ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday augusT 4, 2015 sports | page 17 cayman hosTs squash eliTe again Caribbean championships here next week High of 89 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 ‘magic’ acT a class acT: Time To Take a bow 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! special olympians: 52 medals Ron shillingfoRd rshillingford@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands team at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles fin- ished with a stack of medals, 52 in total. The haul included 21 gold, 11 silver and 20 bronze, as well as numerous personal bests. Matthew Ebanks, who won two gold medals on the track, said, “The closing ceremony was beautiful and the Special Olympics LA 2015 has given us so much ex- citement. We are all ready to be going back to Cayman.” The Games ended on Sunday with thou- sands of athletes congregating in an emo- tional closing ceremony marked by cheers, tears and pride. After a week of competition, athletes from more than 160 countries gathered in chairs on the field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to receive applause and praise for their efforts. Placards from their national delegations were brought in along a giant red carpet. Some 6,500 athletes took part in contests ranging from aquatics and soccer to weight lifting. Although not everyone won medals, every competitor received a performance ribbon and a chance to take to the victory stand following their competition. An estimated 500,000 people turned out to watch at venues in and around Los Angeles. The public is invited to welcome home the Cayman athletes, who land at Owen Roberts International Airport at 1:52 p.m. Tuesday on US Airways flight 821. Reef recovery effort continues by kelsey Jukam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Volunteers with the Magic Reef Recovery project have spent nearly 1,000 hours working to restore a large patch of reef that was de- stroyed by a cruise ship anchor last year. They have cleared tons of rubble, built coral nurseries and painstakingly rebuilt pieces of coral, cementing pieces together, but there is still much work to be done, orga- nizers of the recovery work say. In August 2014, the captain of the 1,000-foot Carnival Magic cruise ship mistakenly anchored in an unauthorized zone outside of Don Foster’s dive shop. The cruise line has maintained that it was di- rected to anchor at the site by Port Authority officials. According to volunteer Ralph Ariza, organizers had hoped to finish the restoration effort by October, but will likely continue to work until December. “Definitely by the end of this year, we will evaluate if it makes sense to continue going or if we just need to leave it alone,” Mr. Ariza said. “It’s pretty near and dear to us, so as much as possible, I think we’re still going to want to go out there even if the project is not officially going on.” Between coordinating volunteer schedules and waiting to receive necessary resources, “it’s taken us a long time to get things running the way we wanted to,” he said. Jo Bond, who has been volun- teering with the project since it began, says they have been able to save “crates and crates” of live coral, but that she didn’t “really appreciate Barefoot Man remembers country star Anderson by kelsey Jukam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Country music singer Lynn Anderson, best known for her 1971 hit, “(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden,” died of a heart attack at age 67 last week in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer, who in 1971 won a Grammy and Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year Award, was friends with one of Cayman’s own music legends, George Nowak, better known as Barefoot Man. In 1966, at age 19, Ms. Anderson began recording for the small Nashville label Chart Records. At the same time, a young Mr. Nowak was working as an office clerk for the recording company, keen to make whatever connec- tions he could in the business. While Ms. Anderson was re- cording and making appear- ances on “The Lawrence Welk Show,” Mr. Nowak says he was an office “gofer,” sweeping the floors or tuning guitars. But shared ambitions, and the shared experience of being the youngest people working for the company, brought the pair together, he said. They frequented the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Mr. Nowak appeared at the back- stage door of the Ryman Auditorium so often to deliver royalty checks to other artists that he made friends with the security guard. He brought Ms. Anderson along, and to- gether they got to meet many George Nowak, aka Barefoot Man, with singer/songwriter Lynn Anderson, circa 1976. Ms. Anderson passed away on July 30 at the age of 67. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Volunteers work to remove rubble and salvage coral as part of the Magic Reef Recovery project. - PHOTO: myb777 PHOTOgraPHy2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday augusT 4, 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (PG13) 1:10 | 4:05 | 7:00 | 9:55 VACATION (R) 1:30 | 4:20 | 7:20 | 9:40 PIXELS 3D (PG13) 1:00 | 3:30 2D TRAINWRECK (R) 7:05 | 9:50 SOUTHPAW (R) 1:15 | 4:00 | 7:15 | 10:00 ANT-MAN 3D (PG13) 1:40 2D | 3:40 | 7:05 2D | 9:30 MINIONS 3D (PG) 1:20 | 4:40 2D | 7:10 | 9:45 2D 19 students intern at CUC for summer Nineteen students are participating in a vocational and internship program at Caribbean Utilities Company. According to a statement from the power company, on July 7 CUC welcomed nine university-level students, who began at various times in May and June, and 10 high school students. This is the 15th year for the compa- ny’s internship program. University student Hilda Rivers, who is working at CUC’s Human Resources Department for the summer, said the firsthand experi- ence she got was different from the assignments she did in school. “This experi- ence is enhancing my knowl- edge and putting what I’ve learned in school to good use,” she said. CUC’s human resources analyst and program coor- dinator, Anika Conolly, said the summer placement aims to “expose the young people of Cayman to an environ- ment that would give them a clearer understanding about the real world of work and allow them to make more in- formed decisions about their career goals.” Garin Ritch, 17, tried to learn as much as pos- sible and hopes to return next year. “With this experience, I learned a lot in the Electrical Maintenance Department about how transformers and substations in the Power Plant work,” he said. CUC says the program re- mains an open door of op- portunities for students who perform well. In addition to receiving hands-on experience, the students are required to at- tend a lunch-and-learn ses- sion each week. The ses- sions were education-based and focused on topics ranging from personal budgeting to finding and keeping the right job. Student Garin Ritch, left, assists CUC’s Rodney Welcome with the testing of a transformer. Florida starts selling bear hunt permits despite challenge ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Florida’s wildlife man- agement commission on Monday started selling permits for bear hunting for the first time in two decades, despite a legal challenge to the hunt. The permits for the hunt during the last week in October cost $100 for Florida residents and $300 for nonresidents, and they can be pur- chased online, in tax col- lector offices or in some sporting goods stores, said Diane Eggeman, director of the state’s Division of Hunting and Game Management. Officials with the divi- sion’s parent agency, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, say the goal of the hunt is to help manage the state’s bear population. But an advocacy group last week filed a law- suit in Tallahassee, chal- lenging the hunt. The lawsuit filed by Speak Up Wekiva claimed the hunt violates an amend- ment to the Florida con- stitution that requires the state to protect its natural resources. Eggeman said that the commission hadn’t yet been served with the law- suit and that there were no contingency plans for refunds should a judge rule against the hunt. The decision to allow bear hunting “is from sound reasoning and careful consideration to the issues involved,” Eggeman said. “We’re confident that the actions will prevail.” CoRReCtion In an article titled “Orientation dates for public schools announced,” which ran in the Cayman Compass on July 31, some incorrect information re- garding orientation day for Clifton Hunter High School was included. Please note that students in Years 7 and 11 (rather than in Years 7 to 11) will have their ori- entation day on Aug. 28, from 8 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. 