Hospice Isle of Man are giving residents the chance to sponsor a Christmas light in memory of a loved one.
White lights on the Hospice Christmas tree can be sponsored for a minimum donation of £5 and limited edition blue lights can be sponsored for a minimum price of £50.
The switching on of the Christmas tree lights in the grounds at Noble’s Hospital will take place on December 6.
Police have drawn a blank in their investigation into poison pen letters sent to Treasury Minister Eddie Teare.
Mr Teare offered a reward in July for information in connection with threatening correspondence sent to his home address.
Police published excerpts from the letters in the hope that somebody will recognise the handwriting and identify the author.
Inspector Andy Kneen said: ‘The publicity generated by Mr Teare offering a reward for information did generate further lines of enquiry in this matter, which were pursued.
‘Unfortunately we have not been able to identify the culprit from those lines of enquiry.
‘Mr Teare has been kept informed of the state of the case. We are not actively pursuing any lines of enquiry at the moment, but will do so if new information comes to light.’
The Treasury Minister told the Manx Independent: ‘They have drawn a blank. We cannot move forward unless another line of enquiry emerges.’
The existence of the letters was first reported in December last year.
Police said the threatening nature and language used fell ‘well outside what is acceptable’ and would appear to form the basis of a criminal offence.
The precise nature of that threat, however, has never been disclosed. Mr Teare, who is MHK for Ayre, said the poison pen letters had had a profound effect on his family.
He offered the personal reward in return for any information that will help the police with their inquiries.
Mr Teare said at the time: ‘I would appeal to anyone who knows who is responsible to come forward. I have decided to put up the cash reward to assist the investigation and hopefully prevent others in the community having to experience what my family is going through.’
There will be another attempt in Tynwald this week to slam the brakes on plans to charge government staff to park at work in central Douglas.
A dozen Tynwald members sparked public – and media – condemnation when they recently voted against introducing a £770 a year charge which would apply to the MHKs and MLCs too. With the court divided, the motion was lost.
Infrastructure Phil Gawne pledged to come back to the court this month for a combined vote.
>> Short but packed Tynwald agenda this week
But MLC Tony Wild will seek an amendment that the charge will only apply to Tynwald members – and that any extension of the policy to charge for government car parking spaces in central Douglas should apply only after ‘appropriate public service staff, unions and human resource officials have been engaged and an outcome agreed’.
Mr Wild was one of the six MLCs who voted against the charges last month.
Under the proposal, charges for spaces in central Douglas would apply to all public servants including Tynwald members, the judiciary and Crown officers. Essential users, volunteers, those working night shifts and staff at executive office grade or below would be exempt.
Sites which don’t predominately have office accommodation such as schools, dental practices and health centres will be exempted as will car parks not owned by or leased to the Manx government.
The charges would come in from April next year, starting at £192.50 a year but rising in phases to £770 a year by 2019.
In Tynwald last month, critics claimed they would be happy to pay, but argued the proposals were flawed.
Mr Wild suggested ‘we have created a monster’ by broadening out the policy to include other public servants. He said: ‘In my view, I do believe it is flawed, because it seems to be picking on a group of staff, when in reality it should either apply to all the staff or none.’
It’s a relatively short but packed ordered paper for this week’s Tynwald sitting.
Two items are certain to cause the biggest controversy: car parking for Tynwald members and a move to hike the sewerage rate by 50 per cent.
Manx Utilities Authority chairman Alfred Cannan MHK will seek to increase the sewerage rate from 62p to 92p next year. The sewerage rate replaced the £50 flat rate toilet tax in April. Mr Cannan said the rise is necessary given continuing withdrawal of Treasury subsidy.
Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson wants approval to spend £557,000 on a fire training facility.
Treasury Minister Eddie Teare will propose changes to the Manx Pension Supplement to ensure those who have spent part of their working life in the UK will be no worse off in retirement following state pension reforms.
