ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday december 10, 2015 High of 87 Low of 75 Smooth to slight with wave heights less than 2 feet. 2015 2015 CHrISTmAS HoLIDAy guIDE Editorial | pagE 4 ‘hails’ To The chief: cayman’s new Top firefighTer Personal Insurance Pay less for more cover with BritCay! insurance, health, pensions, life Low deductibles and generous benefits are standard cover with BritCay. Ask for a quote and start paying less for more cover now! 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 cgigrp Spectacular homes net design awards James whiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A spectacular contemporary home on the waterfront in Rum Point and a tranquil beach house nestled among sea grape trees in Little Cayman share the 2015 Governor’s Award for design and construction excellence. Despite their contrasting styles, both homes impressed the judges at the biennial awards ceremony because of their harmony with the surrounding natural environment. The winners were announced Tuesday night in a reception at the governor’s house. For Raoul Pal, the construc- tion of the beach house close to Point of Sand on Little Cayman was the realization of a dream. He said the award was de- served recognition for Edgewater Developments, which had taken on the “almost impossible task” of making his dream come true. He scoured the world, from The Beach House at Point of Sand in Little Cayman impressed judges at the Governor’s Awards for design and construction excellence. - PHOTO: MONIKA WOJTKIEWICZ, COURTESY OF REALLIFE MAGAZINE The contemporary design of the Rum Point house, owned by the Brewers, stood out for the judges. - PHOTO COURTESY OF REALLIFE MAGAZINE Governor Helen Kilpatrick presents Raoul Pal, owner of the Little Cayman Beach House, with the 2015 Governor’s Award for design and construction excellence. - PHOTO: DAVID R. LEGGE Lisa and Vidal Brewer with the design award for their Rum Point House. - PHOTO: DAVID R. LEGGE CARePAy TRiAL WITNESS SAYS ‘HALF DOZEN’ COMPANIES WANTED CAREPAY DEAL brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com About “half a dozen” com- panies, both local and inter- national, had expressed in- terest on bidding for a Cayman Islands public hospital patient swipe-card contract prior to the contract being awarded to a Jamaican-St.Lucian firm, ac- cording to the former chief in- formation officer for the local Health Services Authority. Dale Sanders testified via video link Wednesday that he was “reprimanded” by former Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board chairman Canover Watson in late 2010 when Watson learned Mr. Sanders had put government bid request documents on his healthcare blog. Mr. Sanders said he wanted to expand the bid process as much as possible so that the HSA and the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company could “ben- efit from that competition.” Mr. Sanders said Watson called him into a meeting later STAY-OVER TOURISM NUMbERS FLAT WHILE REGION GROWS More tourists are traveling to the Caribbean’s major vacation destinations this year, but stayover numbers for the first three quarters of 2015 show that Cayman’s num- bers are flat following a record-breaking year in 2014. Average daily room rates in Cayman are up by about 13 percent so far this year, and that means that while the number of visitors to the islands remains the same, hotels are making PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » Mr. Sanders PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday december 10, 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. - THURSDAY - $8.00 THE GOOD DINOSAUR 3D (PG) 12:30 | 1:30 2D | 3:00 | 4:00 2D | 5:30 | 7:00 2D | 8:00 | 9:30 2D HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (PG13) 12:20 | 3:25 | 6:30 | 9:40 CREED (PG13) 1:10 | 4:10 | 7:05 | 10:00 LOVE THE COOPERS (PG13) 1:00 | 3:30 | 7:10 | 9:50 SPECTRE (PG13) 12:45 I 4:15 I 7:30 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Devon Anglin, the defen- dant on trial for the murder of 4-year-old Jeremiah Barnes, opted Wednesday not to give evidence in the case. After the Crown closed its case on Wednesday morning, lead defense counsel David Fisher ad- vised Justice Charles Quin that Anglin would not be giving evidence, nor would he be calling any evidence. Crown prosecutor Andrew Radcliffe summed up the case against Anglin, listing evidence he said supported the identifica- tion of him as the gunman who fatally shot the boy at the Service Station on Feb. 15, 2010. Anglin was named as the shooter by Jeremiah’s parents, who were in the front seats of their car while their two young sons were in the rear seats. Both parents knew Anglin from growing up in West Bay. Their evi- dence was not the identi- fication of a stranger, but rather the recognition of someone familiar to them, Mr. Radcliffe pointed out. They may have made mistakes on some points in their evidence, but it had to be remembered that the shooting took place six years ago, and Anglin’s first trial was four years ago, he said. Mr. Radcliffe said it was impossible to imagine that any parent would want someone other than the true killer to be prosecuted. The Crown’s case is that the gunman’s intended victim was Jeremiah’s fa- ther, Andy Barnes. Anglin is charged with the murder of