ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 SPORTS | PAGE 17 STARS DIM SAPPHIRES AND DIAMONDS Netball season bounces back High of 84 Low of 75 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE PROMISE THAT MUST BE KEPT 178114_PRINT-Ad-Strip-IrishJog.pPage 1 2/26/15 4:52:38 PM POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED OVER TASER USE JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two police officers alleged to have used a taser on a suspect following a high speed car chase across Grand Cayman are facing crim- inal charges. The two police constables – Cardiff Robinson and Austin Etienne – are accused of using excessive force during the incident in May last year. The pair, who appeared in summary court Wednesday charged with common assault, have been placed on desk duty by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service pending the outcome of the case. Neither man has yet entered a plea on the assault charges. The incident followed a 20-mile chase across the island, involving patrol cars and the police helicopter, after a suspect refused to stop for officers investigating reports of a dis- turbance in George Town. When the driver was eventually stopped in East End, he was allegedly tasered. Police spokesman Superintendent Adrian Kerri Kanuga’s epic triumph RON SHILLINGFORD rshillingford@pinnaclemedialtd.com Exuberant but exhausted, a triumphant Kerri Kanuga crossed a makeshift finish line (festooned with “Happy Birthday” balloons) in Barkers Sunday evening, following her ultra-endurance run of 106 miles – the equivalent of four back-to-back marathons. Before beginning the ter- restrial part of her challenge, Ms. Kanuga did a “warm-up swim” from Starfish Point near Rum Point to Barkers, tra- versing the choppy waters of the North Sound. Ms. Kanuga began her swim at 8 a.m. Saturday, and fin- ished 3 hours and 15 minutes later. She completed her run in 31 hours and 23 minutes, ar- riving at Barkers in West Bay at 7:33 p.m. on Sunday. A small group of coaches, family members and sup- porters joined Ms. Kanuga at the finish line in Barkers. She appeared tired but in good spirits and in remarkably good shape. Ms. Kanuga embarked on her titanic feat to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which researches childhood cancer. She ran the 53 miles from Barkers to Starfish Point and back again non-stop. The event coincided with her 45th birthday on Sunday. Ms. Kanuga was totally elated at the end. Amazingly, she stayed standing for nearly a half hour after the finish to pose for photos and mingle with friends and support crew before having an ice bath to soothe her aching muscles. Hannah Meeson, age 7, is one of the children in Cayman overcoming cancer who will benefit from this fundraiser. Hannah and her family sup- ported Ms. Kanuga throughout Kerri Kanuga triumphantly finishes her 6-mile swim and 106-mile run Sunday, with a banner showing 7-year-old cancer survivor Hannah Messon in the background. Hannah was Ms. Kanuga’s inspiration for undertaking the challenge. - PHOTOS: DAVID R. LEGGE Kerri Kanuga touches the water’s edge of the North Sound at Barkers Beach in West Bay after completing her 6-mile swim and 106-mile run on Sunday. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » CONDO OWNERS SUE BEACH BAY DEVELOPER JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A developer linked with a five-star hotel plan in Bodden Town is being sued over plans to demolish two blocks of condos on the site. A group of owners at Beach Bay Condominiums has filed a writ of summons against property developer Beach Bay Ltd. They are questioning the legality of the methods used by the company to gain the “super majority” necessary under strata regulations to order the demolition of the two buildings. The owners are also seeking a permanent injunction preventing the construction of any- thing other than condominiums on the site. Lawyers for the group say Beach Bay Ltd. and the Registrar of Lands, named as a co-de- fendant, breached strata laws and previous legal agreements. They say this has prevented them from blocking the “destruction of their homes.” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 REGIONAL NEWS TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS © Warner Bros. Pictures © 21st Century Fox www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - FOCUS (R) 1:30 | 4:10 | 7:20 | 10:00 SEVENTH SON 3D (PG13) 1:10 | 3:35 2D | 7:10 | 9:40 2D KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (R) 3:45 | 6:50 | 9:50 FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (R) 1:00 | 7:05 SELMA (PG13) 12:50 | 3:50 | 7:00 | 10:00 PADDINGTON (PG) 1:20 JUPITER ASCENDING (PG-13) 4:00 | 9:55 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS 3D (PG) 12:45 2D | 3:00 | 5:15 2D | 7:30 9:50 2D US, Venezuelan officials meet amid rising diplomatic tension CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The head of the U.S. diplo- matic mission in Caracas had a rare meeting Monday with Venezuela’s foreign minister amid rising tensions between the two countries. President Nicolás Maduro announced over the weekend that the government had de- tained American spies and would be taking steps to shrink the U.S. Embassy staff. U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Lee McClenny posed for photographs with Foreign Relations Minister Delcy Rodriguez Monday morning before heading into a closed- door meeting. In its announcement of the meeting, the Venezuelan government twice mis- spelled McClenny’s last name as “Clenny.” Maduro regularly rails against the U.S. for med- dling in his country’s affairs, and has taken to leading weekly chants of “Gringo, go home.” The U.S. has not ex- changed ambassadors with the socialist South American country since 2010. On Saturday, he laid out a series of measures against U.S. diplomats and tourists, including a promise to limit the number of U.S. diplo- mats and impose a tourist visa requirement. Meanwhile, four North Dakota missionaries detained and then deported from Venezuela last week were re- covering on the nearby is- land of Aruba Monday. Their pastor said they were ex- pected home Tuesday. It’s unclear whether the missionaries were the Americans Maduro was refer- ring to when he said the gov- ernment had arrested U.S. cit- izens engaged in espionage. Maduro also said the govern- ment had detained a U.S. pilot of Latino origin who was “car- rying all kinds of documen- tation.” U.S. officials have de- clined to comment on the identity of the pilot. A supporter of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro holds a picture of the late President Hugo Chavez during a rally outside of Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday. - PHOTO: AP HAVANA (AP) — Natalia Revuelta Clews, the Cuban socialite who emptied her bank account and sold her diamond jewelry to support Fidel Castro when he was a little-known insurgent, has died. She was 89. Revuelta, who first caught the eye of the young revo- lutionary in 1952, opened her home for Castro to plot a barracks assault the fol- lowing year that is consid- ered the start of the revolu- tion. They later had an affair that produced a daughter, Alina, who as an adult be- came a harsh critic of the communist leader from exile in Florida. Revuelta’s caretaker, Carmen Garcia, told The Associated Press that Revuelta died Friday and had been cremated in a private family cere- mony. Revuelta’s longtime friend Natalia Bolivar, a re- nowned anthropologist, said Revuelta had been ill after a fall. Revuelta’s family could not be reached for comment. Revuelta was “one of the most exquisitely beau- tiful women in Cuba and a woman with an abnor- mally sensuous appetite for revolution and adventure,” Georgie Anne Geyer wrote in her biography of Castro, “Guerrilla Prince.” Born Dec. 6, 1925, “Naty” Revuelta was an only child whose parents divorced when she was a toddler. Her mother remarried when she was 10, to an executive at the U.S.