ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday January 21, 2016 sports | page 15 schools seal semifinal berThs High of 83 Low of 73 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. editorial | page 4 ready2Work: GovernmenT’s laTesT ‘freebie’ Business Insurance Pay less for more service and benefits with BritCay! insurance, health, pensions, life Employee benefits plans with Britcay are rich in benefits and deliver accurate, comprehensive reports quickly and on time. 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 CaRePay tRial Crown: Watson fantasized about kickbacks brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board chairman Canover Watson “fantasized” about skimming 30 percent of the profits from the public hospital sys- tem’s CarePay patient swipe-card contract in November 2010, prior to the contract being awarded, Crown prosecutors alleged while questioning Watson during his criminal trial. Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran claimed Tuesday that computer files retrieved from Watson’s business office at former financial services company Admiral Administration showed Watson intended to funnel the 30 percent profit to a company called The W Group, which was owned by Watson and his business partner Jeffrey Webb. Watson said the records recovered from his computer merely amounted to him “playing with scenarios,” and that none of The W Group transactions noted on his accounting spread- sheets ever happened. He later described his entries as “doodling.” The computer records, initially con- tained on USB memory sticks, often called jump drives or flash drives, were initially thought to be lost but were copied by Admiral Administration personnel and kept at that company’s downtown George Town offices for years. Watson is the former managing director of Admiral. Watson’s defense attorneys earlier claimed that there had been information on the drives that might have helped their client estab- lish his innocence. However, on Tuesday, Mr. Moran, the chief case prosecutor, used some of the information from the jump drives Oil, sOlar cOntribute tO decrease in cuc pOwer bills Tad sToner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Caribbean Utilities Company announced on Tuesday a continuing decline in electricity prices – and consumer bills – as the price of oil falls on international markets. The utility com- pany predicted further declines as government lowers fuel duties. Residential consumers using 1,000 kWh per month saw bills decrease by approximately $85 in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014, the company said in a statement. Ninety-three percent of CUC’s 23,874 resi- dential customers have bills less than $500, ac- cording to the power company. Declining prices were led by a 32 per- cent drop in the international cost of an im- perial gallon of diesel fuel, from $3.16 in December 2014 to $2.15 at the end of December 2015, CUC said. That drop translated to a fuel cost reduc- tion of 8 cents per kilowatt hour for consumers, from 23 cents in December 2014 to 15 cents in December 2015. Prices have fallen further since December, reducing fuel costs to 13 cents per kWh for consumers, and bringing the overall cost of a kWh to approximately 26 cents, contrasting with kWh prices as high as 33 cents in the past. The cost of electricity varies from month to month and comprises three chief ele- ments: CUC’s “base rate,” currently pegged at 10 cents per kWh, representing the cost to produce, transmit and sell power; fuel costs, now at 13 cents per kWh, representing oil’s Overgrown Alexander Hotel remains in limbo James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Partially obscured by grass and weeds, its walls crawling with rampant bou- gainvillea, the vacant Alexander Hotel on Cayman Brac provides a striking counter- point to the growing sense of optimism sur- rounding tourism on the island. The reasons for the continued closure of the hotel are political rather than economic, according to its owner Cleveland Dilbert. “I am still waiting for the government to give me approval to do the marina,” said Mr. Dilbert, who closed the 31-room property in June 2014, after a protracted standoff over the offensive smell coming from a neigh- boring saltwater pond. Realistically, he does not expect the con- troversial project to be approved by the cur- rent government. “I am hoping that at the next election things will change,” he said. “I can’t reopen it under the current circumstances.” When Mr. Dilbert closed the hotel, he said he had lost faith that government would “keep its word” and allow him to deal with the smell emanating from a neighbor- hood pond – a promise he insists was made before the hotel was even built. His proposed solution involved cut- ting a channel from the ocean into the pond and transforming it into a marina for visiting yachts. The plan was met with PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » although it opened in 2009, the now-closed alexander Hotel in Cayman Brac looks much older because of the overgrowth of vegetation. – phOtO: James whittaker2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday January 21, 2016 • Cayman Compass SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - RIDE ALONG 2 (PG13) 1:00 I 3:30 I 7:00 I 10:00 THE HATEFUL EIGHT (R) 5:30 I 9:00 POINT BREAK 3D (PG13) 7:20 2D I 10:05 DADDY’S HOME (PG13) 12:30 I 3:00 I 6:30 I 9:40 THE REVENANT (R) 12:15 I 3:40 I 7:10 STAR WARS VII 3D (PG13) 12:40 2D I 3:40 I 6:45 2D I 9:50 ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS ROAD CHIP (PG) 12:40 I 3:10 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) 17 Burmese pythons caught in Florida’s puBlic hunt MIAMI (AP) – Officials say so far, 17 Burmese py- thons have been caught during the hunt for the invasive species in Florida’s wetlands. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced the tally Tuesday. The state’s second public hunt for the exotic snakes started Saturday and ends Feb. 14. More than 500 people have reg- istered to look for py- thons across a swath of state lands in South Florida. Some authorized hunters also are allowed to extend the hunt into Everglades National Park. The snake-catching festival attempts to re- duce South Florida’s population of the giant constrictors. Spokeswoman Carli Segelson says so far, the hunt is accomplishing its goals, both in catching snakes and raising aware- ness about the threat in- vasive species pose to native Florida plants and wildlife. (AP) – Lionel Messi’s tax fraud trial has been set for May 31-June 3, conflicting with the start of the cen- tennial Copa America in the United States. The Copa America Centenario will kick off June 3, meaning the five-time world player of the year will not have the best of prepa- rations ahead of Argentina’s opening game. Messi’s lawyers are ex- pected to try to change the trial dates. The Barcelona playmaker is already expected to have a shorter preparation ahead of the tournament if his side reaches the Champions League final, which is sched- uled for May 28 in Milan. Argentina plays its first game on June 6 in Santa Clara, California. Then on June 10 in Chicago before traveling to Seattle for a match on June 14. Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, have been charged with three counts of tax fraud and could be sen- tenced to nearly two years in prison if found guilty. They are accused of de- frauding Spain’s tax office of 4.1 million euros ($4.4 million) in unpaid taxes from 2007-09. The attorney’s office called for a prison sentence of 22 months and 15 days for Messi and his father, along with a fine in the amount defrauded, payment of all legal proceed- ings and the loss of any pos- sible tax benefits for a year and a half. The case is centered on the alleged unlawful activi- ties of Messi’s father, but au- thorities said the Barcelona player knew enough to also be named in the case. The Barcelona court said that although Messi was un- familiar with tax issues, there was sufficient evidence to believe he could have known and consented to the creation of a fictitious corpo- rate structure to avoid paying taxes on income from his image rights. Authorities said some of the income came through companies located in tax havens. Spain has recently been cracking down on tax eva- sion as part of its fight to repair the country’s public finances after a prolonged re- cession triggered by the col- lapse of its once-booming real estate sector. Messi is not the only Barcelona player set to appear in court in the coming