ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday december 17, 2015 High of 87 Low of 75 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. 14 SPECIALFEATURE Thursday december 17, 2015 • Cayman Compass SPIRITUAL INSPIRATION Giving thanks and praise through prayers, music, daily devotion and faith nurtures the body, mind and spirit. SpEcIAL fEATurE Spiritual Inspiration Editorial | pagE 4 World records: cayman’s open daTa flaWs HomeOptions Shop around and pay less for more insurance! $250 gift certificate can be used to purchase BritCay motor insurance Home Insurance with BritCay offers convenient, interest-free monthly payments, flexible cover, fast claims, competitive premiums and deductibles. Ask for a quote. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *applies to new buildings policies cgigrp carepay company’s ‘sham’ directors linked to Webb brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Both Caymanian men who ostensibly ran the local branch of the company that was awarded a five-year, US$13 million contract to implement the CarePay hospital patient swipe- card system in December 2010 had close per- sonal ties to businessman Jeffrey Webb, a Cayman Islands government minister told the Grand Court on Wednesday. The two people named as directors of AIS (Advanced Integrated Systems) Cayman Ltd., Joscelyn Morgan and Eldon Rankin, have been described by prosecutors as “sham” frontmen directors. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran has alleged that the two were placed in their positions by Webb and his business associate Canover Watson so that Webb and Watson could “cover up” their personal involvement in the company. Watson is on trial related to allegations that he used his former position as chairman of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board to steer hundreds of thou- sands of dollars to various companies and bank accounts in which he and/or Webb had a controlling interest. Webb, who is also charged in the CarePay case, is in the United States, facing sen- tencing in connection with an unrelated crim- inal investigation. He is not on trial in the Cayman matter currently before the court. Cayman Islands Finance Minister Marco Archer testified Wednesday that he became aware of concerns with the CarePay con- tract in June 2014, when North Side MLA Ezzard Miller raised questions about it in the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee. Following that assembly meeting, Mr. Archer vowed to get to the bottom of the AIS/CarePay contract issues. Mr. Archer said he wondered at the time how a man like Eldon Rankin, whom he had known personally for more than three decades and who had been something of a parental figure to him, could have become involved in Good Samaritan returninG to Cayman after nearly dyinG alan markoff amarkoff@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grand Cayman resident and former chief executive officer of Cayman Enterprise City Jason Blick said he is returning to the island after a recent incident in Vail, Colorado, that nearly killed him. On Dec. 6, around 11 p.m., Mr. Blick was awakened in his hotel room at The Sebastian by a racket in the hallway. Half asleep, he opened the door to see what was going on and saw a man abusing a woman. “The woman was being dragged down the hall,” he said, adding that he left his room to try and intervene. “He launched an attack on me; I was totally unprepared.” The man, Paris Aguilera Baeza, got the upper hand on Mr. Blick and put him in a choke hold that caused him to lose conscious- ness. Then the attacker left him for dead. Luckily, hotel staff members who were re- sponding to the altercation performed CPR on Mr. Blick until paramedics could arrive. “When they found me, I had went blue,” Mr. Blick said, adding that he wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. “I died for five minutes.” Unable to breathe on his own, Mr. Blick was put on a ventilator by paramedics, who took him to the Vail Valley Medical Center. When he still could not breathe on his own, they trans- ported him by helicopter to the Denver Health Fees deny 20-year resident Caymanian status brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nearly $50,000 in purported outstanding immigration-related fees have so far prevented a Cayman resident from obtaining the right to be Caymanian under the Cayman Islands Immigration Law, according to court records made public last week. Those fees are excessive and not charged in relation to the status applicant’s current job in the islands, a judicial re- view application filed on behalf of Terrance William Delaney on Dec. 11 alleges. “The Department of Immigration [has] refused to recalculate the fees due … by [Mr. Delaney] despite the fact that it has been accepted by a letter from the Department of Immigration … that as a sub- stance abuse counsellor, [Mr. Delaney] is not a medical doctor,” the judicial review filing