-owned Havana Electric Company. She attended the American-run Ruston Academy in Havana and Mt. St. Joseph’s Academy, a Catholic girls’ school in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania. She also studied business at Marjorie Webster College in Washington before returning to Cuba at 19, working first for the U.S. Embassy and later for Standard Oil. Revuelta was 22 when she married heart surgeon Orlando Fernandez, nearly 20 years her senior. She gave birth to a daughter, Nina, and became a fixture of Havana’s social scene. She belonged to the Havana Country Club, played in weekly bridge and tennis tournaments, and often lunched at a yacht club. “Blonde, green-eyed, buxom and always in exu- berant spirits, Naty was the kind of woman who stopped eyes and tongues when she entered a room,” Geyer wrote in “Guerrilla Prince.” But Revuelta was rest- less. Her husband worked long hours and she was tired of floating from one cocktail party to another, according to Wendy Gimble’s 1998 bi- ography, “Havana Dreams.” She was also unfulfilled by motherhood. Revuelta began attending meetings of the Orthodox Party, which opposed corrup- tion in the government. At the time, Castro was married to Mirta Diaz-Balart, whom he met while studying law at the University of Havana. He first laid eyes on Revuelta at a protest marking the anniversary of the 1871 slaying of independence- minded medical students by Spanish soldiers. Castro dispatched a mu- tual friend who introduced the pair. A few days later, the same friend approached Revuelta, wanting to know if Castro could drop by her house. “Of course,” she re- plied. “After five o’clock, I’m always home.” Castro was briefly jailed soon after for leading an underground move- ment against strongman Fulgencio Batista, and he didn’t turn up at Revuelta’s for months. But after he did, her home became a key planning area for the attack on the Moncada army bar- racks in eastern Cuba. Castro’s prison love letters to Revuelta are one of the few glimpses into his closely guarded emotional side: “I am on fire. Write to me, for I cannot be without your letters,” he wrote in 1954. ‘Naty’ Revuelta, who had daughter with Fidel Castro, dies www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com 4 FROM US FAMILY DROWN OFF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Authorities in the Dominican Republic say four people from the U.S. drowned in an inci- dent along the country’s eastern coastline. Civil Defense Director Amado Avila says the three men and a woman appar- ently got caught in strong currents off Playa Macao near the resort community of Punta Cana. The three men were identified as Kush, Jay and Ken Patel. The woman was identified as Kajal Patel. They ranged in age from 27 to 30. Their hometowns were not provided but offi- cials said all four lived in the United States. They were among 12 members of an extended family visiting Playa Macao on Sunday when the inci- dent occurred. One of the men was rescued alive from the sea but died on the way to a hospital. CARICOM ANALYZES IMPACT OF LEGALIZING MARIJUANA NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — A Caribbean trade bloc says it will form a commission to analyze the social, eco- nomic, health and legal impact of decriminalizing marijuana use. The announcement comes as CARICOM awaits a report on how medical marijuana could help boost the region’s economy. The report is scheduled to be released in February 2016. Barbados Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart said Friday that leaders would not be rushed into a decision. He spoke at a two-day CARICOM summit held in the Bahamas. Last week, Jamaica’s parliament approved final legislative approval to a bill that decriminalizes small amounts of mari- juana and establishes a li- censing agency to reg- ulate a lawful medical marijuana industry. The bill amendments pave the way in Jamaica for a “can- nabis licensing authority” to be established to deal with regulating the culti- vation and distribution of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes. Adherents of the Rastafari spiritual move- ment will be able to freely use marijuana for sacra- mental purposes for the first time.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 345-623-6725 | www.caymanfinance.ky DID YOU KNOW... Financial Services. Moving Cayman Forward. Financial Services Construction Accommodation Arts Restaurants The Cayman Islands Financial Services Industry is the SINGLE LARGEST EMPLOYER of Caymanians? 430 483 657 1,418 2,455 Source: CIG Economic Statistics Office 2012 Former premier, customs collector dispute lawsuit BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Premier McKeeva Bush has denied claims made in a Feb. 16 lawsuit that he was ultimately re- sponsible for the removal of former National Roads Authority managing director Brian Tomlinson. Former Customs Collector Carlon Powery also stated that claims made in Mr. Tomlinson’s suit mis- characterize his involvement in a February 2012 importa- tion of blasting materials to Grand Cayman. In response to the claims made in the suit, Mr Bush said that at the time Mr. Tomlinson served as NRA managing director, the au- thority did not fall under his government ministry. “I don’t know anything about when he left, what he did or what he didn’t do,” Mr. Bush said. “I cer- tainly had no discussions with him and I had no dis- cussions with anyone about him. I didn’t hear when he left there until months later, but since the publication of the lawsuit, you’re hearing all sorts of things. “I wasn’t the minister re- sponsible and certainly I don’t know anything more [about the dismissal] than what I heard.” The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Tomlinson was dismissed following the 2012 explosives importation incident. According to suit: “Mr. Tomlinson reported to the Cayman Islands governor an irregularity between the then-Premier McKeeva Bush and the Collector of Customs [Carlon Powery] which in- volved the collector of cus- toms approving an importa- tion of illegal explosives on instruction from the premier despite Mr. Tomlinson re- fusing the importation. “In his role with [the NRA], Mr. Tomlinson was re- sponsible for the approval of all imports of explosives into the islands and his actions had been perfectly correct. However ... Mr. Tomlinson was informed by Richard Christiansen, a licensed blaster, that [Mr. Tomlinson] had “not pleased” the premier and the premier would seek to have him removed from his post. Mr. Tomlinson’s em- ployment terminated on Nov. 30, 2012 with the [roads au- thority] giving inconsistent reasons of budget cuts on the one hand and sickness ab- sence on the other.” Mr. Powery, the former customs collector, said, “The collector of customs has no authority to approve the importation of explo- sives or any restricted item and the goods [referred to in the lawsuit] remained there until a permit was obtained by the importer.” Mr. Bush was arrested in connection with a police probe of the dynamite im- portation in December 2012, along with Suresh Prasad, but was never charged with any crimes. Eventually, the company responsible for the importation – Midland Acres – was fined over the incident. Mr. Prasad was never con- victed of any offenses related to the importation. The lawsuit argues that Mr. Tomlinson’s June 2012 no- tice of dismissal “amounted to unfair dismissal” of a man the authority knew to be suf- fering from chronic fatigue syndrome. The suit claims he has been unable to work since his dismissal. The lawsuit seeks dam- ages for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suf- fering, breach of contract, and attorneys’ costs. Firefighters monitor landfill BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A fire at the George Town Landfill Sunday was extin- guished entirely by late af- ternoon, according to re- ports from the Cayman Islands Fire Service. Fire crews stayed at the scene overnight to monitor the situation and ensure no flare ups occurred on the large residential trash pile where the blaze started on Sunday afternoon. Fire crews received a report of the fire at 12:48 p.m. They are expected to continue monitoring the site over the next few days. Greyish-white smoke enveloped the area sur- rounding the landfill Sunday as flames broke out once again at the site. Some cars traveling along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway were visi- bility impeded by the smoke and had to slow down. The Ministry of Health, in a statement issued on Monday afternoon, described the blaze as a “small surface fire,” which had been brought under control within an hour of being reported. Sunday’s landfill fire is at least the fifth major fire to occur there since December 2013. According to the ministry statement, “Improvements made to the management team and continuing up- grades of equipment at the Landfill have meant an ability to minimise fires and react quickly when in- cidents do occur. “DEH [Department of Environmental Health] is also expecting to have its excavators, as well as D8 and D6 bulldozers in opera- tion soon to assist with im- proved waste management. An essential next step will be to apply soil cover ma- terials over the compacted waste to further lessen and prevent fires.” The ministry said the cause of Sunday’s fire re- mained undetermined. In the statement, Director of Environmental Health Roydell Carter said his staff has been using an excavator to turn over the hot waste, while water was added to extinguish and cool the waste. “This was a surface fire that affected a small area in the landfill. Fortunately, that area was recently compacted using the new compactor unit. Due to the rapid re- sponse and compaction of the waste, the fire was quickly contained; minimising its severity,” Mr. Carter said. “It could have easily been a different situation, especially with the strong winds yes- terday, so I want to commend the CIFS and DEH teams for working so hard to extin- guish the land fire.” He said Sunday’s fire showed the importance of having the right equipment operational, in this case the new compactor and a number of fire wells that were added to the site in 2014. “Fortunately, the loca- tion of the fire was close to one of the fire wells so that crews had a continuous supply of water to fight the fire,” he said. Fire crews stayed at the scene overnight to monitor the situation and ensure no flare ups occurred on the large residential trash pile where the blaze started sometime around noon Sunday. A fireman battles a surface fire at the George Town Landfill on Sunday afternoon. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS In May 2013, the Progressives came into power on a pledge (No dump in Bodden Town) and a promise (an onsite solution for the George Town Landfill). The pledge they have kept. The promise ... we shall see. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the landfill burst into flames and smoke yet again. This is an event that should surprise no one who is familiar with other repetitive occurrences — such as, for example, the rising and setting of the sun, or the ebb and flow of the tides — that will continue with some regularity so long as the natural order of things remains fundamen- tally unchanged. For the past two years, the government has focused on process — establishing committees and hiring con- sultants — aimed at achieving their vision of a “com- prehensive solid waste management system” that will serve the Cayman Islands for the next half-century. However, while officials continue to talk, the dump continues to grow — and ignite. Indeed, Sunday’s blaze was the latest in a series of reminders of the scuttling of the $60 million deal with Dart which would have remediated Grand Cayman’s “Old Faithful” once and for all. We are concerned particularly and primarily with human health risks, which remain unknown (and perhaps unknowable) in regard to the dump when it is in its “dormant” state, but which become patently apparent whenever Mount Trashmore erupts into plumes of noxious and toxic smoke. Following the repudiation of Dart’s offer two years ago, the process appears to have regressed, once again, to the study stage. (Surely our landfill must be among the world’s most thoroughly studied mounds not associated with an ancient archaeological dig.) The country has been told that fixing the landfill will cost more than $100 million and take five years to bring about. The key question is, and always has been, whether Cayman can come up with either the money — or the financing — in the context of the U.K.’s Framework for Fiscal Responsibility. We suspect the government is wrestling more with financial and political concerns than technological or even environmental roadblocks. It is difficult to believe such a pressing issue would remained unaddressed if the resources were at hand. Fortunately, Cayman has in residence an incredible pool of experts — attorneys, investors or deal-doers — who might assist government in putting together a viable funding package for this critical need. Govern- ment should not hesitate to call upon their expertise. Since election day, the George Town landfill has been the Progressives’ cross to bear. Some recent occurrences, however, have served to shift that burden’s weight onto new shoulders. When Premier Alden McLaughlin reshuffled Cabinet duties after Bodden Town MLA Osbourne Bodden’s verbal tirade at his chief officer, he added responsi- bility for the landfill to his own portfolio. This could prove to be an opportunity for the premier to move the solution in new directions — both geographical and perhaps political. We know that Premier McLaughlin spent his Sunday afternoon at the landfill, watching over the efforts of our firefighters to extinguish the blaze. We suspect he would have preferred to spend his weekend differently, say, on his bike or with his family. We venture that all of us in Cayman would share that sentiment. The promise that must be kept Ex-port director responds to Compass article I refer to the story in the Thursday, Feb. 26 Cayman Compass newspaper titled, “Letter alleges port staff face ‘hostility’.” It is perhaps fitting that I take the opportunity to clarify some apparent misconcep- tions which also would ap- pear to reflect negatively on the my tenure as port director and/or the port operations. First, the Port Authority incurred losses in two years only, namely 2009 and 2010, due to the reduced imports and lower cruise numbers, the main sources of revenue for the port. Government fared not better as it was a global economic recession. Secondly, and it goes without saying therefore, the port posted net profits from 2011 to present and also prior to 2009. This can be confirmed from the port’s au- dited financial