months. Brazilian striker Neymar has been asked to testify in an investigation into alleged irregularities involving his transfer to the Catalan club. Neymar’s parents, former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell and current president Josep Bartomeu also will have to appear before a judge on Feb. 1-2. Last year, Barcelona de- fender Javier Mascherano admitted to a court that he failed to pay nearly 1.5 mil- lion euros (US$1.6 million) in taxes owed for 2011 and 2012. Lionel Messi’s tax fraud trial conflicts with Copa America Lionel Messi arrives at a Barcelona area court to answer questions in a tax fraud case in 2013. – photo: ap Argentina says it may shoot down illegal flights BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – Argentina’s government has announced tighter new rules for the coun- try’s airspace, including a measure that could let the air force shoot down planes suspected of illegal activities. The rules include ex- panded radar coverage aimed at detecting and deterring drug flights. Opponents have jumped on the protocol for poten- tially shooting down un- responsive planes, saying it amounts to a death sentence. But Security Minister Eugenio Burzaco said Wednesday that would only be a last resort. New President Mauricio Macri has vowed to crack down on drug trafficking and Burzaco says there were some 400 irregular flights into the country last year. The fatal shoot-down of a missionary plane in Peru in 2001 led that country to suspend a sim- ilar policy until last year. Armed police officers storm Newlands house ChArles DuNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s armed Uniform Support Group, dressed in tactical gear and carrying semiautomatic rifles, stormed a house in Newlands on Wednesday afternoon in an apparent attempt to capture a wanted man. Armed police spent a number of hours outside the house on Milton Drive, urging the man they believed to be inside to come out with his hands up. Police eventually forced their way into the prop- erty, which is under con- struction and surrounded by a chain-link fence topped by barbed wire. No arrest was made. The police helicopter hovered over the area for much of the early afternoon prior to the police storming the house. Much of Milton Drive was closed off during the operation. An officer using a mega- phone told the man believed to be inside in the house, “We know you’re in there. We’re here to help. Come out with your hands behind your head.” Police had not responded to requests for information regarding the operation by press time Wednesday. Armed police officers gather outside a house in Milton Drive in Newlands Wednesday afternoon shortly before forcing their way into the house. - photo: charles duncan3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday January 21, 2016 FAMILY Join us for non-stop Opening hours: Mon – Sat 8:00am – 4:30pm | Check website for Sunday hours Half-off Resident Rates 786 Northwest Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman | info@turtle.ky | www.turtle.ky | +1 (345) 949-3894 CI$5 Adults, CI$2 Kids (Kids 4 years and under get in FREE!) *Admission rates apply to walk-in customers only. Not appli able to pre-booked tour c reservations. Rates valid on Monday 25 January 2016 only. : Music from DJ Operator TNT ALL DAY. Take a splash down the Turtle Twister. Swim with the turtles in Turtle Lagoon LOCAL ARTISANS ON CAYMAN STREET FUNDAY! National Heroes Day Monday 25 January, 2016 8am - 5pm Cayman’s economic ‘underclass’ topic of conference panel Kelsey JuKam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Panelists at the Cayman Economic Outlook conference Tuesday agreed that there is an “underclass” developing in the territory and that more needs to be done to address the growing divide between the haves and the have-nots. During a discussion on the topic of “Think: Inequality in the Cayman Context,” mod- erator Jeremy Hurst asked panelists whether growing concerns as of late about an emerging underclass in the Cayman Islands were valid and how Cayman might be affected by a disparity in in- come and opportunities. The question was com- plicated as panelists recog- nized at least two distinct groups who might be re- ferred to as an “underclass” in the Cayman Islands – un- employed Caymanians and foreign low-wage workers. “I think it’s a little bit com- plicated because we are a very unique country where more than half of our labor force is brought in from the outside,” panelist Paul Byles said. Mr. Byles, CEO of First Regents Bank, said those im- ported workers need to have access to basic services, in- cluding healthcare and trans- portation, that help to ensure a decent living standard. He said the situation is complicated because many low-wage workers are willing to work for less here, be- cause their wages are still more than they would be making back home. He said many low-skilled employees “collude” with employers to present a picture to im- migration authorities that they’re receiving a decent, liv- able wage, and being treated fairly, when the reality is otherwise. He said dealing with the emerging under- class of foreign workers was just as pressing as dealing with the issue of unemployed Caymanians. MLA and employ- ment minister Tara Rivers said there is an underclass that includes some foreign workers, but also includes all members of the commu- nity who live below a certain “minimum acceptable stan- dard” for living. She said “establishing what that minimum stan- dard should be has been a bit of a political football for quite a few decades,” but that through the work of the Minimum Wage Advisory Committee, “we now have for the first time” a comprehen- sive look at what it means to be living below the poverty line in Cayman. Establishing a minimum wage, which will go into ef- fect March 1, is part of a “vi- able solution” to increase in- dividuals’ ability to live more comfortably, Ms. Rivers said. Other solutions, she said, include future private-public partnerships to help ensure that more Caymanians are provided with opportunities to participate in the financial services industry. Conference attendee Eamon McErlean asked pan- elists why more could not be done to help what he sees as “the real unfortunates” in the Cayman Islands: Caymanians who are “unemployed and un- employable.” In a letter to the Compass, Mr. McErlean de- scribes these individuals as those are cannot or will not get employment due to a va- riety of issues, including poor education, a limited skill set, low motivation, or criminal records. “They receive little or nothing from the govern- ment,” he said, adding that “leaders seem to think they can pass ownership of this problem to the island’s pri- vate sector, blaming it year after year for not employing all of them.” “I would offer that we can do better,” Mr. McErlean said. “We are rightly con- gratulating ourselves on the islands’ achievements in reducing its debts year on year, yet allow this rela- tively small set of people to suffer unnecessarily.” Help to those “real un- fortunates” may be on the way. During Premier Alden McLaughlin’s state of the na- tion address earlier in the day, he said the next budget will fund plans designed to improve the public edu- cation system. The budget will also allow for addi- tional funding to be provided to the Needs Assessment Unit and the Department of Children and Family Services, as well as a new conditional release program to help rehabilitate prisoners. Panelist Dambisa Moyo, who was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” said it is important that “we all” rally to find some sort of solution to income in- equality, because the issue affects all people and all as- pects of life in a community. “It’s impossible to think we can live a secure, happy, healthy … life in certain com- munities when our neighbors are trying to eke out a basic living,” Ms. Moyo said. “There is absolutely no way that we can go to the super- market, watch a movie, have the life that we would like to live when our neighbors are living in a situation where they might resort to crime just to survive,” she added. Ms. Moyo said that while it is the case that market capi- talism is a system that creates winners or losers, the “ques- tion is less about winners and losers and more about min- imum living standards.” “If everybody could live a certain decent living stan- dard, [with] access to great healthcare, access to good ed- ucation infrastructure, etc., then maybe we would be less concerned about somebody being a billionaire and some- body