ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JULY 7, 2015 High of 90 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. Politics Navigating social sea change 4 World Embracing U.S. pop culture 105 Myths Women’s sports 23 DR. WATSON, I PRESUME? IBM’s supercomputer , Watson, is training alongside cancer specialists to do what they individually can’t PAGE 12 Education Hey, grads, take a year off 16 ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2015 . IN COLLABORATI ON WITH THE WASHINGTON POST Dr. Watson, I presume? EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 VOTING DISTRICTS: AND THEN THERE WERE 19 back to back wins www.butterfieldgroup.com Proud winner of The Banker’s prestigious Cayman Islands Bank of the Year award for 2013 and 2014. Bank of the year... Again! Webb facing extradition to US and Cayman Ex-FIFA vice president charged in local corruption case BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Both the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and the U.S. Justice Department will seek to have former FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb returned to their jurisdiction to face criminal charges in separate investigations. RCIPS offi cials working with Cayman’s Anti-Corruption Commission said Friday that they would begin extradition proceed- ings for Webb in Switzerland, after fi ling charges against Webb and his associate, Caymanian businessman Canover Watson, in connection with an investigation involving the awarding of a public hospital contract to a local company that prosecutors allege was controlled by Watson. The U.S. authorities, meanwhile, fi led an ex- tradition request with the Swiss Federal Offi ce of Justice last week seeking to have Webb re- turned to New York state, where he faces a 15- count federal court indictment on racketeering, money laundering and bribery charges. For now, Webb remains in a detention facility in the Canton [County] of Zurich, Switzerland, where he and six other FIFA de- fendants charged in the U.S. probe have so far indicated they will fi ght extradition. According to a press release issued Friday afternoon by the Cayman Islands Anti- Corruption Commission, both Watson and Webb have been jointly charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to common law, and with an additional count of breach of trust by a public offi cer, contrary to the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Law. Section 13 of the Anti-Corruption Law states that a person “in connection with the duties of his offi ce, [who] commits a fraud or breach of CAYMAN’S ATHLETES WIN 33 ISLAND GAMES MEDALS RON SHILLINGFORD rshillingford@pinnaclemedia.ltd Cayman Islands athletes are returning triumphant from another successful Island Games after winning 33 medals, including 14 gold, in Jersey last week. Cayman’s swimmers won the most medals for the team – 14 in all. The track and fi eld athletes brought home 10 medals, the shooters eight, and the women’s beach volley- ball pairing of Stefania Gandolfi and Jessica Wolfenden took gold. Olympic swimmers Shaune and Brett Fraser excelled in the pool, as did Lara Butler. Shaune Fraser won fi ve medals, in- cluding three gold and two silver, while brother Brett won three – two golds and a silver. Butler won four medals, including three silver and a bronze. Ronald Forbes found his form again to win gold in the men’s 110 meter hurdles. Lacee Barnes won gold in the shot put and silver in the discus, while fellow teenager Daneliz Thomas took gold in the javelin competition. Of the shooters – who all did exception- ally well – Christopher Jackson and Andrew McBean were outstanding. Jackson was the sole medalist on Friday, the last day of com- petition, taking gold in the Universal Trap. Jackson also took bronze in the Automatic Ball Trap individual round. McBean won gold in the IPSC standard division and silver in the IPSC open division, while Michaela Pultr took silver in the ISSF 25 meter sport pistol com- petition. The Cayman Islands also won three other medals in team shooting events. Also taking gold, in javelin, was Alex Bill seeks to ban pension ‘victimization’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands compa- nies are forbidden from “victim- izing” or threatening to victimize workers who complain that their pensions are not being paid, ac- cording to proposed legislation. “Victimization” includes dis- missal from work, suspension, denials of promotions, demo- tions, intimidation or discrimi- nation against the employee by his or her employer. In instances where employees believe their employer has not made payments into their retire- ment plans as required under law, they may disclose that in writing to the government di- rector of labor and pensions or to another “authorized of- fi cer.” Employees are also al- lowed to take their complaints to the government’s Labour Appeals Tribunal. Proposed legal penalties for victimization under the National Pensions Law would increase fi nes from the current $5,000 to $10,000, or to imprisonment for a term of one year, or both. The National Pensions Law, which regulates private sector retirement plans, requires com- panies to make payments of 10 percent of a worker’s annual salary into a retirement fund of the company’s choice. Five per- cent of the payment comes from the worker’s salary and a 5 per- cent matching contribution is made by the employer. Failure to make those pay- ments is punishable by fi nes, denial of a local trade and PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Pacing for a cause Walkers, runners and joggers took to Cayman’s roads at the weekend to raise awareness of prostate and colon cancer. More than 60 people took part, including Elizabeth Bowen, above left, who led her group in the Lions Club of Grand Cayman’s Prostate And Colon Cancer Event, known as PACE. The annual three-day walk is organized in memory of the late Delano Hislop, a former Lions Club president who lost his battle with colon cancer in 2011. For more on this story, see page 7. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday July 7, 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 |10:00 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Donor replaces stolen material from new Farmers Market Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Farmers building the new Farmers Market on Thomas Russell Way, where roofing materials were stolen last month, got some good news last week. A donor has re- placed the 35 rolls of wind and water seal stolen from the roof of the building. “Tuesday night the phone rang and my wife said a man was on the phone for me,” said Hamlin Stephenson, the farmer spearheading the building ini- tiative. “It was Bob Watler of Watler’s Metal Products on the phone. He said, ‘I heard you got some material stolen,’ and when I said ‘yes,’ he said, ‘I didn’t know someone would do something like that,’ and asked how many rolls were stolen. “When I told him 35, he said he would replace them.” When Mr. Stephenson ar- rived at the site Wednesday morning, 35 rolls of wind and water seal had been delivered. Grateful for the mate- rials, Mr. Stephenson said he wasted no time in getting the self-adhering roofing un- derlayments pasted to the roof to protect it from wind and water until the shingles could be put in place. The Royal Cayman Islands Police are still investigating the theft of $3,000 worth of wind and water seal from the site. Work on the 6,000-square- foot building across the road from the Red Cross building began in December 2014. Benched fire chief faces court date Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s suspended acting fire chief will appear in court next week, charged in a January hit-and-run accident that left a 14-year-old boy hos- pitalized for several weeks. John Bodden, 47, was charged last week with care- less driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and using a vehicle with an expired li- cense coupon, as well as using a vehicle without a cer- tificate of roadworthiness. He’s due to appear in court July 13. Bodden has been placed on ‘required leave’ – sus- pended with pay – from the Cayman Islands government, pending the outcome of the police investigation against him. For now, Acting Fire Chief Ronnie Dixon has re- placed him in