ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 sports | page 22 acker expects tightest tri ever Weekend warriors set for Sunday’s event High of 90 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 avOiding the inevitable at the landfill Chamber of CommerCe Statement gov’t must not ‘blame business’ brent fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government must stop “blaming business owners” for the so- cial problems that successive governments have “failed to prevent,” a Tuesday statement from the Chamber of Commerce’s executive council declares. The Chamber council’s statement indicated that the territory’s largest business represen- tative group is becoming concerned that dif- ficulties with obtaining legal permits for for- eign workers – of which there are currently more than 22,000 – could eventually hurt the local economy, which depends heavily on foreign labor. The latest government survey of the local labor force, conducted this spring, showed that of a working population of more than 40,000, 47.3 percent were Caymanian and 52.7 percent were non-Caymanian. “In an economy with 20,000 more jobs than citizens, it is unrealistic, in fact mathemati- cally impossible, for every job to be awarded to a Caymanian,” the Chamber council state- ment read. “It is disingenuous to portray every work permit issued as a Caymanian job lost.” The typically moderate Chamber organi- zation’s statement was made in response to comments during a Legislative Assembly de- bate on Oct. 22 by Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden. Mr. Bodden, speaking about a private members’ motion filed by Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush, was generally discussing the need to improve educational and training op- portunities for Caymanian workers. Those opportunities were not readily available or even considered that important a generation ago, he said. During his debate, Minister Bodden de- cried employers’ “easy access to work permits” Cruise line mega-ships will not use tenders Royal Caribbean, Carnival confirm policy for larger ships James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Carnival Corp. have confirmed they have no plans to use tenders to service the larger Oasis-style cruise ships. Adam Goldstein, president and chief op- erating officer of Royal Caribbean, and Giora Israel, senior vice president of global port and destination development for Carnival, released statements through the Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism dismissing sug- gestions that the 6,000-passenger mega- ships would use tenders. Opponents of new cruise berthing facilities in George Town harbor have suggested an up- graded tender service could be used instead of building new piers. But tourism bosses say if Cayman wants to attract the larger ships, piers are the only option. Minister of Tourism Moses Kirkconnell said cruise lines had confirmed during the an- nual Florida Caribbean Cruise Association in Mexico this month that the Oasis class vessels would not utilize tenders to transfer passen- gers ashore. Mr. Goldstein, of Royal Caribbean, said, “When Royal Caribbean International launched Oasis Class ships six years ago, it was never intended that these vessels would be tendered. Royal has never tendered these ships and we have no plans for tendering them in the future.” royal reward for hospice heroes James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Charity marathon runner Derek Haines and Cayman HospiceCare med- ical director Dr. Virginia Hobday received their MBE awards from Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday. The Cayman Islands residents were among 87 people from across the U.K. and British Overseas Territories to be honored at the event. Mr. Haines said it was a “humbling” ex- perience to be appointed as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. The former police officer, who ran six marathons in 12 months to raise more than $1 million for a new hospice, said it was a privilege to receive his award alongside Dr. Hobday. While Mr. Haines may have made head- lines for his charity exploits, he said it was the work of people like Dr. Hobday that made the biggest difference in people’s lives. Both Dr. Hobday and Mr. Haines had family in attendance for the ceremony. Mr. Haines’s daughter traveled from Australia to see him receive the award. “It was quite emotional, really. We got together afterwards for a little celebration. It was a wonderful day,” Mr. Haines said. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Dr. Virginia hobday and Derek haines with their mbe awards at buckingham Palace on tuesday. – photo: press assoCiation PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. 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Here, Dadrie-Am Moore reads ‘Mystery Bottle’ to her 9-month-old son, Dijhaun, at the George Town Public Library on Monday. – Photo: Matt LaMers UN condemns embargo on Cuba, US votes ‘No’ Ganja boaters at large jurors rePort date changed UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United States on Tuesday voted against a U.N. reso- lution condemning its em- bargo on Cuba, despite President Barack Obama’s calls on Congress to lift the trade restrictions. The vote was the first since the U.S. and Cuban leaders agreed to restore diplomatic ties last year. The General Assembly over- whelmingly voted 191-2 to condemn the commercial, economic and financial em- bargo against Cuba. Only Israel joined the United States in voting against the resolution. The U.S. had consid- ered taking the unprece- dented step of abstaining from the vote, which has become a yearly exercise, in the hopes of pressuring Congress to end the em- bargo, The Associated Press reported last month. Instead, the U.S. decided to vote against the resolu- tion as it has for past 24 years, saying the measure did not reflect “the spirit of engagement” between U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro. U.S. deputy ambassador Ronald Godard told the as- sembly before the vote that the Cuban government is “mistaken” if it thinks the measure will improve ef- forts to normalize relations. General Assembly reso- lutions are unenforceable but the annual exercise has given Cuba a global stage to demonstrate America’s isolation on the embargo and its Cuba policy. Godard said it was “un- fortunate” that Cuba de- cided to introduce a resolu- tion whose text “falls short of reflecting the signifi- cant steps that have been taken and the spirit of en- gagement President Obama has championed.” Nonetheless, he said the United States “will not be bound by a history of mis- trust” and remains com- mitted to working toward normalizing relations with Cuba, a process he said will require “years of per- sistence and dedication on both sides.” Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro an- nounced last Dec. 17 that they were restoring diplo- matic ties, which were broken in 1961 after Fidel Castro took power and installed a communist government. On July 20, diplomatic relations were restored and embassies of the two coun- tries were reopened, but se- rious issues remain, espe- cially the U.S. call for human rights on the Caribbean is- land and claims for expro- priated property. Four men who are be- lieved to have come ashore in a fast canoe on Grand Cayman’s North Side district Sunday night following a po- lice marine chase remained at large Tuesday. The boat used to evade police Sunday had dozens of compressed ganja packages on board, about 35 of which were recovered in the water after the suspects tossed them overboard during the police pursuit Sunday night. Police warned Tuesday that the four suspects may be looking to steal a boat in which to escape Cayman and will also be searching for food and clothing if they remain here for any length of time. Police said any suspicious activity in the area should be reported to the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220. The report date for Grand Court jurors who are scheduled for jury duty in the Oct. 7 to Dec. 31 ses- sion has been changed. Jurors are now asked to report to the court in George Town on Monday, Nov. 2 at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Information line at 945- 5072 for the most up-to- date information. The canoe involved in the police marine pursuit Sunday night in North Side was recovered. Its four passengers were not found. - Photo: rcIPs US money-laundering probe forces Honduran paper to close TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – The Honduran newspaper Tiempo says it is tempo- rarily closing after the government seized busi- nesses belonging to the pa- per’s owners, who are ac- cused in the United States of money laundering. Tiempo has published for 45 years. In an editorial Tuesday entitled “So long, Honduras,” the paper says the closure is due to “economic asphyxiation” caused by the freezing of bank accounts linked to the family of former Honduran Vice President Jaime Rosenthal. Rosenthal had warned he didn’t have enough money on hand to pay salaries. On Oct. 7, the U.S. Treasury Department des- ignated Rosenthal, his son Yani Rosenthal and nephew Yankel Rosenthal under the Kingpin Act. U.S. prosecutors say they and companies in their Grupo Continental laundered money for drug traffickers. The Rosenthals have denied the allegations.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 After experiencing turbulent equity markets over the last decade, many people decided it may be better to trade the possibility of high investment returns for moderate guaranteed fi xed returns for at least a portion of their money. Despite this realization, some of these same people have kept their money out of the market entirely because they are waiting for interest rates to rise. This failure to invest has cost these procrastinating investors considerable money that may never be recovered. On the fi rst day of August 2010, the U.S. 5 year treasury yield was 1.64% and by August 2015 it was 1.89% - not much movement. Maybe interest rates will rise over the near term, maybe not. If rates do rise, will the interest earning lost now ever make up for the higher rates later? Nobody truly knows. But, let’s look at some reasons why any near term increase in interest rates will likely not be substantial: • devalued Chinese currency and the likely correlated slowing of US infl ation; • falling global commodity prices; • Eurozone economic weakness; • average annual growth of the US gross domestic product around 2%, refl ecting a slow healing from the 2008 fi nancial crisis; and • today’s “new normal” isn’t exactly a period of robust growth for quality full time jobs, spending, manufacturing or other economic indicators that would normally drive rising interest rates. Despite this data, many people continue to remain comfortable leaving their money on the side-lines in the hopes that interest rates will fi nally rise substantially. Your bank savings account likely offers almost zero interest and bank CDs are not much better. However, if you invested in a fi xed annuity, you would be considerably ahead today. Consider this example: Using $100,000, you keep your money in a bank savings account earning 0.06% for the last 5 years. At the end of the 5 years, your savings account increased $300. Alternatively, you purchased a 5 year certifi cate of deposit (bank CD) and received a jumbo Investment Mistake: The High Cost of Procrastinating By Nathan V. Gemmiti, COO & General Counsel, Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company rate of 0.84%. At the end of the 5 years, your bank CD account value increased $4,285. Certainly not great returns. For the same $100,000, you could have purchased a 5 year fi xed annuity that earns 2.70% annually. Your interest rate is guaranteed by the issuing insurance company during the entire term. Your account value would be $14,249 at the end of the 5 years. You earned $13,949 more than the savings account and $9,964 more than a bank CD! In addition to a signifi cantly superior return, there are other benefi ts to buying a fi xed annuity. You get liquidity benefi ts (capped annual free withdrawals), a death benefi t and annuitization features, which permit you to convert the annuity’s cash value into payments for a specifi c term or for your entire life. Annuities also permit you to name a benefi ciary, which could provide estate planning benefi ts. A saving account or bank CD simply don’t provide any of these benefi ts. By choosing to wait or investing in a lower-yielding fi nancial product, consumers could lose valuable investment earnings and may never recoup the gains offered by a fi xed annuity today. As the above chart shows, the cost could be substantial. DISCLOSURE: Bank savings account interest is an average of interest rates on $100,000 at the three largest banks in the United States as of August 19, 2015. The 5-year bank CD is the national average as quoted by www.wsj.com for a jumbo account. The 2.70% annuity rate is quoted from Knighthead Annuity & Life Assurance Company as of August 25, 2015 and is compounded annually. All other rates are compounded quarterly. All interest rates are subject to change. An annuity is not a bank product and is guaranteed by the issuer. Knighthead Annuity does not issue annuities to US persons or in any jurisdiction where prohibited. This article is the opinion of the author only. School zone speeding could cost license Tibbetts: Government to amend Traffic Law Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Speeding through an area marked as a school zone in the Cayman Islands could soon cost motorists their driver’s license, government officials confirmed last week. The only question at this stage is how fast a driver must be traveling and how long they would lose their li- cense, if convicted. Currently, traffic regula- tions set a minimum $200 fine for speeding in a school zone. The issue was discussed during Legislative Assembly’s debate of a private members’ motion filed by East End MLA Arden McLean which sought to suspend a