not being a billionaire,” Ms. Moyo said. “If everybody lived at a certain standard, we would be less concerned. The problem is that somebody is making so much more money, somebody else is not living at a human level.” TourisT dies in firsT waTer deaTh of 2016 A 65-year-old American tourist died Wednesday morning after getting into difficulty while snorkeling off Cemetery Beach in West Bay. Police reported that someone called 911 at 9:30 a.m. about the man, who was unconscious by the time emergency responders ar- rived and began efforts to re- suscitate him. Emergency services transported the man to the Cayman Islands Hospital where he was pronounced dead just after 10 a.m. The weather service had warned of rough seas on Wednesday. This was the first water-related death this year. Four people died in water- related incidents in January 2015; all but one were tour- ists over the age of 60. Two died in separate incidents while snorkeling off Morritt’s Tortuga Resort in East End on Jan. 14 and Jan. 28. On Jan. 12, 2015, an 88-year-old Ukrainian na- tional died while swimming along Seven Mile Beach. He had stopped in Cayman as part of a cruise. The first death of last year was a Cuban man whose boat got into trouble off South Sound on Jan. 3. Moderator Jeremy Hurst, author Rasmus Ankersen, Tara Rivers, Paul Byles, economist Dambisa Moyo and Shomari Scott during a panel disucssion at the Cayman Economic Outlook conference’s ‘Think: Inequality’ session. – PhoTo: david wolfe PhoTograPhy The scene at Cemetery Beach in West Bay on Wednesday afternoon. A snorkeler died after getting into difficulty in the water earlier in the day. – PhoTo: Taneos raMsayThe 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. Thursday January 21, 2016 • Cayman COmpass We give the government credit for creativity, but we are skeptical that the newly announced “Ready- 2Work KY” program will succeed in addressing Cayma- nian unemployment. Premier Alden McLaughlin said $1.7 million from the Labour Department budget has been earmarked for the program, where the government will attempt to match workers with private sector jobs and pay their salaries and benefits for up to six months. Participants in the program, numbering about 245, will be identified through National Workforce Development Agency records. Again, we are certainly not criticizing the govern- ment for attempting something novel, and we don’t deny that Caymanian unemployment merits attention from the government. That being said, the “Ready- 2Work KY” program appears to be more of a scheme than a serious plan. Rather than a sound effort to ensure that Cayma- nians are prepared to compete in the private sector, the new program constitutes the dangling of carrots, which are, of course, attached to sticks by way of strings. Every employer who goes for the carrot risks a beating by the stick. No wise businessperson enters into a consequen- tial arrangement without having an exit plan. Any business that accepts one or more of these “candi- dates” from government must consider that there may be pressure or consequences from government if it doesn’t work out. A business which takes in a candidate must be able to fire, suspend or discipline that candidate just like any other employee, or else it could disrupt the human resources dynamic throughout the company. If the government is interested in matching unemployed workers with private sector vacancies, that’s precisely what should be done, and nothing more. There is no compelling reason for government to pony up six months’ salary. If a company can’t afford to pay the salary on Day One, how will it afford it six months later? The deal can, and should, be far simpler: The NWDA can introduce unemployed Caymanians to employers who have vacancies that align with their skills. If the employer likes the candidate, they’re hired. No carrots, no strings, no sticks. Indeed, we believe that’s supposed to be one of the core duties of NWDA. The common complaint we hear from employers is that NWDA routinely sends obvi- ously unqualified prospects to fill private-sector posi- tions. Then the employer has the tedious burden of justifying the obvious: why it didn’t hire them. Allow us a modest proposal: If government wants to put unemployed Caymanians to work in the private sector, and fast, the appropriate minister should pick up the phone and call Gene Thompson. Mr. Thompson is not a bureaucrat; he’s a businessman, and he gets things done. More important, he is committed to the hiring and training of Caymanians — and he’s got the track record to prove it. During the continuing development of Health City Cayman Islands, Mr. Thompson drove nearly every- body nuts — including many of his subcontractors — by insisting that they populate their workforces with hard- working, responsible and reliable Caymanians. Even Northward Prison alumni were welcomed. “Second chance” people were not only welcomed, they were recruited. On his job sites, he doesn’t lower standards, but raises expectations and, as a rule, his workforce rises to, or exceeds, those expectations. Believe us, Mr. Thompson is not looking for a job, but if we were dealing with Cayman’s chronically and structurally unemployed, we would do some recruiting of our own with the objective of putting Mr. Thompson, or someone with his drive and mindset, on the job. Then we would get out of their way. Ready2Work: Government’s latest ‘freebie’ China’s flawed ascent WASHINGTON – China pro- duces an astonishing number of astonishing numbers, in- cluding this: In the 20th cen- tury, America made auto- mobiles mass-consumption items, requiring prodigious road building. China, how- ever, poured more concrete for roads and other construction between 2011 and 2013 than America did in the 20th cen- tury. This fact is emblematic of China’s remarkable suc- cess. And is related to its cur- rent difficulties, including its 2015 growth rate (6.9 percent), its slowest in 25 years. The regime’s contract with its 1.4 billion subjects is that it will deliver pros- perity and they will be obe- dient. Now the bill is coming due for the measures taken to produce prosperity. In 1978, when Deng Xiaoping began the regime’s attempt to leaven Leninism with market reforms, half of the Chinese lived on less than US$1 a day. In just six years, collective agriculture almost disappeared and grain pro- duction increased 34 percent, freeing people to move from the countryside to more pro- ductive urban employment. No Westerner knows more about China’s regime and political economy than Henry Paulson who, as CEO of Goldman Sachs, then U.S. treasury secretary and subse- quently, has made more than 100 trips to China. In his book “Dealing With China,” he writes: China consumes almost half the world’s cement, coal, iron ore and steel, and 40 per- cent of the aluminum and copper. Beijing has six ring roads and the seventh, under construction, will be almost 600 miles long, encompassing an area as large as Indiana. (Washington, D.C.’s beltway is 64 miles long.) Demand for roads so exceeds supply that a 2010 traffic jam extended 62 miles and lasted 12 days. China has six of the world’s 15 tallest buildings (America has three) and eight of the 10 tallest under construction. In four years, beginning in 2011, the government built enough housing to shelter the popu- lation of the 12th most pop- ulous nation, the Philippines. Two months after the September 2014 US$25 billion IPO for the Chinese Internet company Alibaba, the world’s biggest IPO, the company had a US$280 billion market capitalization, bigger than Amazon and eBay combined. China’s prosperity has been fueled by the traditional modernization trek of people from the countryside to cities – 300 million so far, with an- other 300 million by 2030. But China has also relied peril- ously on exports and exces- sive, grossly inefficient infra- structure spending to employ the former peasants and make burgeoning metropolises hab- itable. Just between 2010 and June 2013, local government debt alone surged 70 percent to US$2.9 trillion. What the regime calls “so- cialism with Chinese charac- teristics” is, like sauerkraut ice cream, a combination of incompatible ingredients. A senior Chinese reformer propounded the “birdcage” theory of the “socialist market economy”: The market sector should be as free to fly as a bird in a cage – the cage of a state-commanded economy. Private enterprise, however, creates 90 percent of new jobs. By itself, the private sector, which accounts for perhaps 60 percent of China’s US$10 tril- lion GDP, would