ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Monday deceMber 14, 2015 High of 87 Low of 75 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Worst Year Bush and Clinton for the win 3 World Canada’s marijuana milestone10 Business A company with no bosses 16 Opinions Tablets + teaching = trouble 20 A survivor’s life Her fourth day of college was a mass shooting. Now she’s left trying to cope with anxiety, anger and a bullet in her ribs. PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2015. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST A survivor’s life Editorial | pagE 4 rolling out the KiMpton carpet for one young World SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA PR application, appeal take eight years brent fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man whose application for permanent residence took more than eight years from the date it was filed to when it was rejected by an appeals body has sued the Cayman Islands government, seeking re-consider- ation of the case. In a Grand Court writ filed late last month, Glendon Frederick Locke says his ini- tial application to the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board was made on Jan. 16, 2007. The board denied the applica- tion on Feb. 5, 2009. According to the writ, it wasn’t until April 29, 2015 that the Immigration Appeals Tribunal issued a letter stating the appeal had been refused. “This is an application submitted in 2007 which has finally been determined in 2015,” the Grand Court claim states. “The delay in the resolution of this application has caused the applicant prejudice.” Mr. Locke also claims there was evidence he presented regarding a business owner- ship that should have been considered by the board and the tribunal. The length of time various immigration ap- plication cases have taken to be resolved was noted by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie in a landmark decision in August that questioned a number of areas in the Immigration Law and regulatory procedures, both past and present. Justice Smellie described “unconscionably long delays” in hearing one of the cases noted in the August judgment. An applicant for permanent residence in that case, Michelle Hutchinson-Green, submitted her application in November 2006 and was rejected by the appeals tribunal seven years later in October 2013. During that period, the Immigration Law was amended more than 10 times, the judg- ment stated. Following the ruling, a number of other legal challenges were filed regarding other adverse decisions on permanent residence CarePay trial Defense: Witnesses brought to police intervieW by gov’t minister No contract for US$2.4 million spend, Crown alleges brent fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com What was described as a surprise police interview conducted with three civil servants during the CarePay contract investigation last year was arranged by a Cayman Islands gov- ernment minister, defense attorneys suggested during testimony Friday. Defendant Canover Watson’s attorney, Trevor Burke, QC, raised the issue during cross-examination of a prosecution wit- ness. Mr. Burke said the three civil ser- vants were contacted and told to attend the October 2014 meeting. Health Ministry senior policy adviser Janett Flynn testified that she was contacted by ministry chief officer Jennifer Ahearn, who told her that “Minister Archer wanted to meet us in person.” The meeting was attended by Ms. Flynn, Ms. Ahearn and ministry chief fi- nancial officer Nellie Pouchie, Mr. Burke said. “Police officers were brought into the room to speak with you?” Mr. Burke asked. “Mr. Archer took you there and indicated the po- lice wanted to speak to you... you had no prior warning of it?” Ms. Flynn said she was told by Ms. Ahearn that the meeting was about the “CarePay con- tract,” but she was unaware police were in at- tendance until she arrived. “You found your- self in the same room as the minister and two policemen,” Mr. Burke said. Ms. Ahearn and Mr. Archer are expected to Enterprise City campus gets zoning approval JaMes WhittaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Zoning approval has been granted for Cayman Enterprise City’s proposed campus on a 70- acre site in South Sound. Long-term plans for a cluster of office buildings, homes, res- taurants and a hotel sur- rounding a man-made lake have been outlined for the Special Economic Zone. The approval of a Planned Area Development applica- tion, following a meeting of the Central Planning Authority on Thursday, paves the way for the project to move forward. The PAD approval provides general permission for the types of land-use envisaged in the overall master plan. Enterprise City will still need to seek sepa- rate planning approval for each phase of the project, which is ex- pected to take more than three PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » george town farmers market opens Hamlin Stephenson, one of the farmers behind the new farmers market, stands at the opening of the market Friday at the cricket grounds on Huldah avenue. the market, which will be open from 7:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, will feature as many as 32 vendors offering fresh produce, crafts and baked goods. For full story and more photos, see page 7.