ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday March 24, 2015 SportS | page 16 world cup opTiMisM refreshed Cayman plays in Belize on Wednesday High of 86 Low of 73 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. editorial | page 4 finding a new landfill locaTion: noT ‘if,’ buT ‘when’ 178210_PRINT-Compass-6colx1*5.pdPage 1 12/8/14 11:20:19 AM WaSte management projeCt manager: New landfill site needed in future JaMes whiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grand Cayman will eventually need a new landfill site as an integral part of its waste management plan, project manager Jim Schubert confirmed. Speaking at the STEM conference on Friday at the University College of the Cayman Islands, Mr. Schubert said an inte- grated solid waste management plan would likely involve a number of different fa- cilities, potentially including a recycling center and waste-to-energy plant. But, he added, “No matter what we do, we will always need a landfill. Hopefully we will minimize what goes in so we will have a smaller footprint landfill.” He said reducing, reusing and recycling could have a big impact on diverting waste from the landfill and prolonging the life of the George Town site. However, he acknowledged that gov- ernment would ultimately be required to find a new site. “There will be a point in the future where there will be a need for a new land- fill; hopefully, when that happens, it will be a modern sanitary landfill that won’t have the same impact. “AMEC (government’s consultant on the project) hasn’t come back to us with an es- timated life for the George Town site yet. If they say it’s two years, we will have to look for a site sooner than later. If they say 10 to 15 years, we have more time to look for a future site.” He said there is a possibility that the site could be “mined” to reduce the amount of ma- terial, but there would inevitably come a point when it was full. Mr. Schubert, who was previously project manager for a state-of-the-art integrated 2015 already one of deadliest years in local waters brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Six people have died and a seventh is missing and presumed drowned in the Cayman Islands since the start of 2015, making it one of the deadliest years in local waters so far over the past decade. Six of the seven victims in water-related accidents have been visitors to the islands, including 47-year-old American cartoonist Norman Lee, whose body was never recov- ered after he went missing while snorkeling with his wife off Grand Cayman’s eastern coast in early March. The seventh victim was a Cuban migrant who drowned in early January when his boat capsized in the waters off South Sound. The death rate in local waters since Jan. 1 equates to Cayman losing one person every 11.5 days. Seven deaths, presuming Mr. Lee has died, in the waters is more than the combined total of deaths attributed to homicides and car crashes (six) in the Cayman Islands since the start of 2015. There are two recent years on record when the half-year total for water-related fatalities reached nine by July 1. Those included 2013 when nine people, seven of them tourists, died in water-related accidents. In 2010, there were also nine water-re- lated deaths during the first half of the year. However, they were mostly attributable to a single incident in January when five local residents were lost after a craft capsized in Climber tackles Seven Summits for Cancer Society Guy Manning sets sights on Denali to complete highest summit in North America charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com It took Guy Manning a couple of tries to get to the summit of Mount Everest. The highest peak in the world is notorious for allowing climbers to get within striking distance of the summit, only to pin them down with cold and storms and send them back down the mountain short of their goal. Denali, the highest peak in North America, still eludes him. But this summer he will make his third attempt. If suc- cessful, Mr. Manning, 41, will have com- pleted the Seven Summits, reaching the top of each of the highest mountains on the seven continents. Mr. Manning, a partner with Campbells, is asking for donations, not for the trip but for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. He hopes to use this climb, as he did with his Everest trip, to help fund assistance for cancer patients, educational programs and the Cancer Society’s other efforts in Cayman. Two years ago, Mr. Manning’s successful Everest climb raised more than $100,000 for the Cancer Society. He decided to use his adventures to help raise money for the Cancer Society several years ago after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She survived and is fine now, Mr. Manning said, but the decision to raise money for the Cancer Society was “an guy manning, pictured at Camp 4 on Denali in 2012, will make a third attempt to reach the summit in may. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday March 24, 2015 • Cayman Compass 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. © Warner Bros. Pictures © 21st Century Fox RUN ALL NIGHT (R) 12:50 | 3:45 | 7:15 | 10:00 FOCUS (R) 1:30 | 4:10 | 7:20 | 10:05 THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (PG) 12:45 | 3:30 | 6:50 | 9:40 INSURGENT (PG13) 3D 1:00 | 4:20 2D | 7:00 | 9:50 2D BLACK OR WHITE (PG13) 1:10 | 4:00 | 7:10 | 9:55 CINDERELLA (PG) 12:40 | 3:15 | 6:45 | 9:20 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - Tourists flocking to Cuba ‘before the Americans come’ HAVANA (AP) — Bookings to Cuba jumped 57 percent for one New York tour op- erator in the weeks after Washington said it would renew ties with Havana. In February, they were up 187 percent; and so far this month, nearly 250 percent. The boom is just one sign that the rush is on to see Cuba now – before, as many predict, McDonald’s claims a spot in Old Havana and Starbucks moves in on Cubita, the island’s premium coffee brand. The sense that detente will unleash an inva- sion of Yankee tourists and change the unique character of one of the world’s last re- maining bastions of commu- nism is shared by many trav- elers flocking here. “Cuba has a very authentic atmosphere which you see nowhere else in the world,” Gay Ben Aharon of Israel said while walking through Revolution Square. “I wanted to see it before the American world ... but also the modern Western world comes here.” Outsiders may romanti- cize the “time-capsule” na- tion, but many on the island are ready for change. Where foreigners see charming, historic architecture, bright 1950s-era American cars and vast stretches of white-sand beaches, locals see decaying buildings in need of repair, new vehicles priced be- yond their reach and a lack of economic opportunity. For many Cubans living in dilapidated, multigener- ational tenements, change could be good. It may expand access to the Internet and the outside world, creating en- gagement that could bring brighter economic days and, practically speaking, make it easier to fix a leaky roof. “We’re very excited,” said Yadiel Carmenate, a 26-year- old English major at the University of Matanzas who moonlights as a tour guide. It’s unlikely Cuba will see major changes overnight. Talks to take the first steps toward normalized rela- tions are just beginning and there is stiff opposition in the U.S. Congress to lifting the 53-year-old embargo that bars most trade with and travel to the island. Still, the December an- nouncement appears to have sparked an influx of tourism. InsightCuba, the tour op- erator based in New Rochelle, New York, is adding excur- sions as its monthly book- ings explode compared with early 2014. “It’s a huge surge,” company president Tom Popper said. “Word’s gotten out and people are commu- nicating that they want to go before Cuba changes.” Already this year, more foreigners are roaming the cobblestoned streets of Old Havana. Cuba saw a 16 percent increase in visitors in January compared with a year earlier, a total of about 371,000. Tourism, a $2.6 billion-plus industry, is one of the main engines that has kept Cuba’s economy sput- tering along. Last year, the country welcomed 3 million visitors, a record. About 600,000 U.S. trav- elers are estimated to visit Cuba each year, most of them Cuban-Americans visiting family but also tens of thou- sands coming on approved cultural, religious and educa- tional exchanges. An untold number of others have, for years, skirted travel restric- tions by journeying through third countries such as the