be the world’s second biggest economy, trailing only America’s. Although state-owned en- terprises (SOEs) are often cor- rupt and always inefficient, the regime resists privatizing SOEs, which would mean worker layoffs of up to 80 percent. More than 100,000 local SOEs have been closed but, Paulson says, “perhaps another 100,000 or more re- main.” The fact that Paulson says “no one seems to know the exact number” speaks vol- umes about the disorderly nature of things bubbling beneath China’s still-nasty authoritarianism. China’s 87 million Communist Party members, Paulson says, “work first and foremost for the party,” which remains “the alpha and omega of political, economic and so- cial life.” But as Paulson says, “corruption breeds where power meets opportunity.” Because opportunity festers everywhere that the party continues to insinuate itself, inefficient allocation of re- sources will depress growth. The regime is wagering that it can achieve its second- highest goal, prosperity and the geopolitical weight that can come with it, while pre- serving its highest priority – a Leninist one-party state acting as the vanguard of an accepting population. But China’s per capita GDP, one- eighth that of the United States, ranks 80th in the world, barely ahead of war- ravaged Iraq’s. After the U.S. opening to China, Daniel Patrick Moynihan acerbically said that many travelers to China returned more impressed by the absence of flies than by the absence of freedom. The con- tinuing absence of the latter, illustrated by the apparent kidnapping of five Hong Kong booksellers, are not noticed by foreigners mesmerized by bullet trains. The next stage of China’s ascent will test the continuing compatibility of Leninism and dynamism. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2016, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE Traffic stands still in Beijing in November 2015. Columnist George Will says China’s government now faces the consequences of measures taken to promote the country’s rapid economic growth. – Photo: Qilai Shen/BloomBerg Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday January 21, 2016 Saturday, 23 January, 2016 5:00 PM – 11:45 PM Festival Green at Camana Bay GOLD SPPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS www.tasteofcayman.org Tickets on sale now! $40 pre-sold $50 on event day $20 youth BRITCAY Come for the food, stay for the party! Food, wine and awesome live entertainment featuring Cayman’s own HEAT, guest starring Shameka Clarke; along with Classics in Concert: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Tina Turner. Don’t miss the Seven Fathoms Rum Challenge (mixology competition), Bon Vivant’s Demo Kitchen and Chef Cook-Off, Heavy Cake Competition, and Fireworks sponsored by Massive! Purchase tickets at Cathy Church’s Photo Centre, Funky Tang’s, Acorn Publishing, Office Supply, Digicel, the CITA office, Bon Vivant and Celebrations in Camana Bay. Drink tickets can only be purchased at CITA. GOLD SPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS BRITCAY Saturday, 23 January, 2016 5:00 PM – 11:45 PM Festival Green at Camana Bay GOLD SPPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS www.tasteofcayman.org Tickets on sale now! $40 pre-sold $50 on event day $20 youth BRITCAY Come for the food, stay for the party! Food, wine and awesome live entertainment featuring Cayman’s own HEAT, guest starring Shameka Clarke; along with Classics in Concert: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Tina Turner. Don’t miss the Seven Fathoms Rum Challenge (mixology competition), Bon Vivant’s Demo Kitchen and Chef Cook-Off, Heavy Cake Competition, and Fireworks sponsored by Massive! Purchase tickets at Cathy Church’s Photo Centre, Funky Tang’s, Acorn Publishing, Office Supply, Digicel, the CITA office, Bon Vivant and Celebrations in Camana Bay. Drink tickets can only be purchased at CITA. GOLD SPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS BRITCAY Saturday, 23 January, 2016 5:00 PM – 11:45 PM Festival Green at Camana Bay GOLD SPPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS www.tasteofcayman.org Tickets on sale now! $40 pre-sold $50 on event day $20 youth BRITCAY Come for the food, stay for the party! Food, wine and awesome live entertainment featuring Cayman’s own HEAT, guest starring Shameka Clarke; along with Classics in Concert: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Tina Turner. Don’t miss the Seven Fathoms Rum Challenge (mixology competition), Bon Vivant’s Demo Kitchen and Chef Cook-Off, Heavy Cake Competition, and Fireworks sponsored by Massive! Purchase tickets at Cathy Church’s Photo Centre, Funky Tang’s, Acorn Publishing, Office Supply, Digicel, the CITA office, Bon Vivant and Celebrations in Camana Bay. Drink tickets can only be purchased at CITA. GOLD SPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS BRITCAY Saturday, 23 January, 2016 5:00 PM – 11:45 PM Festival Green at Camana Bay GOLD SPPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS www.tasteofcayman.org Tickets on sale now! $40 pre-sold $50 on event day $20 youth BRITCAY Come for the food, stay for the party! Food, wine and awesome live entertainment featuring Cayman’s own HEAT, guest starring Shameka Clarke; along with Classics in Concert: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Tina Turner. Don’t miss the Seven Fathoms Rum Challenge (mixology competition), Bon Vivant’s Demo Kitchen and Chef Cook-Off, Heavy Cake Competition, and Fireworks sponsored by Massive! Purchase tickets at Cathy Church’s Photo Centre, Funky Tang’s, Acorn Publishing, Office Supply, Digicel, the CITA office, Bon Vivant and Celebrations in Camana Bay. Drink tickets can only be purchased at CITA. GOLD SPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS BRITCAY Saturday, 23 January, 2016 5:00 PM – 11:45 PM Festival Green at Camana Bay GOLD SPPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS www.tasteofcayman.org Tickets on sale now! $40 pre-sold $50 on event day $20 youth BRITCAY Come for the food, stay for the party! Food, wine and awesome live entertainment featuring Cayman’s own HEAT, guest starring Shameka Clarke; along with Classics in Concert: Rod Stewart, Elton John, and Tina Turner. Don’t miss the Seven Fathoms Rum Challenge (mixology competition), Bon Vivant’s Demo Kitchen and Chef Cook-Off, Heavy Cake Competition, and Fireworks sponsored by Massive! Purchase tickets at Cathy Church’s Photo Centre, Funky Tang’s, Acorn Publishing, Office Supply, Digicel, the CITA office, Bon Vivant and Celebrations in Camana Bay. Drink tickets can only be purchased at CITA. GOLD SPONSORS SIL VER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS BRITCAY Kelsey JuKam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Public Health Department is advising all residents of the Cayman Islands to avoid nonessential travel to countries affected by the regional outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. “Simply put, if someone is bitten by an infected mos- quito in countries where Zika exists, the infection can be acquired and brought back to Cayman,” Dr. Samuel Williams, acting medical of- ficer of health, said in a press release Wednesday. “It is therefore paramount the public protect themselves from mosquito bites by using mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing and pants tucked into socks during travels.” Zika has been documented in Brazil, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Martinique, Paraguay, El Salvador, Mexico, Suriname, French Guiana, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela, Guyana, Haiti, Barbados, Ecuador and St. Martin. One in five people infected with the Zika virus will ex- hibit symptoms, which in- clude fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis. The ill- ness is usually mild, how- ever, Zika has been linked to an increase in cases of infant microcephaly, a neurological disorder that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads, resulting in se- vere developmental issues and sometimes death. More than 2,400 sus- pected cases of microcephaly were reported in Brazil in 2015, compared to 147 cases in 2014. The outbreak prompted health officials in Brazil to warn women to avoid becoming pregnant. Concerns about the ef- fects of the virus on fetuses prompted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to issue a statement last week rec- ommending that all preg- nant women avoid traveling to areas affected by the virus. “Because there is neither a vaccine nor prophylactic medications