Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. High of 85 Low of 75 Editorial | pagE 4 How a wealtHy country can be so broke sports | pagE 18 cruz’s new york run was inspiring Marathons abroad are a new interest ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – tuesday december 1, 2015 180913_PRINT-Ad-Strip-BOTY-6colxPage 1 11/30/15 12:30:30 PM CarePay trial HealtH cHief ‘sHocked’ by emails of Watson’s dealings brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands Health Services Authority Chief Executive Lizzette Yearwood said she was “shocked” by certain email communi- cations from former HSA board chairman Canover Watson, some of which she said showed a “direct conflict of interest” with re- gard to various public sector contracts for the local healthcare system. Ms. Yearwood’s statements were made Monday during court testimony in Watson’s criminal trial. Watson, who served as chairman of the Health Services Authority’s board of direc- tors between 2010 and 2013, is charged in six counts alleging he defrauded the public sector in the award and implementation of the CarePay patient swipe-card contract for the public hospital system. Watson’s former personal assistant Miriam Rodriguez is also charged with one count alleging that she helped her former boss in the transfer of criminal property, namely funds from the CarePay contract. Ms. Yearwood, who agreed to the payment of the first US$686,000 for the swipe-card con- tract in December 2010, told jurors she could not remember if she had read the agreement before authorizing payment. However, upon reading it in court, Ms. Yearwood said she re- called having some concern about the manner of payment used for the contract. She testified that board chairman Watson sought to allay her worries about the CarePay contract pay- ments at that time. The Crown alleges that Watson and his business partner Jeffrey Webb had personal interests in the local company that eventu- ally won bids for the CarePay contract, AIS Cayman Ltd., and that Watson helped direct business to AIS and its Jamaican partner while he served as board chairman. Jurors heard that as early as August 2010, internal HSA documents regarding previous HSA patient systems contractor Cerner were sent to Webb by Watson. Asked whether Webb, who is also charged in the case but not present for the trial, should have had access to those records, Ms. Yearwood replied: “Absolutely not. I had no prior knowledge of this.” As testimony continued Monday, another contract that sought to provide a computer- ized tracking system for the Health Services Authority’s pharmaceuticals was brought into teenager dies on boys home outing James wHittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 14-year-old boy who died in an accident off a South Sound beach on Sunday was on a group activity orga- nized by the Bonaventure Boys Home at the time. Risco Batten, a resident at the home, got into difficulties while swimming. It is under- stood that he was on a super- vised outing from the boys home based in West Bay. Staff at Bonaventure referred requests for comment to the Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports, which issued a brief statement Monday after- noon confirming the death of a 14-year-old resident of the home in a “water-related incident.” “The resident had been taking part in a group activity organized by the home when he got into difficulties in the sea be- hind South Sound Cemetery,” the statement said. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Chief Inspector Brad PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Julia Hydes was the oldest person in the Cayman Islands Flags were flown at half-staff Monday to mark the passing of Cayman’s oldest resident, Julia Hydes. She was 106. Mrs. Hydes, affectionately called “Aunt Julia,” was considered a mu- sical and cultural icon of the Cayman Islands, known throughout many decades for her skills on the drum, which she took up playing as a teenager. In her heyday, she toured the dis- tricts with musicians like Leighton “Duxie” Ebanks, Radley Gourzong, Boyd Hydes, Cleveland Ebanks and others. Even in later life, she could still often be seen and heard playing her iconic home-made drum. She was also well known for her song-writing and singing. Her music has been compiled into a book and preserved in audio record- ings, and her songs make up a large part of the Cayman Island Folk Singers’ repertoire. Mrs. Hydes passed away peacefully on Monday morning, her family said. As the news spread of her passing on Monday, tributes poured in from the many who had met her or who had been entertained by her music. Premier Alden McLaughlin, who described her as a “national treasure,” said her death meant that the terri- tory has lost “the last living member of the traditional Caymanian music fraternity.” For more on this story, see page 6. ‘Aunt Julia’ dies at 106 ‘aunt Julia’ Hydes passed away Monday morning. - PHoto: JeWel leVy PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Tuesday december 1, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN (PG13) 1:20 I 4:20 I 7:00 I 9:40 THE NIGHT BEFORE (R) 1:30 I 4:00 I 7:20 I 9:50 HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (PG13) 12:20 I 3:25 I 6:30 I 9:40 SECRET IN THEIR EYES (PG13) 4:10 I 9:30 CREED (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:05 I 10:00 SPECTRE (PG13) 12:45 I 4:15 I 7:30 PEANUTS 3D (G) 1:00 I 7:15 Water lesson from the source Ahmed Elsheshtawy, left, a graduate engineer with Water Authority – Cayman, explains how the reverse osmosis water production process works to a group of Hope Academy Grade 11 and 12 students. The students recently toured the Authority’s facilities in Lower Valley. CORRECTIONS In a story on page 1 of the Cayman Compass on Monday, titled “Defense: ‘Everyone’ supported CarePay system,” the name of hospital system con- tractor Cerner was incorrect. A story on page 3 of Monday’s Compass titled “Woman charged with jew- elry theft says she was kid- napped,” should have stated that defendant Madeiny Williams Rodrigues Ebanks-Pol said she was kidnapped on the day of the robbery. The following para- graph should also have been included: “Defense attorney Keva Reid told Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez that Ebanks-Pol went to the jew- elry store the day of the rob- bery, Wednesday, Nov. 18, to pick up her check. As she was leaving, she was kid- napped at gunpoint. When she was able to run from the place where the kid- nappers had left her, she was drenched in rain and seawater and dehy- drated, Ms. Reid related. After Ebanks-Pol went to a nearby home, occupants phoned police and she was taken into custody that night, Tuesday, Nov. 24.” The Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com. ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) – Pope Francis says he hopes to add the key Mexico-U.S. border city of Juarez to his Mexico itin- erary next year, confirming the trip will have a strong immigration theme. Speaking to reporters en route home from Africa on Monday, Francis said he would begin his trip in the capital, Mexico City, to pray before the Virgin of Guadalupe “the mother of the Americas.” He said he planned to visit Chiapas on Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala, where many Central African migrants pass through en route to the United States. He said he was “almost sure” that he would end his visit in Ciudad Juarez, on Mexico’s northern border with the U.S. In between, he said he would stop in Morelia. Church officials have said the trip will begin Feb. 12. Six days of free HIV/ AIDS testing have been or- ganized this week as part of the observance of World AIDS Day, Dec. 1. The free testing was orga- nized by the Health Services Authority’s Public Health Department, the Cayman AIDS Foundation and the Cayman Islands Red Cross. The AIDS testing is avail- able through Friday. Free counseling is also on offer during this time. Testing is available from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the General Practice Department at the Cayman Islands Hospital, and at the district clinics in West Bay, North Side and Bodden Town. During those same times, free AIDS testing is also available at Faith Hospital on Cayman Brac and at the Little Cayman clinic. The testing will also be available from 2-4 p.m. at the Cayman AIDS Foundation’s office at The Village Plaza on Wednesday only, and then later that day from 5-7 p.m. at the Cayman Islands Red Cross offices on Huldah Avenue. Special arrangements have been made to facilitate speed and confidentiality for HIV testing during the week, according to the Health Services Authority. People seeking testing or counseling need to indicate to the regis- tration clerks that they would like to register for free HIV screening. No appointment is necessary and the waiting time for testing is usually no more than 10 minutes. Patients must return to the clinic where the test was taken to retrieve the results, which will be made available in three working days. Only the patient is able to retrieve their results. Free HIV screening is offered year-round each Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Cayman Islands Red Cross. “Thus far it appears to be working well, as it pro- vides those wishing to get tested a second location in the community, increasing access to HIV testing sites,” said Cayman Islands Red Cross Deputy Director, Carolina Ferreira. Other activities planned for the week include a pro- cession from the Government Administration Building to Heroes Square in George Town at 2 p.m. Tuesday fol- lowed by a candlelight vigil at Heroes Square at 5:30 p.m. World AIDS Day was launched in 1988. Efforts this year focus on fast-tracking an end to the AIDS epidemic. Currently, some 37 million people around the world live with HIV/AIDS; 17.1 million people do not know they are infected with the virus and need to be reached with HIV testing services; and around 22 million do not have access to HIV treatment, including 1.8 million children. While HIV continues to be a major public health issue, having claimed more than 36 million lives so far, UNAIDS reports that 15 million people are accessing lifesaving treat- ment, and new HIV infections have been reduced by 35 per- cent since the year 2000. AIDS-related deaths have de- clined by 42 percent since peaking in 2004. For more information about HIV Testing Week, contact HIV/AIDS coordinator Laura Elniski at 244-2507 or laura.elniski@hsa.ky; Health Promotion Officer Therese Prehay at 244-2632 or therese.prehay@hsa.ky. PoPe outlines Mexico triP with four stoPs, including Juarez Free AIDS testing this week LIMA, Peru (AP) – American activist Lori Berenson is fi- nally heading home to New York, two decades after being found guilty of aiding leftist rebels in Peru. The 46-year-old has been living quietly in Lima with her 6-year-old son since her 2010 parole because she was barred from leaving the country until her 20-year sen- tence lapsed. Berenson told The Associated Press that oc- curred on Sunday. Fearing being mobbed by reporters on departure, she would not disclose details of her travel plans. She said she obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology online last year and plans to live in New York City with her parents until she gets established. A daughter of college pro- fessors, she dropped out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and headed to Latin America to support leftist movements. She worked for El Salvador rebels before traveling to Peru in late 1994. She was convicted of “collaborating with ter- rorism” for assisting the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement as it prepared in 1995 to seize congress and take lawmakers hostage. Berenson denies knowl- edge of the plot, but she rented and lived in the safe house where it was being planned and was arrested with the wife of a rebel leader after visiting congress with a journalist’s visa. She was initially con- victed of treason in 1996 by a court of hooded military judges and sent for nearly three years to a frigid prison at 12,700 feet altitude, where her health suffered. After U.S. pressure and a legal defense aided by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Berenson was retried in a civilian court in 2001. Berenson apologized pub- licly in 2010 as a condition for obtaining parole but was re- incarcerated for three months that year on a technicality. She and her son Salvador, who was born behind bars, vacationed with family in New York in December 2011, but Peru’s Congress subsequently passed a law barring for- eigners convicted of terrorism- related crimes from travel. Berenson is amicably di- vorced from the boy’s father, a former Tupac Amaru militant she met in prison in 1997. us activist heading hoMe after serving Peru sentence U.S. activist Lori Berenson looks out from her residence in Lima, Peru. Berenson, 46, is heading home to New York, two decades after being found guilty of aiding leftist rebels. – Photo: aPThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Tuesday december 1, 2015 www.butterfieldgroup.com PROUD WINNER OF THE BANKER’S PRESTIGIOUS CAYMAN ISLANDS BANK OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR 2013, 2014 AND 2015. THE BAHAMAS | BERMUDA | CAYMAN ISLANDS | GUERNSEY | SWITZERLAND | UNITED KINGDOM When you’re focused on great customer service, consistency counts. It’s about being genuinely committed to making customers’ banking experiences the best they can be. Every day. Every way we can. WON + WON + WON THREEPEATThe 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. Q: Why can’t our emergency responders have nice things? A: Because our public officials keep spending the money on other stuff. A recent report from a special committee set up by Cayman Islands lawmakers confirms what many of our readers may have already deduced — that, instead of saving up funds in order to replace government vehicles (including ambulances and police cars, as well as garbage trucks) on a regular schedule, officials have been diverting those funds for other purposes. As committee leader George Town MLA Roy McTaggart observed, “This results in the lack of adequate cash balances when the asset has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced.” Mr. McTaggart was, of course, a prominent accoun- tant in the private sector before entering elected office. But the situation Mr. McTaggart describes isn’t strictly a problem with “dishonesty in accounting” by government; it oftentimes leads to a waste of financial resources provided by taxpayers. Instead of purchasing new vehicles when the old ones reach the end of their useful lives, officials are paying for pricey repairs to keep older vehicles on the road for a long time after that strategy has ceased to be cost-effective. While it is necessary and prudent to keep vehicles maintained and in good working condi- tion, as most car owners know, at a certain point it simply becomes more expensive, in the longer run, to keep repairing and re-repairing a vehicle than it is to buy a new one. In the case of emergency services, the pure problem of cost is compounded by the issue of vehic- ular availability. The difference between an ambulance being