PREMIER CONTINUES HIS TOURS OF MINISTRIES

From Office of the Premier

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin continued touring his Ministries this week in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Hazard Management on Tuesday.

Mr. McLaughlin met with staff and management to discuss current issues affecting both agencies.

As the Ministry of Home Affairs, for which Mr. McLaughlin is responsible, is also the parent agency of HMCI—Chief Officer Eric Bush and Deputy Chief Officer Wesley Howell accompanied Mr. McLaughlin to the department.

With the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Ivan just a few weeks away, the Premier spoke to HMCI about his memories of the Category 5 storm.

The Ministry of Home Affairs administers most public authorities that deal directly with security.

HMCI is responsible for coordinating Government’s response to a national disaster.

The premier also visited Caribbean Haven, Department of Children and Family Services Bodden Town, Frances Bodden Girls Home and East End Cottage

PHOTOS

Premier at Hazard Management

Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, right, took a walking tour of Hazard Management Cayman Islands on Tuesday, 26 August, 2013. With him are HMCI Director McCleary Frederick , left, and  Chief Officer Eric Bush. Photo: Office of the Premier

Ministry of Home Affairs From left are Chief Officer Eric Bush, Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin, Press Secretary to the Premier Tammie Chisholm, Political Advisor to the Premier Roy Tatum, Political Assistant to the Premier Kenneth Bryan, Prison Director Neil Lavis and Chief Technology Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs Kern Owen. Photo: Office of the Premier

Department of Children and Family Services Director Jen Dixon welcomes Health, Sports, Youth and Culture Minister and Bodden Town MLA Hon. Osbourne Bodden to the Bodden Town offices of her Department

Staff members of the East End Sunrise Cottage gather with Premier Hon. Alden McLaughlin during his tour of the facilities

COCKTAILS AND CABARET RAISE ALMOST $7,000 FOR ZAK

The organisers of the Cocktails and Cabaret show featuring Melanie Ebanks and Friends have announced that “due to the overwhelming response to our three shows, we were able to raise nearly CI$7,000 ($ 6,938) for the Zak Quappe Memorial Scholarship Fund. Ticket sales accounting for $5,790 of that and additional donations making up the rest.

“These funds, together with what is currently in the fund are sufficient to provide a full scholarship for a young Caymanian to achieve their private pilots license.

“The committee will now meet to consider a number of promising young Caymanians and would encourage any others who are interested in applying to write to Sheree Ebanks at [email protected] or at P.O. Box 956 Grand Cayman, KY1 1102.”

The “cabaret” style show will feature musical theatre–ranging from past hits such as Company to the latest Tony and BAFTA winning performances of Matilda and Once.

All three performances were staged at the Cayman Drama Society’s Prospect Playhouse.

Melanie Ebanks  is currently a Year 2 student at one of London’s top drama schools, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.   This show was her directorial debut.

Melanie Ebanks bio:

Melanie is passionate about performing arts and has used this medium to give back to her community.  In 2012 she launched “Cocktails and Cabaret” a musical theatre review and put on her first solo performance, a one night only sold out show.  She raised $1,500 for George Town Primary School and their performing arts centre.  In May 2013 she lost her cousin in a tragic car accident and again wanted to give back to the community dedicating the concert to him.  She immediately felt she could do something positive even though she was heartbroken.   She made her directing debut, recruiting an additional three performers of her and Zak’s peers and successfully put on three performances donating 100% sales to the Zak Quappe Memorial Scholarship Fund set up to provide funds to young Caymanians who show an interest and passion for flying.  The concert has raised over $6,900, making it possible for a young Caymanian to attend flight school this year. She hopes to make “Cocktails and Cabaret” an annual charity concert.

Jeff and Kelly McGlashan of Cayman Flying Club, where Zak was employed, have started a Christmas tree initiative where $10 of each tree sold will also go toward the Fund.  It is called Trees4Life and they are hoping to raise an additional $2,000 through this medium.  The website is http://trees4lifecayman.com.

Here is some information on this:

Tree4Life will donate a portion of it’s proceeds to the Zak Quappe’ Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund is designed to help a young Caymanian obtain the necessary flight hours and training to obtain their Private Pilot License (PPL). It costs roughly $12,000 to obtain the PPL license and there are those less fortunate who would otherwise not be able to afford the cost. Our goal is to raise $2000 to help contribute toward the fund.

Zak was instrumental to the Cayman Flying Club where he began his career of being a commercial pilot. He trained a number of students, many of them more than twice his age. That is no ordinary task at the young age of 21. It takes discipline, commitment, and lots of hard work. In his short 21 years he gained almost 400 hours of flight time which is quite an achievement. He was due to be called up to Cayman Airways Express in September 2013 until his unfortunate passing.

They say beyond every dark cloud is a silver lining. We at Trees4Life believe that silver lining is keeping the dream alive. The dream to fly, to see Cayman from a birds eye perspective is a dream worthy of such a cause. This is why we named our site Trees4Life.

For further information about the Zak Quappe’ Memorial Scholarship Fund please contact;

Sheree Ebanks @ [email protected], Karie Bergstrom @ [email protected]  or Jeff McGlashan @ [email protected]

ROYAL CARIBBEAN TO PAY MEDICAL BILLS FOR PASSENGER STRANDED IN TURKEY

By Shaun Bevan From South Florida Business Journal

Azamara Club Cruise is owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has agreed to pay “any medical bills not covered by insurance” for an injured 89-year-old man who was left stranded by the cruise line in Turkey, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Dodge Melkonian and his wife, Jill, were cruising the Black Sea aboard the Azamara Journey when Melkonian fell and injured his hip. The ship’s crew transferred him and his wife to a hospital in Bartin and then continued on their voyage.

Azamara Club Cruises is a Royal Caribbean brand.

The couple were left to their own devices on finding a way out of the small hospital that wasn’t able to treat Melkonian’s injury. With only a phone number for Royal Caribbean, the couple resorted to contacting their travel agent, who was able to arrange an ambulance and tour guide to help transfer Melkonian to a hospital six hours away in Instanbul.

Royal Caribbean’s actions were blasted by media reports and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson last week.

Earlier this week, Royal Caribbean’s VP and global chief medical officer told Jill Melkonian in an email that the company would “pay any medical bills not covered by insurance so that you do not incur any related out-of-pocket expenses. I hope this will put your mind at ease and help you focus on your husband’s recovery.”

The cruise company wants the couple to submit medical claims through their own insurance company and through Medicare.

Jill Melkonian told ABC Action News that she thought the coverage they bought through the cruise should cover their expenses.

In an odd twist of fate, the Melkonians were traveling on the Azamara ship for free after their cruise aboard the Azamara Quest last year was abruptly ended by a fire on board.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/2013/08/royal-caribbean-to-pay-medical-bills.html

See also iNews Cayman stories:

“Couple stranded by cruise in Turkey receives outpouring of support”

August 27, 2013 at: http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/08/couple-stranded-by-cruise-in-turkey-receives-outpouring-of-support/

“Two more stories Royal Caribbean won’t like” August 22, 2013 at: http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/08/two-more-stories-royal-caribbean-wont-like/