iNews Briefs
Cayman Islands Treasure Island hotel put up for forced sale
Cayman Islands Real Estate company ReMax have listed the 280-room Treasure Island Resort on The West Bay Road, Grand Cayman in a forced sale for US$15.45M.
Restoration Cayman Ltd that owns the property was put under receivership last November.
Kim Lund, owner of Remax, said the low price reflects the state of disrepair the property is in with approx. 1/3rd of the rooms out of commission.
CONCACAF Statement on FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
“Considering the welfare of our players and fans as the main priority, CONCACAF fully supports the recommendation made by the special task force to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar in the November-December timeframe. Ultimately, the decision to hold the event in winter shall be ratified in Zurich on the 19th and 20th of March, after a thorough analysis by FIFA’s Executive Committee.”
Fog closes Tampa port; strands cargo ships, Buckeye cruise
From The Tampa Tribune
The sea fog that smothered the coastline of West Central Florida over the past two days did more than slow rush-hour traffic. Shipping lanes between the Gulf of Mexico and Port Tampa Bay became eerily quiet as the port came to a near standstill. Nearly a dozen ships — including a cruise ship — were stranded in the Gulf of Mexico, unable to make their way through the fog and into their berths.
No ships were able to leave the port either.
The Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas joined 10 other ships — freighters and tankers — waiting to pass beneath the fog-shrouded Sunshine Skyway bridge to make their way to the port.
Among the passengers of the Brilliance of the Seas, longer than three football fields, is Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, who is participating in a fundraising Buckeye Cruise for Cancer. The ship’s passengers also include alumni, fans and current and former football and basketball players from the school.
The late arrival of the cruise has pushed back the next departure of the Brilliance of the Seas. Royal Caribbean also said it would provide each stateroom with an onboard credit.
“There are many things we can control, but Mother Nature is not one of them,” the cruise line said in a statement. “Our staff in Tampa will do their very best to minimize any further inconvenience to you, and our shipboard teams look forward to welcoming you onboard.”
By late Tuesday (24) morning, the vessels remained in a holding pattern in the Gulf, said Tampa Bay Pilots Association executive director Allen Thompson.
Thousand people attend Thanksgiving for loved Cayman evangelist
Over a thousand people were present at the Grand Cayman Lions Centre last Sunday (22) for the funeral of the much loved Evangelist Gloria Wilks.
Rev. Wilks was well known to the Cayman people through her televised “Gospel Insight” programme that was shown on CITN/Cayman27.
Rev. Wilks was 68 when she passed away earlier this month and devoted over 50 years of her life preaching God’s word.
Royal Caribbean names Mark Tamis as senior VP for hotel operations
By Arlene Satchell From Sun Sentinel
Mark Tamis has been named senior vice president of hotel operations for Royal Caribbean International.
Tamis will oversee hotel services, food, beverage, entertainment and private destinations, reporting to company President and CEO Michael Bayley.
“Mark has extensive knowledge and a proven track record of success in the hospitality industry, and I look forward to welcoming him to the Royal family,” Bayley said in a statement.
A 25-year travel industry veteran, Tamis most recently served as senior vice president of guest operations with competitor Carnival Cruise Lines. Before that, he was chief operating officer of The Setai Hotels and Resorts.
For more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/tourism/fl-royal-mark-tamis-new-hire-20150223-story.html
Cayman Islands Family Resource Centre wants you to “Lunch and Learn”
The Family Resource Centre’s (FRC) Love Shouldn’t Hurt Lunch and Learn lecture series commenced Monday’s (23 February) at the George Town library.
The Lunch and Learn sessions are informal and offer comfort for people dealing with domestic conflicts, and education to others who may come in contact with those suffering from abuse.
The lectures commence at 12:45pm on the last Monday of each month at the George Town Public Library and are free. Lunch is also provided.
Meeting of the Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Tuesday (24)
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves will be among other Regional Heads attending the 81st Meeting of the Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central bank, ECCB Tuesday February 24th.
During the meeting, the Council will receive the report on monetary and credit conditions in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union from the Governor of the ECCB, Sir Dwight Venner.
The Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) is the institution’s highest decision making body.