driv- er’s license if a motorist was caught going 20 miles per hour or faster in a 15 mph school zone. Mr. McLean pro- posed suspension of the li- cense for one year on a first offense. “To my disgust, and [the disgust of] many of us in here, motorists continue to ignore those signs,” Mr. McLean said. The East End representa- tive said it is a safety issue for nearly every district on Grand Cayman, pointing out several areas, including Savannah Primary and Red Bay Primary schools, where a two-lane road passes through both zones. “[Drivers] overtake you [in school zones],” he said. “They couldn’t care less whether it’s friend, foe or child on the side of the road.” Other areas of concern, he said, include the “mess” on the lower end of Walkers Road where three schools, including John Gray High School, line the land side of the thoroughfare, and the “race track” by Clifton Hunter High School in North Side district where the 15 mph sign for the school zone is often ignored by drivers, some of whom travel 50 mph. “I don’t know how there has not been a cata- strophic incident there,” Mr. McLean said, referring to Clifton Hunter. Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts, who has oversight responsibility for public roads, said proposed changes to both the local Traffic Law and Traffic Ticketing Regulations going to govern- ment’s legal drafting depart- ment this week seek to set far more stringent punishments for speeding in school zones. Mr. Tibbetts said the initial proposal was that “anyone caught going twice the speed of the school zone [15 mph] would lose their li- cense for up to six months.” However, as a result of Mr. McLean’s motion, Mr. Tibbetts has asked legal drafters to reconsider whether the speed limit can be set lower than 30 mph for a “loss of license” offense, or if the time the license is sus- pended can be greater. Mr. Tibbetts also said the National Roads Authority would also study some of the school zones to see whether they require more warning signs posted outside the lower speed zone itself. “You shouldn’t just drive up and all of a sudden see these lights,” Mr. Tibbetts said. The planning minister said he would also request that police “show a much greater presence in these areas” at peak traffic times and when school is opening or closing for the day. “[Drivers] overtake you [in school zones]. They couldn’t care less whether it’s friend, foe or child on the side of the road.” Arden McLeAn, East End MLA Walkers Road near John Gray, St. Ignatius and Cayman Prep high schools has been identified as a danger area for students walking in the school zone. - Photo: Brent FullerThe 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” Wednesday OCTOber 28, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Ultimately, if you con- tinue to spend more than you take in – whether you are an individual, busi- ness or government – there will be a day of reckoning. Puerto Rico is likely to reach that day by Dec. 1. Back in June, the governor of Puerto Rico, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, announced that the government debt of US$73 billion had grown so large that it was no longer “re- payable.” At that time, many of us who have had experi- ence with countries in fiscal crisis made recommendations to avoid what is now almost certain to happen. Puerto Rico is a partially self-governing U.S. possession. It is required to follow the U.S. Constitution and many, but not all, federal laws and regulations. As is its pattern, the Obama administration waited until the last minute – this past week – to unveil its “solu- tion,” dubbed “Super Chapter 9.” Chapter 9 is a provision in the U.S. bankruptcy code that allows local governments in U.S. states, but not the states themselves (including Puerto Rico), to declare bankruptcy. The Obama administra- tion’s proposal would allow both Puerto Rico and its mu- nicipalities to declare bank- ruptcy under something akin to Chapter 9. This proposal would deny bondholders their existing constitutional pro- tections, while, at the same time, do little to address the real problems that caused the fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico. If the proposal is adopted, bond markets would likely read it as a precedent that would destroy bondholder rights and wealth in mismanaged states, including debt-stressed Illinois and California. The re- sult would likely be higher borrowing costs for all states owing to the increase in risk to bondholders. It is for these and other reasons that the Republicans are likely to reject it. The administration’s pro- posal could rightly be char- acterized as too little, too late, and too poorly thought out. Puerto Rico should be very rich – but it has suf- fered from too much local government populism and socialism, and some destruc- tive U.S. government regula- tions. The government has a number of state-owned com- panies that are poorly man- aged, such as the power company, which runs huge deficits, despite charging electricity rates many times higher than most mainland Americans pay. The minimum wage in the United States is about 28 percent of the av- erage wage, while it is 77 percent in Puerto Rico. The result of destructive labor policies is that Puerto Rico has a labor force participa- tion rate a third lower than the mainland (where it is at a 40-year low). The economy has been shrinking over the last decade, and as a result all too many of the island’s most well educated and pro- ductive citizens (i.e., young adults) have left and are now working in the U.S. mainland. Meanwhile, many of the older and poorer dependent popu- lation remain in Puerto Rico on various forms of govern- ment assistance. This, in turn, makes an economic recovery more and more difficult. The good news is that real economic reform would cause a rapid and sustain- able increase in economic growth. Many of the British former and current overseas territories that had far less going for them than Puerto Rico, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Bermuda and Cayman, now enjoy much higher real incomes than Puerto Rico (and even the United States, in some cases). Puerto Rico should adopt an internationally competitive tax and regulatory system – as the above-mentioned British-created political en- tities have done. It needs to install a debt brake (in reality a spending brake) as the Swiss have done. It needs to reduce the cost of doing business (e.g., a new company in Estonia can be created in only 18 minutes). It needs to create a voucher system for education as the Swedes have done. The point is that many places around the world have solved prob- lems that now plague Puerto Rico, so there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Puerto Rico’s bondholders are justifiably likely to resist attempts to deny them their rights by changing the rules, unless they see that pro- growth improvements in eco- nomic policy will be made. High growth greatly in- creases cash flow to the gov- ernment – even with much lower tax rates – while de- creasing the demand for gov- ernment services, thus in- creasing the government’s ability to service old debt. A temporary “control board,” much like the one in- stalled in New York decades ago and more recently in the District of Columbia to deal with the urgent fiscal prob- lems, should be immediately put in place. At the same time, an economic reform and growth commission needs to be established to specifically identify the problems that caused the existing situation, pinpoint the impediments to economic growth (including U.S. government regulations), and then present solutions, including global best prac- tices. The commission should be given a very short time – three months – for its report, given the urgency of the sit- uation. The only thing that is hard about “saving” Puerto Rico is the political will to enact the obvious and neces- sary solutions. 