High of 86 Low of 72 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ‘Orange you Glad’ Fundraiser dinner will keep meals rolling B4 Grace Gealey Cayman educators helped launch actor’s career B10 Technology Leisure Special Event Beautiful Bolo SPECIAL EVENT Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Slow Food Day Great local foods all day during March 14 event B3 Monopoly app Get on board, all you future property magnates! B13 FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS Bolo had a rough start in life, but he is now ready to find a loving forever home B4 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Slow Food Day EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 REPORTING ON CAYMAN’S COURTS: A PLEA FOR CLARITY ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 Feeling luc.ky? Domain names for sale JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Businesses will have to pay to register websites with a Cayman domain name under new rules which will see .ky Internet ad- dresses sold worldwide. Around 10,000 local businesses, which currently have .ky addresses, have six months to confirm they wish to keep the site name and pay the US$40 annual registra- tion fee. Government will also have to pay the fee and register all its .ky Web addresses. After that, the Web addresses will be sold internationally at the same price. At that point, they can be bought and traded on a thriving secondhand market, according to the Information and Communications Technology Authority. The authority believes there will be de- mand from companies based overseas that are affiliated with Cayman for the domain – previ- ously unavailable to anyone who does not live in the jurisdiction. ICTA also believes it can leverage the .ky handle to create marketable website ad- dresses that can be sold at premium prices. Certain catchy domain names, for ex- ample www.luc.ky, are being held back from general sale to be auctioned in the hope of a cash windfall. The tiny Polynesian island of Tuvalu and the Eastern European state of Montenegro have made vast profits selling the .tv and .me addresses to television and social media firms worldwide. While .ky doesn’t have that kind of cachet, ICTA believes it will generate interest. “There are all sorts of unique and inter- esting ways to use the .ky extension,” said Alee Fa’amoe, managing director of ICTA. The authority, which currently spends around $120,000 annually to manage and maintain the domain, hopes to turn the re- sponsibility into a profit-making venture. It has partnered with Cayman Islands- based Internet investor Frank Schilling, who owns global domain registry operator FEW BT AFFORDABLE HOMES OCCUPIED JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seventeen of the 20 affordable homes built by the National Housing Development Trust in Bodden Town remain unoccupied as of this week, Trust officials confirmed. Julio Ramos, general manager of the Housing Trust, said three families have moved in and two other families have been approved to occupy homes and are scheduled to move in next week. Eleven are awaiting a bank de- cision on mortgages, and another four appli- cations are pending final documentation. The homes were completed in August 2013. An additional 14 homes had been planned for the site as the second phase of the project. However, George Powell, National Housing Development Trust chairman, said he was not sure if these houses would be built at the Bodden Town site unless the Housing Trust determined there was a demand from buyers in that area. Instead, the Trust may turn its at- tention to George Town. “We certainly will be focusing on George Town, which I think has a greater demand,” Mr. Powell said. Mr. Ramos said that as of November 2014, a total of 16 people had been allocated housing at the site off Sitwell Road. He said all the homes were “turnkey ready for the prospective applicants.” “There have been some applicants that were successful with their respective banks, and arrangements have been and are currently being made to have these individuals transi- tion to their new affordable houses,” he said. Mr. Ramos added that the National Housing Development Trust is now focusing on “allocating the vacant houses to prospective BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands govern- ment spent about $145,000 on the 2015 National Heroes Day event in January, including more than $54,000 for decorations, setup and staging, and more than $38,000 for food and drink after the event, according to in- formation obtained under the Freedom of Information Law. The amount of $54,470, the largest single itemized cost as- sociated with the annual event, was spent on podium staging, seating for more than 1,500 people, decorations, wreaths, roses, delivery of those items, setup prior to the event and re- moval afterward. The $38,324 spent on provi- sion of food and drink after the morning’s ceremony, was spread among 14 local food vendors who provided free to attendees, lunch items including various fish dishes, conch, turtle, lob- ster and beef, as well as bottled water and fruit juices. National Heroes Day bill: $145,000 Road outside Strand finally gets repairs Canal Point Drive, the pothole-ridden road that runs past the Strand and connects the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to West Bay Road, is finally getting extensive repairs. The project was put out to tender last month, and work on improving the sidewalk and drainage started this week. Businesses in the area welcome the move following decades of delay. For more, see page 6. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Sunday is the beginning of daylight saving time in the United States, when people around the country “spring forward” by moving their clocks ahead an hour for the next eight months. Questions over instituting daylight saving time in Cayman have floated around for years. The Cayman Compass looked at sunrise and sunset data for 2015 and found that the most significant in terms of hours of daylight would be the sun setting after 8 p.m. in June, July and August. It would also mean a 7:45 a.m. sunrise in March (cur- rently 6:45 a.m.) and in most of May through October, sunrise would be around or after 7 a.m. Will Pineau, CEO of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber gave a report to government last year arguing for day- light saving time. “The ben- efit would be to put us on the same time zone as some of our partners, particularly in finance and tourism,” he said. He pointed to cruise ships as an example, which base their timetables on daylight saving time. When they dock in Cayman, they lose an hour in port because of the time shift. In northern parts of the U.S., the sun sets after 9 p.m. during the summer, when day- light saving time is in effect, and the sunrise is much earlier than in Cayman. For example, in July in New York, sunrise will be around 5:30 a.m. and sunset will be about 8:30 p.m. The Compass analysis is based on data from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Regarding such a change in Cayman, during Premier Alden McLaughlin’s State of the Nation address in October, he said the Legislative Assembly was considering instituting day- light saving time. “The Progressives-led gov- ernment is proposing a public consultation process on this matter because it is our con- sidered judgment that both our financial and tourism sec- tors could benefit from the move to daylight saving time,” he said. “There are many bene- fits, including elimination of confusion over travel times, 345.623.1400 • SALES & RENTALS • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • COMMERCIAL LEASES • capitalrealty.com.ky THIS WEEK’S NEW LISTINGS CAYMAN CROSSING, SOUTH SOUND CI$349,000 MLS 404139 Upgraded 3bed/2.5bath townhouse. Spacious end unit. Custom kitchen with granite counters, wood cabinets, and SS appliances. All bedrooms have wood oors and custom closets. Must see to appreciate! Close walk to the beach. Complex has pool. Call Fabio Sordinelli t: 345.926.0915 SPOTTS GROVE LAND 0.29 ACRES CI$95,820 MLS 404177 Large piece of land with good covenants in place, lled and ready to build. Underground utilities. Shops and schools close by. On Poindexter Road opposite Melrose Landing. Shane Ebanks 925.4958 Call t: 345.925.4958 Tarpon Fish Feeding 7:30pm & 9:00pm Nightly Eugenio Leon Harpist Extraordinaire, serenades tableside tonight and every Friday night! Tonight! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm with FREE Hors d’oeuvres + Drink Specials Salsa Tuesdays 7:30pm & 9:00pm Nightly with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday TOMORROW Saturday March 7th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing No Cover Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky RITCH RESIDENCE 5bed, 3.5bath, 3631s/f Built to high standards Close to beach Bank forced sale l l l l New listing! CI$585,000 Member CIREBA MLS#404043 345-945-4411 info@cirealty.ky caymanislandsrealty.com Shabbat Candle Lighting time on Friday, March 6 6:15pm Chabad Jewish Center of the Cayman Islands jewishcayman.com-345.516.4474 Crown closes case in CNB robbery trial No U.K. relocation promise made, deputy commissioner says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The prosecution con- cluded its case late Thursday afternoon against four men accused of robbing a branch of Cayman National Bank in June 2012 and stealing half a million dollars. The final evidence the jury heard was a series of admissions – facts about the case that the Crown and defense attorneys agreed about. On Thursday morning, Deputy Commissioner of Police Stephen Brougham was called as a Crown wit- ness so that defense attor- neys could ask him ques- tions about Marlon Dillon. Dillon is the Crown witness who pleaded guilty to his role in the CNB robbery and then gave evidence against the four men on trial – David Tamasa, Rennie Cole, George Mignott and Andre Burton. Mr. Brougham said he had been loosely responsible for the welfare of Dillon since his arrest. Defense attorney Paul Keleher asked if Mr. Brougham, or any other officer in his presence, had ever promised Dillon that he would be relo- cated to the U.K. “No,” Mr. Brougham replied. The officer said he did make an offer of another place to which Dillon could be relocated with safety. Mr. Brougham said the lo- cation was put to Dillon on Nov. 6, 2014, the day he was sentenced. The attorney noted that the jury was already aware that Dillon had received a re- duced sentence and was “ba- sically a free man.” The wit- ness agreed. He also told the court he had specifically been asked to ask Dillon if he would give evidence in this trial. Dillon told him he wanted to discuss the matter with his attorney. Mr. Brougham said he re- assured Dillon that the po- lice duty of care continued. “My sole responsibility was his safety,” he said. Earlier in the week, the court heard from phone data analyst Joanne Delaney. She produced records of phone communications between the various numbers attrib- uted to Dillon and the de- fendants. She agreed that the location of LIME and Digicel towers around the is- land could give only an ap- proximation of where the cellphones would be when communicating. One reason, she explained, is that service areas overlap. The jury was released until noon on Monday. Daylight saving time in US; Cayman still pondering it 9:30 pm 7:15 pm 4:45 pm 2:30 pm 12:00 pm 9:30 am 7:15 am 4:45 am 2:30 am 12:00 am JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOVDEC Sunrise DST Sunrise Sunset Sunset DST PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 UPGRADE TO 4896 - LIME - MyFamily Share Offer Full Page Ad - CMYK - 10.33 x 15.97 - 25 Feb 2015 LIME Terms & Conditions Apply SHARING Sign up for MyPlan Family Share and Visit any LIME store or lime.com get a FREE Alcatel S3 + POP 7 TabletThe 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 offi ce. 