Jeremiah, who was 4 years old at the time; the attempted murder of Mr. Barnes; and possession of an unlicensed firearm. No firearm was ever recovered. When court took the lunch adjournment, Mr. Radcliffe was summarizing the evidence that he said supported the identification of Anglin as the shooter. Mr. Fisher was then ex- pected to summarize the case for the defense. The judge asked if the at- torneys had any general di- rections they wanted him to consider. These included cir- cumstantial evidence and how to treat the evidence of expert witnesses. Justice Quin said he would not read the judg- ment of the Court of Appeal that overturned Anglin’s ac- quittal after his first trial in 2011. The only exception was that he would read the part that dealt with what the appeal court identi- fied as the first trial judge’s error in interpretation of law. Anglin opts not to testify in murder triAl JAmEs WhIttAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A patch of coral reef in George Town harbor suffered damage from a cruise ship anchor Wednesday, sparking concern among scuba divers and environmentalists. Despite video footage ap- pearing to show live coral damaged by the ship’s anchor and chain, the Department of Environment said the ship had dropped anchor legally in a designated zone. Tim Austin, Department of Environment deputy director, said there were patches of surviving coral within the anchorage zone assigned for cruise ships. He said the ship, the Zenith, had been guided to anchorage zone 4, the most southerly and least commonly used of the zones in George Town harbor desig- nated for cruise ships. “We have reviewed the video footage and while it is not good to look at, the truth is that this site has been pre- viously impacted. It hasn’t been subjected to the same amount of damage as the other anchorage sites, which is why you see surviving coral colonies there.” He said the anchorage zones that were frequently used by cruise ships had al- ready been extensively dam- aged. He said the Department of Environment would continue to monitor the situation, but no laws or regulations were broken in the incident. Concerned scuba diving instructors conducted an ex- ploratory dive of the area close to the Don Foster’s and Eden Rock dive shops after noticing the ship appeared to be closer to shore than usual. Their footage shows an- chor chain lying across seem- ingly healthy reef as clouds of silt cover patches of rock and coral. Cruise anchor reef scare in George Town harbor A coroner’s investiga- tion will look into the cir- cumstances surrounding the death of 14-year-old Risco Batten, who died in an accident off a South Sound beach last month. The teenager was on an organized outing from the Bonaventure Boys Home when he got into difficulty while swimming on Nov. 29. Police are assisting the coroner with the investiga- tion, and an inquest is likely to be held next year. Bonaventure Boys Home, where the 14-year-old was a resident, and the Ministry of Community Affairs, which has responsibility for the home, confirmed the basic details of the incident but have declined to comment further. Coroner to investigate teen’s death TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – The family of the late gangster Meyer Lansky is hoping to be compensated for a Havana casino hotel seized after Cuba’s 1959 revolution, now that the countries have begun trying to resolve bil- lions in dollars in claims for the confiscation of American properties by the island’s socialist government. Lansky’s family sees an opportunity to reclaim the Habana Riviera or its cash equivalent. “The hotel was taken from my grandfather forcefully,” said Lansky’s 60-year-old grandson, Gary Rapoport, of Tampa. “Cuba owes my family money.” When the Havana hotel opened in 1957, it was the largest casino hotel in Cuba. It became kind of a base for Lansky, considered one of the most significant mob fig- ures of the 20th century. The Hyman Roth char- acter in “The Godfather Part II” was based on Lansky and he was a figure in the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire.” Rapoport said his grand- father never recouped his in- vestment in the project. It cost an estimated $8 million to build the Habana Riviera in the 1950s. It still is oper- ated as a state-run hotel. “We never filed a claim with the government or hired an attorney earlier because we didn’t think the door for negotiating would ever ac- tually open,” Rapoport said. “Now it is open.” Whether the family can be compensated is unclear. An initial list American properties and business na- tionalized in Cuba was com- pleted on July 6, 1972. The U.S. government’s Foreign Claims Settlement Commission accepted claims again from 2005 through 2006, but not since then. lAte gAngster’s fAmily wAnts CubA CompensAtion Meyer Lansky An image captured from video shot by divers in George Town harbor shows a cruise ship anchor chain on an area of coral reef.