Issue 220 iLocal Island-wide diabetes screening day Page 3
iWorld Jolly hockey sticks for Kate Page 4
iLocal Little Cayman prepares for Agriculture Show Page 8
EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR iNEWS CAYMAN Page 10
CAYMAN Annual economic surveys begins Page 6
OUR EYE, YOUR NEWS
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FRI-MON | 16-19 MAR 2012
CRIME WORRIES OT report highlights problems
Page 6 Sobbing families identify Swiss bus crash victims Page 9 Cuba dissidents vow to stay in church
Tad Stoner
Page 11
tad.stoner@ieyenews.com
The UK government yesterday released the results of its autumn survey of Overseas Territories, pointing out that Cayman Islands worries centred on crime, public safety, the cost of living and foreign labour. High crime rates were raised generally throughout the 11 Overseas Territories (OTs), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) report said, but more than half the 41 submissions on the subject came from Cayman, including the Cayman Islands government which, the authors said, “highlighted public safety and the rise of crime as a significant challenge, and advocated the development of a long-term strategic plan to tackle this.” Dated February 2012 and covering 43 pages, the report chronicles 517 responses to its 27
Live Studio Night fever
Ernst & Young provides financial boost Page 14
Chelsea complete dramatic comeback Page 19
Rotary reading fun at GTPS Volunteers from the Rotary Sunrise Club have been reading with the children at George Town Primary School regularly once a week for a while now, but this week was Rotary’s
designated reading week so the lucky kids got six volunteers to read them some favourite kids’ books. Pictured is Rotarian Stephen Dwyer with some GTPS kids. Full story on page 3
Continued on page 5
TODAY’S WEATHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS HIGH LOW 83°F 74°F
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
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iCommunity
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Rotary Club Blood Tests Christopher Tobutt christopher.tobutt@ieyenews.com
Rotary Central hosted a free islandwide diabetes screening day at eight different locations throughout Grand Cayman including Fosters Republix, store Cost U Less, A. L. Thompson’s ( New Location added this year), Foster’s Strand, Kirk Supermarket, Hurley’s, Foster’s Airport & Countryside. Rotary Central partnered with the Health Services Authority (HSA) to test Grand Cayman. This event was open to everyone, whether or not they had any reason to consider themselves under risk. Altogether almost 700 individuals were screened, and 15 newly diagnosed diabetics, three of whom were referred to the emergency room because of their extremely high blood sugar levels. 30 uncontrolled diabetics were screened (two of which were urgently referred to the emergency room because of their extremely high blood sugar levels). Non diabetic conditions were also identified and applicable referrals were made for medical management. 30 individuals were also identified as having very significant risk factors for being diabetics. These
“It feels like I’m in a dream!”
individuals will be contacted and offered the conclusive HbA1c test which will report the individuals’ blood sugar range over the past three months. This will also be funded by Rotary Central. Further screenings will be done in East End at a later date. A screening event at North Side is also being considered because of the multiple requests/inquiries received. Since the beginning of the Rotary year, almost 800 individuals have been screened. The prevalence of diabetes
continues to increase at an alarming rate worldwide. It is expected that during the 21st century, this chronic lifestyle disease will affect one in every three people of the islands of the Caribbean Rotary Central hopes that its diabetes initiatives will sensitise the public about the prevalence of the disease within the Cayman community and what part each person can play in minimising its occurrence since diabetes is not like a switch that gets turned on and off - healthy one day, diabetic the next.
“Cancer knows no barrier, no age, no class, no color. It changes your life you know. It comes with a lot of pain; physical pain for the patient but it’s heart breaking pain for the family. Cancer breaks you emotionally and financially. Cancer drains you, it’s really hard. You never know what dealing with this disease does to someone until the shoe is on your foot. The Cancer Society has been there for me and my husband and they have been a tower of strength in every way possible.” ~Wife of cancer patient
114 Maple Road George Town P.O. Box 10565 Grand Cayman KY1-1005 Cayman Islands
Hundreds of people got themselves tested for diabetes, thanks to the Rotary Club and the assistance of many volunteers.
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T. 345-949-7618 F. 345-949-8694 www.cics.ky
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iWorld
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Kate’s Goal: Duchess promotes Olympic field hockey
Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge laughs as she plays hockey with the British Olympic hockey teams
LONDON (AP) — She shoots, she scores! The former Kate Middleton smashed home a goal Thursday as she played a bit of field hockey while visiting the British Olympic women’s team at Olympic Park. The Duchess of Cambridge, who captained the hockey team at her high school, Marlborough College, took the field in a morale-boosting mission ahead of the July 27-Aug. 12 London games. Admitting it’s been a while since she had taken a stick in hand, she tried to suggest that no one should watch. That notion was ignored. “I was really looking forward to coming here, but now I am here and have discovered I have to play, I am not feeling so confident,” she said. The glamorous Kate arrived at Olympic Park in heels but quickly donned a gray “Team GB” (Great Britain) sweatshirt over coralcolored jeans. She expressed some concern that her skinny jeans would clash with the bright blue pitch, but gamely grabbed a stick and took a few shots. “This is going to be so embarrassing,” she said. “My brain thinks I can do all these wonderful things but my body just doesn’t play ball.” Clearly she was sandbagging the crowd of journalists. Although no
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one was at the net to block a goal, Kate took a big swing and let the ball fly. Zing. It was in. The Olympic team captain, Kate Walsh, pronounced herself impressed. “She told me that she missed playing as part of a team,” Walsh said. “She also told me that she used to hit the penalty corners and you could see that. She got low and her shots were really sweet.” Kate, 30, had specifically asked to meet with the hockey team as part of her role as an Olympic ambassador. Together with Princes William and Harry, she will make an effort to see and be seen at the London Olympics and to cheer the home side on. But before Thursday, few really
knew what sports she might like to see. The team seemed to appreciate that she was willing to risk embarrassing herself to help promote their sport. She chatted with U.K. coaches, trainers and players, asking about training. “Do you still get bananas and oranges at halftime?” she asked. The visit seemed to evoke a time when she was just Kate, not a duchess, not the wife of a prince, not someone whose wedding was watched by millions around the world. Kate recalled how she played her hockey position with an air of wistfulness. “I really enjoyed it,” she said. “And it is great to be here.”