- photo: JeWel levy PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Monday deceMber 14, 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. - MONDAY - $8.00 IN THE HEART OF THE SEA 3D (PG13) 12:50 | 3:40 | 7:00 | 9:45 THE GOOD DINOSAUR 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:00 | 5:30 | 8:00 CREED (PG13) 1:10 | 4:10 | 7:05 | 10:00 KRAMPUS (PG13) 1:20 | 4:00 | 7:30 | 10:05 LOVE THE COOPERS (PG13) 1:00 | 3:30 | 7:10 | 9:50 HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (PG13) 3:25 | 6:30 9:40 Tourism staffers donate to Christmas food drive The Cayman Islands Ministry of Tourism and Department of Tourism donated the proceeds of their Christmas ‘#CaymankindAWish’ food drive to Elmslie Memorial United Church for distribution during the holiday season on Friday Dec. 11. Rev. Dave Hazle, who accept the donations on behalf of the churge, said, “These donations are truly appreciated by the less fortunate in our community.” Pictured here are, from left, Michael Bowerman, Takiyah Smith, Alyssa Miller, Tunisia Barnes, Sandra Langlois, Francilla Myles, the Reverend Dave Hazle, Zoe Bodden, Dalton Watler, Janet Macmillan, Rosa Harris, and Opal Ruiz. slow Food celebrates Terra madre Day Cayman’s chapter of Slow Food, the international culinary organization that promotes the use of local ingredients and maintaining local food customs, celebrated Terra Madre – Mother Earth Day – for the sixth time on Thursday night with a harvest dinner at the Brasserie restaurant. The 50 attendees enjoyed local yellow fin tuna, roasted goat, Cayman lobster bisque, breadfruit salad, callaloo, pumpkin with coconut sauce and an array of desserts. Pictured are Slow Food members with Brasserie staff members at the end of the evening. - Photo: AlAn MArkoff forMer exec convicted in $300M vAcAtion rentAl frAud cAse MIAMI (AP) – A South Florida jury has convicted a former resort company president after his second trial in a $300 million vaca- tion rental scam. Jurors on Friday found Fred Davis “Dave” Clark Jr. guilty of bank fraud, false statements and obstruction. He is former chief of now-de- funct Cay Clubs Resorts and Marinas. Jurors deadlocked in Clark’s first trial in August and his wife was acquitted. Trial testimony showed Clark defrauded banks in a scheme to get rich by selling purported luxury condominium units in the Florida Keys and else- where. Prosecutors said he also committed fraud in- volving another company that operates pawn shops in the Caribbean. Autopsy shows Honduran soccer player shot 18 times TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – Prosecutors said Friday that an autopsy shows Honduran national soccer team player Arnold Peralta suffered 18 gunshot wounds in what they called a “vicious attack.” Peralta was killed Thursday when he was at- tacked at a shopping mall in his hometown. The statement from the chief prosecutors’ office says Peralta “was viciously at- tacked, and he died of mul- tiple gunshot wounds to the skull, face and chest.” The killing occurred at the parking lot of the Uniplaza mall in La Ceiba, on the country’s Caribbean coast. Police said two men on a mo- torcycle sprayed Peralta with bullets. Another soccer player who was with him at the time was unharmed. Peralta was on vaca- tion following the conclu- sion of the Honduran na- tional league season. He earlier played for the Rangers Football Club in Scotland. Police said Friday no sus- pects were in custody and the motive for the attack was unknown. Officials ruled out robbery as a possible motive, because Peralta still had all his possessions, including his Porsche SUV. In June, suspected gang members killed his cousin, Bayron Josue Peralta, 28, at his home in La Ceiba. The country is plagued by gang violence and has one of the world’s highest homicide rates. The player’s father, Carlos Peralta, confirmed the death at a news conference. “This is terrible. They killed my ex- emplary son. I can’t say more because of the pain I feel.” Osman Madrid, director of Honduras’ national soccer federation, said, “This is a tragic death that the national sport mourns.” Peralta, a 26-year-old mid- fielder, joined Club Deportivo Olimpia in the Honduran national soccer league this year. Olimpia was elimi- nated from the league’s semi- final last weekend by its archrival, Motagua. Arnold Peralta jumps for the ball during a World Cup qualifying match against Mexico in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in November. Peralta’s father Carlos confirmed his son was killed on Thursday. - Photo: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 14, 2015 kim.lund@remax.ky www.caymanlundteam.com Kim Lund (345) 949.9772 7 Mile Shops, West Bay Rd, Grand Cayman CIREBA MEMEBER Cayman Islands AERIAL VIEW OF STRAND OUTLINED SITE OF STRAND AS A LONG TERM INCOME AND CAPITAL APPRECIATION INVESTMENT, THE TIMING AND LOCATION COULD NOT BE ANY BETTER FOR THE STRAND SHOPPING CENTER. OFFERED FOR SALE AT US$15,495,000 • Extremely high tra c and sought after location in the heart of Seven Mile Beach • Anchored by two very reputable Cayman Landmarks - Foster’s Food Fair and Kirk Freeport • Huge exposure with 1,000 feet of road frontage on West Bay Road and Canal Point Drive • Only a few minutes walk from Ritz-Carlton and the other major hotels and condominium complexes • Large 6.16 acre site with easy