Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Western Union counters in the Cayman Islands closed without warning Friday after Fidelity Bank’s board of directors decided one day earlier to end the service, according to the bank. Fidelity also pulled the money transfer ser- vice from Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. Services like Western Union allow people to transfer cash across borders, typically to send remittances to family overseas. Concerns over money laundering and terrorism financing have made the all-cash business a problem for regu- lators and for the banks that act as local agents for the money-transfer services. Fidelity Bank (Cayman) CEO Brett Hill said the bank had been considering drop- ping Western Union because the risks have in- creased while fees have declined. “It’s been an increasingly marginal business for us,” he said. Mr. Hill said in an interview this week that the fees banks could charge for money transfers have fallen significantly as competition has in- creased around the world. He said the bank’s board made the decision Thursday to stop all Western Union transfers by the end of the next business day. He said he did not know why the board decided to close the sites so quickly. Reached by email, Fidelity Group CEO Anwer Sunderji, who also chairs the board, said, “We had already made a decision to exit Turks in 2014 and the wider relationship was just a matter of time.” Customers were surprised and annoyed Monday to find a sign, in the familiar yellow and black of the worldwide brand, announcing that Western Union was closed. Western Union had sports | page 17 aCaDemy kiCk baCk with Champ Dante Rodrigues trains karate kids High of 90 Low of 77 Smooth with wave heights less than 2 feet editorial | page 4 Cruise statement: tourism assoCiation’s self-infliCteD harm ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – tuesDay July 21, 2015 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! Gas import prices drop more than at the pump Western Union counters close in Cayman Mixed reactions to CITA cruise dock opposition Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Gas import prices for the first quarter of this year are down by more than 40 percent over the same period in 2014, according to statistics from the Economics and Statistics Office. Average gas station prices in that period dropped about 25 percent, from $5.50 to $4.15, ac- cording to data from the Petroleum Inspectorate. The consumer price decreases roughly follow the same track as prices in the United States, where some prices for a gallon of regular gas dropped to $2 late last year. Gas prices in Cayman peaked in October at more than $5.50 a gallon, according to govern- ment data, and dropped to about $5 a gallon by the end of last year. The inspectorate, which tracks gas prices, recorded prices decreasing through the first quarter of this year before hitting $4 a gallon by the end of March. Earlier this year, Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts pushed for legislation to force gas station owners to open their books and show how much they are paying for fuel from suppliers. He said in April that his staff is in “the continuing saga of the Petroleum Inspectorate inquiring about prices of fuel and not being able to have any method to verify the information that they receive.” “The Petroleum Inspectorate will have proper legislation in place which guarantees their ability to get this information,” he said at the time. Import records, tracked by the Economics and Statistics Office, come from the Customs Department. The data shows gas prices dropped by 42.5 percent and diesel fell by 49.8 percent over the period. The quarterly trade statistics show an overall decrease of almost 13 percent, with gas leading the way as prices dropped around the world. The value of other imports fell by $5.8 million, or 3.6 percent, during the first quarter of this year. by kelsey Jukam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Tourism Association’s announcement late last week that the majority of its members were opposed to the pro- posed cruise berthing plan has drawn mixed reactions. CITA announced its opposition to the cruise berthing plan after it con- ducted a “careful review” of related documentation and assessed the re- sults of a survey sent to its members. The tourism trade organization, which has more than 200 members, has not released any more details about its survey. CITA member Robert Hamaty, owner of the Tortuga Rum Company and among those who have been active in the pro-cruise port campaign “Cayman’s Port. Cayman’s Future,” said he was personally surprised by CITA’s announcement last week, noting that statements CITA made in the past had indicated that the organization might be in favor of the plan. “If this thing is not done, it’s an industry that is going to fail,” Mr. Hamaty said. “If it doesn’t happen now, it’s going to happen in the future.” He said he hopes CITA will soon disclose the survey results to the members. The Ministry of Tourism said in a statement Monday that it Western Union counters in the Cayman Islands, including this one at Foster’s Food Fair’s Airport location, closed suddenly Friday after Fidelity Bank stopped offering the cash transfer service. - photo: Jewel levy Mr. Hamaty PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 REGIONAL NEWS Tuesday July 21, 2015 • Cayman Compass KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – Jamaica’s sole electricity provider says crews have pulled down nearly 10,000 illegal connections to the power grid and police have arrested over 300 people for theft so far this year. In a Sunday statement, the Jamaica Public Service Co. says it is “relentlessly pursuing” electricity thieves in neighborhoods where a tangle of illegal wires can often be seen tapping into power lines. In one town in Jamaica’s St. Catherine parish, resi- dents fled their homes last week to avoid arrest as power crews removed about 850 illegal connections. The government has a 20 percent stake in the electricity distributor on the Caribbean island, where power theft has long been rampant. In import-dependent Jamaica, consumers pay as much as five times more for electricity than people do in communities in South Florida. NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) – Eighteen Dominicans aboard a fishing boat have been detained by the Bahamian military on sus- picion of poaching. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force says the suspected poachers were detained southwest of Great Exuma island. Their 100-foot, steel- hulled boat was alleg- edly filled with scale fish and crawfish caught in Bahamian waters. It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday how much fish the Dominican-flagged vessel was carrying. A Bahamian patrol boat and a plane are searching for four Dominican sus- pects aboard two skiffs who fled as their colleagues were being detained. Last year, at least two Dominican fishing boats loaded with fresh catch were intercepted in waters of the sprawling archipelago off Florida’s east coast. 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. ANT MAN 3D (PG13) 1:40 I 4:30 2D I 7:20 I 10:00 2D MINIONS 3D (PG) 1:20 I 4:10 2D I 7:10 I 9:30 2D TERMINATOR GENISYS (PG13) 12:50 I 3:40 I 6:55 I 9:40 TRAINWRECK (R) 1:30 I 4:20 I 7:10 I 10:05 INSIDE OUT (PG) 1:10 I 3:40 I 7:15 I 9:50 JURASSIC WORLD (PG13) 1:00 I 3:45 I 6:30 I 9:15 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Puerto Ricans struggle moving to central Florida MIAMI (AP) – Mayra Rios didn’t want to leave her na- tive Puerto Rico. But the con- stant bullying that her au- tistic son faced at school and the lack of services available to him were the last blow. “Over there it’s almost im- possible to live,” she said in Spanish at her modest two- bedroom Orlando apartment. “There’s a blow from every side,” she said complaining of the 11.5 percent sales tax rate officials recently im- posed to alleviate some of the $70 billion debt burden. As Puerto Rico struggles with an unpayable debt, an unemployment rate over 12 percent, rising violence and a stagnant economy that offers little opportunity to thrive, thousands of its res- idents are abandoning the island for central Florida, a longtime refuge for Puerto Ricans where low-skill jobs in tourism and related ser- vice industries were easy to find. But times have changed and Puerto Rican commu- nity leaders say newcomers like Rios often find settling here difficult. “It’s a challenge because one has to adapt to every- thing, to laws, to the way of life, to the language,” said Rios, who said she doesn’t speak English well enough to land a well-paying job. Puerto Ricans, who are U.S. citizens, have histori- cally migrated to the main- land during harsh eco- nomic times. But as opposed to those who moved to the Northeast during the “Great Migration” of the 1950s, more Puerto Ricans today and in recent decades are choosing central Florida, according to the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at the City University of New York. Edwin Melendez, the cen- ter’s director, said Puerto Rico’s economic crisis is causing “another Great Migration,” with Florida at- tracting the majority of im- migrants because of its warm weather, proximity to Puerto Rico, job market and the already large Puerto Rican community. With the most recent data from 2013, the center esti- mates almost 1 million Puerto Ricans live in Florida, with about 400,000 living in central Florida. The center also esti- mates Florida will soon rival New York as