The Council comprises the Ministers for Finance from the eight member governments: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Cayman Islands arts festival starts Thursday (26)
Cayfest, The Cayman Islands National Festival of the Arts, is set to return for a three day extravaganza, starting this Thursday, February 26.
Cayman’s popular showcase of local talent incorporates an eclectic mix of visual arts, music, theatre, film, fashion design, and cultural discussions with an emphasis on local arts and culture. At the same time the festival stimulates and inspires local artists by including a diverse range of participants.
See below for a schedule of events and how you can get involved or visit www.artscayman.org/cayfest
Thursday February 26 – National Arts & Culture Awards announced
Friday February 27– Dress for Culture Day
Saturday February 28- ‘Red Sky at Night’ festival
See relate iNews Cayman story: “2015 FILM, FILM, FILM! Red Sky At Night Films, YIM Films & Derek Walcott coming soon!” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/2015-film-film-film-red-sky-at-night-films-yim-films-derek-walcott-coming-soon/
US High Court rejects embryonic stem cell patent appeal
By Lisa Shuchman, From The Litigation Daily
Dealing a blow to a non-profit that hoped to invalidate a controversial stem cell patent, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to wade into a fight over the rights of third parties to challenge decisions by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Cayman Football: League 1 club looking at talent in Cayman Islands
From Digicel Sportsmax
The Cayman International Youth Football Tournament took place over the weekend in the Cayman Islands, giving young players a chance to impress coaches from Swindon Town FC in League One, England.
The four-team tournament included a Swindon Town unit, two teams from Cayman and a Jamaica Under-15 line-up.
Swindon Town FC beat Jamaica U-15 3-0 in the final.
The event marked the fourth time Swindon Town was featuring the team in Cayman and several Caymanian players in the past have been invited to tryout with or attend the team’s academy.
Recently, Sebastian Martinez signed an apprenticeship contract with the club.
“Over the years we have noticed there is a hotbed of talent upon the island,” Swindon Town FC academy manager Jeremy Newton said.
“And if we can do some work with the coaches, work with the structures in place, then hopefully the transition between coming off the island and into our academy isn’t as big as maybe it was three or four years ago.”
He is also of the view that the talent in the Cayman Islands can match up to youngsters in Europe.
“I believe that the raw talent is really great here and I can see that some of the teenagers in this country can turn professionals.”
36 years of Independence celebrated by St Lucia last Sunday (22)
St Lucia observed the 36th anniversary of its political independence from Britain, awarding two of its former government leaders the Order of National Hero.
The island attained political independence on February 22, 1979 and marked the anniversary on Sunday, February 22, with a military parade at the Vigie Playing Field on the outskirts of the capital, as well as a National Celebratory Rally, the Independence Food Fair and Exhibition, Dance Festivals and the SLAM Concert in Vieux Fort.
The celebrations culminated on Monday(23) with the Independence Classic Cycling event and a grand beach bash in the south.
Cayman Islands Stepping Stones promotes Chelsea Flynn
SteppingStones, a professional Employment, Recruitment and Training Agency based in the Cayman Islands, is pleased to announce the promotion of Chelsea Flynn to Senior Recruiter of the Temporary Recruitment Division.
Chelsea began her career with SteppingStones in August 2013 as a Staffing Coordinator. She has progressed quickly to this senior position as she has demonstrated exceptional recruitment at both a local and international level, as well as strong leadership instincts with her hand on approach in training and developing other more junior members of the Steppingstones team.
Prior to joining SteppingStones, Chelsea developed her recruitment experience working for two international recruitment organisations in Manchester, England and later Boston, Massachusetts. She brought a wealth of experience to Cayman with specialized experience in a variety of industries, including Financial Services, Legal, Engineering and IT.
“Chelsea has been a key member of SteppingStones since we hired her and we are thrilled to announce her promotion to the senior team,” states Milly Serpell, Managing Director. “She is a walking example of the success one can have within SteppingStones when you are committed to our Core Values and are personally motivated to be successful.”
Chelsea joins Rosie Dunsford to complete the SteppingStones Senior Recruiter team effective immediately.
