High of 82 Low of 73 Seas: moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet especially along the west and north coasts. Legends on the court Art, in Layman’s terms Len Layman turns to wood turning B6 Special events Special events Art Poinciana Festival Artistic talent abounds B8 Who will wear the crown in 2016? Wear it with attitude National Trust’s ‘Hatitude’ calls for flair B2 Friday January 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass ■ special events the court Camana Bay hosts all-time greats of tennis B5 Find out at Miss Cayman pageant Saturday night B4 Cayman weekender Poinciana Festival Editorial | pagE 4 The Chamber’s Changing of The guard eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – friday January 29, 2016 Environmentally friendly office building opens at Camana Bay First LEED Gold- certified mixed-use building in the Caribbean aLan marKoff amarkoff@pinnaclemedialtd.com The grand opening of a new Class A office building at Camana Bay, called 18 Forum Lane, was celebrated with a re- ception and ribbon-cutting cer- emony Wednesday night. The four-story building is not only the first mixed-use com- mercial building in the Cayman Islands to earn LEED Gold cer- tification for its environmental sustainability, it is also the first such building in the Caribbean. Some of the many environ- mentally friendly features in- clude solar panels, solar LED lighting, a cistern to catch rain- water to flush toilets, LEED- approved coolants and air fil- ters in the air conditioning system, and drought-resistant landscaping plants. Dart Realty Cayman Ltd. Chief Operating Officer Jackie New tourism commercials launched James WhiTTaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new tourism advertising campaign focusing on the Cayman Islands’ core strengths of beach, ocean and water sports has launched in the U.S. The latest “CaymanKind” commercials began appearing on television in New York and Miami this week. Rosa Harris, director of the Department of Tourism, said the new concept was aimed at differentiating the Cayman Islands from other destinations in the region. She said the ads were less action-packed and focused on specific ex- periences, enabling potential tourists to imagine themselves in Cayman. In one of the ads, a woman gently sways in a hammock under a palm tree, with the clear blue ocean in the fore- ground. A voice-over states, “There is so much to explore on our three beautiful islands.” As a waiter arrives with a cocktail, the voice-over continues, “Don’t worry, there’s always tomorrow.” Ms. Harris said the idea was that vis- itors could hear the sound of the waves and the ice tinkling in the glass and imagine themselves in Cayman. Two other 30-second commercials focus on snor- keling and Stingray City. Ms. Harris said, “This is what you call price of entry – it’s beach, it’s water sports, it’s why people want to come to the Cayman Islands, so we lead off with those two platforms.” Filmed over five days in November, the new ads and wider multimedia campaign all use the slogan, “Find CarePay trial Crown, watson’s attorneys make final arguments brenT fuLLer bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Crown prosecutors began closing speeches Thursday morning in the criminal trial of Canover Watson, who is accused in connec- tion with a scheme to defraud the Cayman Islands government in relation to the CarePay patient swipe-card contract for the public hospital system. Watson has pleaded not guilty to all six charges in the indictment. The Cayman Compass is awaiting the com- pletion of both prosecution and defense clos- ings prior to reporting the comments made by both sides. The closings were expected to wrap up on Friday. new Chamber boss sees Changing times ahead James WhiTTaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Paul Pearson came to the Cayman Islands to manage the Hard Rock Café and ended up running his own development company. Now, as he takes over as president of the Chamber of Commerce, he believes those two industries, hospitality and construction, are becoming more vital than ever to Cayman’s future. The business lobby group has outlined concerns that the financial services industry is in decline and the steady stream of middle- income jobs in that sector can no longer be PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Representatives of PwC, DECCO and Dart Realty, including Chief Operating Officer Jackie Doak, fifth from left, as well as Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton, sixth from left, get ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon and officially open 18 Forum Lane on Wednesday. – Photo: alan markoff The newly opened 18 Forum Lane building where PwC now has its offices. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Wish you were here: Cayman Tourism’s new ads focus on the islands’ core strengths of sun, sea and water sports.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Friday January 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass TOMORROW Saturday, Jan 30th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics TONIGHT Friday, January 29th “BOOGIE NIGHTS”“BOOGIE NIGHTS” Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics TONIGHT Friday, January 29thFriday, January 29th Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing FINALLY, THE LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH HAS ARRIVED! Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky Casual indoor & outdoor dining with a local flair. Family friendly & affordable. 