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Thursday december 10, 2015 DwellDwell Featuring the most current styles in furniture & accessories GRAND OPENING TODAY! San Sebastian | Vela | Britannia | Camana Bay 10,000 Square Foot Showroom Now Open 119 Dorcy Drive | George Town | 345-745-4311 | www.idgcayman.com (Located between Airport Foster’s Food Fair and Airport Post Office) Dwell by IDG IDG Style at Prices Everyone Can AffordIDG Style at Prices Everyone Can Afford Giving you the opportunity to Dwell in Style Dwell: to remain or linger for a time Dwell Featuring the most current styles in furniture & accessories GRAND OPENING TODAY! San Sebastian | Vela | Britannia | Camana Bay 10,000 Square Foot Showroom Now Open 119 Dorcy Drive | George Town | 345-745-4311 | www.idgcayman.com (Located between Airport Foster’s Food Fair and Airport Post Office) by IDG Dwell: to remain or linger for a timeThe 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. Mac Margolis Eleventh-hour wage hikes, soldiers forcing polling places open after hours, permits revoked for elec- tion observers: Hand it to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for trying. In the end, however, none of his Yanqui bashing or authoritarian sleights of hand made much of a dif- ference for his sinking gov- ernment in legislative elec- tions on Sunday. After 16 years under the spell of the so-called Bolivarian revolution, Venezuelans turned out in convincing numbers to say “enough.” By Tuesday morning, with all but a few ballots counted, candidates aligned with the Democratic Unity Roundtable, the lead opposition bloc, had won the race to control the National Assembly by a landslide: 107 seats to 55 for govern- ment allies, with 5 seats still undecided. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski predicted that the opposition had won even bigger, taking 112 seats, or two-thirds of the unicameral body. That would be enough to change the constitution, censure or sack ministers and make life miserable for the president. The margin of victory wasn’t the only surprise. “We have come with our honor to recognize these adverse re- sults,” said a startlingly gra- cious Maduro as he acknowl- edged the rout late Sunday night. “The constitution and democracy have triumphed.” For anyone familiar with the official script out of Caracas, this was strange. Where was the chest- thumping strongman who vowed to “go out on the streets” to save the revolution? Don’t be fooled. What may sound like a death-bed con- version is more likely a stra- tegic retreat. “Taking the high road makes sense,” Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, told me. “It allows Maduro to claim that Venezuela is a democracy.” Maduro had inspiration. Think of Hugo Chavez, circa 2007, when the cagey founder of what he called 21st-cen- tury socialism lost a refer- endum to abolish presidential term limits. Chavez humbly pledged to honor the outcome, then tightened his grip on power and critics. Two years later term limits were gone, clearing the way for Chavez to stay in power indefinitely. When Chavez died of cancer in 2013, Maduro in- herited the comandante’s tricks but not his skills. And that is a mixed blessing for the new leadership coming to Congress. A recent Pew Research Center survey showed Venezuelans dissatis- fied with Maduro but hardly enchanted with his oppo- nents, a 27-party patchwork splintered by rivalries. The sitting legislature steps down on Jan. 5, leaving plenty of time for mischief. There’s ample precedent. Just this October, for example, the government convinced 13 supreme court judges to take early retirement, al- lowing Maduro the opportu- nity to restack the high bench without interference from a hostile congress. Maduro recently hinted at invoking the Popular Power law, ginned up by Chavez in 2010 in case the revolution went south. It created a net- work of citizen communes, theoretically empowered to set up a parallel government and overrule Congress. The days when tyrants can steal elections and smother democracy without conse- quence appear to be num- bered, however. Recently, Luis Almagro, head of the Organization of American States, warned Venezuelan au- thorities to fix the skewed elec- toral system, which he said imperiled a free and fair vote. The warning was remarkable coming from the OAS, a clubby compact that has rarely raised a fuss over a compañero’s authoritarian excesses. Then came Mauricio Macri, the Argentine pro- business politician who called out Venezuela for human rights abuses shortly after winning his country’s presidency. He’s promised to press his neighbors to expel Venezuela from Mercosur, a regional trade bloc founded as a union of democracies. That may not happen. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, for one, saw “no facts” to back charges that Venezuela is undemocratic. Still, it’s worth noting that Maduro has lowered his voice as the international outcry has grown. Like most modern auto- crats, Maduro wants to control democracy and flaunt it, too. By turning out on Sunday for an election the world was watching, Venezuelans have just made that trick a lot trickier. Bloomberg View contributor Mac Margolis is based in Rio de Janeiro. © 2015, Bloomberg View Thursday deCember 10, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Upon the arrival of new Cayman Islands Chief Fire Officer David Hails, Premier Alden McLaughlin remarked that he found it “disappointing” that no suitable Caymanian could be found for the role, though he is “satisfied” with Mr. Hails’s leadership credentials. We see things differently. Based on his resume — with 37 years of firefighting experience, including