Cayman Islands or Mexico. Cuban officials estimate that 1.5 million Americans would travel here annually if all restrictions were removed, supplanting Canada as the No. 1 source of tourism and potentially adding some $2 billion a year to state coffers. However, the island is hardly ready for a Yankee invasion. Already it strains to accommodate travelers during the December-April high season. An iron sculpture of Cuban revolutionary hero Che Guevara in Revolution Square in Havana is the backdrop for a busload of tourists. - PHOTO: AP Premier sends cOndOlences On singAPOre leAder’s deATH Premier Alden McLaughlin said he sent a private mes- sage of condolence to the family of Lee Kuan Yew, leader of the Asian island na- tion of Singapore, who died Monday at the age of 91. In a statement re- leased by the Office of the Premier on Monday, Premier McLaughlin said, “I am sad- dened by his passing. He was a man to be admired, not only in Asia, but on the world stage for his vision and insight. “Like any great leader his view was to the future, en- suring that Singapore was free of corruption and all races were treated equally.” Mr. McLaughlin said Cayman joined the world in mourning the late founding father of modern Singapore. A state funeral for Mr. Lee will be held in Singapore on March 29 after a week of mourning. For more on the death of Lee Kuan Yew, see page 9. gArlic POwder iTems recAlled due TO sAlmOnellA scAre The Department of Environmental Health has is- sued an advisory in relation to a recall of items containing organic garlic powder sold by Frontier Co-Op, USA, because of fears it may be contami- nated with salmonella. Among the products that contain the garlic powder are bean mixes, soup powder, ranch dip, dressings and sev- eral other items in the Frontier range of foods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also issued an advisory last week on the re- call. The manufacturer issued a voluntary recall and halted all distribution of the products. According to the Food and Drug Administration, no illnesses have been associ- ated with the foodstuffs con- taining the garlic powder. “Consumption of prod- ucts containing salmonella can cause serious and some- times fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weak- ened immune systems,” the Department of Environmental Health advised. People infected with salmonella can experi- ence fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and in rare circumstances, in- fection with salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and pro- ducing more severe illnesses, such as arterial infections, en- docarditis and arthritis. The Department of Environmental Health and the Food and Drug Administration recommend that consumers avoid eating products that contain the garlic powder and either throw them away or return them to the point of purchase. The full list of affected products can be viewed at www.frontiercoop.com/recall. For more information, call the Department of Environmental Health at 949-6696. Reportedly dead Florida man arrested in North Carolina JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Jacksonville businessman reported dead two years ago in Venezuela was ar- rested in North Carolina on alleged fraud charges Saturday after his life in- surance companies filed a lawsuit alleging he was alive and they shouldn’t be making payments. Details of the charges against 62-year-old Jose Lantigua are unclear. But Saturday’s arrest ends two years of speculation about whether the former furni- ture store owner had faked an illness in 2013 while vacationing in Venezuela, leaving his business mil- lions of dollars in debt. His life insurance companies thought they were being swindled and launched an investigation saying the businessman was not dead after two lenders filed claims. The lawsuits by Hartford Life and Annuity Life Insurance Co. also alleged a worker was bribed to falsify docu- ments stating the business- man’s body was cremated. They also claim Lantigua fraudulently assigned ben- efits claims to a local cred- itor before he disappeared. The Jacksonville Business Journal reports Lantigua’s son accused the insurance company of falsifying its in- vestigation into his father’s death, accusing the company of lying about the Venezuelan government revoking his fa- ther’s death certificate. The newspaper reported that the insurance com- pany admitted a Venezuelan lawyer did alter documents to make it seem like the Venezuelan government nul- lified the death certificate. A judge ruled the papers were faked, but could not deter- mine who faked them. Fast forward to Saturday when officials stopped a car Lantigua was driving in with his wife in Buncombe County, North Carolina. A Jacksonville prosecutor told The Florida Times-Union that Lantigua faces insurance fraud charges in Florida in- volving policies worth $9 mil- lion from seven companies. Assistant State Attorney Joe Licandro said an ar- rest warrant for Lantigua had been issued more than a year ago, but prosecu- tors dropped it after prob- lems emerged with some of the underlying information in the case. He said a new warrant charging Lantigua with insurance fraud and schemes to defraud was is- sued within the past week.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday March 24, 2015 Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2015 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 9TH ANNUAL Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. BECOME A SPONSOR Central Cayman Islands Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. April 25th 2015 9:30am - 3pm Participants are encouraged to register online at www.rotarysciencefair.ky by the 10th April, 2015 MAJOR SPONSOR: Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Compete for Cash and other prizes. Rotary Central May 10, 2014 9:30am – 3pm Arts and Recreational Centre, Cayman International School Admission is free. JOIN ROTARY CENTRAL FOR THE CLUB’S 8TH ANNUAL www.rotarysciencefair.ky Are you a Top Student with unique ideas? Sign up now to showcase your creativity in the 2011 Rotary Science Fair. Compete for Cash and other prizes. Gas prices sink below $4 a gallon at three Cayman service stations Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The price of regular, un- leaded gasoline has dropped below $4 per gallon in the past few weeks at three of 21 gas stations operated on Grand Cayman by Sol Petroleum and Rubis. The price at most other stations in George Town, Bodden Town and West Bay averaged between $4.20 and $4.27 per gallon, bringing the territory-wide average to its lowest point since the price began declining last October. The average fuel price as of March 18 for regular, un- leaded self-serve gasoline was $4.15, down about four cents since the beginning of the month. The Rubis sta- tions at Shedden Road and Crewe Road (Jose’s) had the lowest price – $3.92 per gallon, followed by Maedac Rubis at $3.99 per gallon. The highest price for regular, unleaded gaso- line among Grand Cayman’s three largest districts was $4.27 per gallon of reg- ular, unleaded full-ser- vice at Mostyn’s Esso (Sol) in Bodden Town and at the Seven Mile Beach Rubis station. The outer districts and the Sister Islands main- tained the highest prices for gasoline, but in Little Cayman, the price dipped this month from $6.49 to $5.74 per gallon. In Cayman Brac, the price of regular, unleaded gas has held steady for several weeks at $5 per gallon. In East End, the price for premium self-service gas- oline was $4.47. In North Side, regular, full-service gas was $4.25. Meanwhile, fuel prices in the U.S. have been rising steadily since last month, to an average of US$2.42 on Monday. A month ago, the average price was US$2.30 per gallon of reg- ular, unleaded gas, up from a January low, on average, of US$2.05 per gallon. Still, U.S. prices are down significantly from a year ago, when regular, unleaded gas- oline averaged US$3.53 per gallon. The major decline started in June 2014. Cayman Islands gas prices were slow to follow the U.S. and average Brent Crude Oil prices per barrel, which typically dictate the European market prices. Since mid-October, the av- erage price for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline on Grand Cayman has dropped from $5.59 to $4.15. On Cayman Brac, the price for the same gallon of gas has dropped from $5.75 to $5. The two local fuel sup- pliers, Rubis and Sol Petroleum (operating as Esso), have explained that the lag in supplies reaching the Cayman Islands often causes pump prices to re- main higher for a longer time than prices in the United States. On Grand Cayman, the companies generally receive fuel shipments about every four weeks, and the fuel 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, par- ticularly given the relatively low volume of fuel sales re- corded in Little Cayman. Chief Petroleum Inspector Duke Munroe has said there will always be sig- nificant differences in re- tail fuel prices between the Cayman and U.S. markets simply because of supply issues, economics of scale and other market differ- ences. 