the state with the most Puerto Ricans. As of 2013, about 5 million Puerto Ricans live stateside, almost 2 million more than the 3.4 million Puerto Ricans living on the island. But as community leaders in central Florida see their numbers soar, reports of re- cent arrivals struggling to find affordable housing, be- coming homeless or living in hotels have them worried. “Our county is not pre- pared to have a massive migration of people that are going to be needing af- fordable housing,” said Nancy Sharifi, spokeswoman for the Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development. Sharifi said most families that are moving are not af- fluent and many are not fully bilingual, which makes it dif- ficult to get better paying jobs. She said a family needs an income of $40,000 or more to afford modest housing. “Be prepared to work two-and-a-half jobs to be able to afford a two-bed- room apartment,” she said. “You need to know the facts before you unload your suit- cases and end up in your friend’s or cousin’s house.” Rios and her two teenage boys moved to Orlando in February to join her hus- band, who had arrived a few months earlier. He worked as an air conditioning tech- nician in Puerto Rico, but because he doesn’t speak English he is now a land- scaper. He works full-time and weekends and makes $1,600 a month. The family survives on his income and some money that Mayra’s ex-husband sends her chil- dren. After briefly working a cleaning job, without a car to herself, she is now unemployed. Rios’s family pays $1,200 for their modest two-bed- room apartment. “I’m depressed,” said Rios. “I’m alone. You get here and you’re all alone.” But she said she will en- dure whatever hardships are necessary, for the sake of her two boys. “They love it here,” she said. “I did it for them.” Sharifi said there are success stories of people moving from Puerto Rico, but said those who struggle do so because they were un- informed about the costs and realities of central Florida. Community leaders have responded by offering “Talleres de Bienvenida,” or “Welcoming Workshops,” aimed at helping Hispanic immigrants cope with housing, employment and cultural issues. With the most recent data from 2013, the center estimates almost 1 million Puerto Ricans live in Florida, with about 400,000 living in central Florida. Dominicans detained in Bahamas for alleged fish poaching Jamaica power utility pulls down thousands of illegal lines TORONTO (AP) – The man- ager of Cuba’s baseball team at the Pan Am Games wanted nothing to do with ques- tions about defections to the United States. Cuba has acknowledged that two players defected during warm-up games two weeks ago in the United States, and last week four rowers at the Pan Am Games in Canada left the team and crossed the American border. Cuban athletes have a his- tory of defecting, and that hasn’t changed even as the United States and Cuba open embassies on Monday in the other’s country, ending more than 50 years of separation. “I’m not interested in talking about this,” said Roger Machado, manager of Cuba’s baseball team. “Talk to me about baseball.” Roberto Ramirez, Cuba’s media representative at the games, declined comment about the rowers. “We’re not speaking in regard to this,” he told The Associated Press on Sunday. “This is a right that we have.” Many Cuban athletes at the games declined to talk on the record, and those who did defended the government and criticized those leaving. Cubans living in Canada and attending Pan Am events spoke more openly, acknowl- edging the pull of big money. But some declined to speak, showing hostility at being asked about an act that some regard as treason. At a Gold Cup soccer game on Saturday against the United States in Baltimore, Cuba listed five players as absent and gave no reason. “They’ve chosen their path,” Cuba coach Raul Gonzalez said, without giving details. Mijain Lopez, the two- time defending Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, was reported al- most five years ago to have defected to the United States. It’s a rumor he denied at the time, and again this week. “I never thought of leaving Cuba,” he told The Associated Press at the Pan Am Games. “I love my people, my country. Those guys [that defected] have betrayed our revolution. I hope they’re happy. They have left something beautiful behind, which is socialism and our country’s dignity. Let them do what they can in other countries. We will continue doing what we can for the revolution.” A fellow Cuban gold- medal wrestler at the Pan Am Games used a similar tone. “I don’t stick my nose in politics,” said Reineris Salas, after defeating American Jake Herbert for gold in free- sytle in the 86-kilogram (189- pound) class. “All I know is I won gold and dedicate it to my family, to Fidel Castro and all of Cuba.” Cuba-born Rafael Borrell attended a Cuba vs. United States baseball game at the games. He immigrated to Canada 20 years ago and works as a carpenter. “Maybe in two or three years it won’t matter,” he said. “People can go back and forth like in any other place … ” Dozens of baseball players have defected, in- cluding stars like Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox and Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They leave family behind, and reuni- fication is never easy. The Cuban government also loses millions in training athletes who eventually flee. cuba, us improve relations, but sports defections continue3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 21, 2015 Masters in Human Resource Management Coming to the Cayman Islands in October 2015 For HR Practitioners and Senior Managers The University of Portsmouth is delighted to be offering a 5th Masters in HRM to be delivered by University of Portsmouth Faculty on-island. The first two academic years of classes are fully taught on island, plus a research based project This programme is perfect for HR professionals and senior managers who wish to to develop HR skills and knowledge, gain a respected Masters Qualification and benefit from CIPD Membership For Class Schedule, Fees and Payment Plans and Frequently Asked Questions: www.port.ac.uk/cayman/hrm If you are interested please contact: Marjorie Corbridge: marjorie.corbridge@port.ac.uk Director of Recruitment for the Cayman Masters in HRM University of Portsmouth Business School Enhance your career prospects, gain a Masters and gain CIPD membership! Police step up patrols after another indecent assault report in West Bay Police say they are in- creasing patrols in West Bay after receiving another re- port of a woman being inde- cently assaulted by a cyclist, the fourth such report made by female runners or walkers in the area. According to police, around 5:45 a.m. on Saturday, a woman was walking along Batabano Road near the Church of Christ when a man ran up behind her and inde- cently assaulted her by grab- bing her backside. “The woman reported that she had seen the man briefly when he rode past her on his bike headed in the other direction, after which he jumped off his bike and ran up behind her,” Royal Cayman Islands Police Service spokes- woman Jacqueline Carpenter said in a press statement. She said the woman re- ported that the man left when he saw an oncoming vehicle. The assailant is described as being around 5 feet, 5 inches tall, of small build, with short black hair and a dark complexion. He was wearing a sleeveless dark shirt and dark pants. Officers from the West Bay CID are investigating. In May, in three sepa- rate reports, three women told police they had been as- saulted by a man on a bicycle while they were running or walking in the area. Two of the assaults occurred in May and the other last November, but that victim came for- ward only after reading of similar assaults. Following the reports in May, police released CCTV images of the assailant on a bike and urged the public to identify him. “We urge women with similar experiences who may have not reported them to police to come forward, as well as anyone with any in- formation regarding these as- saults,” Ms. Carpenter said. Police said they have in- creased patrols in the area and are urging women to “take safety precautions as much as possible, and not to walk or exercise alone in the area.” The earlier reports re- ceived by police included one from a woman who said she had been indecently assaulted by a cyclist as she jogged along Conch Point Road on May 11, and one from a fe- male jogger who said she was groped by a cyclist on Birch Tree Hill Road around 7 a.m. on May 12. Another female jogger said she was indecently assaulted by a bicycle rider in November 2014 while jogging along Rev. Blackman Road in the early morning. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Dave Morrison at the West Bay Police Station on 949-3999 or Cayman Crime Stoppers on 800-8477(TIPS). Officers from the West Bay CID are investigating. Police on Monday reissued this image, taken from a CCTV video, of a man wanted in connection with a series of indecent assaults on female runners and walkers in the West Bay area. This image was captured on May 12 on Birch Tree Hill Road. Four women say they have been indecently assaulted by a cyclist in the area. Marine officer fined, disqualified from driving Officer had no vehicle insurance CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A sergeant with the Marine Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service was convicted and fined $1,215 on Monday for driving without insurance. Shawn Abshire Bodden’s fine was three times the insurance premium that should have been paid, Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn said. Costs of $300 were also ordered. Bodden, 41, was also disqualified from driving for 12 months, effec- tive immediately. Bodden, who was found guilty in May, gave im- mediate notice of appeal. Magistrate Gunn had post- poned sentencing after at- torney Charles Clifford sub- mitted that no conviction should be recorded or that special reasons existed for Bodden not to be disquali- fied from driving, owing to Bodden’s exemplary char- acter, distinguished career and the fact that he used his vehicle to carry out mainte- nance of Marine Unit vessels. The magistrate pointed out that the law imposes a burden on each driver to make sure that the vehicle driven is insured. Bodden as a police officer had taken an oath to uphold the law and should have been aware of his obligation more than the average person. Mr. Clifford had sub- mitted that it would not be in the interests of justice to convict Bodden and he should be discharged. An al- ternative argument was that special reasons existed not to impose disqualification from driving, which is other- wise mandatory. The magistrate said se- nior officers acknowledged that maintenance service provided by Bodden had as- sisted the unit, but there was no suggestion he had been instructed to do so. Further, when the insurance expired in March 2011, he did not advise them. The magistrate found that Bodden’s senior officers did not know about his insur- ance situation; if they knew, they would have instructed him to stop using his truck until the insurance was cov- ered. It is the police service’s responsibility to service their vessels adequately, she pointed out. If Bodden had told them his situation, they would have had to make the necessary arrangements. She also noted that the truck was used for per- sonal business as well as for purposes related to the Marine Unit. She concluded it would send the wrong message if a police officer were not con- victed, “especially when he denied guilt in the face of overwhelming evidence.” Although Bodden’s insur- ance had lapsed for more than two years, he had chosen to drive on public roads “over and over again … . This is in- excusable, whoever the driver is,” the magistrate said. Use of the truck for em- ployment purposes was not a special reason, she stated. The court has heard that reason given so often – it is not an unusual circumstance, she elaborated. Bodden had pleaded not guilty to driving without in- surance on the basis that his wife had obtained an es- timate for coverage the pre- vious afternoon and the pre- mium had been paid the day he was stopped. With no time stamp on the policy issued, Mr. Clifford had argued that the policy came into effect one minute after midnight on the date specified. Brac library gets a face-lift JEWEL LEvy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com After 20 years of use and surviving the onslaught of hurricanes Ivan and Paloma, the carpet in the Cayman Brac public library has been re- placed as part of the renova- tion of the building. “It looks nice, smells fresh and clean, and everyone said it’s much more inviting as you walk in the door,” said chief li- brarian Lizabeth Conolly. Typical life expectancy for flooring in a high-use com- munity library is 10 to 15 years. At 20 years, the floor covering had endured well beyond its useful lifespan. The library was also given a fresh coat of paint inside and outside. “It was just plain white, now it is yellow and orange. An old circulation desk was also replaced with a new one,” Ms. Conolly said. The carpet was installed by H & M Carpet and Tiling, under the purview of the Ministry of Education. The one-story library, at the rear of the island’s Government Administration Building, has a study area, a reference and research annex, a National Workforce Development Agency com- puter and work area for people in search of employ- ment, and a film scanner for viewing National Archive documents. Ms. Conolly said the li- brary is also getting two new computers – the library’s public computer was de- stroyed by a lightning strike last year. The library on Cayman Brac is a project of Rotary but operates under govern- ment’s Library Services. Quincy Brown contributed to this story. The interior of the new-look Cayman Brac library, with its new carpet.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Tuesday JuLy 21, 2015 • Cayman COmpass From: The Cayman Islands Tourism Association Subject: Cruise Berthing Facilities “To give an idea of the visual impact, anyone driving into town from the South side along the waterfront will no longer be able to look West to 7mile beach, you will be looking at a man-made concrete dock structure!” … “This has been nicknamed the ‘plume of death’ — very catchy phrase to attract tourism to Cayman waters don’t you think? Essentially all dive, snorkeling and swim activities throughout George Town waters will no longer be able to co-exist.” It is language such as this that threatens to erode CITA’s credibility as an organization that is representa- tive of the tourism industry in the Cayman Islands. The commentary in question (which CITA tried to “recall” after sending) was included in an email, signed by the CITA Executive Office and sent to members June 17, setting the table for the solicitation of opinions about the cruise dock project proposed for George Town. Eventually, the survey resulted in CITA issuing a statement last Thursday, July 16, that the group “cannot at this time support the current proposal to establish Cruise Berthing Facilities [CBF].” The statement went on to say that, “This position has been reached after careful review of the documen- tation available, individual CITA Sector meetings and a survey of our members where the majority of the respondents indicated that they did not support the current proposal.” Fair enough. However, brandishing the “plume of death” commentary from CITA’s June email, cruise dock proponents are arguing that, rather than being the outcome of objective analysis, CITA’s position against the project seems to have been preordained. The evidence certainly contributes to that appearance. In response to the umbrage expressed, CITA is further damaging its reputation by refusing to release details about the results of its survey, or “the informa- tion we have learnt through our review of documenta- tion of the current proposal for CBF” that the organi- zation said it will share with government. CITA’s actions, in this instance and in others, are curious and troubling. The association’s greatest strength, and greatest weakness, is its diversity. CITA has more than 250 members, including hotels, condos, water sports companies, restaurants, tour operators, dive shops, managers of attractions, tourism-associ- ated businesses, etc. — with some members focused on stay-over tourism, some on cruise tourism, and many on both. While it is vital for CITA to serve as a megaphone for the interests of the tourism sector, CITA is per- forming a great disservice to itself and its individual members when it issues blanket up-or-down determi- nations on issues that divide its membership — partic- ularly when those statements have been prefaced by prejudicial commentary (in this case, protecting “the environment”) that is not directly related to CITA’s core function, that is, supporting the tourism industry. If there does exist within CITA membership an overwhelming opinion against the cruise project, backed by germane reasons such as perceived ill effects on stay-over tourism or concerns over govern- ment’s potential financing arrangements, then issuing a strongly worded statement against the cruise dock would be entirely appropriate. It would be even better, perhaps, for CITA to provide specific information about the nuanced opinions of members, broken out by class and category, along with qualitative testimonials from indi- vidual members who are for or against the project, or whose feelings are mixed. Instead, CITA chose to issue an absolute judgment on behalf of its membership, while admitting that its membership was fractured. And though CITA’s official statement projected the pretense of objectivity and broad-minded analysis, its underlying correspondence to members suggests the opposite. And that is neither appropriate nor helpful — to CITA, to its membership or to the measured discussion our country should be having about this most serious cruise proposal. Cruise statement: Tourism association’s self-inflicted harm Recalling Caymanian seaman’s WWII service I was glad to see the letter of July 7 from Mr. Roy Bodden (“Seamen’s place in Cayman history”) about the part played by our world famous seamen in our economy prior to our be- coming a financial center. Mr. Neil Cruickshank also makes a very valid point in his letter of July 14 (“Mosquitoes and Cayman’s economy”) about the very capable entomolo- gist Dr. Marco Giglioli. Nevertheless I feel that the seamen of my father’s generation deserve much more recognition than they have been given, and in sup- port of this I enclose a letter from Vice Admiral E.W. Mills of the U.S. Navy to my father, the late Capt. Alva A. Reid which speaks for itself. Due to the fact that many young people have probably never heard of my father, I would mention that he was born in Little Cayman in 1901. William (Billy) Reid Editor’s note: Above is the enclosed letter, which praises Capt. Alva A. Reid for his service in the U.S. Naval Salvage Service. Letter, dated March 1, 1947, from U.S. Navy Vice Admiral E.W. Mills to Caymanian Alva A. Reid, recognizing his service during World War II. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Pentagon’s plan for a British base Eli lakE Congress is investigating the U.S. military to evaluate charges that it manipulated studies to justify building an intelligence center in the United Kingdom. Over the weekend I ob- tained a letter to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, sent by Chairman Jason Chaffetz of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to request docu- ments, communications and analyses used in making the decision to build the new intelligence center at the British airfield at Croughton, outside of London. Chaffetz wanted to know why the mil- itary did not more rigorously analyze housing the new center at Lajes, a base in the Portuguese Azores Islands. Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Sunday that he has been in touch with Pentagon whis- tleblowers who have said the cost estimates provided to Congress to justify construc- tion of the new base in the United Kingdom were based on incomplete and distorted information, which may have made the Croughton option seem cheaper than it would be and made Lajes seem more expensive. “The manip- ulation of the information is highly suspicious,” he told me. “We’re going to probe this until we get to the truth.” Earlier this year, the Pentagon sent its European Infrastructure Consolidation plan to Congress, proposing to build the new base for about 1,000 intelligence an- alysts attached to European and Africa Command and to a related NATO intelligence center. The plan caught the at- tention of Rep. Devin Nunes, R-California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and other law- makers who consider the Lajes airfield strategically im- portant and thought the in- telligence center would be a good fit there. The controversy was first reported last month by the Wall Street Journal, but House Republicans have been fighting to save Lajes since 2013. Back then six members of Congress, led by Nunes, urged then-Secretary Leon Panetta not to reduce the ca- pabilities of Lajes Air Base, arguing that the base in the Atlantic Ocean was a unique strategic asset to counter rising terrorist threats in North Africa. Nunes has taken an in- terest in Lajes since 2003, his freshman year in the House. He served as Congress’s li- aison to Portugal on the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and he began visiting the air field the same year. He told me this weekend that the Defense Department initially had not considered Lajes as an alternative in the base studies for consolidating that intelligence work. “You have the nicest base that you have in all of the Department of Defense, with cheaper an- nual costs on the cost of living, the housing allowance, not to mention the size and scope of the base,” he told me. “It was built to house 2,000 airmen. With Croughton you would have to build or rent this housing out.” More recently, the Pentagon has shared its own estimates with Congress and the media that say put- ting the intelligence base at Lajes would cost US$1 bil- lion more over time than the Croughton proposal would. Nunes said that that es- timate is “laughable,” and that his proposal to put the intelligence center at Lajes would end up saving hun- dreds of millions of dollars, by avoiding new construction at Croughton and by avoiding the cost of winding down the airfield at Lajes. The Pentagon nonetheless says Lajes Air Base is not a vi- able option. “The bottom line here is that this is a decision about operational needs and responsible use of taxpayer dollars,” Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright told me. “Our previous personnel numbers at Lajes exceeded our opera- tional requirements. With the increase in range of modern aircraft, the frequency and volume of flights requiring the capabilities provided by Lajes Field have changed. Lajes has supported only an average of two U.S. military aircraft arrivals each day in the last couple of years.” Other senior military offi- cers have made this case di- rectly to Congress in recent weeks. In May, the two gen- erals in charge of European and Africa Command, David Rodriguez and Philip Breedlove, wrote a classi- fied letter to Nunes and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, urging them to support the pro- posed plan to build the intel- ligence center at Croughton. Eli Lake is a Bloomberg View columnist who writes about politics and foreign affairs. © 2015, Bloomberg View Pentagon whistleblowers [...] have said the cost estimates provided to Congress to justify construction of the new base in the United Kingdom were based on incomplete and distorted information [.]The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 HealthNEWS 4 remaining Ebola patients in Liberia recover The four remaining patients infected during Liberia’s recent string of Ebola cases have recovered, meaning there are currently no confirmed cases in the country, though more than 100 people are still under surveillance, a health official said. Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 21, 2015 TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT WE WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO A FIRE IN THE DINING ROOM & TAKE OUT AREA. CHINA VILLAGE RESTAURANT LIMITED Caymanian neurologist completes studies abroad JEwEL LEvy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Caymanian doctor who earlier in his studies carried out research into the effect of Hurricane Ivan on Cayman Islands residents has become a board-certified neurologist. During his post-baccalau- reate studies, which included a focus on treating epilepsy and sleep disorders, Wendell Bobb returned to Cayman from the United States in 2005 to conduct a research project to evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder on people who had experienced the hurricane and its aftermath. From the 100 people who were surveyed, the most prev- alent symptoms were recur- ring and intrusive thoughts of the hurricane. The ques- tionnaire was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Dr. Bobb, 36, who is now a fully board-certified neu- rologist with the American Academy of Psychiatry and Neurology, says he wants to head back home to Cayman. “Regarding where I would like to practice in Grand Cayman would depend on the most efficient and effective way to serve those with neurologic needs on the island,” Dr. Bobb said. “I have already spoken with some physicians at the Cayman Islands Health Services and other local hospitals.” However, to fulfill schol- arship and student loan ob- ligations, he will remain in Durham, North Carolina, for at least the next year. After leaving high school and working at the Cayman Islands government dental clinic as a dental assistant trainee to gain clinical expe- rience, he went to the U.S. in 1998 to pursue studies in the medical field. Growing up, Dr. Bobb was always interested in the medical field. His mother Elsa Bobb said when people asked him what he wanted to be, he would say, “I want to put water in a needle and give it to old people to make them walk better.” He struggled with mathe- matics, which seemed to put the dream of being a physi- cian out of his reach, but he made the grade through the help of a mathematics pro- fessor and family friend who took him under her wing and motivated him, he said. He successfully completed his math exams with distinc- tions, in addition to five more O-level CXC subjects and three GCE A-level subjects in Trinidad. He earned a bachelor’s de- gree in chemistry from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Florida State University College of Medicine. He then decided to pursue a neu- rology residency. He received the highest honor for a resident physician – the Hugh Hussey Award for Excellence in Medical Student Teaching from Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and grad- uated in June from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina with sub spe- cialties in clinical neurophysi- ology and sleep medicine. Besides receiving a scholarship in 2013 from the American Academy of Neurology for commitment to education, service and re- search, Dr. Bobb completed a research project reviewing charts for more than 1,700 United States veterans ti- tled, “Home Sleep Studies in a Veteran Population,” which was presented at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine meeting in June 2013. In his fellowships, he presented two more of his research projects at the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society Annual Meeting and Courses in February 2014. Dr. Bobb credits his suc- cess to the upbringing by his parents, Pastor Torrance and Elsa Bobb, family support, hard work, discipline and de- pendence on God. Dr. Bobb, 36, who is now a fully board-certified neurologist with the American Academy of Psychiatry and Neurology, says he wants to head back home to Cayman. Dr. Wendell Bobb 2015 forum to focus on emerging healthcare trends Mental health, pallia- tive care and allied health- care will be among the key topics at this year’s Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference, which will focus on emerging trends. The conference, in its sixth year, is set for Oct. 29 to 31 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood, who also serves as chair of the conference planning committee, said, “We strategically choose our topics and speakers to convey messages to at- tendees that will not only be engaging, but provide in- spiring words and knowl- edge to take back to the home