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 The Cayman Islands government is asking the public for its input on its newly published National Solid Waste Management Strategy. Here’s our feedback: Decide what you’re going to do about our country’s solid waste problem — and then do it. The latest treatise on trash from consultants Amec Foster Wheeler comes in at 250 pages, much of it consisting of “recycled” and “reused” materials from earlier reports. The bottom line, buried within the details of the documentation, remains the same. According to con- sultants, “the existing George Town landfill site will be more or less at capacity by the summer of 2021. Construction of a residual waste cell within the site after this period is likely to be difficult. The CIG should therefore consider alternative land to accommodate new waste management facilities including an alterna- tive landfill area …” While consultants, at the express direction of gov- ernment officials, dwell upon the existing George Town landfill site, and measures that could be taken, such as “waste reduction,” “recycling and com- posting” and “waste-to-energy” options, including — you’ll never guess — mining the dump, the upshot is that even if all of those actions were implemented, the net result would be to “provide some additional flex- ibility” and “prolong the life of the landfill for a limited number of years.” Put another way, recycling and waste-to-energy aren’t solutions — they’re postponements. And expensive ones, we might add. Looking at four options for waste-to-energy-type facilities at the George Town landfill site, consultants estimate that the various projects could cost anywhere from $50 million to $300 million (over 25 years), and each would involve a capital outlay of more than US$70 million. (Those figures expressly don’t include other costs that will be identified by KPMG during the forthcoming “outline business case.”) Again, the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars we’re talking about won’t prevent the necessity, sooner than later, for government to find and build a new landfill somewhere on Grand Cayman. As envisioned, the project will, at best, merely delay the inevitable. The new report includes an interesting piece of information that we haven’t seen highlighted before. While questions have been raised before about the possibility of digging a new landfill cell at the existing site in George Town, consultants now explain that the remaining land at the site “is all underlain by fills com- prising Hurricane Ivan waste which extend below the water table. This would make the construction of any future waste containment cell difficult even if there was a sufficient footprint available.” In other words — What else ya got? Cayman’s government has instructed consultants to find a solution to our country’s solid waste man- agement crisis, but only at the existing George Town landfill site. Following many months of research and inquiry, consultants have come up with a plan that will cost $50 million to $300 million, but won’t prevent the need for a new landfill somewhere else. We have a different plan. Close the dump. Cap the dump. Build a new landfill elsewhere. Avoiding the inevitable at the landfill Saving Puerto Rico RichaRd W. Rahn Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla has announced his territory’s US$73 billion government debt is not ‘repayable.’ - Photo: AP5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 Want To Save On Your Energy Costs? Save up to 60% Off your CUC bill with Cayman Islands Spray Foam. Save energy and enjoy the comfort of a home protected with a complete spray foam barrier. Spray Foam Advantages Include • Greatest Energy Efficiency • Improves Indoor Air Quality • Highest R-Value/Inch • Improves Structural Integrity • Mold & Mildew Resistant What Is Spray Foam Insulation? Why would someone choose traditional insulation with the endless advantages and superiority of Spray Foam? That's simple, you don’t. Spray Foam Insulation not only provides thermal comfort with its high R-Value insulating properties, but it also creates a weather tight, air-sealed protective barrier. Call now (345) 326-6767 Schedule a free consultation SPECIAL OFFER - GET A FREE CONSULTATION Save 60% off your CUC Bill Activists march in silence against abuse and bullying KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dozens of local activists marched in silence through George Town on Monday eve- ning to spread a simple mes- sage: Love shouldn’t hurt. The activists partici- pating in the Business and Professional Women’s Club’s 15th annual Silent Witness March carried large, red sil- houettes of women to repre- sent all those who have been affected by domestic violence and the many individuals trapped in hurtful relation- ships who suffer in silence. “Domestic violence, sadly, is surrounded by silence,” Silent Witness March co- chair Patricia Muschette said. “Too often individuals are re- luctant to intervene.” Ms. Muschette and others who participated in the march said they hope that more people will speak out about domestic violence and will offer help to those they suspect may be in need. “Having endured years of domestic violence myself, and knowing personally how much of a frightening, lonely and horrible experience this can be, my hope is that we as a community can find better ways to combat this vio- lence,” she said. Deputy Police Commis- sioner Stephen Brougham, who participated in the march and spoke at the event, said that Cayman Islands po- lice deal with cases of do- mestic violence 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He said there have been nearly 800 reports of domestic vi- olence this year, and that many more cases likely go unreported. “Imagine how difficult it is for a victim of abuse or violence to actually talk to a stranger,” Mr. Brougham said. “A lot of this takes place be- hind closed doors and we’ll never know … what doesn’t get reported.” He stressed that everyone has a responsibility to ad- dress the issue of domestic violence, that it is not just the problem of the person who is being abused. He encouraged neighbors and anyone who suspects