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Revision as of 12:46, 29 May 2007

GoToCayman.com - News from Cayman (ISSN: 1744-7690)

May 2007

With the Hurriucane Season about to start, experts at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center are projecting a 75 percent chance that the Atlantic Hurricane Season will be above normal this year. They predict 13-17 named storms, 7-10 hurricanes ov which 3-5 will be major of Category 3 strength or higher. Their full report is available at http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outlooks/hurricane.shtml.

Here are the names to look out for: Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dean, Erin, Felix, Gabrielle, Humberto, Ingrid, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Noel, Olga, Pablo, Rebeka, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy.

The Public Works Department has issued its updated list of public hurricane shelters and emergency medical centres (EMCs) for 2007. Hurricane shelters are provided in each district. They are for persons whose homes are not hurricane resistant or who live in a location which is considered to be especially at risk in a particular storm and who do not have an alternate safe shelter. Emergency medical centres provide shelter for chronically ill persons, the elderly and women in the last three months of pregnancy. Medical personnel and equipment are provided at EMCs.

Grand Cayman will start the 2007 season with 4010 hurricane shelter spaces, and the Sister Islands with 810. Another 325 shelter spaces will be added to Grand Cayman's stock with the completion of the West Bay John Gray Memorial Church Hall scheduled for the beginning of July.

Approved hurricane shelters for the 2007 hurricane season in Grand Cayman are: John Gray High School Assembly Hall, George Hicks High School Multipurpose Hall, George Town Primary School Assembly Hall, University College of the Cayman Islands Hall, Red Cross Building, Prospect Primary School (EMC), John A. Cumber (West Bay) Primary School Assembly Hall (EMC), John A. Cumber (West Bay) Primary School - some classrooms, West Bay John Gray Memorial Church Hall (available 1st July 2007), East End Primary School - some classrooms, Gun Bay Community Hall, East End Civic Centre (EMC), North Side Civic Centre (EMC), Breakers Community Hall, Bodden Town Primary School Multipurpose Hall (EMC), Savannah Primary School Assembly Hall (EMC).

Shelters for Cayman Brac are: Aston Rutty Centre (EMC), West End Primary School, New Day Care Centre.

The hurricane shelter for Little Cayman is: The Public Works Department Building (EMC).

Further details can be found on the CaymanPrepared website at http://www.caymanprepared.ky

Government and the Port Authority have reinstated the ban on all cruise ships anchoring at the Spotts Dock in Savannah. "Because of damage to the living coral reefs caused by ships' anchors at Spotts, cruise ships are no longer allowed to anchor at this location," said Port Authority Director Paul Hurlston. However, it is possible for ships to stay in Spotts Bay without anchoring, said the Department of Environment's Research Officer John Bothwell. "Modern technology enables cruise ships to stay in position on engines when in harbour. The ships can simply hold position and the tenders can come to them." "Over the years the Department of Environment has documented the damage to reefs by cruise-ship anchors and chains in the Spotts area," Mr Bothwell noted. "Because cruise ships are the biggest vessels to use the area regularly, their chains tend to cause a lot of the damage. We have recorded that one cruise ship anchoring for one day destroys 3150m² (0.8 of an acre) of previously intact reef."

The National Archive and Public Records Law has now been passed stipulating that every government agency shall store and arrange its records to allow for quick and timely access. This law gives to the National Archives overall supervisory authority of public records and provides for creation, management and disposal of the public records of every public agency. "Every public agency shall make and maintain full and accurate public records of its business and affairs, and such public records shall be managed and maintained in accordance with this Law," the new law reads in part. It calls for the National Archivist to issue record-keeping standards and to inspect files and the manner in which they are stored.

The freedom of information bill soon to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly specifies a time-frame of 30 days in which government entities must respond to public information requests. The new law's quick retrieval provision will make finding information easier for civil servants, thereby ensuring prompt service for members of the public making freedom of information requests.

The National Archive and Public Records Law also prohibits unauthorised destruction of records and allows for disciplinary measures - including dismissal.

The CARICOM Special Visa, which was issued to accommodate travellers during World Cup Cricket, enabled all citizens of CARICOM member states to travel to member countries without visas. Now that the World Cup is over, all Cayman Islands passport holders are required to apply for a visa if travelling to Jamaica. Jamaican Consulate officials remind the public that the processing time for the visa is 24 hours. "All applications should be submitted to the Jamaican Consulate office at the Dot Com Centre on Dorcy Drive, Industrial Park," said Honorary Vice Consul to the Jamaican Consulate Elaine Harris.