access and lots of convenient parking • Well established property for over 18 years at this location • Solid mix of owner occupied shops/businesses and Landlord leasehold space • Property sale is comprised of 24 shops and 36,420 square feet of income space • All shops are strati ed and could be sold on an individual basis • 100% occupied and historically, there is always a waiting list for shop space • Freehold title and Neighborhood Commercial zoning • Best located shopping center that is always busy and in demand • Consistently strong demand for shop space, due to success of shopping center • Currently an 8%+ NET income return based on sales price • Strong upside potential for rental income as leases renew over next few years • Shops can be sold o individually and a high capital return realized • Enormous forthcoming bene ts from being located in the center of an area undergoing a massive development and infrastructure boom • Future rental income and capital appreciation should soar over the next 5 to 10 years, due to a much higher concentration of tourists and residents in the area MLS#404913The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Friday’s front page contained good news — that the One Young World forum will convene at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa next November. The One Young World Sustainable Finance Summit isn’t just “any” event. Drawing hundreds of the world’s best, brightest and most youthful minds to our shores, along with outright celebrity speakers, the securing of this conference is a major coup for the Kimpton, Dart and the Cayman Islands. The opening of the Seafire Resort in late 2016 — just in time to welcome the One Young World delegates — foreshadows a much-needed renaissance in Cayman’s lagging mid-level to upscale tourism room inventory. Since the closure of Grand Cayman’s Hyatt Regency (in 2004) and Courtyard by Marriott (in 2008), the island’s room stock for discerning travelers has been limited, and the selection of possible loca- tions for large conferences — while of high quality — has been even more narrow. Looking around the island, however, we are hard- pressed to identify when the future of Cayman tourism has appeared to be so bright. For example, The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Westin resorts have all recently undergone multimillion-dollar upgrades. Along the Seven Mile Beach corridor, in addition to the Kimpton Seafire Resort, Dart’s plans for a five-star beachfront hotel are well under way, and the expan- sion of Camana Bay continues apace. In an important but different segment of the market, an outside investment group has purchased the Treasure Island resort and, using fresh capital and fresh ideas, plans to breathe new life into the troubled property by transforming it into a Margaritaville Resort. Out east, Bodden Town has hopes for the develop- ment of the upscale St. James Point resort in Beach Bay. In East End, Health City is progressing with its plans for an on-site hotel for medical tourists, and in Frank Sound the proposed Ironwood golf resort is waiting in the wings. And don’t forget about the government’s commit- ment to move forward with the cruise berthing facility in George Town harbor, which will upgrade the experience of visitors who arrive by ship in our country’s capital. In last Thursday’s Compass, we ran a story on a “mixed bag” of statistics for stay-over tourism. In brief, stay-over arrivals were “flat” through the first nine months of the year, amid a general increase in arrivals throughout the Caribbean region. We would attribute some of that localized stasis to lack of room inventory, not attractiveness as a destination. In other words, once the hotels fill up — they’re full. On the bright side, rates for hotel rooms in Cayman have increased by 13 percent in the past year — meaning resorts are making more money for pro- viding, essentially, the same product — in obedience to the laws of supply and demand. This, in general, is the surest course for tourism development in Cayman: steady, managed growth in terms of capacity, accompanied by constant, consis- tent upgrades in terms of quality. Sail on, Cayman. Rolling out the Kimpton carpet for One Young World Monday deCeMber 14, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Italy’s bad-debt headache Mark Gilbert Italy’s economy dragged itself out of recession this year, posting annual growth in gross domestic product of 0.8 percent in the third quarter. That, though, was only half the pace achieved by the euro zone as a whole. And unless the Italian gov- ernment gets serious about tackling the bad debts that are crushing the nation’s banking system, its economy will continue to underper- form its peers. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News are only mildly optimistic about Italy’s prospects next year. The con- sensus forecast is that growth will peak at 1.3 percent this quarter, slowing for the first three quarters of next year be- fore rallying back to that high by the end of the year. One of the biggest drags on the country’s growth is the sheer volume of non-per- forming loans, typically de- fined as debts that have been delinquent for 90 days or more. Italy’s bad loans have soared to more than 200 bil- lion euros (US$218 billion), a fourfold increase since the end of 2008. Moreover, more and more borrowers have fallen behind even as the economic backdrop has improved. That’s in sharp contrast with Spain, where bad loans peaked at the start of 2014 and have since declined by almost a third. The figures for Italy are even more worrying when you compare them with the growth environment. The burden of bad debts is ap- proaching half of what the economy delivers every three months. In the third quarter, for example, GDP was worth 409 billion euros while the banks were saddled with more than 200 billion euros of non-paying loans. If that trend continues, Italy will soon be in a worse position than Spain, even though its economy is 50 percent bigger. Here’s the rub: If a euro zone country’s banks are weighed down with bad debts, the European Central Bank’s attempt to boost growth and consumer prices by channeling billions of euros into the economy through its quantitative easing program are doomed to failure. And it’s pretty clear that domestic investment in Italy isn’t showing any evi- dence of recovery despite the ECB’s best efforts. Italy has made some progress on fixing its banks. Earlier this month it approved 3.6 billion euro package to rescue four regional lenders that have been in the care of the Bank of Italy. Plans to es- tablish a so-called bad bank or asset management com- pany as a place to park the financial system’s bad loans, however, have faltered thus far. Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco said on Oct. 28 that those plans would be “conclusively verified” in a few weeks. But the country’s Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper re- ported on Nov. 28 that an al- ternative proposal to create separate vehicles for each bank or group of lenders was being considered. It’s more than seven years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers marked the worst of the credit crisis. So you might hope that the world of finance would have had time to mend itself and be fit for purpose in its key duty of helping the economy to grow. In Italy, that hasn’t happened. And unless the government accelerates the process of easing the bad- loan load on its banks, it risks damaging the economy’s na- scent recovery. Mark Gilbert, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg View editorial board. © 2015, Bloomberg View A chance for revival in Venezuela the Wall Street Journal editorial board It isn’t every day that a po- lice state takes such a beating at the polls that it has to admit defeat in its own rigged election. So kudos to the Venezuelan opposition, which thrashed the government’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in the recent national assembly election. After 16 years of repressive left-wing rule, this is cause for hope in Venezuela and across the Americas. An impressive 75 percent of the electorate turned out to vote, driven by plummeting living standards. Hyperinflation, food short- ages, crumbling public works and soaring murder rates have made the country miserable. President Nicolás Maduro, the late Hugo Chávez’s hand- picked successor, accepted the vote – at least for now. It’s doubtful he would have done so without pressure from the military, which also seems to be fed up with the country’s accelerating decline. The opposition will now have a chance to improve the economy and restore polit- ical pluralism. The first task should be ordering the release of Mr. Maduro’s political pris- oners, including opposition leader Leopoldo López. To end food shortages, the new congress can imme- diately lift price controls so entrepreneurs have an incen- tive to produce or import. The only way to strengthen the “strong bolivar” is to make it valuable enough for people to hold. That means lifting cap- ital controls and ending the central bank’s multiple ex- change-rate system so busi- ness can get access to dollars. On current course Venezuela will run out of international reserves and face default in 2017. Restructuring debt now with creditors would make that prospect less painful. Which brings us to oil. Chávez used the country’s energy wealth to buy per- mission in Latin America. As long as governments in the Caribbean were getting low-priced petroleum from Venezuela, they voted with the military government in Caracas at the Organization of American States. Putting an end to these trades would retain more re- sources inside Venezuela and send a signal that the days of government repression are numbered. Meanwhile, re- joice that one of this hemi- sphere’s lost countries has a chance at revival. © 2015, The Wall Street Journal5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 14, 2015 OFF SELECT TILES AND CARPET 75% $ 5 PER BOX SELECT FLOOR & WALL TILES $ 5 PER PAIR UNIVERSAL MATS December 18th & 19th We do a whole lot more that cover your floor! Paramount | 3436 Spot Bay Road | Cayman Brac | Tel 948 2665 Children’s Christmas Party @ Spot Bay December 19th, 2015 3:30pm - 6:00pm 15% OFF ALL OTHER ITEMS New home takes shape for fire-hit George Town family James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Close to midnight at the building site in Windsor Park, it is not unusual to find a small group of men hard at work. Ordinarily a project of this scope, a home for four fami- lies, could take years to com- plete. But for Alwin Buttrum, his