domestic violence is occurring to report it. Other speakers at the event included Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who talked about the im- portance of support in the workplace for colleagues af- fected by domestic violence, and three young female participants in the Family Resource Centre’s “Re-think Teen Leader” program who presented their thoughts on the theme of the event, “Love shouldn’t hurt.” This year the Family Resource Centre joined with the Business and Professional Women’s Club so that the march represented not only victims of domestic violence, but also victims of bullying who frequently suffer in si- lence as well. More than 60 people par- ticipated in the Silent Witness March, including representa- tives from the Business and Professional Women’s Club, the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre, the Estella Scott- Roberts Foundation, the Family Resource Centre and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, in addition to other members of the public. “The significance of this march is immeasurable,” Ms. Muschette said. “We can never do enough to bring awareness, educate, and try to eradicate the vices of do- mestic violence and bullying from our community.” Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, center, joins activists carrying red silhouettes representing victims of domestic violence as they march through George Town on Monday evening to raise awareness about domestic violence and bullying. - Photo: Kelsey JuKam6 LOCAL NEWS Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass 936-COOL (2665) www.airconditioningcayman.com Call Now & Start SAVING Save Up to Call Now & Start SAVING Save Up toSave Up to Off Your CUC Bill Cayman Islands most experienced, professional, and reliable residential air conditioning company. Upgrade to ultra-high e cient 25.5 seer AC equipment & with installation of spray foam insulation you can start having HUGE monthly savings guaranteed! Minister: People ‘giving up’ on mortgages Government pledges to ‘look into’ issue Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Homeowners who are simply “giving up” on cur- rent mortgages and leaving the Cayman Islands make up the second most common reason for bank foreclosures, Finance Minister Marco Archer said Monday. “According to the banks, people are just giving up their mortgages and some of them are leaving the islands,” Mr. Archer said. “They would just come into the bank and say ‘here are the keys’ and leave.” The most common reason given for bank foreclosures, according to Minister Archer, was the breakup of the family unit. “I was surprised that the main reason [for foreclosures] wasn’t job loss,” he said. Mr. Archer previously said loss of employment was the second most common cause of property foreclosures, and some of the people leaving the islands in this way may indeed be departing due to job loss or after having reached the end of their term limit on residence. However, North Side MLA Ezzard Miller said Monday that he was also aware of Caymanians who had left the islands recently, moving to another country in order to collect pensions they earned here prior to retirement. Both men’s comments came during a debate on Mr. Miller’s private members’ motion seeking to enact what he referred to as “true mortgage legislation” to pro- tect local property owners, homeowners in particular, from losing equity in their investments. Mr. Miller’s motion sug- gested there were a number of options to do so, in- cluding extending the cur- rent three-month period of arrears after which banks may initiate foreclosure pro- ceedings, or even creating some type of reverse mort- gage scheme where equity built up in a property can be used to settle debt. Although the government assented to Mr. Miller’s mo- tion Monday, it did not specif- ically state what measures, if any, might be taken to change current rules in the Registered Land Law that allow financial institutions to foreclose on a property 90 days after a loan goes into arrears. Mr. Miller said he left the issue in the hands of the Progressives-led administra- tion: “I have done my job. I have raised this issue.” After a record year of fore- closures on properties in 2013, during which 65 prop- erties were foreclosed on, concerns rose again this year about the number of proper- ties that had been issued de- mand notices by lenders. From the beginning of the year through mid-August, de- mand notices have been issued by Cayman Islands financial institutions on 39 properties that hold a total of $8.45 mil- lion in loans. The properties, whether businesses, homes or vacant land, are held in the names of 51 people. At the time the demand notices were issued, they were $839,970.91 in arrears. Of the properties where loans were in arrears, 17 were in George Town, 12 were in Bodden Town, eight were in West Bay and two were in North Side. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said earlier this year that 17 prop- erties were foreclosed on in the Cayman Islands during the first three months of 2015. That number over a three-month period compares to 23 completed foreclosures during all of 2014. During the Legislative Assembly debate Monday, Mr. Panton stressed again that the numbers of foreclo- sures in Cayman were rela- tively small in comparison to the averages in the rest of the Caribbean. However, he also acknowledged that for people losing their homes, statistics are no comfort. “Whether [the economy] is getting better or not … it’s their house, it’s their life,” Mr. Panton said. The minister urged people with distressed loans or who have suddenly found them- selves in financial difficulties to contact their bank as soon as possible to work out an arrangement. He said there are many options, including tempo- rary measures to hold prin- cipal payments in abeyance or even to reduce the overall amount owed per month for a fixed period. However, he also noted that some mort- gages cannot be rescued. “Sometimes the individual involved needs to sell the property, and the sooner they do it, the better,” Mr. Panton said. “We have seen attempts to take government money to give people to pay their mort- gages. It doesn’t work.” “They would just come into the bank and say ‘here are the keys’ and leave.” Marco archer, finance minister Mr. Archer Bush demands meeting on stolen drugs Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s opposition party leader is demanding a private meeting with the police commissioner and deputy governor to discuss the status of a criminal in- vestigation into the theft of large amounts of cocaine and ganja from a police storage bin earlier this year. Mr. Bush said he had re- quested the meeting in person to discuss the incident, but noted it had not happened during the current meeting of the Legislative Assembly, which ended Monday. “I certainly want to hold the office of the governor to that meeting,” Mr. Bush said. “What we asked for was a sit-down meeting with the commissioner so we can talk back-and-forth to find out where