Lib Van MHK Peter Karran has table a motion about erosion at Wright’s Pit East he claims could turn into an ‘environmental disaster’.
After the distraction of the Cup last weekend, the Manx Netball Association’s leagues resumed on Sunday.
Premier Division
Simcocks Blue Eagles 48, Route 1 Turbos 39
Route 1 Connections 54, Thompson Purple 16
SMP Ballasalla A 54, Browne Craine Toomraiders 22
SMP Ballasalla B 41, PWC Manx Gem Rubies 32
Simcocks Red Eagles 46, Missfits A 25
Division One
Fencibles A 16, Team DQ 50
PWC Manx Gem Emeralds 23, Castletown Pink 31
Marbree Motors 41, Simcocks White Eagles 19
Thompson White 37, Manx Glass Saints 14
Bobby Sadler Young Farmers 29, The Spaniards 22
Division Two
Thompson Lilac 47, Missfits B 7
Thompson Fuchsia 35, Route 1 Sparks 39
Fencibles B 10, Thompson Violet 18
Missfits C 22, Castletown Navy 24
SMP Ballasalla C 27, Route 1 Reactors 37
PWC Manx Gem Sapphires 13, Simcocks Green Eagles 30
More in Thursday’s Manx Independent
The island’s professional snooker player, Darryl Hill, is making steady progress since joining the world’s elite players on the main tour, breaking into the top 100 earlier this week.
The 19-year-old, who gained his professional ticket by winning the European under-21 championship in March this year, enjoyed one of his best wins in the International Championship by defeating world No18 Robert Milkins 6-4.
The match was played at the Barnsley Metrodome and with that victory, Hill then qualified for the final stages of the tournament, held last week in Daqing, China.
Unfortunately he lost to an in-form Jimmy Robertson who also had breaks of 108 and 141 along the way but Hill’s good run has seen him to rise 21 places in the world rankings, to number 96, just four months after starting his professional career.
Next for the Manx player was the fourth event of the European tour in Bulgaria at the weekend where he played world No66 Peter Lines.
Hill will also be competing in the second biggest tournament of the season, the UK Championship, held at the Barbican centre in York, later this month.
A television programme is to shine a spotlight on the Isle of Man as an offshore finance centre.
It asks why companies that operate in the UK can be based in the island officially for tax purposes.
A report on the programme is the lead story in this week’s Isle of Man Examiner.
The Examiner also includes:
An interview with a Manx woman who was in Paris during Friday’s terror attack
Planning permission granted for an American cafe chain
The Chief Minister condemns a private members’ bill on planning as a ‘nimbys’’ charter.
New MHK Jon Joughin talks to us after his election last week
There’s going to be an investigation into last month’s rise in unemployment
An assessment of Flybe’s decision to drop its Stansted route
The appointment of a former Tesco boss to a key role in promoting Manx food
Low morale at the Department of Infrastructure
A new wing for the Isle of Man College
Latest property sales
Revealed: The DoI’s apology for advice note to Onchan Commissioners
A man had a suitcase full of drugs
Jury hears evidence from crash witnesses
Burglar who stole from his neighbours
Plan for a five-bedroom house on former pool site in Port Erin
Two pages of your letters
Terry Cringle’s column
Community news
Two pages of nostalgia
The latest cheque presentations
Two pages of photos from Children in Need events
All the weekend’s sporting action
Our business coverage leads with success for a Douglas tea shop, which means it has expanded
The island’s favourite newspaper is in the shops now.
Less than a week after Flybe announced it was dropping its Isle of Man to Stansted service, British Airways has announced it’s to increase the frequency of flights between Ronaldsway and London City Airport.
The airline made an announcement this morning.
It says that from next summer it will operate up to 27 return flights a week compared to 19 this year.
The number of extra flights will vary throughout the summer, with either four or five flights on weekdays, two on Saturdays and three on Sundays.
However, it has not given exact times yet.