brothers and friends, there is an extra motivation. The family lost every- thing when their home, a compound of adjoining wooden buildings, burned to the ground in a matter of minutes in a devastating blaze in July. An overwhelming com- munity response has helped the Buttrum family begin rebuilding a new home on the site. Arch and Godfrey is man- aging the project and other businesses have chipped in with materials, technical ex- pertise and logistical sup- port, but much of the legwork is being done by the brothers and their friends. “I work for myself, so whenever I have time I come down here and work on the house,” said Mr. Buttrum. “I am sometimes here from 8:30 in the morning until midnight.” Initially he had hoped to have the property completed in time for Christmas. But hold-ups in planning and other delays mean that will not be possible and he is now targeting a February finish. The foundations have been laid, the initial plumbing has been completed and the crew will start laying blocks soon. Mr. Buttrum said the family aimed to have a small celebration at the half-fin- ished home with the com- munity on Christmas Day. He and three of his siblings and their children, between the ages of one and 15, were made homeless when the family compound burned down in July. They have been living in rented accommoda- tion as the rebuilding project takes shape. Initially the fire was dev- astating, but with the help of the community, he says, the family has turned it into a positive experience. Alwin Buttrum works on rebuilding his home, which burned down in July. – Photo: taneos RamsayMonday deceMber 14, 2015 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town Miss Lassie’s House gets a festive sprucing up JeweL Levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com One of Cayman‘s treasures re- cently got a traditional Caymanian sprucing up and festive makeover. The “Christmas of Yesteryear” production held on Dec. 11 was part of the National Cultural Foundation’s efforts to keep Caymanian heritage alive. Volunteers spent the day re-en- acting the days of old, tidying up the home and yard of the late vi- sionary artist Gladwyn K. “Lassie” Bush, better known as “Miss Lassie.” Miss Lassie began her rise to prominence as an artist in her later years when, at 62, she began to create art inspired by Christian vi- sions and Caymanian seafaring cul- ture on the doors, windows, walls and furnishings of her home. Miss Lassie’s house, a tradi- tional 19th-century dwelling built by Miss Lassie’s father and grand- father, was declared a site of na- tional historic interest after she passed away in 2003. As with most traditional Caymanian houses, Miss Lassie’s home, located on a white sandy shore in South Sound, was con- structed from “wattle and daub.” The wattle is made from pli- able wooden strips from the can- dlestick trees that grew in the South Sound area. Over that, a thick paste of limestone, or white lime plaster, was made by mixing limestone powder with sand and the inside gel of pieces of co- chineal cactus. This paste was daubed onto both sides of the inner wooden wall structure and left to dry for several days. Lime plaster was made by Caymanians years ago but is no longer available. The whitewash mixture used on Miss Lassie’s house was imported from Jamaica. “The tidying up was typical of old Caymanian culture,” said the foundation’s cultural heritage pro- grams manager Lorna Bush. “It’s part of our mission at CNCF to make sure that our tra- ditions are not forgotten, and to make sure they are passed on to the youngsters in particular,” she said. “‘Christmas of Yesteryear’ was all about the preparation, but always with the intent of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.” Long ago, Caymanians made preparations well in advance of the Christmas holidays. Preparing for Christmas was hard work but good fun, something with which everyone lent a helping hand. From harvesting the crops to cooking and cleaning the house, each member of the household had his or her allotted tasks to do. The children would collect white sand and conch shells to decorate the yards, and women would prepare cuts of seasoned fresh beef and pork in a big cast iron pot black- ened by use. The men made sure the produce was brought out from the land, the house whitewashed and the meats ordered for purchase. Hard at work, CNCF volun- teers assisted with backing sand in thatch baskets, pulled bush, swept the yard with rosemary brooms and arranged conch shells to make the yard pretty. Volunteer worker Deborah Zureigat said Miss Lassie was a good friend of her mother, Maizie Powery, and she recalled many days visiting the old house. “It feels good helping to pre- serve some of Caymanian history,” she said. Garden Club decorating various public spaces The Cayman Garden Club is once again using its talents and resources to create beau- tiful gardens in public spaces around Cayman. With more than 60 active members, the Garden Club promotes interest in gar- dening and all things related to the natural beauty of the Cayman Islands, along with fostering friendships while undertaking various projects. Under the supervision of Robert Bennett, the Garden Club’s horticultural spe- cialist, club members were joined by several Leo Club members to complete the second phase of its project