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| | =GoToCayman.com - News from Cayman (ISSN: 1744-7690)= | | =GoToCayman.com - News from Cayman (ISSN: 1744-7690)= |
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| - | ==October 2007== | + | ==May 2008== |
| - | Minister for Education Alden McLaughlin announced that an extra year will be added to the public-school system, to be used for technical and vocational training. At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon he said "No one should leave the high-school system and go straight into work. We are going to add another year to high school so no one leaves without a skill. Some sort of post-secondary training will enable everyone to leave the system with some skill.
| + | A third of the breeding stock of the Blue Iguana Recovery Program have been killed. See http://www.caycompass.com/cgi-bin/CFPnews01.cgi?ID=1030451 for a press report. |
| - | "We have never had difficulty attracting students to things like law, accounting and business; the difficulty we are having is with 70% of students acquiring the skills, qualifications and interest to allow them to take up some kind of technical and vocational educational training."
| + | http://www.gotocayman.com/TryingToSaveJessica.jpg |
| | + | http://www.gotocayman.com/YellowSaraEldemireandDiggerRIP.jpg |
| | + | There is an official press release at http://www.gotocayman.com/PressRelease.doc |
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| - | He added that the new national curriculum would become mandatory in the Cayman Islands' 19 public schools and among their 4,600 students in September 2008. It aims to shift traditional teaching patterns away from rote blackboard learning to a more dynamic, interactive and flexible style, improving learning and producing better graduates.
| + | ==January 2008== |
| | + | In the 2008 New Year's Honours conferred by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, two prominent members of the Caymanian community have been recognised. list. |
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| | + | John Bryan Bothwell and Rex Herbert Crighton are made Members of the Order of the British Empire. Mr. Bothwell is honoured for his services to the community and the financial industry in the Cayman Islands. M r. Crighton is honoured for his services to the development of the Cayman Islands and charitable interests. |
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| - | Cayman's Christmas stamp issue has been released. They feature images based on stained-glass windows from some of the churches on Grand Cayman. The stamps feature stained-glass windows at Wesleyan Holiness Church (25¢); Elmslie Memorial Church (50¢); St. George's Anglican Church (75¢); East End Seventh-Day Adventist Church (80¢); First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman ($1) and Frank Sound Church of God ($1.50). The image on the First Day Cover, which has all the stamps affixed to it, is a handmade quilt in the Little Cayman Baptist Church. The leaflet which accompanies the First Day Cover offers a brief history of the churches along with an explanation of the windows.
| + | In addition, Governor Stuart Jack has named two Caymanians to be awarded the Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honour. Dr. Alfred Benjamin is honoured for his service to agriculture for his nearly 20 years as Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer; Sarah Alice Mae Coe is honoured for her service to the community. Mrs. Coe, who is the community liaison officer for Walkers, volunteers on numerous committees regarding the environment, youth development, heritage, education and justice. |
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| - | For more information contact the Philatelic Bureau at mailto:cistamps@candw.ky
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| - | ==September 2007==
| + | The National Trust is starting work on their latest acquisition; a 3.5 acre site in West Bay that includes a small fresh water feature known as Uncle Sammy’s Pond in West Bay. |
| - | Just before Hurricane Felix swept past Cayman, Durty Reids at Red Bay was demolished. It has now been announced that 'Durty' Reid Dennis has signed a two-year lease with the Tourism Attraction Board to operate the café at the historic Pedro St. James and is now open for business.
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| - | A new census at Grand Cayman’s stingray interactive sites, Stingray City and the Sandbar in the North Sound, is to be undertaken by the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) next year. When the last study was undertaken in 2002, they tagged 165 animals in the sandbar, 22 from the stingray city site and 45 wild animals from around Grand Cayman that don’t interact with humans, as a control.
| + | The 1.3 acre pond is surrounded by a seasonally–flooded fresh water wetland, and is named in honour of Sam Parsons of Mount Pleasant, whose descendants still live in West Bay. |
| - | The Department of Environment’s Assistant Director – Research and Assessment Tim Austin said that information from the last study was useful and some aspects of it were incorporated into new regulations, now being enforced, which designate both the Sandbar and Stingray City as Wildlife Interaction Zones (WIZ).