AFTER HOURS COMMENCING 20th FEB 2012
ELECTRONIC BILLING
Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge smiles as she meets the British Olympic hockey teams
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iLocal
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Report reveals cost of living worries Tad Stoner tad.stoner@ieyenews.com
Continued from front page September - 31 December survey. Most of the submissions came from the Cayman Islands, which contributed 182 answers, 35.2% of the total. In second place was the British Virgin Islands, with 104 answers, 20.2%,, followed by the United Kingdom itself, with 82, Bermuda with 50 and Anguilla with 23. The Caribbean region was by far the largest contributor, with Montserrat in eighth position and the Turks and Caicos Islands at No. 10. On the subject of law enforcement, the report said it had been “the most important area of cooperation [with the UK] raised in nine submissions,” all of which came from both Cayman and the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Suggesting Cayman respondents felt similarly to BVI, the report said the territory had asked that “the UK strengthen its cooperation with local police as recent events on the island had caused an increase of crime which local authorities were incapable of handling.” BVI Premier Dr Orlando Smith said the police “clearance rate” on crime was below norm, while a Cayman respondent said that “skills related to the gathering and effective protection of solid
Officers at the scene of a murder last year
evidence is lacking”. One Cayman resident was concerned “that the current model of co-operation between the UK and the Cayman Islands Police Service was failing, and that recent visits and consultations had not yielded satisfactory results.” The cost of living, the FCO said, “was the second most-frequently discussed issue,” mentioned in 24 answers, including food-price complaints from Anguilla and the Falkland Islands, and quoting a
Police Commissioner David Baines and Governor Duncan Taylor
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Cayman response: “The cost of living is way too high. The Cayman Islands is a world-leading financial centre and a global player. There is no level playing field where everyday living is concerned.” Fears that foreign labour was “undercutting the pay of local workers“ drew the third-most responses among economic issues, the report said, quoting eight observations, “largely from residents of the Cayman Islands, including local government which described the difficulties of “striking the appropriate balance between attracting qualified and expert labour from overseas and, in the process of so doing, not obstructing the progress and development of the local workforce.” Finding that balance, the spokesman finished, “remains an elusive task and one that would seem to be central to any successful economic planning in the Cayman Islands.” Other issues included education, defence, good governance, Cayman’s lack of audited accounts and poor infrastructure planning, quoting one Cayman resident “who
believed that politicians often began projects that were scrapped by new administrations, at significant cost to the taxpayer.” The Office of Governor Duncan Taylor said yesterday that the summary of responses was only a precursor to a final White Paper, which would be published “on 17 April, depending on the feedback, on #10 Downing Street and Parliament’s timetable,” according to spokesman Steve Moore. A draft final report has already circulated among the premier, top officials and the consultative committee created for the survey, seeking further information and feedback to London. Ultimately, Mr Moore said, the paper would affect UK decisions on “the concerns of the Overseas Territories and if the UK can do more and can be better engaged. “We are working with the Treasury and the Home Office and others”, he said, echoing the report itself, looking at how “the UK could strengthen cooperation and partnerships with the Territories via audits, policing and constitutional reform.”
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iLocal
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Live Studio Night fever Christopher Tobutt
Photo by Christopher Tobutt
christopher.tobutt@ieyenews.com
Members of the Cayman Islands National Gallery are welcome to “drop in” and paint a real live model on Thursday evenings during the new Live Studio Nights. The new sessions take place at the National Gallery Education Centre at their brand new building just off the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, and cost CI$15.00 per person. They offer an informal atmosphere to art enthusiasts of all ages, (provided they are over 16 years old) and abilities. There is no instructor for the course, but other more experienced artists are willing to offer some friendly advice, if needed. During each session a model sits for fifteen minutes at a time, and then takes a five - minute break (sitting perfectly still can be very hard work) before resuming. The models are fully clothed or costumed, and the National Gallery is always looking for more volunteers. There is no payment, but modelling could earn a student
Let your inner artist breath once a week at the National Gallery’s Live Studio Nights.
artist a batch of free sessions behind the easel. Artists bring their own materials - it could be a full set of paints and a canvas, or just a sketchbook and pencil - although materials are on
sale if they happen to run out of something. The convivial atmosphere includes a glass of wine and sophisticated jazzy music, just right for getting into an arty mood after a
hard day in the office. At the moment only a few sessions are planned, for the month of March, but if the Live Studio Nights prove popular - there will be more later on in the year.
Annual economic surveys begins Annual economic surveys that measure and record the pulse of economic activity of all businesses and other economic sectors in the Cayman Islands commence on Monday, 19 March and continue into May. The Balance of Payments (BOP) and System of National Accounts (SNA) surveys seek to provide a true picture of the Cayman Islands’ economy. These surveys are conducted by the Economics and Statistics Office (ESO) on an annual basis and cover all local industries, core government, statutory authorities, government enterprises, and non-profit organisations, including churches and voluntary organisations. The information gathered from
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the surveys is vital for business and economic planning, ESO staff said. For instance, the SNA Survey is used in calculating the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) representing the total value of goods and services produced in the Cayman Islands as a whole and in each economic sector. The SNA also measures the total costs involved in producing goods and services locally. The BOP measures Cayman’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, including receipts and payments for financial services, tourism, professional services and workers’ remittances. ESO staff emphasise all data collected by the surveys will be kept confidential and used strictly for
statistical purposes only, ensuring complete compliance under the Statistics Law. With only aggregate outcomes posted, no individual business or other entity need fear its information will be made public or disclosed or released to anyone, they stated. Businesses will receive the forms hand-delivered or in the mail and are expected to fill out and return the forms to ESO. The forms can also be downloaded from www.eso. ky. All completed forms should be returned to ESO, located on 3rd floor, Government Administration Building, 133, Elgin Avenue, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Additionally, department staff will be available to assist those who need help to fill out the forms.
Clinics for small and medium businesses are being planned. Another option is to simply submit the financial statements for the year to enable the ESO staff to fill in the information themselves. For all enquiries or assistance in filling out the forms, please contact the following staff members: For SNA: Yvonne Newland, Senior Statistician; 244-1615; Yvonne. Newland@gov.ky, Selburn Christian, Statistician I; 244-1676; Selburn.Christian@gov.ky For BOP: Julietta Beaupierre, Senior Statistician; 244-3500; Julietta. Beaupierre@gov.ky, Michael Godfrey, Statistician I; 244-1617; Michael.Godfrey@gov.ky to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iLocal
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Legal wrangle over new schools problems
MLA Rolston Anglin (inset) and the incomplete new school
Tad Stoner tad.stoner@ieyenews.com
As the Minister for Education seeks to blame contractors and his predecessors for the $100 million high school fiasco, Rolston Anglin is likely to see defence evidence by architects and surveyors that could vindicate the builders. And while Mr Anglin told the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee on Tuesday that arbitration of the dispute would start “in late July”, that will form only the preliminary battle. The main event in the threepronged suit will not come until springtime 2013, just in timer for national elections. The late July hearing will determine the validity of certificates signed by government and that Tom Jones International (TJI) says should have formed the basis for payments to the company. Officials now say the certificates are not valid, and should never have been signed. While the parties to the dispute uniformly decline to comment, an
outline of the situation suggests the arbitration will be both expensive and protracted, with the price and duration of the proceedings still unknown. Mr Anglin said on Tuesday he would move in late May or early July to secure government’s costs. Not only is $17.5 million in change orders -- some already paid – at stake, but also performance bonds, for which government has already issued a writ, according to Mr Anglin, but that TJI says should be cancelled; but also the fate of certificates of work completed; and the issue of the arbitration itself, embodied in comments of one analyst who asked why government was “going this way? It should have been settled a long time ago”. Government originally agreed with TJI in May 2008 to build both the John Gray and Clifton Hunter high schools, pursuant to winning tenders of approximately $60 million for each. Critical cost overruns, change orders and unpaid invoices quickly soured the project, however,
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with the result that on 31 October 2009, work halted on Clifton Hunter, followed on 9 November by John Gray, five months after national elections, TJI claims they were entitled to cancel the contracts because they had not been paid, while Mr Anglin on Tuesday claimed that a “significant amount of shoddy workmanship” had forced government to underwrite repairs. Acting on behalf of government, however, project architects and quantlty surveyors verified the work TJI completed, meaning any issues regarding workmanship would have been identified. Those verifications formed part of government’s subsequent request for bids to complete the schools. In its defence, TJI is expected to point to the verifications and observe that the two building sites, behind Truman Bodden stadium and on Frank Sound Road, have remained largely unsecured and open to the elements for at least two years.