94-PASTA [ 947.2782 ] • Marquee Plaza Enjoy Dinner Tonight at Try One of Our Signature Dishes Banana Wrap Snapper Former shooting champ dies in diving accident James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A tourist who died in a diving accident this week was a world champion sport shooter and the former presi- dent of USA Shooting. Michael English, 54, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, died after getting into diffi- culties diving off North West Point, West Bay, Tuesday. Mr. English was cele- brating his 30th wedding anniversary in the Cayman Islands. According to friends, he was an experienced scuba diver. USA Shooting issued a statement Thursday in tribute to Mr. English, who was also a three-time Pan American Games medalist. “USA Shooting lost a long-time supporter with the sudden passing of Mike. We extend our heartfelt and fullest sympathy to his family during their time of grief,” said USA Shooting President Dr. James M. Lally. “Mike was a hunter, a competitor, a volunteer, and a leader in our sport; he will be missed by many.” Mr. English was a five- time national champion in the running target discipline. He won gold at the World Championships in 1981. He later served as pres- ident and chairman of the board of USA Shooting Inc. and also held the post of director of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for shooting. He hails from a deco- rated shooting family and his daughter Amber is a current national team member vying to qualify for the Olympics, according to the statement. He also leaves a wife, Ana, and son Josh. Emergency services were alerted to reports of a diver in difficulty off North West Point shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday, according to a police statement. The dive crew adminis- tered CPR before emergency services arrived to take over, the statement added. Mr. English was transported to the Cayman Islands Hospital where he was later pro- nounced dead. Cayman tourism chiefs disappointed with BBC documentary DoT helped facilitate filming but was unaware of content James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Tourism bosses say they are disappointed with the content of the recent BBC documentary on the Cayman Islands. The Department of Tourism, through its London office, helped arrange some of the interviews for the pro- duction, “Britain’s Trillion Pound Island.” Director Rosa Harris said it had come to the de- partment as a query from Chalkboard productions about a lifestyle-type show. “The Department of Tourism did not sponsor it. We were merely a facilitator of the program. It is unfortu- nate. We are all disappointed in terms of the tone and what was showcased for the brand and the destination.” She said the Department of Tourism had simply passed on the request from the production company, which had filmed a program in 2014 on Brits living in the Cayman Islands. “That’s when the ad- vancement of covering Cayman more came about with the lifestyle plat- form, which obviously was under the disguise of trying to unearth a tax haven,” she added. “Chalkboard reached out to numerous persons. We passed on information but didn’t get involved. It was only after the fact that we were aware of what the stor- yline actually was,” she said. It is understood that the production company had initially planned a reality- style show about people with British links living in Cayman. It was only after the show was taken on by the BBC that the theme was altered to include the “tax haven” angle and jour- nalist Jacques Peretti came on board to again interview some of the participants. Cayman officials do have the power through the Film Commission to reject permits for productions if the con- tent could be damaging to the destination. “If it is not a good fit for the destination and we are aware of it, we would treat it in that manner and advise accordingly,” said Ms. Harris. “We would never do anything damaging to our brand.” There is a downside, however, to refusing access to film crews, no matter what their agenda. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell suggests government would be reluctant to deny ac- cess to film crews based on content. He added, “I think if the DoT or government had said ‘I’m sorry, you can’t come and do a story here in Cayman about financial centers or tax havens’ or whatever, you can imagine the negative publicity the Cayman Islands could have gotten from that.” He said the challenge now is to turn a negative into a positive and parlay the name recognition and spectacular images that came out of the documentary into a tourism marketing opportunity. “We are where we are,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “The story is out. It’s obviously created a stir here and quite a few people have commented on it. “What we have to un- derstand is how we can use this to our advantage, having Cayman globally seen. If we follow that up in a positive light, we believe it can help us from that standpoint.” EldErly woman diEs aftEr car crash in Brac An elderly driver died in Cayman Brac on Wednesday morning after losing control of her car. Police named the woman as Vinola Ebanks, aged 86. Officers and emer- gency personnel responded to the single-car accident on Stake Bay Road near Kirkconnell Supermarket. Police said Ms. Ebanks ap- pears to have been exiting the parking lot of the su- permarket when she lost control of her vehicle and hit a nearby light pole. She was pronounced dead at Faith Hospital. Vinola Ebanks Michael English, left, with fellow U.S. shooter Todd Bensley at the Pan Am Games in 1987, where Mr. English won gold. whistlEBlowEr hElps swiss prosEcutors in fifa, BlattEr casE (AP) – A whistleblower has given potentially key evidence to Swiss prose- cutors in their investiga- tion of FIFA and suspended president Sepp Blatter. The spokesman for Switzerland’s attorney gen- eral’s office, Andre Marty, revealed progress in the case in an interview broad- cast Thursday by German network ARD. “A witness, a so-called whistleblower, gave us in- teresting information rel- evant to the case, which brought us markedly for- ward in the criminal inves- tigation,” Marty said. Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber opened criminal proceedings against Blatter four months ago. The next day, Blatter was quizzed at FIFA and his office was raided immediately after chairing an executive com- mittee meeting. Blatter is suspected of criminal mismanage- ment and misappropria- tion of FIFA money linked to a $2 million payment to Michel Platini and selling undervalued World Cup TV rights for the Caribbean to then-FIFA vice president Jack Warner. Blatter signed a contract in 2005 that gave Warner, a key powerbroker in FIFA elections, control of re- gional rights the 2010 and 2014 World Cups for a total of $600,000. The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday January 29, 2016 Sign up for Flow TV and get a Samsung sound system discoverflow.ky/tv Terms and conditions apply. packages from Sign up for Flow TV and get a Samsung The 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. Friday January 29, 2016 • Cayman COmpass The Chamber’s changing of the guard Let us extend a welcoming hand to new Chamber of Commerce President Paul Pearson, and offer a congrat- ulatory pat on the back to outgoing Chamber President Barry Bodden for a job well done. Mr. Pearson, a longtime Cayman Islands resident who is originally from Ireland, is best known locally as the co-owner of Davenport Development. (You can read more about Mr. Pearson and the Chamber’s annual general meeting in news stories in today’s Compass.) During his debut performance as Chamber president, Mr. Pearson sounded the right notes and sang a song we like to hear. Early in his speech, he declared that one of his passions is education, and that he believes in the “symbiotic relationship” between business and the com- munity, with “each relying on the other for success.” Mr. Pearson went on to hone the rhetorical tips of those general points: “The protectionist/nationalist agenda of limiting work permits based on the belief that this will address unemployment among Caymanians is ill- advised and will only cause employers to downsize their businesses, outsource positions altogether or reduce their local operations.” He continued, “No building can stand without a firm foundation. This also applies to our workforce and the pre- paredness of the hundreds of high school students who graduate each year. Many young Caymanians attempt to enter the world of work but are ill-prepared for the current workplace. Education reform at all levels is required to bridge the gaps among the expectations of employers, the curricula in the classroom and the job prospects that are available in the marketplace.” Mr. Pearson correctly underscored the importance of a thriving economy — not for its own sake, neces- sarily, but to enable the furtherance of societal progress. He said, “Economic growth leads to higher incomes, lower unemployment, reduced government borrowing, improved public services and infrastructure, funding for environmental initiatives to protect our natural resources and ultimately, increased investment — all leading to a virtuous cycle of economic growth and a higher standard of living for all people living on our islands.” He punctuated that optimistic statement with a sharp contrast: “In politics, this message is often lost.” Of that truism, Mr. Pearson is obviously aware. But few are more immediately and intimately familiar with this current government’s relationship — or lack thereof — with local businesses than outgoing Chamber President Bodden. Mr. Bodden illustrated some of the Chamber’s lin- gering frustrations, particularly with government’s handling of the Labour Relations Bill. (As you may recall, we described an earlier version of the bill as “an anti- business screed that will benefit neither employees nor employers and will result in increased unemployment in the Cayman Islands — especially among young people just starting out on their career paths.”) Stunningly, Mr. Bodden revealed that the govern- ment hasn’t responded to the Chamber’s requests for a conversation on the topic, yet is moving forward with its own, as-yet-unseen, version of the legislation. “To date, there has been no attempt by [Employment Minister Tara Rivers] to engage with the Chamber. Furthermore, it is our understanding that a revised bill has been presented to caucus,” he said. Mr. Bodden also noted that the Chamber was not consulted on Premier Alden McLaughlin’s proposed “Ready2Work KY” program, where government will pay the salaries of some 245 unemployed Caymanians for six months if they are taken on by local businesses … meaning, primarily, the Chamber’s membership. We’ve previously given our general impression of the Ready2Work idea — in short, it “appears to be more of a scheme than a serious plan” to address unemploy- ment. We’ll simply add that government’s failure even to forewarn the Chamber throws an extra bucketful of water on the damp-match prospects of the initiative’s success. To close, we’ll hand the microphone to ex-President Bodden one last time, to sound off on the fundamental importance of education, and the fundamental wrongness of government’s asking the private sector to sacrifice the quality of its services for “social” (or “political”) reasons. Mr. Bodden said, “The private sector has always been willing to assist in these efforts but we must focus on education, training and up-skilling of our workforce so they are job-ready, as opposed to government asking the business community to lower their hiring standards and take on additional costs.” 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” Going overseas to stay competitive The Wall STreeT Journal ediTorial Board Here we go again. A major U.S. company merges with a foreign firm in part to avoid America’s punishing corpo- rate tax code, and the politi- cians who refuse to reform the code denounce the com- pany for trying to stay com- petitive. The gullible in the media then dutifully play along. Sigh. Let’s try to explain one more time why it makes per- fect business – and moral – sense for Johnson Controls to merge with Tyco, as it an- nounced Monday it would do. Tyco has a U.S. head- quarters in New Jersey but is legally domiciled in Cork, Ireland. Johnson Controls will own roughly 56 per- cent of the combined com- pany and its legal head- quarters will move to Cork from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it has been based for more than a century. To simplify for Democratic presidential candidates: The U.S. federal corporate in- come tax rate is 35 percent. The Irish rate is 12.5 percent. Johnson Controls says the tax savings from its move to Cork will be roughly US$150 million a year. A CEO obliged to act