statements. Thirdly, the finances of the port are the responsi- bility of the board of direc- tors/government. Port man- agement only carries out the day-to-day operations; in fact, the port’s annual budget has to get final approval from the government/Cabinet. Port management has no control over revenue as fees are set by the government and the state of the economy cannot be controlled by the port. Management also has rel- atively limited influence over fixed expenditures as man- agement is charged with get- ting goods to the public and operating safe cruise facili- ties, thus ensuring that the Cayman economy is func- tioning. The port is the en- gine that drives the whole Cayman Islands economy and it has met and exceeded this over the years. It is one of the best operating ports in the Western Hemisphere. Fourthly, the negative $2.6 million that is consis- tently referred to in the press is not a net loss but rather an accounting ratio termed “working capital” (current as- sets less current liabilities). The main reason for this is that the port owes monies to the government for an- nual insurance premiums (buildings, etc.) that the gov- ernment pays on behalf of the port and is charged back to the port for repay- ment. It is accounted for in the port financials as a cur- rent liability. But the port as- sets are ultimately owned by the government. The reason the port owes this money is that the gov- ernment, who as I said owns the port, has over the years required that the port use its funds to finance the legal and consultancy fees to the tune of millions of dollars for the cruise port project and agreed for the port to forego paying the insurance pre- miums until a later date. This is a policy of the government and the management of the port can only carry out such, which it has. To put this working cap- ital (the current liability) in another perspective: You (port) owe $100 to your father (government) but when you go to repay him, he says not now, use that money and buy some clothes; but you still have to pay back the $100 at some point. In 2000, as deputy port di- rector I was ordered to check the temperature of a full Foster’s Food Fair reefer con- tainer that was sitting un- plugged on the dock for an unacceptable period of time. I never then questioned orders from my superior and in the process of carrying out this order I fell and was injured. This resulted in two knee op- erations, a major back oper- ation and permanent phys- ical disability which still require doctor visits. I have quietly worked through con- stant pain ever since but this serves to illustrate my commitment to the work. However, being made aware of certain things later on, I have always questioned if this really had to happen. Over the last 13-plus years and under numerous boards (UDP and PPM) I have never once been approached about any significant defi- ciencies at the port. Indeed, with the resources we have had to work with and espe- cially during the lean eco- nomic times, the port has performed admirably well. This is largely because I qui- etly took, and without fan- fare, a very conservative and prudent approach to the op- erations of the port and was ahead of the government in the ongoing cutting of expen- ditures and inefficiencies. For example, in 2001, I inherited three official port director offices; two within 200 feet of each other. I immediately closed two and used these of- fices for other purposes that improved operations. The list goes on .... Paul W. Hurlston MEGAN MCARDLE For about a decade, Venezuela under Hugo Chavez and, to a lesser ex- tent, Argentina under the Kirchners were popular models for leftists seeking an alternative to the neolib- eral consensus. The Chavez program of dramatically ex- panding social spending and the Kirchner refusal to kowtow to foreign investors finally offered alternatives you could point to when the neoliberals started chattering about market confidence and budget balances. Those neoliberals fre- quently pointed out the problems with those poli- cies. Chavez and his suc- cessor, Nicolás Maduro, di- verted oil-investment funds into social spending, causing Venezuela’s oil production to fall; the only thing prop- ping up the economy was the rapidly rising price of oil. Argentina cut itself off from world capital markets, and over the years it had to resort to increasingly des- perate fiscal strategies; the only thing propping up its economy was a big commodi- ties boom, driven by the same Chinese demand that was causing oil prices to soar. But these arguments failed to convince those who were gaga for Chavismo; all that free-market cant was just theory, and the Chavez aco- lytes could point to real, tan- gible advances in reducing poverty and boosting eco- nomic growth. All that ended a few years ago, of course. Both countries are in recession and suffering import shortages, including tampons in Argentina and condoms in Venezuela. Latin America’s social progress has stopped, thanks partly to a sharp uptick in Venezuelan poverty. The question of whether government redis- tribution or a commodities boom was responsible for Venezuela’s advances against poverty now seems to be re- solved in favor of the com- modities boom. If oil prices don’t recover, Venezuela’s government is headed for fiscal crisis very soon. That’s not to say that gov- ernment transfers played no role in addressing poverty. But such transfers do not cause economic growth, at least not in a short enough time frame to cover their costs. And if you want to make people at the bottom better off, there is simply no substitute for eco- nomic growth. Policies that undercut the sources of that growth – such as investment capital or oil production – will ultimately make the people you are trying to help worse off. And while it’s bad enough to be losing ground in the war on poverty, it’s even worse that Venezuela has tried to shore up its regime against the resulting popular discon- tent with such anti-demo- cratic measures as curtailing freedom of the press. There’s a good lesson here for people on both sides of the policy aisle – I mean, be- yond “don’t eat your seed corn.” That lesson is “never forget that you are not in control of everything.” The global economy is far bigger and more powerful than the policy levers you have at your control – which means that broader trends can fool you into thinking that what you’ve done must be “working.” Unfortunately, when things start moving in the other direction, you’re apt to return to reality with a pretty harsh bump. Megan McArdle is a Bloomberg View columnist who writes on economics, business and public policy. © 2015, Bloomberg News Self-delusions in South America [I]f you want to make people at the bottom better off, there is simply no substitute for economic growth. Policies that undercut the sources of that growth – such as investment capital or oil production – will ultimately make the people you are trying to help worse off.5 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 Lionfish video could be world first Screenwriter films open water kill, scientists debate significance JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Researchers in Little Cayman believe they have captured the first-ever video recording of a predator killing and eating a lionfish in the wild. The video, recorded by Hollywood screenwriter and producer James V. Hart of the nonprofit organization Lionfish University, shows a grouper that appears to be herding the lionfish away from the safety of the reef and into open water before making the kill. The recording is a