High of 89 Low of 78 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday May 19, 2015 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY The Fix Jeb Bush falls flat on Iraq 3 Politics What to do with Bill Clinton? 4 Technology Getting a byte of dinner 17 5 Myths About breast cancer 23 MEDICINE’S BIG DATA REVOLUTION PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015 . IN COLLABORATION WITH Medicine’s big data revolution THE wASHIngTon poST Editorial | pagE 4 McLaughLin v. Bush: The PeoPLe’s house or The courThouse? 178210_PRINT-Compass-6colx1*5.pdPage 1 12/8/14 11:20:19 AM U.S. NewS & world report Seven Mile Beach ‘No. 1’ in the world sTaff rePorT The Cayman Islands’ Seven Mile Beach has been designated the world’s top beach vacation spot by the U.S. News & World Report. The rankings, released by the pub- lication’s U.S. News Travel website, are based on a review of commentary by visi- tors and certain expert evaluators, not the editors’ individual opinions. The ratings consider a number of factors including ambiance, accessibility, affordability and approval among tourism experts and travelers. Based on evaluations of those areas, the world’s top 12 beaches were chosen. “In truth, there isn’t one ideal strip of sand that would suit everyone,” the U.S. News Travel website states in its review. “Still, our ranking of the best beaches in the world showcases what makes a beach stand out.” On why it picked the Cayman Islands as the top beach vacation destination, the web- site opines: “It’s hard to compete with the coral sands of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. Brimming with luxury hotels and ca- sual restaurants, the Cayman Islands leave Labor changes may impact jobLess rate BrenT fuLLer bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Local unemployment numbers could stagnate or even rise if proposed changes to the Cayman Islands Labour Law and the civil service retirement age take effect within the next year. The government’s own estimates have re- vealed that some 600 people could lose their jobs if a minimum wage takes effect next year, as proposed by Premier Alden McLaughlin. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Marco Archer mLa connoLLy: stop poLiticaL handouts BrenT fuLLer bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com After two years on the inside of Cayman Islands politics, George Town MLA Winston Connolly said last week that the current prac- tice of elected members giving cash handouts to their supporters must be stopped. “What I … have found in my two years in politics is that, on top of social services, the norm is to go to your politician for a ‘top up,’ so you don’t have to go through the proper channels and that, in my view, is wrong,” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » premier Alden Mclaughlin, center, outside the legislative Assembly Friday, awaiting the arrival of Governor Helen Kilpatrick to deliver the throne Speech. - photo: jeWeL LeVy It’s “hard to compete” with the coral sands of Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. - photo: stephen cLarKe PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS Tuesday May 19, 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 y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 3D (R) 1:00 I 4:00 2D I 7:00 I 10:00 2D AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 3:35 2D I 6:40 I 9:45 2D PITCH PERFECT 2 (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 9:50 FURIOUS 7 (PG13) 12:45 I 3:45 I 6:45 I 9:45 HOT PURSUIT (PG13) 12:40 I 2:50 I 5:00 I 7:30 I 10:05 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Witness denies alleged contradictions Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com With 20 witnesses giving evidence so far in the trial of Jose Sanchez for the September 2014 murder of Solomon Webster, the Crown is near the close of its case, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards said on Friday. She told Justice Charles Quin that she would be calling the police officer in charge of the investigation on Tuesday, May 19, and she ex- pected that he would be the final witness for the prosecu- tion. The next step would be the submission of facts that are agreed by her team and counsel for the defense. Sanchez, who elected to be tried by judge alone, is accused of shooting Mr. Webster on Sunday eve- ning, Sept. 7, in a yard off Miss Daisy Lane in West Bay. The incident began with a struggle between Sanchez and another man, Shaquille Bush, in which Mr. Webster became involved. Justice Quin has said he wants to hear Mr. Bush’s ac- count of the evening. On Friday morning, he heard the evidence of Rachelyn Bush. She said she was driving out of her yard when Sanchez’s brother dropped him off and he got into her car. Sanchez told her he wanted her to chill out with him that evening, but she told him of her plan to see someone in town. She drove him to Miss Daisy Lane and pulled into the yard where his mother lived. Sanchez remained sitting in her car and then she saw Shaquille Bush coming up to Sanchez’s side of the car. Ms. Bush described how the exchange between them be- came physical. She said the men were hanging onto each other as if each were trying to get the other to the ground. When they moved away from her car and around the side of one of the houses in the yard, she did not see them. She did not see Mr. Webster get involved. After she heard a gunshot, she called 911 and reversed out of the yard. Defense counsel Mark Heywood said information had been received that Ms. Bush was saying things out- side court that were different from her statement to po- lice and what she had said in court. Specifically, it was alleged that she was saying she saw Sanchez shoot Mr. Webster. Ms. Bush replied that if anyone had said that, it was a lie. She repeated her evi- dence that she did not see Sanchez with a gun and she did not see him shoot Mr. Webster. She acknowl- edged that a person close to her had wanted her to say those things in court, but she had refused. Mr. Heywood urged the court to say that if anyone was trying to interfere with a witness about her evidence, the matter should be investi- gated. Ms. Richards advised that such an investigation was taking place. Crown nears end of case in fatal shooting Woman admits throwing hot water on another inmate Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fairbanks Prison inmate Nathania Rachel Chollette had 30 days added to her cur- rent sentence last Thursday for assaulting another inmate by throwing hot water on her. Chollette, 27, was ini- tially charged with wounding or causing grievous bodily harm. She had always ad- mitted throwing the hot water, but denied those charges. Instead, she pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of assault causing actual bodily harm and the Crown ac- cepted that plea. Reports in the Cayman Compass shortly after the incident on Sunday, May 11, 2014, indicated that the victim received burns to her left hand and forearm. She was taken to hospital, treated and returned to Fairbanks. Another report stated that the water had been heated in a microwave oven in the fa- cility’s common room. At the sentencing hearing last Thursday, Crown counsel Aaliyah McCarthy provided further details. She said the in- cident occurred around 6 p.m. and involved a “mentally chal- lenged” inmate who was locked in her cell because of her dis- ruptive behavior. Chollette was one of several women accused of throwing water on her and causing burns to various parts of her body. Defense attorney John Furniss said the victim was having one her bad spells, being extremely disruptive and loud. Judges and mag- istrates presiding in the var- ious courtrooms would have heard her in the court cells on more than one occasion, he remarked. In the Fairbanks inci- dent, other persons were in- volved but Chollette was the only one who accepted it was hot water that was thrown, Mr. Furniss said. The in- mates had been provoked, but that obviously was not a defense, he agreed. He told Magistrate Philippa McFarlane that Chollette had served a sub- stantial part of a 32-month sentence for burglary and she would be eligible to be con- sidered for parole in October or November this year. She was now showing greater maturity and a better atti- tude, he concluded. The magistrate said she was encouraged by the attor- ney’s mitigation and a social inquiry report. She took note of Chollette’s forthrightness: “Out of everybody, you were the only one who put your hand up and said ‘Yes, I did it and it was wrong.’” She referred to the defen- dant’s expression of remorse and admission that she wouldn’t like anyone to do to her what she had done. But throwing hot water on someone experiencing challenges was a completely inappropriate response, she told Chollette: “You went too far.” For that reason, the sen- tence of 30 days had to be consecutive to the term she was currently serving, the magistrate said. Another unrelated charge was threatening to kill a police officer when Chollette got upset after an interview in relation to the burglaries. Mr. Furniss said she had instructed him to apologize for this behavior. The magistrate imposed a term of seven days, concurrent. In relation to the in- cident at the prison, one woman was sentenced in January after admitting she threw water on the in- mate, but insisted it was cold water. This defendant advised the court that all of the inmates had a session with a chaplain and a psy- chologist afterwards. On hearing that her re- lease date was in another 10 days, Magistrate McFarlane decided to conditionally dis- charge her on the basis that she not commit any offense of any kind over the next 12 months. If she did, she would be brought back for sentencing on this matter. A third woman charged in connection with the in- cident has not yet been dealt with. She is still in custody and has been at- tending the monthly mental health court. The magistrate took note of Chollette’s forthrightness: “Out of everybody, you were the only one who put your hand up and said ‘Yes, I did it and it was wrong.’” 30 days for hot water assault Jury notice The Grand Court jury re- port date has been changed. Grand Court jurors who are in the April 1-June 30 session are now to report on Wednesday, May 20, at 9:45 a.m. call the Jury information line at 945-5072 for the most up- to-date information. More women report being assaulted by cyclist At least three separate reports of a man indecently assaulting female joggers in the West Bay area were made to police last week. The initial incident that was reported to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service alleged that a man riding a bicycle groped a female jogger on Birch Tree Hill Road at approximately 7 a.m. Tuesday, May 12. Since that report was made public, two other re- ports of a similar offense have been made to police. One woman reported that on Monday, May 11, she was jogging along Conch Point Road when she was approached and indecently assaulted by a man riding a bicycle. Another female jogger said she was approached in November 2014 while jog- ging along Rev. Blackman Road by a bicycle rider in the early morning hours. Police said in both of the incidents, the bike rider touched the female joggers on their backsides. Police released CCTV footage of the suspect in the case. Anyone with information about these assaults or other incidents is asked to contact rciPS Detective Dave Morrison at 949-3999. Police released this photograph taken from cctV footage of a cyclist suspected of molesting women in West Bay.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday May 19, 2015 ‘Sonny Boy’ Bodden, a good life remembered James Ashmead Bodden passed away, age 85 Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman is mourning an- other of its prominent com- munity figures. James Ashmead “Sonny Boy” Bodden died last Tuesday at home with his family. He was 85. Mr. Bodden’s family said he passed peacefully. Born in George Town in 1930, he attended school there and worked on local boats, before joining the Public Works Department in 1948. He went to sea with National Bulk Carriers and was chief pump-man be- fore he left the seafaring life in 1955. Returning to Cayman, he met and married Rose Marie at the Elmslie Memorial Church in George Town in February 1956. Mrs. Bodden describes her husband as being very meticulous. “He took his time to do every- thing because he wanted it to be perfect,” she said. Overhearing her one day saying she wished she didn’t drop things so much, she recalls him saying, “You are always in a hurry, take your time and do what you are doing.” Mrs. Bodden was working at a store in George Town when Sonny Boy first said hello. That evening, when she was walking home from work, he rode up behind her on his bicycle and started chatting. After seeking and obtaining permission from her mother, they started dating. One day he said to her, “You know I am falling in love with you.