The service is currently operated on a 50-seat Saab 2000 turboprop, but some of the additional services will be on an Embraer 170 jet aircraft, providing up to 50 per cent more seats each week.
The additional flights mean British Airways will offer a better schedule to London, flying to the convenient Docklands airport in the east of Londno, which has good transport links to the city centre via the Docklands Light Railway.
The additional services make it even easier for customers to easily connect with British Airways’s network of business and leisure destinations from London City.
One way hand baggage only fares start at £49 will be available to book online.
All British Airways fares include free seat allocation and on line check-in 24 hours before departure, complimentary refreshments and drinks and no debit card charges.
Luke Hayhoe, British Airways’ general manager commercial and customer at London City: ‘We are doing what we told our customers on the Isle of Man we would do, growing and improving our schedule to London.
‘We are delighted to be able to offer up to 3,000 seats a week on well-timed flights that offer the choice of a day return or onward connections.’
Director of Ports for the Isle of Man, Ann Reynolds, said: ‘The very quick response by British Airways in adding further flights on the London City service from the Isle of Man for summer 2016 is very positive and very welcome.
‘The new schedule looks very good for both leisure and business customers, offering greater flexibility on services each day, all at competitive fares.’
Flybe last week announced it was dropping its London Stansted route after a year.
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A team of volunteers has cleaned a nature conservation site to help maintain the habitat.
A group of HSBC staff spent the day with the Manx Wildlife Trust at the Close Umpson Nature Reserve, which is part of the Ballaugh Curragh Area of Special Scientific Interest.
The two-acre area of species-rich grassland is maintained by the trust and is home to a variety of wildlife and plants including flora such as Yellow Rattle, Purple Loosestrife and Eyebright.
The team selectively removed bog myrtle and willow from the wettest part of the land to help protect the area of bog habitat and its specialist plants and insects.
Tricia Sayle, reserves officer at the trust, said: ‘Having carried out a number of practical tasks for the Manx Wildlife Trust in recent years, including one earlier this year, the HSBC volunteers were keen to take on the challenge. The tussocky, wet terrain made for difficult working conditions but the staff rose to the challenge and cleared a significant area.’
Kevin Cartledge, senior manager at HSBC Isle of Man, said: ‘The Manx Wildlife Trust is one of HSBC’s long term community partners. We are delighted to support our employees to volunteer to provide practical support to the charity for projects, which prove to be very popular. This project provided hands-on experience of the charity’s invaluable nature conservation work.’
The wildlife trust aims to protect and conserve the island’s wildlife and nature habitats and is currently responsible for the management of 22 reserves across the island, which cover over 300 acres of Manx land.
The Sea Cadet Hall in Tromode, Douglas, was evacuated last night when a gas leak was detected.
Douglas firefighters were called and found the building was already safely evacuated. Crews smelt gas throughout the premises and asked Manx Gas to attend.
Manx Gas found a leak in roof space, which was isolated and made safe by the gas engineer.
Budget cuts and job losses have had an impact on staff morale in a key government department.
Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne told a Tynwald scrutiny committee that his department had had to cope with a £6m cut in his budget over the course of the last financial year - and there was a ‘similar but not quite as extensive’ reduction to deal with this year.
He said of the 500 jobs lost in government over the last three years about 300 had been from the Department of Infrastructure. And he anticipated there would be further budget reductions in the next two to three years, and that his department was likely to take on more of the burden of cuts than some other areas of government.
The Minister told the environment and infrastructure police review committee: ‘The challenges are immense. We’ve significantly less staff but we’re still trying to cover the same range of issues. Clearly there’s more pressure on staff than there had been.
‘That’s had an impact on staff morale. That’s certainly one thing the political team and senior management team are very much aware of. We are trying to do more to give reassurances to staff where possible and be more productive. Quite clearly if you have fewer staff you have to work with them to be more productive.’
He said this was an issue right across government but with it not being easy to squeeze money out of health or education, it was his department as the next biggest that was always going to take the biggest hit.
