Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Free Stuff in Grand Cayman

Free Stuff in Grand Cayman, Really! (click here)


Grand Cayman has plenty of activities you can enjoy for free! 
If you are a family traveling with children, the information
below will show you just how it's done if you want to save your
vacation dollars!!  We even have ways you can make money
while enjoying some of the finest Resorts on the Island!

Hooters comes to downtown Grand Cayman



Hooters set their sights on Cayman
Published on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 in Cayman Net News


Hooters logo


Another household brand name in the United States is shortly to be
added to the list of attractions in Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.


Hooters, a restaurant chain which began life as a single outlet
in Clearwater, Florida nearly 24 years, is bringing their combination
of good and attractive, female servers to George Town.

Although
email enquiries to Hooters in the USA have failed to elicit
confirmation of the opening plans, local sources said that a location
on Fort Street has already been chosen and plans are well advanced.

Hooters,
Grand Cayman, will join over 435 outlets located in the USA and more
than 20 other countries worldwide. The chain also owns a hotel casino
in Las Vegas.

Although the chain does employ male staff, part
of its reputation is based on a decision to employ only female servers.
The waitresses, known as Hooters Girls, wear a uniform comprising a
tight white spandex shirt with the Hooters owl logo, the legendary
orange runner’s shorts, glossy ultra sheer suntan tights, white socks,
and white trainers.

Located just across the road from the
Royal Watler Terminal, with a typical menu including hamburgers,
sandwiches, steak, seafood, chicken and Buffalo wings, plus a full bar
service, Hooters could be seen as operating in direct competition to
established outlets such as Senor Frog’s and Margaritaville.

However,
according to the company website, they target a slightly different
clientele. Describing themselves as, “Delightfully tacky, yet
unrefined,” Hooters characterises itself as a neighbourhood place, not
a family restaurant.

About 70 percent of their customers are
male, most between the ages of 25-54. Although Hooters does not market
itself to families they do offer a kids menu.

Most locations also feature a range of widescreen TVs providing sports or music to entertain customers.

As examples of the worldwide attraction of Hooters, the latest two restaurants are being opened in Israel and Dubai.

Extensive
merchandising, including an annual swimsuit calendar, backs up the food
and drink side of the business. Hooters is also heavily involved in
sports sponsorship.

Quite how existing businesses will view
the new venture is unclear. Two recent investigations by Cayman Net
News suggested that the restaurant, bar and fast food market on the
island is already saturated.

In January, burger giant
McDonald’s showed interest in opening a local branch but other, similar
outlets cast doubt on the viability of yet another fast food
establishment on the island.

In June, an in-depth look at the
restaurant business revealed a shrinking market experiencing intense
competition amongst existing businesses.

But Margaritaville Manager Arthur Screaton said he did not see it as direct competition.

“In
this business you need to concentrate on what is going on inside your
own door not worry about what other people may, or may not be doing,
outside,” he observed adding that this was the way Margaritaville
ensured they continued to provide a top quality service to their
customers.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Hit & run driver gets 4.5 months in Cayman


"Careless driver" gets 4.5 months


By Carol Winker, carol@cfp.ky

Monday 2nd July, 2007

After pleading not guilty to causing death by dangerous or reckless
driving, but guilty to careless driving, Ronald Edward Addinall was
sentenced last week to four and a half months in prison.

The maximum sentence for careless driving is six months. Cayman’s Traffic Law does not contain an offence of causing death by careless driving. Justice Alexander Henderson heard the facts and mitigation on 22 June, then adjourned sentence until 27 June.

Senior Crown Counsel Gail Johnson told the court that the incident occurred around 1.30am on Saturday, 5 November 2005. The victim was David Ian Ross, 26, a visitor to Grand Cayman who was walking along South Church Street toward Memorial Avenue.

The Crown alleged that Addinall was driving a pick–up truck along the same road heading in the same direction. Approximately 75 feet from Memorial Avenue, the victim was close to the road’s edge and was struck from behind by the vehicle, which caused him first to roll backwards over the hood and strike the back of his head on the windscreen frame.

He then vaulted some 39 feet and struck the top of a block wall that was four feet high. A passer–by who observed the victim lying on the side of the road stopped and called for assistance. On arrival police observed debris from the vehicle, which had not stopped. They took the debris to Vampt Motors, where staff helped them identify the make of vehicle.

Police conducted interviews with several people. When interviewed, Addinall admitted he was the only driver of the vehicle at the time of the incident. However he denied knowing he had hit anything until he saw the damage the next morning.

Mr. Ross died of multiple blunt force injuries. The speed limit in the area is 30mph and a reconstruction showed the driver must have been doing a minimum of 40mph in order to send the victim airborne.

Ms Johnson said the roadway in that area is narrow and there is no
sidewalk for pedestrians. When Addinall was questioned by police, he
said at the time of the incident he was distracted, he was listening to
music in the vehicle and had things on his mind.

Justice Henderson read from Addinall’s statement to police. The
defendant said he dropped two people at the airport on Friday around
4.30pm and went to work from 5pm until around 9m. He worked on a sunset cruise vessel for tourists and there were several South Africans
aboard; he is from South Africa.

He had about three shots of vodka on board, then went to a bar and
had two beers. His friends were asking him about his divorce and he was
not happy. He went to another bar, but did not drink there, then to a
third bar where he had two more beers. He left about 1.15am

He was not aware of when or where the accident took place. He asked if any calculation had been done of Addinall’s blood/alcohol level. Ms Johnson said the Crown had an expert and the Defence had an expert, but they did not agree, so any calculating would have been speculation.

There were no eye witnesses. Defence Attorney Ben Tonner said a social inquiry report was not useful, since Addinall was about to be rolled over, his work permit expiring 6 July. He told the court that an expert toxicologist had used times and quantities of drinking from Addinall’s interview and had concluded he was not substantially affected by alcohol and was under the legal limit.

His guilty plea was a sign or remorse and meant that Mr. Ross’
family did not have to live through the incident in a trial. He was
apologising to the family by letter.

While recognising the tremendous sense of loss felt by the family of
the victim, Mr. Tonner asked the court to consider the impact of the
penalty on a man like Addinall, who was of good character; particularly
if the penalty was custodial.

Justice Henderson asked if the Crown wanted him to take into account
Addinall’s failure to stop at the scene. Ms Johnson said yes. He asked if the Crown was going to ask the magistrate to impose consecutive sentences in the Summary Court charges. She said no.

He then said he would take the hit and run aspect of the incident into account. In passing sentence he summarised the facts and said a first offence of careless driving would not ordinarily result in a prison sentence.
But hit and run that results in serious injury or death almost always
requires prison.

Addinall had a legal and moral obligation to stop and render what
assistance he could, he said. Not remembering could have come from
excessive alcohol or a wish to minimise his involvement. Earlier, he
said it could be a coping mechanism.

With a maximum penalty for careless driving of six months, he had to
give some discount for the guilty plea. He made that six weeks, for a
total of four months two weeks and allowed credit for the 14 days
Addinall had previously spent in custody.

He also disqualified him from driving for 12 months. Later the same morning, Addinall appeared before Acting Magistrate Valdis Foldats. In that court, Ms Johnson explained what had happened in Grand Court.

She said she was not suggesting any consecutive sentence as the judge had taken into account the hit and run factor. The magistrate said he was taking into account what he had been told and Addinall’s guilty pleas to leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report and accident. He imposed a term of one month for each offence, concurrent with the Grand Court sentence.
Mr. Tonner said Addinall would need to leave the island when he finishes his sentence.