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. In Trinidad, poll gives slight edge to ruling coalition PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP) – A new poll suggests there will be a very tight contest between Trinidad and Tobago’s ruling coali- tion and the main opposi- tion party in next month’s general elections. Poll results published Sunday in the Trinidad Express give a slight edge to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s faction. The survey was commis- sioned by the newspaper. It suggests her coalition could win with a one-seat margin in the Sept. 7 national elections. In May 2010, her People’s Partnership won 29 of 41 seats. Data analysis company SBS conducted the survey July 6-22 with 1,412 adults in the country’s 257 polling di- visions. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 per- centage points. There was no immediate reaction from the opposition People’s National Movement led by Keith Rowley. Student Hilda Rivers, right, learns about CUC’s database from Anika Conolly. Mexico City mayor vows full probe of journalist slaying MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico City’s mayor on Monday said no expense will be spared and no line of investiga- tion discarded in finding the killers of four women and a photojournalist, who had fled the state where he worked fearing for his safety. The United Nations High Commission on Human Rights also condemned the killings, saying the bodies had signs of tor- ture and sexual violence and that the climate of im- punity “is one of the obsta- cles to practicing freedom of expression in Mexico.” “We are all outraged by this crime,” Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said in a news conference. “There will be no impunity in this matter. No line of investigation will be discarded.” Journalist protection groups have expressed fears that authorities won’t con- sider the killing of Ruben Espinosa as being related to his work, even though colleagues say he fled the state he covered fearing for his safety. Prosecutor Rodolfo Rios Garza said Sunday that au- thorities were following pro- tocols for crimes against jour- nalists and crimes against women, as well as looking at robbery as a possible motive in the case. But when dealing with slayings of journalists, au- thorities in Mexico histor- ically have been quick to discard their work as a mo- tive, though the country is the most dangerous in Latin America for reporters. Some 90 percent of journalist mur- ders in Mexico since 1992 have gone unpunished, ac- cording to the Committee to Protect Journalists. “What’s particularly perni- cious is that violence against the press is violence against society,” said Dario Ramirez, director of the Article 19 free press advocacy group. “There are many places in the country where silence paves the road so that organized crime, corruption, everything that destroys a society can continue in a manner without … setbacks or obstacles.” Espinosa was being buried Monday following a private memorial service.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday augusT 4, 2015 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF HELPING HOMEOWNERS FIND THEIR PERFECT HOME. TEN FULL TIME PROFESSIONAL CIREBA TRAINED REALTORS TO ASSIST CALL US TODAY! 623.1400 www.capitalrealty.com.ky Father hopes for justice in son’s slaying Yates murder case still open after charges dropped James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The father of a man who was shot in the head out- side a West Bay restau- rant in January says he still hopes for justice for his son following the col- lapse of the trial against the accused killer. Justin Manderson, who was charged with the murder of Victor Yates, was freed last week after key Crown wit- nesses declined to give evi- dence. Manderson had de- nied the charge. Oliver Yates, the father of the victim, said he was disap- pointed that the trial had not gone ahead, but still hopeful that the murder would even- tually be solved. “I know they have left the case open, so I am still hopeful that whoever is re- sponsible will face justice,” he said. Mr. Yates believes several people witnessed the killing of his son, and he is still hopeful that one of them will come forward and give evidence. “It is not just my son,” he said. “How many people have been killed and wit- nesses don’t come forward? Someone needs to step up and get justice. Come forward and put people behind bars who are killing our friends, our brothers and sisters.” Victor Yates, 22, known as JR, worked at the Cayman Spirits Company, where man- agers say he was one of their hardest workers. He was shot in the head as he attempted to get on his motorcycle after spending the night playing pool at a fish fry close to the Super C restaurant in West Bay on Jan. 3. Police said at the time that there were at least 20 people in the area when the shooting took place. Mr. Yates said, “The people that witnessed my son’s murder were friends of his and hung out with him. Are they going to let whoever killed him get away with it? “The only thing I am hoping is that somebody has a conscience. When they try to sleep at night, they picture what they saw happen to that boy and that they come forward and do something about it.” Mr. Yates believes Cayman has reached the point where it is more dangerous for people not to come for- ward when they witness violent crime. “What is sad about this whole thing is that in the Cayman Islands we are such a close-knit community. We go to school together, we cross each other on the road every day, we know each oth- er’s mothers and fathers. “We are making a more dangerous society for our- selves. Women are getting shot now and we are just going to let this happen? “It is not gang wars or turf wars or anything like that. It is just people with a negative mentality, watching too much TV or listening to too much rap music.” He said those who have witnessed crimes in Cayman and have not come forward need to step up. “Hopefully, one of these days, someone decides to do the right thing. That’s my hope for any crime that has been committed here in Cayman. “It is not just me, a lot of people have lost their chil- dren like that. You can’t just tell their parents to forget about it. Losing a child doesn’t get easier over time. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t have the words. “I have been thinking about it ever since it hap- pened and I can’t find any sense in it. He was a good kid.” “I know they have left the case open, so I am still hopeful that whoever is responsible will face justice.” Oliver Yates, father of murder victim Oliver Yates, pictured in January as he dug son’s grave in a West Bay cemetery. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Roads Authority fixes drop-off on Crewe Road A section of Crewe Road deemed unsafe to drivers has been repaired by the National Roads Authority. Brian Chin Yee, project manager of roads, said there was a large drop-off to the side of the road just past Palm Dale. To prevent cars from going into the ditch, workers cleared the areas of brush, filled it with marl and sealed it with spray chip, he said. The work, which began last week, will be com- pleted by Tuesday, ac- cording to the National Roads Authority. Mr. Chin Yee advised drivers to use caution when operating their vehicles along the stretch of road. The section of road is just before Palm Dale heading into George Town. – PHOTO: JEWEl lEvy CIvIl SERvAnTS bOOST KIWAnIS CAuSE Civil servants dressed in blue or yellow last week as part of a charity fund- raising effort. Throughout the week, the civil servants raised around $500 for the Kiwanis Club of Grand Cayman, which celebrated 40 years of service last week with a Dress for a Cause Day fundraiser. The donations will ben- efit youth projects in the Cayman Islands. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson presented the funds to Kiwanis representative Martina Jackson on Friday, July 31, at the Government Administration Building. The Portfolio of the Civil Service invited civil ser- vants to dress in blue or yellow, the club’s colors, and those who chose to do so were asked to make a donation to Kiwanis repre- sentatives who were in the Government Administration Building lobby on Monday and Thursday. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, second from left, presents a check to Kiwanis representative Martina Bodden as a donation from the civil service. He is accompanied by Portfolio of the Civil Service Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon, right, and other civil servants wearing blue as part of the fundraiser activities.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 augusT 4, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Organizers of the “Magic Reef Restoration Project” have announced that their efforts to salvage a George Town harbor reef, which was seriously damaged in late August 2014 by a cruise ship anchor, will conclude around the end of this year. We’ll take this opportunity to give a pat on the back to this group and its volunteers, mainly comprising members of the Cayman Islands dive community, for the efforts and sacrifices they have been making over these past months. We’d also like to acknowledge the significant financial contributions from the Carnival Cruise company, which made a voluntary pledge of $100,000 to aid in the recovery effort. Although the offending anchor belonged to the Carnival Magic cruise ship (which has subsequently become eponymous with the damaged reef), it appears that neither Carnival nor the ship captain bears responsi- bility for the destruction that occurred. As our readers will recall, on Aug. 27 — a day of rough winds — the Magic cruise ship was guided by a Bodden Shipping Agency pilot boat to an area 650 feet outside the designated public port anchorage, where it dropped its anchor on a previously untouched patch of coral. Nearly 12,000 square feet of reef was damaged, to varying degrees. The Department of Environment’s initiative to build a possible criminal case went nowhere, and the three parties involved in the incident — Carnival, Bodden Shipping and the Port Authority — weren’t about to shoulder the blame. Of those, only Carnival stepped up with checkbook in hand. Most striking and (considering the economic impor- tance of our country’s coral) most puzzling, has been the lack of financial support from Cayman’s government. Despite the formation of a much-ballyhooed National Conservation Council, and the accumulation of $52 million in the country’s so-called “Environmental Pro- tection Fund,” not one penny was allocated to address directly the clear and present environmental catastrophe at the Magic Reef. The government did, however, recently siphon off $5.1 million from the Environmental Protec- tion Fund — with most of that going toward consultants and the completion of studies and reports, including the cruise port environmental impact assessment ($2.5 million), Integrated Solid Waste Management project ($1 million) and various DOE projects, including studies of blue and green iguanas ($1.5 million). The good people of Cayman should consider this as an instructive introduction to the practice of natural con- servation by government committee. The cruise port EIA has drawn much attention for consultants’ estimates that some 30 acres of reef and associated marine habitat in George Town harbor could be destroyed or negatively impacted by the construc- tion of the cruise berthing project. The consultants broached the idea of “relocating” some of that affected reef, with the caveat that there is no guarantee of success, and the caution that such an endeavor could cost $13 million or more. The Magic Reef Restoration project, we think, has illustrated a few points that are relevant to the broader cruise berthing debate. First, it shows how difficult, expensive and time-con- suming the process of trying to “save” live coral is. Second, it shows who has been willing to demonstrate, with deeds and not just with words, how much they care about Cayman’s coral — that is, restoration project orga- nizers, volunteers and donors (including Carnival, dive shops and other local businesses). Third, it shows, by omission, who wasn’t there, who didn’t lead the charge, and who wasn’t willing to allocate money and resources for the coral restoration — the Cayman Islands government. ‘Magic’ act a class act: Time to take a bow Promoting very unsettled science If you have been to the beach at Treasure Island, Florida (adjoining St. Petersburg), you will notice something very odd. The ho- tels (many of which were built in the 1950s and ‘60s) and the seawall are very far from the water in the Gulf of Mexico – giving an extraor- dinarily wide beach. It was not always that way. When the hotels and seawall were built, they were set back from the high tide a normal hun- dred yards or so; but over the years, there was a natural but unforeseen accretion to the beach – which, having grown up in the area, I observed. (It can be seen on Google Earth.) It is a news story when a beach erodes and beach front homes fall into the sea. What is not a news story is that the sand that left one beach for the most part ends up on another beach. The sand barrier islands that ring much of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts are in constant motion, moving up and down, in and out, and always have been. Yet people seem to be endlessly surprised when part of their beach or riverfront ends up adjoining someone else’s property. This past week, former NASA scientist, James Hansen, who was one of the first to sound the alarm of global warming back in 1988, said that sea levels might rise as much as 10 feet in the next 50 years. His rea- soning was so unsupported by evidence that even much of the global warming es- tablishment is walking away from it. Sea levels have been slowly rising since the end of the last ice age 12,000 years ago, but over the last century the sea level rise has deceler- ated to less than seven inches per century, which mankind has shown it can easily adapt to. Mr. Hansen had predicted and continues to predict rap- idly increasing global tem- peratures – which hasn’t happened. In fact, there has been a 17-year pause in the temperature rise – which nei- ther Mr. Hansen nor any of the major global warming models predicted. Some scientists at NOAA are now claiming that the 17- year pause in temperature rises did not occur because, if you take the year 2000 (a cold year) as the starting point, there has been a small temper- ature rise. But if you take 1998 as the starting point (a warm year), there has been almost no measurable temperature rise, say NOAA’s critics. The point is the scientists cannot agree on the length of time to show a trend. Even now, we have very imperfect measures of tem- peratures, let alone the quality of the measurements in de- cades past – so it is rather ar- rogant to make statements of great certainty about 100 year trends in temperature based on imperfect data from only a few decades. More unsettling was a study by the Royal Astronomical Society pub- lished in Science Daily on July 9, which concludes that solar activity will be exceptionally diminished in the decade of 2030-40 as it was during the Maunder minimum of 1645- 1715, a period of sharply lower temperatures known as the “little ice age.” Lower tem- peratures would be far more damaging than moderate global warming, because ag- ricultural production could be greatly reduced. Note: there are many scientists who think changes in solar output, and/or changes in cloud cover can easily swamp changes in CO2 levels in affecting the earth’s temperature. New satellite data, re- ported in Climate Science on July 20, shows that Arctic Sea ice has now bounced back to levels last seen in the 1980s when modern measurements began. At the same time, southern sea ice around the Antarctic has grown to a 30-year high from when it first began to be measured. Climate scientists admit that their models cannot account for the rise in sea ice. By the way, did not Al Gore tell us the Arctic Ocean would be free of sea ice by the summer of 2007? Earlier this month, in tes- timony before the Congress, EPA Chief Administrator Gina McCarthy claimed that the agency’s pending rule to limit CO2 emissions from power plants would be “enormously beneficial,” even though she admitted that it would only reduce global temperature by one one-hundredth of a degree Celsius, according to the ad- ministration’s own estimates. Since it is widely acknowl- edged that the proposed rule will cause a sharp rise in the cost of electricity, most painful to low-income Americans, I can only assume that Ms. McCarthy means “enormously beneficial” for the bureaucrats at the EPA who will have to administer the rule. F.A. Hayek (1899-1992), the great economist and philoso- pher, warned us about “limits to knowledge” and “fatal con- ceit,” which is all too evident in much of the scientific es- tablishment. What we do know is the climate and the earth’s physical features have been in continuous change – but it is all too clear that there is much disagreement about both the direction and magnitude of such changes. Those who say the “science is settled” have not been reading the scientific studies. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2015, The Washington Times Government’s ‘news’ service Grand Haven (MicH.) Tribune Is Ottawa County re- sponding appropriately to what its residents want? Or is it encroaching on the busi- ness of local media? The county announced last week that it is offering a new subscription “news” ser- vice to residents. “In a world where 24-hour news stations and the Internet provide as-it-happens news, Ottawa County is doing its part to get in the game,” so reads the press release from the county’s communications manager. “Today, the public can visit (the county’s web- site) and subscribe to news and updates from Ottawa County through an innova- tive email and text messaging communication system.” As one of the local media outlets in Ottawa County, we take issue with the way this is being presented. It may not be the intention of county employees to circumvent pro- fessional media, but that’s sure what it sounds like. It can become a slippery slope from government agen- cies offering press releases and information to its resi- dents, as they should, into what they pass off as “news reports” and not being trans- parent with media inquiries and their constituents. Does anyone remember Pravda, the Communist Party’s news service that doled out the only infor- mation residents of the old Soviet Union were allowed? How about Radio Moscow? Do you really want your local government in the news business? Do you think you will receive unbiased reports of Board of Commissioners and Road Commission meet- ings? Do you think they’ll report on misbehavior by county deputies and judges? That’s the job of the Tribune and other traditional media outlets. “More importantly, when public health or safety is in jeopardy, alerts can be sent directly to a mobile device,” the county says in its press release about its “news” ser- vice. While providing a direct means to get the word out on emergency situations is com- mendable, we urge the county not to neglect special mes- sages to the media to alert the public. Between all of us – newspapers, real news web- sites, TV and radio stations – you can bet that very close to 100 percent of the county’s population is covered. We urge the county to continue to find ways to in- form residents about its parks and other programs. But don’t call it “news” – that’s our job. © 2015, Grand Haven Tribune RichaRd W. Rahn Even now, we have very imperfect measures of temperatures, let alone the quality of the measurements in decades past – so it is rather arrogant to make statements of great certainty about 100 year trends in temperature based on imperfect data from only a few decades.5 LOCAL NEWS Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Jamaicans on island are calling all Caymanian “bredren” to come on down to George Town and help them “big up” Jamaica Independence Day. On Thursday, Aug. 6, Jamaica will celebrate 53 years of independence from England. The celebration on Friday, Aug. 7 will pro- vide entertainment for all ages and showcase Jamaican culture through tradi- tional dance, music, speech, crafts and food on Cardinall Avenue downtown. Over the years, the links between Cayman and Jamaica have remained strong, with many local fam- ilies counting Jamaicans among their relatives, and many Jamaicans opting to live and work in Cayman. According to Immigration Department records, as of this summer, 9,000 Jamaicans hold work permits in the Cayman Islands. England took formal con- trol of the Cayman Islands, along with Jamaica, as a re- sult of the Treaty of Madrid of 1670. Following several un- successful attempts at settle- ment, a permanent English- speaking population in the islands dates from the 1730s. In 1863, the Cayman Islands was declared a de- pendency of Jamaica, a re- lationship which lasted 99 years until 1962, when Jamaica became inde- pendent and the Cayman Islands chose to remain a Crown colony. In many ways, Jamaica is somewhat of an older sibling to Cayman. When Hubert Reid was getting ready to leave Jamaica to live in Cayman 62 years ago, a friend in Jamaica asked him to pick up some turtle meat from the waterfront that her brother was sending to her from Cayman. When he saw the people coming off the boat from Cayman, he de- cided he wanted to learn more about the country, so he asked a woman about it. He was warned: “If you ever go over there, mosquitoes will kill you.” The warning did not deter Mr. Reid, who is now 80, who secured his ticket on the Caribe Queen vessel bound for Cayman. In those days, there were no flights from Jamaica to Cayman. His ticket cost him 40 pounds. “When the ship came to George Town, it was so rough it had to anchor off the West Bay graveyard,” Mr. Reid said. He recalled how he walked from West Bay to George Town with his briefcase in hand. “There was very little transportation in Cayman in those days and very little accommodations. I found a place to live at Mr. Morrison’s on Shedden Road,” he said. He remembers borrowing a bike to look for work in West Bay. “I asked a lady in West Bay if she wanted me to wire her house, [and] she asked me if I had carried the current on my bicycle because most people were using lamp light. “In the ‘50s there was nothing here to do,” Mr. Reid said. “Many residents got up early to do chores, cooking and do housekeeping. The men went to sea and women stayed home.” Slowly over the years, Jamaicans trickled into the country as it started to develop. “When Jamaicans really started coming to Cayman, plenty of them behaved them- selves and gave no trouble and I gave them plenty of work,” Mr. Reid recalls. “One thing I can say is, Cayman improved more than 100 per- cent more than Jamaica in the years coming forward, although [it] started late and depended on Jamaica for its existence.” Mr. Reid said that “to cel- ebrate Independence Day with Jamaica in Cayman is just like celebrating it at home with family and friends – that is how close the Jamaican people and the Caymanians are. He added he would like to see Caymanians and Jamaicans keep the same close relationship they have had in the past, helping each other out. “Caymanians and Jamaicans should celebrate Independence Day by closing down the work, hauling out the cook pans and have a big party when the day rolls around,” said Mr. Reid. Raseen Baily, 35, a Jamaican who works on is- land, made his first trip to Cayman a year ago, and he says it was such a pleasant experience he had to come back. When Mr. Bailey first ar- rived in Cayman, he went to live in North Side with his sister. He borrowed her car and drove to George Town to check it out. “Getting there was pretty OK, getting back to North Side was the problem,” he said. After losing his way and ending up in North Sound Estates, he stopped to ask a Caymanian to give him directions. “I said ‘good evening ma’am, could you give me di- rections to North Side,’ [and] she took one look at me and said, ‘Cayman is too small for you … goodbye.’” Mr. Bailey soon found his way around. “Cayman’s rich car cul- ture, a tropical country like back home and less vio- lence was what drew me back to Cayman to work for Cayman Auto Diagnostic,” Mr. Bailey said. He said the Caymanians speak proper English, are very loving and calm, and the island has