the country sits with such a breach.” Acting Deputy Governor Eric Bush replied Monday that his office had asked for details on the incident to be provided by the police com- missioner, who has been off island on official business. Mr. Bush, the leader of the opposition Cayman Islands Democratic Party, is suing Police Commissioner David Baines and former Governor Duncan Taylor, alleging a conspiracy led by U.K. rep- resentatives to remove him from office ahead of the May 2013 general election. Mr. Bush, Cayman’s first premier, was removed by members of his own party following a December 2012 “no confidence” vote fol- lowing his arrest on various criminal allegations. A subsequent criminal trial in 2014 cleared Mr. Bush of all charges. Earlier this month, op- position party lawmakers grilled Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, taking the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service to task over what they said was an attempt to “hide” and “lie” about the po- lice station drugs theft. After initially reporting that nothing had been taken in a July 13 break-in outside the police station, the RCIPS confirmed in September that “a quantity” of illegal drugs were taken from an evi- dence container there. The container was used to store “old evidence” and “drugs awaiting disposal,” police said at the time. Mr. Manderson confirmed this month that 24 kilograms of cocaine and 33 kilograms of ganja had been stolen from the container. Mr. Manderson indicated that the drugs were not intended to be used as “evidence” in any ongoing in- vestigation, but had been set aside for destruction at the earliest opportunity after having washed ashore. He noted that arrests have been made in connection with the July 13 theft and that fur- ther police warrants would be issued in connection with the case in the near future. Police have provided no information on specific ar- rests or charges in connec- tion with the case. “The machinery of the police organization seems to have taken this matter quite lightly,” Mr. Bush said. “When this matter came to [the] fore, they said it wasn’t true and, lo and behold, it was exposed by the media that it had happened. “This man [referring to Police Commissioner David Baines] stood there and lied to us all and said nothing was stolen,” Deputy Opposition Leader Bernie Bush said. Deputy Governor Manderson said the critical comments by McKeeva Bush and Bernie Bush were not fair to police commanders who were doing their best to solve the theft and sort out security at the police station. “I think it’s unfair to say the commissioner ‘lied’ about the drugs not being stolen,” Mr. Manderson replied. “That’s an operational decision … when he gives out informa- tion to the public, that’s a matter for him. Sometimes we can’t tell the public everything when they want to know. “This is an attack on the police, an attack on our se- curity services. The governor, myself, the commissioner of police, are doing all we can to ensure that the persons involved in this have been brought to justice.” Mr. Bush7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 RANCH CHICKEN SALAD RANCH 300 CaloriesCalories CASHEW CHICKEN SALAD A CASHEW A CASHEW sianAsianAAsian DRIVE THRU OPEN LATE FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS UNTIL 1AM AT SEVEN MILE BEACH Now serving you from 2 locations: Savannah and Seven Mile Beach Honda HR-V starting at $25,900 Call 949-0440 for more information. Car City, Durham Dr. Industrial Park, PO Box 10440 APO, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Including 3 years licensing, 3 years warranty and 3 years free oil changes. 5 Year Warranty | 3 Years Licensing | 3 Years Free Oil Changes Features- Back up Camera Back up sensors Keyless Entry Push Button Start 1.4L – good fuel economy 2015 Suzuki Ciaz Blow Out Sale Pilot’s tests considered for boaters James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Pleasure boaters could soon be required to take pi- lot’s tests before being al- lowed on the water. New training and testing regulations for anyone owning or operating larger pleasure boats are under consideration. Legislators this week approved a private mem- bers’ motion from North Side MLA Ezzard Miller to consider introducing a re- quired test on safety, naviga- tion and operating a boat in Cayman’s waters. Mr. Miller said there had been an increase in the number as well as the size and speed of boats being driven in Cayman’s waters by people who did not know what they were doing. “If you don’t think this is a problem, go to Rum Point on a Sunday evening … there is no respect for boats going on the starboard side or sail boats or anything else. Everybody is going crazy. Most of them have been par- taking of alcoholic bever- ages for the whole after- noon,” he said. Mr. Miller said he had almost been run over in his own “very small” boat. He said it was time for regulation. “There are enough boats out there on the water now being driven by people who have no knowledge of the rules,” he said. Though the motion spe- cifically referred to “plea- sure boaters,” Mr. Miller also criticized standards in the dive industry. He said many were ig- noring rules about having a lookout on board the vessel when divers were under- water and suggested some companies were putting in- experienced skippers at the helms of their boats. “Some of these people come out of areas, they’ve never seen salt water be- fore, never seen a boat be- fore but because they got a dive master qualification, they put them to drive the boat as well, everybody is in the water and nobody’s on lookout.” Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said govern- ment supported the mo- tion and would work with the Port Authority and others to decide the best way forward. Radiation oncologist to talk about cancer awareness keLseY JUkam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com A month of breast cancer awareness events ends Wednesday evening with an educational talk from a spe- cialist in radiation oncology. Dr. Lav Goyal from Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will be the speaker at the presentation at the Lions Community Centre. The pre- sentation is the final edu- cational event of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens’ annual breast cancer awareness month, which in- cluded 16 events. Radiation oncologists treat cancer using various forms of radiation to detect and kill malignant cells. Radiation therapy is often combined with other treat- ments, including surgery and chemotherapy. Dr. Goyal will discuss screening and treatment op- tions for some of the most common cancer types, in- cluding breast cancer. “If they screen and there’s something that shows up, we can talk about what to do if there is a positive screen,” Dr. Goyal said. “It’s impor- tant because if we’re going to be efficient in the fight against cancer, then we’re most effective treating it at the earliest stage.” Dr. Goyal said he will also discuss the recent changes to the American Cancer Society’s