ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday July 2, 2015 Sport | page 17 More Medals for CayMan islands Local athletes now have 23 medals in the Island Games High of 90 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. editorial | page 4 CayMan, Today: no CounTry is an island HomeOptions Shop around and pay less for more insurance! $250 gift certificate can be used to purchase BritCay motor insurance Home Insurance with BritCay offers convenient, interest-free monthly payments, flexible cover, fast claims, competitive premiums and deductibles. Ask for a quote. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *applies to new buildings policies Immigration appeals delays revealed BrenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Lengthy delays in processing appeals of work permit, permanent residence and Caymanian status applications over the last several years were blamed on short staffing and confused or non-existent operating poli- cies, according to an Internal Audit Unit report made public following a Cayman Compass open records request. The delays in processing submissions to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal – typically where a person’s immigration-related appli- cation has been denied and the person chal- lenges that denial – were noted in a number of points in the appeals procedure. One section of the internal audit review noted that there were delays of between 16 and 130 days in the tribunal sending the re- quired notices of appeal to the Immigration Department. In a few appeals cases dating from 2012-2013, the notices of appeal were only sent on May 1, 2014, when auditors asked what happened to them. Scheduling hearings before the appeals tribunal were also significantly delayed in sample cases examined by government au- ditors. One work permit denial for which a letter of appeal was received in February 2013 didn’t get heard until April 2014 – 405 days later. Other delays between the time a letter of appeal was received and when the appeal hearing proceeded ranged between just 18 days and 170 days. “There was no documentation on file to jus- tify the vast variances and the reason for the delayed hearings,” the audit report stated. In 23 of the 43 appeals reviewed, the ap- peals had been decided on by the tribunal but that message was not communicated until a “notice of decision” was finalized. This often happened between two and three Home invasion leaves scars for young victims Companies and supporters raise CrimeStoppers reward Charles dunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The children, a 5-year-old girl and her 9-year-old brother, had been tucked into bed by their babysitter Friday night. The sitter was doing the dishes and the girl got out of bed a little before 9 p.m. for a glass of water or to use the bathroom – she was in the hallway when three men kicked in the door of her home. They wore masks and carried guns, and they wanted to know where the money was. Hearing the commotion, the boy got out of bed and looked around the corner. The robbers didn’t see him, so he turned around and hid in his bedroom closet. One man guarded the door and the other two, who apparently knew exactly where to go, headed to the back bed- room to get the cash. The children’s parents, who had been out for the evening, got a call from the sitter soon after. They rushed home but police refused to let them into their Governor’s Harbour house. The parents told their story to the Cayman Compass this week. They asked that the family members’ names not be used. “I just remember my daughter standing in the doorway in her footie pajamas, crying, and the police wouldn’t let me go to her,” the mother said. “This was 8:30 at night in a well-lit neigh- borhood,” the father said, astonished at how brazen the robbers were. The dad, the sound of anger and regret in his voice, said he was keeping cash in the Rival group launched to support cruise dock JaMes WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new “public information” group has been formed by sup- porters of a new cruise dock for George Town in an effort to counter a growing campaign against the $150 million project. Cayman’s Port, Cayman’s Future, issued a full-page news- paper advertisement Wednesday dismissing some of the oppo- sition to the port as “inaccu- rate, unsubstantiated scare- mongering” and highlighting some of the benefits of a new port for Cayman. Chris Kirkconnell, of Kirk Freeport, said the organization was a consortium of concerned businessmen and individuals who wanted to ensure the public had access to accurate informa- tion about the impacts of the port project. He said it was sup- ported by the Association for the Advancement of Cruise Tourism, which includes rep- resentatives from businesses PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 5 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Mariners recall Cayman’s seafaring days Some of Cayman’s former seafarers reminisce about their lives on the ocean waves at the Seafarers Association building in Red Bay Wednesday, as Floyd Groves, left, shows his U.S. Navy Merchant Marine card with fellow seamen Neils Godfrey, Leroy Ebanks and Rupert Ackermon. The seamen – pictured here beside a replica of the Cimboco ship, the original of which was built in Cayman by Calvin Godfrey in the 1940s – and several others took part last week in a panel discussion on Cayman’s seafaring heritage hosted by the National Trust to mark the International Day of the Seafarers. For more on this story, see page 7- PHoto: JeWel levy2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday July 2, 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. y x TERMINATOR: GENYSIS 3D (PG13) 1:05 I 3:40 2D I 7:00 I 9:40 2D JURASSIC WORLD 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:45 2D I 6:30 I 9:15 2D INSIDE OUT 3D (PG) 1:10 2D I 4:00 I 7:15 2D I 9:45 MAX (PG) 12:45 I 3:20 I 6:50 I 9:25 MAGIC MIKE XXL (R) 1:20 I 4:10 I 7:20 I 10:05 TED 2 (R) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 10:00 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 ClarifiCation To clarify a story that appeared in the June 30 edi- tions of the Cayman Compass titled “Pension changes seek to ease retirement,” Education Minister Tara Rivers said Caymanians who choose to work longer, up to or beyond the retirement age of 65, would be contributing to their re- tirement funds for longer periods under proposed revisions to the National Pensions Law. Foil foils monitor, but wearer found guilty of robbery CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who had been wearing an electronic mon- itor on his ankle robbed a couple at knifepoint after he had placed silver foil over the device to disguise his loca- tion, a court heard. The system of personal electronic monitoring de- vices was explained in de- tail during the trial of James Romano Whittaker, who was found guilty of rob- bing the couple at the wa- terfront in George Town in the early hours of Nov. 22, 2014. Justice Charles Quin handed down his decision on Tuesday after a judge- alone trial. At the time of the rob- bery, Whittaker was wearing what is commonly referred to as an ankle monitor or elec- tronic tag, which is supposed to show the wearer’s location at all times through Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking. Whittaker’s monitor did not show him to be in the area of the Charles Building, next to Burger King on North Church Street, when the rob- bery occurred. In fact, his monitor did not show his location at all. The monitoring service was not picking up a GPS signal from his device be- tween 12:51 a.m. and 1:44 a.m., so his location could not be known. It was within that time frame that the robbery occurred. A witness from the moni- toring service explained that silver foil blocks the GPS signal and makes the de- vice non-operational. When a person is first fitted with the device, he or she signs an agreement to care for it properly, keep it charged and not interfere with its operation. He also noted that the electronic monitor can de- termine the rate of the wear- er’s movement and Whittaker was known to ride a bicycle. He explained that when there is no GPS signal re- corded by the monitoring service, a five-minute grace period is normally allowed. Officers would normally re- spond after 10 minutes of no signals being received In this case, when officers went to Whittaker’s residence they found him taking foil off the monitoring device. He said it was the first time he had done that. Initially, he denied being anywhere near the robbery scene, saying he had gone out to get drugs. Later he denied going out at all, saying he was home asleep and did not know why the monitoring de- vice was not working. Justice Quin said the case depended on the cor- rectness of the identifica- tion of Whittaker by the vic- tims of the robbery. Senior Crown counsel Tanya Lobban conducted the prosecution. Defense attorney Crister Brady argued that Whittaker had not been identified be- yond reasonable doubt. The couple had been sit- ting on the seawall be- hind the Charles Building. Reviewing the evidence, the judge found that there was sufficient lighting on the property, from Burger King next door and from a street light, so that the victims could see their assailant. He noted how long their obser- vations had lasted and their distance from the robber. When the robber put a knife to the man’s neck and demanded money, they were “eye to eye,” the male victim said. Because of the knife, the female victim said she never took her eyes off of the robber. Both agreed