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 fi nd their own way” We in the Cayman Islands often refer to ourselves as a Christian nation. But it is faith of a different sort — purely secular — that distinguishes us from our Carib- bean brethren and underpins our country’s social and economic success. We refer to the faith in our judiciary. In order for Cayman to function as a fi rst-world society — espe- cially as an offshore fi nancial center — expectations of swift, fair and reasoned justice must prevail. The ultimate assurance of trust in Cayman’s court system (particularly for international corporate entities) is the right of appeal to the U.K. Privy Council, a judicial safety net that is arguably the greatest gift our Mother Country ever bestowed upon her colonial ward. Faith in our judiciary is vitally important, but that doesn’t mean it should be blind faith. For those and other reasons, we were pleased to learn of the arrival of special Criminal Justice Adviser Claire Wetton from the U.K. For the next three months, Ms. Wetton will advise on ways to help improve the effi ciency of Cayman’s overcrowded Summary Courts — a legal logjam in dire need of sundering. We only wish that Ms. Wetton were operating under a broader mandate. Ms. Wetton’s position, you see, may enable her to do what we at the Compass cannot do: Examine docu- ments and ask cogent questions on the effi ciency and effectiveness of our entire judicial process — from the point of arrest to the point of fi nal adjudication. For our part at the Compass, we’re not sure what we can, and cannot, report on (or comment on) without stepping over shifting boundaries demarcated by diffi cult-to-defi ne concepts such as “sub judice” and “scandalizing the judiciary.” The Compass spends an inordinate amount of money (sometimes thousands of dollars per month) on legal advice simply to determine what we can print without running afoul of these vague concepts. If we had any influence on Ms. Wetton’s agenda in Cayman, we would advocate for her to explore what pre- cisely Cayman’s media can report on the courts, what the media cannot report and how we can tell the difference. The best person to enlighten us on such issues, of course, is not Ms. Wetton but Chief Justice Anthony Smellie. We believe that our Chief Justice believes as we do — that is in an open, free and, importantly, responsible press. However, in order to act responsibly — and con- sistently — in our coverage of the courts, we need guidance on what is permissible under Cayman law and its interpretation by the courts. Currently we are largely guessing, and consulting attorneys to increase the odds that we’re guessing correctly. In January 2014, we wrote on this page: “In par- ticular, we seek clarity on the rules, and then con- sistency of their application; in other words, different media (print, radio, TV or web) should have a single uniform and explicit set of standards.” Surely, judges who strive for precision of language in their rulings can appreciate our need for precision in these important matters. We can’t abide by the rules if we don’t know what they are or, worse, if they’re being applied subjectively or inconsistently. If the judiciary were willing to put on an educational seminar for the media on these matters, the Compass would be pleased to host it. Reporting on Cayman’s courts: A plea for clarity FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS The world a year from now The world is a mess, but what will it look like a year from now? No one knows with certainty, but informed guesses can be made, in part, based on the direction of the economies in confl icted areas of the world. Global debt (in- cluding that of the United States) is now a higher per- centage of global gross do- mestic product than it was before the Great Recession that began in December 2007, making the world increas- ingly vulnerable to a new fi - nancial crisis. Below is a list of coun- tries that are facing eco- nomic problems and for- eign policy confl icts, with the exception of Switzerland — which is included as a benchmark for good govern- ment, and economic and per- sonal liberty. At the other end of the scale in Europe is Ukraine. Ukraine is a large country with rich farm- lands and plentiful natural resources, but since its in- dependence from the Soviet Union more than two de- cades ago, it has been sad- dled with poor leadership and has been a cesspool of corruption. The result is that its per capita income is now a third that of Russia, and half that of Romania and Bulgaria, which were poorer than Ukraine at the begin- ning of the transition from communism a quarter-cen- tury ago. Russia, despite being weakened due to the drop in oil and gas prices and very limited sanctions, is still in a superior position to take the rest of Ukraine if Vladimir Putin so chooses. Russia still has a few hundred billion dollars in re- serves, on which it can live for a couple of years, while Ukraine is bankrupt and to- tally dependent on the dole from foreign friends and in- ternational institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund. Russia is highly cor- rupt, with only a semi-com- petent and equipped mili- tary, but is less corrupt than Ukraine and has a vastly su- perior military. It appears doubtful that the Europeans and the Obama administra- tion will give the Ukrainians the amount of fi nancial and military aid they will need to hold the Russians at bay, so the odds are that a year or so from now, Ukraine will have become a vassal state to Russia, much like Vichy France was to Germany in World War II. Like Russia, Iran is being hurt by both the drop in oil prices and the economic sanctions that have been im- posed on it. But Russia’s and Iran’s other neighbors allow plenty of leakage through the sanctions’ walls. Also, like Russia, Iran has a rel- atively small government sector and debt burden, so it is in a position to tough out an economic decline until it gets the bomb. Even if the nuclear bomb talks break down, and if the United States