beautifying the entrance of the University College of the Cayman Islands. Native bull thatch, silver thatch, bullrush, rosemary, desert rose, plumbago and periwinkle flowers were put in to give the area a more pleasing look for people at- tending the university. The club has undertaken similar gardening projects around the island, including at the Pines Retirement Home, the Frances Bodden Girls Home, the Tourism Attraction Board head- quarters, the Bonaventure Boys Home, the governor’s residence and the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Fun day The Garden Club is spon- soring a family day at the Botanic Park on Jan. 24 with the aim of getting the entire family out to the Botanic Park for a day of relaxation and learning. Activities for the day will include craft-making demonstrations, story telling, orchid potting, a plant sale, a magic show, park tours and performances by Cayman International School and North Side Primary. Garden Club horticultural specialist Robert Bennett, right, assists members and Leo Club volunteers with planting flowers at the University College of the Cayman Islands. - Photo: Jewel levy Lily Zuriegat uses a rosemary broom to sweep up leaves. The Cultural Foundation’s Henry Muttoo gives the outside walls of Miss Lassie’s house a fresh coat of yellow paint. Volunteers spruce up Miss Lassie’s house and yard. – Photos: Jewel levy7 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 14, 2015 District Days George Town 50 years ago: airport gets a station wagon In the Dec. 15, 1965 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, the section under the headline “Airport News” was chock- a-block with updates which included: “The re-arrangement of the Customs and Immigration Room is now com- pleted and it is hoped that it is now functioning to the satisfaction of all. “Now that the bush has been en- tirely cleared it has been agreed that a groundsman be employed on a 5-day week basis in order to keep it in good condition. “A useful addition to the equipment at the airport came on the Inga-R this week. This is a 1960 Mercury Station Wagon which will be used to for hauling necessities from town, setting out the flare path, to collect the staff in case of the arrival of unexpected aircraft, etc. A truck was not ordered as there is no am- bulance service easily available and it is intended that a secondary use of this Station Wagon shall be as a station am- bulance, always on site. “It can be very easily converted to take two stretchers and, by strange co- incidence, on its second day in use the wagon came into its own as an am- bulance when one of the crew of a Venezuelan aircraft, which called to re-fuel, was injured. The freight com- partment door came down and crushed all his fingers and, thinking they were broken, he was sent to the hospital in style.” New farmers market opens in George Town Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new farmers market for local farmers and craft makers opened to the public Friday morning in George Town. Although it was a soft opening that wasn’t advertised, the public seemed to love it as a continuous flow of passing motorists, seeing all the activity taking place, stopped in to purchase local goods and produce on their way to work. “We needed to open the market so that farmers can start selling their pro- duce,” said Hamlin Stephenson, one of the vendors spearheading the initiative. The market is on Huldah Avenue, on the site of the old farmers market, be- side the Cricket Grounds by the airport. Going forward, the market will open at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. It will feature as many as 32 vendors offering fresh produce, crafts, baked goods and more. “Farmers needed another outlet in George Town to help revitalize the sale of local produce in that area and make it a bit more lucrative for those selling their goods,” Mr. Stephenson explained. Working on a new thatch basket at the market, vendor Eileen Mclaughlin said it was great to be able to dis- play her creations for sale, but she thought the benefits of having a stall showcasing the traditional craft at the market might be more far-reaching. “It is better to be able to come to the market and we might get some of the younger ones to come here and be interested in it,” she said. Artist John McLaughlin said the opening of the market took him a bit by surprise, but he was definitely pleased there was a new place for him to be able to display his paintings. Vendors pay a small fee to help offset the cost of utilities and upkeep. The official grand opening of the George Town market will be held in January. authur smith weighs a pumpkin. scotch bonnett peppers at Herbert Crawford’s stall were a hot item at the market. Vendors kept the customers happy by selling peppers and other produce. - Photos: Jewel levy eileen McLaughlin works on a new thatch basket.Hamlin stephenson discusses a painting with vendor John McLaughlin.