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 population of 170. The average fuel price as of March 18 for regular, unleaded self-serve gasoline was $4.15, down about four cents since the beginning of the month. Nicaraguan group supports food program for children Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Nicaraguan Culture Committee, a nonprofit orga- nization, has donated $1,000 to Feed Our Future. The committee presented the check Friday morning to Feed Our Future chair- person Stacey VanDevelde. The money will go toward providing food for children whose parents cannot afford to give them lunch. “One hundred percent of the donation will go towards food,” said Ms. VanDevelde. “We do not have any opera- tional costs and ask for a lot of support in many ways … It is challenging at times, but we have managed to be suc- cessful because of the gener- osity of the community and people like this committee that share the passion we have,” she said. NCC committee member Carol Kelly said, “Life is about giving, and when you don’t give, you feel empty. I was always taught to give … I am so grateful that we are able to give [this] money to help feed our children.” Ms. VanDevelde said that as the economy shows some signs of improvement, this will mean that some of the parents who are struggling to find consistent work will do so. “The fact of the matter is, some parents cannot [pro- vide] and the children suffer. This may be a small dona- tion, but it makes a big dif- ference,” she said. To assist schoolchil- dren with nutritional meals, Feed the Future has an en- rollment process at schools, which starts in August and runs through the end of the year. Applications must be completed by a parent or guardian and list other fi- nancial assistance. It must also include a letter from the school, ministry, coun- selor or community of- ficer, or someone familiar with the family. The Feed Our Future Board processes the applications. Carl Solomon, spokes- person for the committee, said, “We feel that since we have made Cayman our home. We need to start doing more for the community in which we live. … Feed Our Future is not the first organization we have assisted. The group has also donated to the dialysis unit, the Cancer Society and others,” he said. For more information, contact NCC president Anna Watler at 916-7653. The Shedden Road Rubis station is co-holder of the lowest gas prices on Grand Cayman this week. The other is Jose’s Rubis on Crewe Road. - Photo: Brent Fuller Carl Solomon presents Stacey VanDevelde with the check, in the company of Carol Kelly, left, Angie Allen and Eunice Morris. – Photo: Jewel levyThe 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 24, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Finding a new landfill location: Not ‘if,’ but ‘when’ James Schubert, Cayman’s solid waste manage- ment chief, was asked a direct question. He responded with a direct (and we would suggest, honest) answer. The question (in essence): Is the current landfill site suitable for the future needs of Grand Cayman? The answer: “There will be a point in the future where there will be a need for a new landfill ... All land- fills have finite lives.” Dwell on that exchange for a moment. This is what it sounds like when an official starts talking truth and sense. While sorting, recycling and incineration technology can extend the life span of a landfill by diverting and reducing the volume of material to be buried, even the most sophisticated methods available cannot eliminate entirely the need to entomb waste beneath the ground. In the case of the George Town landfill, we’re rapidly running out of space. In the case of the Cayman Islands treasury, we’ve long ago run out of money for such projects. The Progressives are well aware of these reali- ties. After all, the 2008 report compiled by con- sultants Gershman, Brickner & Bratton during the previous PPM administration specifically stated that in order to build the proposed $100 million waste-to- energy facility, the government would need to acquire additional neighboring land from either the Water Authority or a private owner. That point was further elaborated upon in the 2013 report by consultants Cardno Entrix for Dart, who estimated that in order to continue operating the George Town Landfill until the year 2035 “as is” — i.e., stacking waste 80 feet high into the air — the gov- ernment would have to purchase some 31 acres of adjoining property. For months, now extending into years, the Pro- gressives-led government has been maintaining the opposite, namely that our landfill mess could be solved in situ, that is, where it lies. Although it might seem like long-ago history, readers will recall that this government was formed in large measure because the Bodden Town contin- gent of four representatives found common cause with the George Town members based on the pledge “No Dump in Bodden Town.” The cost of such political deal-doing was, at a minimum, $60 million, the approximate amount the Dart organization was prepared to spend to remediate the current site and establish a more modern facility (but still a landfill) on land it owned in Bodden Town. Today we’ve got no $60 million, no new solid waste facility in Bodden Town (or anywhere else), multiple unpleasant memories of toxic fires, and a consulting contract to study the issue further. The allegiance that was formed between the Bodden Towners and the George Town candidates (who, one would think, would be the most vociferous about removing the landfill from their district) had little to do with waste management and a lot to do with electoral arithmetic. Not if, but when, the government finds itself again researching possible new sites for Grand Cayman’s waste management facility, the Compass’s stance will remain unchanged: Weigh all the options objectively according to the merits of the individual sites. Of one thing we are confident: If Premier Alden McLaughlin can fulfill the promises he and his party made in the 2013 campaign, he most likely will progress from being Cayman’s “landfill landlord” to being handily re-elected in a “landfill landslide.” The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Last evening CCTV, the China Central Television company, contacted me about an interview about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank at 8:15 am the next morning (i.e., this morning). I have appeared on their Biz Asia show sev- eral times in the past. I agreed to the interview and they arranged for a car to pick me up at 7:15 a.m. Due to a mistake in scheduling the car, it did not arrive in time to get to the studio. Rather than go back to bed I am writing this note to share with you what I would have said. Background Frustrated with the slow pace of governance re- form of the existing inter- national financial institu- tions (IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank) in which China was under- represented in relation to its economic size, China began discussing the estab- lishment of alternative in- stitutions. The first was the New Development Bank of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to be headquartered in Shanghai, China. The AIIB was launched with a signing ceremony in Beijing on Oct. 24, 2014, that included, in addition to China, represen- tatives from Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. It will focus on the development of infrastruc- ture in developing countries in the Asian-Pacific region. The United States, which has traditionally held the Presidency of the World Bank and on whose territory are housed the headquarters of both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, has been cool to these de- velopments, which initially resulted in Australia, New Zealand, and European coun- tries as well as the U.S. de- clining to join (as financiers). However, last week Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced that the U.K. would join as a founding member and was quickly