or workplace. “We hope this conference will continue to better the lives and health of individ- uals as well as the Cayman community as [a] whole.” Interactive workshops will cover such topics as how to make end-of-life de- cisions, and mental health. Allied healthcare covers dietitians, physical thera- pists and other healthcare professionals who are not doctors or nurses. Palliative care refers to treating pain in seriously ill and termi- nally ill patients. Last year’s conference at- tracted 800 delegates, many from overseas, and spon- sors covered the costs. This year’s event will also be free, and organizers said they ex- pect more people to attend. The 2014 Healthcare Conference attracted 800 delegates, and organizers expect more this year. Doctors say teen’s HIV In cHeck for 12 years wItHout Drugs An 18-year-old French teen born with the AIDS virus has had her infection under control and nearly undetectable despite stop- ping treatment 12 years ago – an unprecedented remis- sion, doctors are reporting. The teen might have some form of natural re- sistance to HIV that hasn’t yet been discovered. But her case revives hope that early, aggressive treatment can limit how strongly the virus takes hold, and perhaps in rare cases, let people con- trol it without lifelong reli- ance on drugs. A few years ago, doc- tors reported a similar case: a Mississippi girl who kept HIV in check for 27 months without treatment. But then her virus rebounded, dashing hopes that early treatment might have cured her. At least a dozen adults have had remissions for a median of 10 years after stopping HIV medicines, but the new French case is said to be the first long-lasting one that started in childhood. The case was de- scribed Monday at an International AIDS Society conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Dr. Asier Saez-Cirion of the Pasteur Institute in Paris. The teen lives in the Paris area and her identity was not revealed. “This is an exciting story,” but it is unknown if the remission will last, said Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, a scientist at the Pasteur Institute and a co-discov- erer of HIV.TUESDAY, JULY 21 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “The Lego Movie” (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 22 LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at the Town Hall in George Town, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY, JULY 23 LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at the East End Civic Centre, 8 p.m. BRAC COURT: Summary Court is held today and tomorrow at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre from 10 a.m. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION: The Special Needs Foundation of Cayman holds its next Parent Support Meeting 6-7 p.m. at the Discovery Centre, Camana Bay. Contact 321-2957 or email susie@ specialneedsfoundation.ky for further details, or visit www. specialneedsfoundation.ky. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Meets this evening, George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7 p.m. Guests are welcome. SATURDAY, JULY 25 BUSINESSMEN’S FELLOWSHIP: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast meeting 7:30 a.m. at Upper Crust Restaurant, Camana Bay. Guest speaker is Pastor Hassakari of the Safe Harbour Lutheran Church. For more information, call Harold at 949-5720. TUESDAY, JULY 28 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “Field of Dreams” (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. FRIDAY, JULY 31 HARBOUR NIGHTS: A free George Town revitalization music and entertainment event, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Harbour Drive, South Church Street (street closure from Bayshore Mall to Guy Harvey’s). Performances by local musicians, teen disco, fire eaters, acrobats and street dancers and food vendors. MONDAY, AUGUST 3 NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill in North Side at the North Side Civic Centre, 8 p.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill in the Bodden Town district. The meeting will be in the Savannah Primary School Hall, 7:30 p.m. SUMMER CAMPS SUMMER PROGRAM: Light of the World after-school extends its program to all day, until 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. Arts and crafts, 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. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: July 20 to 24 at Calvary Baptist Church on Walkers Road for ages 4 to 17. From 8:30 a.m. till noon daily. Call 949-0629. 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 through 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 crafts, 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. visualartcayman@yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST FAMILY SUPPORT UNIT: The Family Support Unit has temporarily relocated to Elizabethan Square. Officers are available to meet those with inquiries or reports regarding domestic violence, child abuse, or other sensitive family-related issues. Individuals wishing to meet with the FSU should inform reception at police headquarters, in Elizabethan Square, 4th floor, Amerigo House. A representative from the FSU will meet with them in a separate office. FSU can be reached at 946-9185, but any emergencies should be reported to 911. NATIONAL GALLERY: The gallery has extended hours for the summer: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the exhibition halls is free and open to the public. Current exhibition is the gallery’s permanent collection. A 20-minute documentary film, “Caymanian Art – A New Frontier,” by Jacob Olde VI will be screened on a loop throughout the exhibition “All Access.” 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. PUBLIC FEEDBACK: The Ministry of Education, Employment & Gender Affairs and the Department of Labour & Pensions has released the Labour Relations Bill, 2015 and the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2015 for public consultation. These bills can be accessed on the Ministry’s website, www.education.gov.ky/ labourpensions. In addition to participation at district meetings, the public can give their feedback on the bills to the Ministry and Department by emailing lpl@gov.ky. 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 CENTER: 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 Club 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. 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. PAWS THRIFT SHOP: Bodden Town Shopping Plaza, opposite Bodden Town 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. HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The Claws-It Thrift Shop, 153 North Sound Road is always in need of donations of all types of clothing, shoes, household items, linens etc. We also welcome garage sale leftovers. Volunteers are always needed, too. Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon-Fri and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call the manager Terri-Ann Watler at 945-5596 or email cihs. thriftshop@outlook.com. ST. GEORGE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH BARGAIN CORNER: Located upstairs at St. George’s Anglican Church Preschool on Courts Road, off Eastern Avenue. Last Saturday of the month, 7-11 a.m. NEW TO YOU BARGAIN SHOP: Run by National Council of Voluntary Organizations, is looking for volunteers to assist. Call Alta Solomon, 949-2124. Anyone clearing out unwanted items is asked to think of the NCVO. To donate, email ncvocoordinator@candw.ky To view projects see www.ncvo.org.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman.com/ caycompass/portal/community-calendar. The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Tuesday July 21, 2015 • Cayman Compass The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 21, 2015 Western Union counters close in Cayman Mixed reactions to CITA cruise dock opposition counters at Kirk’s and Foster’s supermarkets and at Fidelity Bank. Representatives at the grocery stores said they had not heard why the services closed, but that they had re- ceived a letter late last week to close the counters by the end of business on Friday. There are three remaining money transfer services in Cayman: First Financial Caribbean Ltd., which op- erates MoneyGram; Green Fields Capital (Fast-Funds Money Transfer) Ltd.; and JN Money Services (Cayman) Ltd., which works through the Jamaican national bank. Jamaica is the largest re- cipient of remittances from Cayman. Last year, according to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, people in Cayman sent more than US$110 million to Jamaica. The Philippines, Honduras and the United States made up the other major countries for remittances, each receiving more than $12 mil- lion from the Cayman Islands last year. Total remittances topped almost $180 million last year, according to CIMA. Western Union found it- self in trouble recently in Ireland for not having ap- propriate policies and pro- cedures to prevent money laundering and detect pos- sible terrorism financing. The company agreed to pay a fine of 1.75 million euros (US$1.9 million) two months ago. Jeffrey Webb, the former FIFA and CONCACAF offi- cial now facing corruption charges in the United States, worked as Western Union’s local agent. Representatives for Western Union in the United States did not respond by press time. appreciates CITA’s response. In its response to CITA’s announcement, the ministry said that in addition to an environmental impact assessment, it has commissioned a “Benthic Habitat Survey,” to provide supplementary information