ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 SportS | page 17 LasT, buT cerTainLy nOT The LeasT Youth sailing report High of 90 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 The uncOmfOrTabLe TruTh abOuT unempLOymenT Road User If luck isn’t on your side, BritCay is. Extra benefits come without having to pay more premium if you insure your car with BritCay. BritCay also has a great reputation for settling claims fast. Ask for a quote. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky FREE $10 Million ASSET PROT ECTIO N! with motor cover* *private motor insurance cgigrp cayman government liable for $1.4b in pensions, healthcare Audit review reveals major accounting mishaps brenT fuLLer bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government did not recognize an estimated $1.39 billion in pen- sion and healthcare payments it will owe re- tirees over the next 20-25 years in its 2013/14 consolidated financial statements. The estimated payments, broken down as $1.18 billion in post-retirement healthcare costs and $213 million in pension payments for civil servants on the defined benefit retire- ment plan, more than doubled the revenues earned by central government during the year. The amounts are not due immediately. The estimated pension payments, for instance, are spread out over a 20-year rolling period. However, Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison urged government financial planners to begin including those amounts in annual budget figures and to take steps to reduce the amounts owed in the coming years. An amount for the pension liabilities is currently included in the government budget, but it is based on estimates dating back nearly five years. “People’s healthcare when they retire, pen- sion obligations down the road, you have to be able to fund it,” Mr. Harrison said during a press conference Wednesday. A number of other serious problems were revealed with government accounts for the 2013/14 year, the first time government has been able to put together enough information for the auditor general’s office to conduct a re- view of Cayman’s entire public sector finances since government abandoned its former cash RobbeRy costs spiRal foR businesses James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Small businesses in Grand Cayman are spending significant sums on security mea- sures to protect their staff and customers from the growing threat of armed robberies. The cash stolen by gun-toting criminals in recent holdups has often been as little as a few hundred dollars. Those figures are dwarfed by the sums companies are spending on security. Tortuga Rum Company now invests $125,000 annually in security guards and has invested thousands more in other crime-pre- vention tactics, including using armored car services for cash pick-ups at its stores. Owner Robert Hamaty said the company had made the investment for the safety and peace of mind of its staff. Cayman Distributors Group invested $42,000 in new security measures following a robbery at Blackbeard’s liquor store in Grand Harbour in December last year – almost 10 times the amount that was stolen in the raid. Prentice Panton, owner of Liquor4Less and Food4Less and the victim of seven armed robberies since 2009, said he spent similar amounts annually on private security. He has also invested in reinforced glass for his stores and new security cameras and alarm systems. He said the largest amount stolen in any one raid was $900 because of policies to en- sure limited amounts of cash are kept in the till at any one time. But the cost of security in that time has run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cabinet approves cruise project Cruise pier development must be self-funding James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed Tuesday that Cabinet has formally ap- proved the decision to move to the next phase of the proposed cruise pier develop- ment, which will involve discussions with cruise lines on a preferred financing model. United Kingdom approval of the port de- velopment in George Town harbor will de- pend on the Cayman Islands government’s ability to show the project is self-funding. Mr. McLaughlin acknowledged, “We are still a long way from saying this project is a go.” He said it is not yet certain whether the development would be under way before the next election in 2017. “The outcome of the discussions with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are really going to be predicated on how well we present the case that this is a self-fi- nancing project and not something that is going to require the use of current reve- nues,” he said. The business case produced by consul- tants PwC suggests that the $156 million project could be funded through a combina- tion of the fees that currently go to tender operators, around $5 per passenger, and a share of the $14 per-passenger “head tax” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » The proposed cruise berthing dock will negate the need for cruise ships in George Town harbor to use tenders to ferry passengers to and from shore.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday OcTOber 29, 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. - THURSDAY - $8.00 * UPCOMING RUGBY MATCHES AT THE CINEMA * VISIT WWW.BIGSCREEN.KY FOR MORE INFORMATION. 18 YEARS & OVER GOOSEBUMPS 3D (PG) 1:30 I 4:00 2D I 7:00 I 9:35 CRIMSON PEAK (R) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:05 I 9:45 THE MARTIAN 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:00 2D I 6:50 I 9:30 2D LAST WITCH HUNTER (PG13) 1:40 I 4:30 I 7:20 I 10:00 PAN 3D (PG) 1:20 I 4:20 2D I 7:15 I 9:50 2D HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3D (PG) 12:45 2D I 4:10 I 7:10 2D I 9:55 more cocaine washes ashore An unspecified amount of what appeared to be cocaine was discovered along the shoreline in Prospect on Wednesday morning, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service confirmed. About a dozen wrapped packets of the substance were recovered by police officers along the seaweed-strewn shore off Old Prospect Road. The police helicopter was deployed to help spot the packages in the water and officers waded into the sea to bring the packets ashore. - Photo: Jewel levy Master Mixologist stirs cocktail interest Paulo Figueiredo, cocktail mixolo- gist and regional brand ambassador for Diageo Reserve, one of the world’s largest producers of spirits, hosted a cocktail making workshop at Catch Restaurant & Lounge on Tuesday. Some of Cayman’s top mixologists, eager to hone their craft and gain tips from the master, attended the workshop, which was organized by Jacques Scott Wines & Spirits. The five-hour event covered a wide range of topics, including tips, global trends, premium liquor brands, flavor pro- files and tools of the trade. The workshop was also an oppor- tunity for mixologists to get tips for the upcoming Diageo Reserve World Class, described as the world’s largest mixology competition. The Cayman Islands was represented in the competition for the first time in 2013. World Class attracts participants from some 50 countries with the winner going on to global fame in the cocktail in- dustry. The first of a series of local com- petitions will be held early next year. The Cayman winner will compete at the global finals in Miami in September 2016. Mixologist Paulo Figueiredo in action. - Photo: Joanna lewis Georgia man jailed for stealing turtle eggs BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) – A coastal Georgia man caught stealing 84 sea turtle eggs while he was on proba- tion for an earlier convic- tion of the same crime was sentenced Wednesday to re- turn to federal prison – for roughly one week for each egg he took. Lewis Jackson, 61, of- fered no explanation for why he returned over the summer to remote Sapelo Island to swipe eggs from the nests of loggerhead sea turtles. Loggerheads are a threat- ened species