Mr Anglin yesterday, while acknowledging he had made some of the changes that are in dispute, pointed to six areas responsible for ballooning costs of approximately $100 million per school: architecture fees; project management fees; quantity surveying fees; the cost of site works; furniture, fixtures and equipment costs; and “other consultancy fees”. “The construction contracts,” he said, “were for $120 million and they were for just that, construction only.” Mr Anglin acknowledged that few of the six areas formed part of the Tom Jones agreement. Calling them “very expensive, he placed the blame squarely on the previous administration, although related questions may arise at arbitration. “The fundamental issue,” one analyst said, is whether the original design worked or didn’t work. It’s a series of questions. There were sign-offs on everything, and these will ultimately be claims at the arbitration.”
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iLocal
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Little Cayman gears up for Agriculture Show Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Agriculture Hon Juliana O’Connor-Connolly is delighted to support Little Cayman’s 2nd Annual Agriculture Show and by all account residents are looking forward to the event which will be held on Saturday, 24 March at the Museum Grounds. Minister O’Connor-Connolly confirms that Mr. Linton Tibbetts’ family has graciously allowed his property to be used again this year for the hosting of the show. “We aim to create a great family day with much to do, learn and see. The show attracts, on average, several hundred visitors and brings together a celebration of local traditions, crafts, produce and entertainment,” she said. Chairperson of the Little Cayman Agriculture Show Mrs. Debbie Truchan, is working closely with the Chairman of the Brac Agricultural Show Mr Mark Tibbetts, the Department of Agriculture and the Ministry to ensure that this year’s show is another resounding success. The highlight of this year’s show will be the tractor rides and coconut toss, with different age groups. According to Ms. Truchan, the tractor rides will mark a bit of history. She explained that the first known vehicle on Little Cayman
Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Agriculture Hon Juliana O’Connor-Connolly (far right) presented children and teachers from Little Cayman Education Service with an award for assisting with last year Ag Show.
was said to be a tracker. With a 70-year old tracker that has been restored by Mr. Sonny Johnson, the committee thought it would be a nice feature to add to the show. In addition, last year’s popular dog show will return and residents will once again have a chance to enter their pets in the various categories, including best trick and best dressed. The agricultural displays will mainly represent produce from backyard farming which is in keeping with Minister O’ConnorConnolly’s vision for Agriculture of making Agriculture everybody’s business.
Visitors browse exhibit stands at last year’s Agriculture Show in Little Cayman
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“Little Cayman residents are committed to a sustainable lifestyle. Most residents grow something – mangoes, pumpkins, callaloo, peppers, tomatoes and all the resorts’ chefs have gardens. This is what this show is all about,” Ms. Truchan said. Last year, the Little Cayman Agriculture Show attracted 19 vendors who displayed a little bit of everything – arts, crafts, jams and jellies and Ms. Truchan noted that the organisers were expecting a similar turnout this year. There will be a variety of foods on sale including local specialties, BBQ and jerked chicken. The Little Cayman Education Services will provide lemonade and coconut water. Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly encouraged Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman residents to support the Little Cayman show. “The show offers the usual extravaganza of colour, competition and showmanship along with displays, and is a great opportunity for social interaction in a close-knit community. The good thing about agriculture in Little Cayman is that just about everyone does their part. They understand the importance of backyard farming and rely on each other, with neighbourly support,” she stated. Tickets costs $5 for entry and $10 to include an entry into the raffle. The first prize is $1,000, with many other prizes.
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German court mulls restitution of Nazi-seized art BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s top federal appeals court is set to rule Friday on whether a Berlin museum must return to a Jewish man from Florida thousands of rare posters that were seized from his father by the Nazis. Lower courts have ruled that Peter Sachs, the son of collector Hans Sachs, is the rightful owner of the vast collection of advertisements and political propaganda dating back to the late 1800s, and now believed to be worth between euro4.5 million and euro16 million ($6 million to
$21 million). What the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe must decide is whether the law provides for Sachs to get the posters back from the German Historical Museum, a decision complicated by their unique and tumultuous journey through more than 70 years of German history. It said last month it must “review and clarify” the situation, in which the posters were stolen from Germany’s leading private collector by the Nazis’ Gestapo, moved on to the possession
of communist East Germany, then to the Berlin museum after reunification — and now through some five years of legal battles. “Every court that’s looked at this says that Peter Sachs is the owner of the collection, so from our standpoint the worst case scenario is they say he’s the owner of the collection, but we don’t have a method to help you free your property,” said New Jersey attorney Gary Osen, one of the lawyers representing Sachs. “It’s just a bizarre nether-world situation.”
US pastor runs anti-gay effort in Uganda BOSTON (AP) — An East African gay advocacy group filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against a Massachusetts evangelist, alleging he has waged a decade-long campaign to persecute gays in Uganda. The suit was filed in federal court in Springfield against minister Scott Lively under a statute that Sexual Ministries Uganda says allows noncitizens to file U.S. court actions for violations of international law. Frank Mugisha, who heads the advocacy group, said it was singling out Lively for “helping spread
propaganda and violence” against Uganda’s gay people. “We hope that he will be held accountable for what he did in Uganda,” said Mugisha, who won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award last year. “We want to send out a clear message to him and to others.” Lively, of Abiding Truth Ministries, is one of a handful of American pastors whom Ugandan gay activists accuse of having helped draft the original version of the African nation’s anti-homosexuality bill.
The bill called for the death penalty for certain homosexual acts such as when gay people with AIDS were caught having sex. It has since been revamped to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment as a maximum sentence. Lively said Wednesday the legal action was “absurd” and “completely frivolous.” He said in an email to The Associated Press that he has never advocated violence against homosexuals. He said he has preached against homosexuality but advised therapy for gays, not punishment.
Sobbing families identify Swiss bus crash victims GENEVA (AP) — Relatives of the 28 people killed when a bus from Belgium crashed inside a Swiss tunnel faced a heartbreaking task Thursday: identifying the bodies ahead of their repatriation. Most of the dead were children. Family members, some sobbing, were driven from a hotel in the southern Swiss town of Sion to the nearby morgue, where the bodies of some of the 22 schoolchildren and six adults killed in Tuesday’s crash were being kept. “Where possible, the bodies will be shown to the families,” police
spokesman Jean-Marie Bornet told The Associated Press. “In some cases this is not possible because the bodies are too badly injured.” Afterward, relatives visited the site of the crash inside the Tunnel de Geronde near the Swiss town of Sierre. An AP reporter saw family members carrying flowers to the site where 21 Belgians and seven Dutch were killed. The tourist bus carrying 52 people hit a wall Tuesday night less than an hour after heading home from a ski vacation in the Swiss Alps. Twentyfour other children were hurt,
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some seriously. Bornet said authorities were working to release the bodies of all the victims as soon as possible. Some still had to be identified. In Belgium, plans were being made to begin repatriating the bodies with military planes as early as Thursday evening, and authorities announced that Friday would be a national day of mourning. In Sion, Dr. Michael Callens said Thursday that the 14 children in the city’s hospital were “doing well” and should be able to be repatriated to Belgium soon.
