atlantic crossing benefitting Hands Across the Sea, an organization dedicated to raising literacy levels in the Caribbean,” said Adrienne d’Annunzio, manager of the SeaDream Yacht Club loyalty program. “We look forwarding to exploring all the islands in 2016, but especially the less-sailed Southern Caribbean including the Grenadines, and making a positive impact on these small communities along the way.”
The full 2016 Southern Caribbean schedule for SeaDream I is available on the SeaDream website. Shore excursion highlights include a trip to the elite private island of Mustique, which measures just 3 by 1 1/2 miles and is home to Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger, among other celebrities.
SeaDream’s signature “Champagne and Caviar Splash” is offered on all 2016 Southern Caribbean voyages. Guests wade into the surf to indulge in premium caviar and bubbles served on a surfboard covered in white linens. Guests then eat a BBQ lunch on a white sand beach and can swim, snorkel or lounge.
Inclusive yachting fares begin at $3,499, based on double occupancy.
PHOTO: SeaDream’s small yachts are returning to the Caribbean this winter. (Courtesy of SeaDream Yacht Club)
For more: http://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/seadream-yacht-club-heads-for-southern-caribbean-in-2016.html
Cayman Islands Crisis Centre elects new board
The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre has elected a new executive committee at its annual general meeting earlier this month.
Board member Denise Gower is the newly elected chairwoman of the organization. She is joined by Melisa Johnson as vice chairwoman. Johnson is also chairwoman of the fundraising committee.
Zena Merren-Chin was re-elected as secretary and William Fleury was re-elected as treasurer. The other board members are: Richard Simms, Dawn McLean-Sawney, Charmaine McGowan and Janette Goodman.
The Crisis Centre is the only women’s shelter in the Cayman Islands. It also provides a child and youth aftercare and outreach programme, sponsored by Hedge Funds Care. The organization has an active fundraising committee that works to raise the $250,000 per year needed to keep the Crisis Centre operating.
The Crisis Centre has a 24-hour emergency hotline on 943-2422.
Special Economic Zone In The Cayman Islands Creates New Maritime Services Park
Article by Jonathan R. McLean and Gene DaCosta From Conyers Dill & Pearman
The Cayman Islands is the global leader for mega-yacht registrations. With its sight now firmly set on bringing shipping companies and maritime service providers to Cayman, the Special Economic Zone in the Cayman Islands (the “SEZ”), pursuant to The Special Economic Zones (Cayman Enterprise City) (Amendment) Order, 2015, has recently created the Cayman Maritime Services Park.
This park has been designed to attract maritime services businesses to assist in the establishment of the Cayman Islands as the largest maritime cluster in the region. Companies such as ship owners, shipbrokers, shipping financiers, technology companies and start-ups engaged in innovative maritime research and development, head offices or satellite offices of maritime industrial businesses and yacht manufacturing and repair businesses; demurrage calculation and post deal expenses calculation; freight trading and brokerage businesses; crew salaries and benefits processing companies; bunker brokerage companies; shipping operations; logistics planning and vessel management companies; management consulting; and other specialized services to maritime sector businesses can all now set-up operations in the Cayman Islands under the SEZ regime.
Originally created in 2011, the SEZ now comprises seven parks: (1) Cayman Internet Park; (2) Cayman Science and Technology Park; (3) Cayman Media Park; (4) Cayman Commodities & Derivatives Park; (5) Cayman Outsource Park; (6) Cayman International Academic Park; and (7) Cayman Maritime Services Park.
For further background reading on the SEZ please see attached link to our SEZ Memorandum.
SOURCE: http://www.conyersdill.com/locations/view/cayman-islands
American Airlines Dallas/Cayman Islands inaugural flight
On the occasion of welcoming the inaugural direct flight of American Airlines flight AA1699 737/800 from Dallas Fort Worth to Owen Roberts International Airport Grand Cayman are L-R: Mrs. Faith Ebanks, American Airlines Lead Agent GCM, Ms. Nadine Jennings, American Airlines General Manager GCM, Terry Gibbs, American Airlines First Officer, David See, American Airlines Captain, Councillor Hon. Joseph Hew, Ministry of Tourism, Mrs. Rosa Harris, Director of Tourism. The direct service from Dallas to Grand Cayman will run every Saturday.