protected under the Endangered Species Act. “I made a bad mistake,” Jackson told a U.S. District Court judge in a voice that was barely audible in the courtroom. “ … I just ask the court to have mercy. That’s about all I can say.” Judge Lisa Godbey Wood noted she and Jackson aren’t strangers. She had previ- ously sentenced him in April 2013 to six months in prison for committing the same of- fense on the beaches of the same island. This time Wood ordered Jackson imprisoned for 21 months. Perhaps coinciden- tally, that was a month for every four eggs he took. “You have squandered your chance of leniency,” the judge told Jackson. Thefts of sea turtle eggs appear to be fairly rare on U.S. beaches where the ani- mals nest from the Carolinas to Florida and across the Gulf Coast to Texas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was unable to pro- vide precise numbers. Tom MacKenzie, a spokesman for the agency’s southeast region, estimated that egg thefts are reported less than once per year. Man pistol whipped in street robbery A man was struck in the head with the handle of a gun after being ap- proached by four sus- pects wearing skull masks during a predawn robbery in central George Town on Wednesday, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service reported. The 52-year-old man was attacked around 2 a.m. on Middle Road, police said. One of the suspects, who police said was armed with a handgun, demanded money and hit the man on the forehead with the handle of the weapon. The man’s wallet was taken in the robbery. No arrests were imme- diately reported. The sus- pects fled toward Maple Road after taking the wallet, police said. coloMbia’s President wants cease-fire by year end BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has urged leftist rebels to accelerate peace talks so the two sides can declare a bilat- eral cease-fire in time for the new year. After a breakthrough in three-year-old peace talks last month, Santos pledged to wrap up ne- gotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia by March. His comments suggest that 50 years of fighting could cease even be- fore a final official truce is reached. “Why don’t we give a good Christmas or New Year’s gift to the country,” said Santos. “The political will exists, at least for my part, and these are the in- structions I’ve given to the negotiators so we can proceed in that direction. Rebel leaders say they’re willing to speed up talks but warn that a six-month deadline may be unfeasible unless the government addresses is- sues such as how rebels turn over their weapons.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 HomeOptions BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Shop around and pay less for more insurance! 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James Moore, with the Urban Land Institute and the Florida- based engineering firm Jacobs, will talk about how the planning and design of communities can impact the health of people who live or work there. Research links common conditions such as dia- betes and obesity to diet and a lack of exercise, which in turn can be con- nected to how communities are developed. Studies from the Urban Land Institute connect the design of a community to the health of the people who live there. Mr. Moore will present the institute’s “10 principles for building healthy places” and present case studies. He will also compare the concepts to the Cayman Islands and show how some of the ideas would be applicable here. The Urban Land Institute defines healthy places as communities that offer af- fordable housing with safe and convenient transpor- tation options, access to healthy food, the natural en- vironment and other ame- nities. Additionally, healthy places make it easier for people to make healthy life- style choices. This year’s healthcare conference will focus on emerging healthcare trends. The event, which runs Thursday through Saturday at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, includes speakers from Cayman and the United States who will talk about seemingly futuristic treatments available for pa- tients now. Speakers will focus on mental health, palliative care and allied healthcare. Friday afternoon confer- ence-goers will have the op- tion of three workshops on real-world issues that doc- tors and other health pro- fessionals face regularly. One will look at making end- of-life decisions and pallia- tive care, essentially how to make a patient comfortable as they near death. Another workshop will consider non- medical interventions such as acupuncture, talk therapy and music therapy. The third workshop, “Mental Health – Let’s talk about it,” will look at mental healthcare from different perspectives, including from service providers and insur- ance companies. Other sessions will ad- dress minimally invasive ro- botic surgeries, new stem cell treatments and evolving treatments for heart failure. Inmate sentenced for 2013 prison escape Kelsey JuKam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Convicted killer and se- rial prison escapee Steve Manderson was sen- tenced Wednesday to 28 months’ imprisonment for his most recent jailbreak in August 2013. Acting Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez ordered the sen- tence to be served consec- utively with the life sen- tence Manderson is serving for the 1993 murder of a prison guard. During the sentencing hearing, Crown counsel Scott Wainwright presented details of the case to the magistrate, including that Manderson al- leged to police that prison Deputy Director Daniel Greaves aided his escape by providing a pair of cutting pliers. Manderson claimed this was part of a conspiracy to overthrow the then new Director of Prisons Neil Lavis. “The police thoroughly looked into it, and there was no evidence to support the allegations that he was making,” Mr. Lavis told the Cayman Compass. Manderson had also told police the escape was not planned. Manderson has escaped custody six times. Prior to 2013, his last prison break was in 2005, when he was on the run for five months. On Aug. 14, 2013, Manderson, his son Marcus Manderson and another in- mate, Chadwick Bradford Dale, escaped from Northward prison by breaking out of the kitchen area of B Wing and cutting through a perimeter fence. Police launched a man- hunt, but the inmates evaded capture for days. Dale was captured six days later and Steve Manderson was found two weeks after the break-out. Marcus Manderson was ap- prehended in November 2013. Steve Manderson was the last of the three to be sen- tenced for the 2013 prison break. In October 2013, Dale was sentenced to one year, to be served at the end of the six-year term he is serving for robbery. Marcus Manderson was sentenced in December 2013 to 15 months, to be served at the end of his 10-year term for possession of an unli- censed firearm. Steve Manderson was the last of the three inmates to be sentenced for the 2013 prison break. Steve Manderson escaped from Northward prison on Aug. 14., 2013 This year’s healthcare conference will focus on emerging healthcare trends. Organizers of the up- coming Remembrance Sunday ceremony are inviting individuals or religious orga- nizations to lay wreaths at the annual event commemo- rating the war dead. The Remembrance Sunday ceremony will take place at the Elmslie Memorial Church in George Town on Nov. 8, starting at 10:45 a.m. Each year, Remembrance Day honors the military he- roes who lost their lives in World Wars I and II. In Cayman, mariners lost at sea are also honored on Remembrance Day. Wreaths made of red pop- pies are laid in memory of those who died at war or at sea. The red poppy has been used as a symbol since 1921 to commemorate soldiers who died in war. Those who wish to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph or at the Seaman’s Memorial should contact Meloney Syms at the Protocol Office on 244-3612 or email protocol@gov.ky by