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iEditorial
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
OPINION
The Editor speaks Finger printing and tourism
Colin Wilson colin.wilson@ieyenews.com
It is a common practice when one visits the USA, UK, Israel and other terrorism threatened countries to be fingerprinted before you are allowed entry. You can also be subject to an eye scan. Deputy Governor, Hon. Franz Manderson, revealed last Tuesday (13) that government has acquired the necessary equipment, and the legislation to implement a system to fingerprint all future and existing work permit holders will be going before Cabinet shortly. North Side MLA, Ezzard Miller, wants fingerprints taken on everyone coming in and not just
the work permit holders. He said he believed there was a greater threat to security from people entering Cayman without any information or the clearance required from permit holders. “It would be sensible to implement the system across the board,” he said. He pointed to cases he had heard about where people were deported over and over again but the authorities were unaware because they were using false passports. Premier, Hon. McKeeva Bush did not agree saying it would impact tourism. He pointed out that such a move to encompass everybody who came in and out of Cayman was a much broader policy decision that was not confined to the Deputy
Governor’s remit of security. “I’m not going to agree to that as we are a tourist destination,” he said adding that it would cost too much and it was not right to have people waiting in lines when they are tourists visiting the destination. Mr. Miller argued that he did not believe that tourists would be impacted so badly by a biometric entry security system, which is common in other jurisdictions. “It would help to prevent people from abusing the system.” He queried what the position of the police commissioner would be, given that criminals were obviously getting into the country via the general entry as tourists. Whilst Mr. Miller does have a
valid point I have to agree with the premier that fingerprinting tourists would not be very pleasing to tourists. Fingerprinting was originally brought in because of terrorism threats not to prevent criminals entering. Thankfully, terrorism is not a worry here although I expect the police commissioner would jump at the opportunity to fingerprint everyone. I also cannot agree with Mr. Miller’s assertion he doesn’t think it would impact tourism. With tourism numbers at a record low do we really want to impliment another barrier that has not been put in place at other Caribbean tourist destinations?
Exciting announcement for iNews Cayman Colin & Joan Wilson colin.wilson@ieyenews.com
When Joan and I started on the long (and winding) road to produce iNews Cayman we never imagined it would be so successful in such a short time. We started our very first publication on Monday May 2nd 2011. We had started formulating our plans for the publication back in October 2010. At that time producing a print edition was not on the drawing board. Our publication was designed to fit on the iPad (and other tablets) and was going to be available only on the Internet. The Internet is the future and the print format is a relic of the past. Or so we thought. Acting upon advisement and market research we decided to change our plans. The Cayman Islands is unique and for us to attract a share of the advertising market, especially at first, we began to see the necessity of producing a print edition as a secondary
publication. The Internet edition, though, was to be the main thrust and arrow head of iNews. That’s why it is called iNews, i.e. Internet News. It is where we can keep our readership up to date with news within minutes as we receive it. Our website is so designed that we can even beam video and our readers can place their own comments on all our stories. We knew that people also like to have something in their hand they can read so we also placed a pdf edition on our website set out exactly like a magazine. This could be read on a computer, or the iPad just like reading a book on Amazon’s ‘Kindle’, and, of course, is available to download and to print it off yourself. As we have a pdf edition on our website we decided to print an exact replica of it so the newspaper edition of iNews was born and we, after staying up well into the early hours of the following morning got it out to the public on Monday
May 2nd to coincide exactly with the Internet edition. We, of course, had to purchase a printer as I didn’t want to go down the road of printing it overseas. To print 1,500 copies a day, five days a week with 24 pages is a lot of print. Most digital printers are not designed to take such a load and an offset printer was out of the question. The printer we got was big and could just about do the demand but it was black and white. The online pdf looked lovely in full colour and our advertisers thought so too and they wanted our newspaper to be the same. So we did it and of course our printing costs now being mainly in colour soared as well. However, it was only anticipated to produce a print edition for about six months and gradually phase it out. We have been shocked to find that our print readership has grown in line with out Internet readership. Our news sellers, the stores and gas stations have asked us to print more
copies. To do this we have to get different printers and we decided as we are approaching our one year anniversary to re-launch iNews as a bigger and better publication. So on May 2nd this year we will be printing more newspapers with every page in it in glorious colour. Every advertisement will be in colour, too. To get ready for this re-launch we will have to temporarily suspend our own print edition so you will unfortunately not be able to purchase it at your favourite store for the next few weeks only. We apologise for this but you will be able to view it online and print it off yourself as normal. Our success has been a burden, too but we are not complaining. It shows how a small business with the right plan can succeed in a recession. Please feel free to make comments on our website. We want to hear from you. Joan and I thank you.
iThought... You should not glory in clothing at any time, and you should not let yourself be extolled in the day of your honor. For the works of the Most High alone are wondrous; and glorious and hidden and unseen are his works.
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Ecclesiasticus 11:4 to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iWorld
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Cuba dissidents vow to stay in church HAVANA (AP) — A group of 13 Cuban dissidents who have occupied a Havana church for two days are no longer demanding an audience with Pope Benedict XVI when he visits this month, but vowed Thursday to continue their protest. The dissidents say they are now asking the pontiff to mediate a list of their grievances with the Cuban government, said Fred Calderon, a spokesman for the group, in a phone interview from a closed-off room in the Central Havana Church of Charity where he and 12 others have holed up since Tuesday. Calderon complained that Catholic officials had refused to bring them food, even though the dissidents have offered to pay for it. He said the group had not eaten anything since the protest began, though they are drinking water. Numerous phone calls to the church’s spokesman in Havana went unanswered, and he did not respond to an email seeking comment. The church remained partially shuttered Thursday, with no sign of police outside. Traffic was normal and adjacent stands selling flowers and handicrafts were operating as usual. Calderon said his group wants Benedict to speak with
authorities about freeing people imprisoned for political crimes, ending intimidation of dissidents, increasing access to information, expanding private property rights, doing away with travel restrictions and establishing a transitional government to end a half-century of Communist rule under Fidel and Raul Castro. “We want him to intercede on our behalf ... and be a mediator for our demands,” Calderon told The Associated Press. Such a result seems unlikely given the church’s forceful rejection of the protest so far, which a spokesman termed “illegitimate” and “disrespectful.” Even prominent Cuban dissidents have questioned whether disrupting a house of worship was an appropriate tactic. Cuba’s government has had little to say, but generally considers dissidents to be mercenaries trying to undermine its authority. State media, which rarely mentions the opposition, published the Catholic Church’s condemnation of the occupation in Thursday’s papers. “Nobody has the right to turn temples into political trenches,” read the communique from church spokesman Orlando Marquez,
Pedestrians walk near the Virgin of Charity of Cobre Catholic church where thirteen Cuban dissidents have holed up to press for a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI
which was issued the previous evening. Calderon said he was aware of the negative response, but vowed not to blink. “We will not leave,” he said. “We do not see the church as a trench but as a refuge.” A high-ranking priest from the Havana archdiocese has visited the dissidents several times and offered to bring a government official to talk to them, Calderon said. Cuban authorities and the dissidents disagree on whether the government holds any political prisoners. Authorities freed the last of 75 anti-government activists and social commentators arrested in
a 2003 crackdown on dissent last year. Most of those inmates still behind bars for political crimes were convicted of violent offenses like hijacking and armed assault, which keeps them from being recognized as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. Benedict’s Cuba trip is scheduled for March 26-28.
