Officials at the Cayman Turtle Farm are turning their attention to the release of a very different kind of creature than the one most frequently at the centre of the farm’s wild release programme. Staff are currently preparing to release a Cayman Parrot that has recently fledged in the aviary. The baby parrot was hatched in early June to Leo, a male parrot who has called the farm home since the 1980s and Sweetpea, a wild parrot rescued from a poacher and donated to the Turtle Farm’s aviary by Cayman Wildlife Rescue. The countdown to the parrots release will see the young bird isolated from human contact and a weaning from commercial feed.

The staff will introduce natural wild food such as hardwood seeds and fruits, along with the branches of the trees so the young parrot will recognize the sources. Once the parrot has ignored the commercial feed and gone only for the wild diet, which could take up to a month or more then the bird will be released into the wild. 

“We are excited and happy that our fledgling is doing well and in good health. We feel that he/ she will be a success in the wild and look forward to being able to be a part of the preservation of the local Cayman Parrot population. We appreciate the support of members of the public in enabling us to continue our efforts towards the conservation of our local wildlife,” said Geddes Hislop, Curator – Terrestrial Exhibits, Education Programs, & (Acting) Marine Exhibits.

This is not the first feathered creature that the Turtle Farm has repatriated as part of the Headstart project. Other injured and rescued birds have included White-Crowned Pigeons, Caribbean “white belly” doves, as well as a couple of injured Cayman Brac parrots.

The Release (Headstart) Program was started in 1979 and is usually associated with turtles. Since its inception the farm stated that over 31,000 endangered green sea turtles have been released back into the wild population. 

(source: Cayman News Service.com)

Two more local high street banks have joined the government’s mortgage guarantee programme to enable more Caymanians to access mortgages. Butterfield and First Caribbean International banks will each offer an additional $5 million sum for home loans to local people who can afford a mortgage but cannot find the 25% cash to put down with the bank. The deal with the two banks brings the total of retail banks supporting the initiative to six. Since its inception the Government Guaranteed Home Assisted Mortgage (GGHAM) programme has helped 269 people get their own homes.

Butterfield and FirstCaribbean International had previously committed $10 million each which has already been disbursed but the extra five million will help assist more families.

In existence since 2007, the GGHAM assists Caymanians who qualify for traditional commercial bank mortgages, but who are unable to accumulate the required five to twenty percent deposit. Government guarantees 35 percent of the total mortgage enabling clients to access a loan without having to find the usual down payment. The banks then grant mortgages based on both the guarantees and the client’s eligibility. Customers must remain in good standing with their banks to retain their guarantees.

In addition to Butterfield and FirstCaribbean, GGHAM currently has agreements with Cayman National; Fidelity Bank (Cayman) Ltd; Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) Ltd.

Mike Adam, the minister with responsibility for housing applauded the banks which have already approved some $47.5 million in loans to the 269 recipients. “These are impressive figures and we hope to see them expand even further as the programme continues to grow,” he said.

(source : Cayman News Service)

When it comes to protection of the marine environment, the choices people make about which seafood they eat are very important, and with Little Cayman Beach Resort becoming the latest restaurant to join the National Trust’s Cayman Sea Sense (CSS) there is one more place where people can help. The Cayman Sea Sense project is a local sustainable seafood education programme dedicated to helping restaurants and their customers make environmentally positive seafood choices. The project assists chefs and restaurant owners to reduce the number of non-sustainable seafood items on their menus.

Catherine Childs and Sharon Adam-Whitmore, the new directors of CSS, said they were delighted to welcome Little Cayman Beach Resort to the list of those restaurants already making good choices about what seafood they serve.

“As the new directors of CSS, we have been encouraged by the support of the CITA and the National Trust; we have  also created a page on Facebook whose 58 members are committed to education and conservation,” they said. “CSS empowers more diners to confidently identify and choose restaurants that provide environmentally responsible seafood menu items, and provide restaurants with the information and support to continuously improve menus from an environmental sustainability perspective.”

In order to be eligible to carry the Sea Sense logo, restaurants and staff must make a commitment to provide at least one sustainable option on their menu with a commitment for continuous improvement. Full certification comes when all seafood items on the menu are sustainable.

(Source: Cayman New Service.com)

While he may have missed out on the giant leap for mankind Buzz Aldrin enjoyed a giant splash in Cayman when he visited the islands and enjoyed a spot of diving. The famous former astronaut, who was second man on the moon after Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 voyage in 1969, was here on behalf of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation which provides college scholarships to top science and engineering students across the USA. The foundation had approached members of Cayman’s Dive community for support for its fundraising efforts with complimentary dives, which could be auctioned to raise money for the scholarship programme.

While he was in Cayman with his wife Lois, the 80 year old Aldrin did four dives and visited Stingray City. The couple attended a cocktail party on the Friday evening hosted by members of the toursim industry along with the Department and Ministry of Tourism, where he met with government officials as well as the local sp0nsors who are donating to the scholarship foundation.