the fire service. Bodden was arrested at the George Town Police Station in early June and his vehicle seized as part of the police investigation. The Jan. 26 car crash that led to Mr. Bodden’s arrest oc- curred on Shamrock Road just before 7 p.m. The 14-year-old victim suf- fered serious head and leg in- juries after he was struck on the pedestrian crossing out- side Savannah Primary School. His 21-year-old brother was also hit while walking across the four-lane section of road. The elder brother was treated and released from the Cayman Islands Hospital shortly after the crash. The younger boy was hospitalized for several weeks afterward and police said Thursday that the 14-year-old has since been released from hospital. Hamlin Stephenson walks under the new Farmers Market roof, now covered with wind and water seal. – Photo: Jewel levy Jury notice The Grand Court jury report date has been changed. Grand Court jurors who are in the July 1 to Oct. 6 ses- sion are now to report on Monday, July 13, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information. correction The Cayman Compass incorrectly reported in a story in Friday’s editions entitled “Rollover backlog finally cleared” that indi- viduals making appeals of permanent residence de- nials could not continue to work while those ap- peals were being pro- cessed. Applicants for per- manent residence must now obtain a “permission to continue working” from the chief immigration of- ficer in order to continue working during the ap- peals process. the cayman compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com. Insideout winner of samsung Galaxy Karelle Dacosta, center, was the winner of the Samsung Galaxy note 4 phone competition at the insideout magazine booth during the island Living Show at the Arc in camana Bay. Ms. Dacosta, from George town, is pictured with carolyn Lawe-Smith, marketing executive at LiMe, left, and catherine MacGillivray, editor of insideout. the prize was a giveaway by insideout and LiMe. trinidad: Joint Police-military unit to combat gangs PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) — Trinidad and Tobago’s leader has created a com- bined national security force to combat gang vio- lence in a crime-troubled community. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the initiative dubbed “Operation Restore” will join together police officers and soldiers to “restore peace” in the central area of Enterprise, where gun violence by feuding gangs has recently escalated. She says the combined security forces “will op- erate 24/7 in that commu- nity to detect and suppress acts of violence.” Persad-Bissessar met with the joint unit during a Saturday visit to the central area following the close of a Barbados summit of Caribbean Community leaders. Trinidad is preparing for Sept. 7 general elec- tions. Opinion polls sug- gest the elections will be a tight race between the ruling coalition People’s Partnership and the main opposition People’s National Movement.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 7, 2015 Fire guts Bodden Town home, cause of blaze unknown Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A family home in Bodden Town was destroyed by fire Saturday night. No one was injured, but the fire has left a family of three and an 86-year-old man without a home. The woman and her children were not home at the time. As firefighters battled the blazing fire on Monument Road by the junction of Mijall Road, the devastated mother, who had returned to the house, could only watch and weep helplessly as her single-story, three- bedroom home went up in smoke. Investigators had not determined the cause of the fire by press time. The scene was released by firefighters at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, said Tina Choy of the Fire Service Department. Firefighters say the fire started in the bed- room area. Jamie Williams, 86, who was asleep in a back rental bedroom, said he smelled smoke and ran from the building, shouting for someone to call 911 as flames en- gulfed the building. He watched firefighters battle the blaze with homeowner Lisa Anglin. “At first I smelled some- thing sweet and then I smelled smoke but thought maybe someone was smoking a cigarette. Suddenly the television blinked out and the lights went out leaving me in dark- ness,” Mr. Williams said. He left the bedroom to see what was happening and as he stepped outside he saw flames engulfing the house. Not having any credit on his phone, Mr. Williams said he shouted for someone to call the fire service. A woman from across the street called 911, he said. Ms. Choy said 911 alerted the Fire Service of a struc- ture fire on Monument Road at 10:22 p.m. Firefighters re- sponded from Frank Sound sub-station and George Town Fire Station, arriving at the scene at 10:52 p.m. She said firefighters imme- diately made an aggressive attack of the fire that had fully engulfed the house. Ms. Choy and Fire Safety Inspector James Bodden were on the scene to begin the preliminary investi- gation. Once details were taken from the homeowner and the other occupant, ad- ditional observations were made by the fire investiga- tors. The scene was not se- cured by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service until Sunday morning when fire investigators arrived to pro- cess the scene with Crime Scene Investigator Orlando Williams, Ms. Choy said. Firefighters on the scene said they had the fire under control within 10 minutes and it was completely extin- guished within 25 minutes, but it was too late to save the family home. Students awarded for excellence ASHANI FRANCIS-COllINS afrancis-collins@pinnaclemedialtd.com Tameka Cox and Althea Miller are the recipients of the Pursuit of Excellence award for the 2014-15 school year. Lloyd Barker started the award platform after he re- ceived the Yentel McGaw Youth Community Excellence Award in 2012. Lloyd said this prompted him to want to “provide an incentive for students to continue striving for excellence.” “All in all, it is another op- portunity to spread positive vibrations about our young people,” he said. “A positive and public recognition such as this one can surely en- courage students to do better or to continue doing well.” Tameka, 15, graduated from St. Ignatius Catholic School in June. In each of her high school years, she received the Excellence in Effort award, which rec- ognizes students with more than 85 percent of their grades as “excellent.” She has also been on the Effort Honour Roll with Distinction for the last four academic assessments. Tameka has also been a member of Key Club, choir and school council. She is a member of the karate club and is a second-degree black belt. “An award like this is im- portant, as it highlights the positive achievements and attributes of young people and serves as an inspiration to others,” she said. “I plan to continue to work hard to achieve my goals.” Althea, 16, is a student at Cayman Academy. She has been second overall in her class for the past two years and has received numerous certificates of Outstanding Scholastic Achievement for maintaining a 90-100 grade percentage for the entire school year. Althea is an active member of the Savannah SDA Church, where she is on the Praise Team committee. Additionally, she directs the Gideon Pathfinder Choir and is a member of the Drum Corps. Some of her projects with the Pathfinders, where she is a captain, are painting houses, visiting the Pines, cleaning houses, community garbage cleanup and singing for the elderly. “Never stop reaching until you’ve reached your goal, and never stop striving for excel- lence,” she said. “I believe I was deserving of this award because it took a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get here with the help of God, my family and teachers.” The award was first pre- sented last year to David Lee from Cayman International School and Alyssa Ebanks from John Gray High School. Students in grades 9 through 12 are eligible for nomination from their teachers or principals. The award is given to one public school and one private school student. Althea Miller with her Pursuit of Excellence award.Lloyd Barker presents Tameka Cox with her Pursuit of Excellence award. Members of the Fire Services Department assess the scene of the house fire Sunday morning. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY No one was injured, but the fire has left a family of three and an 86-year-old man without a home. Firefighters check the ceiling of the house on Satuday night.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. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Tuesday JuLy 7, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The Cayman Islands’ new voting maps slice and dice our country into 19 tiny enclaves, with boundaries whimsi- cally wandering through apparent communities of interest, dissecting neighborhood streets so that the homes on the left side are in one district and the homes on the right in another, sometimes lopping off entire cul de sacs, seem- ingly at random — while lumping together people in dispa- rate areas who live miles and miles from one other. Exceptions have been made to “preserve” the interests of the country’s smallest districts at the expense of the country’s four largest districts, which are home to nearly 90 percent of registered electors. The end result, arith- metically, is that each ballot cast in North Side, East End and the Sister Islands will “count” about twice as much as each ballot cast in George Town, Bodden Town and West Bay. (The four MLAs from the four smallest districts will each represent 557 people; while the 15 MLAs from the four largest districts will each represent 1,071 people.) All in all, the new maps do not meet the “eye test” for rationality, nor do they achieve the founding principle of “equal representation” upon which the “one man, one vote” movement was ostensibly based. People of the Cayman Islands: Welcome to the world of redistricting! Now, this is not intended to disparage the efforts of the Electoral Boundary Commission or its chairwoman Lisa Handley, an American consultant who is a recog- nized expert in voting and elections. On the contrary, we believe the commission has taken great pains and made great efforts to consider public input in order to achieve its government-mandated objectives. At first glance, the new maps look superior to the output from the last itera- tion of the boundary commission in 2010. Our point is this: Any attempt to divvy up a country as small as Cayman (with a mere 18,000 registered electors) into districts containing a mere 1,000 electors apiece, given the prevailing political constraints of pro- tecting 10 percent of electors at the expense of the other 90 percent, even if it means sacrificing the idea of equal representation, is doomed for failure before it begins. But again, when one is dealing with redistricting, that’s just how things tend to play out. Redistricting is, at root, a political exercise — in terms of purpose, process and practice. Thus, the absurd is almost inevitable. As we’ve said before, the underlying principle of “one man, one vote” could not be achieved while preserving East End (629 electors) and North Side (582 electors) in situ. Simply put, there aren’t enough people living out there to merit two seats in the Legislative Assembly. (The same could, and should, be said about the Sister Islands, but they enjoy protection under the Cayman Islands Constitution.) But instead of the practical solution — the most elegant of which would be to combine East End and North Side into one district that would be in par, population-wise, with the remaining single-member districts on Grand Cayman — the Electoral Boundary Commission opted for a political calculation — that is, creating an extra MLA position for George Town, purportedly to achieve more equal represen- tation, which, of course, it does not do. In reality, the creation of the 19th seat has a twofold function: Allowing the Progressives government to curry favor for their OMOV plan (and possibly other proposals) with the independent members from East End and North Side, and in the process adding a new legislative district within the Progressives’ stronghold of George Town. If politics is a blood sport, redistricting is the Colos- seum. Let the games begin ... we guess. Voting districts: And then there were 19 There is an element of sensationalism creeping into the public debate on the cruise berthing facility. But this initiative is too impor- tant to debate on pure emo- tions. The Association for the Advancement of Cruise Tourism (ACT) believes that there are a number of salient facts that everyone in the community should bear in mind when considering this project, given its magnitude and importance to Cayman (regardless of your views on its implications). One of the first myths that must be disbanded is that cruise berthing facili- ties are in the interest of solely a few George Town re- tailers. This could not be fur- ther from the truth. Indeed, the duty-free retailers being referred to typically have store locations far beyond downtown George Town. Their businesses also op- erate in Seven Mile Beach, the airport, even Cayman Brac, for example. The group of persons and small busi- nesses to benefit from the proposed improvement to our port infrastructure in- cludes taxi drivers, water- sports operators, tours oper- ators, restaurants, land and water-based attractions, and countless small businesses who depend on the weekly influx of cruise passengers to earn their keep, or main- tain their jobs. The other myth that has grown considerably in its ex- posure since the launch of the draft EIA report, is the idea that there is 15 acres of live coral being damaged in the process. But many who know our waters well can confi- dently say this is visibly less than 15 acres of live coral and that a large portion of the area being described by opponents of the project as 15 acres of live coral is what is known as “hard pan.” Until a full underwater survey is completed, we cannot say with any accuracy how much live coral is within this area. There is also a miscon- ception among some, though thankfully we don’t believe many, that those who ben- efit from our cruise industry would wish to see a new port created at the expense of ma- terial harm to our environ- ment. This could also not be further from the truth. The ACT recognizes that indeed our natural environment is one of the Cayman Islands strengths and it would be economic suicide to destroy that advantage by causing material damage to our nat- ural environment. Instead we believe a credible approach is to es- tablish mitigation measures that cause the least harm to our environment while put- ting in place a berthing fa- cility to enhance our cruise tourism product. It is clear the EIA report did not have a terms of reference to thor- oughly examine mitigation measures, so naturally it fo- cused primarily on the risks that the project poses. We accept that there may be risks associated with this project. And we believe it is our duty to now thoroughly examine how those risks can be avoided, mitigated and offset so that we can move forward with a plan that benefits our economy while preserving what is impor- tant to us all, our natural environment. The Cayman Islands, while developing from just over 12,000 in population to a workforce that is now at around 30,000, has been striking this very same bal- ance on land for years. In re- cent years, the government has started to put a more ef- fective formal regime to pro- tect our environment and this is very welcomed. Finally, it must be noted that enhancing our cruise tourism product does not go hand in hand with dam- aging our air arrivals tourism business. In fact, in many jurisdictions a per- centage of air arrival pas- sengers first discovered the destination via a cruise be- fore taking the decision to become air arrival tourist. We certainly have evidence that this is also the case in the Cayman Islands. Determining the way for- ward should not be a simple case of rejecting the project because risks were identi- fied. The purpose of identi- fying the risks is presum- ably so we can now examine if they can be avoided, miti- gated or offset and if so what needs to be done so that we can achieve our economic and environmental objec- tives. Pitting one against the other, we believe, is the wrong approach. Robert Hamaty, Ronnie anglin and Chris Kirkconnell, for and on behalf of the board of directors of aCT Taking a balanced view on cruise berthing Cruise ship passengers currently use tender boats to transfer to shore in George Town. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT Seamen’s place in Cayman history Permit me to set the his- torical facts straight in your paper’s editorial of July 2, “Cayman, today: No country is an island.” In your editorial you state, “Life in Cayman ebbed and flowed for the next 300 or so years, until our banking industry metamorphosed our country from a drowsy Caribbean backwater to a premier offshore financial center, with tens of thou- sands of inhabitants and hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.” The facts are that Caymanian seamen, the de- mand for which began shortly after the Second World War, when American companies seeking skilled, non-unionized cheap labor (seamen) to crew their ships which flew “flags of convenience” were led to the Cayman Islands to recruit seamen of growing renown. Almost simultaneously with this development, the tourist industry on Grand Cayman had its beginnings. This industry was born out of John Maloney’s article “The Islands Time Forgot,” which was published in the Saturday Evening Post of April 8, 1950. It was Commissioner Andrew Morris Gerrard, ar- riving as he did in 1953 who took this budding industry to a new height by placing ads in the New York Post and other popular media. But Gerrard did not stop at that. He personally answered one thousand enquiries which emanated from his efforts. Then, the English entrepre- neur, later turned developer Benson Greenall arrived on the scene and, as a result of the lease struck with the govern- ment, he developed the Galleon Beach hotel on what later be- came the “Seven Mile Beach.” The remittances from the Caymanian seamen and the money in circulation from the budding tourism industry meant that there was a dire need for a financial institu- tion other than the existing Government Savings Bank, which was established in 1907, to service the govern- ment’s business exclusively. The need for a modern and wider ranging bank was filled by the arrival in 1953 of Barclays Bank, which was an offshoot of the Jamaica oper- ations of this bank. So my dear editor, it was the seamen, then the tour- ists and then the banks. The second bank, the Royal Bank of Canada came 10 years later in 1963. Your editorial reminds me of the old African adage, “Until the lion writes the tale of the hunt, the narrative will always glorify the hunter.” I have noticed that over the years, the contribution of these stalwarts receive no acknowledgement. I thank you for taking note of historical accuracy. Roy Bodden5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 7, 2015 WIN $3,000 in KitchenAid appliances Your Home Store F L AVA MAGAZINE HAS PARTNERED WITH A . L . THOMPSON ’ S TO OFFER READERS THE OPP ORTUNIT Y TO WIN MORE THAN $3,000 WORTH OF KITCHENAID APPLIANCES [[ THE KITCHENAID PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES: Maximum Extraction Juicer in Cobalt Blue Espresso Maker Pro Line 7-qt. Bowl Lift Stand Mixer in Candy Apple Red Pro Line Electric Kettle in Candy Apple Red Pro Line 2-Slice Automatic Toaster Pro Line 16-Cup Food Processor with Commercial Style Dicing in Candy Apple Red HOW TO ENTER Enter at the drop box display inside A. L. Thompson’s, George Town or online at caymancompass.com/competitions Terms and conditions apply. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Deadline: July 7, 2015 International Diving Hall of Fame names local honorees Kelsey JuKam Kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three of Cayman’s dive in- dustry pioneers and innova- tors will be inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame this year. Divetech’s Nancy Easterbrook, Little Cayman’s Pirates Point’s Gladys Howard and the late Dr. James (Jim) Poulson, who set up the first hyper- baric chamber for divers in Cayman, are being honored. Since she arrived in Grand Cayman two decades ago, Ms. Easterbrook has made nu- merous notable contributions to the local diving industry. The technical diving pioneer has authored free-diving training manuals and founded “Inner Space,” an annual family re- union of sorts for divers from all over the world. She was also instrumental in bringing the USS Kittiwake to Cayman and turning it into an artificial reef – and one of the most popular diving sites in Grand Cayman. Ms. Easterbrook said she never expected to be in- cluded among the legends who have been inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, so when she was told that she had been selected as one of three local honorees this year, she said she was humbled. “I can’t believe it could be me,” she said. “To be included with the people who are really the ‘who’s who’ in the diving industry over the last decades and decades – it’s a little over- whelming to say the least.” Also officially joining in- ternational diving’s “who’s who” list this year will be Ms. Howard, owner of Pirate’s Point Resort, considered by many travelers to be an eclectic hidden gem and highly re- garded by travel guides. According to Fodor’s, visitors to the resort are likely to “be- come fast friends” with Ms. Howard, who is described as “effervescent.” Ms. Howard has also been recognized for numerous contri- butions to sustainable tourism and environmental causes. She has been active in the fight against lionfish, an invasive species that devours juvenile fish on local reefs. Ms. Howard has donated her resort’s dive boat for the past several years to a weekly lionfish cull. Rounding out this year’s list of local honorees is the late Dr. Poulson, who helped set up the first hyperbaric chamber on Grand Cayman in 1971. The chamber provides essential medical care to divers affected by decompression sickness. For this contribution, the first purposely sunk vessel in the Cayman Islands was named after him. In 1981, a Japanese cable-laying ship called the Old Anchor was sunk to create an artificial reef. Located off West Bay Dock, the site was named “Doc Poulson’s Wreck.” Ms. Easterbrook, Ms. Howard and Dr. Poulson will be recognized at the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame’s annual induction dinner in October. The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame was cre- ated in 2000 to honor individ- uals who have contributed to various aspects of the sport, including science, medical re- search, equipment development, and art, among others. This year’s international in- ductees are Bill High, Dr. Albert José Jones, Peter Hughes, Wally Muller and Dimitri Rebikoff. Previous honorees from Cayman include Stingray City pioneer Captain Marvin Ebanks and dive operators Don Foster and Stuart Freeman. Tourism director Rosa Harris said in a press release that the individuals selected to be local honorees this year “have devoted much of their lives to the diving industry in the Cayman Islands and to en- suring that our magnificent un- derwater environment is ac- cessible to ever increasing numbers of avid water sports and dive enthusiasts.” “Their respective contri- butions have solidified that the Cayman Islands retain its reputation as one of the best diving locations in the world and for their efforts the desti- nation is extremely grateful,” Ms. Harris said. The annual awards ceremony is held in the Cayman Islands. Divetech founder Nancy Easterbrook, who will be inducted later this year into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame, checks out a reef. Ms. HowardThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Tuesday July 7, 2015 • Cayman Compass 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. DVDL CLOSED: The West Bay office of the Department of Vehicle & Drivers Licensing (DVDL) will be closed today. The office resumes regular hours on Wednesday, July 8, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. 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. MONDAY, JULY 13 GRAND COURT JURORS: The Grand Court jury report date has been changed. Grand Court jurors for the July 1-Oct. 6 session should report today 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information. 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 FAMILY FUN DAY: The National Gallery hosts a free Fun Day with scavenger hunt-like activities in both the upper and lower exhibition halls as well as outdoors for the whole family to take part in and enjoy. Food and beverages will be made available for guests. 