London police gave reporters grades LONDON (AP) — London’s Metropolitan Police “graded” reporters on their coverage of the agency, a senior crime journalist for The Sun tabloid said Thursday. Crime Editor Mike Sullivan — who was arrested and bailed earlier this year over allegations of illegally paying British officials for information — said he had been told “that there is a system whereby reporters are graded in terms of whether they are favourable to the Met Police or not.” Sullivan’s testimony Thursday before a judge-led inquiry into Britain’s media ethics, could not be verified. He didn’t name the source for his information and Scotland
Yard did not offer any immediate comment on his allegation. When challenged, Sullivan said he had been reliably informed “perhaps three or four years ago, could be five years ago, that there was such a system.” “I don’t know how they do that, on what basis they make their judgment,” he said. “I don’t suggest it’s a ‘top 20’ (that ranks) who is that person who is going to be more favorable to the Met than others, but I was told that system existed and I quite believe it.” The inquiry is examining the ethics and practices of Britain’s scandaltarred press. Set up after phone hacking revelations that forced the
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closure of Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid, it is currently weighing the relationship between the media and British police. Previous hearings have heard of cozy ties between senior officers and top editors, with expensive dinners at fancy restaurants and chummy drinks at a wine bar across from Scotland Yard’s central London offices. Sullivan insisted Thursday those events were a thing of the past. “There’s been a lot of mention in this inquiry about long lunches and journalists entertaining lavishly, bottles of champagne,” he said. “My experience is that lunching and buying dinners have become an increasing rarity over the last few
years, and that was really perhaps as Fleet Street sobered up, or perhaps as the police became more professional with alcohol taken during working hours.” In a separate development, the News of the World’s former chief reporter denied allegations that he’d tried to intimidate a witness in the scandal. Neville Thurlbeck, 50, says in a blog post the allegations “seem extremely far-fetched to me.” He says he vigorously denies all wrongdoing in the longrunning scandal. Earlier this week, six other suspects were arrested Tuesday, including former News International executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband Charlie.
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Our Eye
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
OPINION
St Patrick’s Day treats and Emerald Ireland Georgina Wilcox georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com
The minute people hear of the words Irish and Ireland, they immediately think: St. Patrick’s Day, treats like green beer, tarts and cookies, four leaf clovers and Leprechauns. All of those are a rich part of the Irish Culture, but there is even more to the Emerald Isle – the country itself. Ireland has often been called the “Emerald Isle” because of the lush green expanses that remind anyone who is lucky enough to view it, of a beautifully faceted emerald glinting in the sun. Ireland is divided in two: The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom with an estimated population of nearly 2 million people. The population now is a great improvement against the plummet in the 1960’s. This region had her share of political and religious conflicts throughout history. However all the conflict has managed to add to the cultural richness of the region. The Irish are a warm people with a rich cultural and historical background. They have been around for a long time and can trace their lineage back to the Celts. The Irish people are divided in culture and religion. The population is mainly a mix of Protestants and Catholics. Politically they are split between Nationalists and Unionist. The division has effectively inspired and inflamed the artistic, religious, political and philosophical passions of the Irish people. In the eastern coast of Northern Ireland lies the capital city of Belfast. It is considered to be the biggest urban area in this region. It is the 15th largest city in all of the United Kingdom. The city’s motto is inscribed in Latin and states “Pro tanto quid retribuamus”. It is a phrase taken from the Biblical book of Psalms and is loosely translated as: “In return for so much, what shall we give back? The city of Belfast is home to impressive modern and periodic architecture as portrayed by the
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Belfast Castle and the Belfast Waterfront Hall. The Belfast Eye and other daunting structures have given an aura of diversity to the city. The residents of Belfast and Northern Ireland are crazy in love with football, like so many other countries in the EU and in the rest of the world. The spectator sport of Gaelic football remains to be the most popular with the residents of this city. And what about those treats? No, I haven’t forgotten. Here are some fun ones to prepare: Leprechaun Ale Place a scoop of lime sherbet into a tall glass, pour ginger ale over it and watch it fizz. This can be made even fancier by rubbing some lime juice on the rim of the glass and then dipping it in green sugar crystals before you pour the leprechaun ale. Lucky Clover Cake Prepare 9 x 13 inch cake using a boxed cake mix. We like to use yellow cake for this. Get a can of vanilla frosting and use a few drops of yellow and blue food coloring to color the frosting green. After the cake is baked and cooled down, cut three heart shaped pieces out of the cake. We use a cardboard template
to make the hearts even. Arrange them on a plate with the pointy ends pointing toward each other. It will look like a clover leaf. Frost the entire cake with the green vanilla frosting. Mini Mint Ice Cream Tarts Purchase a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough. Roll the dough into small balls (a little smaller than a golf ball), and press them in the bottoms of mini muffin pans. Bake according to package directions. Press the middle of the cooked dough down after you take them out of the oven. Let them cool for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a baking rack and let them cool completely. To serve, scoop mint ice cream in each of your mini tart shells.
pudding according to package directions. Mix a few drops of food coloring with cool whip to tint it green. Cut up some kiwi fruit. Layer chilled pudding, kiwi fruit and green cool whip for a completely green St. Patrickís Day Parfait. Are you seeing green yet? Northern Ireland remains and continues to be a very beautiful country with rolling fog laden hills, a rich cultural heritage to match and wonderful unique treats..