poten- tially significant development in the fight against the inva- sive species. Lionfish pop- ulations have exploded on Caribbean reefs, threatening the entire marine ecosystem because of their voracious appetite for juvenile reef fish. They have no natural predators in the Atlantic, and until now organized cull pro- grams have been the only way to keep numbers down. The video, filmed in Little Cayman, suggests that marine predators in the Caribbean could be adapting and learning to prey on lion- fish. However, initial scientific opinion is divided, and both Mr. Hart and Stacy Frank, the founders of Lionfish University, caution that a single incident recorded on camera does not necessarily indicate a wider trend. It is also unclear if the grouper suffered any ill effects from consuming the lionfish. Grouper and snapper have previously only been ob- served eating lionfish that had been speared by divers. Bradley Johnson, research officer for the Department of Environment, said the video was one of the first he had seen of this type of in- teraction. Previous record- ings have shown moray eels pursuing lionfish, without making a successful kill. He said it was possible that the grouper in the video had been conditioned by previous interactions with divers. He also said it was unclear whether predators would learn to pursue lion- fish anyway, without the in- fluence of cullers. Mr. Johnson believes the prospect of predators taking lionfish naturally would be a game changer in the fight against the invasion. But he cautions that while the video provides compelling food for thought, it does not amount to proof of this. “Since the very first lion- fish culling course back in March 2009, we’ve always maintained that the culling program was necessary ‘until a natural predator devel- oped.’ The biggest unknown is when this will happen and on a large enough scale to be effective,” he said. The Little Cayman-based Central Caribbean Marine Institute has previously re- ported evidence of un- speared lionfish being found by fishermen in the stom- achs of grouper and snapper, further proof that some predators are adapting to pursue lionfish. Mr. Hart, who penned the screenplays to “Hook” and “Dracula,” and first got in- volved with lionfish research with a view to writing a di- saster movie, said he had be- come engrossed in the more interesting real-life story of the damage being done to marine ecosystems by the invasive species. He became involved with Lionfish University in 2012 to raise awareness about the threat. He said filming the inter- action between the grouper and the lionfish was among the most exhilarating experi- ences of his career. “This is the best produc- tion I have been involved with,” he said. “I was breath- less when I came up to the surface. I couldn’t believe what I had witnessed.” Both Mr. Hart and Ms. Frank say they have never seen natural predation on li- onfish before. They have sent the video to scientists and researchers across the Caribbean and in Florida. “We believe the recording is historic, but the signifi- cance, from a scientific point of view is not really clear at this stage,” said Ms. Frank. The recording leaves sev- eral unanswered question. Was the kill an anomaly? Did the presence of the diver in- fluence the grouper? Did the grouper suffer any conse- quences from the encounter? The “million dollar ques- tion,” according to Mr. Johnson, is whether this type of interaction would have happened on a reef that is not regularly visited by scuba divers. Mr. Hart agreed that it was uncertain whether human intervention from reg- ular cullers on the site had helped condition the grouper. “If human interaction on the reef has helped, I don’t see how that can be a bad thing,” he said. Ms. Frank added, “Hopefully this video is a sign that this type of be- havior is starting to occur. Time will tell.” View the video with this story on the Cayman Compass website at www.caycompass.com. Anyone who has recorded similar interactions in the past is asked to contact LionfishUniveristy@gmail.com. “This is the best production I have been involved with. I was breathless when I came up to the surface. I couldn’t believe what I had witnessed.” JIM HART, filmmaker A screen grab from the video shot by Jim Hart shows the grouper stalking the lionfish, moments before swallowing it. Little Cayman left out of gas price drop BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Local gas prices have dropped precipitously on Grand Cayman and signifi- cantly on Cayman Brac since last fall, but the smallest of the Caribbean island chain’s three locales – Little Cayman – seems to have been left out of the savings. Little Cayman does not have an actual gas station, but rather a single pump lo- cated outside the Village Square grocery store where everyone who owns a car or a non-diesel powered water- craft goes to fill up. The price per gallon of regular, full service unleaded gasoline at the Little Cayman pump has remained at $6.49 per gallon since at least last October, when fuel prices on Grand Cayman began to fall. Since mid-October, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gaso- line on Grand Cayman has dropped from $5.59 to $4.19. On Cayman Brac, the price for the same gas has declined from $5.75 per gallon to $5 per gallon. However, according to fig- ures released by the Cayman Islands Petroleum Inspectorate on Feb. 20, the Little Cayman price has remained the same since October. Several Little Cayman res- idents – of which there are fewer than 200 – have con- tacted the Cayman Compass to complain about the high gas prices, but none has agreed to comment publicly. The managers of the Village Square store and Rubis-supplied gas pump, Don Broadbent and Kevin Myers, also declined to com- ment about the local gas price, referring the news- paper to their corporate sup- pliers to explain the issue. The two local fuel sup- pliers, Rubis and Sol Petroleum (operating as Esso), have often explained that there is a lag in supplies reaching the Cayman Islands that often causes pump prices to remain higher, longer than comparative prices in the United States. On Grand Cayman, the companies generally receive fuel shipments about every four weeks and the cargo they receive has often been loaded onto the supply ship in the U.S. weeks prior to arriving in the Cayman Islands. For the Sister Islands, that lag can be more pronounced, particu- larly given the relatively low volume of fuel sales recorded in Little Cayman. Chief Petroleum Inspector Duke Munroe said there will always be significant differ- ences in retail fuel prices be- tween the Cayman and U.S. markets simply because of supply issues, economics of scale and other significant differences. Those differences are more pronounced in the much smaller retail markets of Cayman Brac, with a per- manent population of about 2,000, and Little Cayman, with a full-time resident pop- ulation of 170. The question that remains is how much higher those prices should be, Mr. Munroe said. “[It’s] anybody’s guess, as we do not have objective means to determine this pres- ently,” he said. “[This is] not to convey that Cayman is so very unique in terms of im- ports, geographic location, in- frastructure, market structure, product type, etc. Considering our size, population and key sectors, we do relatively well compared to similar-sized ju- risdictions, especially the other overseas territories. “However, being a rela- tively higher-cost jurisdic- tion will make a mark on end prices over and above, espe- cially when compared to the U.S. retail prices.” The price per gallon of regular, full service unleaded gasoline at the Little Cayman pump has remained at $6.49 per gallon since at least last October. Spain asks US for help on extraditions from Cuba MADRID (AP) — Spain said Monday it has asked the United States to use its talks on taking Cuba off the black- list of nations sponsoring ter- rorism to help obtain the ex- tradition of two members of the armed Basque group ETA from the communist country. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo said the government has been in talks with the U.S. in the hope of getting Cuba to extradite Jose Angel Urtiaga and Jose Ignacio Etxarte to Spain. They have been wanted since 2010 in a probe into al- leged links between Venezuela, ETA and the Colombian rebel group, the FARC. Cuba’s 33-year status on the terrorism list stems from its support decades ago for ETA and the FARC. The list is a major hurdle in U.S.-Cuban negotiations to end a half-century diplomatic freeze. Margallo said the ex- traditions have since been made more difficult by former Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who last week called on the U.S to take Cuba off the list immediately and without conditions. Zapatero’s comments in Havana after meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro during a private visit greatly angered the conservative Madrid government Margallo said Zapatero had not informed the gov- ernment of the meeting with Castro and should have con- tacted the ministry before making such statements. Urtiaga and Etxarte are be- lieved to have been in Cuba since the mid-1980s. Spain’s National Court said the two sought permission from ETA to carry out grenade- and mortar-launching tests in Venezuela in cooperation with the FARC. ETA killed some 830 people in a four-decade-long campaign for a Basque home- land. It declared a permanent cease-fire in 2011 but has yet to disband. The list is a major hurdle in U.S.- Cuban negotiations to end a half- century diplomatic freeze.6 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS Thousands of people turned out for Saturday’s Red Sky at Night event to watch live bands, dancing and movies, peruse arts, crafts and pho- tography stalls, enjoy local food, view the moon, stars and planets through telescopes, and visit the latest National Gallery exhibition. The evening culminated in a release of lanterns in front of the Harquail Theatre. – Photos: Taneos Ramsay Dress for Culture participants at the Red Sky at Night event. Victor and Burju Perez wow the audience with their salsa performance.Carol Hay, center, and Sandra Solomon at the Pepper Patch. Sharon Davies at her photograph stall. Donovan Sewell completes one of his paintings. Participants prepare to release lanterns into the night sky. - PHOTO: NORMA CONNOLLY Julia Weakley and her One Bold Bead Collection. Alex and Mike Hare check out the sky at Astronomical Avenue. Pan ‘n’ Riddim entertain the crowd.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 HARQUAIL THEATRE Thursday, March 12 & Friday, March 13 5PM to 9 PM 8th Annual Heart Health Fair Presents FREE ADMISSION! ACTIVITIES AND FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! • Free cardiac risk screenings • “Get Active” Kids Zone including Zumba dancing, karate, face painting • CAFE screenings for seniors • Register to become a blood donor ARC AT CAMANA BAY Saturday, March 14 • 8AM to 2PM For more information contact 916-6324 • info@caymanheartfund.com 8th Annual International Cardiac Symposium FREE ADMISSION! MUST PREREGISTER ONLINE PARTICIPANTS: www.surveymonkey.com/s/RGR5NW5 SMU STUDENTS ONLY: www.surveymonkey.com/s/RBMDVDP Thursday, March 12 & Friday, March 13 Memorial Global Health TUESDAY, MARCH 3 BIRTH DEFECTS: World Birth Defects Day observed today. All interested persons are invited to attend an informational session on birth defects – a Cayman Islands perspective and general awareness. The meeting will be in the Cayman Islands Hospital Hibiscus Conference room (next to the Pink Ladies Cafeteria), 5:30-7 p.m. Continuing Medical Education hours will be offered. Light refreshments. For further information, call the Public Health Department on 244-2630. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 IMMIGRATION COUNTER CLOSED: The Department of Immigration front counter will close for regular business for staff training. All other sections remain open. Applications with a legal deadline of March 4 will be given priority assistance, including Temporary Work Permit Extensions, Work Permit Grant Applications, Work Permit Renewal Applications, Permanent Residence Applications. All other applications and visitors extensions will be processed the next day, March 5, when the front counter resumes normal operating hours at 8:30 a.m. FRIDAY, MARCH 6 FISH FRY: Fridays during Lent until March 27. St. Ignatius School canteen, 5-8 p.m. Dine in or carry out. Menu includes mahi- mahi, $10; or snapper, $12; with all the trimmings. Child portions $7. SATURDAY, MARCH 7 ALOHA TEA PARTY: Fund raiser for Girls Brigade. Venue is 1237 Frank Sound Road, residence of Handel and Audrey Whittaker, North Side. 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 per person, adults and children. Tickets available now from any Girls’ Brigade officer. Call 926-3842 or 322-2212. LITTLE MISS: Cayman’s Our Little Miss Scholarship Pageant organizing committee is accepting applications for the official pageant, to be held on April 25. Today is the deadline for early bird registration of $100. Six age divisions, from Baby Petite (0-2 years) to Miss (18-26). Talent required for ages seven and up. Entry deadline is March 31. For more information contact 327-9890 or caymanolm@gmail.com. FAMILY FUN DAY: National Gallery, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. All are invited to free drop-in art activities based on the exhibition “Luminescent Forms: Art Under the Microscope.” Activity sheets and art materials available for children in breezeway, and self-guided tour packs in the gallery for families. Free coffee and tea available in the Art Café. Donations welcome. For more details, contact education@nationalgallery. org.ky or 945-8111. MONDAY, MARCH 9 JURY DUTY: Grand Court Jurors in the Jan. 14 to March 31 session who are not currently empanelled on a trial, are to report today at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 945- 5072 for the most up-to- date information. TUESDAY, MARCH 17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY 5K: The annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K Irish Jog takes place 5:30 p.m. at Grand Cayman Beach Suites, Britannia Golf Course. All proceeds to Special Olympics Cayman Islands. Entry fee is $10 per person. Registration starts Thursday, March 12 at Butterfield House 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email irishjog@ butterfieldgroup.com, visit www.ky.butterfieldgroup.com. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 CITA ELECTIONS: Nominations are due by 4 p.m. today for the Cayman Islands Tourism Association Board of Directors elections taking place at the AGM on April 22. Ten seats are open for election. The designated representative of any member business in good standing who has been a member for at least one year is eligible to be nominated, with the support of five other member signatures. FRIDAY, MARCH 27 GOLF SCRAMBLE: St. Ignatius 6th annual event takes place at the North Sound Golf Club with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Space for 22 teams of four. Phone 949-6797 for details. GENERAL INTEREST FREE YOUTH TOURS: Free guided tours of the temporary exhibition Luminescent Forms: Art Under the Microscope are available for students of all ages at The National Gallery. By appointment until March 27. Students will discuss the exhibition and get hands-on in the Sand Lab. Topics covered include art, science, social studies, literacy and numeracy. For information or to book a tour, contact NGCI at 945-8111 or education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. HIV TESTING: The Public Health Department advises that free HIV testing is available every Tuesday year-round at the Cayman Islands Red Cross on Thomas Russell Way. Anyone who wishes to get tested should arrive by 9 a.m. Testing will be available every Tuesday, 9-10 a.m. Contact HIV/AIDS Coordinator Laura Whitfield at 244-2631. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates, times and places are listed under Events for volunteers to check and sign up. FOOD HANDLERS: Certification courses in basic food hygiene are offered by the Department of Environmental Health. March 11, 25; April 15, 29; May 13, 27; June 10, 24. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DEH conference room in the Environmental Centre, 580 North Sound Road. $15 per person covers all materials and fees; pay at DEH headquarters, 580 North Sound Road, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. For more information, call 949-6696. OPEN CANVAS: Visual Arts Society supports this initiative at Karoo Restaurant located in Camana Bay. Wednesdays in February and March, 7 p.m. to close. No fee. Easels are provided for artists of all levels to enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Participating artists receive 2 tickets for house wine or beer compliments of Karoo. For more information, contact info@ visualartcayman.com or jr@ cib.ky, or call 546-9422. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Painting open studio available Mondays 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Watler House, Pedro Castle. This is an opportunity for adult intermediate artists to work at their own pace on their own projects. To register, contact openstudio@ visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. $10 per day or $15 non-members. See also info@visualartcayman.com. ART FOR STUDENTS: The National Gallery hosts free Active Learning Sessions for students of all ages. Part tour, part art activity, the tour takes students up-close with the National Collection – more than 50 years of Caymanian art history – providing links to literacy, mathematics, social studies and science. For information or to book a session, contact 945-8111 or education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. PINK LADIES: Coffee Shop at the Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday- Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Takeout orders welcome, call 244-2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@gmail. com. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisan Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society has artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near Karoo. For more information about being a displaying artist, contact info@ visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. MIND’S EYE: Free guided tours for up to eight people are offered at Mind’s Eye – The Visionary World of Miss Lassie, Cayman’s intuitive artist. Tours by appointment, 10-11 a.m., second and fourth Saturdays. Contact the Cayman National Cultural Foundation by email at admincncf@candw.ky or 949-5477. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc in good condition always needed. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. to assist with training athletes in track and field, bocce and football. Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Contact Penny McDowall, 516-2578, soci@candw.ky or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.8 BUSINESS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman’s divers and other reef restoration sup- porters were out in force Friday night to raise money to help repair a coral reef damaged when the Carnival Magic cruise ship dropped an anchor and chain on it last year. The Magic Reef Recovery fundraiser at the Green Parrot at the cruise terminal raised more than $28,000. - Photos: Nina Baxa and Len de Vries Machardo Young, Latrese Haylock, Anderson Skinner and Colleen Burke of the Red Cross. Keith Sahm of Sunset House, Sigrid Menschaart, emcee Joe Avary and coordinator of the Cayman Magic Reef restoration work Lois Hatcher hand out raffle prizes. Morgan Dixon, Theunis Neethling, Paula Daniels, Sam Cook, Sean Kingscote and Richard Moody. Richard Moody and Keith Sahm.Deirdre Billes and Karri Kingscote show off the popular Cayman Magic Reef Restoration T-shirts. Environment Minister Wayne Panton, photographer Courtney Platt and Director of Environment Gina Ebanks-Petrie. Joe Avary and Jeff McGlashan. Baby Alex Foster with his mother Timmy. Darvin Ebanks and Sean Kingscote. Catherine Childs introduces people to the wonders of cooking lionfish with the Lionfish Cookbook.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 her challenge. “We are humbled by Kerri’s incredible efforts this weekend – not only to raise much needed funds for childhood cancer research but also her dedication to spreading awareness of the impact of cancer on chil- dren,” said Gaylene Meeson, Hannah’s mother. “Kids like Hannah can’t fight cancer alone. Kerri is truly our hero.” When she crossed the finish, Ms. Kanuga bent down to touch the water’s edge at the North Sound and said, “This is for you, Hannah. We did it.” For Ms. Kanuga, the last mile was the longest. “I didn’t feel like the Barkers stretch would ever end!” She also said she had learned a lot over the course, including that when you plan to run that kind of dis- tance “don’t kick it off with a 6-mile sea swim first.” Ms. Kanuga expressed her gratitude to her support team, all of those who have so generously donated to “Ker-A-Thon” and to all of the supporters along the route who lifted her spirits and kept her going. She said it was a real boost to hear people cheer and very emotional to see all the chil- dren along the road with their Kerri posters, spurring her on. More than $18,000 had been raised by Monday af- ternoon on the St. Baldrick’s online page. Supporters also gave Ms. Kanuga cash and checks en route and dona- tions are still coming in. Amazingly, Ms. Kanuga, a realtor, went to work on Monday, and then spent some time with her family and friends who traveled to see her and enjoyed some be- lated birthday cake. Apart from multiple blis- ters, swollen knees and in- credibly sore feet, she said she feels in good shape. “It was much harder than I thought it would be,” she said, adding, “I am grateful for everyone who came to run with me as they pulled me through it, along with the best crew ever. “I am grateful for ev- eryone who made a donation to St. Baldrick’s and helped me raise awareness.” Seales confirmed the offi- cers alleged to have fired the weapons had been transferred to administra- tive roles. He declined to comment further. Robinson, 29, and Etienne, 44, were bailed to return to court on April 15. Officers in the Uniform Support Group of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service have been equipped with tasers since early 2013. The weapons, also known as stun guns, fire probes at- tached to wires to deliver an electric shock to suspects. When the weapons were first introduced, Police Commissioner David Baines said there would be a rig- orous investigation process for