and other countries impose tighter sanctions, the holes in the sanctions’ walls are likely to grow larger rather than smaller. The United States could increase its level of economic war- fare, primarily by hobbling the ability of Iran’s banking system to clear international payments’ transactions, but the Obama administration appears loath to do what would be necessary. The safest bet is Iran will do the minimum to keep at least sporadic talks going to avoid the harshest sanctions, while fi nishing up the work to produce nuclear weapons. A year from now, Iran well may have the bomb but will not necessarily admit it until it has a reasonable stockpile. A half-century ago, Venezuela, along with Argentina, had the highest per capita incomes in South America — a crown now held by Chile. Despite its oil riches, real incomes are falling in Venezuela due to the rampant corruption and the imposition of economic controls. Venezuela has in- creasingly become a Cuban client state, with strong support from Iran and less so from Russia and China. With the decline in oil prices and the general eco- nomic mismanagement, the Venezuelan government is becoming increasingly au- thoritarian (with the help of the Cubans) and unstable. The Iranians and Chinese have some incentive to aid the Venezuelan government as a way of keeping and ex- panding their infl uence in Latin America. The open question is how much they will be willing to pay to sup- port this loser. As with Venezuela, the Greeks have been enduring a loss in real per capita in- come. This will continue be- cause the Europeans will only provide enough in debt relief and other aid to keep Greece from totally going under, and the new govern- ment will not make the nec- essary reductions in gov- ernment spending and regulations — preferring as always to blame others. That is, Greece will continue to muddle on in a slow, con- tinuing decline until real in- come and consumption are in balance. The wild card is France, whose real debt is well over 100 percent of GDP, and rising. If a major fl ight of capital from France begins owing to fi nancial or terrorist fears, given its large Muslim population, the results could be disastrous. France is too big to be bailed out by the Germans or others — and, as a result, it would likely trigger the next global fi nan- cial crisis. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2015, The Washington Times RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM “Fire crews fi nd hot spots at landfi ll,” March 5 This dump is, in reality, a cancer pit that will cause ir- reparable harm to everyone living on this tiny island. Many have become com- placent about it and think nothing will come of it. The leaching of numerous chemicals into the ground water system has arrived or will shortly. It is inevitable. Trying to fi nd a solution at that point will astronom- ically expensive providing one can be found. But for many, the damage to their health will have already been done. There is also the issue of air pollution wafting around the island even when you cannot actually decipher an odor of smoke and who can determine when the deep- seated fi res will destroy the very foundation of this mess on top of it. It’s so very diffi cult to believe that nothing has been done and why the folks on this island aren’t raising the roof for this to be cor- rected. Goodbye, tourists. Bring on the bottled water and face masks. Virginia Rizzo “Cayman gets fi ve new garbage trucks,” March 5 I’d be more impressed by this purchase if there was also evidence of a proper maintenance program being put in place. The big problem at the Department of Environmental Health isn’t lack of equipment but lack of serviceable equipment. The stuff gets trashed and neglected, then apparently nobody can fi x it. David Williams This is good news, but better news would be if we reverted back to twice-weekly pickup. Will this happen? I believe we gave up 2 per- cent in duty charges to cover this a few years ago and to cover those that never paid for collection. Andy McAlpineThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS BVI | CAYMAN ISLANDS | GUERNSEY | HONG KONG | JERSEY | LONDON Mourant Ozannes Summer Student Internship Program, 2015 mourantozannes.com/student-cayman-intern @MourantOzannes #MO_Student Have you completed at least one year of sixth form or law school? Are you confident, outgoing, professional and disciplined with a keen interest in learning about a career in the offshore legal services industry? If so, we want to hear from you! Applications are now open for the 2015 Summer Internship Program. Applicants must be Caymanian or possess Caymanian Status along with a clean police record, proof of which must be provided at the application stage. Please apply via email with a cover letter, resume, and most recent transcripts by 17 April 2015 to cayman.hr@mourantozannes.com Training in all key practice areas Online resources Personal mentor during training Support and expert guidance Seven schools to compete for top choir honors Seven schools will com- pete in the final round of the first all-island Youth Choir Competition at the Lions Community Centre this month. The competition, hosted by the Lions Club of Grand Cayman, aims to raise money to assist the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Choirs from St. Ignatius Catholic School, Cayman Prep and High School, Savannah Primary School, John Gray and Clifton Hunter high schools, Montessori by the Sea, and Triple C School choirs have been selected from among several public and private schools in the preliminary round. Local judges Nicole Bodden and Georgi-Ann Jackman and overseas judge Priscilla Blanco will choose the winners at the Lions Centre. In the preliminary round, judges choose the fi- nalists by listening to pre-re- cordings of the choirs. Schools will compete for first place in their cat- egory from junior to senior, and from these finalists the Youth Choir Competition Champion will be chosen. The