St. Patrick’s Day Cookies Buy or make simple sugar cookie dough. Let the kids cut out shamrock shaped cookies with a cookie cutter. Bake them. While they are cooling, use food coloring to turn vanilla frosting or a simple powered sugar and milk glaze green. Let the kids decorate the cookies with frosting and plenty of green sprinkles. St. Patrick’s Day Parfait Prepare a pack of instant pistachio to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
Our Eye
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
OPINION
Will new iPad be compatible with 4G in the UK? It’s not in Australia Georgina Wilcox georgina.wilcox@ieyenews.com
There’s growing confusion over whether the new iPad, due to go on sale on March 16th, will be compatible with forthcoming 4G networks in the UK and other parts of Europe reports “What Hi Fi Sound and Vision” in their latest release. In the US, the new iPad will have 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) capability built in which will give speeds of around 73Mbps when you’re on the move, as opposed to the 100Mbps of the ‘full fat’ 4G spec. Current 3G has to offer a minimum of 0.2Mbps, though often will be much faster than that. However, The Guardian (UK) is reporting that although “the new iPad includes superfast LTE connectivity for mobile broadband, the wide range of frequencies used throughout the world, and Apple’s focus on the US, means that the first models will apparently not be compatible with LTE frequencies allocated for the UK”. This is because there are six different 4G variations around the world and those bands work on different frequencies. So the US bands are different from the UK and European bands. The new iPad is designed to work across the LTE standard of 700 to 2100MHz in America, while the UK’s trials are 800 to 2600MHz. That means to enjoy 4G connectivity when the UK eventually does get the new high-speed mobile standard, Apple would have to produce a new iPad 4G specific to the UK LTE networks. The auction for 4G spectrum in the UK is expected to take place later this year after some delays, with the service
becoming available sometime in 2013. Apple is currently advertising the new iPad on its UK online store as “wi-fi + 4G” capable with Vodafone, Orange, O2 and 3 logos alongside and saying “connects to the internet over wi-fi and 4G mobile data networks”. In a statement to whathifi. com, Apple says: “During the launch last Wednesday, we confirmed support for five LTE networks, three in Canada and two in the USA. “The new iPad also works on GSM/UMTS worldwide network technologies, including HSPA+ and DCHSDPA, the fastest 3G networks out there. You’ll see download speeds of 42Mbps with DC-HSDPA and up to 21.1Mbps with HSPA+.” Meanwhile anyone ordering the new iPad online has been told that due to overwhelming demand delivery has been delayed, and they won’t get their new device until Monday, March 19th. And in Australia I have learnt... An Australian Samsung executive has labelled Apple’s marketing of its new iPad with “4G” mobile broadband technology as “confusing” considering the tablet will not be capable of 4G broadband speeds in Australia. An Australian spokeswoman for Apple said on the day the new iPadwas unveiled last Thursday, after some confusion, that it was correct to say it did “not connect to Telstra 4G”. Despite this, it hasn’t stopped Apple fromadvertising its new tablet in Australia as one that can use 4G, leaving it to the fine print for customers to find out they cannot get 4G speeds here
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Your Views
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
OPINION
Letters to the Editor George Town’s Future It was very interesting and pleasing to read of the planned boardwalk idea for the waterfront which is being proposed by a group of some 16 interested individuals or business people in the area. I fully support the idea and think it’s an excellent one and something that will give our people and visitors another social outlet that’s badly needed. It should also stimulate some life back into the Capital, especially in the evenings. Those who have travelled will know that boardwalks and wharfs are common place in seaside destinations and offer a wide variety of social interaction and entertainment. What I would like to do through this same medium is to ask those same interested individuals or businesses to come together again and maybe go a bit further with the enhancement of the town itself. This may well have to be a private/ public partnership, but what would be nice and beneficial for all is for
iBusiness
our original main town centre to be revitalised and “Caymanised” to reflect our islands heritage and where we are coming from. We have Camana Bay, “a new town”, as it’s called by its developers off West Bay road and this is indeed a nice place. It would be awesome now to refurbish the “old town” and have the two opposite ends of the spectrum displayed of our developing culture, which can only in the end benefit all who reside and visit here. This project in itself through design, renovation, construction and onward will provide much employment and will in itself be a much needed stimulant to our local economy. This can work with or without the presence of a cruise port in the harbor, as it would be such an attraction with cafes, plants, cobblestone walkways, gas lamp lighting, music, entertainment and other amenities, it would be an attraction in itself. I believe it’s time the original
Caymanian business people who have all done well over the ages come together with a like mind and say let’s give back (as a group) to our island and show those that come here that we also have what it takes and we know what’s good for us and we proudly wish to show it off. I speak to families for instance like the Kirkconnells, Thompsons, Fosters, McTaggarts, Merrens, Boddens, Scotts, Tibbetts, Rankins, Watlers, Hews, and others, many of whom already have much interest in the George Town area, to come to the table and see what can be done. If not, I fear we are seeing a dying town central with dropping property values, which will be a sitting duck for maybe one big investor yet again to gobble up and own. It’s an idea of mine which I pray will find favour with and gain traction with those that can indeed make it happen – all it takes is the will and working together of those persons for the common good and
seeing the bigger picture. Then maybe, just maybe, we won’t have to be so concerned about any one investor owning and controlling so much in these islands. Yours for a better Cayman Islands, Osbourne Bodden 916 4439 March 14, 2012
NEWS
Ernst & Young provides financial boost to feed our future Feed Our Future, a not for profit association with a simple mission to provide needy children with school meals, recently received a healthy boost to their fund-raising efforts for the current school year through a generous donation from local professional services firm Ernst & Young Ltd. Research shows that even mild under-nutrition can prevent learning. Poor nutrition harms children silently, and beyond having a lasting effect on learning and education, can ultimately affect well being, employability and quality of life. “The funds donated by Ernst & Young Ltd. will help us to ensure that needy children in our schools are assured a hot meal per school day,” stated Stacey
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VanDevelde, Chairwoman of Feed our Future. “For many children this school meal represents the only meal they will receive on that day. We are extremely grateful for their generosity and dedication to Cayman’s future generation.” “It is widely recognized that children must have sufficient diets in order to grow, learn and become productive adults.” says Ernst & Young Ltd. partner Rohan Small. “We are proud to support Feed Our Future and their goal for a hunger free Cayman Islands.” Feed our Future hopes to enrich the learning potential and health of the children in our community. With the community’s support they aim to ensure all families know where they can get help and how their children
Left to Right – Rohan Small, Partner Ernst & Young Ltd., Stacey VanDevelde and Frank Balderamos, Jr. of Feed Our Future
can be assured of a healthy school meal. For more information about our Feed our Future or how you
can help, get help, or get involved please visit our website on www. feedourfuturecayman.org. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iJokes
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
ENTERTAINMENT
iLAUGH SO CANu A teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: Get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it. The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories. Kathy said, “My father’s a farmer and we have a lot of egg-laying hens. One time we were taking our eggs to market in a basket on the front seat of the pickup when we hit a bump in the road and all the eggs went flying and broke and made a mess.” “And what’s the moral of the story?” asked the teacher. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!” “Very good,” said the teacher. Next little Lucy raised a hand and said, “Our family are farmers, too. But we raise chickens for the meat market. We had a dozen eggs one time, but when they hatched we only got ten live chicks and the moral to this story is, don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched.” “That was a fine story Lucy. Johnny, do you have a story to share?”
A bus load of tourists arrives at Runnymede. They gather around the guide who says, “This is the spot where the barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.” A fellow at the front of the crowd asks, “When did that happen?”“1215,” answers the guide.The man looks at his watch and says, “Damn! Just missed it by a half hour!”
My next door neighbour told me to stop following her around everywhere or she’d call the police. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?” I asked. “Watch me,” she replied. “No. You said you’d call the police.”
Riddles 1.
“Yes, ma’am! My daddy told me this story about my Aunt Marge. She was a flight engineer during Desert Storm and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory, and all she had was a bottle of whiskey, a machine gun and a Machete. So .. she drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn’t break. Then she landed right in the middle of 100 enemy troops. She killed 70 of them with the machine gun until it ran out of bullets! Then she killed 20 more with the machete till the blade broke; then she killed the last 10 with her bare hands.” “Good heavens,” said the horrified teacher, “what kind of moral did your daddy tell you from that horrible story?” “Stay away from Aunt Marge when she’s been drinking.”
What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
2. I run over fields and woods all day. Under the bed at night I sit not alone. My tongue hangs out, up and to the rear, awaiting to be filled in the morning. What am I?
Bill walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged standing at the counter enthusiastically writing addresses on bright pink envelopes covered with hearts.He then takes out a scent bottle and starts spraying perfume over them. Bill’s curiosity gets the better of
him and he walks over to the man and asks him what he’s doing. “I’m sending out 1,000 Valentine’s Day cards signed, ‘Guess who?’” says the man. “Why on earth are you doing that?” asks Bill. “Because I’m a divorce lawyer.” replies the man. A doctor says to a man, “You want to improve your love life? You need to get some exercise. Run ten miles a day.” Two weeks later, the man called the doctor. The doctor says, “How is your love life since you have been running?” “I don’t know, I’m 140 miles away!” A man got on the bus with both of his front trouser pockets full of golf balls and sat down next to a beautiful (you guessed it) blonde. The puzzled blonde kept looking at him and his bulging pockets. Finally, after many glances from her, he said, “It’s golf balls.” The blonde continued to look at him for a very long time, thinking deeply about what he had said. After several minutes, not being able to contain her curiosity any longer she asked, “Does it hurt as much as tennis elbow?”