‘It’s not easy but I appreciate across government we have to find ways to save money,’ he said.
Good relations had been build with the unions, the committee was told.
Committee member David Quirk MHK asked the Minister if he was expecting a second round of staff cuts.
Mr Gawne replied: ‘I’m not saying necessarily staff cuts.’
But he said that with the government having rebalanced its revenue budget and now looking to replenish the capital fund, this would inevitably mean two elements – growing the economy and reducing expenditure.
‘We are looking at £75m. My department is most likely to take the biggest hit,’ he told the committee.
Chief executive Nick Black described the DoI as a ‘unsung hero’. ‘It’s not a department in the headlines. It’s a back room in many cases. But we are able to hold our heads up high,’ he said.
One problem he highlighted was that it had become difficult to recruit specialist staff.
Turning to other highlights of the year, Mr Gawne cited the transfer of functions to local authorities as having worked ‘remarkably well’. On the issue of waste management he expected to go to Tynwald with agreed proposals in January.
Flybe didn’t give its Stansted route a chance.
TravelWatch and the Chief Minister say the route, launched only in March this year, should have been given longer to establish itself.
And Flybe’s withdrawal from Stansted is not the only bad news for Manx air passengers - as rival easyJet is planning to cut back frequency on both its Gatwick and Bristol routes next summer.
But there was some good news, too, with BA announcing today that it is increasing frequency on its London City route in the summer, with up to five return flights a day on weekdays.
On Flybe axing its Stansted route, Chief Minister Allan Bell said: ‘It’s obviously very disappointing that the announcement was made.
‘I’m surprised at the speed of the assessment carried out by Flybe. I would have thought it would have been a good idea to have a longer period of usage to gauge the level of support and build up a greater awareness of the route among Manx passengers. It’s disappointing to lose Stansted. It was starting to get popular. I don’t believe Flybe gave it a chance.’
Former Manx Airlines boss Terry Liddiard, TravelWatch Isle of Man spokesman, said: ‘I think it’s been mismanaged.
‘It’s only been going six months which is a very short time to give a scheduled service to establish itself. I would expect it to take three years to get a scheduled service into profit. To make an announcement after six months is quite strange.’
He said Flybe had also pulled out of other short-lived routes into Bournemouth and London City. ‘It’s a strange attitude and short-termism.’
Up to three flights a day had operated on the Stansted route, which launched on March 15 this year. Some 6,000 passengers a month had used the route over the summer but this had dipped to 4,500 in October. The last flight will be on March 26.
Airport director Ann Reynolds said it was a commercial decision by Flybe - passengers numbers were good but the route wasn’t making money.
Mr Liddiard said the Stansted service had been launched with no publicity. Flight times were also a problem, he said, with the earliest service not leaving before 8am. Currently the first flight out is 9.35am.
But Mr Liddiard said he was disappointed that easyJet is to cut back on its Gatwick route again next year, with only one flight a day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from the end of June through to September, and no Saturday flights at all. The Bristol route, too, is being cut back, from the current four flights a week to just two from April.
Mr Liddiard said he had contacted easyJet to ask them to rethink over cutting back on Gatwick in the wake of Flybe’s Stansted withdrawal.
He said Stansted once again raised questions about the merits of the open skies policy. ‘Light regulation could have helped.’
Jamie McCanney may have to wait a little while to see if he has won the 2015 ACU British Enduro Championship or not.
Heading into the single-day Muntjac event in Norfolk, it was billed as a ‘winner-takes-all’ scenario between himself and Beta’s Steve Holcombe.
After four laps of the special test through the huge Thetford Forest complex, Holcombe led by 1.3 seconds, but McCanney pulled out all the stops on lap five to beat his rival by 2.5 seconds with the fastest time of the day and move into a 1.4-second lead with one test remaining.
Holcombe edged that final test, but Mccanney took it overall by 0.9 of a second on the Bel-Ray Oils Husqvarna 250 four-stroke.