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: July 20 to 24 at The Calvary Baptist Church on Walkers Road for ages 5 to 17. From 8:30 a.m. til 12 noon daily. Call 949-0629 for more information. 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. NATIONAL GALLERY SESSIONS: Summer sessions of art-related activities for kids every Thursday till Aug. 20, 2-4 p.m. Free, but space is limited. Register at education@nationalgallery. org or 945-8111. 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. SUMMER BOOK SWAP: Every Monday through Sunday, July through August, at the Learning Tree, Cassia Court in Camana Bay. Book lovers can find titles for all ages and interests. Browse the selection, take your pick and replace it with one of your favorites to help spread the joy of reading. 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. 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. 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. WAITING FOR JOSEPHINE: This is an ongoing appeal for second-hand magazines for the waiting rooms at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Please take magazine donations to Books & Books at Camana Bay or deposit them in the big bin outside the Cancer Society on Maple Road (opposite the hospital). For more information, contact Carol Hay at 526-6932. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION OF CAYMAN: For anyone who is a parent, relative, friend or carer of a special needs child. Also for professionals interested in special needs. SNFC is a nonprofit organization providing information, resources, education and support with meetings, social events and newsletters. Contact www. specialneedsfoundation. ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar. PAWS THRIFT SHOP: Bodden Town Shopping Plaza, opposite BT Post Office. Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Please don’t leave donations outside shop. Call Sharon, 324-9760; or Susanna, 916-3957 for more information. All proceeds for animal welfare. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 7, 2015 Inspectors return home after arsenic tests, will return later Tad SToner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com International health and environment inspec- tors have returned to their Jamaica headquarters after testing several people and taking ground and water samples in efforts to assess local arsenic contamination in Frank Sound. The teams will return in the coming weeks, estab- lishing base levels for further measurement and possible remediation of tainted soil and groundwater. The two-member team from the Pan American Health Organization tested several people at the site on Wednesday and Thursday, including Charles Powell, owner of the 14.5-acre farm in question. “They tested some people, although I was not one of them, but my dad was,” said Chad Powell, Charles’s son, “and some of the neighbors, I think.” The results are unlikely to be known for another month. Charles Grant, director gen- eral of the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences, citing client-contractor confiden- tiality, declined to com- ment on his probe of the soil, saying only “we’re looking at the whole environment, in- cluding the people.” “When I get full authori- zation from the client, I will share all the scientific de- tails,” Mr. Grant said, refer- ring to Cayman’s Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose, who, with recently retired Medical Officer of Health Kiran Kumar, brought in the over- seas teams. In the wake of the testing, Mr. Rose said, “The simple truth is we do not know all the facts. Hence we have brought in the experts with access to the best resources.” He said government was trying to be as forthcoming as possible and hoped to avoid alarm: “We have dem- onstrated that no one is at- tempting to hide anything. I do hope that a sense of panic will not be created, and that the facts are borne out.” Some have worried about the 850 students at nearby Clifton Hunter High School, described by farm owner Charles Powell as “500 feet” from his farm, and adjoining land of his brother Tony Powell, who said he had lost three cows and two horses in the past two months, al- though he declined to link the deaths to groundwater contamination. Christen Suckoo, acting deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Education, was circumspect about threats to the school, pointing to a statement on Thursday from the Public Health Department: “While prelim- inary laboratory investiga- tions are ongoing, public health officials are oper- ating at a heightened state of awareness and vigilance. “The Public Health Department will continue to closely collaborate with overseas partners to deter- mine if any public health re- sponse may be warranted,” the statement read. Mr. Suckoo cautioned that preliminary conclusions were unwarranted: “We will await further information from them about the process.” Premier and Minister of Health Alden McLaughlin said, “All protocols in con- ducting an investigation of this nature are being ob- served. We are thankful to our international part- ners PAHO and ICENS for their assistance. The health and safety of our popula- tion is paramount.” The problem dates to Hurricane Ivan in 2004, when government imported pres- sure-treated plywood for post-storm repairs. Officials halted its use, however, after learning the material been had been treated with anti- fungal chromate copper arse- nate, a form of arsenic, which can cause cancer of the lungs, bladder, skin, kidney, prostate and nasal passages, as well as nerve damage, dizziness and numbness. Charles Powell permitted government contractor MC Restoration to use his prop- erty as part of hurricane re- covery, mulching and burning tons of mixed waste: vege- tation, baled metal, lumber from old homes and the treated plywood. Mr. Powell said he and government agreed the company would remove all materials. Contractors spread the ash across the property, storing as much as 250,000 cubic yards of material in a small quarry. “They gave me a docu- ment saying they would re- store the land, but they left it alone for two years,” Mr. Powell said. “I called the gov- ernor’s office. He sent me to the Cabinet Secretary. They said they would make a deci- sion and write to me. “It goes on and on, and they said that I’m only trying to get money out of the gov- ernment. The government contractor was supposed to fix the hazardous material and most of it is still in a pit up there,” Mr. Powell said. The Water Authority, re- sponsible for groundwater, tested the soil in early 2006, and found chromium, lead and benzene. Director Gelia Frederick-van Genderen sum- marized the results in a letter to Cabinet Secretary Orrett Connor. Investigators had found toxic ash both above and below ground and other hazardous wastes. Pieces of pressure-treated wood were ubiquitous. “The authority’s test … confirmed that ash and mulch could pose long- term environmental prob- lems …,” the letter continued. Director of the Department of Environmental Health Roydell Carter was closely in- volved in both the post-Ivan cleanup and current efforts to remediate the damage. “We knew it was contami- nated, and we removed a lot of soil,” he said, noting that 4,000 cubic yards of ash were stored in a sealed pit in the George Town Landfill. “So we did do something about it.” That 2006 effort, how- ever, came long after burning and mulching was complete. Follow-up samples were taken in 2007, but little else was done for another six years. When Mr. Rose replaced a retiring Mr. Connor in 2013, he met Mr. Powell. “It was upon my request that a fresh set of tests were conducted as part of a complete review of the matter,” he said. The subsequent Water Authority report, done in May 2014 but not released until January 2015, found “buried debris mixed with ash, baled metals and household haz- ardous waste had not been removed from the site ... To the authority’s knowledge and, as confirmed by the property owner, the buried debris mixed with ash, buried on the northern part of the site remains in place.” “This was all done in ig- norance,” Mr. Rose said. “They have been dealing with this for 10 