states. Permanent residence fees are generally charged according to the status holder’s occupation, Camana Bay’s Christmas decorations gain acclaim The elaborate Christmas decorations at Camana Bay have attracted thousands with holiday spirit over the years, and now they have caught the attention of USA Today Travel. Pictured are the decorations at the Camana Bay Crescent. See story and photo on page 9. – Photo: StePhen Clarke PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday december 17, 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 IN THE HEART OF THE SEA 3D (PG13) 12:50 | 3:40 THE GOOD DINOSAUR 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:00 CREED (PG13) 1:10 | 4:10 KRAMPUS (PG13) 1:20 | 4:00 LOVE THE COOPERS (PG13) 1:00 | 3:30 HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (PG13) 3:25 REOPENING OUR DOORS TO SERVE YOU THIS IS We’ve reopened Western Union® services at Foster’s Food Fair Island wide. For more information call (345) 943-4700 Stamps mark anniversary of National Museum A set of stamps fea- turing four artifacts at the National Museum have been issued by the Cayman Islands Postal Service to commemorate the museum’s 25th anniversary. These include a 25 cent stamp bearing an image of a 1960s Caymanian doll de- signed by Clarice Carter. The doll is hand-carved in guava wood from a single tree limb. A second new 25 cent stamp features a Plath Navistar Sextant from the 1960s used and owned by Captain Wordal Rankine. Before migrating to and living in the U.S., Captain Rankine of East End was a Merchant Marine and a Home Guard member. Another stamp, a 75 cent one, shows an early 1900s cast iron Swift Mill coffee grinder from the Ira Thompson col- lection. The grinder was made by Lane Brothers of Poughkeepsie, New York. The $1.60 stamp features a monkey jar, a spherical earthenware red clay water container commonly used in the Cayman Island in the early 1900s and imported from Jamaica. The origin of the name is unknown. “It is gratifying that these images upon stamps will travel throughout the Cayman Islands and also circle the globe to reach a world- wide audience,” said Peggy Leshikar-Denton, director of the National Museum, said in a press release. Debra Barnes-Tábora, curations and collections manager of the Cayman Islands National Museum, described the stamp issue as a “historic milestone in the museum’s history,” adding, “we are grateful to the Philatelic Bureau and the Stamp Advisory Committee for their most considerate support of this stamp issue.” British Airways flight canceled James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Hundreds of travelers heading home for Christmas had their plans disrupted when the British Airways flight out of Grand Cayman was canceled Tuesday. The airline cited “tech- nical reasons” but de- clined to give a more de- tailed explanation. Both legs of the flight, BA 0252 to the Bahamas, and from the Bahamas to London’s Heathrow Airport, were canceled. The Wednesday flight was scheduled to take place as normal as of press time Wednesday. A British Airways spokesperson said the air- line was in the process of re-booking passengers and had provided hotel accom- modation to tourists af- fected by the delay. “We are sorry for the in- convenience,” she said. December is a busy time for airlines, with many Cayman Islands res- idents traveling home for the holidays. spelling bees? no pollen! At the 32nd annual Lions Club of Grand Cayman Secondary School Spelling Bee competition, finalists Thomas James Sevik Jr., left, and Dilan Tatum were able to tie for first place. Both represented Layman E. Scott Sr. High School. The finals took place on Dec. 1 at the Mary Miller Hall. Other finalists included Destiny Dalley and Javon Lewinson of Clifton Hunter; Yesenia Ebanks of Layman E. Scott; Aria Gooden and Alec Harding of John Gray High School; and Shannelle Bennett and Theresa James of Cayman Academy. UN court: Nicaragua breached Costa Rican sovereignty THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – The United Nations’ highest court ruled Wednesday that Nicaragua violated Costa Rica’s territorial sovereignty by establishing a military camp and digging channels on a small chunk of land near the mouth of the San Juan River, and ordered Managua to pay compensation. The International Court of Justice ruling estab- lished that Costa Rica owns a 1.2-square-mile piece of land near the shores of the Caribbean Sea that had been at dispute for years between the Latin American neighbors. The ruling addressed complaints by both countries in two linked cases about construction work carried out in recent years near the remote mouth of the river – dredging and channels dug by Nicaragua and a road along the river bank built by Costa Rica. Court President Ronny Abraham said that Nicaragua’s excavations and military pres- ence on Costa Rican terri- tory also breached an order made by the world court in 2011 and that Nicaragua twice breached Costa Rica’s naviga- tion rights on the San Juan, which forms part of the two countries’ border. The world court said the countries should now nego- tiate how much compensa- tion Nicaragua must pay for “material damages.” If they fail to agree within a year, either country can ask the court to settle the amount. Judges also ruled that Costa Rica violated its ob- ligation under international law to carry out an environ- mental impact assessment before beginning construc- tion of a road along the Costa Rican bank of the San Juan. Decisions by the court based in The Hague, Netherlands, are final and le- gally binding.