“ “I didn’t want him to know but I was falling for him too,” Mrs. Bodden said. Mr. Bodden worked at the Yacht Club as assistant manger before starting his own tire business, after ac- cepting a proposal from D&G salesmen to sell branded products in Cayman. In 1961, along with Rose Marie, he leased and then operated the Bayview Hotel – one of the few hotels in Cayman at the time. Mr. Bodden became man- ager for Esso in the Cayman Islands in November 1962. In April 1985, he resigned to help his wife with the business Bodden Beverages. They sold the business in October, 2012. Service club supporter Mr. Bodden was also a charter member and past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman. He also served on the Planning Board and the Pines Retirement Home Committee. He was a member and past councilor of the Chamber of Commerce and member and past master of the Cayman Lodge, an officer of the District Grand Lodge of Jamaica, a member of the Mark Lodge, the Royal Arch Chapter and Rose Croix. MBE In 1985, he was made a Member of the British Empire in 1985, listed in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his public and com- munity services in the Cayman Islands. Mr. Bodden loved the sea, said his wife. When he was 12 years, his father’s ship was torpedoed and Mr. Bodden dropped out of school to work – shining shoes at the naval base in Cayman. “He was always around his grandfather who built boats and whereever the boat sailed, he wanted to be on it.” Mrs. Bodden recalled. He also joined many other seamen who went to Mosquito Key, off the coast of Nicaragua, in his teens to catch turtles. Mrs. Bodden said people often would ask how they could work together all day, get on so well and then go home and still be good to each other. “I told them we just got on good. I am not saying we never had a problem or argument, we just never got into anything se- rious,” she said. She said she and her hus- band traveled quite a bit with the children and grand- children and had wonderful times. “We had a good life, we worked hard and enjoyed it too,” she said. Playful side She added, “Sonny Boy al- ways did tell me he was a se- rious person and never did play but wanted to learn things and work.” “He was a good hus- band and a good friend and he loved his children and the grandchildren,” Mrs. Bodden said. “Grandpa could be very serious at times but he did have a good sense of humor,” said his granddaughter Trisha. “His shirt was always tucked in, [he] always wore a belt and his hair [was] im- maculate,” Trisha said. She said she brought out the fun side of her grandpa. “I could dig and mess up his hair, brush it different ways and he found it so funny. A lot of his playful moments came out when he and I would get together. We miss him terribly.” Mr. Bodden is survived by his wife Rose Marie; son Adrian, daughters Kathy and Audry; grandchil- dren Trisha, Joni, Stephen, Andrew, Aidan, and Brittney; great-grandchil- dren Kaelan and Kyle. A funeral service will be held at Agape Family Worship Centre at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 23. James ‘Sonny Boy’ Bodden on a cruise in 1999.The 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. Tuesday May 19, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Riots in Baltimore and elsewhere following killings of unarmed black men by po- lice have reignited a public discussion of approaches to policing, causes and cures for poverty, and race rela- tions in America. Good. We will never have final, defini- tive answers to these ques- tions and it is good that we continue to discuss them and to search for better ways of addressing them. Recently I posted a Washington Post op-ed by Richard Cohen addressing criticisms of the First Lady’s public statements on race and the “black experience.” The evolutionary process has predisposed us to bond with and trust most easily our own families and tribes – to be most comfortable with what and who is most fa- miliar to us. Traits that served us well as hunters-gatherers are often less useful or ac- tual impediments to life in larger communities and cities. Civilization is, in part, the process of taming some of these primitive impulses. At the dedication of a mu- seum in New York City re- cently, the First Lady stated that: “I guarantee you that right now, there are kids living less than a mile from here who would never in a million years dream that they would be welcome in this museum.” This surprised many of us, especially here in Washington D.C., where the percent of blacks in the population has just recently slipped below 50 percent, and where it is hard to imagine any building in which blacks would not be welcomed. But though I have many black friends, and don’t give it a second thought, I can remember when I lived in Hyde Park, Chicago, as a student at the University of Chicago, I was apprehen- sive about penetrating more than a block into Woodlawn, across the Midway from my classes. This is the South Side Chicago, almost all- black, neighborhood Michelle Obama grew up in. There was something about being al- most the only white man in an all-black neighborhood that was uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I was shocked a few months ago when the black friend of a houseguest expressed some nervousness at driving into my neighbor- hood (though a few black families are among our 61- home community). While some of this is in our genes, some of it is forti- fied by experience. What can we do to remove baseless ap- prehensions between our- selves and our fellow man and more importantly what can we do to help lift the likes of those living in West Baltimore from destructive cycles of poverty, crime, and other de- structive behavior? There are no magic bullets. Many fac- tors are at play and I admire the First Lady’s contributions to improving these lives. I disagree with much of President Obama’s policy views, especially domestic policies, but I have admired his and his wife’s advice to African Americans. On sev- eral occasions the President has told young blacks to avoid thinking of themselves as vic- tims and to focus on what they can and must do themselves to better their lives. Recently at Georgetown University, he said: “The stereotype is that you’ve got folks on the left who just want to pour more money into social programs, and don’t care anything about culture or parenting or family structures. And then you’ve got cold-hearted, free market, cap- italist types who are reading Ayn Rand and think everybody are moochers. And I think the truth is more complicated.” Indeed it is, and I wel- come his and the First Lady’s contributions to finding better ways to better lives. 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. McLaughlin v. Bush: The People’s House or the courthouse? On April 14, ex-Premier McKeeva Bush filed a private members’ motion alleging the existence of a U.K.