nice quiet bars and beautiful seafront views. “It is similar to Jamaica, but my people are more ag- gressive where Caymanians are more passive,” Mr. Bailey said. “Coming to Cayman taught me to be less aggres- sive both at work and in ev- eryday living.” He celebrated Jamaica’s Independence Day last year in Cayman, and says Caymanians showed Jamaicans lots of ap- preciation, and he found lots of Jamaican food in Cayman to enjoy. This year, though, Mr. Bailey will head back home to celebrate Independence Day with his family. Independence Day activities Aug. 7. In George Town, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be food stalls featuring tradi- tional Jamaican dishes set up along Cardinall Avenue where residents and visi- tors can partake in break- fast, lunch and dinner. The menu will include roast yam and salt fish, rundown, jerk chicken and pork, man- nish water, ackee and salt fish, chocolate tea, salt-fish fritters, rice and peas, blue drawers and potato and cornmeal pudding. The food stalls will be given names of places in Jamaica famous for their food, such as Faith’s Pen, Little Ochi, Devon House and Hellshire. There will be a lunch- hour cultural presentation with performing artists. From 6 p.m. until late, at the Jacques Scott Compound on Shedden Road, the eve- ning’s activities will begin with gospel music fol- lowed by the prime min- ister of Jamaica’s indepen- dence message, presented by Dr. Joe Marzouca, honorary Jamaican consul. Food stalls will be set up and there will be a song com- petition and a dance compe- tition. Two Jamaican interna- tional reggae artists, Anthony Cruz and George Nook, will be part of the celebrations. Michelle T and friends will kick-start the performances. Cayman Brac celebration Aug. 8. Jamaican Culture-Conscious Committee will present “One-Love Independence, Emancipation Showdown” at Scott’s Dock on Cayman Brac at 7 p.m. Cayman Compass • Tuesday augusT 4, 2015 SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH FLORIDA PREP ADMISSIONS August 7th - 10:00am - 6:00pm August 8th - morning appointments until 11:00 am Sunshine Suites Resort 1465 Esterley Tibbetts Highway Seven Mile Beach Cayman Islands Florida Prep College Prep, Co-ed, Grades 6-12 Formerly Florida Air Academy Accepting students from the Cayman Islands since 1961 Cayman celebrates Jamaican independence Jamaicans Sila Brown, Ruth Perry and Susan Palmer serve up spicy jerk chicken during last year’s celebration. - Photos: Jewel levy Debbyann Richards and Jodyann Brown celebrated last year’s Independence Day wearing traditional outfits.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 augusT 4, 2015 • Cayman Compass TUESDAY, AUGUST 4 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” (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. 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. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 GALLERY COLLECTIONS: Lecture by Natalie Urquhart, National Gallery curator and director, 6-7:30 p.m. She will discuss the history of the National Gallery collections and how the current collection was acquired over the years. Other topics include collections policy, future plans, conditions and requirements for long-term care. For more information or to RSVP, email info@nationalgallery.org.ky or call 945-8111. NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill in the Bodden Town district, at the Savannah Primary School Hall, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 BRAC CELEBRATION: Jamaican Culture-Conscious Committee presents One-Love Independence, Emancipation Showdown. 7 p.m. Scott’s Dock, Call 939- 6952 for more info. MONDAY, AUGUST 10 NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill at the East End Civic Centre at 8 p.m. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12 NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill in West Bay at the Shirley Kidd Memorial Hall at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 13 NATIONAL PENSIONS BILL: The public is invited to the final meeting to discuss the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill. It takes place in George Town at the Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. SUMMER CAMPS BRAC CAMP: Summer Culture Camp, Aug. 3–14. 8:30 a.m.–noon. Heritage House, ages 5–13, Cost $50 per child per week, Contact simones@candw.ky or 917- 7718 for more info. RUGBY CAMP: The CRFU hosts a summer rugby camp for children ages 8-14, Aug. 24-28, 8 a.m.-noon. Cost per child is $125 for the week and includes a rugby shirt. Coaching by members of the Cayman national rugby team. For more information or to register, contact: Edward Westin, 927-1337 or cme_ westin@hotmail.com. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: The Church of God Chapel – George Town extends an invitation to all children ages 3 to 13 to attend Vacation Bible School, “Scavenger Hunt,” 6-8 p.m., Aug. 3-7, at the Family Life Centre. There is no charge. Call 949-9393 to register. CAMP JAM: All youth ages 13 to 17 are invited to attend Camp JAM, a creative Christian Arts Camp at the Family Life Centre, 6-9 p.m., Aug. 10-14. Activities include, singing, dancing, instruments, and drama. Call 949-9393 to register. Cost is $35. A team from Anderson University is coming to work with the children and youth.” 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.-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. ART AND CRAFT: Organized by the Visual Arts Society. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, until Aug. 12, from 8 a.m.-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. Visit visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST NCVO SCHOOL YEAR: Miss Nadine’s Preschool and Jack and Jill Nursery are registering for the new school year, which starts August 31. Both facilities are under the auspices of the National Council of Voluntary Organizations. Hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Contact Heather Lopez, Director, at 945-1078 or ncvopreschool@ncvo.org.ky. Cost includes breakfast, lunch and one snack daily. AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. NCVO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers are needed for various activities within the National Council of Voluntary Organisations’ Children Services programs. Contact Alta Solomon at 949-2124 or ncvocoordinator@ncvo. org.ky. SUMMER BOOK SWAP: Every Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of 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. 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.” 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 email their feedback on the bills to the Ministry and Department at lpl@gov.ky. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Tuesday augusT 4, 2015 For information on how to apply for internship, please contact hr@pinnaclemedialtd.com or call 949-5111 Welcome to the team ELICIA WILSON (Production/Graphic Design Intern) STUDENT AT SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN, ATLANTA Elicia grew up in George Town, Grand Cayman and now lives in Bodden Town. Elicia is in her nal year at Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia where she is studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. “I wanted to do my internship at Pinnacle Media as it is a company that produces nothing but the best. This experience has given me con dence as a Graphic Designer, the opportunity to see my ideas on a printed page, and will add to my career development”. Pinnacle Media wishes Elicia the brightest future! of their country music idols. “It was a big dream come true for me, and Lynn was a part of that whole thing,” Mr. Nowak said. Mr. Nowak says he was “somewhere between here and the Bahamas” when Ms. Anderson’s career really began to take off, and “Rose Garden” became a hit. He tried to send her congratu- latory letters but isn’t sure if she ever received them. More than a decade went by before Mr. Nowak and Ms. Anderson reconnected. During that time, Ms. Anderson’s career flourished. In 1974, she was named Favorite Country Female Artist at the American Music Awards, and she became the first female country artist to sell out Madison Square Garden that same year. She made several TV appear- ances, including a star- ring role in an episode of the hit TV show “Starsky and