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Thursday december 17, 2015 The Cayman Islands Yacht Club is pleased to congratulate Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant on its first anniversary. Since opening its doors last December, Morgan’s has infused a fresh and vibrant energy into our waterfront community. Morgan’s ocean-to-table menu, panoramic harbour views and relaxed island vibe provides an exceptional dining experience for locals and visitors alike. Happy first anniversary, Morgan’s. For more information on the recently renovated marina and new residential opportunities in our neighbourhood, visit ciyachtclub.com HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MORGAN’S MORGAN’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 345.946.7049 morganscayman.com morgansharbour@gmail.com Wednesday-Monday 11am-12amThe 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” Typically, a letter grade of “C” means “average.” But when it puts your country on par with the likes of Pakistan and Russia, in terms of government transpar- ency, what it really means is “unsatisfactory.” According to a new Global Open Data Index, ranking the availability and accessibility of government data, Cayman came in tied for 61st place, right in the middle of the 122 countries that were assessed. The scores are based on 13 different kinds of data, including sta- tistics, government spending, election results, procure- ment tenders, company registers, land ownership and weather forecasting. When confronted with these sorts of lists, compiled according to complex (and potentially arbitrary) vari- ables, one of the most useful approaches to interpreta- tion is to see which countries are at the top, which are at the bottom and which are nearby. That way you can tell if Cayman is where it wants to be, and, if not, in which direction we should like to move. As we noted above, Cayman’s current neighborhood doesn’t appear to be the most desirable. Tied numeri- cally with Pakistan and Russia, Cayman’s score (30 out of a possible 100) is wedged between that of Kenya (27 percent) and Ukraine (34 percent). While Cayman fares a hair better than Bermuda (29 percent), we lag behind many of our other competitors, including Guernsey (35 percent), Jersey (36 percent), Luxembourg (41 percent), Hong Kong (42 percent), Isle of Man (57 percent) and the United States (64 percent). Our Mother Country achieved exceptionally high marks (76 percent), second only to Taiwan (78 percent). At the bottom end of the index are Iran (7 percent), Libya (6 percent), Syria (5 percent) and Myanmar (3 percent). In terms of tangible factors such as economic pros- perity, individual freedom and personal security, it is pretty clear to us whose example Cayman should be seeking to follow. Some officials, including Premier Alden McLaughlin and Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush, have criticized the prevailing open government regime, characterized by Cayman’s Freedom of Information Law, as being onerous, time-consuming and prone to abuse by vexa- tious malcontents. While we at the Compass consider ourselves to be champions of public sector account- ability and transparency, we do empathize with some of their concerns. A potential solution to shortcomings in the current “ask, haggle, then (maybe) receive” method of requesting government records is to make it unneces- sary to lodge many of those requests in the first place, by proactively publishing the most-frequently sought- after information, preferably online in a format that can easily be analyzed by citizen users. At this stage in the maturation process of Cayman’s public sector, however, we wouldn’t ask offi- cials to overly concern themselves with the specific formatting of data before offering it up for public con- sumption. For now, text documents such as meeting minutes, tender documents, public contracts and sig- nificant reports will constitute a good start toward “good governance.” We don’t want officials to hold up the release of useful public information, for example, because it’s not in a “machine readable” format. Let’s begin with “human readable,” and go from there. World records: Cayman’s open data flaws Thursday deCember 17, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The chance of dying