-Cayman Islands conspiracy against him. Current Premier Alden McLaughlin responded to Mr. Bush’s comments on the issue by suing Mr. Bush for defamation. While Mr. Bush’s action and Mr. McLaughlin’s reaction are related, they are not equal. Though both are polit- ical in nature, one measure is “public,” and the other is “personal.” In his parliamentary motion, Mr. Bush alleged that a group of officials from the U.K. and Cayman conspired together to “topple” his United Democratic Party govern- ment — which fell apart in late 2012 following the arrest of Mr. Bush on various corruption-related charges. The official allegations against Mr. Bush were eventu- ally winnowed down to alleged misuse of his government- issued credit card; in fall 2014, a jury acquitted Mr. Bush on all counts. Mr. Bush’s motion asks for an independent review of “the involvement of the [U.K.] Foreign and Common- wealth Office, Office of the Governor, Commissioner of Police and the then-Leader of the Opposition [referring to Mr. McLaughlin] in the conspiracy to remove the then- constitutionally elected premier [referring to Mr. Bush].” Mr. Bush says he has documentary proof to back up his allegations. The sheer magnitude and gravity of his claims — put forth in a formal parliamentary motion seeking an impartial inquiry into the acts of officials — require that they be treated with the utmost serious- ness. Indeed, we can think of fewer scenarios that would demand greater attention and swiftness on the part of our Legislative Assembly. The truth, or falsity, of Mr. Bush’s allegations strike at the very heart of Cayman’s status as a representative democracy and territorial dependent of the United Kingdom. Where Mr. Bush may have misstepped is by holding a press conference announcing the filing of the motion. Statements he has made beyond the safe confines of the House floor have become the basis for Mr. McLaughlin’s defamation case, filed in civil court. (At this point, let us clarify, and qualify, an assertion we made last week. We said that if Mr. McLaughlin’s strategic intent in filing the lawsuit is to invoke “sub judice” con- siderations that may constrain what information Mr. Bush can safely reveal in the House, that strategy might not work. We said that civil trials are conducted by judges, not juries, and that judges are not thought to be influenced by what is or isn’t reported about the trial in the media. Since then, we have been further educated by a QC familiar with such matters that a civil trial of a libel case is a possible exception to the “no juries” rule of thumb … though there is scant legal precedent in Cayman, either way, in recent years. In light of this, we must admit that any “sub judice” strategy, if it exists, may have a greater chance of success than we first acknowledged.) Mr. Bush’s motion is very different from Mr. McLaugh- lin’s lawsuit. The motion, filed in parliament, accuses a group of overseas and local officials of tampering with the workings of Cayman’s democratic system, and requests an independent investigation into the facts. The lawsuit, filed in court, accuses a rival politician of, in essence, “lying,” and requests the awarding of damages and the prevention of similar statements being made in the future. Both the motion and the lawsuit, if entertained, would cover much of the same material. Either in the Legisla- tive Assembly or in the court, Mr. Bush and McLaughlin will have ample opportunity to prove their own conten- tions and to disprove their opponent’s. Mr. Bush’s motion clearly should be pursued because of the global gravity of the allegations and the local public interest. Mr. McLaughlin’s lawsuit is more narrowly defined. Our sitting premier is seeking redress for reputational damage he claims he has suffered based on defamatory utter- ances made by his long-time political rival. What is unfortunate, but perhaps inevitable, is that unless some accommodation can be reached between our country’s two top leaders, the Cayman Islands will suffer its own reputational damage — this time in head- lines and media coverage throughout the world. The Obamas on race and poverty Traits that served us well as hunters- gatherers are often less useful or actual impediments to life in larger communities and cities. Civilization is, in part, the process of taming some of these primitive impulses. WARREN COATS 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 find their own way” In this March 3, 2015, photo, U.S. President Barack Obama, accompanied by first lady Michelle Obama, speaks at the White House. - Photo: AP5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday May 19, 2015 WHO mental health report cites lack of facility, training CHarles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedia A report from the World Health Organization cites the lack of a national mental health policy and a shortage of beds for psychiatric pa- tients as weaknesses in Cayman’s health system. The report, however, points to progress on the Mental Health Commission and access to outpatient care as strengths in the system. Issues with psychiatric care in the Cayman Islands have come to the fore re- cently as the Mental Health Commission prepares a re- port for government on the proposed mental health hos- pital. Commission chair Dr. Marc Lockhart said he ex- pects to deliver the proposal to cabinet within the next two weeks. Cayman, Dr. Lockhart said, has been working on reforming its mental health system since the early 2000s. “We do need to speed the process up,” he said, but pointed to progress in several areas, including the opening of the mental health unit at the Cayman Islands hospital in 2003, the drug and mental health courts that started in 2011, and the 2013 Mental Health Law that established the commission. The report, he said, is the first time Cayman has had clear information on the state of mental healthcare in the country. Dr. Lockhart said, “The report confirms what we’ve been seeing for year.” The report docu- ments eight weaknesses in Cayman’s mental health system: the lack of a mental health policy, the limited number of mental health beds and none available for children and adolescents, and a shortage of mental health professionals, especially for children. It states that there’s not enough training for doc- tors and nurses for dealing with children with mental health problems. The report cites the need for a residential facility in Cayman for people with mental illness, and more training on human rights for mentally ill people, not enough oversight of doctors prescribing psychotropic drugs, and a lack of data from the Health Services Authority The Health Services Authority did not respond to a request for comment on the report, but the Ministry of Health released a state- ment along with the report, responding to the weak- nesses. In the release, Health Ministry officials write that most of the concerns in the report will be covered by ei- ther the anticipated Mental Health Policy or by creating a new residential facility. The ministry response states, “The government has recognized the need for such a facility and as such the