winning choir will re- ceive $500 toward the school’s music department. Lions organizers pointed out the positive im- pact of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. “Each time Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs a child with a role model, they start something incredible: a one- to-one relationship built on trust and friendship that can blossom into a future of un- limited potential,” said Ewan Jacques, Lions vice president. “Through this event, we will be able to support this program and continue to positively impact the youth of the Cayman Islands,” he added. In addition, he said, the competition allows for the Lions Club of Grand Cayman to advocate for the arts and give exposure to music programs in public and private schools. The competition starts at 7 p,m. There will be a raffle draw as well. General admission is $10; or $5 for children under 12. Pavement and drainage work began at Canal Point Road outside the Strand this week. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Decades later, road repairs promised JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com It may be the worst main- tained road in Grand Cayman, but the pothole-rutted road that runs past the Strand shop- ping plaza is finally being re- paired after decades of neglect. The road, though relatively short, is well traveled and con- nects West Bay Road to the Esterley Tibbetts highway through the plaza, which is home to several shops and bars, including Foster’s Food Fair, Blackbeards liquor store and Whiskey Mist. Restaurant and store owners in the plaza have been calling for Canal Point Drive to be repaired for years. It is understood that a standoff between the original owners of the plaza and gov- ernment over who should be responsible for paying for the repairs was responsible for the delays. The National Roads Authority appears to have ac- knowledged that it is a public road and put the repair work out to tender last month. Work began on Monday on improvements to the sidewalk and drainage. The larger con- tract, for the supply and place- ment of 500 tons of hot-mix asphalt on the short stretch of road, will begin later this month, according to the au- thority. Woody Foster, man- aging director of Foster’s Food Fair, said the repairs would provide welcome relief for business owners in the area. “This has been a source of complaints for a long time,” he said. “It has been a source of frustration for our cus- tomers for many years. In the rainy season, it is particularly bad. You are driving through 8- to 12-inch potholes to get into the complex.” He said businesses in the area had been asking for the road to be repaired since the ‘90s. “I believe there was an argument between the owners and government about who should do it, and then I think it was more an issue of finding money in the budget. It is a government road, there is no denying that,” he said. The winning choir will receive $500 toward the school’s music department. Restaurant and store owners in the plaza have been calling for Canal Point Drive to be repaired for years.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE FOR YOUR FUTURE applebyglobal.com Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Guernsey · Hong Kong · Isle of Man · Jersey · London · Mauritius · Seychelles · Shanghai · Zurich Appleby Scholarship Programme Since the 1980s Appleby has led the way in career development for aspiring young Caymanian lawyers through its Legal Scholarship Programme. It is the longest running programme of its kind in the Cayman Islands and supports law students by covering the cost of tuition, examination fees and textbooks required for study, as well as a living allowance and work experience. Interested candidates may submit to kyscholarships@applebyglobal.com a cover letter, curriculum vitae, educational transcripts, a sample piece of writing, proof of Caymanian citizenship and acceptance letters from the universities they plan to attend. For more information about the Appleby Legal Scholarship Programme, visit applebyglobal.com/scholarships. Deadline for receipt of applications is 31 March 2015. “If you’re absolutely determined to make a lawyer of yourself, the thing is more than half done already.” – Abraham LincolnThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Tyler Mitchel Ramoon who passed away on February 20, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, March 7th, 2015 at First Baptist Church, 920 Crewe Road (across from the Lion’s Centre)at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at: Prospect Cemetery IN MEMORY OF HIS VIBRANT LIFE , PLEASE WEAR SOMETHING RED In Loving Memory of Ray Dixon Who passed away nine long years ago 08-12-36 - 06-03-06 A thousand times we needed you, A thousand times we cried We thought of you with love today And days before that too We think of you in silence, we often speak your name God have you in His keeping We have you in our heart Sadly missed by wife Gaynel Children: Jessica, Mareta, Linda, Robert, Ronnie and Roderick. In Loving Memory of Reginald Jervis Who passed away nine long years ago 09-02-39 - 01-03-06 Sadly missed by Sisters,Brothers & Children Rose, Shirley Robert, Ronnie and Roderick. Who passed away nine long years ago We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Kathleen Iris McKenzie-Myles who passed away on February 25, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, March 8th, 2015 at George Town Seventh Day Adventist Church, Smith Road, at 4:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 3:00-3:45 p.m. Interment to follow at: Prospect Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Genevieve Adora McLaughlin who passed away on Saturday, February 28, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, March 14th 2015 at East End United Church at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45 p.m. Interment to follow at East End Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Genevieve Adora McLaughlin who passed away on Saturday, February 28, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, March 14th 2015 at East End United Church at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45 p.m. Interment to follow at East End Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.comTo sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.comTo sign the Guest Book visit: We have been asked to announce the passing of www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Hazel May Gordon-Ellis affectionately known as “Shadow” who passed away on February 22, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, March 8th 2015 at Savannah Seventh Day Adventist Church at 2:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Interment to follow at Prospect Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Hazel May Gordon-Ellis affectionately known as “Shadow” who passed away on February 22, 2015. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, March 8th 2015 at Savannah Seventh Day Adventist Church at 2:00 p.m. Viewing will be from 1:00-1:45 p.m. Interment to follow at Prospect Cemetery To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com To sign the Guest Book visit: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com To sign the Guest Book visit We have been asked to announce the passing of A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Sunday, Jeanne Diane Watler-Miller Feb-04-63 - March 02-94 Gone are the days we used to share But in our hearts you're always there Never more than a thought away Loved and remembered every day. Sadly missed by all the family Uniregistry, to manage the domain and market the ad- dresses for sale. Speaking at a press con- ference to announce the plan on Thursday, Mr. Fa’amoe said he believes the project could turn an annual profit of around $200,000 for government. Uniregistry will take a percentage of the $39.88 fee for every domain name sold. The company is also being paid $20,000 up front to get the domain registry into shape. ICTA is encouraging anyone with a Cayman busi- ness to move quickly to reg- ister their domain name. “If you have a jerk stand, a fishing business, a kitchen company, whatever it is, we encourage folks to get those domain names registered before it goes open to the world,” said Mr. Fa’amoe. He added that the price – more expensive than most .com addresses – reflected the size of the market and the cost of maintaining the registry. “The price is not there to punish anyone or make anyone disadvantaged. If we had expected millions of reg- istrations, we could have set it at $5 or $10, but we don’t expect that kind of volume,” he said. Once the domain goes global, specialist companies will be able to buy up po- tentially marketable domain names and sell them on at higher prices. Even now, with the .ky addresses only avail- able to people in Cayman, there is nothing to stop local entrepreneurs from buying and reselling domain names. “At that point, the market will determine the price. I am sure there will be onward selling of domain names. That is how the market has evolved over time,” Mr. Fa’amoe said. He acknowledged that leg- islation around trademarks and copyright in Cayman was not up to speed with the rest of the world, but he said an established dispute reso- lution process would be used to deal with cyber-squatting – the practice of buying up Web addresses affiliated with a brand or business in bad faith in order to sell them to that business at a profit. In some cases, unscrupu- lous operators have bought Web addresses associated with businesses and posted derogatory material – essen- tially blackmailing the busi- ness to buy the address at a premium. Businesses who feel their name is being used mali- ciously or in an attempt to piggyback on their brand can bring a complaint to ICTA. Mr. Fa’amoe said the changes would help clean up the process and make it easy to register and pay for .ky ad- dresses online. The authority is spending $10,000 to market the new system and to encourage Cayman businesses to get registered. Mr. Fa’amoe said the authority worked with Uniregistry because the com- pany has expertise that was not available in-house. “Frank Schilling is passionate about his business and about Cayman,” he said. “He has been here for over a decade and he wants to give back. We needed a service from a global provider and we found one down the street.” Despite Uniregistry’s in- volvement at the outset, ICTA expects to conduct an open tender in 2016 for the on- going contract, potentially bringing other firms into the mix to sell .ky addresses. A Facebook page – www.facebook. com/ICTACayman – has been created and people can also log on to www. icta.ky for more information or to search available domain names. putting our financial in- dustry in sync with New York, and putting an end to early arrivals and de- partures of cruise ships,” Mr. McLaughlin said. The issue of whether to institute daylight saving time has been de- bated since at least the late 1980s. The question appeared in the 1989 Session Hansard. At the time, politician Thomas C. Jefferson, as recorded in the Hansard, said, “Some years ago the pri- vate sector wanted the Cayman Islands to shift to daylight saving time so that they could operate the same hours as New York. And my suggestion to them at that time was, ‘Well, come into work at seven-thirty rather than at eight and you will be on the same time.’ I think that the time might be right for them to con- sider that now, because staggered time will not only put them on the same hour as New York, but it will also lessen their frustration as they drive up and down Seven Mile Beach.” Daylight saving time is not being put forward now to help with traffic congestion, but the argu- ments to put Cayman’s fi- nancial industry on the same time as New York remain the same. Daylight saving time in US; Cayman still pondering it US firms host free seminar on compliance with IRS requirements Topics will cover FATCA, expatriation and voluntary disclosure Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered, a DC-based law firm in the tax controversy arena, and Ham, Langston & Brezina LLP, a Texas-based multi-service accounting firm, will host “Navigating U.S. tax requirements and strategic methods of coming into compliance,” a seminar on March 11. Specifically designed for U.S. taxpayers residing in the Cayman Islands, the program will help attendees learn about the most recent U.S. tax filing and reporting re- quirements, as well as prac- tical and effective methods for coming into compliance through various IRS volun- tary disclosure programs. Speakers will address the new reporting requirements under FATCA and expatria- tion considerations and help guide Cayman-based U.S. non- residents in their filing op- tions. The free seminar is rel- evant to all U.S. citizens and green card holders, as well as lawyers, accountants, finan- cial planners, and investment professionals who may advise them, organizers said. Zhanna A. Ziering and Dianne C. Mehany, attor- neys with Caplin & Drysdale, will cover the legal aspects of navigating the various IRS compliance options and dis- cuss strategies for tax filing and expatriation decision making. Richard Duncan, CPA with Ham, Langston & Brezina and international tax expert, will discuss strategies for Cayman-based U.S. taxpayers. Rob Imparato, managing director of Sunshine Land Ltd., a long-standing client of Ham, Langston & Brezina, said that understanding the most recent U.S. tax filing and reporting programs and their specifications, as well as recent enforcement ac- tivity aimed at noncom- pliant Americans, is vital to the Cayman business and banking community. “The current requirements from the United States re- quire U.S. non-residents to move rapidly and comply with the exchange of infor- mation, and we hope this seminar will provide the ex- pertise and strategic guid- ance needed to clearly un- derstand the available options. We are fortunate to have technical experts visit Cayman and speak candidly to our U.S. citizens.” The seminar will be at Luca on West Bay Road from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To register, contact Donna Brezina at dbrezina@hlb-cpa.com, or call 1-281-481-1040. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Feeling luc.ky? Domain names for sale CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Specifically designed for U.S. taxpayers residing in the Cayman Islands, the program will help attendees learn about the most recent U.S. tax filing and reporting requirements.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MARCH 6, 2015 1st Anniversary in Heaven Resting with Jesus Donna Patricia Theresa Reid also known as “Nurse Reid” Sunrise 6th November, 1957 - Sunset 6th March, 2014 Your passing was imminent I was unaware, I wanted you to live because I care. It’s a sign of God’s return, I have to beware, You are with Jesus, so I have no fear. From this earth your esh disappear, Everytime I think of you, I shed a tear. You left us March 6th last year, Your sons will see you again in paradise my de ar. A life without you, we have to adjust because meeting you again is a must! We miss you and love you very much From your sons Rory, Kedon and Gar eld We will never understand why you were taken from us so soon, but God has better plans for you. You’re gone but will never be forgotten Love always, Mom, Dad, Granny, Shanté, Rosie, Samantha, Mr. D., Godfather Kevin, cousins ‘Skinny’ & ‘Jeesa’ Happy 3rd Birthday in Heaven Aidan March 8th 2007 - Feb 18th 2012 Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose said no alcohol was served at the luncheon fol- lowing the events. “The idea was to spread it out, to use little local ven- dors,” Mr. Rose said of the catering. He added that specific orders were given to each vendor well in ad- vance on how many at- tendees were expected. “For years, the protocol office has viewed the National Heroes Day ceremony as an oppor- tunity for a wide variety of small local food vendors to showcase their businesses.” Attendance numbers were estimated prior to the event as follows: 972 award re- cipients and their guests, 380 members of the general public, 200 members of the parade contingent and 45 platform seats for VIPs. “It is safe to say well over 1,600 persons were in atten- dance, as seating was virtu- ally full and there were sig- nificant numbers of people standing around without seats,” Mr. Rose said. Catering costs for the event were met more or less as expected, but other costs came in higher than budgeted. One of those costs in- volved the rental of a gen- erator for the company that handled the audio produc- tion for the Heroes Day event. The quoted cost was $1,265, but government ended up being charged $3,749 after the “final invoice reflects re- placement costs for missing cables, $2,054).” According to Charles Gregory of Hopscotch Productions, the 50 feet of feeder cable used to connect the generator to the sound stage was stolen some- time after the Jan. 26 event. “There’s no doubt about that,” Mr. Gregory said. The cable was never recovered. Mr. Rose said he was un- certain why the government was being charged for those replacement costs and indi- cated he would look into it. The government’s total costs for the event, initially budgeted at $119,289, ended up being $145,227.25. The cost was largely in line with what has been spent on Heroes Day events for the past several years, generally ranging from $110,000 to $140,000 per event. Much bigger bud- gets were seen for the event in the 2008-2009 era, according to re- cords obtained under open records requests. In 2009, the Cayman Islands spent a total of $633,000 on Heroes Day – including $233,150.19 for the crafting of a bronze statue at Heroes Square, across the quad from the courthouse in downtown George Town. The “Aspiration Monument” was designed to honor the achievements of women in Cayman society. In 2008, the Heroes Day budget totaled some $650,000. Costs