in a terrorist attack in any year in the United States is less than one in a million (even including the approximately 3,000 killed in the terrible at- tack on Sept. 11, 2001). Many in the media over-hype the chances of dying in a ter- rorist attack while at the same time underestimating the number of potential ter- rorists and terrorist cells among us. At times like these, it is important to be rational about relative risks and pru- dent in mitigating them. Among the causes of death – drug and alcohol use are high on the list as are common falls. One is 2,000 times more likely to die of heart disease or cancer, or 100 times more likely to die in an automobile accident in a given year than from a ter- rorist attack. Most people have little understanding of the relative risks of dying when using various forms of transporta- tion. Commercial airlines are by far and away the safest form of transit per passenger mile. In fact, you are about 62 times safer in an airplane than an automobile for a long-distance trip. Airplane crashes obtain a lot of media coverage, in part, because they are so rare, particu- larly among U.S.-scheduled airlines. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport procedures are so un- necessarily unfriendly and intrusive that they cause many people to drive rather than fly. And yes, the TSA may cause some reduction in the number of deaths caused by terrorists, but it is highly questionable if that number is greater than the number of excessive automobile deaths that are caused by the TSA. One is about 14 times more likely to die in a bi- cycle accident and 35 times more likely to die when riding a motorcycle than in an automobile accident, per mile traveled. Even walking is more dangerous than driving – 17 times as dan- gerous. This is not to say that people should stop cycling or walking – both of which have very good health benefits – but it is important to under- stand relative risks. The risk of being mur- dered in the United States is also much lower than many think. The nation is about average in the world when it comes to the murder rate, but if you take out Detroit, New Orleans, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Chicago, the United States has one of the lowest murder rates in the world, despite or perhaps because of the high rate of legal gun ownership. Several of the cities with the highest rate of gun violence also have the most restrictive gun laws. Even though it is very unlikely that one would be killed by a lone wolf or small groups of terrorists, there is good reason to be very con- cerned about terrorist states. An outlaw state may be able to acquire nuclear weapons (think North Korea) or other weapons of mass destruc- tion and the means to deploy them. Such weapons could kill tens of thousands or per- haps hundreds of thousands of people. Unfortunately, the options are limited when dealing with rogue states – containment (including sanc- tions), conquering through invasion or decapitating the leadership. Containment can work when the leadership is basically rational and not ag- gressively expansionary (e.g., the Soviet Union in its latter years). Invasions can work if there is a credible plan for the post-conflict period (e.g., Germany and Japan), but can make matters worse without a realistic post-invasion plan (e.g., Iraq and Afghanistan). Decapitation means killing the leadership rather than un- dertaking a large invasion and occupation – in cases such as the Islamic State, it may be the least bad alternative. Many more people have been killed by their own gov- ernments – well over 100 million in the last century – than terrorists have or are ever likely to kill. Living in a free society, with limited government and the rule of law, is the greatest insurance against a violent end. Thus, it is very disheartening to see a number of the pres- idential candidates advo- cating more restrictions on individual freedom and even socialist or police state pro- grams, as if the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are annoyances to be ignored whenever it suits them. More taxes, more gov- ernment spending and more regulation – all reduce indi- vidual freedom. And when the programs fail to work as promised, the government tends to become more au- thoritarian in an attempt to achieve the desired outcome, which leads to more govern- ment control and abuse of the citizens. Socialism and statism ultimately fail, but often after claiming thou- sands and, in some cases, millions of lives. We should fear the indif- ference of the political class to liberty much more than groups of despicable terror- ists. The former we should fight to preserve, the latter we should seek to eliminate. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2015, The Washington Times Life, liberty and killer states RichaRd W. Rahn From CaymanCompass.Com “South Sound home for Enterprise City,” Dec. 16 It’s getting a little tiring, all the announcements of big developments that never happen: the rebuild of the old Hyatt, Ironwood, the condos on North Side, the East-West arterial extension, now CEC … Any one of these getting done would be great. J Bodden “Paris climate deal prompts call for action in Cayman,” Dec. 16 I think that Department of Environment Deputy Director Tim Austin and Cayman Renewable Energy Association President James Whittaker should start with getting government to fix the George Town dump, not cli- mate change. That dump is the biggest threat to humans and the environment. Ron Clair Ebanks “Cayman gets a ‘C’ on open data in global rankings,” Dec. 15 I fully support any push to have government data available to the public as soon as possible and in a manner where it can be quickly analyzed. It might be helpful to have a small team of about two to three people (from within the government) as- signed the responsibility of reviewing and making rec- ommendations as it relates to open data within the var- ious government entities. mack Boland “Crighton Christmas display: Holiday celebrations as usual,” Dec. 15 What a wonderful story, filled with love and Christmas spirit. God bless the entire Crighton family and those who contribute to this wonder. Rodney Barnett “PR application, appeal take eight years,” Dec. 14 While the government reviews the appeals pro- cess is there any reason why they should not pro- cess applications that are clearly successful? Surely someone who has sufficient points, even without the priority occupa- tion, can be approved, as they are hardly likely to appeal their own approval! Jason signora Living in a free society, with limited government and the rule of law, is the greatest insurance against a violent end.5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday december 17, 2015 T – 640-5200 www.islandcompaniesltd.comwww.islandcompaniesltd.com ma Get Rea! Join us as we kick o LATE NIGHT SHOPPING The Island Plaza (under Margaritaville) Hundreds of Items on Sale Champagne and hor d’oeuvres Door Prizes Every Hour Friday December 18th 5pm – 8pm Spotts cruise terminal improvements planned JameS Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Improvements to Cayman’s secondary cruise ship terminal at Spotts Dock, including a new vis- itor center, are planned for January. Spotts is typically used on days when bad weather makes it unsafe for cruise ships to drop anchor in George Town harbor. The terminal on Shamrock Road will still likely be re- quired, though less fre- quently, once new piers are built in George Town. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said the pros- pect of a permanent dock is still several years away and the upgrades at Spotts are needed in the medium term. Mr. Kirkconnell said, “We need to make it more con- venient for passengers to come ashore when the cruise ships are not able to dock in George Town. “There will always be times during the year, even with piers, when George Town is not available.” The Port Authority invited tender bids for the work last week. The overall cost of the project has not been dis- closed, but the tender adver- tisement indicates that con- tractors must demonstrate a proven track record on sim- ilar developments of more than $100,000 in value. Phase one of scheduled improvements, involving lev- eling and compacting the area to facilitate improve- ments, to ground transporta- tion is already complete. The next phase, expected to commence in January and take six weeks to complete, will focus on improving the terminal building and rest- room facilities. This will include the ad- dition of a visitor center to “serve as a hub for the pro- vision of information and as- sistance,” according to the Ministry of Tourism. New seating, landscaping and installation of CCTV are also planned. A cruise ship moors off Spotts Dock on Shamrock Road as tourists relax on the nearby beach. Six passengers on board stranded boat off North Sound Marine police towed a stranded boat carrying six passengers to safety Tuesday afternoon. Around 4 p.m., police said, emergency operators received a distress call from the 24-foot boat exiting Big Channel off the North Sound. The boat lost power and was rapidly taking on water after a large wave crashed over it. Joint Marine Unit officers on the Niven D located the vessel outside the reef to the west of the channel about 20 minutes after the emergency call was made. The Niven D towed the boat to safety, and all six passengers disem- barked unharmed. “We were able to respond fairly quickly in this instance, but depending on a vessel’s lo- cation, that is not always pos- sible,” the Joint Marine Unit’s Sgt. Antonio Hanna said in a press release. “Thanks to the 911 Communications Centre, the emergency dispatch and communications with Port Authority went smoothly.” Mr. Hanna said it was lucky that a passenger on the boat had an operational mo- bile phone. “We recommend keeping mobile phones in