Although Aldrin has his share of problems when he retired from NASA, unlike his reclusive lunar colleague Armstrong, Aldrin has been a more visible face of the aeronautical industry. He has continued to promote space exploration, including producing a computer strategy game called Buzz Aldrin’s Race Into Space (1993).

On the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, he teamed up with Snoop Dogg and Quincy Jones to create a rap single. Over the years he has made a number of cameo appearances on TV programmes, including the Simpsons. More recently he was a contestant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

(source: Cayman News Service.com)

The Cayman Islands office of Sotheby’s real estate agents is looking for $59.5 million for a single home on the beach at South Sound. Castillo Caribe is being described as one of the finest beachfront estate homes in the world offering endless luxury. The realtors are also using the government’s recent move to encourage the rich to make Cayman their home as one of the property’s selling points. Sotheby’s says that Cayman’s tax neutral environment makes it “very appealing to people of high net worth to seek residency here – a position which is actively encouraged by the local government.”

The 48,000 square feet property on South Sound has its own helipad as well as a wine Cellar/Grotto and an outdoor Kitchen. The list includes a pool, gym, tennis courts, four car garage, media room and the other usual requirements of the rich including indoor golf.

Anyone who wants to buy it or just see more pictures can log on to www.sircaymanislands.com

http://www.sircaymanislands.com/database/pptydetails.php?pptyid=298

(source: Cayman News Service.com)

Cayman is famous around the globe as an excellent vacation destination, not least for the attractions available once you are tired of merely lying on the beach. However, those fortunate enough to live here rarely get to experience many of the features that make Cayman such a favourite. It’s always the same story – I don’t need to go today, as it will still be there tomorrow, next week, next year…

However, there are a couple of attractions that are certainly well worth the effort of getting in your car and driving a mile or two. One such attraction is the Cayman Motor Museum.

The museum stands as testament to one man’s passion for classic and collectable cars. However, unlike many who would sequester such a collection, Andreas Ugland decided to share his passion with the world. He had the vision of gathering together the collection in one place from locations all over the world and sharing it with Cayman.

Opened in May 2010, the museum’s collection includes a variety of stunning automobiles, certain to stir the passions of car nuts and regular folk alike. The collection of Ferrari’s are certain to catch the eye with their classic lines and signature red paint, although there are a couple that eschew the classic red for bright yellow. Regardless of the colour, the lines still look fast, even standing still. Then there is the original Bat Mobile from the 60s Batman and Robin TV series, with its distinctive bubble canopy and fins. It might lack some of the gadgets of its latter-day counterparts, but is still awesome.

A 1956 Daimler, which was Queen Elizabeth II’s first limousine, is one of the prize pieces of the collection, along with a 1963 Bentley that belonged to Elton John.  There is also a perfect 1905 Cadillac, which was the first type of car to arrive in the Cayman Islands.

The museum also boasts a collection of classic motorbikes that line the walls, including a good selection of Harley Davidsons.

The design of the museum is based around a diner theme, with a classic 50s feel to it.

The attraction is open from 9am to 5pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 11am to 5pm on Sundays.

Golf in Cayman was a long time coming! Real Estate Developers were promising golf courses as early as the 1970s but the promises never materialized. Golfing devotees were frustrated and reduced to traveling to Florida or Jamaica to indulge their hobby. Indeed, a small but dedicated group regularly organized competitions in those countries and Costa Rica and there are still many CIGA members who will share their enjoyable memories of those early travels at the drop of a hat.

Golf finally became a reality in 1985 when the Britannia Golf Course opened. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, it had a unique concept of an 18 hole Par 3 Executive course overlaid on a 9 hole Championship course. In addition, the Executive layout could also be used as a track for the “Cayman” ball, a 50 compression ball which traveled about half the distance of the regular golf ball. However, the idea never really took off in Cayman.

With plans for a new 18 hole golf course being well in hand, it became clear in 1992 that there was a need for a governing body to regulate golf in Cayman. A start was made in August that year when the initial 73 members adopted a Constitution and elected the first slate of Officers. The new association, The Cayman Islands Golf Association, was thus formally constituted and became affiliated to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf in most of the world.

The Cayman Islands Golf Association (CIGA) set about organizing golf events in Cayman and both the Cayman Islands Amateur Championships (a scratch event) and the President’s Trophy (a handicap event) were inaugurated in 1993. They have been competed for annually ever since and other competitions have joined them in an expanding calendar of events.

The Links at Safehaven finally opened at the end of 1993, bringing the first 18 hole Championship course, allowing many more golfers to enjoy the sport. Since that time, the two Championship venues were joined by the Sunrise Family Golf Centre at Savannah, which provided a sporty short hole test for family members of all ages. The Sunrise Family Golf Centre at Savannah did not reopen after Hurricane Ivan. In 2007 the Links at Safehaven became the North Sound Club, and continues to be the only 18 hole championship course on the island.

The Blue Tip is a Greg Norman Signature designed golf course that opened in October 2006 and is exclusive to Ritz-Carlton guests. It is currently a 9 hole golf course that plays just over 3,500 yards from the back tees with water on 8 out of the 9 holes.