Hutch.” In the late 1970s, Mr. Nowak heard someone say that they had seen Ms. Anderson on the island. Mr. Nowak said, “Oh, gosh, I know her really well!” and was able to deliver a mes- sage to her. Ms. Anderson, who was previously unaware that Mr. Nowak was living in Cayman, came to the Holiday Inn to see him perform, and he spent some time showing her around the island. “It was really good to see her again, and I was really happy for her,” Mr. Nowak said. He said that by that time, they had both achieved the dreams they had discussed over beers in Nashville. His goal had been to make a few hits and use his money to “buy a whole island.” “In the end, I sort of had what I wanted. And, of course, Lynn got what she wanted in a very big way,” he said. Ms. Anderson visited Cayman a few times in the late 1970s and early 1980s, according to Mr. Nowak. She enjoyed scuba diving and the peace and quiet of the small island. Mr. Nowak said he and Ms. Anderson played music together at his home when she visited and exchanged song ideas, but he never asked her to perform with him. He figured she might want a break from work. “Back then, it was less populated [here], so you could find a corner on Seven Mile Beach and no one was around, and because she was on the road doing a lot of tours, it was a nice break for her,” he said. Barefoot Man remembers country star Anderson CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 at first look just how much there was to do.” The recovery project is con- sidered to be one of the largest volunteer-led operations of its kind, Mr. Ariza said. There have been larger reef restoration projects around the world, he said, but they have typically been funded by governments or universities. After Holland America’s Maasdam ran aground on Soto’s Reef off George Town in 1996, the cruise company financed the restoration effort, paying divers to work full time. Mr. Ariza estimates that recovery project took at least 9,000 hours of labor. The Magic Reef Recovery effort does not have the same type of backing. Its lifeblood has been community sup- port, individuals volunteering their time and businesses do- nating their resources, from dive equipment, to boats to fuel for those boats. In the spring, the project was boosted by a fundraiser that raised nearly $30,000, as well as a $100,000 donation from Carnival Cruise Line, owners of the Carnival Magic cruise ship. With those funds, the group has been able to buy a boat and has begun to pay its regular volunteers. The group spent nearly $16,000 on a 24-foot Sportfish called the Honey Badger. Previously, volun- teers had to either swim from shore, which lim- ited their dive time, or de- pend upon donated boat time from local dive opera- tors. The Honey Badger is launched from Don Foster’s dive shop, which has do- nated the use of its dock. The boat, which the group has been using since May, allows volunteers to go out more regularly, said Mr. Ariza. In the past few weeks, volunteers have been going out every Saturday and Sunday and sometimes an- other day during the week. The boat can accommo- date six people, including the driver. Ms. Bond said the boat has allowed volunteers to make more dives per day. “We’re getting three times as much work done a day now,” she said. Volunteers have been sal- vaging live coral from the rubble and are now begin- ning the painstaking process of reattaching it to the reef using marine epoxy. Mr. Ariza said the project needs regular volunteers more than anything else. “As the months have gone on, we’ve had quite a bit of fluctuation in the number of people that have been coming out to help us,” he said. “In the first few months, there were times that boats were fully packed and you didn’t have enough space for people who wanted to volunteer, and you would have times where the boats wouldn’t run because you would have so few people.” The organization is now able to offer regular volun- teers $30 per dive. The pay- ment, which began at the end of June, has not led to an increase in volunteers, said Mr. Ariza, but it has made it easier for regular volunteers to continue their work. “We’ve all been juggling full-time jobs in addition to trying to go out there as often as possible, so now it’s a little bit better in that you can maybe take a day off work and go out there and dive,” he said. Individuals who wish to volunteer with the reef re- covery effort need to be open water certified and have DAN (Divers Alert Network) acci- dent insurance. Volunteers need to come out at least three times in order to be eligible to receive payment. Details of restoration dives are posted on the group’s Magic Reef Restoration Facebook page. Reef recovery effort continues CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Volunteers on the Magic Reef Restoration project fill bags with rubble near the site where a cruise ship dropped anchor on the coral reef, wrecking 20,000 square feet of reef. - PHOTO: myb777 PHOTOgraPHy Lynn Anderson, in 2011. - PHOTO: aPThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday augusT 4, 2015 • Cayman Compass Suspect in officer’s slaying sought A manhunt was under way Monday for a suspect who police say fatally shot a Memphis officer after he interrupted a drug deal involving a small amount of marijuana that would have resulted in just a misdemeanor citation and a fine. Turkey, Kurdish rebels gear up for return to all-out conflict LICE, Turkey (AP) – The mil- itary helicopters swooped in over the Kurdish heart- land and dropped white in- cendiary powder on a raging brush fire – igniting a mas- sive conflagration that raced through the mountains, de- vouring orchards and live- stock. For Kurds living in nearby Lice, the recent Turkish operation brought back memories of the trau- matic days in the 1990s when the army twice burned the town to the ground. The military may have been trying to smoke out Kurdish militants, who had allegedly set off a car bomb near Lice killing a soldier and wounding four more. But lo- cals in Lice, where the rebels have widespread support, see a more sinister motive: “Just like the old days,” said local journalist Metin Bekiroglu, “they want to spread fear.” In an abrupt reversal, Turkey and the Kurdish rebels appear to be hurtling toward the return of an all- out conflict that plagued the nation for decades, before a fragile peace process was launched in 2012. A truce that has helped bring social and economic stability to Turkey evaporated only one week into the government’s new offensive against the militant Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which stretches from southeastern Turkey to northern Iraq. Old habits of militancy, killing and retalia- tion are returning to a region that until recently harbored hopes of joining mainstream Turkish life. Forest firebombing is not the only provocative method Turkey is using to put pres- sure on the Kurds. In nearby Diyarbakir, the spiritual cap- ital of Turkish Kurds, fighter jets are taking off for dozens of sorties to hit PKK strong- holds in northern Iraq. The planes screech over the city as if to send a threat of de- struction. Many Diyarbakir residents have relatives in the mountains among the Kurdish targets. “The message we hear from the jets is: ‘We are in your heart and we will de- stroy your heart and your freedoms,’” said Adnan Seyit, who runs a cafe overlooking the Tigris river in Diyarbakir. He said that Kurds have been surprised at the swiftness of the air mobilization – and that it is being executed in such a massive way. Around Lice – a highly contested prize at the height of the conflict – the new cycle of violence was triggered last week when Kurdish militants kidnapped a policeman in the area and hit the military convoy with a car bomb. Many Kurdish politicians accuse Erdogan of escalating the tensions to undermine the main Kurdish political party after its election suc- cess in June parliamentary elections. They say Erdogan is hoping to tarnish the Kurdish party, widely consid- ered to be the political arm of the PKK, so that he can win back his party’s parliamen- tary majority in a possible re- peat election in November. The conflict escalated after a suicide attack in a crowd in the town of Suruc along the Syrian border. Turkish authorities say the bomber was trained by the Islamic State group and was targeting a