at the ready, and being stuck in the garage, could have very grave consequences. That’s why you see altruistic-minded citizens, such as the nonprofit Cayman Heart Fund, stepping up to raise money to buy a new ambulance for the Health Services Authority. We, however, have counseled against relying on private efforts to supplement public shortcomings. We wrote in mid-October: “The proceeds of such goodwill result in the masking of government’s deficiencies, and so fundamental imbalances are never addressed.” Our government’s problem with misallocation of resources (with nearly $1 billion in annual revenue, “scarcity” is no excuse) goes far beyond service vehicles. For example, take a look at one of government’s most-treasured “assets,” the millions of discarded tires at the George Town landfill, which we cannot seem to get rid of, despite government levying fees of $2 per tire — logically for the very purpose of disposal … but in reality for “general operations” at the dump. Or, broaden your vision, and consider the greater Mount Trashmore as a whole. The government has no money in the bank to fix the hazardous landfill or to start a new facility somewhere else, although officials identi- fied the looming problem more than 25 years ago. In a recent editorial on the subject of Cayman’s inadequate infrastructure, we posed this question about building to prepare for an economic expansion: “Do we have the money and, if not, how are we going to finance our future?” The answer is straightforward, but not easy. Except in rare instances, such as deep-pocketed investors like the Dart Group paying for specific projects that ordi- narily would be financed by governments, money for public infrastructure and assets doesn’t just fall from the sky. Rather, cash reserves are grown over years and decades, through careful stewardship by conscien- tious leaders with foresight. When it comes to financial resources, Cayman is a wealthy country. When it comes to fiscal discipline, prudence and long-term planning, Cayman is coming up short. How a wealthy country can be so broke Tuesday deCember 1, 2015 • Cayman COmpass From CaymanCompass.Com “Connolly cannot get backing for ban on handouts,” Nov. 30 Mr. Connolly, trust me when I say bringing that motion would cut your voting popularity in half with the people. Again it is something people look forward to that they are considered for a turkey, ham or fruit basket at Christmas, or a $50 food card now and then. There are people who need that, and they de- serve it, and I do not call that vote buying. If you and others are downright mean and making about $10,000 a month and really expecting people to give you all their vote for free? “Nothing is free my friend.” So all the mean persons might as well save $9,000 and charge up the other $1,000 in Foster’s Food Fair cards and start giving them away. Come 2017, politicians will be crawling up peo- ple’s front door for the one “X” that can get them in. My suggestion is start saving for it. Before you all got into the House you were not making that kind of money. After the people voted you were able to buy big boats, expensive cars, new houses and the list goes on; and what did your voter get for that final “X” that put you all in? Did nothing that they could make money in their district and gave them nothing? The “X’s” have never been free. No matter whether they came with a bow or ser- vices rendered, money due and owing. Twyla Vargas Irony – this coming from the same Connolly who spoke so divisively last week about expats and how “real” Caymanians needed to be promoted more (regardless of ability or merit, apparently). This argument seems hollow now, doesn’t it, when a populace has become de- pendent on government and told they are entitled to pocket cash, driveway paving, refrigerators, health- care, job security, jobs out- side areas of expertise, etc., their whole life by pandering politicians bent on allowing the country’s people to play the victim role. Cheap pop- ulist appeals will always play to those looking to cast blame for their lot in life. Bob William If you cannot see this as a blatant, entrenched, serious form of corruption, then I’m shocked. Whilst there may well be people who are in need of support, this support should come through official, recognized channels. All this process is, is vote buying, and to say anything else is just plain wrong. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Connolly. As a lot of other posters have pointed out, this attempt of his is unlikely to yield immediate results, but remember, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Make no mistake, corrup- tion is evil, which is why in many other countries politi- cians have made strides to wipe it out … Just saying. James adams Skirting the issue of vote buying, Mr. Connolly’s statements peer into the questionable areas of perception. Much like the perception where politicians’ campaign funding could have the inklings of influence buying. OK, let’s see those num- bers, and cap that campaign spending. Wait, matching funds anyone, we must have balance! … What a politi- cian does with his money is his business. What a politi- cian does with other people’s money is our business. John-F Levy I think it is appalling that Mr. Connolly cannot get backing for the ban on hand- outs, but Mr. Premier can call for zero tolerance in corrup- tion. I wonder how corrup- tion starts? Ron Clair Ebanks The continuing practice of handouts by members of the LA equals vote buying. I’m guessing none of those persons have given hand- outs to expats or those with student visas since they cannot vote. Not having term limits is just another form of corruption. Brian Roberts “Eden’s Progressives departure sets off political uproar,” Nov. 30 Whilst I do admire Mr. Eden’s decision to stand up for what he believes in, I am not sure that this is what he was elected to do. There are local laws and there are global laws and rights, and it is his job, along with his political associates, to up- hold these laws and protect people’s rights. Anyway, our party poli- tics always have a way of falling apart around this time in each political term and I am surprised that it took this long. We will wait and see now which others will “jump ship” and leave the premier and the deputy premier squirming. Nothing before its time, and as we say in Jamaica, “every dog have its day and every day have its afternoon.” marcel young The making of laws should have no foundation as put for- ward by religious beliefs. We are all created equal and how we live our lives has no business in law- making, and Mr. Eden needs to remove his head from the sand. Len King Mr. Eden is a good and decent man who is simply standing for what he be- lieves is correct. Many of the people that try to at- tack him are just bigots that are intolerant of people that don’t share their own views and opinions. It was a bold move on the part of the premier to sacrifice the PPM and any chance of the party forming the government after the next general elec- tion. His decision should also be respected. mack Boland It is disheartening to see the uproar over the issue of same-sex marriage and to see a respected member of the LA take such a strong stand against equality. For the life of me, I cannot understand why people like Mr. Eden are so concerned about something that will have absolutely no effect on them. Surprise, surprise, there are gay people living in Cayman. Both native born and immigrants. They live their lives standing side by side all of us and con- tribute to society just like everyone else. Granting equality to gay people will not suddenly change any aspect of life in Cayman. Perhaps a male/ male wedding cake will roll out of a bakery. Big deal. I don’t think the is- land will sink into the sea. Certainly the other coun- tries that have enacted equal rights for all have not seen this happen. That is, unless anyone from the opposite side of this issue can point to one. Rodney Barnett premier alden mcLaughlin presents Bodden Town mLa anthony Eden with a pioneer award during Heroes Day, Jan. 26, 2015, while Ministry of Health Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn looks on. Mr. Eden’s split with Mr. McLaughlin’s government has engendered much discussion in the Compass’s online community. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday december 1, 2015 FOR INFORMATION www.irgcayman.com SEALED BIDS Cayman Grand Harbour Jeremy Hurst | 345.525.9900 | jeremy@irg.ky THREE PRIME DEVELOPMENT SITES: • 22E447 - 84 acres including canals and roads. 36 acres± developable. Fill needed. Guide Price: US$6,753,893.40 • 22E336 - 8.28 acres next to South Reach. Neighbourhood Commercial Zoning. Guide Price: US$4,403,160.00 • 22E422- 1.7 acres inland opposite Careenage. Residential Zoning. Fill needed. Guide Price: US$264,627.00 • Bid submission deadline is December 18th 2015, 4pm Cayman Time Cireba MLS 402371 Cireba MLS 402369 Cireba MLS 403982 JN pushes CIMA on cash transfer move Finance minister says government audits improving Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Just days after the sudden reopening of Western Union, allowing cash transfers to re- sume in Cayman Islands dol- lars for the first time in three months, Jamaica National Money Services says it is re- newing calls for govern- ment to help the remittance company resume taking Cayman currency. While JN Money Services tries to work with regu- lators to resume taking Cayman Islands dollars, lines at Western Union lo- cations at Foster’s Food Fair stores stretched to impres- sive lengths, with some people waiting hours to send money to family overseas. In a statement released late last week, JN Money Services said it wrote to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority asking again for help to en- able it to accept local cur- rency for remittances. JN ex- ecutives were in Cayman for a meeting with the regulator on Friday. In the statement, com- pany officials say they hope to be able to take Cayman dol- lars, but as of Monday after- noon a representative with JN said they still could not take Cayman currency. JN Money Services Managing Director Leesa Kow said in the statement last week, “We made a similar re- quest of CIMA in August, prior to implementing U.S. dollar-only transactions; how- ever, they did not accommo- date the request at that time. Following a deeper reading of the Cayman Islands’ laws, we have again written to them and anticipate a positive out- come.” JN, the local agent for MoneyGram and other cash- transfer brands, lost its ac- count with Cayman National Bank in late August and could take only U.S. cash, shipping the cash back to Jamaica for deposit. With Western Union’s sudden reopening last week, thousands of people have lined up to send money over- seas. On Saturday, the line at the Foster’s near the airport wrapped around the store. On Monday afternoon, people in the line said they had been waiting for two-and-a-half- hours and they were still be- hind dozens of others waiting to send money. One customer, Hava Lewis, said at about 1:30 p.m. that she had been waiting since before 11 a.m. “I came on Saturday but I had to turn back,” she said. Another customer, Colleen Clarke, said she had been waiting just as long, pointing to her swollen ankles. “We want JN to open back and take CI,” she said. Remittance services have to have a bank account to access the global financial system, but concerns over money laundering and terror- ists and drug traffickers using cash transfers have led to in- creased regulation and higher risks for banks. Fidelity Bank, which used to run Western Union in the Cayman Islands, and government finance of- ficials cited “de-risking” as the reason banks in Cayman would no longer give accounts to remittance companies. Western Union closed overnight in July when Fidelity Group suddenly shut- tered the service, but it re- opened with just as little notice last week, in a new deal with Scotiabank and Jamaica-based GraceKennedy Money Services. Jamaica National board member Robert Hamaty said last week that government gave GraceKennedy an un- fair competitive advantage in Cayman’s remittance industry, which handled almost US$180 million in cash transfers off the island last year, with about $110 million of those cash transfers going to Jamaica. “The largest player has been left out,” Mr. Hamaty said. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton, at an event last week announcing the new Western Union deal, thanked JN for quickly adapting to not having a bank account. Without JN’s move to handle the U.S. cash, Mr. Panton said, “We would not have made it to this point.” The islands faced the potential of having no way to send cash remittances, a service many rely on to sup- port families overseas. Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Finance Minister Marco Archer says accounting and financial controls are im- proving, despite an ad- verse opinion and other crit- icisms from the auditor general on government fi- nancial statements from the past two years. Mr. Archer made his re- marks during the Legislative Assembly last week, Since new government audit rules were introduced in 2004, this is the first year the Auditor General’s Office has given government an “ad- verse opinion.” Mr. Archer said the earlier financial statements received “dis- claimers,” meaning auditors could not give an opinion. “Government sees this as a significant attestation that its financial performance has improved and evidence exists to substantiate this improve- ment,” Mr. Archer said. He told the Legislative Assembly that the gov- ernment “intends to use this opportunity to ad- dress the issues that caused the issuance of an adverse opinion and, aims to achieve greater accountability and transparency.” When Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison released the audits ear- lier this month, he agreed with the finance minister: “As we reported last year, the time lines and quality of the accounting informa- tion presented for audit con- tinues to improve.” But the auditor was not without criticism of govern- ment. Regarding the audits, released in early November, he wrote, “This report pro- vides clear evidence to sup- port the need for stronger leadership of the financial function in Government. “I am very concerned about how long the Government is taking to de- velop the policies, systems, procedures and practices that are required to prepare quality consolidated finan- cial statements and other financial reports for the Legislative Assembly.” Last week, the finance minister attempted to ad- dress some of the auditor’s concerns and explain the is- sues to legislators. Mr. Archer said the ad- verse opinion was not due to the financial statements for each of the ministries and other parts of govern- ment, but instead due to how “macro” issues were ac- counted for across govern- ment. These issues, he said, included leaving parts out of the financial statements, in- correct balances, and incom- plete revenue figures. Mr. Archer said audi- tors “reported that there is no system in place to ensure that the Government is col- lecting and reporting all reve- nues and related receivables.” “The Ministry of Finance intends