that the robber wore a hoody, but said it fell away from his face when he was searching through the woman’s purse. Each was separately shown 12 photos and each picked out Whittaker. There was no ID parade, but in a group identification, Whittaker was picked out. The defendant objected that the robbery victims never described their as- sailant as having scars on his nose. Justice Quin com- mented that when Whittaker was in the witness box giving evidence, “I could not see any scars on his nose.” There was a discrepancy in evidence as to how long the incident had lasted, but the judge pointed out that when one is the victim of a violent robbery involving a knife, there was no way to look at a watch and record how much time the robbery is taking. It was not fair to ask victims to recall with precision how long the inci- dent lasted. The man said he found the robbery frightening and he was concerned for the woman with him. The woman said she felt terror. The judge found the vic- tims to be truthful and said their evidence was reliable. They did not embellish their accounts or say they saw more than they did. He concluded that he was satisfied that Whittaker was the man who had committed the robbery, and found him guilty. Mr. Brady requested a so- cial inquiry report and sen- tencing was adjourned until July 30. In this case, when officers went to Whittaker’s residence they found him taking foil off the monitoring device. He said it was the first time he had done that. BRENt FuLLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The head of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s Financial Crime Unit has an- nounced his resignation from the local police ser- vice, to take effect in August, RCIPS officials confirmed Wednesday. Detective Superin ten- dent Stephen Ratcliffe, who has been in that posi- tion with the RCIPS since August 2014, will remain on the job through the middle of next month, the department confirmed. Reasons for Mr. Ratcliffe’s leaving were not given by RCIPS Superintendent Adrian Seales, who responded to Cayman Compass questions about the resignation Wednesday. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Reputed mobster Anthony “Big Tony” Moscatiello was convicted of first-degree murder Wednesday in the 2001 slaying of a prominent South Florida businessman during a power struggle over a lucrative fleet of gambling ships. The jury also found Moscatiello, 77, guilty of murder conspiracy in the shooting death of Konstantinos “Gus” Boulis, founder of SunCruz Casinos and Miami Subs restaurants. Evidence showed Boulis was killed by a mob hit man, and Moscatiello was accused of ordering the slaying. He faces a possible sentence of death or life in prison when sentencing Sept. 16. Moscatiello’s wife fainted after the verdict was read. A mistrial was declared for Moscatiello in 2013 be- cause his attorney became ill. Anthony “Little Tony” Ferrari, who handled South Florida matters for Moscatiello, was convicted previously and sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors said Moscatiello was a member of New York’s Gambino crime family when he issued the fateful order for a hit. Moscatiello did not testify in his own defense, but his lawyers insisted Ferrari and others were to blame for the Feb. 6, 2001, slaying. At the time, Boulis, 51, was trying to retake con- trol of SunCruz after selling it to businessman Adam Kidan and his partner, former Washington powerhouse lob- byist Jack Abramoff. Kidan paid Moscatiello and Ferrari thousands of dollars a month to handle security and other issues — including, pros- ecutors said, the use of Moscatiello’s alleged mob ties for protection. “He’s the person everybody answers to,” Assistant State Attorney Gregg Rossman said in a closing argument. “It all leads right back to him.” Key evidence included phone calls from Ferrari to TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Honduras’ Supreme Court has ordered the ar- rest of the vice presi- dent of Congress and 15 other people accused of defrauding the coun- try’s health care system in a corruption scandal that has sparked large street protests. Court President Jorge Rivera said Tuesday the ar- rest warrant for lawmaker Lena Gutierrez, her father, two brothers and 12 others was issued to prevent them from leaving the country. Gutierrez is a member of the governing National Party and has said she will prove her innocence. She and her family own Astropharma, a com- pany described as a wholesaler of medi- cines made by pharma- ceutical companies. The scandal involves alleged embezzlement that cost the Social Security Institute as much as $120 million. At least some of the money allegedly went to finance governing party political campaigns. financial crime chief to leave Florida jury convicts ‘Big tony’ in 2001 murder arrest order issued For vice president oF Honduran congress Moscatiello, who was in New York, shortly after Boulis was fatally shot by a gunman who pulled up next to his car as he left his office. Other or- ganized crime figures and a former Ferrari associate tes- tified that Moscatiello ap- proached them initially about getting rid of Boulis before hiring hit man John “J.J.” Gurino to do the deed. Gurino was slain in an un- related 2003 dispute with a Boca Raton delicatessen owner. Moscatiello attorney Kenneth Malnik told jurors the evidence pointed more toward Kidan, who had sev- eral clashes with Boulis, and Ferrari employee James “Pudgy” Fiorillo, who ad- mitted to conducting surveil- lance of Boulis and disposing of the murder weapon in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. “Who has more motive in this case? It’s hands down Adam Kidan,” Malnik said. Kidan, who previously ran the Dial-A-Mattress chain, has never been charged in the Boulis case and testified in both trials. Fiorillo pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy and will likely be sentenced to the six-plus years he al- ready served in exchange for his testimony. He has denied being the shooter.3 LOCAL&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Thursday July 2, 2015 Know the facts. Be informed. Did you know… The livelihood of many Caymanians depends on cruise tourism? Water sport operators, taxi and tours, retailers, restaurants and attractions are significant employers of Caymanians. Opinions vary on the actual environmental impact and the amount of live coral affected. Let’s investigate further and get the real facts. Government revenue from cruise tourism helps to fund schools, hospitals and roads? We need to invest strongly in our cruise tourism infrastructure to create employment opportunities and positive economic benefits for our country. Much of the opposition to the berthing facility is based on perceptions and assumptions - rather than facts. www.CaymansPortCaymansFuture.com/CaymansPortCaymansFuture/CaymansFuture Voice your support for the Cayman Islands government’s proposed Cruise Berthing Facility by July 3rd by emailing the Department of Environment at doe@gov.ky Pay raise, praise for civil servants Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands civil ser- vants got a vote of mid-term “thanks” from the elected government and their boss, the deputy governor on Wednesday, sounding quite a different tone to other mes- sages public sector workers received earlier this year. “We want to thank you for the success the government has enjoyed over the last two years,” a letter sent to all civil servants, signed by Premier Alden McLaughlin and Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, read. “We are grateful to each and every one of you.” The message was is- sued on the same day a 4 percent across-the-board pay increase, the first gov- ernment workers have seen since 2008, took effect. Civil servants should see the pay raise in their checks toward the end of the month. The two-page letter also warned that “changes” are ahead in the next two years of the Progressives-led gov- ernment’s term. “We have created and im- plemented Project Future, which will streamline gov- ernment, control costs and achieve more efficient and ef- fective public services,” the letter read. “Many of the proj- ects within that program are now under way and more will follow in the coming months. “All these things will im- pact you and will require the organization and its staff to change. We are committed to engaging you positively in the changes that will affect you. We also recognize that we too [referring to government leadership] need to change.” Although only a few out- ward signs of reform have so far proceeded, six areas where the Cayman Islands government expects to re- form its operations, following a consultant review completed last September – known as Project Future or the Ernst & Young consultancy report – were outlined by Premier McLaughlin in April. The options being pursued included the merger of various government watchdog agen- cies, the merger of government communications services and the merger of certain public utility regulatory agencies. The government would also consider the sale of certain “surplus” Crown land, raise the retirement age from 60 to 65, and consolidate primary schools in Cayman Brac. Mr. McLaughlin said these specific areas did not consti- tute the sum of reforms that would be proposed out of the Ernst & Young report, and that other plans would cer- tainly be made in time. “There is always great clamor for immediate change … and often these changes do not happen as quickly as we’d like, but we have to make sure we do these things properly,” he said, adding that the EY report was simply “one tool in the box” of government as it sought to reform the public service. In February, Deputy Governor Manderson took civil servants to task warning in an administrative circular that bad customer service in government departments may lead to “separation” – firing – from the public sector. “Civil servants who con- sistently provide poor cus- tomer service will be required to separate from the civil ser- vice,” Mr. Manderson’s admin- istrative circular read. “Such persons, by association, harm the reputation of the majority of staff who do exceptional work and they harm the pub- lic’s confidence in the civil service overall.” Mr. Manderson said it was “evident” that the civil service was “not doing enough” in the area of customer service, and he used, as an example, a poll in the Cayman Compass newspaper as evidence of cus- tomer dissatisfaction. In the online Compass poll, pub- lished on Jan. 30, nearly two- thirds of the respondents gave a grade of “poor” or “terrible” to the Cayman Islands civil service when it comes to cus- tomer service. Of the 417 re- spondents to the one-week poll, the largest segment – 143 people or 34.3 percent – thought the civil service had terrible customer service. Mr. Manderson said he was “disappointed” that the ma- jority of those who responded to the online poll rated govern- ment customer service so low. “If we fail in this area, we harm our reputation with the public and our elected leaders,” he said. In an effort to improve customer relations, Mr. Manderson said the govern- ment and the management of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman have again agreed to collaborate on an employee training program aimed at providing the “gold stan- dard” level of customer ser- vice. A similar program with the Ritz-Carlton was un- dertaken in 2012 under Mr. Manderson’s leadership. Premier McLaughlinMr. Manderson The message was issued on the same day a 4 percent across-the-board pay increase, the first government workers have seen since 2008, took effect. Puerto rico Power comPany sells bonds amid crisis SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico’s troubled power com- pany has been forced to sell bonds once again to obtain capital and avoid defaulting on a $415 million debt pay- ment due Wednesday with a worsening eco- nomic crisis in the U.S. territory. The Electric Power Authority said in a statement that it paid $153 million in cash and the remainder from its debt service reserve accounts. In turn, cred- itors agreed to buy $128 million worth of new bonds to provide liquidity, and those bonds have to be paid in full by December. “We are pleased we were able to reach an agreement that al- lowed us to make the payment to our bond- holders today and avoid a default,” said Lisa Donahue, the com- pany’s chief restruc- turing officer.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. Thursday JuLy 2, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Cayman, today: No country is an island For millennia, the Cayman Islands existed in absolute isolation from civilization, untouched by either the Arawaks or Caribs, or any other groups that resided in the region — and the only “Caymanians” were the iguanas, insects, lizards and parrots that evolved here into their own distinct species. Christopher Columbus himself didn’t pause too long when he espied the Sister Islands in 1503, and it wasn’t until the next century that people dared to settle here permanently. Life in Cayman ebbed and flowed for the next 300 or so years, until our banking industry meta- morphosed our country from a drowsy Caribbean back- water to a premier offshore financial center, with tens of thousands of inhabitants and hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Things have changed – and in many ways more dramatically in the past 50 years than in the preceding 50,000. Although Cayman remains, in a geographic sense, as remote as it ever was, practically speaking our islands are intimately connected with our neighboring popula- tions through methods of movement and communication that are able to overcome, or even disregard, the natural barriers that insulated this territory for so long. For instance, look at our animal analogues. Grand Cayman’s beloved blue iguanas are confined to a handful of protected areas out east, while “imported” green iguanas roam freely and innumerably. Beneath the sea, voracious lionfish are devouring generations of “local” fish. Back on land, we humans are not only attempting to manage our resident “melting pot,” but must also be aware of attitudes and developments occurring in places thousands of miles away. For example, late last week the U.S. Supreme Court dropped a cultural bombshell on our large neighbor to the north, ruling that same-sex marriage is a protected con- stitutional right. Although same-sex marriages have been performed in most of the U.K. since 2014, the issue has not really appeared on Cayman’s political radar as of yet. Rest assured, however, that Cayman will have to acknowl- edge and adapt to the new cultural norms in these and other countries, one way or another. This January, a senior international human rights professor from London told a local audience that several of Cayman’s laws per- taining to gay people and couples were already in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights and could be successfully challenged in court. An issue that our Customs officials, police and court system are already having to deal with is that of tourists, primarily Americans, who can’t seem to remember to leave their ammunition behind when traveling from their gun-friendly jurisdiction to Cayman – and who then get caught with one or more bullets at the airport on their way out of our country. Local law enforcement and judges appear to have developed a process designed to adjudi- cate these cases swiftly, typically concluding with a stiff fine and a stern warning. However, while we commend Cayman’s airport security screeners for their thor- oughness, we are wary of the strain on local resources that these ammo-packing travelers are causing. What else may be slipping past U.S. airport authorities into Cayman? What else may then be slipping out of Cayman, while our personnel’s attention is being diverted over a matter of a few departing bullets? On a similar note, we in Cayman are also starting to see cases where visitors are being arrested for pos- session of marijuana, and who then plead ignorance of Cayman law – which of course is no excuse, legally speaking, but is somewhat understandable given recent decriminalization or outright legalization initiatives in certain U.S. states and Jamaica. Now, we are not arguing for the relaxation of any of our laws or standards in regard to the above issues, but we in Cayman would do well to remember that, beyond our shores, the world continues its motion, and at an accelerating pace – and to shape our public policies with a view that is increasingly outward-looking, rather than inward-facing. Thanks to the magic of ships, airplanes and electronic technology, we in Cayman are no longer alone. And we as a country cannot afford to operate as if we were, well, stranded on an island. How many more Greek tragedies? Greece and too many other countries have been trying to defy gravity by living the good life on bor- rowed money. In 2001, the Greeks entered the eurozone, which gave them access to low-rate loans under the pre- tense that Greece was richer than it was. The seeds of the destruction that resulted in the closure of the banks this week were planted the day the Greeks adopted the euro. None of this should have been a surprise to anyone. The only thing for certain is that the Greeks will now suffer another major drop in their real incomes. The open question is will the Europeans, the Americans, the Japanese and others who also have been living on borrowed money, growing at unsustainable rates, learn the lessons from the latest Greek tragedy, or will they too march off the cliff? The United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Brazil and a majority of smaller countries again this year will have lower rates of economic growth than the size of their current defi- cits as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) – causing a continued growth in the real debt burden. At some point these coun- tries will have no choice but to cut expenditures or in- crease their real rates of economic growth to avoid becoming a future Greece. It is sad and striking how few countries, including the United States and most of the European countries, have real plans to reig- nite growth. Japan is in its third decade of little growth. Europe has stagnated for almost a decade, and the United States is only doing marginally better. Many on the left and so- called establishment econo- mists, including many who work for the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and politicians (and, of course, the media) argue that the way to avoid a Greek-style debt crisis is to increase tax rates – while ignoring the basic fact that most tax rates on labor and capital in the major coun- tries are well above the growth-maximizing rate. They argue, because of de- mographics and politics, that it is not possible to cut government spending de- spite it also being above the growth-maximizing level in most countries. Or in National Public Radio par- lance, spending cannot be cut because there are “too many unmet needs” – which, by definition, are infinite. Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and other places demonstrate how fallacious the argument that more gov- ernment spending is needed because they have shown that it is possible to have a higher per capita income than the United States while having lower taxes and less government. And they manage to accomplish this without oil and other natural resources that the United States has in abundance. It is widely and correctly acknowledged that growth in regulations, particularly financial and environmental regulations, is serving as a major impediment to in- creasing economic growth. Yet, the Obama administra- tion and its administrative agencies continue to crank out costly regulations at a record rate, without both- ering in most cases to do serious cost-benefit anal- ysis. The Republicans tend to decry the number and cost of the torrent of regu- lations, while doing little to stop them. Note that the folks who turn out and en- force all of the regulations are salaried government em- ployees. If the Republicans, who now control Congress, would cut or even elimi- nate many of the regula- tory agencies in government, they could bring a mean- ingful slowdown or even a halt to these destructive reg- ulations. No employees – no bad regulations. Question: How many new regulations do we need? Almost all new regulations impose a cost on individuals, the economy and individual liberty. The Greeks and their fellow Europeans do not lack for regulations – so why are the folks in Hong Kong who have the greatest amount of economic freedom in the world so much better off? There are plenty of ex- amples from around the world of what policies pro- mote economic growth and opportunity. Unfortunately, the ignorance of the voters in most of the major democ- racies makes them too re- ceptive to politicians who promise a free lunch. More goodies for you to be paid for by someone else – or as Margaret Thatcher put it, “The problem with so- cialism is that you eventu- ally run out of other peo- ple’s money to spend.” She could have substituted the “welfare state” for so- cialism to better describe today’s Greece, Europe and the United States. Total gov- ernment spending as a per- centage of GDP is 52 per- cent in Greece, 35 percent in the U.S., 33 percent in Switzerland, and only 18 percent in Hong Kong. Electing politicians who deliver (not just promise) less but more careful government spending, lower tax rates on labor and capital, fewer regulations whose benefits are unambiguously greater than the costs, and freer trade – along with a strong adherence to the rule of law and protection of private property – is the only way to guarantee not becoming a future Greek-like tragedy. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2015, The Washington Times RichaRd W. Rahn The open question is will the Europeans, the Americans, the Japanese and others who also have been living on borrowed money, growing at unsustainable rates, learn the lessons from the latest Greek tragedy, or will they too march off the cliff? A Greek police officer opens the door as an elderly woman enters a bank in Athens on Wednesday. About 1,000 banks have been opened only for pensioners who don’t have bank cards. - Photo: AP 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”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Thursday July 2, 2015 Constitution Constitution Celebrate Constitution Day Telephone: 949 5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EditionDeadline Monday July 6th No Publication Tuesday July 7thThursday July 2nd Wednesday July 8th Friday July 3rd Thursday July 9thTuesday July 7th Friday July 10th Tuesday July 7th Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, July 6th, Constitution Day (Public Holiday) Internet speeds increase but lag behind competitors Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Household Internet con- nections in Cayman are get- ting faster, but lag behind other countries in the re- gion, according to data from Ookla, a company that monitors download speeds for consumers. Ookla data shows that av- erage home download rates have increased from about 11 Megabits per second to roughly 12.5Mbps. The com- pany captures the data through its popular, free Internet speed test for con- sumers to find out how fast their connection is. The data shows that the Cayman Islands lags behind Aruba, the Bahamas, Curacao and eight other countries in the Caribbean. Download speed at home is what determines how well a customer can stream a movie on Netflix or browse Amazon. The study from Ookla looks at all home connections and takes the mean number, so it includes older broadband connec- tions and the new fast fiber network downloads. Originally reported by ICT Pulse, which follows in- formation and communica- tions technology issues in the Caribbean, the Ookla report looks at 200 countries around the world to compare down- load speeds. The Cayman Islands came in at 87th in the global rankings. Cuba ranked 199th. The highest download speeds recorded in the re- port are in Singapore, where the average household con- nects at more than 120Mbps. The average speed in the Caribbean, according to the data from June 2015, was 9.65Mbps. Aruba, which connects at 22.8Mbps, has the fastest download speed for house- holds in the region. Also ahead of Cayman, in order, are Curacao, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Bonaire, Statia and Saba, and Martinique. The bottleneck for the Cayman Islands and other Caribbean countries is the connection off-island. A Netflix server might be some- where in Mexico or Florida, but not in Cayman. Home connections have to go through what’s known as “the pipe,” a network of undersea cables connecting the islands to the mainland. The primary lines to the mainland go from LIME’s main center in George Town out to Cancun and Miami, and secondary lines go to the Brac and onto Jamaica, adding redundancy to the system in case one connec- tion is having problems or needs routine maintenance. Julie Hutton, with LIME, said, “Actual connect speeds depend on the … server and link capacity at any given time of the day. Evening in the U.S. and Caribbean could prove to be busy and con- gested times for these com- panies, but we would ex- pect them to dimension capacity accordingly.” Cayman’s telecom com- panies have been working feverishly to roll out fiber networks across the is- land, promising ever-faster Internet speeds and making millions of dollars in invest- ments to bring the new tech- nology to Cayman consumers. Government statistics show telecom imports are up by more than $10 mil- lion over the past five years as home Internet service pro- viders LIME, Logic and C3 compete for customers. Most of LIME’s customers on all three islands are already wired for fiber, according to a company spokeswoman. Logic has a contract with government that will eventually require the com- pany to roll out fiber con- nections across Grand Cayman. C3, the newest player and part of Hurley’s Entertainment, started working in South Sound and continues to expand its network from there. Russell Richardson, general counsel of the Information and Communications Technology Authority, said in an ear- lier interview, “The demand for better broadband con- nectivity and access to faster and faster broad- band speeds in the Cayman Islands, prompted by more people owning Internet- enabled electronic devices, will only increase.” house that had been raised during the recent Rotary Sunrise car raffle. It’s un- clear how much cash was involved – a Rotary Sunrise representative said it was just cash from the last day or two. “Everybody believes this was a targeted situa- tion,” he said. “This is something the kids will never forget for the rest of their lives, something they will have to live with for the rest of their lives,” the mother said, adding, “This happened to us and that means it could happen to you, to your children, to your family.” “They can’t be carefree in their own home now,” the mother said. The father said both chil- dren now check the door locks and keep the blinds drawn. His son, he said, won’t play hockey in the parking lot anymore. “The kids ask every day, ‘Have they caught them yet? What if they come back? Is the door locked?’” the mother said. The father told the Compass, “We taught them that bad people go to jail. Baddies, we call them.” And his son wants to know, have they been caught? Not yet. But now his father’s mis- sion is to make sure the man are apprehended and brought to justice. Writing this week to friends and supporters, the father called on people to help catch the robbers: “My family lived its worst night- mare and it’s one that we do not want to live again, nor do we want for any law abiding member of our community. Although likely to be scarred by this forever, my family will find a way to move past this traumatic experience but the harsh reality is that unless caught, these criminals will have prevailed.” Around 9 p.m. Friday night, 911 received a call about an armed robbery at a Raleigh Quay residence in Governor’s Harbour, where three persons armed with what appeared to be firearms stole a quantity of cash. Descriptions Police released descrip- tions Sunday of the three suspects, all of whom carried guns. One was described as a dark-skinned, slim-built, short male, about 5 feet, 6 inches to 5 feet, 7 inches tall, wearing a black hoodie jacket pulled over his head, a light colored bandana covering his mouth and deep blue long jeans pants. The second was a tall, dark-skinned male with braided hair, with green and red colored beads, silver ear- rings in both ears, about 6 feet tall, wearing a mint green and gray colored jacket with