in the best interests of shareholders cannot ignore this com- petitive reality. The merger means that Johnson Controls will have more money to in- vest back in the U.S. because the income it earns overseas would not be subject to the U.S. tax rate. Only if Johnson kept its headquarters in the U.S. would its foreign earn- ings be double-taxed upon repatriation. If Johnson Controls refuses to do such a deal now, a foreign com- petitor might end up buying Johnson Controls anyway to achieve the same savings. As with other such tax “inversions,” there are also non-tax strategic reasons for the merger. The new com- pany will have under one roof much of the equipment and services desired by the owners of large commercial buildings, from air condi- tioning to fire suppression. But none of this busi- ness logic impresses Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, who helped to write the U.S. tax code as Senators but are now competing as presiden- tial candidates to see who can demagogue more fero- ciously against American employers. Clinton called the merger “outrageous” and Sanders is calling the execu- tives “corporate deserters.” Neither one wants to re- form the tax code to make U.S. tax rates more com- petitive with the rest of the world. Instead they want to raise the costs of doing busi- ness even further. Clinton’s solution is to raise taxes on investors with higher cap- ital-gains taxes, block in- version deals, and apply an “exit tax” to businesses that manage to escape. Sanders would go fur- ther and perform an imme- diate US$620 billion cashec- tomy on U.S. companies. The Vermonter would tax the money U.S. firms have earned overseas, even though that in- come has already been taxed in foreign jurisdictions and even if the companies aren’t bringing it into the U.S. Sanders’s campaign web- site says that after the big revenue grab in year one, his change would increase federal revenue by perhaps US$90 billion a year there- after. And he would limit fu- ture corporate inversions by taxing many inverting com- panies as if they never left. His revenue goal is a fan- tasy, because the practical ef- fect would be to encourage many more companies to flee American shores. Never mind the lost tax revenue, this kind of pun- ishing tax policy is immoral. Multinational corporations with global customers can always relocate to wher- ever it makes the most busi- ness sense. Their American employees aren’t so lucky because their livelihoods depend on thriving and competitive U.S. compa- nies. If the employees can’t move, or their companies can’t compete, they’re the ones who lose their jobs or don’t get raises. Has the Democratic Party moved so far left that it doesn’t un- derstand even this most basic of business realities? © 2016, The Wall Street Journal U.S. presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have fiercely criticized tax ‘inversions.’ - Photo: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday January 29, 2016 Meals On Wheels School of Hospitality StudiesFriday January 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days East End North Side In the Jan. 26, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a pre- cursor of the Cayman Compass, North Side correspondent Nettie McCoy wrote: “Here is a recommendation from one of our tourist friends: ‘Cayman’s most enjoyable day – a highlight of any vacation the world over. “Weston and Jerry aboard the R.G. Fisher provide the best in fishing by rod and reel and superb skin-diving over the reefs. “Fish, lobster and conch direct from the sea and prepared on the beach over an open fire provide a true gourmet’s delight. Drinks and hospitality at the Rum Point Club with Peter as your host add a de- lightful touch. “An outstanding experience – an absolute ‘must’ during your stay in Cayman. Una bella experienza.’” 50 years ago: High praise for an excellent day East End gears up for Agriculture Show Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman farmers are in the home stretch making final preparations in anticipation of taking part in and, hopefully, winning a ribbon at this year’s Agriculture Show. In East End, the farmers are leading their favorite prize ani- mals from their pastures and pens to get them washed and cleaned, while crafters are putting some final stitches to those special pieces they have been working on. This is the 49th year for the show, which takes place every Ash Wednesday, falling this year on Feb. 10. Exhibitors and scores of visi- tors are expected to convene at the Stacy Watler Agriculture Pavilion in Lower Valley. A first place ribbon is what farmer Evelyn McLaughlin is hoping to bring home when he enters his prize cow Princess and her calf in the cattle competition. The 78-year- old East End farmer and ex-seaman is fondly known as “the Butcher” in his district. On a recent morning out at his pasture, hearing his call, the cows came running over to be fed and patted. “See what a little bit of love can do,” said Mr. McLaughlin, leaning on Princess, and offering a healthy looking Senepol bull a banana, which gently took the fruit from his hand. “He always looks for the ba- nana when I arrive,” laughed Mr. McLaughlin. “I have been in the cattle busi- ness since 1962. I bought a piece of land and it came with three cows, and the herd expanded from there,” he said. “Princess was born in the front yard of my home in East End. When she had a calf, I brought her inland.” According to Mr. McLaughlin, Cayman is short on cows right now but he tries to keep his herd up by taking good care of his breeders. To pick which cows enter the show, Mr. McLaughlin looks for the ones that are easy to handle and in good condition. Princess is considered a favorite because she has already taken first and third places in the cattle com- petition in prior years. But the Agriculture Show is not just about livestock. Carmen Conolly, who has won prizes for thatch and craft work, is looking forward this year to adding to her collection of awards. A retired teacher, she is re- nowned as a connoisseur of crafts and embroidery and has been an ac- tive member of the church commu- nity