CIGA was admitted in 1993 to membership of the Caribbean Golf Association and has competed in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships every year since 1994. CIGA has hosted the Caribbean Championships in 1997 and 2008, and the Caribbean Junior Championships in 2002, and is scheduled to host the Caribbean Junior Championships again in 2011.

The 18^th Annual CIGA President’s Trophy will be taking place on 25^th September 2010. The 2009 President’s Trophy saw golfers of all ages take to the links of the North Sound Golf Club. Open to all members of CIGA, 80 men and women participated in the event. On a day of ideal golfing conditions, the competition was stiff, and many of the titles were won by a mere one or two strokes, making this tournament, one of the closet yet.

(source : ciga.ky and caymannetnews)

For those who enjoy performing on stage while helping a good cause, Cayman’s Got Talent may be just what you’re looking for. The new talent show, organised by Nolly Brown Entertainment in association with the Cayman Islands Diabetic Association, will host a series of preliminary rounds in September with the final set for mid October. Anyone age 9 or older is eligible to enter.

Contestants can sing, dance, do a skill or perform any type of performing art.

Event organiser Noel Smith explained that the idea of setting up the talent show with four heats followed by a pre-final and a final came to him after his recent experiences with type two diabetes.

The theme of this first annual Cayman’s got Talent is Diabetics for People in Need, and the events will raise money to set up a fund to help diabetics buy vital medical supplies like insulin pumps, glucose meters and testing strips.

Sylvia Perry, president of the CI Diabetes Association, said that her organisation would administer the fund. “We are a non-profit organisation which was formed 33 years ago and are members of the International Diabetes Federation.”

“We’re hoping that the public will really warm to this show and support it by attending the district heats before buying tickets for the pre-final and the final” said Mr Smith.

The winner of Cayman’s Got Talent will receive a cash prize of several thousand dollars said the organiser, who added that the exact amount will be announced later.

(source : compass cayman)

While the tourist industry worldwide may still have some way to go before it recovers from the impact of the global recession, passenger arrivals in the Cayman Islands are at the 2010 halfway mark showing improvement on 2009. More passengers arrived on the islands both by air and by boat this year than last. According to the latest statistics from the Department of Tourism at the end of June well over 126,000 cruise passengers had visited Grand Cayman in the first six months of the year compared to last and over 30,000 more passengers had passed through Owen Roberts International Airport.

The DoT website states that in 2009 between 1 January and 30 June 739, 562 passengers came on cruise ships while in 2010 866,340 have visited in the same time. Meanwhile at the airport 162,070 people have visited by air since 1 January 2010 to the end of June compared to 132,905 last year over the same time.

According to a recently published report on the region’s tourism industry the Caribbean experienced a mixed start to 2010, with sharp differences between countries in terms of tourist arrivals. The report states however that in general, the picture was positive, with several countries posting increases in tourist arrivals, following a year of overall decline in 2009.

(Source : Cayman News Service)

Ten years ago, Dr. Steve Tomlinson set up Cayman’s first private hospital. A decade on, the Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital continues to grow and expand its services.

In an interview with the Caymanian Compass, Mr. Tomlinson outlined details of some of the new additions to the hospital – both in innovative equipment and staff.

By the end of this year, he hopes to have a 3 Tesla MRI in place. The hospital already has a 2 Tesla MRI, but Mr. Tomlinson is looking forward to the arrival of the new equipment.

“There’s no better MRI in this part of the world as far as resolution goes,” he said.

The hospital is also preparing to welcome two new surgeons – orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Matthias Herzig and general surgeon Dr. Darley Solomon are joining the team.

Mr. Tomlinson said the arrival of Mr. Solomon back on Island from the United States would lessen his workload. “I’ve been doing this for 40 years. It’s getting time to slow down a little,” he said.

Mr. Solomon, who is from Cayman, previously worked at the Cayman Island Hospital.

Visiting oncologist on board – Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital also has a visiting oncologist, Theodore Turnquest, who comes to Cayman every two weeks, and an oncology nurse who is on staff full time. “The nurse administers the chemotherapy and people can get the surgery they need here now.” Mr. Tomlinson said.

Neurosurgeon Dr. James Akinwunmi has been coming to Chrissie Tomlinson for the past year, visiting once a month for about 10 days and carrying out brain and spinal surgeries. “He is doing great work,” said Mr. Tomlinson. “I’m happy that James is coming here. He’s helping a lot of people.”. Dr. Marc Kayem also works out of Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital when he visits from Los Angeles. He is an ear, nose and throat specialist and plastic surgeon.

In recent years, the hospital has also expanded from its main Walkers Road site to set up a satellite clinic based in the Countryside Shopping Centre in Savannah, where Mr. Tomlinson holds consultations, sometimes for free for patients who cannot afford to pay.

The operating theatres of Chrissie Tomlinson Hospital are filled with what Mr. Tomlinson described as a “United Nations” of staff who have moved to Cayman from all over the world. They perform more than 100 operations a month.

(source : cayCompass.com)