The Edmondson Racing-sponsored series organisers then announced that they had received a protest and were therefore unable to confirm the championship winner as both McCanney and Holcombe finished on the exact same tally of points, total number wins and second places.
David Knight finished third on the day to round off a good season with the British E2 title.
There was yet another local success with Jake Subachus winning the expert championship on his MPS Sherco.
He finished fourth overall in the expert class on the day, but had enough points in the bag to beat Brad King for the class honours.
More in the Manx Independent.
The heavy rain over the last couple of hours has led to some flooding in some areas of the Isle of Man.
Our photos show Peel Road in Douglas and the bottom of Richmond Hill, which was taken by Ian Lloyd of Manxmove estate agents.
If you are planning to get away for a fabulous holiday, then you will certainly find inspiration at The Travel and Leisure Show 2016, organised by The Lancashire Evening Post and The Blackpool Gazette.
The travel and leisure exhibition will take place at The De Vere Village Urban Resort, Heron’s Reach, Blackpool on Sunday January 31st 2016, 11am-4pm, and will provide you with an eclectic mix of holiday ideas, destinations, staycations, days out, and much more.
A diverse array of exhibitors will be present to make sure you are spoilt for choice and have expert advice directly to hand.
Family holidays abroad, exotic cruises, fascinating coach trips, flights, entertaining days out, camping holidays and more will be at the show giving you every reason to be adventurous and try something new – or you can stick to what you know and love!
The exhibition is open to everyone and entry is free of charge, with free car parking on the day!
Come along to the show to be in with a chance of winning some great holiday prizes and take advantage of some special exclusive deals on the day.
To be involved with this fabulous event simply remember the date and venue, De Vere Village Urban Resort, Heron’s Reach, Blackpool on Sunday January 31st 2016, 11am to 4pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
If you would any more information regarding this event, please call the Promotions Team on 01253 361709/361893
Around 70 people attended a public meeting about the future of seafront protection at Shore Road, Bay ny Carrickey.
Officers from the Department of Infrastructure delivered a presentation highlighting the potential options to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels and extreme weather as a result of climate change.
The merits of various options were discussed, including the extension of rock armour, a breakwater, a new sea wall and a beach recharge scheme. Other local issues were raised in relation to Bay ny Carrickey (often referred to as Gansey, although that is closer to Port St Mary) and the feedback will be assessed by the department.
Shore Road is one of the locations at risk during extreme weather and the department is working with flood management specialists JBA Consulting to look at long-term solutions to protect people and properties.
Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘The meeting with Rushen Parish Commissioners and members of the community stimulated some interesting discussion. The local knowledge gathered during the evening was extremely helpful and will be taken into account as we consider the way forward and draw up a list of priority schemes.’
He added: ‘The beach at Bay ny Carrickey is an important amenity. I would encourage people to continue to make their views known.’
If you are getting married and planning your big day, then visiting our Wedding Expo 2016 is an absolute must.
We know that planning your wedding can be a daunting task with so much to think about and do. To help ensure your wedding day dreams come true we’ve brought together a unique mix of local leading wedding experts to help you make those important decisions.
Our fabulous venue, the Village Urban Resort Blackpool, offers an ideal setting for celebrating your special day. Whatever type of day you’re looking for, whether it's a fairytale wedding with a lavish reception, an intimate celebration with your closest friends and family, or a civil partnership or commitment ceremony, they can help you create the perfect day.
At the expo you will find some fantastic businesses to help you with all your wedding day needs. Businesses exhibiting may include Bridal Houses showcasing the latest bridal trends, Menswear, Photographers, Venue Dressers, Cakes, Entertainment, Wedding Cars, Jewellery and much, much more!
The event will be open from 11am to 3pm on Sunday February 21st and every visitor will receive a free copy of the latest Lancashire Brides glossy magazine:
For more information call the Johnston Press North West Events team on 01253 361893/361844/361713.