in East End since 1955. In her collection are numerous straw hats, baskets, cushions and much more for the show. Ray Burton Kirchman says he is keeping a close watch over the prize pumpkins and melons in his garden, which will be picked the day before the show. “I always assist the East End committee with produce from my garden for the district stall,” he said. This year, Mr. Kirchman said he is looking to present cassava, wa- termelons and lots of produce from short-term crops at the show. Anyone interested in volun- teering at the show can contact the Agriculture Society directly, or George Smith at George.smith@gov.ky/925- 9743 or Kerry Forbes Kerry.forbes@ gov.ky/947-3696 before Feb. 3.Crafter Carmen Conolly displays works to be entered in the show.East End artist Edney McLean works on a dried wood creation for the show. Evelyn McLaughlin’s prize cow Princess and her calf will be entered in the upcoming Agriculture Show cattle competition in February. – Photos: Jewel levyCayman Compass • Friday January 29, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days East End North Side High school students prep for job market Clifton Hunter interview workshop participants, from left, Jordan Scott, Kaylee Whorms, Wendy Brown, Ashley White, Leah Archibold and Brandon Ramsay. - Photos: Pamela smith Cashema Rankine and James Dudley from Red Sail interview Waldon Kidd. Wompers and thatch in East End GeorGe Nowak Snapped in a moment in time in the late 70’s, this image features all things “Caymanian” as an unidentified gentlemen walks along the seaside under the shade of coconut palms in East End. He carries a basket made of thatch and wears a straw hat and khaki- style shirt, which were common in that era. On his feet, he wears a pair of “wompers” made of used car tires and thatch string. To his left is a catboat. In the far districts during this time, the use of catboats for turtling, fishing and racing remained a common sight. This image is from the book ‘The People Time Forgot’ by George Nowak, available at the National Museum. All proceeds from the sales of the book go toward museum projects. People The Time Forgot Clifton Hunter High School held its annual Mock Interview Event for Year 11 students on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The school has been holding the mock interviews for the last 3 years, and the exercise has drawn a lot of interest from both employers and students. The first round of mock in- terviews are offered to students in Year 10. “This is the first time may stu- dents will have ever had an inter- view and we believe it is vital that our students are aware of how to dress, learn some interview tech- niques, and experience what it feels like to prepare for an interview,” said Pamela Smith, the school’s ca- reers coordinator, who organized the event along with teaching and learning coordinator Paula Wythe. “Students are invited to interview for one of around 15 advertised po- sitions supplied by local employers such as Maples and Calder, Cayman First, Cayman National, and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service to name a few,” continued Ms. Smith. Representatives were also on hand from SteppingStones, Red Sail Sports, Cayman Islands Careers Advisory Service, Oneworld Music, Health City, and the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. “At this stage, Year 10 students interview in a group of 3 or 4, so the interview process is less intimi- dating,” noted Ms. Smith She said the employers they meet with give genuine and honest feedback based on the students’ cover letters, resumes, appear- ance, interview etiquette and dress. The process is then repeated in Year 11, where once again stu- dents are invited to apply to sample job advertisements. This time however they inter- view one-on-one with their poten- tial “employer.” “We have found that lots of em- ployers are only too willing to help out with the process and really want to be part of an event like this,” said Ms. Smith. “Employers invest their time in our students, who hopefully will go on to be better future em- ployees for Cayman as a result of perfecting their interview experi- ence and being aware of standards and expectations.” She noted that the employers who have taken part in the process over the years comment that they can see a difference and growth in the students when they repeat the interview progress at Year 11. “Students take on the feedback and use it to better themselves and have a more positive experience of interviewing,” she said. “Students really enjoy the event and see it as worthwhile process,” she continued. “One of the things that adds to their enjoyment of the experience is that they also get the opportu- nity to dress in business attire for the day. All the participants re- sponded extremely well to the event and definitely took full advantage of the opportunity.” Clifton Hunter High School students take advantage of a unique opportunity to perfect their interviewing skills with the help of local employers who conduct mock interviews for real jobs. Elisa Brown and Tania Ramsaran conduct one-on-one interviews.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Friday January 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass Hello, from the other side I must have called your name often this past year. We miss you, Love Donna In Loving memory of James (Jim) Scott We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Lillian Lucille Alvarez affectionately known as “Miss Lil”, who passed away on Thursday, January 21, 2016. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at John Gray Memorial United Church, West Bay, at 3:00p.m. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment to follow at West Bay Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We regret to announce the passing of Emily Dortha Hurlston Who departed this life on Thursday, 21st January, 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page A funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. on Friday, 29th January, 2016, at Church of God Universal, Walkers Rd. Interment will follow at the South Sound Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Cayman Hospicecare in her memory. com ily We regret to announce the passing of Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page Mr. Dieschbourg will be repatriated to the USA, for funeral services. Joseph T. Dieschbourg Who departed this life on Wednesday, 20 January, 2016 We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. George Edward Seymour who passed away on Wednesday, January 20, 2016. A Service of Thanksgiving will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. George Edward Seymour who passed away on Wednesday, January 20, 2016. A Service of Thanksgiving will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Condolences can be registered at Doak said that the opening of the 86,000-square-foot building brings the total area of Class A office space at Camana Bay to just under 400,000 square feet. The an- chor tenant – accounting firm PwC – has already moved into the building, occupying 26,000 square feet, incorporating all of the fourth floor and part of the third floor. Also slated to move into the building is Hurley’s Entertainment, as well as the Cayman Dental Services and Cayman Orthodontics group. Ms. Doak said 18 Forum Lane was built with sustain- ability in mind, and she ref- erenced a PwC report titled “Real Estate 2020: Building the Future,” which stated that by 2020 it is likely that “all buildings in advanced econ- omies will need to have sus- tainability ratings. What’s more, the concept of sustain- ability will have broadened to mean creating ‘places’ where people enjoy living and working. So, new devel- opments will be designed with green spaces, good air quality and spaces for social gathering.” Even though 18 Forum Lane was the first LEED- certified Class A office building in Camana Bay, Ms. Doak commented how the de- sign philosophy upon which Camana Bay was founded al- ways included sustainability and New Urbanist princi- ples of walkability, ample green space and a strong sense of community. “We are guided by our shareholder, Mr. Ken Dart, a visionary who is always looking forward to the fu- ture,” she said. Ms. Doak said discus- sions with PwC about the possibility of moving its of- fices to Camana Bay began almost a decade ago, in 2006. PwC Partner Graeme Sunley said he had not re- alized that the discussions had started so long ago, but offered an explanation as to why it took so long for his company to actually make the move. “Maybe it’s the conserva- tive nature that we accoun- tants have, but I can assure you, this was a big deal for us and we analyzed it every which way,” he said, noting that throughout all the early discussions, Dart was very patient in making sure they understood PwC’s needs and concerns. “We really appreci- ated the spirit of willingness to get things done in a way that worked for everyone.” Mr. Sunley said that the staff of the firm, which moved into its new space in December, loved being in Camana Bay and he gave some examples of how the development’s multipurpose walk-ability makes working there better. “My kids go to the [Cayman] International School … and earlier this week they had a little pre- sentation that they did at their assembly for the par- ents, and I found myself walking over to the school to watch, along with a few other parents who obviously had the same idea,” he said. “I thought the whole thing about being able to stroll over to see the kids and then to be back in the office so easily afterwards was kind of nice.” He also spoke about how PwC had an office-wide meeting last week and how the company was able to use the cinema – a short walk away – to hold the meeting. “Then afterwards the whole office walked over to one of the restaurants for food and drinks,” he said, adding that being able to walk from the office to the meeting to the after-meeting function was something new to the company. “It was a great function and I do think, at least in part, that it is a re- flection of our being located right here in Camana Bay.” As for the office space it- self, Mr. Sunley said the en- vironment is a “real posi- tive” and that being able to provide such a working en- vironment “goes a long way to contributing towards the whole experience that people have at work.” Ms. Doak commented that another PwC partner had said something similar to her. “Peter [Small] said to me tonight that [the new office space] actually made their employees want to work more,” she said. A sister building to 18 Forum Lane – tentatively called 18 Forum Lane South – will be built next to the newly opened building. In between the two buildings will be a 20,000-square- foot, landscaped court- yard. Mrs. Doak said it will be the largest courtyard in Camana Bay, perfect for company functions. 18 Forum Lane was first announced in June 2013 and completed in October 2015. DECCO Executive Manager Gary Gibbs led the con- struction and fit-out process that used 29 Caymanian contractors. The building was delivered on time and under budget, something Mr. Sunley referenced. “Our office fit-out … ac- tually came in significantly under budget and I can tell you, for a bunch of ac- countants, that was very much appreciated.” Environmentally friendly office building opens at Camana Bay The six counts against Watson mention the involve- ment of his friend and busi- ness associate Jeffrey Webb in connection with what prosecu- tors allege was a conspiracy to defraud. Webb is also charged by the Crown but is not facing trial over his alleged actions in Cayman at this time. Watson’s former personal assistant, Miriam Rodriguez, was acquitted in the case by order of Grand Court Justice Michael Mettyear. Ms. Rodriguez had been charged in count number 5 of the indict- ment – alleging the transfer of criminal property – but the jury found her not guilty ear- lier this month after Judge Mettyear essentially ruled the Crown had not proven its case. The indictment Count 1: Conspiracy to defraud – Watson is charged in this common law offense with disguising his, and busi- ness partner Webb’s involve- ment in the affairs of AIS Cayman Ltd., the local arm of the company that was awarded