were significantly reduced for the 2010 event, and have stayed about the same since then, primarily because there were no ex- penses for the crafting of bronze statues. Also, the government did not invite the Brass Band of Battle Creek, Michigan back for the event. applicants under the Affordable Housing Criteria that will then be referred to the banking institutions to obtain financing to pur- chase the affordable house.” Mr. Powell said the process of occupying the houses is taking longer than expected because home buyers were applying for their pensions to use as downpayments and are also applying to government for stamp duty waivers. He added, “Moving for- ward, I think we will re- verse the process and have people qualify for a mortgage before we build the homes so that homes would not sit there empty for a long time. This would certainly be a better deal for the con- sumer. Basically, if you get the 10 percent [mortgage downpayment from] pen- sion funds and stamp duty waived, people can walk into the homes.” Under the proposed new approach, Mr. Powell said, home buyers would be shown a set of house plans to choose from and then would start the process of applying to use their pension and stamp duty waiver as mortgage down- payment, and by the time the application process was completed, the house would be built and ready to be occupied. An article in the Cayman Compass on Dec. 17, 2014, quoted some in- terested buyers of the Bodden Town homes, who were among 200 appli- cants, as saying the amount of red tape and bureau- cracy involved in buying the houses had made them practically give up. Among the 20 homes at the site, six have two bed- rooms and cost $105,000 each, and 14 are three- bedroom homes selling for $120,000 each. The Housing Trust is in the process of conducting a survey to identify housing needs in the various dis- tricts, Mr. Ramos said. The Trust’s afford- able housing scheme is for people who are unable to afford to rent or buy on the open market. First- time home owners who earn $30,000 or less, or a couple earning $45,000 or less per year, can apply to the Housing Trust for a home. If approved by the board, applicants must apply to a bank for a traditional mortgage. Realtor: ‘Bank valuations keeping market down’ MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Overly conservative val- uations by bank-appointed appraisers are causing agreed property transac- tions to fall through and are holding back the real estate market, says Cayman realtor Sheena Conolly. Addressing a panel of real estate practitioners at the RICS Cayman Property & Construction Conference on Thursday, the broker/owner of Sotheby’s International Realty said from the audi- ence, “It’s really a fascination for me that you can take four or five RICS appraisers on the same property and get such a variety of opinion.” Ms. Conolly said estate agents often experience having what appears to be a suc- cessful transaction, only to see it fail when the valuation of the property for the bank comes in lower than the agreed price. “What we are seeing in the market is that you are getting a willing buyer and a willing seller who will set market value. [Then] the bank will ap- point an appraiser and the appraisal will come in short. We a lost significant amount of business in my office this last year. And I do believe that many of the CIREBA members here have had a similar ef- fect,” she said. Her comments suggest that Cayman banks, which in some cases have been stung by high property valuations as the property market deteriorated after the financial crisis, are now increasingly risk-averse and instructing property ap- praisers to be restrained in their valuations. Simon Watson, partner at Charterland, noted that when comparable valuation or transactional data is unavail- able, property values can be outside of the expectation and cause complaints. However, every practice should have a complaints policy in place for such cases, he added. Mr. Watson pointed out that “just because a price is agreed [between a buyer and a seller], it does not set market value.” There is a wider definition of market value, which includes the need to act prudently with full knowledge of the market to arrive at a value, he said. Ms. Conolly questioned how the market can be moved forward if the appraisals are not arriving at the price buyers and sellers already agree on. “I understand from our industry that many of the leading offices are having this problem and it’s hap- pening regularly, and as the market moves forward, we are losing a lot of busi- ness,” she said. “The banks are now directly instructing appraisers and choosing them. And we believe in many instances are keeping the market down and stran- gling it and stopping it from moving forward.” Some appraisers are new to the island and not familiar enough with the market and the significant differences, such as upgrades or reno- vations, between seemingly similar properties, she said. “Yet they are the ones who are making the determina- tive decision whether the busi- ness should proceed or not.” However, Ms. Conolly said she welcomes discussion and dia- logue between the real estate industry and the appraisers. Mr. Watson agreed that greater dialogue would be ben- eficial. For instance, formal- ized access to all updated in- formation through the realtors’ CIREBA system would be a great help. Since it can take a few months for sales to be reg- istered, relying on “old” data in the land registry can have an effect, especially in a growing market, he explained. The second RICS Cayman Property & Construction Conference at the Marriott Beach Resort attracted about 200 delegates. Few BT affordable homes occupied CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The affordable homes were completed in August 2013. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 National Heroes Day bill: $145,000 “The banks are now directly instructing appraisers and choosing them.” SHEENA CONOLLY, realtorNext >