Nov. 4. PoPPy wreath layers sought Poppy wreaths will be placed on the Cenotaph and Seaman’s Memorial on Nov. 8. Mr. MooreThe 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. BloomBerg View editorial Board The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission wants to show it can be trusted with a potent weapon: the ability to act as prosecutor, judge and jury in its pursuit of financial miscreants. The real question is why it should have such power in the first place. In the U.S., the judicial branch doesn’t have a mo- nopoly on dispensing jus- tice. Myriad regulatory agen- cies, including the SEC, have their own in-house proceed- ings. Originally, these were de- signed to handle misconduct involving people who chose to enter the regulators’ remit – say, by registering as bro- kers or investment advisers. Punishments were mostly lim- ited to disciplinary measures, such as revoking registrations. The idea was to handle routine business more quickly and ef- ficiently than federal courts. Over the past few decades, though, the SEC’s powers have expanded immensely. The Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 gave the agency’s judges authority to impose large monetary penalties on anyone who vio- lated federal securities laws – not just on regulated people and companies. The SEC no longer had to go to federal civil court to pursue many securities-fraud and insider- trading cases. A janitor who passed on a stock tip could end up being tried and fined hundreds of thousands of dol- lars without ever setting foot in a real court. That’s a problem. The SEC’s proceedings differ from fed- eral civil trials in important ways. The agency hires, pays and shares offices with the administrative judges. The de- fense has no access to a jury trial, little time to prepare its case, and no power to get its own pretrial depositions from witnesses. Appeals go to the same SEC commissioners who approved the filing of charges in the first place – and then to federal courts that tend to defer to the SEC’s judgment. Not surprisingly, an initial push by the SEC to send more cases to its administrative judges provoked a backlash. Defendants have challenged the system’s constitutionality. Legal experts are concerned that it will usurp the federal judiciary’s role of construing and elaborating the law. To its credit, the SEC has pulled back in recent months and of- fered some changes for public debate. Among other things, the agency proposes giving the defense more time to pre- pare and the ability to obtain depositions from as many as five witnesses. That isn’t enough – but it’s hard to see what would be, without defeating the pur- pose. If the SEC had to give defendants most of the rights they enjoy in federal court, it would no longer be able to deal with cases quickly. There’s another way. If the SEC’s administrative pro- ceedings are equitable, as the agency insists they are, both sides should prefer their speed in cases that don’t re- quire the fuller examina- tion of a federal court. So why not let defendants – at least, those not regulated by the SEC – choose the system in which their cases will be heard? If the SEC won’t allow it, Congress can. Such an op- tion needn’t increase miscre- ants’ chances of escaping jus- tice, and it would give the SEC an added incentive to keep its process fair. Some have likened the SEC’s quasi-judicial system to a kangaroo court. Even if it isn’t, it has the potential to become one. It should be re- strained before it does too much damage. © 2015, Bloomberg View The uncomfortable truth about unemployment The relationship between “work permits” and “work” continues to be erroneously overstated in the Cayman Islands. Here is the truth, demonstrated by statistical evidence: There is no correlation between the number of work permit holders on island and the number of unemployed Caymanians. If anything, more work permits indicate a stronger local economy, meaning more job opportunities for everyone — Caymanians and expatriates. The danger in the prevailing mis-association presents itself when “work permit holders” become synonymous with “unemployed Caymanians.” Although this mythology is purely fictional, it can lead to very real consequences, such as resentment, divisiveness and disorder. The Chamber of Commerce deserves applause for opposing this trouble-mongering misconception. As our story in Wednesday’s Compass noted, the Chamber’s comments were issued in direct response to statements made in the Legislative Assembly by Minister of Community Affairs Osbourne Bodden, who, generally, said work permits were far too easy to get. He also called on companies to do more to hire Caymanians. While we, and the Chamber, disagree with Minister Bodden’s characterization of the work permit process and of employers’ intentions toward the Caymanian community, we won’t at this time expound upon those points of difference. (Sometimes, and this may be the case in this instance, Minister Bodden’s passion tends to drive his utterances.) Instead, we’ll focus on a goal we should all hold in common — namely, greater economic prospects for all, particularly Caymanians — and discuss how we can get there. First, we agree with the Chamber and Minister Bodden that Cayman’s immigration system is in dire need of “root and branch” reform. The defects in Cayman’s immigration process are self-evident to anyone who has had to navigate it, either as an applicant or employer. An example of “Cayman immigration gone awry” graced the front page of Tuesday’s Compass, in a story on a British couple whose dream of moving to Cayman turned into a waking nightmare, punctuated by rejection, as government officials dilly-dallied on their “fast-track” temporary work permit application, while the National Workforce Development Agency lobbed up Caymanian applicants who didn’t suit the employer’s needs. In the end, the government spent five months con- sidering an application for a three-month work permit, during which time the British couple spent all their savings before having to return home. Reforming the immigration system would lend business owners greater confidence and allow them to be more agile and efficient. However, the second-hand effects on Caymanian unemployment, while positive, will most likely be marginal. The immigration system cannot, and should not, function as an employment system. The work permit process isn’t in place to help Caymanians get jobs; it exists so employers can fill roles for which no Cayma- nian candidates are suitable. When Minister Bodden sees Caymanian unemploy- ment, and then steers his attention toward employers and work permits, he’s gazing in the wrong direction. The appropriate government entity isn’t the Department of Immigration, but the Ministry of Educa- tion. Simply put, if the government wants to improve Caymanian employment (as it should), then officials must improve Cayman’s education system — primary, secondary, vocational, continuing and tertiary. The reality is, when seeking out job candidates, the mentality of employers is already “Caymanians first, expatriates last,” for fiscal, rational and, yes, cultural reasons. If our officials persist in playing at an inappropriate “blame game” — that is, blaming employers for unem- ployment — then half of the discourse on Cayman’s social and economic problems is based on falsehoods. And we will never be able to address the real issues. For the good of everyone living in this country, it is time to end the public charade, and once and for all, to expunge the excusatory untruth that most of Cayman’s businesses discriminate against Caymanians. They don’t. Thursday OCTOber 29, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The SEC should not be prosecutor, judge and jury If the SEC’s administrative proceedings are equitable, as the agency insists they are, both sides should prefer their speed in cases that don’t require the fuller examination of a federal court. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington, D.C. Unquestionable Hillary arkansas democrat- gazette editorial Board There were enough smoking guns left lying around that congressional hearing room last week when Hillary Clinton testified about Benghazi (again) to leave it filled with a noxious haze. And a lot of unanswered, even un- asked, questions. But innocent readers might never know it from the way a tame press re- ported Our Lady of Benghazi’s evasions. Instead, news ac- counts were full of how calm, cool and collected she’d been under fire. That is, brazen. What did our former sec- retary of state and still slick customer really believe had happened when our ambas- sador and three of his aides were murdered on her watch? Check out her email to Miss Chelsea on the night of the massacre. Here is what she told her daughter: “Two of our officers were killed in Benghazi by an al-Qaida- like group: The Ambassador, whom I handpicked and a young communications of- ficer on temporary duty with a wife and two young chil- dren. Very hard day and I fear more of the same tomorrow.” Indeed there was more of the same bad news the next day. Yet in public Mrs. Clinton stuck with her official cover story about the attack’s having been part of a popular pro- test against a video about The Prophet Mohammed, a protest that had just got out of hand. Yet the State Department’s summary of her conversa- tion the next day with Egypt’s prime minister had her telling him, “We know that the attack in Libya had nothing to do with the film. It was a planned attack – not a protest.” Which is nothing like the version poor Susan Rice, our ambassador to the United Nations at the time, was told to peddle to all the television networks, which she dutifully did, like the faithful pawn she was. Talk about sheer clinton- esque nerve: Mrs. Clinton also assured the bereaved fa- ther of one of the murdered Americans that she would see to it that the producer of the video would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for inciting a (non-existent) mob. This is what the country has to look forward to under the next Clinton Administration – an ab- sence of character, not to say simple decency, as deep as the Grand Canyon. It all sounds shamelessly familiar. Ah, well, this wouldn’t be the first time Americans chose a president of dubious repute. (See Nixon, Richard Milhous.) But this time no one can say the country hasn’t been more than amply warned, though not by its sleepy watchdog of a press. © 2015, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 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”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 (12am close on Saturdays and Sundays) Food served from 11am - 10pm Open 11am - 1am OPEN FOR DINNER DAILY AT 5:30PM Phone: 345-945-5217 ~ E-mail: conchrest@gmail.com LOCATED ON NORTH WEST POINT RD, WEST BAY The #1 International Arabic CHOOSE YOUR LANGUAGE: Brazilian Bangla Bengali Colombia Kannada A BROADBAND TV SERVICE, NO SATELLITE ANTENNA REQUIRED! Hindi Malayalam Marathi Punjabi Spain TV Service Telugu Urdu Cantonese Mandarin Taiwanese Filipino Filipino For More Info Call : 949-4000 Email: sales.dishdirecttv@candw.ky English ‘Save the mortgage’ loan repayments lacking Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government loans that doled out US$2.5 million to financially distressed Cayman Islands home- owners during 2011-2012 cannot reasonably be called “loans,” auditors concluded after a review of the Save the Mortgage program. “The reality is that the loans were closer to grants,” Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison’s office re- ported Wednesday. Demand letters for the loans, which can total up to $20,000 apiece and are al- lowed to be paid back over periods of up to 50 years, continue to be sent out, au- ditors said. However, repay- ment of the loans has been “low” and auditors noted a “high level of delinquency.” During the 2013/14 gov- ernment budget year, the level of loan repayment under Save the Mortgage began to decline. About 84 percent of the loans given out were “delinquent in some degree,” the auditor general’s office found. No payments were re- ceived during the 2013/14 financial year for 52 of the loans handed out by the program. In 2014/15, government received about one-third of the money it was supposed to be repaid, and no pay- ments were made in that financial year on 78 of the loans handed out. Ultimately, auditors found that the Save the Mortgage loans were “ex- pensed” as government transfer payments, a rea- sonable decision given that a 50-year repayment cycle made the present value of the loans “min- imal,” according to Mr. Harrison’s office. “Despite the expensing of these ‘loans,’ the loans receivable continue to be tracked in a sub-ledger system and demand letters are sent on a quarter basis,” the report noted. Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden said Monday that 82 percent of those who received loans from the Save the Mortgage scheme ended up in foreclo- sure proceedings anyway. Finance Minister Marco Archer has also pointed out that in 2013 – the year the program ended – the government recorded the highest number of com- pleted home foreclosures ever in Cayman. “The Save the Mortgage plan really just put off the inevitable,” Mr. Archer said. “Who was assisted? Was it the banks or the homeowners?” Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush, whose former United Democratic Party government initi- ated the loan program with funds supplied by the Dart group of companies, has de- fended his administration’s efforts to help financially struggling Caymanians. A private members’ motion filed last year by Mr. Bush asked the cur- rent Progressives-led gov- ernment to intervene in the “worst cases” of mort- gage default and to set aside “enough funds … to be able to save those houses involved.” “[The government] can’t sit back and say they have $120 million in surplus, which we [referring to the former United Democratic Party government] got for them, while people are losing their homes. It’s non- sense and it’s heartless,” Mr. Bush said. “The reality is that the loans were closer to grants.” Garnet Harrison, acting auditor general Mr. Harrison Cayman judge elected VP of international group Cayman Islands Judge Richard Williams has been elected for the second time as vice president of the Caribbean Region of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association. Judge Williams’s duties include informing the as- sociation’s secretariat of re- gional developments that may affect judicial indepen- dence, a responsibility that requires him to maintain contact with judicial bodies and receive their reports, ac- cording to the Cayman Islands Judicial Administration. The association brings to- gether judicial officers from more than 68 jurisdictions to advance administration of the law and education in law, and to disseminate informa- tion on the legal process in Commonwealth countries. One of its priorities is fighting cor- ruption in the judiciary. Cayman Islands Chief Justice Anthony Smellie said Justice Williams’s appointment is “welcome recognition of the judge’s work with CMJA over his many years of service, not only in Cayman, but also as a magistrate in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States courts and as judge in the Turks and Caicos Islands.” Justice Williams, who has been a council member since 2006, was first elected to the VP position in 2009. His new appointment took effect at last month’s 17th Triennial CMJA conference in Wellington, New Zealand. The five-day conference, on the theme of “Independent Judiciaries, Diverse Societies,” opened on Sept. 13, with a formal ceremony led by New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key. During his panel presenta- tion at the conference, Justice Williams discussed issues in gender-based violence, in- cluding