plastic Ziploc bags on board pre- cisely for instances like these, but even more impor- tantly, that boat captains have and use their VHF radio to contact the Port Authority and nearby boats directly, saving precious time.” Police come to assistance of distressed vessel new dePuty director for needs assessment unit The Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports announced this week that Matthew Hylton has been promoted to deputy director of the Needs Assessment Unit. Mr. Hylton, who had been the acting deputy di- rector over the past several months, has worked at the unit since its inception in 2013, dealing with daily op- erations and management. Prior to joining the NAU, Mr. Hylton was a social worker with the Department of Children and Family Services, handling welfare and child protec- tion matters. Mr. Hylton6 DISTRICT DAYS Thursday december 17, 2015 • Cayman Compass District Days Bodden Town 50 Years ago: Civil service exodus prediction justified In the Dec. 15, 1965 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a pre- cursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Arthur Hunter wrote: “In my column last week I pre- dicted the continued exodus of young and promising men from the Civil Service of these islands. Already my prediction has come true, as during the course of last week Mr. Haig Bodden of this town threw in the towel. He leaves to join a commercial undertaking in George Town.” Mr. Hunter also wrote about the return to Grand Cayman from Canada of Monty Watler, better known locally as “Fenwick,” to spend the holiday season with his family.” He also commented on road works at Pedro, writing: “During the course of last week, work has been progressing on a new road leading to lands south of Pedro known as ‘Beach.’ The new road leaves the main public road at a point nearly opposite Mr. Ellis Conolly’s gate in Pedro, and is being financed by Mr. John S. Dunning of Conn. U.S.A. Construction of the road is in the hands of the Eden brothers of Savannah.” Car tire tree wins ‘Christmas round the world’ Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Christiana Edwards, an artist from East End, won first prize for her original decorated Christmas tree at the Bodden Town cul- tural committee’s “Christmas Round the World” event on Saturday. Ms. Edwards created a Christmas design from a number of used car tires painted green and decorated with ornaments and gar- lands. She also received rec- ognition for her Christmas tree design of a snowman made from car tires. The tire trees can usu- ally be seen in the front yard of the Wreck View Gift Shop in East End run by Ms. Edwards and her son Mathew McLaughlin. The event at the Harry McCoy park in Bodden Town highlighted traditions of some of the many cultures represented in Cayman. Decorating a Christmas tree in an old-time way on Friday night, Emilio Watler, one of the organizers hosting the event, said it gave mem- bers of the community the opportunity to share their heritage and holiday tra- ditions. The trees will be on display throughout the holiday season. Christiana edwards, second from right, with her son Mathew McLaughlin, receives her prize from Florence Wood, cultural committee president, and member emilio Watler. - Photos: Jewel levy The car tire snowman Christmas tree, also by Christiana edwards, was a hit with committee members. a Christmas tree made from used car tires and designed by local artist Christiana edwards took the prize.Cayman Compass • Thursday december 17, 2015 DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town Opening night at The White House The White House Restaurant, Bar, Beach Resort & Venue officially opened on Nov. 6 with great fanfare after much anticipation, and many guests in attendance. The former home of an American business ty- coon, The White House is a 21,000-square-foot ocean- front estate in Bodden Town that the current owners have spent the past eight years transforming into a restau- rant, seaside bar and events venue, managed by Padraic Linnane, with the kitchen overseen by executive chef Jiri “George” Zitterbart. The property also features an ocean deck and swimming pool, and is open to the public. See the full review in Friday’s Weekender. White House Board Chair Ernie Smatt, reigning Miss Cayman Tonie Chisholm and Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo cut the ribbon. - Photos: heather holt, courtesy of the White house The White House in Bodden Town. Guests enjoy the expansive outdoor entertaining space. Voices were raised in Christmas cheer as a Year 1 group from Savannah Primary joined fellow stu- dents in welcoming the holiday season with a rendition of “Holly and Mistletoe” at the school’s Infant Division Christmas concert on Dec. 16. Children from Reception to Year 3 per- formed festive poems, songs and dances at the morning show at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church in Savannah. Those in attendance