followed by Germany, France, and Italy. Australia and New Zealand are recon- sidering their earlier lack of interest. If that weren’t em- barrassing enough for the U.S., a U.S. government offi- cial told the Financial Times, “We are wary about a trend toward constant accommo- dation of China, which is not the best way to engage a rising power.” CCTV Interview Early this morning I re- ceived the following email from CCTV. “Hello Warren, “This is Qingzhao from China24 program, CCTVNEWS. Thanks for joining our studio AIIB discussion. You will dis- cuss with two more guests in Beijing studio. They are Mr. Ding Yifan, senior fellow of the Institute of World Development under the Development Research Center of the State Council. And John Ross, Senior Fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He is also the former adviser of ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone. Question 3 and Question 5 are for you, please take a look. “Q1: The first question is for you, Mr. Ding. So far, the number of countries that have joined or are in the pro- cess of joining as a founding member have surpassed 30 … Talk to us about the tan- gible benefits to Europe and Asia as more nations from the EU want to join the AIIB. “Q2: John, the U.K., Germany, France and Italy are all applying to join as founding members of the AIIB. What’s the attraction for western countries to join in? “Q3: Warren, following now four western European nations wanting to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank … U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew is urging his country’s law- makers to pass reforms of the International Monetary Fund. Will IMF reforms fi- nally be pressured to pass and if so, impact on attrac- tiveness of AIIB? “Q4: Mr. Ding, with more western countries applying to join the AIIB, some people have concerns that their par- ticipation will, to some ex- tent, weaken China’s role in the system. What’s your take? What’s the possibility of some countries turning out to be a Trojan horse? “Q5: Warren, Washington views the AIIB as a rival to the U.S.-led World Bank and IMF, but China has said the AIIB will complement ex- isting multilateral institu- tions. What’s your take on AIIB’s role?” Had I made it to their studio I would have said the following: Question 3 Secretary Lew has been trying to get the IMF reforms passed by the U.S. Congress for several years. Ironically the U.S. was very instrumental in pressuring European coun- tries to reduce their represen- tation on the IMF’s Executive Board in favor of increasing the representation of the BRICS and other emerging market countries, by bringing IMF member country quotas closer to those calculated on the bases of their economic size and share in world trade. Europe has long been over- represented and the emerging market countries under-repre- sented on this basis. The U.S. voluntarily accepted a smaller quota than this formula would produce long ago (thus reducing its financial contri- bution as well as its vote) and the proposed new amend- ments would not further re- duce the U.S. quota share. Moreover, the proposed doubling of the IMF’s quota resources would not increase the U.S. financial contribu- tion. Rather it would convert the large loan from the U.S. to the IMF made during the recent financial crises from a loan to a quota increase. Thus it is strange for the U.S. now to hesitate to support these reforms. Given that the International Financial Institutions (World Trade Organization, IMF, and WB) that the U.S. helped create are part of the new post– World War II world order of global trade from which the U.S. and other market econo- mies have so benefited, this strange U.S. behavior is ex- tremely short-sighted. I would like to think that Congress would get around to approving these reforms independently from the threats posed by China’s new institutions. Virtually every other IMF member country has, but the U.S. en- joys veto power by virtue of its large quota of 17.5 per- cent and the requirement that any amendments to the IMF Articles of Agreement must be adopted by mem- bers collectively with 85 per- cent of the quotas. The re- ality seems to be the other way around. China was pressured to create com- peting institutions because the U.S. has failed so far to endorse governance reforms in the existing one. Question 5 The AIIB is more of a rival to the Asian Development Bank than to the World Bank, and is no rival to the IMF, which does not make development loans, at all. China claims that the AIIB is a complement rather than a rival to the other de- velopment banks. It will have the virtue of a clear and relatively narrow mandate; while the World Bank is all over the map. Voting membership by the U.K., Germany, France, etc. should help ensure that its loans meet the standards set by the ADB and the WB. The U.S. has maneuvered itself out of that possibility, not that Congress would ever ap- prove the funds for it anyway. On the other hand, es- tablishing a new institution will absorb a lot of time and other resources in developing its staff, procedures and fa- cilities that would not have been necessary if China had contributed the same funds for the same purposes to the ADB. The traditional Japanese Presidency of the ADB, whose headquarters are in the Philippines, is likely to yield to new governance provisions in the future, giving China a shot at the Presidency, just as the American and European leadership of the WB and IMF are likely to yield in the future as well. In short, this is all polit- ical and the U.S. has played it poorly to say the least. In the past U.S. leadership interna- tionally, whether through the institutions it helped build or in other ways, has been welcomed and accepted be- cause the U.S. stood for prin- ciples others could embrace and promoted and applied them fairly. More recently, and I mean for the last de- cade or two, and certainly in the case of the IMF and AIIB, it is behaving more like the king on the mountain leading others to want to knock it off. This promotes neither the American nor the global com- munity’s interests. Warren Coats, a former director of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, and former senior monetary policy advisor to the Central Bank of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kenya for the International Monetary Fund, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. WARREN COATS5 LOCAL&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Tuesday March 24, 2015 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) — Barbados plans to become a republic next year, removing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and replacing her with a ceremonial president from the Caribbean island. Prime Minister Freundel Stuart says he plans on making the switch to a re- public by November 2016 when the former British colony celebrates its 50th an- niversary of independence. Stuart says “it’s a little awkward” to keep pledging allegiance to the queen as titular monarch of an other- wise independent country. He says that despite the change, Barbados would remain in the Commonwealth grouping of former British territories. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said Monday that “it is a matter for the government and people of Barbados.” Barbados will need a two-thirds majority in Parliament to authorize the constitutional change. How the president would be chosen is still to be decided. Telephone: 949 5111•Fax: 949 7675•Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Celebrate the LONG WEEKEND From April 3rd to April 6th EditionDeadline Friday April 3rd No Publication Monday April 6th No Publication Tuesday April 7th Tuesday March 31st Wednesday April 8th Wednesday April 1st Thursday April 9th Thursday April 2nd Friday April 10th Tuesday April 7th Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Good Friday April 3rd and Easter Monday April 6th Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The cost of obtaining a work permit for non-Cayma- nian farmers and farm assis- tants has been cut nearly in half, according to details pub- lished Monday by Cabinet. Non-Caymanians hired here as farmers, livestock farmers, farmhands or farm helpers previously cost $550 per year to employ on work permits in Grand Cayman, and $412.50 per year to em- ploy in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. According to a Cabinet de- cision on March 10, the cost of obtaining those yearly per- mits has been reduced to $300 on Grand Cayman and $225 per