verbal, psychological, physical and sexual, and with a focus on teen dating violence. Justice Williams6 LOCAL NEWS Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 • Cayman Compass Dump strategy aims to cut waste by at least 85 percent Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Recommendations in the new solid waste manage- ment strategy, essentially what to do with the George Town landfill, focus on how government can prolong the dump’s useful life beyond summer 2021. The report sets out a strategy that, if implemented in its entirety, could reduce up to 10,000 tons of waste a year, about 85 percent less than what goes into the landfill today. The consultants say recy- cling, composting and incin- erating trash may push the landfill capacity for another “limited number of years,” but the country will still need a new landfill in the next decade. According to updated es- timates from the new draft Solid Waste Management Strategy report from consul- tant Amex Foster Wheeler, about 40 percent of the waste in the landfill now could have been recycled. Of the estimated 62,000 tons Grand Cayman sent to the landfill last year, almost 10,000 tons is yard waste that could in- stead be composted. The consultants estimate that in the next 50 years, waste sent to the landfill could increase up to more than 250,000 tons per year if nothing is done to cut back. Even the lowest estimates put the waste headed to the landfill at 100,000 tons annu- ally 50 years from now. The report states, “Underlying waste growth linked to pop- ulation growth if left un- checked would result in a considerable increase in ton- nage of solid waste.” The strategy in the re- port ties in recycling and composting, and it turns the landfill into a power plant, burning the waste as it comes in to generate electricity. Reducing what goes into the landfill, the report states, “can be as simple as passing things we no longer need on to other people to use, for example by giving items to friends or charity shops.” The consultants write, “Waste can be prevented by both business and the gen- eral public by thinking about what we need and buy. For example, residents can re- duce waste by using cotton shopping bags instead of plastic shopping bags and avoiding over-packaged products where possible.” reCyCling The proposed plan calls for in- creased recycling across the is- lands. The first step is to put re- cycling depots in high-visibility areas that are convenient for people, such as supermarket parking lots, with separate bins for different recyclables like paper, metal cans, glass and plastics. The report also calls on government to look into the possibilities for curbside recy- cling pickup for homes and busi- nesses. The long-term strategy includes central recycling cen- ters on all three islands and potentially more than one for Grand cayman. The recycling fa- cilities can sort through the dif- ferent materials using magnets, separators and manual sorting. TargeT 2016/17 ComposTing almost 10,000 tons of yard waste went into the landfill during the 2013-2014 fiscal year, about 15 percent of all the waste that went into the dump during the year, according to the report. The consultants state, “This material has the potential to be composted using relatively simple technology and con- verted into useful compost/soil conditioner that [can] then be beneficially applied to land.” The strategy calls for trials to test composting systems for yard waste with an eye to setting up simple composting plants on Grand cayman and cayman brac. composting food waste would take a more complicated system and the report notes that the low amount of waste from food doesn’t justify the expense. TargeT 2017/18 for granD Cayman, 2019/20 for Cayman BraC WasTe To energy The report looks at several op- tions for breaking down the waste instead of sending it to the dump. The ultimate rec- ommendation is to build a power plant to convert waste into energy. The system would work like any other power generator, but trash is the fuel source. The plant incinerates garbage and the resultant heat produces steam to drive a turbine, sup- plying power back to the grid. The consultants write that the amount of energy produced in the system varies depending on how much waste is burned and how much heat it puts off to fuel the turbines. The facility would be designed to capture any air pollution, which would be turned into solids and then treated and sent to the landfill. ash from the incinerator, the report explains, can be used as aggregate to pave roads or make cement blocks. The consultants write: “The footprint of a Wte facility can be relatively small when com- pared to other residual waste treatment facilities ... The archi- tectural design of Wte facilities is very varied and can range from iconic buildings, indus- trial buildings or designs that blend with the local landscape and environment.” TargeT 2019/20 WhaT To Do WiTh The Dump The landfill will be the last op- tion for solid waste, the strategy plan states. even with recycling every possible thing and fol- lowing each recommendation, the consultants say the island still needs a landfill. To extend the life of the existing landfill, the report states, government will study mining the landfill for anything that can be taken out and recycled. Nevertheless, the consultants write that the cayman Islands will need a new dump site sometime down the road. Not all waste, the strategy lays out, will be suitable for recovery or economically recycled. The waste-to-energy plant will have some outputs that cannot be re- used, and the landfill will have to be used whenever the other facilities close for maintenance. When the current site reaches the end of its life the consultants say it should be capped to con- tain any future environmental damage to the surrounding area. The report states, “any new landfill facilities will be en- gineered to modern standards and include containment mea- sures and environmental control facilities for both non-hazardous and hazardous wastes.” The sisTer islanDs The strategy calls for gov- ernment to close the dumps on cayman brac and Little cayman. Instead, the report suggests putting transfer sta- tions on the sister Islands to ship the waste and recyclables to Grand cayman for treatment or export. The report also rec- ommends recycling centers on both the sister Islands and a composting facility for yard waste on the brac. TargeT 2019/20 An estimated 62,000 tons of garbage are deposited at the George Town landfill annually. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Recyclable materialsYard & food waste Everything else WASTE MANAGEMENTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 Remembrance The Cayman Compass wishes everyone a safe holiday. Dy t: 949 5111 e: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION DEADLINE Tuesday, November 10th Wednesday, November 4th Wednesday, November 11th Thursday, November 5th Thursday, November 12th Friday, November 6th Friday, November 13th Tuesday, November 10th Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, November 9th, Remembrance Day (Public Holiday) Celebrate accounting system in 2004. Prior to the 2013/14 year, all audits of the entire public sector were disclaimed, meaning there was not enough information to audit. The results for 2013/14 were scarcely better. The fi- nancial statements from the report were given an “ad- verse” opinion. “That means that the in- formation in those financial statements is not reliable,” Mr. Harrison said. “In my opinion, this is unacceptable.” Other issues identified in the auditor general’s review included: ■■ $612 million in govern- ment’s stated earned rev- enues for 2013/14 could not be confirmed, largely because government de- pended on the entities from which those taxes were being collected to reveal how much tax had been collected. For instance, in the area of tourism accommoda- tion taxes collected from local