years.” “We are now working as a team,” Mr. Carter said. “Samples will be taken to es- tablish a base level. We need to alleviate the concerns of people. We have brought in [PAHO and ICENS] to pro- vide independent verification, and they are taking the sam- ples so there is no cover-up or concern that someone is trying to hide something.” “It goes on and on. The government contractor was supposed to fix the hazardous material and most of it is still in a pit up there.” Charles Powell, owner of the contaminated Frank Sound property PACE walkers and runners take part in 3-day fundraiser Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 60 people took part in the Lion’s Club of Grand Cayman’s Prostate and Colon Cancer Event walk and run campaign, known as PACE, over the holiday weekend. Carmin Godfrey, chair- woman of the PACE com- mittee, said this year’s three- day walk/run, which began on Saturday and was com- pleted on Monday, had the most participants signing up since the campaign was started four years ago. “The PACE campaign has continued to grow over the years and the awareness of prostate and colon cancer amongst the men in the com- munity has more than dou- bled in the last four years, which has result in more men going to get the PSA testing done,” Ms. Godfrey said. Each participant was re- quired to pay a $50 regis- tration fee and runners and walkers were also encour- aged to Lions Club donation form to fund raise as much money as they could, with $500 being the minimum. Organizers said the total amount raised would be tal- lied on Friday as there was still a number of people who still had donations to bring in. Ms. Godfrey said the funds raised will be shared between the Cayman Islands Cancer Society and Cayman HospiceCare, with 50 percent going to the Cancer Society, 25 per cent to HospiceCare and 25 per cent to the Lions Club to promote public awareness initiatives of the disease year round and the walk/run event. “Overall, the feedback from runners and walkers was very good and ev- eryone had a good time,” Ms. Godfrey said. The walk/run campaign is held each year in memory of past Lion president Delano Hislop, who lost his battle with colon cancer in January 2011. Starting on Saturday, par- ticipants walked approxi- mately 15 kilometers each day until they reached the closing ceremony on the public beach on Monday. Each day’s walk ended at the Lions Community Centre. The focus of the three-day journey for life educates men and women in the Cayman’s community about early detec- tion and prevention of these diseases, organizers said. One in seven men in the U.S. will be diag- nosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Nearly all men di- agnosed in the early stages are likely to be disease-free after five years. “Overall the feedback from runners and walkers was very good and everyone had a good time.” Carmin Godfrey, PACE chairwoman Walkers rehydrate at a waterstop during the PACE walk/run. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY JULY 7, 2015 • CAYMAN COMPASS trust is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term of five years.” In addition, Webb, Watson and Watson’s former per- sonal assistant at local fi- nancial services company Admiral Administration, Miriam Rodriguez, were jointly charged Friday with one count of conspiracy to convert crim- inal property, contrary to the Cayman Islands Penal Code and the Proceeds of Crime Law. Watson and Rodriguez are due to appear in court Tuesday to answer the additional charges against them. An arrest warrant for Webb was issued Friday from the Cayman Islands. The CarePay case In addition to the charges filed against him Friday, Watson already faces 10 charges in the Cayman Islands Grand Court for which he is due to stand trial in November, including six charges for alleged money laundering. Rodriguez was al- ready facing two charges of money laundering in the Grand Court and a November trial date as well. Both Watson and Rodriguez are due to appear in court Tuesday to answer the new charges against them. The money laundering al- legations against Rodriguez relate to separate amounts totaling US$25,000 and US$30,000 that she is ac- cused of handling on behalf of Watson. The money laundering charges allege that in June and July 2012, Rodriguez possessed “criminal property” that repre- sented, either directly or indi- rectly, the benefits of criminal conduct totaling US$55,000. According to informa- tion obtained by the Cayman Compass from a number of sources familiar with the in- vestigation, the first cash pay- ment of $25,000 was collected at Fidelity Bank on Grand Cayman in late June 2012. The cash was taken in an envelope to local financial services com- pany Admiral Administration and left with Rodriguez, it is al- leged. The second payment of US$30,000 came in early July 2012 from a check drawn on an account at Fidelity Bank, the Compass has learned. The check was cashed and, again, an envelope was taken to Admiral, where it was left for Rodriguez to handle, it is al- leged. Fidelity officials con- firmed last month that Webb was employed at the Cayman branch of the bank as a consul- tant at the time these cash col- lections occurred. The allegation in the charges against Rodriguez is that while working at Admiral Administration she received cash in envelopes from “per- sons involved in AIS” and “for- warded it on to a third party without disclosing the same.” The third party referred to, but not named in court re- cords was not connected with Admiral Administration. AIS – Advanced Information Systems [Cayman] Ltd. – is a company in which Watson had a sub- stantial beneficial interest, ac- cording to Crown prosecutors, and to which multimillion- dollar healthcare-related con- tracts were awarded while he served as chairman of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board of directors. The money laundering charges against Watson relate to a total of US$169,000 and cover the period from Dec. 30, 2010 to June 2012. The charges are brought under the Proceeds of Crime Law. He is also charged with failing to disclose a pecuniary interest, breach of trust, fraud on the govern- ment, and conflict of interest. The charges relate to a pe- riod during which Watson ap- proved and signed the contract for the Cayman Islands’ public healthcare patient swipe-card payment system – known as CarePay – and a second con- tract for a computerized phar- maceutical tracking system. Close ties The announcement by the Anti-Corruption Commission Friday marks the first time Webb has been publicly linked to the hospital CarePay con- tract investigation in Cayman, but it is not the first time he has been linked to Watson both personally and professionally. The Compass reported in early June that Watson sat on a three-person committee that evaluated bids for a US$15.5 million contract that now forms part of the U.S. investi- gation into alleged bribery and racketeering in world football’s governing body, FIFA. The contract, according to U.S. federal court indictments, was for the commercializa- tion rights to the 2013 version of the Gold Cup tournament and the 2013/14 and 2014/15 CONCACAF Champions League competitions. The indictment in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, alleges that the rights to those foot- ball games were sold to Traffic USA after then-CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb solic- ited US$1.1 million in bribe payments from the company, through an intermediary. A press statement an- nouncing the contract award for the tournaments was re- leased on Nov. 27, 2012: “The multi-year agreement was reached after due process from the CONCACAF evalu- ation committee assigned to this bid comprised of Mr. Pedro Chaluja, Panamanian Football Federation President, Mr. Dan Flynn, general secretary of the U.S. Soccer Federation and Mr. Canover Watson, treasurer of the Cayman Islands Football Association, who evaluated all bids submitted.” CONCACAF is FIFA’s re- gional governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Webb was elected its president in May 2012 and served until his “pro- visional dismissal” in late May, following revelations that he had been charged in U.S. fed- eral court over a racketeering scheme that spanned 25 years, according to prosecutors. Webb