the last eight at the Serco International Fire Training Centre — the hiring of Mr. Hails appears to be an unqualified recruitment triumph. If anything is to be found “disappointing,” it is that years of inadequate management and planning have resulted in no local firefighters being sufficiently qualified for this most formidable assignment. To those who might be tempted to characterize the appointment of the first non-Caymanian fire chief in the nearly 50-year history of the department as “a retrograde step” (to use Premier McLaughlin’s ter- minology), we would point out that Caymanians — not expatriates — have been in charge of this hiring process, and that the local pool of potential candidates is limited in size and has been well explored over the past two years. The role of the Cayman Islands Fire Service is an important one — and it is not to promote the recruit- ment, employment and advancement of Caymanians. It is to ensure public safety in the Cayman Islands — for everyone. We won’t rehash here the scathing findings made by a British firefighting consultant in a government- commissioned report, other than to state that the fire service has been found to be overstaffed, under- trained and misdirected. Rather, we will observe that new Chief Fire Officer Hails appears eminently qualified to bring our fire service “up to code,” which, incidentally, will be to the benefit of every Caymanian firefighter working in the department — and every resident living in the country. A warm welcome to you, Chief Hails. ‘Hails’ to the chief: Cayman’s new top firefighter What a special way to celebrate the Christmas season, in nautical harmony with the traditions that have shaped the people and culture of these islands. We refer, of course, to Cayman 27’s “Parade of Lights” held Saturday night at Camana Bay. While we don’t normally find ourselves lauding or applauding other media outlets, we must give credit to our media brethren at Hurley’s Media. Where to start? Perhaps at evening’s end with the fireworks. They were not only pyrotechnically superb but seemingly never-ending. Plenty of oohs, aahs, and awws! Just what one wants in a fireworks display. Then there was the swooping and soaring of Richard Gonzalez, an instructor at CayJet Waters- ports, with his water-powered Jetblade FlyBoots: He was almost aerially balletic, so skilled and so agile that one youngster mistook him for Superman. And, of course, the mainstay of the evening, the boat parade itself. A dozen promenading vessels partici- pated with their hulls (and bows and sterns) decked with dazzling light displays and Christmas-themed adorn- ments. Special recognition goes to Epic Divers and The Beachcomber condominiums, which took home first- place honors in the large and small boat categories. The event attracted thousands of spectators to Camana Bay harbor with many more thousands watching at home, courtesy, of course, of Channel 27. Cayman should be especially appreciative of the television station’s new ownership, Hurley’s Media, for continuing to carry on a great legacy event that is getting better every year. The Parade of Lights is (and deservedly so) becoming one of the most-anticipated holiday tradi- tions in the Cayman Islands. Christmas kudos to ‘Parade of Lights’ One (small) step toward Venezuelan democracy [I]t’s worth noting that Maduro has lowered his voice as the international outcry has grown. Like most modern autocrats, Maduro wants to control democracy and flaunt it, too. 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” Supporters of Venezuela’s political opposition wave flags during their kick off campaign in Caracas on Nov. 14. The opposition candidates would go on to record sweeping victories in legislative elections Sunday. – Photo: Wilfredo riera/BloomBerg NeWsThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Thursday december 10, 2015 Camana Bay Welcomes PwC GLOBAL BUSINESS. CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY. This week Camana Bay welcomes PwC to 18 Forum Lane, the Caribbean’s first LEED® Gold mixed-use building and the region’s most energy-efficient work environment. The global professional services firm and its 197 employees have joined more than 1000 people who live, work and play daily in our thriving community. More than a prestigious business address, we offer tenants Class A office environments, turnkey fitouts, beautiful outdoor spaces, diversity in experiences and a competitive edge in client hospitality and talent retention. Take a virtual tour and learn about the Town’s rich array of amenities, benefits and our newest addition 18 Forum Lane at workatcamanabay.com. For leasing opportunities at Camana Bay please contact: Oliver Collins for office enquiries T: 345.640.3683 E: Oliver.Collins@drcl.ky Bessanio Dilbert for retail enquiries T: 345.640.3697 E: Bessanio.Dilbert@drcl.kyThursday december 10, 2015 • Cayman Compass DISTRICT DAYS 6 Guard House Park a spot to take in some history Basia Mcguire bmcguire@pinnaclemedialtd.com Guard House Park is one of Bodden Town’s historic landmarks, located at the top of the incline leading to the town. Featuring a stone hut which houses a visitors center and two cannons salvaged from the wreck of the Ten Sail, the spot is notable for its importance in Cayman’s early history. The park was officially donated to the National Trust for the Cayman Islands by the Crown in 1994, and now serves as an infor- mational stopover in the district for visitors and residents alike. The Trust notes that while the hut is not original, the site’s historic importance as a vantage point over Bodden Town’s nat- ural harbor in Cayman’s early history is significant. First capital Bodden Town was Cayman’s first substan- tial settlement, with about 500 inhabitants by the 1770s, representing approximately half of Cayman’s population at that time. Given its population base and develop- ment, Bodden Town was the original home of Cayman’s government and courts. However, while George Town and Prospect harbors were protected by forts, the Trust notes that Bodden Town was not, and it is believed the defenses such as they were for Bodden Town’s harbor, including a few can- nons, were situated at Gun Square and Guard House Hill. Today, visitors stopping by are invited to take a stroll about the park’s landscaped grounds, and to peruse the information on Cayman’s early settlement and other points of interest in the district. District Days Bodden Town Guard House Park was once the site of Bodden Town’s harbor defenses. – Photo: NatioNal trust for the CaymaN islaNds New registration and licensing center set to open in January Tad sToNer tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing will start of- fering inspection, registration and drivers’ licensing to more conve- niently service Grand Cayman’s eastern districts starting in January, leasing a facility from a private owner and catering to heavy equipment operators. Located in Breakers, opposite the South Coast Bar and Grill, the new $1.4 million, 8,400-square-foot station was built by bar owner Tony Powell, who will rent the fa- cility to the licensing department. Mr. Powell said he had long planned to build a tire warehouse on the site but was approached by a department official last year who suggested he build a vehicle in- spection and registration station. “I wanted to do only the tires, but he said ‘Why not an inspection station?’ I said no, not unless we can also have the tire franchise. “It will be a full inspection sta- tion, doing similar services to Crewe Road.” The project is under the au- thority of the Ministry of District Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure and Deputy Chief Officer Tristan Hydes. Mr. Hydes was reluctant to elaborate, but said the project was moving ahead: “[The] Ministry cannot comment in detail on this as yet, as we are still putting the program together. “It [was] envisaged to have it lo- cated in a central area of Bodden Town in an effort to cater partic- ularly to heavy equipment, and at a minimal cost to the government.” The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing defines heavy equipment as a “dump truck, backhoe, bulldozer, forklift or any other type of special vehicle.” According to the law, a special vehicle is “one not constructed or adapted for road use, and includes a track-laying or wheeled vehicle having motive power and designed to be used with or without acces- sories for construction, road main- tenance, engineering or agricul- tural work, and also includes a forklift, front-loader and golf cart.” DVDL Director David Dixon would say only the proposal for a Breakers facility had come from his department, and that Mr. Powell had agreed to build it. The station will be the third for the department – one at DVDL’s 990 Crewe Road head- quarters and the other at 9 Rev. Blackman Road in West Bay, near the police station. Mr. Hydes said he did not ex- pect that the new facility would create jobs: “We do not anticipate adding more staff to the depart- ment,” he said. Mr. Powell said he ordered spe- cialist vehicle-inspection equip- ment from a U.S. supplier: “You just need to tell them your spec- ifications, and they ship it, no problems.” His $1.4 million cost for the fa- cility included not just construc- tion and equipment, but land- scaping, paving and the inventory. He said construction started in June. He was reluctant to discuss leasing costs, but said the contract is “in increments of five years,” es- timating it would take between 12 and 15 years to pay back his investment, but that the income would slash his own obligations by a third. “This is the first time to do something like this,” Mr. Powell said, pointing to other – and long- standing – government efforts to seek commercial partnerships with the private sector. “It’s an example to show how a public-private partnership can work,” he said. “They will have offices there, a couple of rooms, and put in the computer and security systems. “It benefits me,” he said, en- abling him to create a compli- mentary commercial operation. “I will have an accessories store, selling, say, lights and spark plugs, auto parts, and I’ll have a tire warehouse. “If your car fails the inspection, you can make the repairs and get any parts right on the spot. “Everybody wins,” he said. “I’m happy, the government is happy … and the country is happy.” The new automotive center in Breakers will serve as a government vehicle inspection and registration center. – Photo: GeorGe NowakCayman Compass • Thursday december 10, 2015 DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town 50 years ago ‘stitch in time’ could help Civil service In the Dec. 8, 1965, edition of The Caymanian Weekly, a pre- cursor to the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent A.B. Hunter had some prescient com- ments about Civil Service staffing. He wrote: “It is high time that our legis- lators and the powers that be take stock of the serious dilemma which they will shortly face insofar as the Civil Service is concerned. For a few years now there has been an exodus from the Service both of senior of- ficers and of young and promising men who have found the outside world more … lucrative. It is inevi- table that the exodus will continue for there are yet several senior of- ficers who have reached or will shortly reach the retiring age. “In addition, with Government encouraging the introduction into the island of foreign capital and with it the attendant rise in com- mercial activity, government itself is faced with commercial competi- tion. Consequently it will continue to lose young men to the commer- cial world. While no disrespect is meant to the female officers who serve, with distinction, it must be realised that the exigencies of the service demand that certain senior and other posts be filled by male personnel. It is therefore impera- tive that every effort be made now to make the service more attrac- tive for young men and to train and give these young men the opportu- nities for promotion that they de- serve when vacancies do exist or else we will find that the service will shortly be filled by expatriates. “I fear the day is not far off when several more of the senior po- sitions in our government will be manned by contracted officers from overseas. The situation can be rem- edied by resorting to the proverb ‘A stitch in time.’” Cultural Committee hosting Christmas event this weekend Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Bodden Town Cultural Committee is hosting an event showcasing Christmas traditions from around the world at Harry McCoy Sr. Park, off Gun Square, Bodden Town on Saturday, Dec. 12. It will start at 10 a.m. and con- tinue until late evening. Drawing on the many cultures represented in Cayman, “Christmas Round the World” will feature an International Christmas tree competition of ele- gantly decorated Christmas trees, including a traditional Caymanian weeping willow tree, with a prize going to the most spectacularly dec- orated tree. Organizers note that there will there will also be children’s activities, car- oling, exhibitions, food, bev- erages and music from coun- tries such as Jamaica, Brazil, Cayman and Honduras, all celebrating their cultures’ holiday customs. In addition, assorted crafts will be on sale. “We have so many dif- ferent nationalities in Cayman, it would be nice to see how they celebrate Christmas,” said Emilio Watler, one of the organizers. He is hopeful the event will give members of the commu- nity the opportunity to share their heritage and respective holiday traditions. In Cayman, the season is notable for several characteristic customs, including preparing Christmas beef seasoned with Scotch bonnet peppers, shallots and salt and pepper. Long ago, the beef was marinated for a few days and then placed in a cast iron pot on coals and buried in the ground to simmer for many hours, though today more likely the dish is prepared on a stovetop. And no Cayman Christmas meal would be complete without heavy cake, a sweet dessert which could be made using just about any type of produce, including cassava, pumpkin, potatoes and breadfruit, or even left- over biscuits. The thick, often gelati- nous cake was either baked in the ground or on an out- side caboose, a traditional outdoor kitchen, and re- mains a local treat eaten these days at festive gath- erings and celebrations of all kinds. For more information on the event, call Florence Wood on 925-4193 or emilio Watler on 929-7356. “Christmas Round the World” will feature an International Christmas tree competition. Harry McCoy sr. Park in Bodden Town has been an enjoyable venue for numerous holiday festivities over the years. - Photo: Jewel levy8 LOCAL NEWS Thursday december 10, 2015 • Cayman Compass CNB celebrates Christmas the old-time way Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman National Bank’s old-fashioned “Home for Christmas” was an evening of yuletide merriment and festive fare for those at- tending the Tuesday evening event outside their branch office on Elgin Avenue. Many turned out to help the company cele- brate its 13th annual com- munity and customer ap- preciation Christmas event, which highlighted many of Cayman’s Christmas tradi- tions over the years. There was something for the whole family – a children’s Christmas corner, musical se- lections from the Savannah and George Town string groups, UCCI Pandemix, National Cultural Foundation Cayman Islands Folk Singers, Swanky Kitchen Band and presentations from the bank to a number of charities. Santa welcomes visitors to Cayman National Bank’s Old Caymanian Christmas-themed event. Cayman National Cultural Foundation’s National Folk Choir sing traditional Caymanian songs. Children enjoy the play area. - Photos: Jewel levyThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Thursday december 10, 2015 2,700 Caymanians IT’S TOO BIG TO IGNORE. movingcaymanforward.kyNext >