relating to “the habitats within the proposed dredging footprint.” The results of this survey will be made public in mid-August. The ministry also announced that it had asked PwC to update the outline business case for the cruise berthing proposal with the findings from the environmental impact assessment. The ministry’s state- ment also noted that it is looking forward to receiving “the survey feedback” and documentation from CITA’s members. The survey that CITA sent to its members was brief, and respondents had the option of answering anonymously. Members were asked whether they strongly agreed, agreed, neither agreed nor disagreed, disagreed or strongly dis- agreed to two statements: “The Cayman Islands needs a cruise berthing facility,” and “The environmental im- pact assessment (and written results – the Environmental Statement and Non-Technical Summary) robustly assesses the key environmental and socio-economic impacts of the project (both positive and neg- ative impacts).” Respondents were also asked to provide any additional comments. In June, CITA sent an email addressed to its “Water Sports Sector members” en- couraging members to re- spond to the survey. At the bottom of the email is a list of links to news stories about the plan and comments from an unknown author, which in- cluded: “This has been nick- named the ‘plume of death’ – very catchy phrase to attract tourism to Cayman waters don’t you think.” CITA recalled the email two hours later. “They withdrew it pretty quickly,” Mr. Hamaty said. Chris Kirkconnell, vice president of operations for Kirk Freeport, said he brought up the email at a meeting of the “allied and land based attractions” group of CITA members last week. “When they’re asking you to fill out a survey that should be impartial, they’re giving you this long at- tachment that goes against berthing,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “They’re helping to pre- determine people’s mind-sets before they get the survey.” Mr. Kirkconnell said that although he initially thought CITA would remain impar- tial, he is not surprised that CITA opposes the plan since the majority of the organiza- tion’s members are focused on stay-over tourism. Tim Adam, managing di- rector of the Cayman Turtle Farm and the secretary of CITA, said those who read the organization’s statement “should be under no illu- sion that there were not very strong dissenting opponents within CITA.” Mr. Adam said there were very strong differ- ences among certain sectors of the organization. “I respect that in the CITA survey, the way the numbers of responses worked out indi- cate that [among] all the people who actually responded to the survey, there is a majority who said it should not proceed or at this time they should not support it,” Mr. Adam said. “However, that is only a part of the picture and it is only a small subset of information that was gathered by the survey.” Mr. Adam was featured in a video, posted last week by “Cayman’s Port. Cayman’s Future,” in which he describes why cruise tourism is neces- sary to sustain the Cayman Turtle Farm. “Cruise tourism is very much a part of our lifeblood, that we cannot do without if we are to survive as the or- ganization that we are today,” Mr. Adam says in the video. Keith Sahm, general man- ager of Sunset House and a member of CITA’s board of directors, said he “completely expected” the tourism associ- ation to come out against the plan because “we’re looking at the complete vision of tourism” in Cayman. Mr. Sahm runs the SaveCayman.org website and has been trying to start a referendum to prevent the cruise berthing development. The group needs 4,624 reg- istered voters to sign up in order to have a referendum. It currently has 465 signa- tures, but Mr. Sahm says that the Save Cayman group will be focusing its efforts on educating the public about the project and how it will impact reefs. Photographer Courtney Platt, who has also been ac- tive in the SaveCayman.org campaign, said he was only surprised it had taken CITA so long to come out against the plan. “I was stunned that they didn’t jump at the June 9 en- vironmental impact assess- ment presentation and start shouting and screaming from the moment this thing was presented,” Mr. Platt said. He said that while his main interest has been the en- vironment, the more he looks at the plan, the more he be- lieves that “it’s really a poor business plan for the island.” He said he is happy to see that the people and busi- nesses he believes are going to be negatively affected by the project have finally spoken up. “It’s very important that businesspeople who will lose speak up against it,” he said. The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, which has more than 600 members, has also been surveying its members. It had no comment on the findings of its survey so far, nor did it have a response to CITA’s announcement. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 California bridge that collapsed in storm had passed inspection DESERT CENTER, Calif. (AP) – No safety issues were found earlier this year during an inspection of a bridge along Interstate 10 that collapsed during a major storm, indefi- nitely severing a major artery between Southern California and Arizona, a state transpor- tation official said Monday. The bridge, which was built in 1967 near the tiny town of Desert Center, passed inspec- tion March 17, according to Will Shuck with the California Department of Transportation. Sunday’s collapse of the eastbound side of the in- terstate left one driver in- jured, stranded numerous others and complicated travel through the region, possibly for a long time. Motorists who would normally use the six- lane I-10 will have to go far out of their way on two-lane local routes. The bridge, which spans a desert gully about 50 miles west of the Arizona state line, was washed out as rem- nants of a tropical storm off Baja California dumped rain at a rate of 1.5 inches an hour. A total of 6.7 inches fell Sunday in Desert Center, said National Weather Service forecaster Ken Waters. Showers and thunderstorms in drought-stricken southern and central California set rainfall records in what is usually a dry month. Inspectors planned to as- sess all bridges along a 30- mile stretch of the inter- state after a second bridge showed signs of damage fol- lowing the storm, which sent torrents of water and debris through desert washes, said Terri Kasinga, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation. She did not know how many bridges that stretch in- cluded. The damaged bridge was still standing despite having much of the earth un- derneath it washed away. The westbound section of the freeway was also closed. The roadway was intact but badly undermined by flooding and could need extensive re- building, Kasinga said. No timeframe was given for when either side would reopen as crews were di- verted from other projects to examine the site Monday. Transportation officials recommended travelers on the east side of the col- lapse use U.S. Highway 95 in Arizona to get to other free- ways, and that in California drivers use state routes 86 and 111 to get to Interstate 8 into Arizona. Drivers from the Los Angeles area who want to rejoin I-10 could take the mountainous State Route 62 to the north – a journey of an additional 140 miles and sev- eral extra hours. One driver had to be res- cued from a pickup that crashed in the collapse and was taken to a hos- pital with moderate injuries, the Riverside County Fire Department said. Hundreds of other cars were stranded immediately after the collapse, but the California Highway Patrol worked to divert them. It wasn’t clear if any remained, Kasinga said. Rain fell Sunday after- noon in parts of Los Angeles County’s mountains, the valley north and inland urban areas to the east as remnants of tropical storm Dolores brought warm, muggy condi- tions northward. Sunday’s collapse of the eastbound side of the interstate left one driver injured, stranded numerous others and complicated travel through the region, possibly for a long time. Emergency crews respond after a pickup truck crashed into the rift left by the collapse of an elevated section of Interstate 10 on Sunday in Desert Center, California. - PHOTO: AP CITA announced its opposition to the cruise berthing plan after it conducted a “careful review” of related documentation and assessed the results of a survey sent to its members.ZURICH (AP) – FIFA will hold a presidential election on Feb. 26, giving Sepp Blatter seven more months in power before leaving the scandal-tainted governing body. The date was chosen by FIFA’s executive committee on Monday, after Blatter an- nounced plans to resign four days following his re-elec- tion in May amid American and Swiss criminal investi- gations into corruption. The 79-year-old Blatter, who first joined FIFA 40 years ago, has held onto the most world powerful job in world soccer since 1998. At a news confer- ence Monday delayed by a British comedian, Blatter said he definitely will not be a candidate in the next FIFA presidential election. A British comedian dis- rupted a news conference by Sepp Blatter on Monday, showering the FIFA presi- dent with fake money. As Blatter took his seat, performer Simon Brodkin rose from a front-row seat to confront him. “This is for North Korea 2026,” Brodkin said as he put the bills on the desk in front of Blatter. “Thank you very much. As a North Korean football ambas- sador, I’m delighted that I’ve been able to seal the deal with FIFA and North Korea for the 2026 World Cup.” Brodkin then tossed the notes into the air as secu- rity led him away. The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Burundi set for presidential poll Burundi is set to hold the presidential election Tuesday amid unrest over incumbent President Pierre Nkuruniziza’s bid for a third term. Tuesday July 21, 2015 • Cayman Compass New era in ties begins as Cuba raises flag at embassy in US WASHINGTON (AP) – Cuba’s blue, red and white-starred flag was hoisted Monday at the country’s embassy in Washington in a symbolic move signaling the start of a new post-Cold War era in U.S.