An investigation is being carried out into why unemployment has risen slightly despite there being a large number of vacancies at the Job Centre.
There were 774 registered unemployed at the end of October, an increase of nine from the previous month.
This is still the lowest October figure in four years and is a drop of 92 on the figure from the same time last year.
A total of 199 people signed on to the unemployment register during the month, while 190 left the register.
The unemployment rate remains at 1.7 per cent.
Some 665 vacancies were notified to the Job Centre during the month.
At the end of October 342 positions were still vacant at the Job Centre. Of these 69 per cent were full-time positions (237) and 31 per cent were part-time (105).
The previous month, there was a record number of vacancies at the Job Centre, with more than 900 notified. Of these more than 500 remained on file at the end of the month, the highest month-end total since 2008.
Chief Minister Allan Bell said: ‘The unemployment rate is one of the lowest anywhere in Europe.
‘I announced last month that we had the highest number of vacancies ever recorded. It is hard the understand with those figures how we can manage to increase unemployment by nine. There may be reasons for this.
‘I have asked for an investigation to see whether government is helping people back into employment as effectively as it could do.’
Mr Bell pointed out that changes to the benefits system had come into force at the beginning of the month.
A number of Disability Living Allowance claimants have been transferred onto Job Seekers’ Allowance and there have been changes to the level of JSA paid out to long-term claimants.
The Chief Minister said the changes to JSA would make it ‘more attractive’ for claimants to seek work. He said the large number of vacancies reflected a buoyant economy. Vacancies exist in retail, catering and healthcare as well as ICT and engineering.
Jonathan Mills has been appointed the Isle of Man’s new director of eBusiness with immediate effect.
He has more than 30 years of experience within eBusiness and is already familiar with the Isle of Man.
He has held several chief executive positions in eBusiness and has international experience of both starting a successful business as well as helping existing businesses to grow.
As a result he has the necessary skills, experience and contacts to promote the island’s growing eBusiness industry.
Alf Cannan MHK, the Department Member with responsibility for eBusiness said: ‘I am delighted that we have been able to attract someone of the calibre and experience of Jonathan Mills to this key role.
‘The Isle of Man’s economic plan Vision2020 identified eBusiness as the sector offering most growth potential and Jonathan will be playing a key role in helping the Isle of Man exploit these opportunities to enable further growth in jobs and in the island’s reputation as a leading international business centre.’
eBusiness is an important and rapidly growing part of the Isle of Man’s economy, representing around 25 per cent of national income and directly employing around 1,600 people.
The industry is highly diverse and includes the eGaming and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sectors. The island has a growing reputation in the ICT sector particularly in respect of digital currencies and blockchain technology.
Jonathan Mills said:‘I feel privileged to have been offered this role and will be working closely with Isle of Man businesses and investors to continue to grow existing businesses as well as attract new enterprises to the island.’
Tynwald has narrowly voted through a 50 per cent increase in the sewerage rate.
Some members claimed that the constant ‘drip, drip, drip’ of increased charges was driving people off the island.
Manx Utilities Authority chairman Alfred Cannan MHK said the move to increase the rate to 92p in the pound was ‘unpalatable’ but he had no choice given the removal of Treasury subsidy.
He said it was expected to raise £1.6m in revenue. The average charge would be £126 per property, lower than the £150 that was to have been introduced under the flat rate toilet tax which the rate replaced.
‘No member wishes to be in the position of asking residents and businesses to pay more,’ he said.
Juan Turner MLC said the increase was ‘no more than legalised robbery’.
Kate Beecroft (Lib Van, Douglas South) said people had had enough of the ‘nasty new charges’.
Fellow Douglas South MHK Bill Malarkey claimed people are already leaving the island. He tabled an amendment calling for a more modest increase to 68p in the pound.
That amendment was defeated and Mr Cannan’s motion was carried by 13 votes to 10 in the Keys and seven votes to two in LegCo.