to conduct a review of Government revenue items to determine which items can be assessed for complete- ness,” he said. “Going for- ward, revenue completeness should then be assessed by respective agencies at the end of each quarterly re- port to Cabinet.” The auditors cited gov- ernment for not including $1.2 billion in healthcare li- abilities for retirees, and for not including pension ob- ligations. The finance min- ister said government de- cided not to include retiree healthcare costs in the fi- nancial statements, instead including the liabilities in the footnotes, something Mr. Archer said was in line with accounting practices in the United States and Canada, but not permitted by public accounting laws here. He told legislators that he intends to put forth an amendment to the Public Management and Finance Law to allow retiree benefits to be included as footnotes and not in the actual finan- cial statements. To address the rising re- tiree costs, Mr. Archer said, “Government is also ex- ploring options to reduce the pension and post-retirement healthcare obligations such as: increasing the retirement age of Civil Servants from 60 to 65 years; introducing health insurance premium co-pay for Civil Servants; and reducing the current CI$5 million cap on the maximum lifetime medical benefits for Civil Servants.” People stood in line for hours Monday to send money by Western Union at the Foster’s Food Fair airport location. Many of those in Monday’s line had turned up on Saturday, but did not stay as the line snaked around the store. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCANTuesday december 1, 2015 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay Kelsey JuKam, Jewel levy kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com, jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands cultural icon Julia Almeria Hydes passed away Monday morning. The legendary folk musician, known to many as “Aunt Julia,” was 106 and Cayman’s oldest citizen. The drum player and songwriter would have turned 107 in January. Cayman National Cultural Foundation Artistic Director Henry Muttoo said that while Aunt Julia’s physical presence will be missed, Cayman can “rest assured that she is very much alive for us at CNCF.” He said the foundation will keep her memory alive through the work of the Cayman Islands Folk Singers, Swanky Kitchen Band, Quincy Brown, Burman Scott and others. “Aunt Julia is, even in transi- tion, more than a Caymanian cul- tural icon,” Mr. Muttoo said. “She is the very soul of Caymanian folk music and the rhythms of her drum is our heartbeat.” Mrs. Hydes’s son Edmund said his mother passed away peacefully, and that with some of her last words she expressed concern that her yard needed cleaning up. “It’s like she was preparing for her departure,” he said. Her son recalled that her favorite words were always: “Hard work don’t kill no one.” Born Julia Ebanks in Boatswain’s Bay in West Bay on Jan. 25, 1909, she was the youngest of 12 children. She attended Ada Cato’s and Miss Redley’s all-age schools in West Bay until the age of 15, when she left school and assisted her family in making thatch baskets and rope. It was around this time that she discov- ered the talent that would make her a household name: playing the drum. At a time when most of the musicians in the country were male, and no drummers were fe- male, Mrs. Hydes pursued her pas- sion for “beating the drum” as she called it, asking her cousin, the late Leighton “Duxie” Ebanks, to teach her how to play. Mr. Ebanks’s son Varion Ebanks, now 87, recalled that his father had left Aunt Julia his drum when he passed away in 1990 – the home- made drum she was usually seen playing in recent decades. “My father played for various kitchen dances in West Bay and I would strum the guitar for him,” said Varion Ebanks. “She would go to my father’s house and beat the drums.” Her love of music and dance were evident from a young age. In an interview with the Cayman Compass in 2013, she described how she and her sisters “went dancing every night and we had to walk everywhere. Sometimes we would get home and our legs would be aching, but we didn’t care. The dances would be held at people’s houses and we would go and dance and dance and dance.” Mrs. Hydes never took formal drum lessons and was primarily self-taught. From the first time she picked up a pair of drumsticks made out of guava wood, she was an intuitive player and developed her own style while helping to pop- ularize local folk music. She played with some of Cayman’s best-known musicians, including “Duxie” Ebanks, Radley Gourzong and Boyd Hydes. In her later years, she played solo, well into the last few years of her life. Mrs. Hydes also composed many celebrated and beloved songs, which were compiled into a book and pre- served in audio recordings. Her songs comprise much of the Cayman Island Folk Singers’ repertoire. Mrs. Hydes received numerous awards, including the Certificate and Badge of Honour, for her contri- butions to the music and culture of the Cayman Islands. ‘National treasure’ Premier Alden McLaughlin said the country has lost a national trea- sure, and that Cabinet had ordered the Cayman Islands flag to be flown at half-staff Monday and Tuesday in Mrs. Hydes’s honor. “Aunt Julia touched many, many lives over her years in Cayman,” the premier said in a statement. “Personally, I am proud to have known her.” Mr. McLaughlin said that he would always remember Mrs. Hydes’s drum playing and singing praises to God, and recalled with fondness her 106th birthday party at the Harquail Theatre in January when friends, family members and well-wishers gathered to help her celebrate. “I was so hoping to help her cel- ebrate her 107th birthday in a few weeks,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Aunt Julia is survived by her five children, sons Edmund, Raybe, Lewie and Edroy, and daughter Francine, and many more relatives and friends. ‘Fighter’ Mrs. Hydes’s niece Jackie Ebanks said that although her aunt had grown tired over the past few months, Mrs. Hydes was a “fighter” throughout her life. Mrs. Ebanks said she enjoyed taking her late fa- ther, Captain Marvin Ebanks, to reminisce with his cousin Mrs. Hydes and listen to them talk about the “good old days” together. Mrs. Ebanks said she admired Mrs. Hydes both for the way she was able to write and play music, and for the way she raised her chil- dren on her own. “I totally admire this woman,” Mrs. Ebanks said. “She’s a great loss and I have great memories of her and my dad together.” Reina Jefferson, president of the Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association, said she had spent hundreds of hours with Mrs. Hydes, sharing stories, fears, joys, mem- ories and music. The two enjoyed singing together while Mrs. Hydes played her drum. “She always knew my voice during her last days, and I ex- pressed to her that she was the most amazing woman, other than my mother, that I had ever known,” Mrs. Jefferson said. “Her creative musical talent, storytelling and sweet laughter will always linger in my memory. I am so thankful to have spent precious and valuable time with her.” ‘Aunt Julia’ Hydes passes away at 106 ‘Aunt Julia,’ pictured at her 100th birthday party in 2009. Julia Hydes plays her iconic home-made drum for young fans in 2005.Cayman Compass • Tuesday december 1, 2015 DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days West Bay Ronda Argenbright and Hristina Nachev paint a Christmas tree.Daniel Rankin with door hangings made of old CD disks.Alison Hernandez-Pavon creates a Christmas decoration. With Christmas just