recom- mendations about breast cancer screening. Holy Cross Hospital, which is sponsoring the event, has treated cancer patients from the Cayman Islands and is frequently involved in healthcare-re- lated events in the country. “We love coming to Cayman and being involved in these community events. We were here in September for the Cancer Society’s health fair and we’re happy to be back again now to help raise awareness about breast cancer,” said Dr. Manuel Mantecon, Holy Cross Hospital’s director of interna- tional services. “The Lions Club of Tropical Gardens is doing great work throughout the month of October so we’re happy to join them in the fight against breast cancer,” he added. Cayman Islands Cancer Society Operations Manager Jennifer Weber said that every year hundreds of women turn out to hear the annual talk in George Town, where they can also receive a voucher for a free mammogram. The event takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. Dr. Goyal The presentation is the final educational event of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens’ annual breast cancer awareness month, which included 16 events this month.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 • Cayman Compass David Dempster Bodden Sunrise 9-September-1937 Sunset 28-October-2014 My beloved Dad/Grandfather It has been a hard and sad one year since you fell asleep. I long for the day when the trumpet shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise fi rst. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise fi rst. 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 15, 16. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the fi rst resurrection: on such the second death hath no power , but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6 Sadly missed by your loving daughter Sharon, Grandchildren Cruz, Joseph, Isabella, Chad, Brittany and Kasey. Other relatives Winston, Patsy, Verna, Joseph, Rosedean, Ellen, Beautylee, Lucille, Angelia and Delmira Bodden. David Dempster Bodden and noted that every time someone in government complained about the situ- ation “somebody squeals.” He also said the Immigration Department’s current work permit ap- proval system is a “con- fusion alley” and he ad- vocated the separation of work permit approvals from the department, which has law enforcement as its primary function. Supporting the min- ister’s call for immigra- tion reform, the Chamber council stated he was not correct regarding cur- rent access to work per- mits. Immigration boards, the council noted, will typically only grant a work permit after “an em- ployer has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt” that no qualified Caymanian worker is available. “Wholesale denial or frustration of work permits will only cause the economy to contract further and put more Caymanians out of work,” the council stated. “Failing companies do not equate to job opportunities for Caymanians, nor suc- cess for Caymanian busi- ness owners.” The current work permit system, in the Chamber’s view, does not provide Caymanians who have suf- fered discrimination in looking for a job any redress, nor does it allow companies to defend themselves against such allegations. “The Chamber of Commerce condemns every instance of discrimina- tion against Caymanians,” the council statement read. “However, we reject the no- tion that the private sector is systematically biased. “The private sector would not employ 13,000 working Caymanians if local employers were predisposed to not hiring them.” Chamber statement: Government must not ‘blame business’ He said Prince William questioned them about life in the Cayman Islands and told Dr. Hobday about his wife the Duchess of Cambridge’s support for hos- pice organizations. He said it was particu- larly humbling to meet some of the other recipients, in- cluding the chief medical of- ficer of the British army who was recognized for his work fighting the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. “They were so inter- esting and so deserving that when I think of myself run- ning marathons to raise a few dollars for charity, it puts that in the shade really. It was outstanding to be in their company on a day like today,” he added. Mr. Haines added that Prince William spent a few minutes with each of the awardees. “When he found out how old I was, he was concerned about my knees,” he said. But the 67-year-old has no plans to hang up his running shoes just yet. He is trying to raise another $50,000, this time for the Cayman Islands Special Needs Foundation, by running the Cayman mara- thon in December. Danielle Coleman of Cayman HospiceCare said the organization is “tre- mendously grateful” for the work of both Mr. Haines and Dr. Hobday. “We would like to sincerely thank this amazing duo for all the wonderful things they have done and continue to do for Cayman HospiceCare. We can’t think of two more de- serving people to be awarded an MBE,” she said. Royal reward for hospice heroes Cayman one step closer to mental health facility KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Progress continues on the proposal for a long-term resi- dential mental health facility in the Cayman Islands as consulting firm KPMG begins work on the outline business case to explore the feasibility of the project. The government an- nounced Monday that it signed a contract with the auditing firm on Oct. 9 after a tendering process that began this summer. Cayman Islands psychia- trist Dr. Marc Lockhart, who has advocated for a long- term mental health facility, said he is excited about the progress being made on the project. “I do feel very positive about things. I do feel that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel, but we still have to go through the tunnel,” Dr. Lockhart said. “I’m hoping that the interest and the drive continues once the business plan is completed.” Mental healthcare prac- titioners and other stake- holders have long stressed the need for a long-term mental health facility in the Cayman Islands as there are only eight beds avail- able, at the Cayman Islands Hospital, for adult mental health patients, and no beds available for children or adolescents with mental health issues. Currently, individuals in need of long-term psy- chiatric care must be sent to an overseas residen- tial clinic. About 10 to 20 patients require overseas treatment for mental illness annually, and another 10 to 20 patients who need such care are unable to go off- island because of criminal convictions. Stakeholders, including members of the Long-term Residential Mental Health Facility Steering Committee, met with representatives of KPMG last week to discuss the challenges that mentally ill patients and their health- care practitioners face in the absence of a long-term fa- cility, according to a govern- ment statement. Further stakeholder meetings are planned for November as KPMG con- tinues to gather information for its report. Dr. Lockhart, who sits on the steering committee, par- ticipated in last week’s