has also been Cayman Islands Football Association president since 1991. Watson, who is not charged or even named in the U.S. fed- eral court indictment, served as a member of the CONCACAF region’s audit and compliance committee until he was relieved of his duties last year following charges filed against him in the CarePay investigation. The two top-level football officials also bought houses on the same street in Loganville, Georgia, within the past five years. One of the homes is a three-story mansion valued at US$931,000 located at 2116 Adel Drive in the small town east of Atlanta. A swimming pool was built on the property with the proceeds of bribes funneled through several inter- national bank accounts, front companies and intermediaries, U.S. federal prosecutors looking into FIFA officials’ activities have alleged. The 9,851-square-foot home, which is listed as having six bedrooms and eight bath- rooms, is owned by Webb and his wife, Atlanta-area physi- cian Kendra Gamble-Webb, ac- cording to Rockdale County, Georgia, tax records. It is one of several properties Webb owns in the state of Georgia that are now potentially subject to asset forfeiture proceedings, according to U.S. federal court indictments. Just three properties down from the Webb home, at 2128 Adel Drive, is a US$550,000 two- story, 7,694-square-foot home on 3 acres owned by Watson. business license, and in egre- gious cases, closure of the business. However, in prac- tice, the nonpayment of pen- sions in Cayman has been a widespread problem since the legislation was implemented nearly two decades ago. A report in late 2013 by former Complaints Commissioner Nicola Williams detailed the depth of the problem, calling it a “national crisis,” and warning that many workers nearing retirement would be left de- pendent on social services because their employers had not paid into their retirement accounts. Ms. Williams first re- ported on the issue in 2010; a follow-up evaluation by her office two years ago revealed the problem had gotten worse, with more than 1,100 companies in some state of arrears on pension plan contributions. Part of the problem has been a lengthy process through the court system in prosecuting pension violators. In 2014, a year after Ms. Williams issued her follow- up report, there appeared to be few instances of pen- sion violations being re- solved through the court system. According to records released by former Acting Pensions Superintendent Mario Ebanks, some 15 cases of alleged pension violations were before the courts, and only four had been brought to a conclusion. The most well-known of the “concluded” cases from last year involved Cayman Net Ltd., the operator of the former Cayman Net News newspaper, where no em- ployees received restitu- tion for money owed. “At [a court] hearing on April 22, 2014, all charges [were] dis- missed as it was accepted that no proceedings could occur as [owner Desmond] Seales was dead and was the sole director,” a statement on the National Pensions Office website read. “Documentation was produced to show busi- ness closed. Ex-employees would have to take civil ac- tion to recover their funds.” To try to rectify this problem, the proposed pen- sions legislation, which has been put out for public com- ment, allows government to create a system of “adminis- trative” fines for companies that don’t pay into retire- ment schemes. The proposal allows the director of labor and pensions to increase ad- ministrative fines for busi- nesses that don’t meet their pension requirements. Director leaves A day after he appeared to announce the pensions re- form bill, Director of Labour and Pensions and Acting Pensions Superintendent Mr. Ebanks officially left his posi- tion at the pensions office. He said he would stay on a “part- time” basis through July and then act as a consultant to finish up certain projects. As of Wednesday, Mr. Ebanks moved into his new job as chief human resources officer at the Cayman Islands Airports Authority. “After spending the past few years … in an impor- tant regulatory role, I am de- lighted to return to my pas- sion of human resources and organizational devel- opment,” he said. Pascal. Karim Murray won bronze in the men’s 200m; Tahj Lewis took bronze in the men’s 800m and Ashley Natly took bronze in the women’s high jump. One of the best achieve- ments by a Cayman athlete was sprinter Tyrell Cuffy’s double gold in the 100m and 200m. It was particularly satisfying for the 26-year-old speedster who is coached by Cayman’s technical director of track and field Kenrick Williams because Cuffy has endured injury and loss of form for years. Winning both events gave him “the biggest sigh of relief,” Cuffy said. “I knew I had what it took to get both golds, it was just up to me to execute prop- erly and run my own race.” He added that the 200m, won in 21.24 seconds, was definitely more pleasing be- cause it’s his better event. His 100m time was 10.73 seconds. “Leading up to the Island Games, my training was spe- cifically set up for me to run a quick curve and just use my form to take me home,” he said. “This was only my second 200m for the season so I was pretty pleased with the time.” Cuffy was hoping to go under 21 seconds. “It would have been fantastic because it would have been an Island Games record, but I guess I’ll have to save that for 2017 Island Games, which should be held in Gotland [Sweden].” Cuffy said the overall or- ganization and atmosphere in Jersey was “amazing,” adding, “My teammates were always there to support me and each other in our events. “Our manager Barbara Wilson and coach Kenrick Williams ensured that we were always hydrated, prop- erly fed and our bodies were feeling 100 percent before every race.” This was Cuffy’s first Island Games and he was very impressed with the organi- zation of the transportation to and from events. “Plus the people in Jersey are incred- ibly nice,” he said. “The entire Cayman delegation stayed at the same hotel, so it was also a great feeling to see other participants and hear how they did in their sport.” The double victory has given him a huge boost after some outstanding times when he was a teenager led everyone to believe he would quickly develop into a world-class athlete. It could happen now. “It’s been a rough few years trying to find my stride again, but after securing both goal medals, I’m confi- dent that I can push forward now and become the athlete that I picture in my dreams every single night.” For the rest of the summer, he will do a lot of preparation for big meets. The Olympics is coming up next year in Rio de Janeiro, so throughout the next few months Cuffy plans to sit with coach Williams and work out the perfect program that will prepare him for the 2016 Games. “I haven’t qualified for an Olympic Games before so I’m definitely aiming for this one. I’m getting to that age where my body is func- tioning at top form, so I have to definitely take advantage of that. It would be a dream to come through to make an Olympic finals, which is my main goal.” Despite the setbacks, Cuffy said there has never been a time in the past couple of years when he considered quitting. The Cayman team was scheduled to return to Grand Cayman on Monday afternoon. Webb facing extradition to US and Cayman Bill seeks to ban pension ‘victimization’ STABBING, ROBBERY AT GUNPOINT REPORTED OVER WEEKEND Police officers responding to a report of shots fired in West Bay on Saturday morning found a man who had been stabbed in the head and chest on Sunburst Lane. The West Bay Criminal Investigation Department is investigating the incident in which the man was critically injured. A 911 call alerted po- lice to the report of shots fired at 5:54 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived at the scene, they found the injured man, who was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital. Police searched the area and recovered a handgun. Robbery Police are also looking for two men who robbed a man at gunpoint on Venice Bodden Drive in Bodden Town around 11:20 p.m. Friday. One gunman is de- scribed as 6 feet tall, and the other as 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Both were dressed in dark clothing, of slim build, and spoke with Jamaican accents. The victim told po- lice the assailants tried to force him into his home but he resisted and was struck in the head, re- ceiving a minor injury, ac- cording to police. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the man before the gunmen fled on foot. Four arrested Also on Saturday morning, police officers ar- rested three men and one woman during a traffic stop in Bodden Town. Around 1:18 a.m., offi- cers stopped the vehicle in which the four were trav- eling. Police searched the ve- hicle and found a handgun and ganja. Cayman’s athletes win 33 Island Games medals CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 7, 2015 Yemen: Saudi leads coalition air strike An air strike by the Saudi-led coalition has killed at least 45 people in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden, witnesses there have said. Greece looks to reopen bailout talks as euro future in doubt ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece and its membership in Europe’s joint currency faced an uncertain future Monday, with the country under pres- sure to restart bailout talks with creditors as soon as possible after Greeks re- soundingly rejected the no- tion of more austerity in ex- change for aid. With Greek banks run- ning out of cash and facing the danger of collapse within days without new aid, the government in Athens is racing against the clock. In an effort to facilitate negotiations on a new aid program, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who had clashed with European officials in the bailout talks, announced his res- ignation Monday. But Greece and its cred- itors, who will meet again Tuesday to discuss how to keep the country in the euro, remain far apart on key is- sues, particularly the notion of debt relief. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on the phone Monday ahead of the Tuesday summit, though no details were disclosed of what they discussed. New negotiations will be complicated for the European creditors by Tsipras’ triumph in Sunday’s referendum. More than 61 percent of Greeks backed his call to vote “no” to budget cuts the creditors had proposed in return for rescue loans the country needs – even though those proposals were no longer on the table. The vote was painted by opposition parties and many European officials as one on whether Greece should re- main in Europe’s joint cur- rency. In the aftermath, many European leaders soft- ened their tone and said talks would resume, though Greece’s chance of staying in the euro was looking increas- ingly shaky. The country’s banks re- mained shut on Monday for a sixth working day and the government kept tight limits on cash withdrawals at ATMs and money transfers to limit the drain on deposits. All eyes now turn to whether the European Central Bank will in- crease the amount of credit the banks can draw on to make up for the cash drain. Analysts expect the ECB to not provide more emergency assistance on Monday. That means the banks would not be able to re- open and Greece might have to tighten its limits on cash withdrawals and transfers from the current 60 euros ($67) per day. Some banks may even face the risk of collapse in coming days as they continue to be drained of banknotes. Greece’s economy minister, Giorgos Stathakis, told the BBC that if the ECB keeps its support unchanged, the cur- rent cash withdrawals limits can stay in place until Friday without any banks collapsing. Facing such urgency, the Greek government has vowed to quickly restart negotia- tions with creditors in other eurozone countries and with the institutions that oversaw the country’s bailout: the ECB, European Commission and International Monetary Fund. Varoufakis appeared to be the first casualty of the Greek government’s attempt to reach a deal with creditors. With his brash style and fondness for frequent media appearances, Varoufakis had visibly annoyed many of the eurozone’s finance ministers during the past months’ debt negotiations. Varoufakis said in a state- ment he was told shortly after the referendum result that some other eurozone finance ministers and the country’s other creditors would appre- ciate his not attending the ministers’ meetings. The idea was one “that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today,” he said. As for his European nego- tiating colleagues, he said of them: “I shall wear the credi- tors’ loathing with pride.” A replacement was to be announced later Monday. With his high-stakes gamble to call a referendum with just a week’s notice, Tsipras aimed to show cred- itors that Greeks, whose economy has been shattered and who face spiraling un- employment and poverty, have had enough and that the austerity prescribed isn’t working. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, second from left, arrives for a Greek political leaders meeting in Athens on Monday. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis resigned following Sunday’s referendum in which the majority of voters said “no” to more austerity measures in exchange for another financial bailout. - PHOTO: AP Morning after: Greeks united, proud of their defiance ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Nicky Zachary closed her family’s shoe store just a few hours after opening it Monday – the few customers who had strolled in hadn’t bought a thing. But she was not dis- couraged – she thinks a land- mark “no” vote in a nation- wide referendum Sunday has bonded Greeks together. “We can live with very little and we can live through difficult situations,” said Zachary, 50. “I think, after the referendum, the Greek people are united in this situation. I don’t want to lose the dream for a better Greece. I want to have hope for a better deal.” Across the country, Greek banks remained closed, ac- cess to cash was severely lim- ited and it was far from clear when or if a fresh bailout deal with international credi- tors could be reached for this deeply indebted nation. Yet there was pride and defiance in Athens after a lopsided victory for those who want the Greek gov- ernment to reject the de- mands of European cred- itors for more austerity, including further cuts to pen- sions. Greeks know full well they are whisper-close to fi- nancial ruin but many feel they have at least reclaimed their dignity. “Something happened last night with the Greek people,” said George Papadokostakis, 34, who runs the Due coffee shop in west Athens. “I’m very happy. We were in a dead-end situation (but) with the ‘no’ vote we believe there may be something better. I thought we were dead, now we have a small hope.” He thinks the “no” vote will help Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s govern- ment get a better deal from its European creditors. Indeed, three Greek opposi- tion parties signed a decla- ration of support Monday for Tsipras in future bailout talks, adding to the backing he has from his governing Syriza party and junior government partner the Independent Greeks. Still, these good feel- ings do not mean that busi- ness – or life – is good. The bank closures, now in their second week, are having a devastating impact as Greeks hold tightly onto what cash they have, fearing the banks might even run dry. Cash machines are limited to dis- pensing 60 euros ($66) per customer each day. No one has access to their safe de- posit boxes – where some Greeks are thought to have put cash savings – since the banks are closed. Small business opera- tors can’t use credit cards or money from bank accounts to replenish their stock — they have to rely on the cash gen- erated from customer pur- chases, which are few and far between. These restric- tions are creating unease that is undercutting the morning- after glow of saying “no” to creditors. Papadokostakis said the storm of the brief yet furious referendum campaign has been replaced with a calm feeling of satisfaction. But he knows the underlying crisis is far from solved. “I’m afraid this quiet situ- ation will become very anx- ious and dangerous,” he said. “We hope other people don’t have to live like us. It’s not good to be under this stress.” A woman passes a discount shop in western Athens on Monday. Across the country, Greek banks are still closed, access to cash is severely limited and it’s not clear when or if a fresh bailout deal will be reached for the debt-wracked nation. - PHOTO: APNext >