group seeking to help Syrian Kurds across the border rebuild the city of Kobani, which IS had de- stroyed. But many Turkish Kurds accused the govern- ment of responsibility for the explosion, which killed more than 30 people. Days later, as the gov- ernment prepared airstrikes against the Islamic State group, two policemen were killed in an apparent PKK at- tack in a southeastern town, prompting the government to retaliate against the Kurdish rebels with airstrikes. Turkish authorities also began a na- tionwide terror sweep netting more than 1,300 Islamic State, Kurdish and leftist terrorist suspects. Yet the vast majority had affiliation with the PKK, which Turkey and the United States consider a terrorist or- ganization. That prompted the Kurds to claim that Turkey’s moves against IS were really a pretext to crack down on the Kurdish rebels. Government officials countered that leaders simply moved decisively to protect the public at a precarious moment, in which both IS and the PKK – sworn enemies of each other – had mobilized simultaneously in Turkey. Whatever the original mo- tivations, the government’s attention has turned single- mindedly to the PKK. Kurdish politicians and analysts say the airstrikes against Kurdish positions in northern Iraq are more extensive than at the height of the conflict that left thousands dead from guerrilla warfare and terrorists attacks. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency recently claimed that some 260 rebels had been killed in the air raids against PKK tar- gets in Iraq, while the PKK charges that there have also been extensive civilian casu- alties. Many Turks fear that the peace process – which seemed on the verge of being clinched – is now dead. The forests near Lice were still smoldering on Friday. Military convoys passed along the main road, and sol- diers manned checkpoints in areas that the PKK had con- trolled earlier in the week. In Lice, armored vehicles with mounted guns patrolled the streets. Local residents said that dozens of people, in- cluding journalist Bekiroglu, had been detained in recent days by Turkish authorities. At a teahouse in the town center, Kurdish men were gripped in animated talk about the conflict, an inten- sity that showed a hardening of lines among ordinary Kurds. Murat Eser, who runs the teahouse, recalled the troubles of the 1990s at the height of the fighting, when Lice was burned, and said that locals wanted peace but were also willing to defend their rights. He said he had gone to help put out the fire last week, and had seen the he- licopters help spread it. Two women, he said, were badly burned in the blaze. “Our resistance is our life,” said Eser, adding that he did not fear police retribution over his name being used. “The sheep and the wolves in this fight already know each other from before.” Protesters chant slogans as some hold placards that read in Turkish: ‘Peace’ during a pro-peace rally last week in Istanbul following the latest round of violence between Turkey and Kurdish rebels. – Photo: AP US-led strikes in Iraq, Syria killed civilians, report says BAGHDAD (AP) – U.S.-led airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria likely have killed hundreds of civil- ians, a report by an indepen- dent monitoring group said Monday. The coalition had no immediate comment. The report by Airwars, a project aimed at tracking the international airstrikes tar- geting the extremists, said it believed 57 specific strikes killed at least 459 civilians and caused 48 suspected “friendly fire” deaths. While Airwars noted the difficulty of verifying in- formation in territory held by the Islamic State group, which has beheaded journal- ists and shot dead activists, other groups have reported similar casualties from the U.S.-led airstrikes. “Almost all claims of noncombatant deaths from alleged coalition strikes emerge within 24 hours – with graphic images of re- ported victims often widely disseminated,” the report said. “In this context, the present coalition policy of downplaying or denying all claims of noncombatant fa- talities makes little sense, and risks handing [the] Islamic State [group] and other forces a powerful pro- paganda tool.” The U.S. launched air- strikes in Iraq on Aug. 8 and in Syria on Sept. 23 to target the Islamic State group. A coalition of countries later joined to help allied ground forces in both countries de- feat the extremists. To date, the coalition has launched more than 5,800 airstrikes in both countries. So far, the U.S. only has acknowledged killing two civilians in its strikes: two children who were likely slain during an American airstrike targeting al-Qaida-linked militants in Syria last year. That same strike also wounded two adults, according to an in- vestigation released in May by the U.S. military. That strike is one of at least four ongoing U.S. mili- tary investigations into alle- gations of civilian casualties resulting from the airstrikes. One other probe into an air- strike in Syria and two in- vestigations into airstrikes in Iraq are still pending. Airwars said it identified the 57 strikes through re- porting from “two or more generally credible sources, often with biographical, photographic or video evi- dence.” The strikes also cor- responded to confirmed co- alition strikes conducted in the area at that time, it said. Other groups also have reported on major casualties suspected of being caused by the U.S.-led airstrikes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which documents the Syrian conflict through a network of activists on the ground, said 173 Syrian ci- vilians have been killed since airstrikes began. They in- clude 53 children under the age of 18. Most of the civil- ians were killed in airstrikes near oil refineries and oil fields in the northern prov- inces of Hassakeh, Raqqa, Aleppo and Deir el-Zour. The deadliest incident was on May 4, when a U.S.-led airstrike on the northern Islamic State-controlled vil- lage of Bir Mahli near Kobani killed 64 people, including 31 children, the Observatory said. A Pentagon spokesman at the time said that there was no information to indi- cate there were civilians in the village. The death toll was confirmed by other opposi- tion groups in Syria. Two videos and several photos purporting to show the aftermath of the strikes in the mixed Arab and Kurdish village showed chil- dren allegedly wounded in the airstrikes. A media arm of the Islamic State group released those videos. In another incident on June 8, an airstrike likely conducted by the U.S.-led coalition on the Islamic State-held village of Dali Hassan, also near Kobani, killed a family of seven, the Observatory said. Meanwhile, Turkey also has said it would inves- tigate accusations by the Iraqi Kurdish regional gov- ernment and activists with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, that its air- strikes were responsible for recent civilian casual- ties in the northern Iraqi town of Zargel. So far, the U.S. only has acknowledged killing two civilians in its strikes.9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Tuesday augusT 4, 2015 A SPECIAL THANK YOU I wish to thank all my family and friends for their well wishes, encouragement and support during my recent illness. My doctor, Virginia Hobday, who has been there from the beginning. Heather McLaughlin and Penny Cumber, of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, who have held my hand since the initial diagnosis, Dr. Steven Standiford, my surgeon at The Cancer Treatment Center of America (Philadelphia, PA), and his team of the most amazing doctors and nurses dedicated in their goal to fight cancer. Though I would have preferred to meet under different circumstances, I look forward to returning to the Cancer Center to continue my treatment. I consider each and every one of you an angel. Elizabeth Key Canada’s PM triggers election with vote in October TORONTO (AP) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper triggered an elec- tion campaign Sunday and set the vote for Oct. 19, when Harper and his Conservative party hope to earn a fourth term after almost a decade in power. Analysts say the election is a toss-up and Harper faces an uphill battle to form an- other majority government. If Harper wins he would be- come the first prime minister since 1908 to win four