-Cuba relations. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez presided over the flag-raising cere- mony hours after full dip- lomatic relations with the United States were restored at the stroke of midnight, when an agreement to re- sume normal ties on July 20 took effect. Earlier, without ceremony, the Cuban flag was hung in the lobby of the State Department alongside those of other countries with which the U.S. has diplomatic ties. U.S. and Cuban diplomats in Washington and Havana had also noted the upgrade in so- cial media posts. Several hundred people gathered on the street out- side the embassy, cheering as the Cuban national anthem was played and three Cuban soldiers in dress uniforms stood at the base of the flag- pole and raised the flag. The United States and Cuba severed diplomatic re- lations in 1961 and since the 1970s had been represented in each other’s capitals by limited service interests sec- tions. Their conversion to embassies tolled a knell for policy approaches spawned and hardened over the five decades since President John F. Kennedy first tangled with youthful revolutionary Fidel Castro over Soviet expansion in the Americas. Rodriguez is to meet later with Secretary of State John Kerry and address reporters at a joint news conference. Kerry will travel to Havana Aug. 14 to preside over a flag- raising ceremony at the U.S. Embassy there. Shortly after midnight, the Cuban Interests Section in Washington switched its Twitter account to say “embassy.” In Havana, the U.S. Interests Section up- loaded a new profile pic- tures to its Facebook and Twitter accounts that says US EMBASSY CUBA. And, Conrad Tribble, the deputy chief of mission for the United States in Havana, tweeted: “Just made first phone call to State Dept. Ops Center from United States Embassy Havana ever. It didn’t exist in Jan 1961.” Though normalization has taken center stage in the U.S.-Cuba relationship, there remains a deep ideo- logical gulf between the na- tions and many issues still to resolve. Among them: thorny disputes such as over mu- tual claims for economic rep- arations, Havana’s insistence on the end of the 53-year- old trade embargo and U.S. calls for Cuba to improve on human rights and democ- racy. Some U.S. lawmakers, including several promi- nent Republican presidential candidates, have vowed not to repeal the embargo and pledged to roll back Obama’s moves on Cuba. Still, Monday’s events cap a remarkable change of course in U.S. policy toward the communist island under President Barack Obama, who had sought rapprochement with Cuba since he first took office and has progressively loosened restrictions on travel and remittances to the island. Obama’s efforts at engage- ment were frustrated for years by Cuba’s imprisonment of U.S. Agency for International Development contractor Alan Gross on espionage charges. But months of secret nego- tiations led in December to Gross’s release, along with a number of political prisoners in Cuba and the remaining members of a Cuban spy ring jailed in the United States. On Dec. 17, Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro an- nounced they would resume full diplomatic relations. Declaring the long- standing policy a failure that had not achieved any of its intended results, Obama de- clared that the U.S. could not keep doing the same thing and expect a change. Thus, he said work would begin apace on normalization. That process dragged on until the U.S. removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism in late May and then bogged down over is- sues of U.S. diplomats’ access to ordinary Cubans. On July 1, however, the is- sues were resolved and the U.S. and Cuba exchanged dip- lomatic notes agreeing that the date for the restoration of full relations would be July 20. Some 500 guests, in- cluding a 30-member delega- tion of diplomatic, cultural and other leaders from the Caribbean nation, attended the Cuban ceremony at the stately 16th Street mansion in Washington that has been operating as an interests sec- tion under the auspices of the Swiss embassy. The U.S. was represented at the event by Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson, who led U.S. negotiators in six months of talks leading to the July 1 announcement, and Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana who will now be- come charge d’affaires. Earlier, without ceremony, the Cuban flag was hung in the lobby of the State Department alongside those of other countries with which the U.S. has diplomatic ties. The Cuban flag is raised over their new embassy in Washington on Monday, signaling the start of a new post- Cold War era in U.S.-Cuba relations. - Photo: AP UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The U.N. Security Council on Monday unanimously en- dorsed the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers and authorized a series of measures leading to the end of U.N. sanctions that have hurt Iran’s economy. But the measure also pro- vides a mechanism for U.N. sanctions to “snap back” in place if Iran fails to meet its obligations. The resolution had been agreed to by the five veto- wielding council members, who along with Germany negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran. It was co-spon- sored by all 15 members of the Security Council. Under the agreement, Iran’s nuclear program will be curbed for a decade in ex- change for potentially hun- dreds of billions of dollars’ worth of relief from interna- tional sanctions. Many key penalties on the Iranian economy, such as those re- lated to the energy and finan- cial sectors, could be lifted by the end of the year. The document specifies that seven resolutions re- lated to U.N. sanctions will be terminated when Iran has completed a series of major steps to curb its nuclear pro- gram and the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded that “all nuclear material in Iran remains in peaceful activities.” All provisions of the U.N. resolution will terminate in 10 years, including the snap- back provision. But last week the six major powers – the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – and the European Union sent a letter, seen by The Associated Press, informing U.N. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon that they have agreed to extend the snap back mechanism for an additional five years. They asked Ban to send the letter to the Security Council. U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the nuclear deal doesn’t change the United States’ “profound concern about human rights violations committed by the Iranian gov- ernment or about the insta- bility Iran fuels beyond its nuclear program, from its support for terrorist proxies to repeated threats against Israel to its other destabilizing activ- ities in the region.” She urged Iran to release three “unjustly imprisoned” Americans and to determine the whereabouts of Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who vanished in 2007. “But denying Iran a nu- clear weapon is important not in spite of these other de- stabilizing actions but rather because of them,” Power said. She quoted President Barack Obama saying the United States agreed to the deal because “an Iran with a nuclear weapon would be far more destabilizing and far more dangerous to our friends and to the world.” All provisions of the U.N. resolution will terminate in 10 years, including the “snap- back” provision for U.N. sanctions. UN endorses Iran nuclear deal with six world powers FIFA PresIdentIAl electIon to be held on Feb. 26 Sepp Blatter9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Tuesday July 21, 2015 Greek banks reopen but cash limits remain and taxes soar ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece set a series of land- marks Monday it hopes will shore up its battered economy following months of crisis that threatened its place in the euro. Banks reopened after more than three weeks, and the cash-strapped country got enough money from European creditors to pay around 2 bil- lion euros (US$2.2 billion) it owed to the International Monetary Fund. For most recession-weary Greeks, Monday was all about the price of goods in the shops as new tax rises demanded by creditors on everything from coffee to taxis took effect. And though the banks may have opened, strict limits on cash withdrawals remained. For an economy reeling from the recent uncertainty over the country’s euro future, the continuing controls on capital and the tax rises aren’t going down too well. Dimitris Chronis, who has been running a small kebab shop in central Athens for 20 years, says the new taxes could push his business over the edge especially when combined with higher busi- ness taxes and meat prices. “I can’t put up my prices because I’ll have no customers at all,” said Chronis, who said sales have slid by around 80 percent since banking restric- tions were imposed June 29. “We used to deliver to offices nearby but most of them have closed. People would order a lot and buy food for their col- leagues