hotels, “the govern- ment does not examine, or validate what they are being provided is com- plete and accurate.” ■■ About $487 million in as- sets held in the govern- ment’s public retirement funds was left off the 2013/14 financial state- ments, apparently due to government’s view that the funds were being held “in trust” even though the government main- tains control over them. ■■ The auditor general’s of- fice found that $186 mil- lion of government as- sets were not properly valued. For instance, the government appar- ently overvalued Clifton Hunter High School in North Side district by “at least” $20 million, audi- tors said. Also, the gov- ernment had no idea how much its current roads network, or the George Town landfill property might be worth because it has never valued them. ■■ Accounting systems that would assist government in consolidating its an- nual financial statements were not uniform, and auditors found a gen- eral “lack of leadership” around financial mat- ters in the public sector. Mr. Harrison was asked whether anyone in govern- ment would be held re- sponsible for the results of the audit, which has yet to be made public by the Legislative Assembly. “We have to obviously leave that with the deputy governor,” Mr. Harrison said. “It’s been a long problem. [Government] really needs to get the right people in the right place at the right time … for certain functions.” Healthcare costs The estimated healthcare liability, by far the largest single continuing liability for government, has never been included in annual fi- nancial statements. It has previously not been common practice in Western governments to include such figures. The U.S. and the U.K. do not currently do so. However, Audit Office Principal Martin Ruben said Wednesday that pre- vious accounting stan- dards are changing and that adding in healthcare liabil- ities is now recommended in international stan- dards of accounting. If other countries do not include healthcare liabili- ties, “that shouldn’t prevent the government here … from complying with their law and as well to … adopt best prac- tices,” Mr. Ruben said. It is generally consid- ered a difficult political de- cision for any Cayman Islands government to ad- dress healthcare liabilities because the typical solution proposed is to require civil servants to co-pay a portion of their premiums. Any decisions on that have been put off until after the May 2017 general elec- tion, according to statements made by government officials earlier this year. Neither retired civil ser- vants nor active government workers are required to make co-payments; their monthly premiums are paid for en- tirely by government. Both civil service plans under the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company have a $5 million maximum “lifetime limit” for healthcare coverage. There are no limits on prescription drug pur- chases or inpatient or outpa- tient care. Overseas accom- modations and airfare for covered government workers or retirees who must fly off island to obtain treatment are covered 100 percent. Government liable for $1.4B in pensions, healthcare CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “People’s he althcare when they retire, pension obligations down the road, you have to be able to fund it.” Garnet Harrison, acting auditor general China summons us ambassador to protest ship near reef BEIJING (AP) – China sum- moned the American am- bassador to protest the U.S. Navy’s sailing of a warship close to one of China’s ar- tificial islands in the South China Sea, in an act that challenged Chinese sover- eignty claims. China’s Foreign Ministry said on its web- site Wednesday that Executive Vice Minister Zhang Yesui told Max Baucus that the U.S. had acted in defiance of re- peated Chinese objections and had threatened China’s sovereignty and security. While offering no details, Zhang said Tuesday’s “pro- vocative” maneuver also placed personnel and in- frastructure on the island in jeopardy. China was “extremely dissatisfied and a reso- lutely opposed” to the U.S. actions, the ministry said. The U.S. State Department declined to confirm the Tuesday meeting, or com- ment on any remarks made on the issue. China says authori- ties monitored and warned the destroyer USS Lassen as it entered what China claims as a 12-mile ter- ritorial limit around Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands archipelago, a group of reefs, islets, and atolls where the Philippines has competing claims. The sail-past fits a U.S. policy of pushing back against China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea. U.S. ally the Philippines wel- comed the move as a way of helping maintain “a bal- ance of power.” Since 2013, China has accelerated the cre- ation of new outposts by piling sand atop reefs and atolls then adding build- ings, ports and airstrips big enough to handle bombers and fighter jets – activities seen as at- tempting to change the ter- ritorial status by altering the geography. Navy officials had said the sail-past was necessary to assert the U.S. position that China’s man-made is- lands cannot be considered sovereign territory with the right to surrounding terri- torial waters.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 • Cayman Compass He currently pays around $43,000 every year for se- curity guards. It used to be higher but he cut back, he said, because the stores con- tinued to get robbed. “The country as a whole spends millions of dollars on security guards and they are useful for preventing shop- lifting and burglary, but what can they really do if there is an armed robbery?” he said. Restaurants, bars, even jerk stands, have also been targeted in recent raids. Shots were fired in a rob- bery at the Di Kit-Chin jerk stand in Prospect on Friday night. Anthony Chin, whose family own the restaurant, said the company, a relatively new business, was not yet in a position to shell out thou- sands on security guards. He is skeptical, too, about what a guard could do to stop deter- mined robbers with weapons. “We are a new business, we have to pay the bills, we have to pay the staff. It is hard to keep your head above water, without this. It is a setback,” Mr. Chin said. A few hundred yards up the road, behind the counter of McRuss gro- cery store in Prospect, Margaret McLaughlin is trying not to let the situation trouble her too much. Ms. McLaughlin, who has had a gun pointed at her face in a previous armed robbery, says she has lost count of how many times the store has been targeted by criminals. “I don’t think about it too much, I can’t be scared and close early,” she said. “If you keep things like that in your head all the time, it will give you high blood pressure.” McRuss has invested in a security guard and new cameras and has not been targeted now in over a year, she said. “What can we do? We have to spend money to make money,” she said. Less than a mile away, at the busy Grand Harbour shopping center, a much bigger business is facing similar issues. On Dec. 17 last year, three men, one carrying a spray-painted gold col- ored shotgun, walked into the store and made off with some $5,000 in cash. The trio and their getaway driver were quickly appre- hended and are now facing lengthy sentences. But the impact of the robbery is still being felt. Kathy Marshall, security and loss prevention manager for the Dart group, which owns Cayman Distributors, described in a victim im- pact statement, read during a sentencing hearing for the robbers last week, how the company had invested in new cameras, secu- rity guards and counseling for staff. Speaking to the Cayman Compass Wednesday, she said the crime had left staff shaken and forced a rethink of security measures across Dart’s retail companies. “The amount we spent on security guards around that time far outweighed the amount that was stolen,” she said. “What is most impor- tant is the impact the rob- bery had on the staff