meet- ings. He told KPMG repre- sentatives that he believes a therapeutic farm community would be the best approach for long-term mental health- care in the country. A therapeutic farm is a psychiatric facility set on rural or agricultural land where patients can choose to participate in activities that are therapeutic and help to develop skills the patients can use when they return to the larger community. Such activities might include gar- dening and woodworking. “This type of commu- nity really has shown to be very constructive in terms of its rehabilitative focus,” Dr. Lockhart said. He also told KPMG representatives that the facility “does not have to be the typical type of govern- ment intervention” where the government foots 100 per- cent of the bill. “I actually think that a public-private type approach is the best,” Dr. Lockhart said. “The government could pro- vide maybe some of the land or incentives, and open it up to other private entities, non- profit or otherwise to be a part of this.” In the long term, he said, such a facility might even be a draw for medical tourism. KPMG has 90 days to complete the outline business case for the long-term mental health facility. Premier Alden McLaughlin, seated between Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn and Kris Beighton for KPMG, at the contract signing with KPMG earlier this month. Standing, from left, are Niasha Brady, Shari Smith, Ashita Shenoy (KPMG), Roy Tatum, Nancy Barnard, Brid Verling (KPMG), Chief Officer Dorine Whittaker, Andrew Hamilton (KPMG) and Janett Flynn. The Cayman Islands residents were among 87 people from across the U.K. and British Overseas Territories to be honored at the event. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Further stakeholder meetings are planned for November as KPMG continues to gather information for its report. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Queen plans Malta trip LONDON (AP) – Queen Elizabeth II plans to lead a royal entourage to Malta in late November for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Buckingham Palace offi- cials on Tuesday confirmed the queen will be joined by her husband, Prince Philip, and Prince Charles and his wife Camilla. The three-day trip, which begins Nov. 26, will be the queen’s sixth visit to Malta. Charles represented his mother two years ago at the Commonwealth meeting in Sri Lanka but the queen has decided to travel to Malta, which is much closer. Palace officials said the 89-year-old queen no longer makes long-haul trips due to her advancing years.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Wednesday OctOber 28, 2015 Mr. Israel, of Carnival Corp., said the cruise line was unlikely to use tenders for any of its new mega- ships, which will come into service from 2018. “The key for a smooth op- eration of large ships in transit ports is the availability of piers or berthing facilities,” he said. “The itinerary plan- ning executives at our various cruise brands that will op- erate those ships in the future will consider the availability of piers or berthing facilities as a key element in considering a destination and are unlikely to consider tender ports for such class of vessels.” He added, “Carnival Corporation announced ear- lier this year the construction program for a series of larger ships, the first to be delivered in 2018. These state-of-the art ships will have a capacity of over 6,000 passengers … “The ships will require piers or berthing facilities that can efficiently operate in all the destinations where they will operate in the future.” He did not say where the ships would be used. Mr. Kirkconnell said Carnival and Royal Caribbean accounted for approximately 82 percent of Cayman’s cruise business in 2014. “The Ministry of Tourism reached out to them about their future plans and have been advised that tendering is not something they are willing to consider in the fu- ture …,” he said. “The cruise industry is transitioning to mega-ships and the major lines all have vessels currently under construction.” There are currently two Oasis class ships, the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas, operating in the Caribbean. Carnival is com- missioning a third ship, Harmony of the Seas, in the same size category, though it will operate, at least initially, in the Mediterranean. Enticing mega-ships to Cayman has been cited among the reasons for a dock to be built. Cruise line mega-ships will not use tenders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Spacecraft diving deep into Saturn moon’S erupting water jet CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – The Cassini spacecraft is about to get an icy shower as it orbits Saturn. On Wednesday, Cassini will storm through a jet of water vapor and frozen particles erupting from the south pole of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s many moons. The spacecraft will zoom within 30 miles of the pole, providing the best sampling yet of its under- ground ocean. Cassini will be traveling 19,000 mph, so it should take just an instant to penetrate the plume. A global liquid ocean is believed to exist beneath the frozen crust of 300-mile- wide Enceladus. Wednesday’s dive will be the deepest one yet through the continuous plumes, making the enterprise a bit riskier than usual. Launched in 1997, Cassini is not equipped to detect life, but scientists hope Wednesday’s flyby will provide clues as to the possibility of it. NASA program scien- tist Curt Niebur considers Wednesday’s feat “a very big step in a new era of exploring ocean worlds in our solar system.” Other probable ex- traterrestrial ocean worlds: Saturn’s largest moon, Titan; Jupiter’s moons, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto; and possibly dwarf planets Pluto and Ceres, among others. “These are worlds with huge bodies of liquid water underneath their surfaces, bodies with great poten- tial to provide oases for life throughout our solar system,” Niebur said Monday. “It’s a journey in understanding about what makes a world habit- able and where we might find life, and where we might one day live ourselves.” Researchers are eager to nail down the chemical makeup of Enceladus’ plumes. They also hope to confirm whether the eruptions are tight columns or curtains of jets running along fractures in the south pole. In particular, the spacecraft will be looking to identify hy- drogen molecules in the plume, which would help quantify hy- drothermal activity occurring on the ocean floor. That, in turn, would help characterize the po- tential for life in this slightly salty ocean. This July photo made by the Cassini spacecraft shows the moon Enceladus as it orbits Saturn. The image was taken at a distance of approximately 70,000 miles from Enceladus. - photo: naSa/jpL-caLtech/Space Science inStitute via ap Tenders cater to a cruise ship in George Town harbor. Cruise lines have informed the Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism that their mega-ships will not use tenders. – photo: ocean frontierSNext >