the five-year, US$13 million CarePay contract. Watson is accused of “ad- justing” upward a cost pro- posal for the CarePay con- tract so he and Webb could profit from it. Count 2: Conspiracy to defraud – Watson is charged with misrepresenting to gov- ernment officials the nature of the CarePay contract and what the funds paid toward it would be used for. Count 3: Conflict of Interest, Section 19, Anti- Corruption Law – Watson is accused of operating as a public official (chairman of the Health Services Authority board of directors) without disclosing his personal in- terests in AIS Cayman Ltd. and a related firm known as The W Group. Count 4: Fraud on the government, Section 11, Anti- Corruption Law – Watson is accused of accepting re- wards totaling nearly US$350,000 from government while acting as a public of- ficer without the consent of government. Count 5: Transferring criminal property, Section 133, Proceeds of Crime Law – Watson is accused of transferring funds de- rived from criminal activities within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. Count 6: Breach of trust, Section 13, Anti-Corruption Law – Watson is alleged to have breached the standards required of a public officer in a number of ways, in- cluding his failure to disclose business interests in the CarePay contract and other related companies. Following the closing speeches, Judge Mettyear is expected to begin his “sum- ming up” of the evidence in the case. At press time Thursday, that process was expected to begin on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Jurors could receive the case to decide a verdict as early as Wednesday, Feb. 3. Your CaymanKind.” Accompanying maga- zine, Internet and phone advertisements will follow the same theme. Ms. Harris said the new marketing direction came out of 18 months of analysis and industry feedback. In May last year, the Department of Tourism replaced New York-based creative firm Chowder, which was behind the original CaymanKind campaigns, with Florida- based Bright Red\TBWA, which is responsible for the new ads. Ms. Harris said the Department of Tourism had helped de- velop the theme and she is pleased with the new commercials. “We really felt it was important to focus on that one experience. In the Caribbean, everyone has similar frame-after- frame action and we re- ally wanted to sepa- rate from that and say this is what we have in Cayman. “Consumers see us as sophisticated and luxury and our creative was not reflecting that.” New tourism commercials launched The latest “CaymanKind” commercials began appearing on television in New York and Miami this week. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CarEPay trial Crown, Watson’s attorneys make final arguments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The six counts against Watson mention the involvement of his friend and business associate Jeffrey Webb in connection with what prosecutors allege was a conspiracy to defraud. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Friday January 29, 2016 It’s an everlasting sadness That you’re no longer here, But every year on this day We like to think you’re near. Your love for us was constant Your devotion had no end, You lled our lives with sunshine As a mother and a friend. So may you know forever That to us you were the best, And may you nd a gentle peace In sweet eternal rest. Gone but never forgotten Daughters; Pat, Paula & Pamie Grandchildren; Rochelle & Savio, Son-in-law ‘Castro Inez Hortensia Bell 1st March 1938 - 29th January 2013 YOU’RE FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS Runway extension pushed forward Plan to extend within current site James WhittakeR jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Plans to begin expanding the runway at the Owen Roberts International Airport to allow long-haul flights into Grand Cayman are being pushed forward. The runway extension had been left out of the original $55 million airport expansion plan. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said Wednesday that the growth in arrival fig- ures and the pace of hotel de- velopment had provided the “trigger event” that convinced the government to put it back on the table. A request for proposals will go out next month for work on an engineering study to figure out how the exten- sion can be done and how much it will cost. Previous studies, in- cluding a master plan for the development of all three airports produced in 2014, suggested the neces- sary extension would re- quire either re-routing Crewe Road or building into the North Sound. Government now says an extension to 7,700 feet can be achieved within the current site by “going to the fence.” Mr. Kirkconnell said that additional 700 feet would open up potential new gateways in South and Central America, as well as on the West Coast of the United States. He said it would also en- able a Boeing 777-300 se- ries, the plane that British Airways will operate on the London-Cayman route through the Bahamas, to fly direct to Owen Roberts International with an “80 percent payload” – that is, a full load of passengers with cargo restrictions. He acknowledged that further extensions, across the road and into the cricket pitch may ultimately be nec- essary to secure direct flights from the U.K. and other far- flung destinations. He de- scribed the planned exten- sion as an incremental step that would increase the number of gateway cities that the Cayman Islands could serve. He suggested Cayman Airways could be used to open up new routes in the Americas region. “This is an incremental step that makes a lot of sense to us right now be- cause we can action it right now,” he said. “There will be certain cities that can come here as you add 200 feet, 400 feet, 600 feet, as you add 1,000 feet.” Citing the Kimpton Hotel, the Margaritaville develop- ment and Dart’s plans for another hotel on Seven Mile Beach, the minister said there was scope for more growth in tourism. “With the Kimpton coming online, they are very inter- ested in the pockets of wealth on the west coast. This ex- tension gives us the ability to get flights in from LA, Calgary, Seattle.” He said it also enabled flights from Sao Paolo, if the Department of Tourism chose to focus its strategy on South America. Rosa Harris, director of the Department of Tourism, said a national tourism plan was in the works that would help identify which areas to target and how much growth the island could manage. She said targeting new gateways through long-haul flights needs to be considered alongside planning for new infrastructure, hotel rooms, business and staff develop- ment for the industry. Extending the runway even within the confines of the current airport site is not without complications. Stran Bodden, the chief officer in the Ministry of Tourism, said the develop- ment would require filling in ponds that currently act as a drainage basin. He said the cost and im- plications for stormwater management at the air- port would not be clear until the engineering study and other technical work had been done. The airports master plan, produced in 2014 as part of the business case for the air- ports development, looked at two scenarios for expanding the runway, estimating a cost of between $20 million and $40 million. However those options involved either re- routing the road for an exten- sion to 8,000 feet or an incur- sion into the North Sound for an extension to 9,200 feet. Mr. Bodden said newer model planes did not nec- essarily need the additional length and the extension to 7,700 feet would be suf- ficient to open up at least some new routes. Elections chief: Time needed to implement OMOV BRent FulleR bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Calling an election in the Cayman Islands is a fairly straightforward process, ac- cording to the territory’s se- nior elections official. Holding an election under a new voting system is a much more complicated and time-consuming affair. The possibility of holding early elections, prior to the regularly scheduled May 2017 date, has been the talk of Cayman this week, following Premier Alden McLaughlin’s recent state- ments that new elections may be called for and that, if an early vote is held, it would likely be held under the former multimember district voting system. Legislators late last year approved a change in the territorial voting maps, di- viding the six multimember voting districts into 19 separate single-member constituencies. Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell, in his first election on the job, said Wednesday that the leg- islative order, agreed by Governor Helen Kilpatrick is the law of the land. However, he indicated time require- ments to properly hold such a public vote under the new system would not be met if the elections are held in the coming months. “The new single-member constituencies and revised boundaries will require sig- nificant public awareness and education so that voters are clear on where they will be voting and how to vote in the polls,” Mr. Howell said. “Historically, general elections have taken upwards of 12-15 months to plan and execute.” Extra time will be needed to train returning officers who manage the elections process and to verify voters addresses and other such routine details. A by-election held for the replacement of a single Legislative Assembly member, such as the one held following the death of MLA Haig Bodden, are much quicker to prepare for and host, Mr. Howell said. A territory-wide election under a brand new voting system is another matter, Mr. Howell said. “I fully expect a new single-member constituency election will take longer to implement than the current multimember constituency election,” he said. An additional potential snag in the process is that legislators must approve cer- tain technical amendments to Cayman’s Elections Law to bring it into line with 19 single-member districts, giving effect to the 2015 recom- mendations of the Electoral Boundary Commission. A Legislative Assembly meeting date has provi- sionally been set for mid- February, but Premier McLaughlin said this week that he could not confirm a meeting time and that it was possible the current 10-member Progressives co- alition could be left without its majority if just one more member departed. The Legislative Assembly would, in that scenario, be unable to meet and vote on any legislation unless one side or the other could garner a majority of 10 elected mem- bers. It is at least theoreti- cally possible that lawmakers and Governor Kilpatrick could come to an agreement on a “minority” government – meaning a government left with fewer than 10 members continues to meet with the agreement of the opposition party that it would attend House meetings. This is what happened in December 2012, following the “no confidence” vote in former Premier McKeeva Bush’s government. A five- member People’s National Alliance group controlled the government, but it could only meet with the agreement of the then-Progressives party opposition. That situation lasted for just three months prior to the dissolution of parliament in March 2013 ahead of the general election. Currently, Cayman’s next general elec- tion is not due until May 2017, and with parliament’s dissolution required two months before that date, such a “minority” government would have to operate for the next 13 months. Early elections If no one grouping of elected legislators can agree to form a majority coalition or ruling political party, the pre- mier can report to the governor there is a “hung parliament” and, in consultation with her, request new elections. If the governor agrees, she can then order the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly, meaning the governing body would no longer be able to le- gally meet and vote. Once that dissolution is ordered, the Elections Law requires the governor to set dates for the nominations of candidates, the vote date and what date the successful can- didates are to be returned. The election date, ac- cording to section 86 of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009), must be within two months of the as- sembly’s dissolution.Mr. Howell The runway at the Owen Roberts International Airport will be extended. – PHOTO: CHRIS COURTNext >