available to pre- vent Zika virus infection, CDC recommends that all preg- nant women consider post- poning travel to areas where Zika virus transmission is ongoing,” the CDC advised. “If a pregnant woman travels to an area with Zika virus trans- mission, she should be ad- vised to strictly follow steps to avoid mosquito bites.” According to Dr. Williams, there were no suspected cases in the Cayman Islands as of Tuesday. Medical ser- vice providers have been ad- vised to be on the lookout for any local cases. Given that there is no vac- cine or medicine to treat Zika, containment of an outbreak is a “top priority for Public Health,” according to the de- partment’s press release. Measures for controlling the spread of Zika are sim- ilar to those used to control dengue and chikungunya, ac- cording to Mosquito Research and Control Unit Director Dr. Bill Petrie. All three diseases are transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. “Until a vaccine is devel- oped, the MRCU remains steadfast in its efforts to en- sure the Aedes aegypti popu- lation is suppressed through effective vector control strat- egies,” Dr. Petrie said. A travel health clinic is held on Thursdays in the Public Health Department at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Residents with travel plans can get advice on what dis- eases are present in their country of destination and what vaccines or precautions are needed. Travel warning issued amid Zika virus concerns Anglin’s mom thankful after second not guilty verdict James WhittaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The mother of Devon Anglin claims her son should never have been charged with the killing of 4-year-old Jeremiah Barnes. Speaking after the 30-year-old was cleared of the murder for a second time, Katina Anglin said he had been unfairly targeted for the crime. “We will never stop thanking God for the court’s upholding of the ‘not guilty’ verdict previously handed down by Justice [Howard] Cooke in the first trial,” said Ms. Anglin. She added that she was disheartened that a retrial had been held following the first verdict to “appease the public.” Devon Anglin re- mains in prison, where he is serving a life sentence for the murder of Carlo Webster. Jeremiah Barnes was fa- tally shot while seated be- hind his father, Andy Barnes, in the family car at the Hell Gas Station in West Bay on Feb. 10, 2010. It was accepted by both the defense and the prosecution that the boy’s fa- ther was the intended target. The boy’s parents, Andy Barnes and Dorlisa Ebanks, both identified Anglin as the shooter. Anglin’s law- yers pointed to inconsisten- cies in their evidence. Justice Charles Quin, in his ruling Tuesday, said the couple had only a short window to ob- serve the shooter and sug- gested their identification evidence could not be re- lied on to say, beyond rea- sonable doubt, that Anglin was the killer. Police Commissioner David Baines said he was dis- appointed with the verdict. “Today our thoughts are with Dorlisa Ebanks and Andy Barnes, the parents of Jeremiah Barnes, who have waited so long for closure to this tragic ordeal since the murder of their innocent four-year-old son in 2010. They fully played their part in ensuring that evidence was presented at trial, and have sought justice for their son for several years now,” the commissioner said in a statement Wednesday. Ms. Anglin said the case against her son had relied on false identification evidence and inconsequential circum- stantial details, such as his Nike Air trainers. She said she was sorry for the death of the 4-year- old but insisted her son was innocent. “I also need the public to understand this. The family or Jeremiah was not the only family that endured this. Among other things, I was forced to flee the country be- cause of threats.” She said she had endured two trials, listening to “state- ments of hatred and persecu- tion” about her son. She added, “Please do not be alarmed that we did not present a defense case. We didn’t need to. The prosecu- tion’s own experts and their other witnesses called proved that my son was not only ‘not guilty,’ but truly innocent of the charges he was accused of. “We thank God and the courts for this righteous judgement and the few true friends who stuck it out with us through it all and the de- fense team in its entirety, through Samson & McGrath.” Devon Anglin, pictured here at a Northward Prison concert last year, was found not guilty Tuesday of the murder of 4-year-old Jeremiah Barnes. Rough winds, seas expected thRough the weekend Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Forecasters warn that the next five days could bring a rough combination of high winds and choppy seas through the end of the week. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service issued a small craft advi- sory Wednesday and cau- tions boaters to be careful through the end of the weekend as forecasters expect wave heights to reach 5 to 7 feet over the weekend. The forecast from the Weather Service calls for clouds and winds to stick around through Saturday, with the highest chance for rain and possible thun- derstorms on Friday. Winds through the weekend are forecast to be from 10 to 20 knots through the end of the weekend. Strong gusts could come out of the east Thursday before the winds shift to northerly by Sunday. Over the weekend, forecasters expect rough seas, “especially along the west and northerly exposed coasts.” Small boats “should exercise caution over the open waters,” Weather Service forecasters warn. A new cold front will likely move into the area late Friday, and the over- night temperatures for Saturday and Sunday are expected to be in the mid-60s Fahrenheit, with highs in the mid to upper 70s. Satellite imagery shows a cold front headed to Cayman for the weekend.Thursday January 21, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Bodden Town 50 years ago: Call for accessible long-term financing In the Jan. 19, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town cor- respondent Arthur Hunter wrote: “Today there are at least four un- finished homes in this town, two of which are not fit for occupancy. This is a sight that is even more familiar in other districts of Grand Cayman. The reason for it is fairly obvious. It is the lack of adequate long term fi- nancing. Few of our seamen can earn sufficient or stay away long enough to be able to build a home after one trip. Consequently, they are forced to build their homes piecemeal over a span of years and several trips. In the mean- time they either pay rent or live with members of their families. “The same problem is faced by those who remain at home. Local wages are such that it takes many years for a man to be able to build a home from his job earnings. “The commercial ambitions of our local citizens are stifled because in most cases they are unable to fi- nance a new business without re- sort to foreign capital, a method that usually places the local stock- holder in the minority. “The commercial banks provide some assistance but their short-term loan facilities do not suffice in cases of an individual wanting to build a new home and pay for it over a rea- sonably long period. In like manner, the small businessman is unlikely to get assistance from international banking institutions. “With government being unable fi- nancially to fill the gap the only an- swer is a Mortgage and Loan Co. whereby local citizens can enjoy the facility of building a home and living in it while they pay over a period of, say, ten years. “Likewise, a local businessman could embark on his dreamed venture and pay as he earns. “Let us hope that some of our wealthy visitors interested in our local development will see the light. By filling this vacuum they will be rendering a greater service than merely indulging in speculative in- vestment by buying land and letting it remain idle for a number of years at little benefit to these islands other than the Land Transfer Stamp Duty.” Bodden Town students race to finish line Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com School House Sand left their competitors in the dust as they raced to the finish line at Bodden Town Primary School Sports Day at the Truman Bodden Complex on Friday, Jan. 15. Sand finished first with 543 points; Sea finished second with 493 points; and Sun came in third with 383 points. The sports day activities began with Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo blowing the whistle for the first race for Year 1 students. The children were in- volved in a