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Monday deceMber 14, 2015 • Cayman Compass 180603-Ad-Butterfield-Visa-Gold-1 111/17/15 6:21:34 PM decades to complete. Cindy O’Hara, chief devel- opment officer for the zone, said the pace of development would move in sync with the growth of Enterprise City. That process will begin with an application for two five-story “gateway” office buildings early next year. The 180 businesses within the zone, currently housed in rented accommodation across the island, will be the first tenants. Ms. O’Hara said there are already enough businesses to fill the first building. “It is not a case of build it and they will come, it is more a case of build it because we need it now,” she said. The area outlined for the campus sprawls between the Fairbanks Prison to the north and the Cayman Tennis Club to the south. It is en- visaged that a proposed net- work of interior roads within the development will link to the yet-to-be built South Sound bypass. Ms. O’ Hara said she was very pleased that the CPA had approved the PAD applica- tion. She is confident that ap- plications for the individual aspects of the project will also get planning approval. At the CPA meeting, var- ious government agencies, including the Department of Environment and the National Roads Authority, ex- pressed concern about such issues as the loss of man- groves and the potential im- pact of the development on storm-water management in the low-lying residential area. The CPA notes in the agenda papers for the meeting, “The proposed de- velopment would be built in four phases over thirty-six years. The Authority should assess if conditions are nec- essary to ensure that the nec- essary infrastructure for each phase is complete before starting development in an- other phase.” Enterprise City has in- dicated its intention to create an outdoor wetland and botanic park within the zone as well. Ms. O’Hara said the master plan is flexible enough to accommodate “or- ganic growth” of Enterprise City. She said the PAD is a first but very significant step. She said the office space is the next priority. A Geotechnical survey and other expert studies will need to take place before an application can be made for the lake. A planning application is expected in the new year for the first two ‘gateway’ office buildings, shown here in an architect’s rendering. Enterprise City campus gets zoning approval Long-term plans for a large office and residential community have been outlined. “It is not a case of build it and they will come, it is more a case of build it because we need it now.” Cindy O’Hara, chief development officer for the zone CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Monday deceMber 14, 2015 179299_PRINT-Ad-closed-lunch-GCMPage 1 11/24/15 1:00:51 PM applications. In two of those filings from October, the ap- plicants alleged the var- ious boards involved either used unsanctioned scoring methods in determining their cases or simply didn’t tell them the reasons for the board’s decision. “Full disclosure” will likely have to become the order of the day for immigration-re- lated board decisions, local immigration attorney Nicolas Joseph said. “The expectations of heightened standards of scrutiny in considering any matter which might have a human rights element will mean that anything short of full disclosure of all rel- evant materials relied upon by a decision-maker in such a manner as would entitle an applicant to understand the basis on which they are as- sessed,” Mr. Joseph said. “Any failure to do so would likely face a successful challenge.” The government is in the process of a consultant’s re- view of its immigration system, particularly with re- gard to the granting of per- manent residence. Law firm Ritch & Conolly has been retained to assist the government in analyzing both the current permanent residence points system and the PR appeals process. The firm’s senior partner, David Ritch, is a former chairman of the government’s Work Permit Board and was one of the government’s key advisers in the establish- ment of the territory’s cur- rent Immigration Law, which introduced the term limit or “rollover” policy for non-Cay- manian workers. Mr. Ritch has said he does not expect to complete his work until sometime in the new year. Premier Alden McLaughlin described the review as a “forward-looking exercise” aimed at reviewing the law- fulness and fairness of any decision related to current applications for permanent residence and appeals in- volving PR applications. The review seeks to pro- vide advice to government in these matters “on an ur- gent basis,” the premier’s of- fice said. The statement alluded to the possibility that the re- view could result in further delays of current permanent residence applications, hun- dreds of which have been pending since government changed the Immigration Law in October 2013. be witnesses later in the trial. It was the second time in as many days that Mr. Burke introduced the element of local politics into the trial of Watson and his co-defendant Miriam Rodriguez. Watson is charged in six counts al- leging he sought to use his former position as chairman of the Health Services Authority Board to direct the CarePay deal to a local company he and business partner Jeffrey Webb controlled through “sham” frontmen directors. Webb is also charged in the case, but is not on trial now. Watson and Rodriguez are also accused of transferring criminal property, namely pro- ceeds of the CarePay contract, a contract from which Watson is alleged to have personally benefited in the amount of US$348,000. In trial testimony Thursday afternoon, another Crown wit- ness, former Health Services Authority