Ministry of Health is about to convene the Steering Committee to develop the first long-term residential mental health facility for the Cayman Islands.” The ministry says there is funding in the next fiscal year to begin the process by putting out a request for pro- posals for an outline busi- ness case for the facility. Commission chair Dr. Lockhart said that once the new facility is operational, some of the existing beds in the hospital could be parti- tioned off to serve children and adolescents. He noted that there is no need for two facilities, one for adults and the other for children, be- cause Cayman does not need many beds for kids suffering from mental illness. He said government min- istries need to coordinate and work together more to move mental healthcare forward and not duplicate efforts. “If we’re a ship, we need all hands on deck,” he said. He said some are critical of the slow progress being made on mental health re- form, as successive gov- ernments have set up task forces and done studies that seem to disappear on a shelf somewhere in the Ministry of Health. He agreed that reform needed to move faster. But, he said, the recent prog- ress was laid out in a 2010 task force report that, he added, “We’ve followed systematically.” The Mental Health Commission asked the WHO to perform the study, which was completed last year but only now released to the public. “This was not a wasted exercise,” Dr. Lockhart said, noting, “This is not a study to push the ball down the road.”Dr. Lockhart Mosquito plane targeting swaMps The Mosquito Research and Control Unit plane plans to cover Cayman’s swammps over the next 10 days before the rainy season picks up. Starting Tuesday, the plane will drop small pel- lets to target mosquito larvae in the water and reduce the mosquito problem coming from the swamps. The pel- lets are activated by rain and help kill biting mosquitoes for two months, according to the MRCU. The low-level flights by the MRCU’s red and white prop plane will start in the Sister Islands before cov- ering Grand Cayman. If the weather cooperates, it should take 10 days to fly over all of Cayman’s swamps during the mornings and late after- noons, the MRCU said. The Unit estimates there are 12,000 acres of swamps to target on Grand Cayman, 320 acres on the Brac and 475 on Little Cayman. Early rains and higher tides recently have increased the number of mosquitoes in the past couple weeks, the MRCU said. The Unit said the new treatment should help lower mosquito numbers for the next two months.6 LOCAL NEWS Tuesday May 19, 2015 • Cayman Compass Nominations are now open to recognise young persons for outstanding achievements in Nomination forms are available at www.mcays.gov.ky or www.gov.ky Deadline for submission is 29 May 2015 Celebrate the success of our young ambassadors and let them be an inspiration to others. NOMINATE Proudofthem@gov.ky CAYMAN’S YOUTH Reaching Higher MINISTRY OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, YOUTH & SPORTS Academics Career Business Sports Culture Community Service HSA, Heart Fund replacing ambulances TAd SToner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Health Services Authority and the Cayman Heart Fund are seeking $150,000 to replace one of the hospital’s two decade-old am- bulances, kicking off their ef- forts with Discovery Day’s 5K Walk/Run charity drive. The fund has already raised $15,000 from its corpo- rate sponsors, and will seek the balance during the next year, hoping to replace one of the George Town Hospital’s Ford E450 emergency ve- hicles, purchased between 2001 and 2004. “We have a schedule, and look at this after about 120,000 miles,” said Stephen Duval, emergency medical ser- vices manager at the hospital. “That’s when maintenance costs go through the roof.” The charity’s initial fund- raising effort was Monday’s 8th annual 5k Walk/Run be- tween 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., starting in Camana Bay. Speaking prior to the event, Heart Fund Chairman David Dinner said he hoped to raise “between $20,000 and $25,000” for the project. Costs for a U.S.-made am- bulance have risen more than 27 percent in the last 10 years, when the HSA paid $110,000 for each of its diesel-pow- ered Fords. While the pair was placed in a supplementary role after the HSA’s 2009 ac- quisition of two, US$150,000, gasoline-operated Chevrolet “Trauma Hawks,” followed by a third in 2014, both older ve- hicles still have to be replaced, even if not simultaneously. “The two Fords,” said Mr. Duval, “are now spare vehicles used when the Chevys go in for maintenance. We don’t nec- essarily need two spare vehi- cles at the same time, and can stagger the costs. Currently the plan is to replace one.” Mr. Dinner said costs to replace both were daunting. ”We think it’s a practical matter. We try to set realistic goals, and replacing one was the most pressing.” The price escalation, he said, is “like anything to do with healthcare costs,” par- ticularly in the U.S., “a kind of ‘price creep,’ as well as what it takes for a state-of- the-art vehicle.” For example, he cited an “automatic chest compressor” in each new car, never previ- ously part of older models. The additions and improve- ments were likely to require a redesign of the interior, further boosting costs. Because Cayman’s emer- gency medical personnel have trained largely in the U.S., North American standards predominate, meaning alter- native purchasing options – the U.K., Europe, Japan, Korea – were never considered. “We have always followed North American standards,” Mr. Dinner said, “so that has been our focus.” Mr. Duval was more pre- cise: “The procurement of our ambulances takes careful re- view and consideration of a number of both clinical and operational factors. They will include, but [are] not limited to the following: safety, er- gonomics, affordability, in- tended use and capabilities. “The initial cost of the ve- hicle is more expensive due to new technology, design and type vehicle. This is offset, however, in our replacement plan where the vehicles are retrofitted and upgraded after five years or 100,000- 125,000 miles at approxi- mately half the cost of a new vehicle,” he said. Meanwhile, Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood said the Ministry of Health had not contributed to the effort, but only because the Heart Fund had picked up the project. “Year-to year,” she said, “the ministry does an ‘output,’ and we budget for vehicles, for re- placements and upgrades. “This year, though, the Cayman Heart Fund met; every year they chose a charity to match their efforts. This year, they decided to take this. “We do it on a strategic basis, and with the Heart Fund doing the ambulances, we can redirect the [ministry] monies elsewhere.” Mr. Dinner, who ran in Monday’s 5K event, esti- mated the Heart Fund would need another year to com- plete fundraising, but hoped for an accelerated timetable: “I suspect it will take an- other year, but we’re hoping that with a little hustle and a little ingenuity, people will help support us – and maybe we can get that done a little sooner.” No other events had been scheduled, however: “We have not identified anything yet. We do a number of events,” he said, but most, like the annual Red Dress Gala, already have their revenues allotted. “We don’t have any other runs or galas scheduled,” he said, although he anticipated fresh planning. If the fund tapped some of its own donors, he said, the fundraising period might be cut. “If we could cut that to six months or eight months, we’d be doing really well,” he said. Birthday gifts for those in need Nina Ratcliffe re- cently celebrated her 14th birthday, but instead of asking for presents, she requested her friends and family donate to a chil- dren’s home. The teenager asked that donations be given to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations’ Foster Home. In doing do, she was able to do- nate $575 of her birthday money to the children at the foster home. “What a beautiful way to share with others, as well as to set an example for her peers on the joy of giving. Nina is a girl we can be proud of,” said Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette, care man- ager of the foster home. The NCVO Children Services programs, which have been in op- eration for 35 years, as- sist those in need of sup- port and is dedicated to the care, education and wellbeing of children and families throughout the Cayman Islands. Crime Briefs Robbery foiled A machete-wielding man was foiled Saturday night in an attempt to hold up the Maedac House building in Red Bay, George Town. The man apparently tried to enter the store car- rying a machete and a white bag, but found himself locked out by security doors. He ran to the rear of the building after he failed to enter. No arrests were im- mediately reported. The man was described as being between 5 feet, six inches and 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a light brown complexion, wearing a black mask, hoodie, dark glasses and dark pants. Missing woman RCIPS officers have be- come concerned for the safety of a 22-year-old woman who has not been heard from in several days. Sahira Wong Quintero, of Cuba, was last seen on May 11 at Treasure Island Hotel and Resort. Two days later, she was reported missing to police. Anyone with informa- tion on her whereabouts is asked to call the George Town Police Station at 949-4222 or Crime Stoppers at 800-8477. A Chevy ambulance parked at the Cayman islands Hospital. The Health services Authority is looking to buy a new ambulance with the help of the Cayman Heart fund. – Photo: Chris Court Nina ratcliffe with a birthday card made by the children of the NCVO foster Home. sahira Wong Quintero was last seen at Treasure island on may 11.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Tuesday May 19, 2015 Premier Health BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life British Caymanian Insurance Agencies Ltd. acts solely as an agent on behalf of various insurers; it does not act as an insurance broker on behalf of its customers. Premier Health. The health plan that works at one speed. First for service and benefits! Speed and efficiency enabled BritCay to settle 209,003 claims in 2014. 57%* of claims were auto-adjudicated. 96% of claims were settled in less than 5 working days. As a group, CGI settled 638,901claims in 2014 with the same speed and efficiency. *2014 results CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky travelers with little to com- plain about.” The website review also puts in a plug for George Town shore dive location Eden Rock before linking to a fairly detailed Cayman Islands travel guide. Cayman Islands Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell, who hadn’t seen the rank- ings yet when contacted on Monday, said this welcome news puts another feather in Cayman’s tourism hat. “We compete globally on sand, sun and sea and for us to be ranked globally No. 1 is a huge tool for us to use … to attract more tourists to the is- land,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. Mr. Kirkconnell was also interested to know how other Caribbean tourism destina- tions fared in the rankings. Three other destinations in the Caribbean Sea made the U.S. News top 12 list. Anguilla was ranked No. 5 while the Turks and Caicos Islands came in at No. 7 and Playa del Carmen, along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, was rated No. 12. “We’re competing with these other islands,” Mr. Kirkconnell said, noting that Cayman was always keeping an eye on the competition, par- ticularly Cuba and the Turks and Caicos in recent years. Other destinations on the top 12 list included Kauai (No. 2), Seychelles (No. 3), and Maldives (No. 4). Rounding out the list were Bali, Sanibel Island in Florida, Corfu in Greece, Bora Bora and Fiji. U.S. NewS & world report Seven Mile Beach ‘No. 1’ in the world “We compete globally on sand, sun and sea and for us to be ranked globally No. 1 is a huge tool for us to use ... to attract more tourists to the island.” Moses KirKconnell, tourism minister CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 French police cleared in teen deaths that sparked riots RENNES, France (AP) — A French court on Monday ac- quitted two police officers accused of contributing to the deaths of two minority teenagers in a blighted Paris suburb a decade ago – a long- awaited verdict that crushed the boys’ families and raised fears of possible backlash vi- olence like that seen recently in the U.S. The deaths of 15-year-old Bouna Traore and 17-year-old Zyed Benna prompted weeks of riots across France in 2005, exposing anger and re- sentment in neglected, crime- ridden suburban housing projects. Repeated govern- ment solutions since then have failed to solve deeper problems of discrimination and joblessness, and unrest still occasionally flares. The two boys, chased by police, had entered a power substation in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois to hide and were fatally electrocuted. A third boy survived the pow- erful 20,000-volt electric shock with severe burns. On Monday, the court in the western city of Rennes ruled that officers Sebastien Gaillemin and Stephanie Klein were not responsible. Neither of the officers had a “clear awareness of grave and im- minent danger” as required by French law, said Judge Nicolas Leger. Moments after the ver- dict was read, a young woman rose in the back of the court- room and shouted: “The police above the law, as always.” “You are responsible!” shouted Zyed’s brother Adel at the two police offi- cers, just a few yards away. Bouna’s brother Gaye, told The Associated Press, “I have a sense of impunity, of injustice, and disgust.” Activists called for pro- tests at courthouses across the country. A representative for the boys’ families and the mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, where they died, urged the protesters to remain calm. The mood in the streets of Clichy-sous-Bois on Monday afternoon was subdued. Residents expressed little surprise at the verdict, some sighing in resignation. Chino, a 15-year-old leaving his Clichy school, said he feared new riots. The police “treat us like dogs,” said Chino, who gave only his first name in a neighborhood where sus- picion of outsiders and au- thority runs high. The two police officers were facing up to five years in prison had they been con- victed of failing to assist someone in danger. In the evening of Oct. 27, 2005, Gaillemin, now 41, was chasing the three teenagers and saw them head toward the power station, but did not help them avoid the poten- tially fatal danger or call emer- gency services. Instead, he said into his police radio: “If they enter the site, I wouldn’t pay much for their skins.” Klein, now 38, was an inexperienced police intern coordinating po- lice radio communications during the tense situation and heard the remark. The victims’ families have said they could have been saved by the officers. The offi- cers insisted they were not to blame. During the proceedings in March, the presiding judge insisted that the national po- lice as a whole were not on trial. Even so, lawyers for both sides have emphasized the verdict’s wider significance. In this Nov. 8, 2005 file photo, firefighters work to extinguish burning cars set on fire by rioters in Gentilly, south of Paris, France. Two young boys were electrocuted in a power substation in Clichy-sous-Bois, while hiding from police on Oct. 27, 2005, sparking riots in Paris. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday May 19, 2015 • Cayman Compass said Friday during his Legislative Assembly budget address that increasing the mandatory civil service re- tirement age from 60 to 65 would likely stop the recent drop in Cayman’s unem- ployment rates. The government Economics and Statistics Office recently reported that overall unemploy- ment fell from 6.3 percent in 2013 to 4.7 percent in 2014. Caymanian unem- ployment fell during the same period from 9.4 per- cent to 7.9 percent. Government projec- tions for the upcoming 2015/16 budget year were that overall unemployment would remain at 4.7 per- cent during the period that runs through June 30, 2016 “because of an expected in- crease in the labor force.” “If you increase the re- tirement age from 60 to 65, you increase the working population, so your labor force grows,” Mr. Archer ex- plained during an interview Friday. “The [worker] pool from which you are drawing will get bigger.” The change in the gov- ernment retirement age will not force any civil servants to work beyond age 60, they will merely have the option to stay on until reaching age 65. Currently, govern- ment workers are only al- lowed to stay beyond age 60 if they receive employment contracts of between one to three years. The private sector retire- ment age is more flexible. However, it is often difficult for companies to receive work permits for non-Cay- manian employees who are over 60 and most banks won’t allow home mortgage loans to extend beyond age 60 – effectively limiting 15- year home mortgages to those age 45 and under. Government projections have the local unemploy- ment rate hovering around 4.5 percent through the 2017/18 fiscal year, which ends in mid-2018. Amendments to both the Labour Law and the Public Service Management Law would be required to change the current retire- ment age. Mr. McLaughlin said Friday that the Labour Law changes would be made in September. Minimum wage Another major change to be included in the Labour Law revisions, according to the premier, is the introduc- tion of a minimum wage. Mr. McLaughlin said he hoped the new base wage rate could be implemented by March 1, 2016. Although he did not specify what min- imum wage rate the Progressives-led govern- ment will support, the pre- mier indicated that the ad- ministration would adopt the recommendations of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee, including pro- posals for a minimum wage. The committee recom- mended that the minimum wage in the Cayman Islands be set at $6 per hour. The committee report cited the possible loss of 545 to 600 jobs – less than 2 percent of Cayman’s current labor force – if the minimum wage was implemented. While those job losses would impact Cayman’s economy, it is possible they would not have a huge impact on unemploy- ment, since only about one- quarter of current workers who earn below minimum wage are Caymanians, ac- cording to the committee. Non-Caymanian work permit holders who lose their jobs would, in most cases, have to leave the is- lands unless they were mar- ried to a Caymanian or had some other way to gain per- manency status in the juris- diction. They would, there- fore, not be counted among the unemployed. Mr. McLaughlin has said that any job losses from the implementation of a minimum wage would most likely affect work permit holders and not Caymanians. However, if those jobs are eliminated entirely, it could have the effect of shrinking the overall local economy, meaning the remaining workers would be left to compete for fewer jobs. The largest impact from a min- imum wage would be among small, Caymanian-owned businesses, according to advisory committee chair Lemuel Hurlston. Those companies, Mr. Hurlston said, would be required to give pay rises to more than 1,200 employees. Mr. Connolly said. “These are not loans. It’s the monthly norm that politicians give, a lot of times to the same people over and over, from their own salary so that they can pay utilities, buy food, pay mort- gages and school fees, etc. “My own view is that it serves to absolve those politi- cians that do hand out money from having to cure the issue for another month. It’s shut- up money. “When did it change that proud, able-bodied Caymanians would rather not work – even for entry level pay – but go to politi- cians for cash and rely on so- cial services instead?” Mr. Connolly said the issue was particularly cru- cial in smaller electoral dis- tricts. The government plans to move to single-member voting districts ahead of the 2017 elections, which will bring about smaller constit- uencies in which parliament members will be elected. “Politicians in a small district have it much