range of sporting activities at the complex grounds, and were cheered on by their classmates. The main emphasis was on enjoyment, skill development, fitness and participation. All children contrib- uted points to their school house for each event they participated in. The sack race was a good run by students. alyssa eccles and Tyrece Whittaker watch the sports. Bodden Town MLa aLva suckoo signals the start of the race.Cayman Compass • Thursday January 21, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Bodden Town CIEF National Jumping Series kicks off These young equestrians were among the many competitors taking part in the first of four events in the Cayman Islands Equestrian Federation National Jumping Series held at the Cayman Riding School in Savannah on Sunday, Jan. 10. Over the next few months local riders will be competing at different venues in a number of categories for horses and ponies. Riders and their horses work as a team maneuvering through a course of show jumping obstacles, including verticals, spreads, and double combinations, usually with many turns and changes of direction. The intent is to jump cleanly over a set course within an allotted time. Pictured with ‘Blitzen’ the pony, from left are Charli Milgate, Megan Swartz, Ashley van den Bol, Saskia Drake, Abbey Swartz. - Photo: GeorGe Nowak According to Cayman’s Economics and Statistics Office, Bodden Town is the second most populated dis- trict of the Cayman Islands, which has a total estimated population of 59,054. In its Cayman Islands’ Labour Force Survey Report Spring 2015, the ESO popu- lation estimate for Bodden Town is 12,092, representing 20.5 percent of the Cayman Islands population. This number does not include people in institu- tions, such as prisons and nursing homes. With an average household size of 3.1, Bodden Town had an esti- mated 3,935 households rep- resenting 17.7 percent of Cayman’s households. Bodden Town has 1,036 more women than men, with 6,564 (54.3 percent) women and 5,528 (45.7 percent) men. The period between 1989 and 2010, Bodden Town was by far the fastest growing district in terms of popula- tion, increasing from 3,407 people in 1989 to 10,543 people in 2010, a growth of 209 percent, which amounts to an annual growth rate of about 5.5 percent. did you kNow? Lions welcome new members It was a time to honor the past, recognize ser- vice and look to the fu- ture for members of Grand Cayman’s Lions community on Saturday, Jan. 16. Club members came to- gether for fellowship, awards and to welcome new mem- bers at Joel Walton’s “The Plantation” in Lower Valley at a luncheon celebrating the birthday of the founder of Lions International, Melvin Jones. Three Melvin Jones Fellowships were pre- sented at the event. Cordella Chollette and Andrew Hulse of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman were recognized for their work in sight con- servation during the Grand Cayman Lions Club’s annual sight screening program in September and October 2015. The third fellowship was pre- sented to Jerrique Seymour, past president of the Leo Club of Grand Cayman, in recognition of his leadership. Andrew Eden was pinned his ninth Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship. Grand Cayman Lion President Ewan Jacques commended the re- cipients for their dedica- tion and selfless contribu- tion to the Cayman Islands, describing Mr. Eden as “epit- omizing a man of devotion and strong belief in service whose continued support of Lions Club International through the Progressive Melvin Jones Fellowship pro- gram is exceptional.” The occasion was marked by the induction of new members. The Lions Club of Grand Cayman inducted Gary Franklin, Michael Troop and Daniel Reid, a former Grand Cayman Leo, while the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens in- ducted Miriam Ebanks and Tonita Powell in a cere- mony performed by Region 4 Chairman Elva Smith. Reminding the newly in- ducted members of their re- sponsibilities as members of the world’s largest ser- vice organization, Ms. Smith asked them to wear their pins and vests with pride. The new members were wel- comed by their fellow Lions with the Lions Roar led by John Ebanks. Deborah (Debbi) Ebanks – the district’s environment and climate change chairman – made a presentation high- lighting the club’s Centennial Service Challenges targeting youth, vision, hunger and the environment. She urged those present to commit to the “3 R’s of reducing, re- using and recycling,” and adding a fourth challenge to replant. Attendees were also en- couraged to attend the club’s 2017 convention in Chicago which will mark the club’s 100th year. Lunch was catered by Liberty’s Restaurant and bar service was provided by Brian Barnes Mobile Bartending Service. New members Gary Franklin, Daniel Reid, Michael Troop, Tonita Powell and Miriam Ebanks. From left, Melvin Jones Fellows Jerrique Seymour, Andrew Hulse, Cordella Chollette and President Ewan Jacques.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Thursday January 21, 2016 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, JAN. 21 CULTURE JAM: Play readings at the Harquail Studio theater. 6:30 p.m. Plays are “The Navigation Tree” by Lennon Christian and “The Onliest Fisherman” by Slade Hopkinson. Free admission, refreshments on sale. Cash bar. SPECIAL NIGHT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS: Dinner dance for adults, play stations for children. 6–8 p.m. The Lighthouse School canteen will be the setting for parents of children with special needs, and teaching and specialist staff. Live music, massage therapy and information on support services. Mary Miller Hall will be only for children with special needs and their siblings, with games, stories, videos and activities for all needs and abilities. For free tickets, contact the Family Resource Centre in the Compass Centre, 949-0006, frc@gov.ky. PUB QUIZ: Fidel Murphy’s, 7 p.m., to benefit Humane Society. $10 per person, with maximum of six persons per team. To reserve a table, contact 949-5189 or sarah.dyer.81@gmail.com. CHAMBER COURSE: “Time Management and Productivity” by Catherine Tyson. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $150; Future members $225. Register online at www. caymanchamber.ky/events. FRIDAY, JAN. 22 JUNIOR YOUTH ORCHESTRA: Any students age 12 or younger who play an orchestral instrument are invited to join in the Cayman Arts Festival. Rehearsals are Fridays 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the John Gray High School Music Department. Email fmcconvey@yahoo.com for more information. SATURDAY, JAN. 23 BURNS SUPPER: Cayman HospiceCare hosts a Burns Supper at the Grand Old House. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased from Cayman HospiceCare at Conch Shell House on North Sound Way. MULCHING: The Department of Environmental Health will mulch Christmas trees at the Smith Road Cricket Oval at 9 a.m. and showcase a new wood grinding machine, nicknamed “The Beast.” Residents and children are welcome to watch the mulching process before claiming their free mulch. DEH staff asks interested persons to arrive on time in the morning and to bring their own bags and shovels. SUNDAY, JAN. 24 NATIONAL HEROES: Wesleyan Holiness Church on Northwest Point Road in West Bay invites everyone to a special patriotic worship service at 11 a.m. Individuals who have made significant contributions in agriculture will be honored. GARDEN CLUB FAMILY DAY IN THE PARK: The Garden Club of Grand Cayman hosts a Family Fun Day at Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Games, performances, tours, local food and more. Call 925-5531. MONDAY, JAN. 25 NATIONAL HEROES DAY: The National Heroes Day celebrations take place at Heroes Square in George Town at 9 a.m. Attendees are asked to be seated by 8:30 a.m. Dress code is business attire. Pioneers of agriculture will be honored. Following the ceremony there will be a celebration of food and music in the George Town Public Library car park. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27 ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE: Cardinall Avenue in central George Town will be closed from 10 p.m. tonight until 3 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30 for the Poinciana Festival. Part of Albert Panton Avenue (between Cardinall Avenue and the Scotia Bank parking lot) will also be closed for the festivities. THURSDAY, JAN. 28 BUSINESS WORKSHOP: “Social Media Tips for Micro and Small Businesses” by Cayman Islands Yellow Pages and KRyS Global. 