year in the Sister Islands. Immigration Department statistics for January indi- cated that about 150 people held permits in the Cayman Islands to work as farmers or livestock farmers. No cor- responding figures were available for farmhands or farm helpers. Government officials pro- vided no reason for the re- duction of the permit costs. Permit cost reduction for farmers BarBados considers switch to repuBlic; replacing queen as head of state Prime Minister Freundel Stuart says he plans on making the switch to a republic by November 2016 when the former British colony celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence. Queen Elizabeth II Extensive art display features students’ work Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The artwork of Cayman Prep and High School students was featured in a grand finale display on Friday before being sent off to the United Kingdom’s examination board for grading. One thousand paintings covered the walls of the Drama Department in one of the largest displays of art- work ever showcased by the school. It featured works from 42 students in years 10, 11, 12 and 13. On one wall hung a vast collec- tion of students’ colorful nature art pieces, while another wall was adorned with detailed drawings of catboats, marine, still life, faces and much more. “It was an exciting evening for students and their families, who gathered with teachers, staff and parents to celebrate and view the extensive artwork in the school’s third annual Spring Student Art Show,” said art teacher Christopher Mann. Mr. Mann coordinated the event with the head of the Art Department, Mark Frazer. Mr. Mann said the show gives students an opportunity to display their works in a gallery-style setting for the public to view before being sent to the examination board in the U.K. to be graded. Visitors also had the opportunity to hear music played by students as part of a final performance before sitting their exams. Pieces played by students were works ranging from classical to pop, including music by Beethoven, Bach and the Beatles. Helping provide background music for the event, student Amy Gillies was enthusiastic about the quality of paintings on display. “The artworks were really, really good,” she said. The exhibition featured musical performances from various stu- dents, who sang and played piano, tenor sax and flute. Caitlin Westerborg, showcasing her talent on the piano, said: “It was a good experience to be able to practice ‘Allegro di Molto’ by Bach for the upcoming exams, and to create an effective atmosphere for an event like this. It was a great ex- perience and something that helped to develop my music.” “I thought the art pieces were interesting and fully demon- strated the potential and ability of our arts students at Cayman Prep. There were a lot of positive com- ments on the exhibition,” Mr. Frazer said. “The works exhibited are only seen once a year. It is a nice op- portunity for other students to see what their peers in the same de- partment are doing. “The quality of work produced is terrific.” Most of the pieces will also appear in the National Children’s Art Exhibition in May. Teacher Catherine Phillips admires the paintings. Helena Frawley plays the violin against a backdrop of artwork by her fellow students. Music students Georgia Austin, Sariah Ford-Myles, Joshua Martin, Amy Gillies, Asia Dixon and Caitlin Westerborg provide music for the event. - photos: Jewel levy Student Georgia Austin’s ‘Fear of Falling.’The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 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. Tuesday March 24, 2015 • Cayman Compass TUESDAY, MARCH 24 CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES CLOSES WEST BAY OFFICE: The West Bay office of the Department of Children and Family Services is closed until further notice. Staff have been relocated to Commerce House on Dr Roy’s Drive. People in need of assistance should call 949-0290. CLOTHINg DRIVE: The Professional First Impressions Clothing Drive is extending donation drop-off times for gently used clothing, shoes and accessories to benefit the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and Family Resource Centre. Clothing can be delivered to the Atwater offices from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. THRIFT SHOP SEEKS CLOTHINg: The Humane Society Thrift Shop is desperately low on stock. Clothing, accessories, toys, small appliances, shoes, bric-a-brac and pictures are needed. Please bring donations to the Humane Society building on North Sound Road. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 FEAST OF ANNUNCIATION: St. George’s Anglican Church, Courts Road, off Eastern Avenue. 6 p.m. Dramatized readings, music, liturgical dance, choral singing. Organized by the Mothers Union. All are invited. gARDEN PICNIC: National Gallery Art Café offers set menu including soup, salad, sandwiches and vegetarian options between noon and 2:30 p.m. Lunch packs will be available for those on the go. Exhibition halls open to view the national art collection and exhibition “Luminescent Forms: Art Under the Microscope.” For menu details, reservations and pre-orders, email events@nationalgallery. org.ky or call 945- 8111. Reservations are recommended for groups of four or more. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: Free presentation on occupational therapy for people with mental health and intellectual challenges. Hibiscus Room, Cayman Islands Hospital, 8-9 a.m. THURSDAY, MARCH 26 CANCER AWARENESS MEETINg: Cancer survivor Cline Glidden Jr. and Dr. Wilmoth Shillingford speak about prostate and colon cancer at the John Gray Memorial Church Hall in West Bay, 7 p.m. All are invited. PSA testing will be available. NORTH SIDE MEETINg: All are invited to the District Council meeting in the Civic Centre, 8 p.m. Agenda includes a presentation by Wayne Jackson, director of the hospitality school at UCCI; budget for the district; fundraising; update from MLA Ezzard Miller. BRAC COURT: Today and tomorrow, Aston Rutty Centre, from 10 a.m. FRIDAY, MARCH 27 FISH FRY AND ROAST: The Mothers Union of St. George’s Anglican Church holds a fish fry and roast on the church grounds off Courts Road, off Eastern Avenue. Noon to 6 p.m. Cost is $10; other refreshments on sale. Proceeds in aid of Mothers Union programs. FISH FRY: Last Lenten fish fry at 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. FREE YOUTH TOURS: Today is the final day for guided tours of the exhibition “Luminescent Forms: Art Under the Microscope” for students of all ages at the National Gallery. By appointment only. 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. gOLF SCRAMBLE: St. Ignatius-sponsored event at the North Sound Golf Club; 1 p.m. shotgun start. Space for 22 teams of four. Phone 949-6797 for details. SATURDAY, MARCH 28 BUY-A-KID-A-BOOK: Visit Foster’s Food Fair at the Strand from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and make a donation toward child literacy. All proceeds collected by Rotary Sunrise will go toward purchasing books for school libraries on island. Visit www. RotarySunrise.ky for more information. BOOK SALE: Outside A.L. Thompson’s main entrance. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fiction, nonfiction, classics, romance, biography, mystery/thriller, young adult fiction. Five paperback books for $1. Also puzzles, games, children’s books. ROTARY SUNRISE CAR RAFFLE: Fundraiser for Rotary projects has prizes including a 2015 Audi Q5, home security system or $1,000 in gas. Tickets on sale at Foster’s Airport from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. for $25 each, or 5 tickets for $100, or email info@rotarysunrise. ky to request tickets. Visit www.RotarySunrise.ky for more information. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in East End near Pirates Cove Bar from 6-10 a.m. Items available include linens, household goods, clothing and shoes for men, women and children, ladies bags and other accessories, children’s toys and books. BRAC BIKEATHON: The Rotary Club of Cayman Brac holds its annual Bike-a-Thon. Contact Dhallchand Seeram on 916-2143 or dhalls@ candw.ky for further details. CAYWRITERS: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Books & Books. Anyone interested in writing is invited to join other local writers who share their journey, stories and writing resources. Ask advice and discuss challenges. Held on the last Saturday of every month, new members are always welcome. CAPT. MARVIN’S MEMORIAL RUN/WALK: Two-mile event starts at Tiki Beach, 6:45 a.m. For all age groups. $15 registration. Proceeds will help the Flashy Nation Sports Club with equipment and money to represent Cayman in international events. Register with Kendall Ebanks at Anytime Fitness, or contact 924- 2898 or flashynation@ hotmail.com. SUNDAY, MARCH 29 FAMILY EVENT: Cayman Islands Baptist Church invites all to a community worship service and family event at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall at 6:30 p.m. Contact church office at 946-2422 for more details. TUESDAY, MARCH 31 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER: The National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving takes place noon-12:50 p.m. on the grounds of the Glass House, George Town. Sponsored by the Cayman Ministers Association. LITTLE MISS: Cayman’s Our Little Miss Scholarship Pageant organizing committee is accepting applications for the pageant on April 25. Entry deadline is today. Six age divisions, from Baby Petite (0-2 years) to Miss (18-26). Talent required for ages seven and up. 327-9890 or caymanolm@gmail.com. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 CANCER SCREENINg: Free oral cancer screening. Call the Cayman Islands Cancer Society on 949-7618 for more details. SATURDAY, APRIL 4 LITTLE CAYMAN AUCTION: The Little Cayman District of the National Trust holds its annual Easter auction, 4 p.m. at the National Trust House. Contact Betty Bua-Smith 948-1077 or bettyboo@candw.ky LITTLE MISS: Cayman’s Our Little Miss Official Pageant hosts the official orientation 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Town Hall in George Town. Anyone interested in competing should attend this orientation. For more information, email caymanolm@gmail.com. GENERAL INTEREST FOOD HANDLERS: Certification courses in basic food hygiene are offered by the Department of Environmental Health. March 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. HIV TESTINg: Free HIV testing is available every Tuesday year-round at the Cayman Islands Red Cross on Thomas Russell Way. Anyone wishing 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. TENT MEETINg: The New Testament Church of God, George Town, hosts a two- week tent meeting through April 3, 7:30 p.m. Tent behind the church on North Sound Road. Speakers are the Rev. Dennis Walton and evangelist Arthur Grant from Jamaica. All are invited. BETHESDA COUNSELINg CENTRE: At 68 Mary St., caters to all who seek help. Call 946-6575. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. 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. OPEN CANVAS: Visual Arts Society supports this initiative at KARoo restaurant in Camana Bay. Wednesdays in 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 two 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.-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. 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 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 Artisans 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.7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday March 24, 2015 upcoming Cayman Arts Festival offers music and art Jenny Palmer jpalmer@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fans of music and art have been soaking up several days of events at the Cayman Arts Festival. Organized by artistic di- rectors Glen Inanga and Jennifer Micallef, the arts festival opened on March 17 with a reception at the Governor’s House and continued the next day with workshops at St. Ignatius School. On March 19, a cappella group The Singrays per- formed at the fringe event, “Visual Music and Art Exhibit by the Sea” at the Visual Arts Society’s Watler House Studio at Pedro’s Castle. Ivan Burges, chairman of the Visual Arts Society, introduced the performers at this opening gala of the Society’s annual art ex- hibit. The exhibition con- tinues until Saturday, March 29, when there will be a family fun day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pieces in- clude jewelry by Gale Tibbetts, batik work by Bob McKendrick, photographs by Mary McCallum and paint- ings by Lynn Husemann, Christine Benbow, Olivia Sutton, Janice Brown, Amanda Nicholson, Chloe Goodfellow, Deborah Richey, Melody Protacio and Natalie Marineau. “One of the joys about working in collaboration with the Cayman Arts Festival for the past four years, is being part of the new and fresh art- work and musicians that seem to come out of their shell,” said the Visual Arts Society’s marketing coordinator and curator, Mary McCallum. “The theme of music is so inspirational, and when you combine that with the artists’ creations, the out- come is so refreshing,” she said. “The Visual Arts Society very much supports ‘Art for Everyone,’ and we welcome those who want to support the art community.” Also on Thursday, cellist Ingrid Schoenlaub and pia- nist Sodi Braide, with nar- rator Quincy Brown, per- formed pieces by Debussy, Franck and Messiaen at the First Baptist Church on Crewe Road. The recital com- memorated the centenary of World War 1 and the 75th an- niversary of the declaration of World War II. On Friday, the festival con- tinued with a fringe event at the National Gallery, where quintet Cool School performed, concluding with a recital at the First Baptist Church of chamber music by Schubert and piano works by Chopin and Debussy performed by Mr. Braide, Mr. Inanga, Reid McNeal, Seb Poznansky, Lauren Knuckey, Charlotte Osman and Kazia Smith. Visual Arts Society board members Gale Tibbetts, Mary McCallum and Aimee Volderding enjoy an evening of music and art. - Photo: Jenny Palmer ‘Water Dance’ by Mary McCallum is among the photographs featured at the exhibition. estella scott-roberts Foundation grants For 2015 The Estella Scott-Roberts Foundation will soon be ac- cepting applications for grants of up to $10,000. The grant scheme opens April 1 and closes on May 22. The foundation is accepting ap- plications from charities, com- munity organizations and other nonprofit groups for grants of between $500 and $10,000. According to a statement issued by the foundation this week, the successful program or project selected should take place by the end of the 2015 calendar year. Rayle Roberts, chairman of the Estella Scott-Roberts Foundation, said a project or program could, for example, focus on empowerment through movement and sport, promote gender equality in the work- place, or increase awareness of the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. “We are very happy to be able to continue to offer this opportunity for eligible appli- cants to receive funding which help move our community to- wards the foundation’s vi- sion of gender equality and a life free of violence for all,” Mr. Roberts said. He encouraged organiza- tions that may need a finan- cial boost to help achieve their dream project or to continue an ongoing program, to apply. “When we think of the po- tential of our brothers, sisters, mothers, cousins and friends in our community that is limited by prejudice or unnecessary hatred and violence, we know that this mission is as impor- tant now as ever,” he said. The foundation is named after Mr. Robert’s wife, who was an advocate for women’s and children’s rights in the Cayman Islands. She helped establish and manage the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, a 24-hour shelter for abused women and their children. Ms. Roberts was abducted, raped and murdered in October 2008. Mr. Roberts described his wife’s life as a light that shone brilliantly, highlighting the many dark recesses of society. “Hers was a light that ex- pired too quickly, and rather than curse the darkness that Estella’s death brought to her loved ones, the Estella Scott- Roberts Foundation was born to shine a light on the mission that motivated Estella throughout her bright life,” he said. Previous awards One of the grant recipi- ents last year was the Cayman Islands Red Cross “Girls Will” conference in September. Focusing on the subject of child abuse prevention, the confer- ence aimed to allow a space for discussions with teen girls and parents on a variety of subjects, including under- standing gender roles, self-de- fense, healthy sexuality and child abuse. The Estella Scott-Roberts Foundation has also made fi- nancial contributions to proj- ects including those that sup- port improved parenting skills for fathers, sexual harassment public awareness campaigns, and advocacy for sexual as- sault victims. The application form for the 2015 grants can be found in the grants section of the foundation’s website at www.esrfoundation.org.ky, or by emailing esrfgrants@gmail.com.