and the community as a whole. We want to make sure our staff feel safe when they come to work and that the customers feel safe when they come into the store.” Ms. Marshall, a former detective with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, said there had been a marked increase in rob- beries over the past five or six years. She said she could not understand the men- tality of criminals who terri- fied shop assistants and cus- tomers and risked lengthy prison sentences for a few hundred dollars. “To me, it shouldn’t matter if you take $1 mil- lion or $1, it doesn’t make a difference to the person with a gun pointed in their face,” she said. She has little sympathy for those who make excuses about tough backgrounds or economic troubles. Ms. Marshall said many of Cayman Distributors’ staff came from similar backgrounds to the robbers. “We have staff from the same neighborhoods. They have got bills to pay too and they choose to go to work and earn a living instead of just taking it from someone.” Wil Pineau, chief executive officer of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce, said security guards and cam- eras were becoming a stan- dard cost of doing business for retail operations. He said the impact was passed on through to the community in higher prices. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Robbery costs spiral for businesses Deep-water solution to port problem considered James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The government has asked engineers to review the design of Cayman’s proposed cruise port and assess the possi- bility of moving the piers into deeper water to minimize de- struction of coral reefs. Consultants W.F. Baird and Associates have been asked to assess the viability and cost of altering the de- sign to limit the dredging that would be required. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell acknowledged that any changes on that scale could add to the overall construction costs, currently estimated at $156 million. He said the design con- templated by Baird in its en- vironmental impact assess- ment, which indicated the likely loss of around 15 acres of coral reef habitat, was the most efficient in terms of “value for dollar.” But he said government is prepared to spend more money if it means less envi- ronmental damage, and has asked the marine engineering consultants to assess other options in more detail. “The deepest piling that is there now in the design Baird took forward is in the 50-55 feet range. We have asked them to look at moving the piers into deeper water with the outer most piling being in as much as 90 feet of water. That gives us the opportunity to change the dredge pocket.” He said in the next few weeks he expects an indica- tion from Baird on the likely implications of those de- sign changes. He could not say at this stage how much it would add to the cost, but acknowledged, “It is less ex- pensive to build in 55 feet than in 85-95 feet.” There would also likely be logistical implications in- volved in moving the piers into deeper water, including the distance required for pas- sengers to walk to shore. Mr. Kirkconnell did not dismiss options put forward by other engineers, including the use of cable cars, but said the cruise lines would have to be involved in determining what was viable. “They will give a very clear indication of what they are prepared to have as the best way of getting their guests ashore. They will have input into whether it is moved to 90 feet.” He said the design used by Baird in the environ- mental impact assessment was never intended to be set in stone. charged by government for every cruise ship visitor. Based on an estimate of two million cruise passen- gers per year, the $5 tender fees would provide a revenue stream of $10 million annu- ally for the dock. If government does sac- rifice a share of the pas- senger taxes to cover con- struction costs, it would likely have to satisfy the Foreign ad Commonwealth Office that there would be a sufficient in- crease in the number of pas- sengers to divert those fees without seriously affecting overall annual revenues. Those questions, and other financing options, will have to be finalized through negotiations with the cruise lines and approved by the FCO before launching an open bidding process for the contract to design and build the cruise facility. Involvement of the cruise lines, particularly Royal Caribbean and Carnival, which together account for more than 80 percent of pas- sengers coming into Cayman, is considered essential to the process. Further complicating the process is uncertainty about the overall cost of the project. The $156 million price tag could increase substan- tially if government decides to move the piers into deeper water. Mitigation measures, such as coral relocation, could also add to the costs. Mr. McLaughlin suggested the next phase of the project, involving those detailed dis- cussions with the cruise lines over the funding model, would be pivotal. He could not give a time line for when that would be completed, but said he was hopeful that all issues could be resolved and the project under way before the next general election. One option that remains off the table for financing the port is “upland devel- opment.” On some islands, cruise lines have helped pay for pier developments through associated retail de- velopments. Both Premier McLaughlin and Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell say this is not an option for the Cayman Islands. Cabinet approves cruise project CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 EU nations agree on stricter emissions testing for diesel BRUSSELS (AP) – European Union nations have reached a tentative deal on tougher emissions tests for diesel cars after the Volkswagen scandal showed previous methods were ineffective. The slow phase-in of the new standards, however, drew fire from environmentalists. Emissions from cars on the road in the EU have been found to be four to five times above the official limits. That’s largely because the current tests are done in labs, where carmakers are legally able to cut corners to pass the tests. The EU’s executive Commission said Wednesday that the new tests will more closely resemble real road conditions. The agreement still needs the backing from the European Parliament. Until now, car companies had legal ways to cheat on emissions tests. They used a single example of the car model – a so-called “golden vehicle” – that was out- fitted especially to do well on the tests. The back seats might be pulled out to re- duce weight, for example, or the doors taped over to reduce air drag. In the U.S., which has also relied on lab tests of car emissions, Volkswagen went further, illegally using software in its diesel en- gines to make sure they passed the tests. It meant that the cars on the road emit far above the tech- nical limits, which were im- posed to protect people from hazardous exhausts. The revelations about the testing methods have severely undermined confidence in the ability of European authori- ties to keep the automotive industry in line. The EU plan will re- quire carmakers to bring emissions in line over a pe- riod of years. New models will be al- lowed to exceed more than twice the EU emissions limits until September 2017, while new vehicles will have until 2019. The amount by which new models will be allowed to exceed the emissions limits will be reduced to 1.5 times by 2020 and by 2021 for all new vehicles. The leeway car pro- ducers will still get ran into immediate opposition from activists. “Allowing car manufac- turers to completely disre- gard car standards for an- other five years is terrible news for our environment and for consumer trust in European car brands,” said Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, a European Parliament member for the liberal ALDE group. EU Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said “the EU is the first and only region in the world to mandate these robust testing methods.” Experts from the 28 EU nations ap- proved the methods by a “large majority.” Researchers examined the coral and sandy hard bottom of the George Town harbor to determine the impact of creating a cruise ship berthing facility. - PHOTO: CSA OCeAn SCienCeS inC./WeST indiAn MArine GrOuPTHURSDAY, OCT. 29 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: “Casper” (1995, PG). 