5:30–7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. BRAC COURT: Summary Court is held at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre from 10 a.m. today and tomorrow. FRIDAY, JAN. 29 POINCIANA FESTIVAL: Event runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. along Cardinall Avenue and George Town waterfront. Local artists will have a variety of art, photos, crafts and jewelry for sale. Street dance with live music and food. For more information, email info@poinciana.ky. SUNDAY, JAN. 31 STRIDE AGAINST CANCER: Cayman Islands Cancer Society annual fundraiser. Half-marathon (13.1 miles) begins at Seven Mile Beach Public Beach at 6 a.m. Quarter-marathon (6.5 miles) begins at 7 a.m. at Public Beach. North Side Stride begins at 7 a.m. from the boat launch next to Over the Edge, ending at Kaibo. Transport back to boat launch provided. The Little Cayman Stride starts at 7 a.m. from the Southern Cross Club. The Cayman Brac Stride starts at 7 a.m. at the Alexander Hotel and goes to the Reef Hotel. For registration and payment details, visit www.cics.ky/ index.php/Events/stride-2016. MARITIME SCHOLARSHIP: Today is the deadline to apply. The Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs offer a scholarship in the areas of naval architecture, marine engineering, marine survey, maritime administration and nautical studies. Applicants should be 18 or over. Consideration will be given to applicants looking at specialist maritime legal services, human resource management, accounting, information technology and other areas which support the maritime sector. Information at www.cishipping.com or human.resources@cishipping. com, or 949-8831 or the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry Facebook page. ‘HATITUDE’ TRUST GALA: Fundraiser for the National Trust at Grand Old House. Patrons are encouraged to dress as someone famous from history, whether real or fantasy, in full regalia or just highlighted by choice of hat. Tickets for Brunch Upon a Time are available at the Trust retail store at the Dart Family Park in South Sound. Unlimited bubbles and a brunch buffet. Cost: $75 for Trust members, $100 for non-members, $105 for Trust annual membership and ticket, $1,500 for a corporate table. For further information or to reserve tickets, email marketing@nationaltrust. org.ky or call 749-1121. OVERSEAS SCHOLARSHIPS: The application process for overseas tertiary scholarships began on Nov. 15. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 31. Visit www.education.gov.ky/ scholarships to apply online. GENERAL INTEREST CAREERS, EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Chamber of Commerce Expo to be held on Feb. 26. Businesses interested in exhibiting should contact Nicola Burke at 743-9129 or email membership@ caymanchamber.ky. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates and times are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. TREE MULCH: Through Friday, Jan. 22, collection containers for natural Christmas trees will be placed at sites across Grand Cayman, including the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay, the Smith Road Cricket Oval, Spotts Dock and at the entrance of Frank Sound Road. See Jan. 23. BEAUTIFUL BABY CONTEST: To be held at the 49th Agricultural Show on Feb. 10, Ash Wednesday, at the Stacy Watler Pavilion, Lower Valley at 11 a.m. Open to boys and girls ages infants to 48 months. For more information and registration forms, contact Eziethamae “Zeta” Bodden, 916-1559. BUSINESS LICENSING: Business owners now have the option of paying their trade and business licensing fees using bank- issued credit and debit cards. License fees are payable at the counter, located on the first floor in the Government Administration Building, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Mondays to Fridays. For more information, call the Department of Commerce and Investment on 945-0943 or email info@dci.gov.ky. ADULT ART COURSES: New art courses at the National Gallery include drawing and painting, followed by batik and hatting. See www. nationalgallery.org.ky/news/ ngci2016adultcourses. CONSUMER PROTECTION: The Law Reform Commission invites comment on the discussion paper, Consumer Protection – Entrenching Consumer Supremacy in Cayman Islands Legislation. The paper can be viewed on www.lrc.gov.ky. Submissions should be emailed to cilrc@gov.ky or sent by post or hand to the Director of the Law Reform Commission, 4th Floor, Government Administration Building, Portfolio of Legal Affairs, 133 Elgin Avenue, George Town, Grand Cayman, P.O. Box 136, Grand Cayman KY1-9000. Deadline is April 29. EXHIBITION EN MAS’: The National Gallery is the venue for the exhibition of “Carnival and Performance Art of the Caribbean.” This traveling exhibition explores the influences of Carnival on contemporary performance and practices internationally. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@visualartcayman.com. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar. On Saturday, Cayman HospiceCare will hold a Burns Supper at the Grand Old House in celebration of 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Thursday January 21, 2016 against Watson during his cross examination. The Crown’s allegation against Watson centers on an accusation that Watson and Webb controlled the local company that re- ceived the CarePay con- tract – AIS Cayman Ltd. – through the use of “sham” frontmen directors. Those directors were used to cover Watson and Webb’s involve- ment in the scheme to de- fraud the government, Mr. Moran said. Questioning Watson about a number of ac- counting spreadsheets re- covered from his jump drives, Mr. Moran asked, “Why did you allocate 30 percent of AIS’s total fee … why did you fantasize about your company [The W Group] being allocated 30 percent of the fee?” “Mr. Moran, it never hap- pened,” Mr. Watson replied. “I was putting some of my thoughts down on a spread- sheet. If it’s suggested we should be prosecuted for our thoughts …” “You’re being prosecuted for conspiracy to defraud … because that is what you were doing when you con- spired with Mr. Webb,” Mr. Moran alleged. Watson de- nied the allegation. Spreadsheets Mr. Moran said exami- nation of the new evidence from Watson’s jump drives revealed that the former HSA board chairman was at- tempting to compare com- peting bids for the HSA contract at the time those spreadsheets were ac- cessed. One of those bids was from AIS Cayman’s overseas partner, AIS Jamaica, and another was from a California company called Cap Management Systems or CMS. Mr. Moran alleged that it appeared Watson was “run- ning the numbers,” or at- tempting to do so, in favor of AIS – the company he had an interest in. The Crown pros- ecutor said it appeared in some of the early calcula- tions that Watson, an accoun- tant, came up with showed the California company being the cheaper of the two op- tions for the HSA patient data management contract. Watson said those calcu- lations were incorrect and that he received updated data regarding the total monetary amount of patient claims the HSA and the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company processed each year. “The HSA [claims] numbers were too high,” Watson said. “There are still different [annual] claims values … $65 million for HSA and $85 mil- lion for CINICO,” Mr. Moran said. “You’re just playing with numbers, aren’t you? It’s what you do.” Mr. Watson said the dif- ferent spreadsheet numbers were just a “what if” game and nothing more. “And the ‘what if’ game is what if The W Group had already agreed to a 30 per- cent kickback with Douglas Halsall [the owner of AIS Jamaica],” Mr. Moran alleged. According to Mr. Moran, on the same group of ac- counting spreadsheets, Watson had calculated the annual returns to AIS Jamaica and its local part- ners – AIS Cayman – based on a 3 percent charge for each patient transaction from ei- ther the HSA or from CINICO. For example, if a patient was charged $100 for a healthcare service, the CarePay system would ensure that AIS would receive $3 on that transaction as a processing fee. On a separate spread- sheet, the Crown alleged Watson had proposed a 4 percent transaction fee, which would have ended up sending more money both to AIS Jamaica and to its local partners – Watson and Webb. “Those calculations are correct, aren’t they?” Mr. Moran asked. “Yes, but it never hap- pened,” Watson replied. Watson has consistently de- nied any involvement in the operation or management of AIS Cayman Ltd. He does not deny ownership of The W Group with Webb. Bid