noted Reception offered up some very lively cho- reographed numbers, in- cluding “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Must be Santa” and “Feliz Navidad.” Other songs performed included “Ringing Joy for Baby Jesus,” “Lullaby Prayer,” and “Miracles,” under the leadership of music teacher Junior Hines and art/movement teacher Jessica Eden. All students had the opportunity to perform, and the church was full to capacity with great sup- port from parents and the community. Savannah Primary celebrates holidays Savannah United Christmas Service 10 a.m., Dec. 20 Christmas Day Service 8 a.m., Dec. 25 Watch Night (Youth Group Event): Dec. 31 about 9 p.m. Webster Memorial Christmas Cantata 11 a.m., Dec. 20 Children’s Program at 7 p.m. Dec. 20 Christmas Day service, time TBA Cayman Islands Baptist Church Christmas-themed choir service 10 a.m. Dec. 20 Christmas Day Service at 10 a.m. holiday services and celebrations The opening of the White House was hotly anticipated. Guests make their way down to the waterfront deck. Year 1 Savannah Primary students perform ‘Holly and Mistletoe.’The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday december 17, 2015 • Cayman Compass 9 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday december 17, 2015 GALLERIA PLAZA | 949-7884 | OPEN 9AM - 6PM NEW NIKE 2016 STOCK HAS ARRIVED! ENORMOUS ARRAY OF GIFT IDEAS FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. FROM FITNESS TO FUN, SPORTS SUPPLY HAS IT ALL. Camana Bay’s decorations lauded in USA Today Travel AlAn MArkoff amarkoff@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Christmas deco- rations at Camana Bay have been noticed abroad and were featured in the Caribbean section of USA Today Travel last week. The article, “Santa in the islands: Celebrating Christmas in the Caribbean,” which was posted online last Friday, presented a roundup of where to find the holiday spirit in various Caribbean islands. The section about the Cayman Islands included a photograph of the “adorably talented sugar plum fairies” performing at the annual Miss Jackie’s School of Dance holiday recital. “To see the brightest lights in Grand Cayman, head to Camana Bay, where a 40-foot high Christmas tree with 400 ornaments illuminates The Crescent and its scenic views of the Harbour’s yummy res- taurants,” the article said. It went on to call Camana Bay “the epicenter of jolly for Santa fans” in Grand Cayman. Camana Bay started in- corporating significant Christmas decorations in 2007, the year it began the popular tree lighting event that marks the beginning of the holiday season at the de- velopment. Over the years, it has added many other holiday-themed events, in- cluding the dance recital, the Parade of Lights and more than 150 smaller holiday events, many for children, hosted by Camana Bay or its commercial entities in the lead-up to Christmas. Each year since the first tree lighting, the scope of the decorations has grown in keeping with the overall growth of the Town Centre’s shops, offices and restau- rants, said Kristy Rivers, se- nior manager of events and experiences for Dart Realty (Cayman) Ltd. “Every year we add a new element and the design changes,” she said. “For ex- ample, last year we added the four reindeer you see striking a pose down The Paseo. This year we brought a new theme to Jasmine Court – we filled it with the beloved toy sol- diers and nutcrackers from years past to offer a playful entry point for the cinema … We also decorated Forum Lane for the first time.” The decorations include the large Christmas tree on The Crescent, more than 100 palm trees with holiday lights, 19 giant baubles and 13 giant decorated gift boxes on the streets and lanes of the Town Centre. Thousands of people come to attend the Christmas events, to see the decora- tions, and to dine and shop during the holiday season, Ms. Rivers said. “It is one of the busiest times of year for our Town Centre and that hustle and bustle contributes to a vi- brant and festive atmo- sphere,” she said. “Creating memorable experiences for visitors to Camana Bay di- rectly ties in with our desire to encourage a vibrant Town Centre with a strong sense of community … Families love spending time admiring and playing around the décor and because we aim for the holi- days to be enjoyed by all, we just ask for supervised play around the pieces you see throughout the town to en- sure they last for many sea- sons to come.” Ms. Rivers said Camana Bay has become synony- mous with the holidays on Grand Cayman. “That’s a reputation we take seriously,” she said. “Residents of and visitors to Grand Cayman know that from the moment we light up the Town Centre with our annual tree lighting, it is all systems go for festive fun at Camana Bay, and we strive every year to not only meet those expectations, but to surpass them.” Camana Bay’s courtyards also feature bright and cheerful Christmas decorations. - Photo: StePhen ClarkeNext >