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| - | He added that the study "helped to determine the required size of the various WIZs and allowed the DoE to compromise its stated position of no more additional stingray feeding sites and allow potential sites within the boundaries of the WIZ as these would be the same rays and no new population of rays would be impacted."
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| - | After the previous study, the GHRI made recommendations that footwear should not be allowed in the shallow sandbar as their studies confirmed an abundance of human induced injuries to rays from footwear. This suggestion has been incorporated into the WIZ regulations.
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| - | | + | Uncle Sammy's Pond is in the middle of a residential community and the Trust's intention is to keep the pond as an oasis for wildlife but also a sanctuary for neighborhood residents and visitors. In 2008 the Trust will begin improvements to the site and plan to include a small parking area and a boardwalk leading to a bird watching blind. Much of the site will also be replanted with native vegetation. The site will also be fenced to exclude pets that could interfere with the safety of the wildlife and visitors. |
| - | Boatswain's Beach, the new home of the Cayman Turtle Farm, have announced discounted pricing up the end of 2007.
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| - | "We have decided to offer these discounted rates until the end of the year to allow both Residents and Visitors the opportunity to enjoy the park extensively," their representative said. Guests can now enjoy the entire Park for only US$55 for Adults and US$25 for children ages 4-12. Residents (with local identification) can enter the entire park for only CI$10 for adults and CI$4 for children ages 4-12.
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| - | Over the last 17 months government has issued over 41,617 work permits. For the period (April 2006 to August 2007) this is broken down into 10,367 annual permits, 20,729 temporary permits and 10,521 renewals.
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| - | Leader of Government Business the Hon. Kurt Tibbetts agreed on behalf of Government to consider a mandatory photo identification system to assist law enforcement officers, security officers, school officials and others in carrying out their responsibilities. In a debate on the topic, George Town MLA Alfonso Wright pointed out that at present many under-age individuals are able to gain access into night clubs and other events and similar premises.
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| - | The motion also noted that with population increase and cultural diversification, it is no longer possible to easily identify individuals. Also, homeland security is of greater importance in today's global situation. Law enforcement officers feel the lack of a proper identification system in the proper execution of their duties.
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| - | Mr. Wright recalled that there have been three Private Member's Motions seeking such a system in the past, two of which were accepted by the governments of the day but nothing came of them. The motion in 1987 failed, while the ones in 1989 (which called for the voluntary adoption of an identification system) and another in 1994 (which called for compulsory IDs) both passed in the House.
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| - | The need was for a user-friendly ID system, he recommended, and one which could also include additional information, such as health needs of the person which would prove invaluable in life-threatening situations. Cards were less bulky and safer options than passports.
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| - | Accepting the motion, Minister Tibbetts noted that a system like the Drivers' Licence which is valid for three years at a time could be installed. However, decisions about age groups and extending the system to embrace all residents would have to be looked at, he said. A national ID system would have to cover all residents, he added.
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In the 2008 New Year's Honours conferred by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, two prominent members of the Caymanian community have been recognised. list.
John Bryan Bothwell and Rex Herbert Crighton are made Members of the Order of the British Empire. Mr. Bothwell is honoured for his services to the community and the financial industry in the Cayman Islands. M r. Crighton is honoured for his services to the development of the Cayman Islands and charitable interests.
In addition, Governor Stuart Jack has named two Caymanians to be awarded the Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honour. Dr. Alfred Benjamin is honoured for his service to agriculture for his nearly 20 years as Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer; Sarah Alice Mae Coe is honoured for her service to the community. Mrs. Coe, who is the community liaison officer for Walkers, volunteers on numerous committees regarding the environment, youth development, heritage, education and justice.
The 1.3 acre pond is surrounded by a seasonally–flooded fresh water wetland, and is named in honour of Sam Parsons of Mount Pleasant, whose descendants still live in West Bay.
Uncle Sammy's Pond is in the middle of a residential community and the Trust's intention is to keep the pond as an oasis for wildlife but also a sanctuary for neighborhood residents and visitors. In 2008 the Trust will begin improvements to the site and plan to include a small parking area and a boardwalk leading to a bird watching blind. Much of the site will also be replanted with native vegetation. The site will also be fenced to exclude pets that could interfere with the safety of the wildlife and visitors.
There is an official press release at http://www.gotocayman.com/PressRelease.doc