easier when helping those who come to them, financially, than politicians in a larger district,” Mr. Connolly said. “Eight thousand, eight hun- dred dollars divided into 600 [voters] goes a longer way than $8,800 divided into 7,500 voters.” With respect to politi- cians handing out cash to supporters, Mr. Connolly said no one in the Legislative Assembly can truthfully deny that it occurs. “I see it around me every day,” he said. “When I refuse to do it, I get cursed and told that [the voters] will just go to another politician who will [give them money] and that I will not get voted in again. So be it! “I make no apologies to anyone by saying that I will not … give my salary away because that’s the current ex- pectation of the people for their politicians. I have al- ways given as much as I could afford to give and have done so for all my life in- cluding when I was in school. As a politician, I have chosen to give … to existing chari- ties which operate indiscrim- inately and without thought of party affiliation or loyalty.” One of the chief concerns about politicians giving such cash handouts – even if it is from their own paychecks – is that these donations are largely unregulated and can be given to anyone for any reason. They are typically given in exchange for political support, Mr. Connolly said. “If we are going to con- tinue this system, in addi- tion to social services and the discretionary funds that ministers have to give, at least make it transparent and prepare a register of hand- outs,” the George Town MLA suggested. “Do spot checks to keep politicians honest by sending ‘mystery shop- pers’ to see if handouts are being registered. “We will then see if the money is going to a majority of the constituents, or just to political supporters.” In attempts to propose changes, Mr. Connolly said newer elected members have often found efforts blocked over the years by more senior politicians. “I have seen a system where politicians’ egos and history get in the way of real change and real solu- tions,” he said. “Where politi- cians treat their districts as their own fiefdoms and state what can and won’t happen there without the mandate of their people and won’t allow anything brought by out- side politicians or the gov- ernment to come in – even if it benefits the people who voted for them. “[Such politicians] would rather have their people out of work and starving to pre- serve their right to be the person to bring the changes, the jobs. Where is the sense in that? Politicians who would hand out cash rather than find jobs for people, who spite each other while the whole country suffers, should no longer be poli- ticians because they have failed their people.” Mr. Connolly said he in- tends to broach two issues with the Progressives-led administration caucus in the coming months to at- tempt to resolve some of his concerns. The first is his proposal that term limits be adopted for all serving members of the Legislative Assembly. The second pro- posal would seek to outlaw “handouts by politicians.” Seeking to clarify ear- lier media speculation, Mr. Connolly said he did not in- tend to bring these issues to the floor of the Legislative Assembly by way of pri- vate members’ motions without discussing them within the government caucus first. However, he said he reserved the right as an independent member of the Legislative Assembly to do so, if his concerns were not addressed. Labor changes may impact jobless rate MLA Connolly: Stop political handouts CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Extreme athlete Dean Potter dies in BASE jumping accident LOS ANGELES (AP) — Extreme athlete Dean Potter, renowned for his daring and sometimes rogue climbs and BASE jumps, was one of two men killed while at- tempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park, a park spokesman said Sunday. Someone called for help late Saturday after losing contact with Potter, 43, and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, 29. They had jumped from a 7,500-foot promontory called Taft Point, park ranger Scott Gediman said. He said a search-and- rescue team looked for the men overnight but couldn’t find them. On Sunday morning, a helicopter crew spotted their bodies in Yosemite Valley. The men wore wingsuits – skin-tight suits with batwing sleeves and a flap between their legs – to help them glide. However, parachutes designed to slow their de- scent had not been deployed, Gediman said. BASE stands for build- ings, antennas, spans (such as bridges), and Earth (such as cliffs and mountaintops) that jumpers can parachute from. The sport is illegal in all national parks, and it was possible the men jumped at dusk or at night to avoid being caught by park rangers. Potter and Hunt, who lived near Yosemite, were prominent figures in the park’s climbing community, Gediman said. “This is a horrible inci- dent, and our deepest sym- pathies go out to their friends and family,” Gediman said. “This is a huge loss for all of us.” Potter is famous for pushing the boundaries of climbing by going up some of the world’s most daunting big walls and cliffs alone, using his bare hands and without ropes. He took the sport to an extreme level with highlining – walking across a rope suspended be- tween towering rock forma- tions while wearing a para- chute for safety in the event of a fall. He drew criticism in May 2006 after he made a “free solo” climb of Utah’s iconic Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. Though the climb was not illegal, outdoor clothing company Patagonia dropped its sponsorship of him, saying his actions “com- promised access to wild places and generated an inor- dinate amount of negativity in the climbing community and beyond.” Potter defended his as- cent, saying his intention was to inspire people to “get out of their cars and experience the wild with all their senses.” Last year, Clif Bar with- drew its sponsorship of Potter and four other top climbers, saying they took risks that made the company too uncomfortable to con- tinue financial support. In more recent years, he combined his love of climbing and flying with BASE jumping. He also pro- duced a film that chroni- cled his adventures BASE jumping with his beloved dog, Whisper. In 2009, he set a record for completing the longest BASE jump from the Eiger North Face in Switzerland by staying in flight in a wingsuit for 2 minutes and 50 seconds. The feat earned him the Adventurer of the Year title by National Geographic magazine. Extreme athlete Dean Potter, pictured, and his climbing partner Graham Hunt were killed on Saturday after jumping from a 7,500-foot promontory called Taft Point in Yosemite National Park. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Tuesday May 19, 2015 Next >