each taser use. He said the weapons were fitted with high defi- nition cameras to ensure full accountability. “Taser Cam is a great tool. It automatically starts recording video and sound every time the Taser is drawn from its holster and aimed at an offender,” Mr. Baines said in a media statement. “Therefore, everything the officers say and [do], as well as everything the of- fender says and does is avail- able for use by the inves- tigation teams, the Legal Department and to be viewed in the courts.” Kerri Kanuga’s epic triumph CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kerri Kanuga crosses the finish line at Barkers in West Bay some 36 hours after setting off. - PHOTO: DAVID R. LEGGE Police officers charged over taser use CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The lawsuit throws long- discussed plans for a five- star hotel at Beach Bay into doubt. John Layton, the U.S. de- veloper who represents Beach Bay Land Ltd. – the correct name of the company referenced in the suit, said Monday that the arguments outlined in the writ of sum- mons had no merit. Mr. Layton has not spoken publicly about plans for a hotel at the site, though the project has been refer- enced several times by pol- iticians, including in the Legislative Assembly. “I haven’t made any plan- ning applications in reference to this property and until this issue is resolved that is not going to happen,” Mr. Layton said. “We believe we have com- plied fully with the terms of the previous agreement and with Cayman Islands law.” He said Strata Plan 39 had filed the demolition order for the buildings with the Registrar of Lands on Dec. 15. As of Monday this week, he said the demolition order was still pending and the strata is considering legal action of its own to compel the order to be processed. Mr, Layton said no one was losing their home and pointed to the fact that Jack Matthews, one of the plain- tiffs, who owns three of the condo units, was a multimil- lionaire Texas developer. “No one is losing their home here. To the best of my knowledge, none of the nine minority owners are full-time residents of the property.” According to court docu- ments, Beach Bay Ltd. bought up units in the two condo de- velopments over a five-year period. Eventually the devel- oper acquired control over half the votes in Strata Plan 39 and elected a new execu- tive council. The company then moved to put an adjoining piece of land, which it had also pur- chased, under the strata plan, sub-dividing it into new lots. The addition of the new lots combined with the condo units it had already acquired gave the developer the “super majority” of 80 percent of votes necessary to get a reso- lution for demolition. Nine strata lot owners – Robert Stewart, Taimoon Stewart, Diana Pratt, Harold, Levy, Matthews Cayman Development, Tim Burke, Darlene Theodore, Al Fogarty and Cedar Valley Ltd. – are seeking to contest the methods used by the devel- oper to obtain that majority. A writ of summons, filed in Grand Court last week, alleges that Beach Bay Ltd. contravened the conditions of a prior agreement, referred to in the court filing as a “con- sent judgment.” According to the court filing, the original devel- oper put part of the land under strata control and re- tained ownership of the ad- joining parcels, with the in- tention of adding them to the strata as new strata units were developed. Following a legal dispute between the condo owners and the original developer in the mid-90s, the consent judg- ment was agreed. According to the court filing, that judg- ment guaranteed that any parts of the adjoining land would be transferred to the strata upon phased comple- tion of the new units. It says the judgment was binding on any future owners of the land. The writ offers differing interpretations of that judgment as alternatives for the court to consider. It suggests that the full condo development was not completed and therefore the land could not be transferred and sub-divided into new strata lots. “Completion has not taken place, therefore no entitlement to transfer could have arisen.” The writ makes the al- ternative claim that the ad- joining land, referred to as the original land, should already have been trans- ferred to the strata and held as its common prop- erty. It states that the con- sent judgment implied there should be a time limit on the completion of the development. Mr. Layton disputed this claim and said the consent judgment showed that any time limit had been waived. The lawsuit adds another alternative that the Registrar of Lands was not entitled under Cayman Islands law to combine the two pieces of land, creating new strata lots within the same strata plan, in a process referred to as rectification. “It deprived them of the right to block a super ma- jority resolution and thereby prevent the destruction of their homes,” it suggests. The writ adds that if the court decides the developer was entitled to pass a resolu- tion to declare the buildings destroyed, that compensation be determined by an inde- pendent expert. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Condo owners sue Beach Bay developer The Beach Bay condominiums are slated for demolition. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER CHINA STATE MEDIA STEPS UP ANTI-WESTERN RHETORIC BEIJING (AP) — Western values are a “ticket to hell,” a newspaper published by China’s Communist Party said in a recent editorial that held up Ukraine and some Arab countries as ex- amples of outside ideas causing turmoil. It was the latest colorful example of a rising level of invective targeting critics of the authoritarian govern- ment. In the two-plus years since President Xi Jinping took the helm of the ruling Communist Party, state media have become more strident in defending the one-party system and stoking nationalism. Events of recent months have accelerated the trend. Last fall’s pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong opened floodgates of dis- dain against “anti-China” forces. Last week, the party tabloid Global Times laid into well-known blogger Ren Zhiqiang for ques- tioning official warn- ings against Western values infiltrating Chinese college classrooms. The newspaper pointed to turmoil in Ukraine and the Arab world to show how any adoption of Western models by non- Western countries “ba- sically amounts to the copying of failure.” “No matter how beau- tiful they appear on the surface, they are in fact a ticket to hell, and can only bring disaster to the Chinese nation,” the news- paper said. While Cold War brick- bats such as “running dogs of the American im- perialists” have yet to re- turn, there’s been an overall revival of tough language laying down the party’s bottom line and seeking to undermine opposing arguments. Some critics fear a re- version to the extreme in- tolerance of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, and will scrutinize the speeches at China’s annual ceremo- nial legislature opening Thursday for more signs of the trend. “Over the last two years or so, the propaganda has become less refined. There’s a big market for this kind of crude nationalism,” said Willy Lam, a Chinese poli- tics expert at Hong Kong’s Chinese University. The exchange in- volving the blogger fol- lowed a stern warning in January by Education Minister Yuan Guiren against threats to commu- nist ideological purity in higher education. His com- ments, in turn, reflected an internal party docu- ment, leaked in 2013, that warned against Western values such as constitu- tionalism, respect for civil society and press freedom.Next >