Trinidad police criticise media over investigations into murder of prominent attorney
From Antigua Observer
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Monday distanced itself from media reports over the weekend that at least six people would be charged in connection with the murder of prominent attorney Dana Seetahal last year.
The Trinidad Express newspaper reported Sunday that a man in prison custody was now assisting police with details into the murder of Seetahal, who was gunned down on May 4 as she made her way home from a casino.
She was shot at least five times by gunmen as she drove on the outskirts of the capital towards her home.
Despite rewards totaling millions of dollars (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents), no one has been detained or charged with the murder of the former magistrate and president of the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago. Her family has publicly urged the police to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime are brought to justice.
In a statement, the TTPS said that the reports in the media ‘are inconsistent with the progress of the investigation thus far and manifest obvious distortions with material facts of the case”.
The TTPS said it “considers it extremely irresponsible the naming of any officer/individual from any agency or organisation who may or may not be assisting with the investigation”.
The statement quoted Acting Commissioner of Police, Stephen Williams, of being “mindful of the legitimate public interest attending the investigation; and in this regard, urges restraint in any form of media reporting or commentary and calls for an absence of speculation which could possibly hamper the investigation.
“Commissioner Williams wishes to assure members of the public that the investigation into the murder of Ms. Seetahal continues to be treated with the ‘highest priority’ by lead investigator, acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime and Support, Glen Hackett.”
The statement quoted him as saying that “upon completion of the investigation the case file will be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions for review and direction following which a public statement will be made”.
The Express newspaper said that the prison informant had also “assisted police with information on the contract killer regarding his other professions and items which would be prominent to the ongoing enquiry”.
Cayman Islands Rotarians go to Guatemala to help literacy
The Rotary Club of Grand Cayman is proud to give long-term support to the Guatemala Literacy Project. The mission of the program is to help Guatemalan schoolchildren break the cycle of poverty through education.
Together with CoEd Rotary accomplishes this mission by implementing sustainable textbook, computer, reading, and scholarship programmess in impoverished schools.
Nine Rotarians travelled to Guatemala this month on a 10-day trip with other Rotarians from the United Sates and Canada, and representatives of the Cooperative for Education to participate in the inauguration of a computer centre and bring books to nine schools.
In a statement issued by the club Rotarian Chris Bailey said, “When you see the level of poverty these children endure close up, it redefines your definition of hardship and it is an absolute no-brainer to want to help. It’s also so easy to help. Most of the group now sponsors a child to go to school for only $80 a month, which stops them working in the fields or working as child labor in the city.”
HBO announces its March Movie Premieres
Miami, FL – February 24, 2015 – HBO announces its movie lineup for the month of March, with exclusive titles premiering each Saturday at 21:00hrs. AST* in the Caribbean.
Directed by Tim Story, Think Like a Man Too (Saturday, March 7) is the sequel to Steve Harvey’s “Think Like a Man,” based on his book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.” The couples are back for a wedding in Vegas, but their plans for a romantic weekend go sour when their misadventures threaten to ruin the big day. The cast includes Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good and Regina Hall, among others.
The sci-fi horror I, Frankenstein (Saturday, March 14), based on the novel by Kevin Grevioux, takes place 200 years after Dr. Victor Frankenstein assembled his creature, Adam, who still walks the earth. Amidst the battle between gargoyles and evil demons, immortal creatures who are trying to reveal his secret to immortality, Adam discovers that this key that could destroy the human race. Under the direction of Stuart Beattie, the film stars Aaron Eckhart, Miranda Otto, Bill Nighy, Aden Young and Yvonne Strahovski.
In the romantic comedy About Last Night (Saturday, March 21), directed by Steve Pink and based on the David Mamet’s 1974 play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” two couples journey from the bar to the bedroom and are eventually put to the test in the real world. Starring Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall and Joy Bryant.
The LEGO Movie (Saturday, March 28) is a computer animated adventure comedy based on the famous toys. When Emmet discovers he can protect the LEGO universe from Lord Business and his evil weapon, he and his friends begin a journey to save the world and keep creativity alive. Directed by Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, the film features the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman, among others.
*Atlantic Standard Time. For more information and the program schedule by country, contact your local cable operator or www.hbomax.tv.