around the corner, one school is coming up with an innovative and environmentally friendly way for students to help celebrate the season. Channeling their artistic skills, children in the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes at Wesleyan Christian Academy in West Bay are embracing the philosophy of reducing, re- using and recycling, by making Christmas dec- orations and cards out of recycled materials. The Early Childhood Unit students, aged 3 to 6 years, not only learn a valuable lesson about reducing waste, but also practicing their motor skills and creativity. “Our teacher’s assistant, Mrs. Karla Andino- Ebanks, has come up with some really cre- ative ways for the children to learn about re- cycling, as well as getting creative at the same time,” said Pre-K teacher Beverly Nachev in a press release. “She is a great collector of items and can always see the potential for recy- cling. In this way, we believe the students are learning some important lessons about how we can reduce our waste and at the same time make something useful.” Mrs. Andino-Ebanks said the art projects include making napkin holders from wire and beads, Christmas cards using the children’s own artwork, and door hangings crafted from old computer discs. She added that students are having fun transforming inexpensive plain linens into pretty pillow cases. “We will be decorating the classroom with the students’ artwork and at the end of the term the children will be able to take their artwork home for their families to enjoy,” she said. Ms. Nachev explained that every project helps develop the students’ motor skills. “When students thread the beads on the wire, they are developing their pincher grip, while painting helps with writing later on. Every project has been specially designed to enhance their development,” she said. “It is essential that young children have opportunities to develop these skills because they form the building blocks for dexterity and strength in later life. This has been a greatly beneficial project for the students.” Wesleyan recycles for Christmas Wesleyan Christian Academy pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students with Jane Haylock, teacher and head of Early Childhood Unit; teacher’s assistant Karla Andino-Ebanks; and pre-kindergarten teacher Beverly Nachev. In the Dec. 1, 1965 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a predecessor of the Cayman Compass, the weekly column “Personality Parade” highlighted a woman from West Bay: “Mrs. Thomas Parsons, better known to us as Bella Henning, is an interesting person and has been chosen as this week’s personality. “Bella was born and raised in West Bay, the daughter of Capt. and Mrs. Andrew Henning. She attended school until she was 14 years of age, went on take private tuition, and then worked at home for a while. “In 1921, she commenced studies in nursing under the late Dr. G. N. Overton and later became a dispenser, working with the same doctor in George Town, where she remained for 14 years. “In 1936, Dr. Overton was called to take up a post in Jamaica and Bella went along and assisted him for some time be- fore returning to Cayman. “At this stage she took up private nursing until 1946 when, having gained her visa for permanent residence in the USA, she went to Tampa. “Still pursuing her chosen career, Bella worked in the Tampa Municipal Hospital until 1949, when she resigned to marry the late Mr. Thomas Parsons. “From then until 1960, home was in Port Arthur, Texas, but when Mr. Parsons retired, they went to Hollywood, Fla. to live. “Since August last, Mrs. Parsons has been in West Bay visiting relatives and friends, but she expects soon to return to her Hollywood home. “Bella’s life has been one of service to others and especially to this island in the days when there was only one doctor and no hospital. She is beloved by all who know her for her genial acts and lovely disposition. As a nurse, she was always untiring in her efforts and we salute her as one of Cayman’s fine women.” 50 yEARs Ago Bella Henning deemed interestingThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday december 1, 2015 • Cayman Compass Ebanks said Sunday that police had responded to an emergency call around noon. He said, “The boy was pulled from the water, but CPR efforts proved unsuccessful. He was transported to the George Town Hospital by am- bulance, but later pro- nounced dead.” The boy’s family have been notified and an in- vestigation is ongoing. The Ministry said in its statement that it was cooperating with po- lice and would make no further statements until the investiga- tion was completed. In the statement, Minister Osbourne Bodden offered his condolences to the boy’s family. Friends and former schoolmates at Clifton Hunter High School ex- pressed their shock and grief on Facebook at the death of Risco Batten. Emergency standby for Saab trial flight James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Emergency crews were put on standby after Cayman Airways’ new Saab plane re- ported an issue during a trial flight on Saturday. Senior staff from the air- line, including CEO Fabian Whorms, and Civil Aviation Authority officials were on board during the flight be- tween Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman. The plane has yet to be put in service on the Brac commuter route and is going through a final round of demonstration flights under observation from civil aviation regulators. Mr. Whorms said there was a false indication of an issue with the landing gear. He said emergency crews had been put on standby as a precaution and the plane landed safely. “An indication issue was encountered when the landing gears were selected by the flight deck crew to the down position, for landing. “Alternate procedures con- firmed that the gears were extended and locked for a landing, but the captain re- quested the emergency ser- vices to be on stand-by, as a procedurally required pre- cautionary measure.” He said the aircraft had been removed from service for “rectification work” with further trial flights expected to continue later this week. He said staff had al- ready completed all the cer- tification and approvals pro- cesses necessary to operate the new Saab 340B+ craft which will run on the Brac express route. He said the flights cur- rently taking place were for trial and demonstra- tion purposes, to ensure flight and ground operations staff are fully proficient be- fore it begins transporting paying passengers. With the exception of Saturday’s incident, he said the trial flights had gone “ex- tremely well” so far. Teenager dies on boys home outing Risco Batten Commissioner: Corrupt police played part in drug theft Baines denies police lied about raid James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Suspected corrupt po- lice officers are under in- vestigation over the theft of more than 50 kilograms of cocaine and ganja from the George Town Police Station, Commissioner David Baines has acknowledged. Mr. Baines said there was an active investiga- tion that involved multiple warrants being executed as well as internal inqui- ries into the suspected in- volvement of corrupt offi- cers in what he described as a “well-planned, well- coordinated attack on the police property.” Speaking on the “CrossTalk” morning talk show on Rooster FM on Friday, Mr. Baines said there were “clearly corrupt police officers” involved. He denied that police had lied when they initially reported that nothing had been taken in the July 13 break-in. He said investiga- tors were not immediately aware that drugs had been stolen from the evidence locker, which contains more than 18,000 exhibits. It was not until around a week after the incident that it emerged the drugs had been taken, he said. After this was con- firmed by an audit of the evidence locker, he said he reported the develop- ment to government and the National Security Council but took an “operational de- cision to pursue lines of inquiry covertly.” At that time, he said, warrants were being ex- ecuted and it would have been foolish to broadcast the scope of the investiga- tion and tip off the suspects. A police spokesperson confirmed Monday that there had been no specific arrests in relation to the break-in, though the investi- gation continues. It was two months after the theft before police ac- knowledged in response to media inquiries that a “quantity of drugs” had been stolen. Under questioning from legislators in October, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson further revealed that 24 kilograms of cocaine and 33 kilograms of ganja had been taken. Mr. Baines, speaking for the first time about the inci- dent on Friday, said two in- vestigations were ongoing. “One is an internal one. Someone’s clearly given in- formation internally about where those drugs are sup- posed to be or will be. That’s one side. Secondly, I’ve got a criminal investi- gation against suspects who have been identified,” Mr. Baines said. “The issue is to not sit there and say ‘let’s try and hide and pretend this didn’t happen.’ It is about tacti- cally using the information. It is better for me to stay quiet while we allow the in- vestigation to take place.” In a heated exchange with host Kenneth Bryan on the morning talk show, the host suggested the public had a right to know that corrupt officers were oper- ating on the force. The commissioner re- plied, “Do you not think it is more important to catch them?” He said releasing too much information could have compromised the in- vestigation and a potential future court case. He said pursuing the in- vestigation covertly “gives me the best chance to ensure your safety is preserved, so we don’t just say somebody is involved, we put a head on a spike and remove them from the organization … “If I’ve got corrupt of- ficers, I don’t need to just broadcast it. I need to do something positive. I need to get evidence. I need to con- vict them and get them out of the service.” Mr. Baines said there was an active investigation that involved multiple arrests as well as internal inquiries into the suspected involvement of corrupt officers. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The new Cayman Airways Saab 340B+. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCAN Police shooting of black teen cited in U of Chicago threat CHICAGO (AP) – Federal au- thorities said an online threat that led the University of Chicago to cancel classes Monday targeted whites and was motivated by the police shooting of a black teenager, video of which was released last week and sparked protests. Jabari R. Dean, 21, of Chicago, threatened to kill 16 white male students or staff at the school on Chicago’s South Side, according to the criminal complaint. Dean, who is black, was arrested Monday morning. He did not enter a plea later in the day on a charge of trans- mitting a threat in interstate commerce in court. Dean is a freshman studying electrical engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and wore a red sweat shirt em- blazoned with the name of that school at the hearing. The threat was posted Saturday, just days after the city released a video of Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is white, shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, who was black, 16 times. Van Dyke is charged with first-degree murder, and his bond was set for $1.5 million on Monday. That means Van Dyke needs to pay $150,000 to be released, and Van Dyke’s attorney said he was hopeful his client could be released in the “very near future.” Authorities said Dean posted online from a phone that he would “execute ap- proximately … 16 white male students and or staff, which is the same number of time (sic) McDonald was killed” and “will die killing any number of white policemen that I can in the process.” The criminal complaint, re- leased by the U.S. attorney’s of- fice in Chicago, said someone tipped the FBI on Sunday to a threat that was posted on a social media website. The FBI was unable to find the threat online, and was provided a screenshot by the person who reported the threat. That led them to Dean, who admitted to FBI agents that he posted the threat and took it down shortly after posting it, the complaint said. Despite the threat men- tioning three guns, a prose- cutor said Monday that Dean did not appear to pose a threat. The complaint did not say whether Dean possessed any weapons.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Tuesday december 1, 2015 the discussion. Officials with AIS Jamaica were also interested in bidding on that contract in early 2011, jurors heard. Initially, the HSA’s tech- nical committee that re- viewed competing pro- posals for the pharmacy contract selected Cerner, from the U.S. ahead of AIS Jamaica. This seemed to anger Watson during a HSA meeting on the subject, and it was eventually agreed to send the pharmacy pro- posal back to a technical evaluation committee for further review. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran said Watson ap- peared to have been in- volved in the preparation of the AIS Jamaica phar- macy bid and to have ar- ranged to send that bid to Ms. Yearwood. Mr. Moran also alleged that, according to email evidence obtained by the Crown, Watson had sent a copy of Cerner’s cost proposal for the phar- macy system to Douglas Halsall, the owner of AIS Jamaica, which was com- peting against Cerner for the contract. “This is a direct con- flict of interest,” Ms. Yearwood said. Mr. Moran presented further emails sent by Watson to Webb and other individuals suggesting they had a plan, with Mr. Halsall, to open a phar- macy in Cayman. “I’m shocked, to say the least,” Ms. Yearwood said. “I’m seeing this for the first time, I’m becoming aware of this for the first time.” Ms. Yearwood further testified that she believed the owner of AIS Cayman Ltd. to be Mr. Halsall from Jamaica and that she was unaware of any involve- ment in that company by either Watson or Webb, the latter of whom she did not even know. Defense attorneys had not had an opportu- nity to cross-examine Ms. Yearwood’s testimony as of press time Monday. In opening statements Friday, lead defense counsel Trevor Burke, QC, ques- tioned why the pharmacy contract entered into the prosecution’s case at all. Any decision Watson was or was not going to make regarding opening a pharmacy had nothing to do with the charges presented by the Crown in this particular case, Mr. Burke said. Further, Watson never would have benefited per- sonally from the opening of the pharmacy because it was proposed to be the government’s pharmacy, Mr. Burke argued. “Why [the issue] was raised, I don’t know,” he said during speeches Friday. CarePay trial HealtH cHief ‘sHocked’ by emails of Watson’s dealings CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MLA silent on future plans Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo declined to dis- cuss on Monday any fu- ture political plans he may have with regard to political party membership. Mr. Suckoo said Monday that he felt a number of people in Cayman’s polit- ical arena were trying to use his colleague MLA Anthony Eden’s resignation from the Progressives party for their own purposes. “Too many people are speculating