Information Technology director Dale Sanders was questioned about a meeting he had in Washington, D.C., during the summer of 2013. Mr. Burke said that two other current government min- isters, Moses Kirkconnell and Osbourne Bodden, met with Mr. Sanders in Washington and discussed certain events surrounding the CarePay con- tract, which was awarded in December 2010. Mr. Sanders also testified that the three discussed the IT expert’s in- terest in continuing to as- sist the government with its healthcare strategy. Mr. Burke suggested Mr. Sanders had received a con- sultancy contract from the Cayman Islands government during the current admin- istration, after his previous one ended in September 2012. Mr. Sanders said he “couldn’t recall” that. “You can’t recall how much [you were paid]… you can’t re- call when?” Mr. Burke asked “I can’t recall being paid by Mr. Bodden,” Mr. Sanders said. “When was the last pay- ment you received from any government institu- tion on these islands?” Mr. Burke asked. “I’d have to look at my bank account records,” Mr. Sanders said. There was no further tes- timony during Friday’s court proceedings regarding the consultancy contract that Mr. Burke suggested was en- tered into. Contract for US$2.4M? In August 2011, a pay- ment of US$1.2 million was made by the Cayman Islands government into the account of a company called AIS [Advanced Integrated Systems] Cayman Ltd. Jurors heard Friday that the payment was said to be part of a US$2.4 million agree- ment between the Ministry of Health and the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority. The HSA was to re- ceive the cash from the min- istry and pay it to AIS Cayman Ltd., jurors heard. AIS Cayman, the Crown alleged, was controlled by Webb and Watson through intermediaries. The US$2.4 million was paid in order to expand the use of the CarePay hospital patient swipe card system to private sector insurance com- panies and healthcare facil- ities. That expansion never occurred, and during 2011, HSA Chief Executive Lizzette Yearwood noted in an email that, as far as she was aware, no contract existed for the payment of such a sum. During testimony Friday, Mr. Burke said this was the re- sult of “confusion” between the Health Ministry and the HSA as to who was supposed to be paying for a project that had already been budgeted by gov- ernment for the 2011/12 finan- cial year. Mr. Burke said gov- ernment had already allocated that cash in July 2011, and it was approved to be spent in three stages by both former Health Minister Mark Scotland and the ministry’s chief officer. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran said during the trial’s opening statements that ministry of- ficials were duped into be- lieving the CarePay system expansion had been a part of the initial contract for the system that was signed by government in December 2010. He alleged that Watson did this by sending “doctored” copies of the original con- tract to the Ministry of Health in August 2011. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PR application, appeal take eight years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CaRePay tRial Defense: Witnesses brought to police interview by gov’t minister Court to decide whether Islam-education order went too far BOSTON (AP) – After a landlord was convicted of pushing her Muslim tenant down a flight of stairs, a judge ordered her to respect the rights of all Muslims and to take an in- troductory course on Islam. Now the highest court in Massachusetts is being asked to decide whether the judge violated the landlord’s consti- tutional rights. The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments next month in a case that poses interesting legal ques- tions at a time when the country is grappling with anti-Muslim backlash fol- lowing deadly attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, both allegedly car- ried out by radical Muslims. The case centers on Daisy Obi, a 73-year-old ordained minister from Nigeria who is the pastor of the Adonai Bible Center in Somerville, just north of Boston. In April 2012, Obi rented an apartment in her multi-family home to Gihan Suliman, her husband and five young children. Suliman complained about the heat and electricity not always working, while Obi complained Suliman appeared to have 12 to 15 people living in the apart- ment at one point. Suliman testified that about a month after she moved in, Obi stood on the stairs outside Suliman’s apartment screaming anti- Muslim insults. The following month, while Suliman was taking her baby out of the car, she said Obi yelled anti-Muslim senti- ments at her other children. Then, about a month later, Suliman said Obi ac- cused her of ringing her doorbell, shouted at her and pushed her. Suliman said she fell backward down 15 to 20 stairs, hitting her face on the banister, cutting her lip and tearing a ligament in her shoulder. While sentencing Obi last year, Judge Paul Yee Jr. called Obi “the landlord from hell” after pointing out that she had harassment prevention orders issued against her by two other tenants. He sentenced her to two years in jail on the as- sault and battery charge for pushing Suliman but re- quired her to serve only six months, with the remaining 18 months suspended if she complied with certain proba- tion conditions.Next >