3. I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I’ll make it lighter. What am I?
4. Pronounced as one letter, And written with three, Two letters there are, And two only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m black, blue, and gray, I’m read from both ends, And the same either way. What am I?
Answers: 1. A towel. 2. A shoe 3. A hole 4. An Eye
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A hugely obese guy goes into a restaurant with three young kids and orders a T-bone steak with numerous side orders and coke and cream cakes for the kids. After his meal, he orders coffee and a large cognac. He then asks the waitress to watch the kids for a minute while he nips out to the car to get his wallet. After half an hour, the waitress says to the kids: “Your daddy’s taking his time.” “That’s not our daddy,” says the oldest child, “he just stopped us on the street and invited us in for coke and cream cakes.”
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iWorld
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
NEWS
Beach replenishment a tough issue in Florida PORT ST. JOE, Fla. (AP) — The St. Joseph Peninsula is picture-perfect Florida: 17 miles of sugar sand beach interrupted by a few clusters of homes, each with a million-dollar view of the Gulf of Mexico. But according to state officials, the peninsula on Florida’s Panhandle cradles the state’s most rapidly eroding beach — and replenishing the sand is costing state and local taxpayers millions of dollars. There is also a movement to change a 30-year-old environmental designation that would make sand replenishment projects at St. Joseph eligible for federal money, shifting some of the burden to Washington. Hundreds of other beaches around the country share that designation under a law called the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, which is meant to discourage development and protect fragile ecology. Some have tried to shed
the designation, but few have been successful. Beach replenishment is common in Florida. Fifty-nine percent of the state’s beaches are experiencing erosion, partly because of tides and storms and partly because of development. But there is debate over whether replenishment is costeffective and environmentally sound. Proponents say the process is critical to Florida’s success as a tourism mecca, maintaining the wide beaches that visitors expect and that protect coastal property from storms, tides and waves. But others, including environmentalists, say erosion is a problem only because structures were built too close to the water. Taxpayers shouldn’t bail out failed beaches just to preserve wealthy owners’ investments, they say. Jill Davis, the owner of Scallop Cove, a gas station, bait shop and convenience store on the St. Joseph
Peninsula, said that without beach replenishment, tourists would stay away and the area’s economy would suffer. “That’s our livelihood out here,” she said. “Beaches are what draw people out here. Everything here is based on tourism and the beach, fishing, scalloping. We need that property.” During a typical beach replenishment project, dredgers collect underwater sand offshore and pipe it onto the beach. Bulldozers move the sand around until the beach looks natural. A few years later when beach is again eroded, the process is repeated. Local, state and federal entities now manage over 200 miles of restored Florida beaches, spending about $100 million annually on replenishment projects in the state. But environmentalists say the process is an artificial solution to a manmade problem.
Office Space for Rent Cat 4 Hurricane Proof Building 2nd Floor Dorcy Drive. Space from 150sq ft to approximately 1400sq ft Can divide as required rent starting from $400 to $2,500 per month For further details email caymanconsultant21@hotmail.com or call (345)326.2018 for more information or to schedule viewing.
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to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iSports
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
WORLD
Egypt charges 75 people in deadly soccer riot
Egyptian fans clash with riot police following the Al-Ahly club soccer match against the Al-Masry club.
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s top prosecutor on Thursday charged 75 people in connection with a deadly soccer riot last month in the Mediterranean city of Port Said in which authorities said fans were thrown to their death off the stadium walls and others killed by explosives as they tried to flee. Scores of fans face murder charges and nine police officers were accused of complicity in murder, in the Feb. 1 riot that left at least 74 people dead. It was the world’s worst soccer-related disaster in 15 years. The riot began minutes after the final whistle in a league game between Cairo club al-Ahly and al-Masry of Port Said. The home side won 3-1 but its fans set upon the rival supporters in a killing frenzy that witnesses said lasted 30 minutes. Many witnesses claimed that policemen at the venue did nothing to stop the bloodshed. The riot shocked soccer crazy Egypt, deepening the sense of uncertainty felt by many as their nation continues to be roiled by unrest a year after the ouster of longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak. That senior police officers were charged in connection with the tragedy would lend credence to persistent claims that the nation’s much hated police were deliberately turning a blind eye to the wave of violent crime gripping Egypt over the past year. Police have yet to fully retake the streets after they melted away in yetnot-fully-explained circumstances on the fourth day of the 18-day popular uprising that toppled
Mubarak. An end to police brutality was among the main root causes of the uprising and many rights activists believe the police’s apparent reluctance to restore security is payback for their humiliating defeat in the face of millions of unarmed protesters. A statement issued by the office of the nation’s prosecutor general said nine police officers, including six major generals and a colonel,
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participated in the Port Said riot by way of “assistance” to al-Masry fans. They said the officers, along with several al-Masry officials, knew in advance that the home fans planned to attack al-Ahly supporters. They, said the statement, allowed al-Masry fans to exceed by 3,000 the maximum number authorized to attend the game and did not search any of them for weapons before they were allowed inside the ground. Many of the charged fans were criminals known to the local police, it said. It said the police at the match’s venue did nothing to stop al-Masry fans from attacking their rivals. “Those from the police among the defendants failed to take any measure ... to maintain security, protect lives and property,” it said, in what is probably the strongest official condemnation since Mubarak’s ouster of the police’s attitude toward the rise of crime in Egypt.