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. UCCI COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: Speaker will be Greg Weisenstein, president of West Chester University in Pennsylvania. BRAC THATCH PLAITING: Heritage House, 7-9 p.m., $5. Contact simones@candw.ky. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: The Seniors Bash takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort 6:30-10 p.m. FRIDAY, OCT. 30 ROAD RACE: Fundraiser for the Little Cayman playground. For more information, call Dasia at McLaughlin Realty, 948-1000. MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: “The Mummy” (1999, PG-13), 7 p.m., Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free. QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS: Deadline for submitting nominations for the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2016. Nominations must be supported by a persuasive account of the outstanding, innovative or self-sacrificing services and achievements of the nominee, whether paid or unpaid, in one field or several, and what has raised them above others performing similar services. For details, visit www.gov. uk/honours or contact the Governor’s Office at staffoff@candw.ky. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: Cayman National Cultural Foundation invites seniors to a special performance at 8 p.m. at the Harquail Theatre. Limited spaces available. For more information, call 949-0290. CAYSHOP: The expo showcases a broad range of businesses on island, from noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 30, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Arts & Recreation Centre, Camana Bay. SATURDAY, OCT. 31: RUN2ZERO 5K & 10K: Cayman AIDS Foundation walk/ run, Holiday Inn Resort, SafeHaven. Registration $30. Free breakfast and post-run prizes. Register online at www. cayamanactive.com/run2zero. HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR: Camana Bay Town Centre, 4-7 p.m. Kids, don your best costume and get ready to trick or treat throughout the Town Centre, get creative with Creepy Crafts, guess what’s inside the Mad Lab, watch a Spooky Creature Triple Feature, take a picture in a charity Pumpkin Patch and dance the night away at the Monster Mash Bash. Free. COCONUT FEST: Exhibitors from Cayman and abroad showcase the versatile coconut. The Bodden Town Cultural Committee brings demonstrations on crafts, cooking and baking and a marketplace for all things coconut. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nurse Josie’s Seniors Centre, Gun Square. Call 929-5600/929-7356/925- 4193 for more information. BREAKFAST TALK: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International monthly breakfast with speaker Colin Wilson. 7:30 a.m., The Upper Crust, Camana Bay. Come out to hear the how God is making a difference in the life of men like you, right here in Cayman. Call 949-3022 for more information. MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Triple feature: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” (1966, G). 6 p.m., “The Boxtrolls” (2014, PG), 6:30 p.m., “Jaws” (1975, PG), 8 p.m. Movie titles subject to change. SUNDAY, NOV. 1 CATBOAT RACE: Cayman Catboat Club Race. 9 a.m., Garvin Park, Morgan’s Harbour. THEATRICAL FUNDRAISER: “Pantomime” by Derek Walcott and directed by Henry Muttoo, at the Prospect Playhouse, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $25, mature audience only. Part of the proceeds go to the Cayman Drama Society’s education fund. For more information, visit cds.ky. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4 BOOK LAUNCH: An evening with Sybil McLaughlin to mark the publication of her life story, “From Island Girl to National Hero.” Books & Books, Camana Bay, 6 p.m. Call 640-2665 for more information. THURSDAY, NOV. 5 ART FOR THE ELDERLY: EY’s Art for the Elderly for Cayman Brac hosted by the National Gallery from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. SATURDAY NOV. 7 FUN RUN: Breeze Fusion 3 mile walk/run family friendly fundraiser for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), and Meals on Wheels. Starting at 6:30 a.m. from Smith Cove. Pram pushers welcome, post- race kiddie’s race for children ages six and under. Event registration is $20 for adults, $10.00 for students under 16. Pre-race registration available at radiocayman.gov.ky and caymanactive.com/breeze. No registration at the event. BRAC CONCERT AND BARBECUE: Veterans & Seamen’s Society Country Jamboree & Steak Cook-Out. Under the stars at the Veterans & Seamen’s Compound, 6:30 p.m. For further information and tickets, contact Liz Walton- Thompson at 925-3924 or Capt. Arlin Tatum 916-0837, or any VSS member. SUNDAY, NOV. 8 BRAC REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE: The Cenotaph, District Administration Lawn, 10:30 a.m. MONDAY, NOV. 9 HERITAGE DAY: Pirates Week Cayman Brac Heritage Day. Heritage House, Contact bracpiratesweek@gmail.com. SATURDAY, NOV. 14 SISTER ISLANDS COOK-OFF: Annual culinary fundraiser for the Sister Islands Tourism Association, hosted by the Southern Cross Club, Little Cayman. Tasting tickets $30. Wrist bands and drink tickets on sale from 4:30 p.m. onward, tasting room opens at 6:30 p.m. Raffle drawing at 7:30 p.m. Music by Wild Knights. Call 948-1099 for information. BRAC FUNDRAISER: Red Cross Variety Concert & Fashion Show. 7 p.m., Aston Rutty Centre. GENERAL INTEREST BUSINESS LICENSING: The Department of Commerce and Investment has extended its Business Licensing Counter hours in Grand Cayman from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, for people to submit trade and business, liquor, tobacco, and Special Economic Zone license applications. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. 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. 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., Thursday 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. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. 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 and times are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. NCVO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers needed for the National Council of Voluntary Organisations Children Services programs. Contact Alta Solomon at 949-2124 or ncvocoordinator@ncvo. org.ky. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. PERIPHERAL SPACES: Tuesday to Saturday. Noon to 8 p.m. (closed by 3 p.m. on Saturdays). Market Street across from Bay Market. Pop-up working studio/art gallery with local artists’ works displayed for sale. Art classes Tuesday and Thursday, 6-8 p.m., plus other special events. For more information, email marymccallum@candw.ky. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@visualartcayman.com. 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. 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. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar. The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 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. Cayman Compass • Thursday OcTOber 29, 2015 In Loving Memory of my Beloved Mother Wosila Rochester 10 May 1945 -29 October 2012 No one knows how much I miss you, No one knows the bitter pain I have suffered since I lost you, Life has never been the same. In my heart your memory lingers, Sweetly, tender, fond and true. There is not a day, dearest Mom, That I do not think of you. My love always, Your Daughter, MicheleNext >