right now, it’s getting dangerous,” he said. “I’m not saying anything right at the moment.” Mr. Eden said Thursday that he would become an in- dependent lawmaker and sit on the other side of the Legislative Assembly when the House next meets in the new year. His decision, he said, was the result of government’s proposal to change the Cayman Islands Immigration Law regulations to allow non-working mem- bers of same-sex couples to live with their partners as dependents. Progressives party leader Premier Alden McLaughlin said Friday that Mr. Eden’s departure left him disap- pointed, although it was “not entirely unexpected.” There was significant dis- cussion over the weekend regarding whether Mr. Eden’s departure from the Progressives party would en- courage his Bodden Town running mate, Mr. Suckoo, to leave as well. A number of political in- siders, including a former premier’s office staffer and a former Bodden Town dis- trict party chairman, said they expected Mr. Suckoo to depart the Progressives in the coming weeks. Such a departure, they said, could threaten the stability of the Progressives-led government coalition if other independent members followed suit. Mr. Eden’s move by it- self does not disrupt the overall balance of power in the Cayman Islands political arena. The longtime Bodden Town MLA joins indepen- dent Legislative Assembly members Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean on the op- posite side of the assembly floor, along with three op- position Cayman Islands Democratic Party members – including Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush. That leaves the Progressives-led coalition government with 11 mem- bers, not counting Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor-Connolly. Further complicating mat- ters, Premier McLaughlin was in the United Kingdom for the Joint Ministerial Council meeting with the U.K. and its overseas territo- ries when the situation with Mr. Eden arose. He offered no comment regarding the polit- ical maneuvering. Mr. Suckoo loner will be charged with murder in Colorado clinic attack COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) – The man accused of a deadly shooting rampage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs was told Monday that he will be charged with first-degree murder in the killing of three people, including a police of- ficer, during the standoff at the facility. Speaking in a raspy voice, white-bearded suspect Robert Lewis Dear appeared via a video hookup from El Paso County Jail, where he has been held since surren- dering to police after the five- hour siege on Friday. Dear wore a padded, white vest with black straps and gazed downward during most of the hearing. It was his first appearance in court in the case. Dear responded “no questions” when asked by Chief District Judge Gilbert Martinez if he had any ques- tions about his rights. Public Defender Daniel King, who represented Colorado theater shooter James Holmes, stood be- side Dear and will act as his counsel. Dear is expected to be formally charged on Dec. 9. Victims’ relatives sat in the courtroom during the hearing. Dear, 57, is accused of fa- tally shooting a university police officer who tried to stop the attack, an Iraq war veteran and a mother of two inside the clinic. The rampage sent nine other people to a hospital. Colorado Springs police have declined to disclose any information on a motive for the attack, and a judge or- dered the sealing of investi- gatory court documents at the request of prosecutors. A law enforcement official said Dear told authorities “no more baby parts” after being arrested. The official said the com- ment was among a number of statements Dear made to authorities after his arrest, making it difficult to know his specific motivation. The law enforcement of- ficial spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not allowed to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation. U.S. Attorney John Walsh said investigators have been in touch with lawyers from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights and National Security divisions, a move that suggests officials could pursue federal charges in ad- dition to state homicide ones. Walsh did not elaborate. One possible avenue could be the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which makes it a crime to injure or intimidate clinic patients and employees. “The case may fit the cri- teria for a federal domestic terrorism case, but based on my experience, I would be very surprised if this is not simply a local prosecu- tion,” said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, a former U.S. attorney and state at- torney general. Planned Parenthood said witnesses believe the gunman was motivated by his opposi- tion to abortion. Suthers, however, said it’s unclear whether the shooting was intended to send an ide- ological message. Whatever authorities de- cide is sure to be controver- sial, given the political murk- iness of Dear’s statements and the debate over Planned Parenthood, which was reig- nited in July when anti-abor- tion activists released under- cover video they said showed the group’s personnel negoti- ating the sale of fetal organs. The organization has de- nied seeking any payments beyond legally permitted re- imbursement of the costs for donating the organs to researchers. Dear has been described by acquaintances as a reclu- sive loner who did not seem to have strong political or so- cial opinions. Neighbors who live near Dear’s former South Carolina home say he hid food in the woods and lived by selling prints of his uncle’s paintings of Southern plantations and the Masters golf tournament. After he moved to Colorado, he once gave a neighbor pamphlets opposing President Barack Obama. “He didn’t talk about them or anything. He just said, ‘Look them over when you get a chance,’” Zigmond Post said. 17 inmates dead in fight at overcrowded Guatemala prison ESCUINTLA, Guatemala (AP) – Seventeen prisoners were killed in a gang brawl inside an overcrowded Guatemalan prison, including seven who were decapitated, officials said Monday. Victor Mijangos, as- sistant prosecutor for the Escuintla district, said the fight broke out Sunday af- ternoon in the Canada Rehabilitation Farm about 45 miles south of the cap- ital. “All were killed by ma- chete and knife wounds,” said Mijangos, who entered the prison. Officials found 16 bodies together inside and one more prisoner died of his wounds at a hospital. He said officials found the heads of three men, ap- parently the leaders of a group, on top of a table. No one was killed or wounded by gunfire, he said. Another government official said earlier that the fight started with gunfire. Prison system spokesman Rudy Esquivel said the prison was de- signed to hold 600 inmates, but houses 3,092. He said firefighters had removed 16 bodies from the prison and they were still being identified. Elsa Rodriguez said she identified her son Estuardo Gregorio Rodriguez, 23, from a pho- tograph a funeral home em- ployee showed her. She was among about 100 people waited outside a morgue for the victims’ bodies to be re- leased to their families. Esquivel said the fight apparently erupted between members of the Mara 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs and fellow inmates who do not belong to the gangs. Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting suspect Robert Dear, right, via video hearing during his first court appearance Monday, when he was told he faces first-degree murder charges. At left is public defender Dan King. - PHoto: mark reis/tHe gazette via aPNext >