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday March 24, 2015 • Cayman Compass waste management facility in Edmonton, Canada, said the same principles could be used in Cayman. The Edmonton facility includes a waste-to-biofuels plant, a sorting facility for recycla- bles and a composting fa- cility among a network of processing plants. City of- ficials estimate that the site will ultimately be able to re- purpose 90 percent of waste that would ordinarily have gone to a landfill. Exactly what combina- tion of facilities is required or could be afforded in Cayman has not yet been re- vealed. Mr. Schubert said the draft strategy would likely go out to consultation next month. He said the facilities could potentially be paid for by a monthly utilities bill. Taxpayers in Edmonton con- tribute $420 per household per year toward waste col- lection and management. The costs in Cayman would likely be slightly higher because of the smaller population, Mr. Schubert indicated. Using thermal treatment to convert waste into energy would have a significant ef- fect on reducing the amount of trash going into the land- fill, he added. Citing Cayman’s high electricity bills, he said the capacity to use waste as fuel – 1 ton of municipal solid waste could deliver 500 kilowatt hours to the grid – could not be dismissed. But he added, “The big advantage is it decreases the volume going into land- fill. Currently, you are just building Mount Trashmore for future generations.” Waste management project manager: New landfill site needed in future obvious choice.” On his first attempt to climb Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, in 2009, his team had to turn around the day they planned to hike to the summit. Weather pushed them back, just five or six hours from hiking to the peak. On his next attempt in 2012, weather again moved in, pinning down Mr. Manning and his group for 10 days. All they could do, he said, was “lay there listening to avalanches going off.” Eventually they ran out of food and had to hike down. Four people who had been staying in the same camp left a day earlier. They died in one of the avalanches. Of the peaks Mr. Manning has crossed off his list – Everest in Nepal, Aconcagua in Argentina, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Elbrus in Russia, Vinson in Antarctica, and Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) in Indonesia – each had its own unique chal- lenges, he said. Everest was cold, very cold, and the weather unpre- dictable. On his final, suc- cessful, attempt he had to rest for a day in the “death zone” because he had become ill. By the time he hit the summit, frostbite had started to affect his feet. Getting to the summit, Mr. Manning said, was “an amazing feeling.” And, he added, “relief that you don’t have to take any more steps.” But then, of course, he had to hike back down. Karma, the sherpa who helped Mr. Manning on his way up Everest, died last year in an avalanche that killed 12 mountain guides who were preparing the high altitude route for the year’s climbing season. The 2012 expedition with Mr. Manning was Karma’s only time on the summit. “I’m glad I don’t have to go back there,” he said. Puncak Jaya, which he climbed last December, in- volved nine days “in knee- deep mud, surviving on bis- cuits.” On their first day traveling in the West Papua jungle, they were held up by a group of bandits with bows and arrows and ma- chetes, demanding a fee to cross a bridge. Mr. Manning and a small group of other hikers and porters made it to that summit on Dec. 3. Less than four months later, he is working on final preparations for a very dif- ferent trek. Getting to Denali is itself a feat. It involves flying to Juneau, Alaska, driving to a small town, taking another plane – this one equipped with skis – and getting dropped off on the mountain range in the middle of 6 million acres of wilderness. There is no resupply, Mr. Manning said, and no sherpas or porters to share the load, as on Everest. All the food, fuel and equip- ment for the three-week trek have to be carried up the mountain in backpacks and on sleds. In May, Mr. Manning will make the trip to Alaska for what he hopes will be his final push for Denali’s summit. Climbing the world’s highest peaks, dodging mudslides and ava- lanches, bandits and frost- bite, is not a typical way to spend a vacation. Speaking in the fourth- floor conference room at Campbells, overlooking George Town to the North Sound, Mr. Manning said the danger factor isn’t the ap- peal for him. “It’s the physical challenge,” he said, and trav- eling to some of the most re- mote places in the world. “It’s a pretty wild experience.” For more information and to make a donation, visit sevensummits.ky. Climber tackles Seven Summits for Cancer Society the North Sound. The five boaters, including a teenage girl, were never found. Typically, Cayman aver- ages between eight and 10 water-related fatalities a year, according to statistics examined by the Cayman Compass. Between 2008 and 2011, annual water-related fatalities averaged between nine and 10, respectively. Even a cursory glance at the available statistics shows an obvious pattern. Of the 26 recorded fatalities in diving or snorkeling incidents be- tween 2003 and 2011, 22 of the victims were older than 50; the youngest was 39. The water-related deaths so far this year have a similar pattern. Between Jan. 1 and March 19, only two of the victims in water-related fatalities were under 60. Those include Mr. Lee, who was lost on March 5, and Cuban national Manuel Marino-Rodriguez, 51, who died on Jan. 3. The other victims were a 70-year-old diver from Texas who got into diffi- culty during a dive off Seven Mile Beach on March 19; a 60-year-old Floridian who collapsed on a dive boat on Little Cayman on Feb. 22; a 71-year-old swimmer who got into distress off Grand Cayman’s eastern coast on Jan. 26; a 63-year- old American tourist who died while snorkeling off East End on Jan. 14; and an 88-year-old Ukrainian cruise ship tourist who died at the water’s edge on Seven Mile Beach on Jan. 12. Three of the six deaths or presumed deaths involving tourists have occurred off East End, where outer waters are typically rougher than in the North Sound or along Seven Mile Beach. A large majority of water- related deaths in the Cayman Islands have been linked to medical conditions, but local water sports operators, in- cluding Steve Broadbelt of Ocean Frontiers, have long argued that early interven- tion from trained lifeguards when someone experiences a medical emergency in the water can help prevent a fa- tality. Mr. Broadbelt made the recommendation earlier this month, noting that bad publicity associated with tourist deaths would likely put off other visitors. “It [having lifeguards] is not a difficult thing to do,” he said. “The tourists that come here pay 13 percent tax per night. They bring a lot of money to the island, and we have little in the way of water safety. It should be done as a public service. It has hap- pened too often.” Cayman’s world-cham- pion free diver Tanya Streeter has said more needs to be done in educating tourists about basic water safety. “Snorkeling is probably where most of the [fatal] in- cidents are,” Mrs. Streeter said in an earlier inter- view. “It’s important for vis- itors to snorkel in buddy- pairs. Having someone on the beach watching you is not good enough.” For divers, it’s important to get re-certified or to take refresher courses periodically to minimize risk, she said, adding, “If you’re not diving two or three times a year, you should be doing the refresher course,” she said. 2015 already one of deadliest years in local waters CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Norman Lee, a comic artist with DC and Marvel Comics, went missing while snorkeling off the Reef Resort last month. He was never found. - Photo: GARY hIGGINS/the PAtRIot LedGeR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Netanyahu apologizes to country’s Arab minority JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Israel’s Arab citizens on Monday for remarks he made during last week’s parliament election that offended mem- bers of the community. The move appeared to be an attempt to heal rifts and mute criticism at home and in the United States. Netanyahu drew accusations of racism in Israel, espe- cially from its Arab minority, and a White House rebuke when, just a few hours