on special occasions. That era is over.” There are few parts of the Greek economy left untouched by the increase in sales taxes on many basic goods from 13 percent to 23 percent. They have been imposed on many basic goods, from cooking oils to condoms, through to pop- ular services, such as eating out at restaurants and ferries to the Greek islands. The tax rises formed part of a package of confidence- building measures the Greek government had to introduce for negotiations on a third bailout to begin. In response to the latest austerity measures being passed by the Greek Parliament, the European Central Bank raised the amount of liquidity as- sistance on offer to Greek banks. The European Union also sent a three-month loan to Athens to pay a 4.2 billion- euro (US$4.6 billion) debt due to the ECB Monday and clear its arrears with the IMF. “I can confirm that Greece today repaid the totality of its arrears,” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said. “Greece is therefore no longer in ar- rears to the IMF.” Rice said the IMF “stands ready to continue assisting Greece in its efforts to return to finan- cial stability and growth.” The IMF is not directly involved in Greece’s request for a third bailout as its pre- vious rescue runs until early next year. But it has ex- pressed doubts on the mea- sures that Greece’s European creditors are demanding without significant debt re- lief for Athens. The higher taxes formed a key plank of last week’s bailout agreement between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European cred- itors. Following months of growing distrust, Greece’s partners in the 19-country eurozone wanted to see mea- sures enacted before bailout talks could begin. Other aus- terity measures included cuts to pensions. The green light to the opening of discussions, which are expected to last around a month, was given Friday. They will include eco- nomic targets and reforms deemed necessary in return for an anticipated 85 billion euros (US$93 billion) over three years. Though the potential bailout has eased fears of a potential Greek exit from the euro, capital controls of some sort are expected to re- main in place for months if not years. The controls were introduced because nego- tiations with creditors had reached an impasse, fueling fears of a Greek exit from the euro and a bank run. On Monday, the first easing saw banks reopen their doors for limited ser- vices. There were no reports of any problems. Though the daily cash withdrawal limit stayed at 60 euros ($65), the govern- ment has given individuals a new weekly limit of 420 euros from this coming Sunday so they don’t need to trudge to the ATM every day. Since the Greek parliament passed the austerity measures demanded, creditors have re- lieved the pressure on Greece, though the country’s acute difficulties were evident in the fact that the Athens Stock Exchange remained closed with no indication of when it will reopen. Further relief for Greece may come if lawmakers back another set of cred- itor-demanded measures on Wednesday. Paying off the IMF and ECB will give Greece some breathing space but the country will need bailout funds to meet up- coming debts. Some of the bailout money will also go to restoring the financial health of the banks, which would help speed up the removal of the controls. The agreement to open up bailout discussions has not gone down well in large parts of Tsipras’s radical left Syriza party, which was elected in January on a promise to end austerity. Cabinet-level dissenters were replaced Friday, but even their replacements have angrily denounced the new austerity measures. “The government was obliged to make a tactical retreat to save the country,” new Labor Minister Giorgos Katrougalos said Monday. “This was the result of a soft, post-modern financial coup that was handled by the prime minister in a re- sponsible way.” Getting the Greek economy back to normal will take time though especially as credit – the lifeblood of a modern economy – remains restricted. Louka Katseli, head of the Greek Banking Association, said Monday it was too early to say how long the cash controls would last, adding that there wouldn’t have been a problem if people hadn’t taken their money out of the banks. “I totally understand people who are anxious,” she told state-run ERT television. “But acting with fear pro- duces the circumstances that people are afraid of.” Malaysia prime minister’s network key as he faces investigation KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Prime Minister Najib Razak’s biggest source of support – his own party – could also be the most realistic threat to his leadership. As the premier faces an investigation sparked by a Wall Street Journal report that $700 million may have wended its way into his per- sonal bank accounts, the ruling coalition has swiftly closed ranks around him. The probe has sparked a raid on the state invest- ment company whose ad- visory board Najib chairs, and spurred calls to re- sign from opposition law- makers and even former pre- mier Mahathir Mohamad. But Najib continues his grip on power with the help of his United Malays National Organisation, which leads an alliance and has governed Malaysia since 1957. Part of Najib’s staying power reflects a lack of ex- ternal threats, with the op- position bloc recently col- lapsing amid internal bickering. There are few signs of public discontent over the money trail claims. Internally, Najib has built a support network since coming to power in 2009 that ranges from government min- isters to party division heads. He has rallied rank and file members with a variety of pro-Malay policies in the past 18 months. Najib doubles as finance minister and is also the party chief. The biggest risk would be if party chiefs at some point de- cide he’s become a potential li- ability to lead them into the next election, due to be held by 2018, especially as the coalition lost the popular vote for the first time in 2013 as non-Malay voters deserted it. “If you are asking me whether there are pockets of dissatisfaction within the party, then the honest an- swer is of course there is,” said Syed Ali Alhabshee, a UMNO division chief in Kuala Lumpur. “But is there a se- rious division within UMNO, which is threatening to split the party? Of course not.” Ibrahim Suffian, an ana- lyst at the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, said UMNO’s chiefs may only move against Najib if discon- tent spills onto the streets. “UMNO division and branch leaders will have to see real public unhappiness with pol- icies before they act,” he said. The Journal reported on July 3 that $700 million may have moved through agen- cies linked to debt-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd. and ended up in Najib’s ac- counts. Najib says he has not taken money for personal gain. Controversy over 1MDB’s finances has dogged Najib for months, though an initial audit report this month didn’t reveal any suspicious activity. “All these accusations against Najib, whether it is by the opposition, by Mahathir and by the foreign media, they are accusations against the party,” said Shahrir Samad, a lawmaker and UMNO divi- sion leader for Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia. “Everyone is united, defending the party.” Najib’s office didn’t re- spond to requests for com- ment. Najib told Malaysians in a July 16 speech to be wary of internal and external threats, including interference from foreign powers that may un- dermine the country’s stability and sovereignty. There are issues chip- ping away at the premier’s popularity. Economic growth is slowing and he’s still working to bed down an un- popular goods and services tax. The most recent major opinion poll conducted in January showed his approval rating at 44 percent from 48 percent in October, near a re- cord low of 42 percent at the start of last year. Najib’s predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stepped down in 2009 after the coalition lost its two- thirds majority in elections in 2008 – the worst perfor- mance since 1969. His pop- ularity within UMNO had faded, fueled in part by res- ignation calls from Mahathir, whose influence then reso- nated among party members. But Najib has more support support than Abdullah did. “Najib is entrenched in this UMNO-constructed Malay state,” said Clive Kessler, an emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales who has studied Malaysian politics since 1969. “It is a fortress. He can’t be budged from there.” He’s also bought some in- surance, postponing party elec- tions scheduled for next year by 18 months. To be removed, more than half the division leaders in the party or two- thirds of the party’s decision- making body must agree to call an extraordinary meeting. At the meeting, two-thirds of those who attend would need to vote for his ouster. “Malaysia has a patronage system whereby the supreme leader has to take care of major honchos and so as long as he is able to satisfy their various demands and inter- ests, they will rally around him,” said Oh Ei Sun, an ana- lyst at the S. Rajaratnam © 2015, Bloomberg News A consumer shops at a supermarket in Athens on Monday. Many goods and services are now more expensive as a result of a rise in Value Added Tax approved by parliament last week, among the first batch of austerity measures demanded by Greece’s creditors. - Photo: AP For an economy reeling from the recent uncertainty over the country’s euro future, the continuing controls on capital and the tax rises aren’t going down too well.Next >