con- secutive elections. The prime minister dis- solved Parliament Sunday in a visit to the governor-gen- eral, the ceremonial represen- tative of Queen Elizabeth II, Canada’s head of state. Harper has managed to nudge a traditionally center- left country to the right since coming to power in 2006. He has gradually lowered sales and corporate taxes, avoided climate change legislation, supported the oil industry against the environmental lobby, increased military spending and backed Israel’s right-wing government. He has deliberately avoided sweeping policy changes that could derail his government. Harper, 56, said the election is about keeping Canadians safe from terrorist attacks and the economy strong and. A collapse in oil prices, a major export, has hurt the Canadian economy. He said now is not the time for inexperience and “political correctness,” refer- ring to the opposition leftist New Democrat party. “A national election is not a popularity contest,” Harper said. “It’s a genuine choice between practical, serious, real-world experience and a dangerous approach that has failed before and is failing in other countries.” Analysts say a minority government in the 338-seat Parliament is likely no matter what party wins the most seats in Parliament. That would mean the winning party would have a shaky hold on power and need to rely on another party to pass new legislation. A coalition government between the leftist New Democrats and Liberals is also possible. Analysts say the oppo- sition New Democrats, led by Tom Mulcair, 60, have a chance to gain power for first time after the party won control of the legislature in Alberta, Canada’s most con- servative province, a few months ago. “Canadians are telling us that they want change. After 10 years of Stephen Harper in Ottawa they want to turn the page,” Mulcair said. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, is also in the running to be the next prime minister. But he has trailed in recent polls after Conservatives have run repeated attack ads saying the 43-year-old is not ready for the job. The first televised debate is this Thursday and is seen as a key test for Trudeau, the son of the man whose legacy Harper is trying to erase. Former colleagues of Harper say his long-term goals are to kill the once widely entrenched notion that the Liberals – the party of long-time leaders Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien – are the natural party of government in Canada, and to redefine what it means to be Canadian. Harper called the elec- tion in the middle of a long holiday weekend in Canada in the dead of summer, trig- gering an unusual 11-week campaign rather than the usual five-week campaign that usually takes place. The campaign will be the lon- gest in Canada since 1872, but each party has been unofficially campaigning for months. Nelson Wiseman, a University of Toronto political science professor, called the election a toss-up but said Harper has the advantage be- cause the Conservative vote is more solid than the oppo- sition’s. He predicted Harper would win a minority gov- ernment based on polling, but noted most Canadians won’t start paying attention until September. The prime minister dissolved Parliament Sunday in a visit to the governor-general, the ceremonial representative of Queen Elizabeth II, Canada’s head of state. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper WikiLeaks says US spied on another ally: Japan The United States has for years been inter- cepting phone calls between Japanese officials on sensi- tive issues including trade, climate change and bilat- eral relations, according to a cache of cables that anti- secrecy group WikiLeaks re- leased Friday. With American and Japanese officials meeting in Hawaii – along with repre- sentatives of 10 other Pacific Rim nations – to try to close the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, WikiLeaks re- leased the potentially dam- aging cables that included conversations about trade. The release could pose another hurdle to the al- ready difficult TPP negoti- ations and will compound Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s domestic woes. Abe is facing loud protests at home over his attempts to loosen the re- strictions on Japan’s military and allow it to play a more active role in its alliance with the United States. In the cache dubbed “Target Tokyo” released Friday, WikiLeaks alleges that the National Security Agency had 35 targets in Japan going back at least as far as 2006, when Abe began his first stint as prime minister. The targets included the switchboard for the Japanese Cabinet office, the official workplace of the prime min- ister, and the line of the exec- utive secretary to Abe’s chief cabinet secretary. Officials from the central bank and the finance and trade minis- tries also had their phones tapped, as did the natural gas division of Mitsubishi and the petroleum division of Mitsui, WikiLeaks claimed. “The reports demonstrate the depth of U.S. surveillance of the Japanese government, indicating that intelligence was gathered and processed from numerous Japanese government ministries and offices,” the group, which is led by Julian Assange, said in a statement. Four of the reports that WikiLeaks released are clas- sified “top secret,” and one is categorized so that it can be shared with the United States’ “Five Eyes” intelli- gence partners: Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand. One of the reports, from 2009, purports to show that the NSA intercepted talking points drafted for the agri- culture minister to present at World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations with the U.S. trade representative. “The minister could also address the need to en- sure that the results of the WTO agriculture negotia- tions do not curtail agricul- ture in the member countries, and Japan’s anticipation of an early appointment by the USTR of a chief agricultural negotiator,” the report says. Fisheries subsidies, and tar- iffs on forestry and fishery products, might also come up, it said. Other parts of the leak deal with climate change negotiations and a feud between the U.S. and Japan over cherries, but it is the trade compo- nent that will probably be most controversial. Japan has an entrenched agriculture lobby, and farm products have been one of the most difficult parts of the TPP negotiations between the U.S. and Japan, by far the two biggest economies in the 12-nation pact. The United States is pushing to seal the deal this weekend at the talks in Hawaii, and any delay could imperil the whole proposal. The completed deal will need to go through Congress be- fore the end of the year – be- fore lawmakers begin their 2016 election campaigns in earnest. The documents were released in the middle of the afternoon in Japan, but the initial response in Tokyo was muted. “We are closely communi- cating with the U.S. on NSA’s information gathering, but we refrain from commenting on this matter because of the character of this issue,” said Kenko Sone, a spokesman for the prime minister. “The government continues to make every effort to secure the information.” WikiLeaks’ previous dis- closures that the United States had been intercepting phone calls from the leaders of Germany, France and Brazil led to indignation in those countries and rebukes. © 2015, The Washington Post WikiLeaks alleges that the National Security Agency had 35 targets in Japan going back at least as far as 2006, when Abe began his first stint as prime minister. Missing special OlyMpics athlete turns up 350 Miles away LOS ANGELES (AP) – An Albanian athlete who dis- appeared from the Special Olympics in Los Angeles turned up safe early Monday 350 miles away in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Hayward. Andi Gusmari, 44, came to the Hayward Police Department on his own around 2 a.m. Monday and used a lobby phone to con- tact a dispatcher, acting Lt. Guy Jakub said. Gusmari, who had his documents with him, was safe and comfortable but po- lice were not able to com- municate very well with him because of his speech disability, Jakub said. Gusmari, a bowling com- petitor, disappeared from the University of Southern California sometime after 8:30 p.m. Saturday. How he traveled from Los Angeles to Hayward, east of San Francisco, re- mained a mystery.Next >