a hoodie and a grey bandana over his mouth and nose. He was carrying what appeared to be a long firearm. The third person was de- scribed wearing a black hoodie jacket that zipped up to the neck. Reward The parents, along with companies and people in the community are raising money for CrimeStoppers to boost the reward for catching the men respon- sible, with hopes to offer a high enough reward so people come forward and turn the gunmen in. They are working with CrimeStoppers and, as of Wednesday afternoon, more than $110,000 had been raised as the reward for in- formation leading to the ar- rest and conviction of the people responsible for the home invasion. “What I have learned in the past few days is that the police alone cannot rid our country of these criminals and that unless we, as mem- bers of this community band together, then the crime and severity of it is likely to get worse,” the father said. Home invasion leaves scars for young victims CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Greece proceeds with vote plan as creditors rebuff overture ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Eurozone finance minis- ters decided Wednesday to break off talks on more aid for Greece until after it holds a weekend refer- endum, even as the Greek government pressed ahead with plans to let the people decide whether to accept more austerity measures in exchange for a rescue deal. Following a late- night teleconference, the chairman of the eurogroup said the 19 ministers had decided to put any further negotiations on hold. “Given the political sit- uation, the rejection of the previous proposals, the ref- erendum which will take place on Sunday, and the recommendation by the Greek government to vote ‘No,’ we see no grounds for further talks at this point,” Dutch Foreign Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said. “There will be no talks in the coming days, either at eurogroup level or be- tween the Greek authori- ties and the institutions on proposals or financial arrangements.” Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who called the pop- ular vote for Sunday, was defiant, saying it would go ahead as planned and again urging citizens to vote “No.” In a televised address to the nation, he said a “No” re- sult would not mean that Greece would have to leave the euro, as many European officials have argued. Rather, Tsipras insisted, it would give the govern- ment a stronger negotiating position with creditors. “There are those who in- sist on linking the result of the referendum with the country’s future in the euro,” Tsipras said. “They even say I have a so-called secret plan to take the country out of the EU if the vote is ‘No.’ They are lying with the full knowledge of that fact.” The hastily called refer- endum is based on creditor reform proposals made last week as part of a negotia- tion with the Greek govern- ment. But they were later updated and are now no longer on the table as the European part of Greece’s bailout program expired at midnight Tuesday.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. Thursday July 2, 2015 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, JULY 2 OUTREACH EXHIBITION: This is the last day to view the National Gallery’s annual outreach exhibition. Admission is free. Donations welcome. The exhibition consists of work from programs at Fairbanks, Northward, Northward Juvenile, Haven Art Club, Art for the Elderly, the Meet Me program for those over 50, and the Sunrise Art Club for adults with disabilities. NATIONAL GALLERY SESSIONS: Summer sessions of art-related activities for kids today and every Thursday till Aug. 20, 2-4 p.m. Free, but space is limited. Register at education@nationalgallery. org or 945-8111. SATURDAY, JULY 4 BAKE SALE: Women in the Church hold a bake sale at A. L. Thompson’s Home Depot, George Town, from 8 a.m. till 2 p.m. Heavy cakes, light cakes, cup cakes, brownies, banana bread, carrot cake and more. By the slice or whole cake. Organized by Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church WIC. CANCER WALK/RUN: The Lions Club of Grand Cayman invites everyone to participate in the 4th annual Delano Hislop Memorial 15K Walk/Run. This 3-day Journey for Life on July 4–6, is to raise awareness for prostate and colon cancer. Registration is $50 and participants are encouraged to raise funds. Proceeds will help support victims and survivors in the Cayman Islands. For more information, visit lionsclub.ky or email pace@candw.ky. SUNDAY, JULY 5 ST. GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH: Service times have changed. As of July 5, for the months of July and August, there will be only one service at 8 a.m. In Newlands, 10:30 a.m. CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Visual Arts Society offers ceramics to adults who want to work independently. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Watler House Studio, Pedro Castle. $15 per person/$25pp non-members. Clay, materials, glazes and firing facilities are available. For more information, email visualartcayman@yahoo.com. MONDAY, JULY 6 DINNER SALE: The Gun Bay United Church annual dinner sale takes place 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the parking lot of the Elliott Conolly Civic Center across the road from the church. There will be lots of food for sale, turtle, lobster, conch, whelks, fish, chicken and Cayman style beef. Heavy cakes – cassava, biscuit and pineapple upside down and home made ice cream. All are invited. TUESDAY, JULY 7 ELECTORAL BOUNDARY COMMISSION: The Electoral Boundary Commission holds the first of two final public meetings to discuss the new proposed electoral district maps. Today’s meeting is 5:30 p.m. at the George Town Town Hall. Final written submissions to the Commission, c/o the Elections Office, must be received by July 8. CINE CLUB FOR KIDS: Films for kids starting today and Tuesdays till Aug. 11 at the National Gallery. Screenings start 2 p.m. Under-12s must be accompanied by an adult. Refreshments on sale. Contact education@ nationalgallery.org.ky or 945-8111. MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “Despicable Me 2” (PG). Families are invited to Gardenia Court in Camana Bay to set up a picnic on the grass, or just bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the show on the outdoor big screen. WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 ELECTORAL BOUNDARY COMMISSION: The Electoral Boundary Commission holds its final public meeting to discuss the new proposed electoral district maps. Today’s meeting is at the Savannah United Church Hall at 5:30 p.m. Final written submissions to the Commission, c/o the Elections Office, must be received by 8 July. TUESDAY, JULY 14 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “Annie” (PG). Families are invited to Gardenia Court in Camana Bay to set up a picnic on the grass, or just bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the show on the outdoor big screen. SATURDAY, JULY 18 ACTORS SHOWCASE: One night only. Cayman Drama presents the acclaimed play Twelve Angry Jurors (Men). Acting workshop participants present monologues and scenes while the teen acting school presents Twelve Angry Jurors. No reservations required. $10 admission. Happy hour starts at 6 p.m. Show time 7 p.m. Email chairman@cds.ky for more information. SUMMER CAMPS SUMMER PROGRAM: Light of the World Afterschool extends its program to all-day, beginning Tuesday, July 7 until Friday July 31. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for children from Years 1 to 7. Special emphasis on literacy and numeracy, directed by qualified and experienced teachers. Program will include art and craft, inside and outside games; field trips to parks, historic places and Camana Bay. Venue is 65 Smith Road. For more information, call 926-1541 or 326-0871. Registration open now. TEEN CHALLENGE: For teens only, ages 13-16. July, 6-10, 6:30–9:30 p.m. at the Red Bay Church of God (Holiness), Church Hall, Lord’s Way, Red Bay Estates. Discovering God’s Everlasting Love. For more information, phone 926-1821/925-2509. Daily lessons, activities, treasure hunt, prizes and snacks. It’s all free. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Church of God Chapel at 1275 Frank Sound Road holds Vacation Bible School Monday-Friday, July 13- 17 for ages 5–12 years. 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Theme is Camp Discovery – Jesus at Work Through Us. Free lunch provided. Call 947-3691 to register. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: The Red Bay Church of God (Holiness), at 38 Lord’s Way, Red Bay Estates, holds Vacation Bible School, July 13-17 for children ages 3-12 years. 6:30–9 p.m. Theme is Discovering God’s Everlasting Love. Daily lessons, games, craft, prizes and snacks. For more information, phone 916-3800. It’s all free. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: First Assembly of God Vacation Bible School. July 13-17, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For ages 4-15. Theme is Everest, Conquering challenges with God’s mighty power. $45 includes registration fee. Lunch and snacks provided. Contact 945-2182 to register. CREATIVE CAMPERS: In session from July 1-Aug. 28, for ages 3-13. Runs 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Elmslie Memorial Church Hall. $80 per week includes camp fee, field trips, snacks and lunch. Activities include arts and craft, sports, science, talent show, Bible study. Contact 324-8707 or creativecampers@live.com. FEARLESS EXTREME: Leadership and Prevention Camp. Organized by Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium. July 13-24 for ages 7-9 and 10-14. Mary Miller Hall, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $75 per week, includes transportation. Contact sylviawilks@ caribbeanyouthassets.com or 917-3885. ART AND CRAFT: Organized by the Visual Arts Society. July 20-Aug. 12. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to noon. $45 per session or $120 per week, or $485 for the month. Camp takes place on the grounds of Pedro Castle at the Watler House Art Studio. Contact visualartcayman@yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST ELECTORAL BOUNDARY COMMISSION: The new proposed electoral district maps are available for viewing at the respective district public libraries on both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. A full set of maps is also available for viewing at the Elections Office, and at its website www.elections.ky. Members of the public are invited to make final written submissions on the proposed boundaries to the Commission, c/o the Elections Office, by July 8, 2015. 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. 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. 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. 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. DEMENTIA/ALzHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the catboat clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. 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. PRESCHOOL FUNDING: The Ministry of Education offers funding to assist eligible young Caymanian children to attend an early childhood center (preschool). Application forms are available at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue, at the Department of Education Services on Thomas Russell Way, and from early childhood center directors/ operators. For further information, call 244- 5735 or contact turnette. stewart@gov.ky or renee. barnes@gov.ky. 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. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.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. 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. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays from 7 p.m. at KARoo Restaurant in Camana bay. No fee, easels provided. Artists of all levels invited. KARoo offers two complimentary tickets for wine or beer. For more information contact visualartcayman@yahoo.com or jr@cib.ky or 546-9422. 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. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at RC headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. ART TALK FOR SENIORS: This National Gallery program engages people age 60 and over in conversation about art by focusing on a particular piece from the gallery or special exhibition every other Thursday. Admission is free, refreshments provided. 2-2:45 p.m. For more information, contact education@nationalgallery. org.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday July 2, 2015 Caymanian seafaring way of life declining Three Caymanians are currently active seafarers working internationally Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seafaring was once a way of life for the men of the Cayman Islands, but few now choose that profession and former seafarers say they may be the last generation to take to the seas. To mark the International Day of the Seafarer last week, the National Trust held a panel discussion on topics relevant to Cayman’s seafaring heritage at the Seafarers Hall in Prospect. The topic focused on “the future of seafaring in the Cayman Islands.” Around 35 people attended the meeting. Panelists Roy Bodden, Adrien Briggs, Captain Paul Hurlston and Owen Foster examined whether seafaring is still a relevant industry in the Cayman Islands. They heard only three Caymanians are currently ac- tive seafarers working inter- nationally, which is a con- siderable drop from the numbers of yesteryear. At one time, the Cayman Islands re- portedly had more sea cap- tains per capita than any other country. “We did not give the younger generation a chance to learn the trade,” said Ivan Farrington, president of the Cayman Islands Seafarers Association. “We started a marine training school in 1977 but it was scrapped by government. We had sea- soned seafarers like Leroy Frederick, Colby Jackson, Ned Solomon and Joe Wood teaching engineering.” In those days, Cayman seafarers engaged in com- mercial fishing and turtling around the Caribbean and later on went to sea as offi- cers and crew on commercial boats or with the U.S. Navy Merchant Marine ships, but that’s not happening any- more, they say. Roy Bodden, president of the University College of the Cayman Islands, highlighted several reasons for the de- cline. He explained that as the systems on ships began to change from analog to dig- ital, Caymanians did not up- grade their skills to keep up with the modern equipment. Also, as seafarers sent money home, the need for formalized banking in the Cayman Islands rose, he said. This led to the establishment of the Government Savings Bank and eventually Barclays Bank. As a result, people were being pulled toward jobs closer to home. Similarly, he said, as the number of tourists visiting Cayman increased, the need for more hotels and condos grew, thus more men chose to remain on island to work in a lucrative construction industry while others found employment in the dive in- dustry or as tour operators. As Caymanian men started choosing to remain at home in the more recent decades, sea- faring skills were not being passed on to the next genera- tion, Mr. Bodden said. He went on to share that the late James “Jim” Bodden was very adamant that these skills and jobs should not be allow to dwindle. In keeping with this, in the 90’s Jim Bodden announced that he had initiated a sea- faring skills course in order to train younger Caymanians. However, due to the political winds of change, this course eventually fell by the way- side, UCCI’s Mr. Bodden said. He said the university had been exploring the possibility of expanding its syllabus to include courses in seafaring as a career option, as many sea- farers are paid well and the travel affords them the oppor- tunity to experience the world. Captain Paul Hurlston, a seasoned Caymanian seafarer, said he learned and benefited greatly by going to sea. “There is plenty jobs out there and good jobs and good money too, not like when I was there.” He advises younger people seeking a career at sea to work hard, take a responsible approach to their work, and to make use of educational op- portunities being offered. He also encouraged them to be honest and to quickly admit errors in order to remedy a situation immediately. “While it was one of few options available to men of my generation, I would not trade my experience for the world,” said Captain Hurlston. He said Caymanians were well respected and renowned for being the best seamen in the world. “I would say we were the best disciplined, and [shipping company] National Bulk Carriers were happy to have us as crew.” Mr. Hurlston feels there is a loss of respect for sea- faring in Cayman, and somehow a stigma has been put on seafarers. “If you say you are a seaman it would seem like you spent time in Northward than helping build the country. I talk to all of my colleges and they feel the same way,” he said. “Caymanians went to sea because there was nothing here to do. We went and sent all the money back home and built up the country but the young people today have not been educated about going to sea,” said Captain Hurlston. Gary Owen Foster, a management associate at the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands, spoke of the various options avail- able to students interested in exploring a career in the maritime arena. He said the Maritime Authority currently visits middle schools, has an in- ternship program with the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre and of- fers one scholarship annu- ally through the Ministry of Education. Mr. Foster said that three scholarship stu- dents have gone on to be- come employees in areas such as surveying and busi- ness administration within MACI. At the time of the lecture, there was one stu- dent studying for a degree in Maritime Administration. He thinks seafaring is moving towards the ser- vices part of the industry. “You look at [the] progression within the Cayman Islands ship registry and the poten- tial for our maritime industry with more shipping compa- nies considering Cayman and opening up these opportuni- ties. It’s more of the corpo- rate services side or the ser- vices that administer these vessels, those are the sorts of things that are really moving forward here. “Everyone is pursuing de- grees now, you have students who are completely sold on the corporate lifestyle – which is not bad thing because it’s definitely more conducive to family life as opposed to being away for a long time when out at sea, this is why I personally think that the cor- porate aspects of seafaring [are] where we are headed.” “On island, we don’t pro- vide a certification that sea- farers can get elsewhere. This is definitely a factor as to why we don’t have as many Caymanians out on the ves- sels,” he added. David Carmichael, gen- eral manager of Caribbean Marine Services, pointed out that the company was ini- tially established to take on retired seafarers and uti- lize their skills locally in the tendering for cruise ships. He said that in his work he has encountered people with formal qualifications but little practical experience and also with those with no formal qualifications but with considerable practical experience. He has also come across literacy or disciplinary issues and the retirement of some men due to interna- tional insurance guidelines, as well as health concerns. While it can be a deli- cate balance, Mr. Carmichael said he prefers to hire lo- cally. He explained that none of the issues he has seen in Cayman are any different from what he has seen in his native Scotland. He went on to state that small, sea- faring communities with an aging population face sim- ilar challenges, but they can be overcome with training and a willingness to change and modernize. “As Caymanian men started choosing to remain at home in the more recent decades, seafaring skills were not being passed on to the next generation.” Roy Bodden, president, UCCI Floyd Groves, left, discusses the ship Gertrude, a model of which is pictured, with seaman Rupert Ackermon. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Floyd Groves’s U.S. Merchant Mariner’s card.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday July 2, 2015 • Cayman Compass For decades Baha’is have been imprisoned in Iran Mr. Behrouz Tavakkoli, 63, is a former social worker who lost his government job in the early 1980s because of his Baha’i belief. Prior to his current imprisonment, he has also experienced intermittent detainment and harassment and, in 2005, he was jailed for four months without charge, spending most of the time in solitary con nement. Born 1 June 1951 in Mashhad, Mr.Tavakkoli studied psychology in university and then completed two years of service in the army, where he was a lieutenant. He later took additional training and then specialized in the care of the physically and mentally handicapped, working in a government position until his ring in 1981 or 1982. Mr. Tavakkoli married Ms. Tahereh Fakhri Tuski at the age of 23. They have two sons. Mr. Tavakkoli was elected to the local Baha’i governing council in Mashhad in the late 1960s or early 1970s while a student at the university there, and he later served on another local Baha’i council in Sari before such institutions were banned in the early 1980s. He also served on various youth committees, and, later, during the early 1980s he was appointed to the Auxiliary Board, an appointed position which serves principally to inspire, encourage, and promote learning among Baha’is. He was appointed to the Friends group in the late 1980s. To support himself and his family after he was red from his government position, Mr. Tavakkoli established a small millwork carpentry shop in the city of Gonbad. There he also established a series of classes in Baha’i studies for adults and young people. He has been periodically detained by the authorities. Among the worst of these incidents was in 2005 when he was held incommunicado for 10 days by intelligence agents, along with fellow Friends’ member Fariba Kamalabadi. He was then held for four months and during that con nement developed serious kidney and orthotic problems. Here is the sixth of seven stories, remembering seven years in prison 63, is a former social worker imprisonment, he has also experienced intermittent detainment and harassment and, in 2005, he was Born 1 June 1951 in Mashhad, Mr.Tavakkoli studied lieutenant. He later took additional training and then specialized in the care of the physically and mentally handicapped, working in a government position For further information, contact The Regional Baha’i Council at 949-3435/916-4130 or email: bevndale@candw.ky like Kirk Freeport, Tortuga Rum Company and Island Companies, but also involved smaller businesses, tour op- erators, taxi drivers and in- dividuals who supported improved cruise and cargo facilities for Cayman but cur- rently had no platform to have their voices heard. The group appears to have evolved in the face of increas- ingly organized opposition to the port. A petition circulated by photographer Courtney Platt has gathered more than 2,000 signatures urging gov- ernment to abandon the dock plan. A new group, called Save Cayman, formed last week with the aim of starting a public awareness and ad- vertising campaign to gather support for a people’s refer- endum to stop the dock. Mr. Kirkconnell said the aim of the Cayman’s Port, Cayman’s Future campaign was to give a voice to those who support a dock and en- sure the public had access to all the facts. “It is something that came out of concerns from the com- munity to try to make sure the real information gets out there and that the most reasonable possibilities are discussed. “If you asked any of the environmental fundamental- ists what percentage of nat- ural resources they would be willing to give up for eco- nomic development, the an- swer would be zero percent. There are people that feel we should never touch na- ture but there has to be some balance between environ- mental concerns and the eco- nomic and social future of the country.” Mr. Kirkconnell believes that, without a cruise dock, tourism would dwindle to the point where jobs were affected across the industry, from retail business and res- taurants to taxi operators and water-based businesses. He believes the current port plan offers a compro- mise position that would cause the least possible en- vironmental impact of any of the plans put forward in the last decade. Engineering consultants Baird made similar com- ments in a public meeting last month. Dave Anglin, of Baird, said the plan involved less dredging than any other site suggested for a cruise dock in Cayman. Mr. Kirkconnell believes environmental campaigners have exaggerated the impacts on the marine environment by highlighting potential damage to iconic dive sites like Eden Rock and Soto’s Reef. He said the report high- lighted impacts to those sites in a “worst case scenario” but also indicated mitigation measures, including turbidity barriers, could substantially reduce that impact. He acknowledged that the environmental impact assessment had indicated building a port would have a negative economic impact, primarily on water sports businesses in the capital. But he said the report also in- dicated that action, for ex- ample, moving the historic wreck of the Balboa to an- other site, could be taken to offset that impact and create new attractions and opportu- nities elsewhere. He also questioned the much quoted figure that 15 acres of coral reef would be damaged, pointing out the re- port actually refers to 15 acres of coral and “associated marine habitat” rather than 15 acres of live coral. He also points to the fact that the new pier offers a longer term solution for Cayman’s cargo facilities as something that has been overlooked. He said the port project on the table offered a solu- tion to the future of cruise tourism and cargo opera- tions in Cayman that would protect the island’s economy with the least possible envi- ronmental impact. “The report is over 1,000 pages long and not everyone is going to go through this report and we want to make sure correct information is available to everyone. “One of the shortfalls of the environmental petition is they are just saying ‘no dock,’ they are not saying what can be done to miti- gate the impacts. That is not a realistic approach because there has to be a balance be- tween all the different fac- tors. We want to work with everyone to make sure it is done the right way.” Rival group launched to support cruise dock months after the decision was made, which auditors said was blamed on mem- bers of the appeals tri- bunal not providing their comments on decisions in a timely manner. General documenta- tion concerning when ap- peals were received, what was said during the meet- ings and what happened as a result of the meetings was also poor, auditors noted. The Internal Audit Unit found that the appeals tri- bunal meetings were re- corded in minutes, but there was no evidence the minutes of the meetings had been confirmed by tri- bunal members for accu- racy prior to the tribunal chairman’s approval. Not following the law Internal auditors flagged up several instances where the Immigration Law as it applies to the appeals pro- cess was not followed. For instance, the Immigration Department did not send decisions re- garding appeals to the ap- plicants themselves, as re- quired, and depended on the three-person tribunal secre- tariat staff to do so, which resulted in some delays in communicating those deci- sions to applicants. On some occasions, a tri- bunal deputy chairperson used their own personal sec- retary to take notes and re- cord minutes of meetings, not the individual appointed to serve by the governor. “This … exposes the tribunal to confidentiality risks,” audi- tors noted. Since October 2012, au- ditors said no secretary working for the appeals tri- bunal attended the meet- ings. One of the board’s mem- bers was assigned to take the minutes of the meetings in the secretary’s absence. No computers Auditors also observed during tribunal meetings they attended in April 2014 that no laptop computers were provided to board mem- bers hearing various appeals, including those involving work permits, permanent residence and Caymanian status applications. Board members asked that printed copies of appeal case records be given to them, rather than retrieving them on the immigration database via computer. Tribunal chairs and deputy chairs were granted access to the immigration da- tabase, but didn’t know how to use it, auditors found. “The secretaries stated that they handle too much paper every day because of this re- source issue,” the auditors stated. “Our audit has assessed