be- fore polling stations were to close across the country, he warned that Arab citizens were voting “in droves.” Netanyahu, who’s Likud Party won re-election in the vote, met with members of the Arab community at the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem on Monday and apologized. He said he knows his “comments last week of- fended some Israeli citizens and offended members of the Israeli-Arab community.” “This was never my intent. I apologize for this,” Netanyahu said. “I view myself as the prime minister of each and every citizen of Israel, without any prejudice based on reli- gion, ethnicity or gender.” “I view all Israeli citizens as partners in the building of a prosperous and safe state of Israel, for all Israelis,” he also said. A recently established al- liance of four small, mostly Arab parties called the Joint List made unprecedented gains in the March 17 elec- tion, earning enough votes to make it the third-largest party in Israel’s parliament. Arab citizens make up 20 percent of Israel’s population. Equality is guaranteed in Israel’s laws but many Arabs have long complained of dis- crimination, mainly in the job and housing market. Ayman Odeh, the head of the Joint List, told channel 2 TV that Netanyahu’s apology was not accepted. “This is not a real apology,” Odeh said. “He incited against citizens who were exercising their basic right to vote for Knesset.” Odeh also accused Netanyahu of “zigzagging” by saying one thing one day and a different another. In the final days of the campaign, Netanyahu an- gered the U.S. by taking a tough stance toward the Palestinians and by saying a Palestinian state will not be established on his watch in the current cli- mate of regional chaos and violence. Resolving the con- flict between Israel and the Palestinians in a two-state solution is a key U.S. foreign policy priority. The tough talk was part of a last-ditch attempt by Netanyahu to spur his more hard-line supporters to the polls after it appeared he was losing voters to a more hawkish party. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters Monday that she had not seen the Netanyahu apology but that the Israeli prime minister is hard to read because “he said diametrically opposing things in the matter of a week.” “When you say things, words matter. And if you say something different two days later, which do we believe?” she said. “What we’re looking for now are actions and policies.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Tuesday March 24, 2015 Retired tennis pro convicted Bob Hewitt, 75, a former Grand Slam doubles tennis champion, was convicted Monday in a South African court of rape and sexual assault decades after the alleged assaults. Singaporeans mourn death of founding father Lee Kuan Yew SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore mourned longtime leader Lee Kuan Yew with raw emo- tion and a blanket of relent- lessly positive coverage on its tightly scripted state tele- vision on Monday, mytholo- gizing a man who was as re- spected as he was feared. The government an- nounced that Lee, 91, “passed away peacefully” sev- eral hours before dawn at Singapore General Hospital. The increasingly frail elder statesman was hospital- ized in early February with severe pneumonia. State TV broke away from its regular program- ming with a rolling hagio- graphic tribute to Lee’s life and achievements. In a live broadcast, one of its re- porters called the death the “awful and dreaded” news. Effusive tributes flowed in from world leaders, including President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A self-proclaimed author- itarian who saw the world in stark realist terms, Lee commanded respect from Singaporeans, who this year will celebrate the country’s 50th anniversary of inde- pendence. He led multira- cial Singapore with an iron grip for more than three de- cades until 1990, and is cred- ited with transforming the resource-poor island into a wealthy finance and trade entrepot with low crime and little corruption. Singapore’s government has declared seven days of national mourning, and flags will fly at half-staff on state buildings. A national hol- iday has not been declared, and daily life in this prag- matically commercial city of vaulting glass towers and broad, immaculate streets continues to bustle. Still, there were tears and a deep sense of loss among Singaporeans who lionize Lee for his role in creating an oasis of stability in a re- gion saddled with corrup- tion, political violence and poverty. Many feel he pro- vided them with a roof over their heads by creating a system of state-subsidized housing where the majority of Singaporeans live. “He’s my idol,” said 55-year-old homemaker Lua Su Yean, standing near the sprawling display of flowers and cards left by Singaporeans at the hos- pital where Lee spent the last weeks of his life. She said her “heart dropped” on hearing the news and got her husband to drive her to the hospital. “He’s done such great things and there’s nothing bad I can say about him,” she said. “My children grew up listening to my stories about him, and my grandchildren as well.” Lee’s son, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, struggled to hold back tears in a televised address. Speaking in Malay, Mandarin and English, the prime minister said Lee built a nation and gave Singaporeans a proud identity. “We won’t see another man like him. To many Singaporeans, and indeed others too, Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore,” he said. The hearse carrying Lee’s body arrived not long after midday at the Istana govern- ment compound, where many in a crowd of several hun- dred people shouted “Mr. Lee Kuan Yew” and shed tears. Under Lee and his succes- sors, Singapore was known around the world for its strict social order, including a ban on chewing gum, re- strictions on free speech, a practice of bankrupting polit- ical opponents with defama- tion lawsuits, and canings for crimes some countries would rule as minor. In recent years, it has become socially more liberal, and the fragmented political opposition made gains in Singapore’s last elec- tions in 2011. After stepping down as prime minister, Lee remained part of the Cabinet and an in- fluential figure in Singapore and Asia. His legacy is regarded within Singapore and abroad as substantial, but there also is recognition that a toll was exacted. First US Republican candidate announces presidential bid Ted Cruz launches campaign at world’s largest Christian college LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Sen. Ted Cruz showed he was a candidate in a hurry early Monday morning, an- nouncing his presidential candidacy on Twitter just after midnight, several hours before the official launch at the college founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell Monday morning. The Texas Republican’s choice of Liberty University for Monday’s speech indi- cates he plans an aggressive courtship of cultural conser- vatives and young voters. Cruz became the first high-profile Republican to of- ficially enter the 2016 contest even though, like others, he has been campaigning in all but name for many months. Ahead of his speech, Cruz turned to social media and tweeted: “I’m running for president and I hope to earn your support!” In a flashy video that accompanied it, Cruz offered a preview of his nascent campaign’s message. “I believe in America and her people, and I believe we can stand up and restore our promise,” Cruz said in the web video as images of farm fields, city skylines and American landmarks and symbols played in the back- ground. “It’s going to take a new generation of coura- geous conservatives to help make America great again, and I’m ready to stand with you to lead the fight.” Cruz’s decision to launch at Liberty University, a familiar stop for presidential hopefuls that calls itself the world’s largest Christian college, is meant as a marker against po- tential rivals who are counting on Christian conservatives to fuel their ambitions. Cruz is not expected to be the sole contender for long. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and two Senate col- leagues, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Florida’s Marco Rubio, are eyeing campaign announcements soon. Visitors take pictures of themselves Monday in an area set aside for tributes to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the hospital where he passed away. - Photo: AP Senator Cruz announced his presidential candidacy on Twitter. - Photo; APNext >