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iSports
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
WORLD
Coach D’Antoni resigns as Knicks skid
New Yourk Knicks’ head coach Mike D’Antoni questions a call
NEW YORK (AP) — Maybe there’s a big-name coach out there who can bring out the best in Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks. Mike D’Antoni decided Wednesday he wasn’t that guy. And so, he resigned, surprising even his bosses. “It wasn’t just Carmelo,” interim general manager Glen Grunwald said. “I think it was our whole team was not playing up to where we thought they could be and I know Mike was as frustrated as anyone about that and that’s what led him to that decision, that maybe there needs to be a new approach and look at it.” Assistant Mike Woodson was promoted to interim head coach and led the Knicks to a 121-79 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden. “I think everyone for the most part was obviously very emotional when we came, but we sat down and said, ‘Look, this is where we want to go. This is how we feel like we need to get there,’” Jeremy Lin said. “So we came out with more energy than we have in a long time.” The Knicks’ brief resurgence in a wave of Linsanity last month had been replaced by a six-game losing streak that dropped the Knicks into a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, along with speculation of friction between D’Antoni and his
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All-Star forward. Anthony denied it and said there was no “bad blood” between himself and the coach. “As far as that, it is what it is when it comes to that,” Anthony said. “That’s something I can’t control as far as the blame being put on me. I don’t sit here and complain about that. D’Antoni ran the Knicks through their morning shootaround, but not before stopping into Grunwald’s office at the Knicks’ training center and telling him and fellow executive Allan Houston of his intentions. Grunwald called MSG chairman James Dolan, who went up to the Westchester training center for what he called a “very honest” conversation with the D’Antoni. Dolan later said the parting was mutual. “He clearly felt it was best for the organization if he were not to continue as coach of the team. He did offer to stay,” Dolan said during a press conference. “After a long discussion, we did agree it was best for the organization to have new voice moving forward.” Dolan made it clear that he believes in the players and still expects a playoff berth. D’Antoni said before the season that the Knicks should be a contender, but they haven’t looked like one in the previous 10 games — all since Anthony returned from a groin injury. to blog visit www.ieyenews.com
iSports
16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
WORLD
Ivanovic secures Chelsea comeback Paul Kennedy paul.kennedy@ieyenews.com
Branislav Ivanovic’s extra-time goal sent Chelsea into the Champions League quarter-finals as they completed a superb comeback to beat Napoli at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have been in turmoil since losing 3-1 in the first leg in Naples, with manager Andre VillasBoas sacked by owner Roman Abramovich after less than 10 months in charge. Roberto di Matteo assumed control until the end of the season - and oversaw a win of huge significance as the home side overturned that deficit on a night of high drama and emotion. Di Matteo’s side achieved their first target as goals either side of half-time from Didier Drogba and John Terry gave them the lead they required to move towards a place in the last eight. Gokhan Inler’s strike had the massed ranks of noisy Napoli supporters in ecstatic mood as he turned the tie in favour of the Serie A outfit, but this was a night when Chelsea’s old guard was not to be denied. Frank Lampard sent the tie into extra time from the penalty spot with 15 minutes left before Ivanovic’s thumping finish proved to be the decisive moment. At the final whistle Di Matteo, who had been impassive in his technical area, raced on to the pitch and into the arms of Drogba before moving around the rest of his players with the home fans delivering deafening roars of approval. Abramovich felt he could wait no longer to dismiss Villas-Boas, even though this crucial game was looming - and he will feel that decision has been given a measure of vindication by the transformation in this Chelsea side. The elder statesmen delivered as the Londoners showed the passion, character and commitment that was often conspicuous by its absence during Villas-Boas’s brief reign. And Abramovich can now
look towards the latter stages of Europe’s elite tournament with Chelsea as England’s only representatives, ensuring the Premier League avoided the ignominy of being wiped out before the quarter-final stage for the first time since 1996. The Blues will have been aware of the danger of conceding a goal at any time - and Stamford Bridge was awash with anxiety as they were forced to survive an early siege from Napoli. Marek Hamsik had a shot blocked by the feet of tumbling home goalkeeper Petr Cech as the Italians played at a pace and tempo Chelsea found almost impossible to contain in the opening exchanges. Edinson Cavani could only put Christian Maggio’s low cross into the side-netting before Cech saved from Ezequiel Lavezzi anda Hamsik again. The hosts managed to halt some of Napoli’s momentum but it was still totally against the run of play when they went ahead, Drogba twisting and turning to head Ramires’ cross past visiting keeper Morgan de Sanctis. Chelsea’s enemy was now over-excitement and they almost conceded instantly when Napoli caught them cold on the counter as Cavani pulled another presentable chance across the face of goal. Di Matteo has decided to lean heavily on his experienced players after succeeding Villas-Boas - and
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they delivered in style two minutes after the restart as Terry arrived to power home Lampard’s corner. It was a blow that required a response from Walter Mazzarri’s side and that came when Inler chested down Terry’s headed clearance on the edge of the area before showing great technique to beat Cech with a low half-volley. As the tension mounted, Chelsea pressed and Napoli started to show real uncertainty under pressure. The break the home side needed came with 15 minutes left as former Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena handled. German referee Felix Brych pointed to the spot and Lampard stepped up to drill his kick powerfully down the middle. With time ticking away, the ever-dangerous Lavezzi had Cech scrambling with a dipping shot from distance that landed just over. The action continued unabated in injury time, Hamsik flashing a wonderful volley narrowly off target and Torres just unable to take advantage from an acute angle after De Sanctis misjudged a long ball. As extra time began, it was a case of who would blink first and Drogba turned provider seconds before the end of the first period. The Ivorian’s pull back was fired home in emphatic fashion by Ivanovic to complete the turnaround. Chelsea 4, Napoli 1 (Agg: 5-4)
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16-19 MAR 2012 | www.ieyenews.com
Ready for Race Cayman Four young sailors from the Cayman Sailing Programme are ready to set sail and make waves in this year’s Race Cayman 2012, proving the success of the Ministry of Sports and the Cayman Islands Sailing Centre’s joint sailing development programme. Allena Rankine (11), Finley McDougal (12), Pablo Bertran (14) and Florence Allen (14) all honed their skills through the Cayman Sailing Programme and will represent the Cayman Islands in the Optimist racing class at this weekend’s international regatta. “Some came through the Cayman Islands Sailing Centre Coach Kalvin Browne and some of the Centre’s aspiring sailors pose with the government school sailing recycled sail bags which are on sale at the Sailing Club to raise funds for local sailing programmes. (Photo by Information Officer Cornelia Olivier) programme, others were “The Cayman Sailing Programme BVI and the USA. introduced to sailing through the The Ministry of Health, after-school sailing programme. is one of my ministry’s most They were identified as future racers successful sports development Environment, Youth, Sports and through the Talent Identification programmes and I am glad to Culture and HSBC (Cayman) Ltd Program of Sailing (TIPS) and we see our young sailors excel,” says are the principal sponsors. Other are very proud to say that all the Minister of Sports the Hon. Mark sponsors are Flowers Bottled Water, Cayman Islands Sailing above sailors have learned to sail Scotland. “With our seafaring past, it is Club, Cayman Motor Museum, the right here at the Cayman Islands Sailing Centre (CISC),” noted CISC important that our young people Water Authority, Caribbean Canvas have access to sailing and in Company, Jacques Scott, Schloss Head Coach Raphael Harvey. “TIPS is a byproduct of the partnership with CISC we are Johannisberg Wines and the J22 government sailing program and fortunate to a free introductory fleet owners. Sidebar: Subsidizing Sailing was designed to identify sailors programme to all government Taking trash to treasure, Cayman who have shown potential and school students. With the sailing enthusiasm for sailing and give programme and TIPS on track, Islands Sailing Club’s Jane Moon is them more coaching and much need we hope to see many more sailors turning old sails into designer beach time out on the water. After each five representing the Cayman Islands in bags and back packs. All funds raised through the sale of these to six weeks sailing rotation, the six future races,” the Minister added. Race Cayman 2012 runs from 15 bags will go towards supporting the standout sailors are invited to sail for another six weeks of coaching to 18 March with competing crews sailing programmes at the Cayman free of charge,” explains Mr. Harvey. from USA, Jamaica, Bahamas, UK, Islands Sailing Club and Centre. About 600 government school USA, Norway, Germany and South They will be available for sale at Race Cayman 2012. Anyone with students go through the Cayman Africa. In addition to J22 Racing, Race old, unused sails can drop them Sailing Programme each year. A further 47 students are sailing in the Cayman 2012 will include the Open off at the Sailing Club. For more Centre’s afterschool program where and Western Caribbean Optimist information or to order your onelevels vary from complete beginners Championships with young sailors of-a-kind bag, contact Jane Moon at visiting from Bahamas, Jamaica, janemoon@candw.ky to intermediate racing.
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