that all of the above deficien- cies may be due to the lack of personnel designated to per- form independent reviews and monitoring of compliance with the provisions of the law and best practices. “We also noted ineffi- cient work practices which are compounded by inade- quate staff resources to handle the work load.” Auditors also noted paper records kept inside un- locked filing cabinets or on top of office tables were ob- served during inspections of the Immigration Appeals Tribunals offices. Anyone not affiliated with the appeals tribunal could easily access those files, auditors found. Changes made Cayman Islands Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose – whose office is responsible for the Immigration Appeals Tribunal secretariat – re- quested the audit be under- taken in 2014. The Cabinet office also re- leased the report to the press on Tuesday, at the same time as it was released to the Compass newspaper, which was the original open records requester. Mr. Rose said the Immigration Appeals Tribunal has faced a huge backlog of appeals – which once peaked at nearly 4,000 – and has managed to whittle that down to fewer than 200 as of last month. “Many of [the Internal Audit Unit’s] initial findings have already been amended over time with the aim of im- proving efficiency,” a statement from the Cabinet office read. “Among the most noteworthy improvements has been a re- duction in the time that it takes to notify appellants, who now receive decision letters within 48 hours of minutes being approved.” Mr. Rose said his office fully supported the recom- mendations of the Internal Audit Unit and is com- mitted to implementing all recommendations. astronomers give public telescopic view of planets Scores of people turned out at the dock at Sunset House on South Church Street in George Town Tuesday night to peer through Cayman Islands Astronomical Society telescopes to get a view of the alignment of Jupiter and Venus. Despite some intermittent cloud cover, the skywatchers had an impressive view of the planets, which appeared to be moving much closer to each other than usual. The alignment, known as a “conjunction,” occurs about every three years. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Immigration appeals delays revealed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Thursday July 2, 2015 Redford urges action on climate change In a plea to the United Nations, 78-year-old actor and environmentalist Robert Redford has called for a response to the world’s changing climate. “The time for half measures and climate denial is over,” he said in an address Monday to the U.N. Obama: US embassy in Havana marks ‘new chapter’ in Cuba ties WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama an- nounced Wednesday that the U.S. and Cuba will re- open their embassies in Havana and Washington, her- alding a “new chapter” in re- lations after a half-century of hostility. “We don’t have to be im- prisoned by the past,” Obama said from White House Rose Garden. “Americans and Cubans alike are ready to move forward.” Cuban television broad- cast Obama’s statement live, underscoring the new spirit. A state television anchor read a letter from Cuban President Raul Castro to Obama in which he wrote that Cuba is “encouraged by the recip- rocal intention to develop re- spectful relations and coop- eration between our people and governments.” The embassy agreement marks the biggest tangible step toward normalizing re- lations since the surprise announcement in December that the U.S. and Cuba were restarting diplomatic ties. The posts in Washington and Havana are scheduled to open July 20, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Cuba for the opening of the U.S. Embassy. Kerry, who is in Vienna for nuclear talks with Iran, called the embassy agreement “long overdue.” For Obama, ending the U.S. freeze with Cuba is cen- tral to his foreign policy legacy as he nears the end of his presidency. Obama has long touted the value of direct engagement with global foes and has argued that the U.S. economic em- bargo on the communist is- land just 90 miles south of Florida was ineffective. Amid the celebratory rhet- oric, there were words of caution from both countries. A statement from the Cuban government said re- opening embassies was just the first step in “a long and complex process toward normalization of bilateral ties.” It demanded an end to the U.S. embargo, the re- turn of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo and a halt to U.S. radio and TV broadcasts aimed at the island. And Rep. Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, R-Fla., said in a statement that opening a U.S. Embassy in Cuba “will do nothing to help the Cuban people and is just another trivial attempt for President Obama to go legacy shopping.” The president on Wednesday reiterated his call for Congress to lift the embargo, which he said has failed to bring political change in Cuba. However, he faces stiff resistance from Republicans, as well as some Democrats, who say he is prematurely rewarding a gov- ernment that engages in se- rious human rights abuses. The president also will face strong opposition in Congress to spending any taxpayer dollars for building or refurbishing an embassy in Havana. Congress would have to approve any admin- istration request to spend money on an embassy. The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee voted last month to curb Obama administration ef- forts to work on an embassy in Cuba. A $48 billion foreign aid bill for next year bars any work on an American em- bassy there unless Obama certifies that Havana is meeting the terms of a 1996 law aimed at pushing the is- land nation’s government to- ward democracy. That law’s conditions include Cuba’s ex- tradition of people who are accused of crimes in the U.S. Confidential UN report positive on Iran nuclear commitments VIENNA (AP) – Iran has met its commitments under a preliminary nuclear deal set- ting up the current talks on a final agreement, leaving it with several tons less of the material it could use to make weapons, according to a U.N. report issued Wednesday. The report said more than four tons of the enriched ura- nium had been fed into a pipeline that ends with con- version of it into oxide, which is much less likely to be used to make nuclear arms. The official said that tech- nical problems by Iran had slowed the process but the United States was satisfied that Iran had met its commit- ments to reduce the amount of enriched uranium it has stored. He demanded ano- nymity because he was not authorized to discuss the confidential review process. Meeting conditions of the preliminary deal is an im- portant benchmark as the talks go into what is being billed into the final stage of bargaining on a comprehen- sive agreement meant to put long-term caps on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Violations by Iran would complicate the Obama ad- ministration’s battle to per- suade congressional oppo- nents and other skeptics that U.S. negotiators are holding the line on demands for a verifiable deal that meets the U.S. goal of ex- tending the time the Islamic Republic would need to make a weapon to at least a year. Tehran denies such aspira- tions, saying its nuclear pro- gram is meant only to fuel reactors and for other non- military purposes. The report did not say where the rest of the ma- terial was. But it appeared to confirm the U.S. officiaI’s description of the material being somewhere in the con- version line. That’s because the figures provided by the IAEA indicated that it was not added to Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium. Low-enriched uranium can be enriched further for weapons purposes. The in- terim accord capped Iran’s low-enriched uranium stock- pile at 7.6 tons. If it went over that limit, it would have to convert the re- mainder into oxide. The confidential International Atomic Energy Agency report said that by the end of June that stockpile was just under that level. The report was circulated among the 35-nation IAEA board and the U.N. Security Council as the IAEA chief left for Tehran to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met again in Vienna with Iran’s foreign minister. In his talks in Tehran on Thursday, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano hopes to “ac- celerate the resolution of all outstanding issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, in- cluding clarification of pos- sible military dimensions,” the Vienna-based agency said in a statement. Iran’s Mehr news agency said Amano will “receive Iran’s alterna- tive proposal to nuclear sci- entists’ questioning.” An IAEA probe of the alle- gations has been essentially stalemated for nearly a de- cade, with Iran dismissing them as phony evidence planted by the U.S. and Israel. Washington insists that the agency be given greater powers in its investigations as part of any overall nu- clear deal. That includes questioning people pos- sibly involved in the alleged weapons work – something Tehran rejects. The United States was satisfied that Iran had met its commitments to reduce the amount of enriched uranium it has stored. A protester’s sign outside the hotel where the Iran nuclear talks are being held in Vienna, Wednesday. - Photo: AP President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday. The president announced that US and Cuba have agreed to open embassies in each other’s capitals. - Photos: AP A fisherman cycles past the U.S. Interests Section building, behind right, along the Malecon in Havana, Cuba.Next >