documents The comparison between AIS and Cap Management bids for the hospital con- tract was presented at the end of November 2010, with AIS Cayman Ltd. and its over- seas partners being declared the winners. The bid documents ini- tially submitted on behalf of AIS were turned in on Nov. 5, 2010, according to testimony in the case. It was revealed during cross examination, again based on evidence from Watson’s jump drives, that a cover letter submitted by AIS Jamaica owner, Mr. Halsall, for the bids was altered the night before the bid was sub- mitted and then accessed again the morning of the bid deadline. The changes were saved on a flash drive that had been in Watson’s com- puter, Mr. Moran said. Watson said Webb had been on his computer and changed the details of the cover letter. Mr. Moran said the last access time on the cover letter bid document was 10:19 a.m. the day of the deadline for bid submissions. Mr. Moran asked whether that letter would have ac- curately reflected what AIS Jamaica owner Douglas Halsall had written. “It seems like it would have accurately reflected what Mr. Webb wanted to add,” Watson said. “Somebody had falsified Mr. Halsall’s letter, hadn’t they?” Mr. Moran asked. “No,” Watson said. “It’s a somewhat unusual role for the chairman of the HSA to play … to bring a bid to the Central Tenders Committee, amend the cover letter, watch Jeff Webb put it in an envelope and open it [at the tenders committee meeting on Nov. 5] as if you’d never seen it before,” Mr. Moran said. “Is that normal?” Watson said it was not unusual, given what he and the HSA wanted to achieve with the CarePay project and in the context of the way the project devel- oped. When the bids were opened at central tenders on Nov. 5, 2010, the fee to be charged for hospital patient processing was 4 percent per transaction. The ‘handcuff’ clause In testimony Wednesday, it was also re- vealed that Watson person- ally altered a section of the AIS-CarePay contract that dealt with renewal terms. The original contract between AIS, the HSA and CINICO was for five years, with an optional renewal clause to be exercised, if desired, 12 months prior to the end of the contract. The contract was al- tered to state that the re- newal would be “auto- matic” unless either party in the contract exercised the get-out clause 12 months before the end of the contract. “This clause was a set of handcuffs for the HSA and CINICO, wasn’t it?” Mr. Moran asked. “That wasn’t the intent,” Mr. Watson said. “I saw it as a clearer understanding of what Mr. Halsall was asking.” A lawyer on the HSA board, Wanda Ebanks, warned Watson in an email about the automatic renewal clause. Watson testified that he received her email but did not change the automatic renewal clause in the con- tract because Mr. Halsall wanted it. CarePay trial Crown: Watson fantasized about kickbacks international market price, which is passed to con- sumers without a markup; and fuel duty, set at approx- imately 3 cents per kWh, a consequence of government per-gallon charges to CUC on imports of fuel. Duty fees are also passed to consumers without a markup, and have ranged from a high of 75 cents per gallon to the current 25 cents per gallon, reached on Jan. 1 this year. The latest cuts, however, will not ap- pear on consumer bills until March. “We are pleased that customers are benefitting from the current lower fuel prices,” said CUC president and CEO Richard Hew. He said the company would “continue to push to- wards getting alternative energy sources to be con- nected to the grid and with improving our overall plant fuel efficiency.” A new 5 megawatt, $18 million solar farm is sched- uled to open in Bodden Town in October. Meanwhile, CUC’s Customer Owned Renewable Energy program, in which individuals gen- erate their own solar energy on rooftop systems and then sell it to the utility, buying it back as required, is nearing its 4 MW cap. Mr. Hew also pointed to CUC’s $85 million installation of two 18.5 MW German-made diesel gen- erators, scheduled for June, and a 2.7 MW heat-recovery system, yielding additional capacity of 39.7 MW, making the new engines “the most fuel-efficient diesel genera- tors in the Caribbean.” CUC overseer, the Electricity Regulatory Authority, announced ap- proval on Oct. 30 for Cayman’s first utility-scale solar project and first cor- porate non-CUC power sup- plier. Entropy Cayman Solar Ltd. will build a 20-acre solar array east of Bodden Town, expected to be com- missioned in October. The price of a solar-gen- erated kWh will be approx- imately 17 cents, nearly 35 percent below current diesel- generated prices, although market forecasts predict a further decline in oil prices. Charles Farrington, ERA managing director, said that due to the drop in oil prices, “the fuel factor could well fall to 10 cents in the coming months. “Compare this to the … 17 cents for the first year [of] solar kWhs that CUC will buy from Entropy.” Pointing to the vola- tility of Middle East oil, however, he said costs of solar-generated electricity during the 25-year term of the Entropy agreement are likely to prove cheaper on average “because it is still expected that the price of diesel will rise much faster,” especially if world leaders combat climate change and rising temperatures with a carbon tax, he added. “Any reduction in price for electricity is good,” said Jim Knapp, managing director of locally based Endless Energy Cayman. “Unfortunately, this is only a temporary reduc- tion and can’t be counted on as long term.” Declining oil prices will not last, he said. “Invariably, it will only take a small destabilization in the Middle East to sky- rocket the price of oil again to levels that will be unsustain- able. Our entire infrastruc- tures for water, transporta- tion, cooling and electricity are all currently dependent upon oil,” said Mr. Knapp, a former vice chairman of the Cayman Renewable Energy Association. a chorus of opposition and was deemed unfeasible by the Department of Environment. Mr. Dilbert was asked to fund an environmental impact assessment study on the de- velopment but refused, citing the involvement of Department of Environment officials in the environmental impact assess- ment process as a conflict of interest. He said this week that his position has not changed and he is not considering re- opening the hotel. “My position is that while it is overgrown, and it pains me a lot to see it that way, there is nothing I can do at this point,” he told the Cayman Compass. “I am still waiting for them to get this harbor thing going.” He said there were no economic concerns with the venture and the hotel had received glowing tourist re- views, but the visitor experi- ence was spoiled by the smell from the pond. “People loved the hotel, but it was ruined by the smell. I couldn’t continue to put my name behind it. My pride is too much to be associated with those kind of adverse re- views and reactions.” Despite the unkempt ap- pearance of the property and the state of the swimming pool, Mr. Dilbert says it is safe and secure. He said the building itself and the rooms are in good condition and he could feasibly reopen within a few weeks. But he insisted it was not worth spending the money to reopen the property without the pond issue being resolved. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, during a trip to the Brac last week for the opening of the newly renovated Cayman Brac Beach Resort, said improvements to that hotel combined with increased airlift to the island showed things were picking up. Asked about the importance of the Alexander Hotel reopening, he said, “It is important generally for us to get more hotel rooms on Cayman Brac. Everything is a chain. Once you see that we are bringing in more people, you will see private in- vestment increase.” Mr. Kirkconnell said he had not had any new dis- cussions with the Dilbert family over the Alexander Hotel. He said there were government staff on site every day dealing with the smell from the pond: “It is not completely gone, but it is much better than it was.” He said he felt government was doing its job by im- proving airlift and creating the environment for develop- ment to take place. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Oil, solar contribute to decrease in CUC power bills Overgrown alexander Hotel remains in limbo the landscaping at Cayman Brac’s now-closed alexander Hotel has spilled over onto the driveway leading to the front door. – Photo: James Whittaker CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >