ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2016 High of 82 Low of 70 Seas: Rough with wave height of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over the open waters. Politics Pulling in the youth vote 4 Nation Reshaping college budgets 9 Health The crisis of being lonely 16 5 Myths Donald Trump 23 NEW WAVE FEMINISM Betty Friedan to Beyoncé: How the generation that grew up with the Internet embracesfeminism on its own terms PAGE 12 ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2016. IN COLLABOR ATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST New wave feminism EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE VERDICT ON THE VERDICT: A GOOD START Lawsuit: US$1.2M in CIFA loans were ‘graft’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some US$1.2 million in what were initially called loans granted to the Cayman Islands Football Association in 2013 have been described as “graft” in a lawsuit filed in U.S. federal court. The December 2015 lawsuit alleges that the money represented bribe payments given indi- rectly by two companies – Cartan Tours and Forward Sports – to former CIFA President Jeffrey Webb. The suit alleges Cartan paid the bribe money in exchange for a lucrative busi- ness arrangement with CONCACAF, world football’s regional governing body for the Caribbean, North and Central America. That arrangement resulted in CONCACAF paying tens of millions of dollars between 2012 and 2015 to Cartan, a suburban Los Angeles travel and accommodation planning company, the court records allege. In documents filed Dec. 21, CONCACAF sued Cartan and two of its principals, David G. Elmore and Daniel L. Gamba, for a minimum of US$50 million in damages over a contract the regional football governing body claimed it did not need because it already had another firm handling its travel and event planning. The suit alleges that a significant amount of money paid to Cartan was redirected in kickbacks to Webb and former CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz, who are named in the lawsuit, but who are not listed as defendants in it. The civil suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California does not allege criminal wrong- doing, but seeks the recovery of tens of mil- lions of dollars on CONCACAF’s behalf. CIFA’s 2015 audits revealed that the pair of US$600,000 matching loans from Cartan and Forward Sports, totaling US$1.2 million, had been “converted” to gifts. “Cartan never provided any material CAREPAY TRAIL: WATSON BEGINS SERVING SENTENCE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Convicted fraudster Canover Watson, 45, began serving his seven-year prison sentence Friday on charges of conspiracy to defraud, fraud on the government, breach of trust and conflict of interest following a Grand Court verdict in the CarePay trial. In pronouncing his sentence, Grand Court Judge Michael Mettyear, while acknowledging that Watson was not the only person involved in the conspiracy to defraud the government, said that Watson had played his part to the full extent. Justice Mettyear even accepted that Watson’s business partner Jeffrey Webb may have been the leader of the conspiracy MINISTER DISMISSES CHAMBER CRITICISM JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Employment Minister Tara Rivers says she is “surprised and deeply disappointed” over criticism by former Chamber of Commerce president Barry Bodden about a lack of com- munication from government on the Labour Relations Bill. Ms. Rivers said she had made every ef- fort to consult with the Chamber over the bill as well as other government plans, including a proposal for an apprenticeship scheme A weekend to remember Tennis legends, a screen star and an entrepreneur and environmentalist were among the big draws in a packed agenda of events at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit. The summit, which featured speeches and panel discussions involving finan- cial industry experts, once again drew some big names to these shores. Jay Leno gave the keynote speech Thursday evening, while the world’s most famous hacker Kevin Mitnick, actress Jamie Lee Curtis and entrepreneur Richard Branson all spoke at the event, which culminated at Camana Bay with two evenings of tennis, featuring some of the greats of the game. Inside Today: Legends serve up tennis treat: Russian superstar Anna Kournikova and former U.S. Open champ Andy Roddick were among the tennis legends who turned on the style at Camana Bay on Friday and Saturday. See page 14. Branson meets Harvey: As entrepre- neurs and conservationists, Sir Richard Branson and Guy Harvey have a lot in common. They discussed ways to save our oceans, at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on Friday evening. See page 8. Investment wisdom: “The greatest wealth is who you are as a human being,” Jamie Lee Curtis tells the audience at the Alternative Investment Summit. See page 9. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » Anna Kournikova was one of the stars at the Legends Tennis tournament at Camana Bay on Friday and Saturday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Words of wisdom: Jamie Lee Curtis, the actress and children’s author, shared some advice on life and finances in an on-stage interview with Pinnacle Media’s Vicki Wheaton at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Friday. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL NEWS Monday February 8, 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. - MONDAY - Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) THE BIG SHORT (R) 1:10 I 4:05 I 7:00 I 9:55 JANE GOT A GUN (R) 1:30 I 4:10 I 6:50 I 9:15 KUNG FU PANDA 3 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 2D I 5:00 I 7:20 2D I 9:40 THE BOY (PG) 1:20 I 4:30 I 7:15 I 9:35 RIDE ALONG 2 (PG13) 1:00 I 3:30 I 7:10 I 9:40 THE 5TH WAVE (PG13) 1:10 I 4:00 I 7:30 I 10:10 Several roads will be closed this week to ac- commodate the Cayman Mardi Gras festival in George Town. ■■ On Monday, Fort Street will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Albert Panton Street to Harbour Drive for the Mardi Gras Marketplace Festival. Harbour Drive in front of Bayshore Mall be- tween Warwick Drive and Goring Avenue will be closed from 6 p.m. to mid- night for the Food Festival event. ■■ On Tuesday, Fort Street will be closed from Albert Panton Street to Harbour Drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Mardi Gras Marketplace Festival. Harbour Drive in front of Bayshore Mall be- tween Warwick Drive and Goring Avenue will be closed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Concert. ■■ On Wednesday, Harbour Drive in front of Margaritaville will be closed from 9 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. for the Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday party. Mardi Gras road closures Kelsey JuKam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com An American surgeon whose life was saved at Health City in December after suffering a cardiac ar- rest was so impressed by the level of care he received – and by the hospital’s busi- ness model – that he plans to partner with the hospital to help grow its referral base and patient volume. Dr. Leon Josephs, a vas- cular surgeon and the acting CEO of Reliant Medical Group in Worcester, Massachusetts, was exer- cising on the treadmill at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman gym on Dec. 1 when his heart suddenly stopped functioning and he collapsed. Fast-thinking Ritz em- ployee Caetano Barrato, as- sisted by other hotel em- ployees, performed CPR and used an automated ex- ternal defibrillator to shock the surgeon’s heart. A vis- iting cardiologist, one of the hotel’s guests, also as- sisted in the resuscitation, and rode in the ambulance with Dr. Josephs as he was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital. Arrangements were quickly made to transfer Dr. Josephs to Health City, which has several surgeons and physicians specializing in cardiac care. Dr. Josephs said there is “no question” that the care he received prior to arriving at Health City helped to save his life. “That part is a gift,” Dr. Josephs said. “We’ll al- ways know that we were just incredibly fortunate that the right people were in the right place at the right time.” Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, senior cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at Health City, agrees, and said those who performed the first re- suscitation on Dr. Josephs “did amazing work.” “If any one of the links in the chain was weak, the outcome might not have been a good one,” Dr. Chattuparambil said. “One mistake could have cost him his life.” When Dr. Josephs arrived at Health City, he was on a ventilator, unconscious, and unresponsive even to pain. An emergency angio- gram showed that one of the arteries was totally ob- structed and the other two were more than 95 percent blocked, according the Dr. Chattuparambil. Dr. Ravi Kishore, a senior cardiologist at Health City, said the type of blockage in Dr. Josephs’s main artery is often referred to as “the widow maker.” After an angioplasty on the artery, the doctors deter- mined the best course of ac- tion was a bypass operation. The doctor waited 48 hours to perform the surgery, as Dr. Josephs was taking blood thinners that could have caused uncontrollable bleeding. The operation, which involved only one in- cision, took five-and-a-half- hours. Dr. Josephs was in stable condition throughout the surgery and was taken off the ventilator within two hours of the conclu- sion of the procedure. Four days later, his health much improved, the doctor was discharged. The Josephses returned home to the United States on Dec. 19. Speaking from Massachusetts, where he is already back at work, the doctor said his recovery is “going great.” “I’m back on the tread- mill,” he said. “I was on for three miles today. I’m a lucky, lucky man.” The way this medical emergency was handled, Dr. Binoy said, highlights how the Cayman Islands are safer for tourists who en- counter medical emergencies than many other Caribbean islands. “Any tourist who comes for a holiday, if they go through the same type of heart attack or have a stroke, they know that in our island now, we have a hospital that can take care of any of those things,” Dr. Binoy said. He said he has even re- ceived calls from tourists with medical issues – one had an artificial heart, an- other, a lung problem – who are seeking assurance that if anything were to happen to them during their visit to the island, those issues could be handled by Health City. Dr. Josephs said he would like to help the hospital ex- pand if he can. The surgeon said he is already in talks with Health City about ways he and his company can partner with the hospital. He has had a conference with his company’s executive team about creating a pro- gram that would allow their employees to use Health City, and is also considering refer- ring some of their patients to Health City for care. The surgeon would also like to help get more patients to the hospital and help in- crease its referral base. “There’s a message out there for the way Health City takes care of its patients, most importantly, but also the way it runs its business model,” Dr. Josephs said. “Whatever I can do to help them expand, I’m completely happy to do that.” Dr. Josephs said he is already in talks with Health City about ways he and his company can partner with the hospital. Dr. Leon Josephs and Judy Josephs. Saved surgeon hopes to partner with Health City A 35-year-old George Town was arrested on Feb. 4 on suspicion of rape and is in police custody. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service re- ceived a report on Jan. 23 of a rape occurring in a re- mote area off Sparky Drive in George Town, according to an RCIP press release on Feb. 5. The female victim was allegedly raped after ac- cepting a ride in a vehicle, the press release stated. She was left stranded at the location and even- tually stopped a passerby for assistance. The RCIP said offi- cers from the George Town Criminal Investigation Department had been in- vestigating the matter since the report, making efforts to identify, locate and ar- rest the offender. GeorGe Town man arresTed on suspicion of sexual assaulT Alleged offense occurred Jan. 23 in a remote area off Sparky Drive in George Town.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Monday February 8, 2016 THANK YOU TO OUR 2016 LEGENDS SPONSORS AND PARTNERS LEGENDSCAYMAN.COMThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. – EDITORIAL – The verdict on the verdict: A good start Monday February 8, 2016 • Cayman COmpass The conviction of former Health Services Authority chairman Canover Watson for fraud and breach of trust answers one question about the public hospital system’s CarePay scheme, but raises a legion of others about corruption, complicity, indifference and incompe- tence in the highest levels of the Cayman Islands offi- cialdom. Careful readers will note that Mr. Watson’s con- viction on five of six criminal charges included two charges of “conspiracy to defraud.” One cannot conspire among oneself. Others, by definition, had to be involved. At trial, Mr. Watson’s lead attorney, Trevor Burke, QC, repeatedly referred to “others” – most notably former Health Minister Mark Scotland – who were never called to testify. Mr. Burke’s assertion of Mr. Scotland’s ministerial blessing of the CarePay contractor was bolstered by witnesses who did appear, comprising a menagerie of yes-men and -women, drowsing watchdogs and look- the-other-way bureaucrats. In totality, the testimony paints a picture of dys- function within the halls of government, with a broken system of ineffective public servants and appointed board members who deliver neither checks nor balances (unless, of course, one is referring to the three checks, totaling nearly US$2 million, that were hand-delivered by HSA staffers to Watson’s private business offices, which augmented the balance of bank accounts shared by Watson and alleged co-conspir- ator Jeffrey Webb, the now-disgraced Cayman football official). For example, HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood agreed to the first payment of US$686,000 in December 2010 for the swipe-card contract; in court, she initially said she could not remember if she had read that agreement before authorizing that payment. In regard to the later US$2.4 million CarePay “expansion” to the private sector, Ms. Yearwood apparently had contented herself with assuming a contract existed, “but I never had sight of it.” Greg Hoeksema, HSA’s former medical director, said he wasn’t comfortable with CarePay arrangements but didn’t lodge a formal objection because “I knew this was a battle that I could not win … This was not going to be stopped.” Former CINICO chairman Scott A. Cummings and CINICO CEO Lonny Tibbetts, as well as Dr. Hoeksema from HSA, weren’t given copies of the US$13 million, five-year CarePay deal until Dec. 20, 2010 – one day before it was due to be signed. Mr. Cummings said, “At the time, it did not seem like a big deal. We were assured we did not need to review it, that someone else would review it.” That “someone else” wasn’t the appropriate entity – the solicitor general’s office – but then-HSA board member and Maples law firm partner Wanda Ebanks, who was asked by Mr. Watson to peruse the contract. At the time, Ms. Ebanks noted, “It’s even worse than Cerner” – the U.S. firm that had previously provided those services to government. And yet, the CarePay contract was signed, and gov- ernment funds (that is to say, taxpayer funds) flowed outward. Two witnesses who did raise red flags about CarePay, former public hospital IT director Dale Sanders and former Health Ministry Chief Finan- cial Officer Carrol Cooper, appear not to have been rewarded for their vigilance. Quite the contrary – notice the word “former” preceding their titles. We would be remiss not to congratulate the stead- fast and faithful seven-member jury of Caymanians for their diligence, clarity and, yes, courage during this long and complex trial. Aided by the sage guidance of Justice Michael Mettyear, the jury arrived at what appears to be a just result. We echo Justice Mettyear’s praise of Cayman’s Anti-Corruption Unit, particularly Inspector Richard Oliver and Sergeant Anthony Hill. Make no mistake, Mr. Watson’s conviction was a good day for Cayman. The bad day was when he first got the idea to risk his reputation (and ours) for the sake of “easy money” at taxpayers’ expense. More than being a good day, the guilty verdicts were a good start. Which leads us to the most important question of all: “Who’s next?” LeTTer To The ediTor The Brac’s fowl problem After being away from Cayman Brac for the last 20 years, I finally made it back to my beloved paradise in the sea only to be appalled at the number of “wild,” or “feral” as they are called, chickens. Not only have the number of hens along with their ba- bies overtaken what was once a beautiful landscape filled with lush vegetation and flowering plants, now there is an abundance of crowing roosters and “fowl” smelling feces at every turn. Now I am quite accus- tomed to ranchland back in the U.S., but the unattended chicken population here has just gotten completely out of hand. Even the parking lots of local stores are overrun by these pests, with the ability to pull into a parking spot al- most impossible due to the shear number of these nasty fowl being in the way. In addition, not only are they a nuisance, they are also a hazard to drivers by con- stantly being in the cross- roads and at every turn. On top of that, I am constantly finding abandoned eggs in places I had no idea chickens could even reach, including inside a boat on a trailer, in grape trees, cisterns, etc., and even stealing our dog’s food right out of the bowl. Everyone is surely aware of the many diseases associ- ated with birds, especially un- sanitary habitats, but no one knows how to get a handle on it. Not only are we concerned with the massive mosquito problem here, but we’re also facing a losing battle with the birds ... which are not native to this area I might add. Some point out that the “new local inhabitants” are helping to keep the chicken population under control, but that is additionally wor- risome to think that they are serving these nasty creatures to us on a plate without any type of regulation or health concerns beings addressed. Free range is one thing, but this has gotten to the point of disease-ridden varmints taking over the island. To top it all off, the roosters seem to be so de- fective they have no sense of an inner “alarm clock” by which they crow. Not only do the roosters and hens cackle and crow at all hours of the day, they don’t seem to know when to stop. Is there ever going to be any hope in getting rid of these smelly beasts, or will the island be overrun and neglected in this aspect, too? Danna Kuerz Clinton takes on Wall Street? BloomBerg View It’s nice work if you can get it: In 2013, after step- ping down as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton earned US$9.7 million in speaking fees – a lot of it from banks and investment firms, in- cluding US$675,000 for three speeches to Goldman Sachs. Those three speeches are not on her campaign website, but it’s a pretty good bet they had a different tone than the one she is now taking. Asked about them at a New Hampshire town hall meeting this week, her response started out merely vague – “Look, I made speeches to lots of groups” – before be- coming reckless: “I’m out here every day saying I’m going to shut them down, I’m going after them,” she said. “I’m going to jail them if they should be jailed. I’m going to break them up.” By all means, criminals – in any industry, including politics – should be jailed. It’s also true that there are bad actors in the financial industry, as there are everywhere, and that Wall Street needs smarter regula- tions to reduce risks. Finally, it was an unscripted remark in the second half of a two-hour town hall that started at 9 p.m. Still: Clinton’s attack was careless and overly broad. The industry that helped enrich her also plays a central role in the economy – helping families afford homes, entrepreneurs launch small businesses, gov- ernments build schools, and seniors retire comfortably. And though this shouldn’t need saying, it does, given the tenor of the presidential campaign: The vast majority of men and women who work in the in- dustry are honest. Like most politicians, Clinton has never been shy about asking those who work in finance for campaign con- tributions, and she ably rep- resented the industry during her eight years as a senator from New York. If her views on the financial industry have changed since she ac- cepted those millions of dol- lars in speaking fees, perhaps she ought to explain why. And the next time she’s in- vited to speak to Wall Street, perhaps she ought to decline the fee. It would be the de- cent thing to do. © 2016, Bloomberg View 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” Not only are we concerned with the massive mosquito problem here, but we’re also facing a losing battle with the birds ...The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Monday February 8, 2016 PANTONE 130 PANTONE 179 PANTONE 425 EXECUTIVE PLATINUM PLATINUM GOLD SILVER OTHER THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR BEING PART OF THE SUPERCHARGED SUMMIT THIS YEAR CAYMANSUMMIT.COMMonday February 8, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town In the Feb. 9, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the court reporter wrote: “On Jan. 28 before Judge J.S. Kerr of Jamaica, Mr. E. Hedley Conolly was charged with criminal libel in that in Sept. last year he personally deliv- ered, at the office of Dr. Charles Broadbent, a letter alleged to contain a scurrilous libel against the said Dr. Broadbent, which was likely to cause a breach of the peace. “Mr. Karl Brandon, barrister-at-law, appeared on behalf of the prosecution which was a private one and Mr. Carl Rattrey appeared for the defendant. “The hearing lasted two days and the accused was found ‘guilty’ and fined 25 pounds or 2 months hard labour. “The fine was paid. “We understand that this is the first time in the history of the Cayman Islands that anyone has been charged with criminal libel and found guilty of the offence. There have, of course, been many civil libel cases.” 50 Years ago: A notable legal first Street fair offers Cayman experience Cruise ship passengers joined with locals in enjoying a street fair on Cardinall Avenue on Thursday. Local food and crafts were for sale. The weekly event, initially organized by the Pirates Week Committee, is now run by chef John Jefferson Jr. of Culture Shop and gives visitors an opportunity to sample foods of the islands, coconut water, jerk chicken and music to get a real Cayman experience. The street is closed before 8 a.m. to facilitate the event. Corazon Ow prepares meat on a stick.Diane Ronney purchases a handmade necklace from Elisa Quintero. Lisa Anglin and Lincoln Bodden sell turtle stew.Vendors Shilpa Tagalpallewar, Elisa Quintero, Nora Pascal and Leonardo Murillo display local crafts for sale on Cardinall Avenue. Cruise ship passengers take in the street fair on Cardinall Avenue.Cayman Compass • Monday February 8, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town Kids CARE at George Town Primary Students at George Town Primary School are participating in a new pro- gram this month aimed at building their knowledge of proper animal care. Through the #kidsCARE program, volunteers and their four-legged friends are leading weekly talks on caring for and understanding animals at George Town Primary School until the end of February. Cayman Animal Rescue Enthusiasts (CARE) has been active since 2008 in the community as advocates for an- imal welfare, particularly with regard to their spay and neuter campaigns for pets, aimed at reducing the number of unwanted animals. The organization launched #kids- CARE in July 2015 with a movie showing at the cinema in conjunction with the YMCA summer camp, CARE volunteer Kiralee Harnett explained. “The new program aims to teach students empathy for other beings and care for their environment, qualities es- sential to raising kind, compassionate citizens,” she said. “Domestic pet over- population and ill-treatment is an is- land-wide issue causing social and en- vironmental tensions. “It can cause friction within com- munities, pose health and safety issues and environmental impacts, resulting in a threat to Cayman’s precious indige- nous wild animal populations including native birds and of course, Cayman’s precious Blue Iguana, and left un- checked will ultimately pose a threat to our tourist industry.” Ms. Harnett explained that #kids- CARE has been developed to address the need for balance in future genera- tions and empower students to realize they can make a positive difference. The 45-minute classes are tailored to age and cover topics including intro- ductions to animals, animal safety, pet responsibility, pet overpopulation and animal cruelty. Ms. Harnett said a recent appeal for more volunteers to help expand the program to more schools received an enthusiastic response. “Since our launch we have been get- ting the program off the ground, with a focus on the schools, including John Gray and George Town Primary and in partnership with the Kiwanis club,” said Ms. Harnett, noting CARE participated in the Kiwanis Key Leader weekend and #kidsCARE volunteers join the weekend Kiwanis bookmobile. Schools or groups interested in holding a session, or volunteers wanting to help can contact CARE at info@caymancare.ky. Kiara Jeggo and Kiralee Harnett, standing, pose with students.Dog trainer Heidi Suarez Rivera shows the kids how it’s done. Storyboard contest inspires readers One group in Cayman has come up with a creative way to get young readers excited about books. More than 100 enthusiastic students descended on George Town Public Library on Jan. 23 to attend the 2016 Cayman Islands Information Professionals Storyboard Competition, said the library and information science professionals association’s Su Mander. Now in its fourth year, the event showcased students’ col- orful and informative storyboard creations based on their favorite works of fiction. Ms. Mander explained that stu- dents were given strict criteria about the information to be il- lustrated on their storyboard, in- cluding summaries of the plot, the setting of the story, the main char- acters, the conflict or problem in the story, and the resolution. “The use of this criteria encour- ages students to analyze their fa- vorite book and recount the key aspects for their storyboard audi- ences,” she said. “Creativity, originality and the use of relevant props are en- couraged – the results were truly amazing. The judges were very impressed with the amount of thought and effort students had put into their submissions – they clearly loved reading the subject book,” she added. Around 60 storyboards were assessed by judges comprised of members of CIIP and Rotary Sunrise over two days, with the competition entrants doing short presentations on their creations. “The Storyboard Competition helped us to understand the story better as well as improve our team work skills,” said Prospect Primary student Diamond White, who won the division for 9-12-year-olds, along with his team members Davonte Howell and Alexander Rhule. Thanks to the event sponsor, the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise, winners in the individual categories were presented with a Kindle, and the “small group” cat- egory winners each won $50 Book Nook gift vouchers. The joint winners of Division A for individual students aged 5-8 went to Clara de Quintal of St. Ignatius Catholic School and Olivia Cain of Grace Christian Academy, while the winners of the cate- gories for individuals aged 9-12 and 13-18 went to David Lewis of First Baptist Christian School and Chadene Brooks of John Gray High School, respectively. In the small groups divisions, the winning students in the 5-8 age group were Timothy Rhea, Luke Jenson and Sabina Marie Motyka-Bush of Grace Christian Academy, and Davonte Howell, Diamond White and Alexander Rhule of Prospect Primary School for students in the 9-12 age group. The joint winners for small groups aged 13-18 were Neildeep Ghosh and Billy McKibbin of Montessori by the Sea, along with Connor Childs, Noah Booker and Callum Lindsay, also of Montessori by the Sea. “Any way in which we can en- courage our youth to read will help them in their early develop- mental years,” said the associa- tion’s Michael Kennedy. “The talent and passion for reading these young students exhibit is truly inspirational.” Red Bay Primary students Leonikke Watler, Josiah Parsons and Paige Prendergast, Division D runners-up, got a special mention during the prize-giving ceremony. Carrying on a family tradition GeorGe Nowak The Travis family represents four generations and four decades of stay-over visitors. In 1972 Layton and Nancy Lyon from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, first stayed at the Galleon Beach Hotel. At the time, there were few hotels, taxi drivers and restaurants. The following year they brought their daughter Pam. Pam then married attorney Ron Travis and soon they were bringing along their daughters Kelli and Lee. As time went by, Kelli started to join her parents with her children Zack, Rory and Kenna. The Lyons have since passed away, yet the beat goes on. For more than four decades the Travis family has missed only one year vacationing in the Cayman Islands – in 2005, the year after Ivan – staying up to two months at a time. Despite changes from rapid development since 1972, the family says they will always be in love with the Cayman Islands. From left, Kelli Travis Peters, Pam Travis, Rory Peters and Kenna Peters hit the beach. 8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Branson, Harvey urge ocean conservation KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com British business mag- nate and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson and marine wildlife artist and conser- vationist Guy Harvey made an appeal to the audience at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Friday evening to invest in ocean conservation projects. The two men have col- laborated on several ma- rine conservation ef- forts in the past, including the Caribbean Challenge Initiative and the Guy Harvey Great Shark Race. “The vast majority of the seas around the world are not protected, which means you can have mas- sive pillaging going on,” Mr. Branson said. “About 20 per- cent of land is protected with wonderful national parks, whereas only 1 percent of the seas are protected.” Mr. Branson said the aim of the Caribbean Challenge initiative, launched in 2008, is to get at least 20 percent of the world’s marine envi- ronments protected by the year 2030. In order to do so, Mr. Harvey said, it is im- perative that wealth man- agers and businesses step forward to assist in pro- tection efforts. “It all costs money to do the research work, to do the education to effect the con- servation, and it’s a great way of having another al- ternative investment … to invest in nature, invest in conservation. Conservation is good for business,” Mr. Harvey said. The two explained how protecting marine life in the Caribbean is vital to main- taining the tourism indus- tries which are the life- blood of many Caribbean and Central American coun- tries. In Mexico, for example, diving with whale sharks has become a huge draw for tourists. “The fisherman now re- alize that rather than killing them, they can make a lot more money by having tour- ists swimming with them,” Mr. Branson said. “It’s just wonderful that finally the fishermen realize that there’s more to be made by these lovely species being alive rather than dead.” Mr. Branson, who has dived with several species of sharks, is passionate about protecting them, and spon- sored several sharks in Guy Harvey’s Great Shark Race. The competition allows busi- nesses and individuals to sponsor and name a shark, which is fitted with a $4,000 satellite tag that allows re- searchers and the public to follow a shark’s movements over the span of six months. The person whose tagged shark swims the greatest distance, wins. As it happened, the winner of the 2015 inau- gural shark race was spon- sored by Virgin United. The shortfin mako shark named “Ebenezer” trav- eled 7,387 miles, racing around the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, two of the other sharks sponsored by Virgin were killed in that six-month time period, and 20 percent of all the makos tagged in the competition were also killed. According to Mr. Branson, 1.5 million sharks are killed every week around the world for shark fin soup, and that is why he decided to get in- volved in trying to protect the animals. “They were in danger of disappearing,” Mr. Branson said. Another species that is in danger of disappearing, and is essential to reef ecosys- tems, is the Nassau grouper. The biggest spawning aggre- gation of the species is in Little Cayman, Mr. Harvey explained, thanks to a de- cade-long effort to protect the fish. “Cayman should be really proud that you’ve got this. We would not get this any- where in the Virgin Islands,” Mr. Branson said. “There needs to be a complete ban on killing the remaining groupers … so you can get the population up again.” Mr. Branson and Mr. Harvey agreed that educa- tion and careful manage- ment of marine ecosystems – which requires investments from individuals, busi- nesses and governments – is necessary. “I think the key is now to make our oceans sustain- able, not to destroy them, and to make these sites a thing for future generations to come,” Mr. Branson said. “With careful management, there’s no reason why we can’t do this.” Mr. Harvey said it is imperative that wealth managers and businesses step forward to assist in marine environment protection efforts. Guy Harvey shows one of his paintings to Sir Richard Branson at the summit. Both men champion protection of the marine environment. British magnate and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson and marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey discuss ocean conservation at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Friday. - PHOTOS: KELSEY JUKAM9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2016 Jamie Lee Curtis offers ‘counterpoint’ to alternative investment strategies KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Actress, author and spokesperson Jamie Lee Curtis shared her personal wisdom about wealth – and a lot of laughs – at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Friday afternoon. Ms. Curtis, who has starred in films “A Fish Called Wanda,” “True Lies” and “Trading Places” and is a pitchman for various brands, told the crowd she would offer a “kind of counterpoint” to many of the alterna- tive investment strategies discussed throughout the two-day summit. “The greatest wealth is who you are as a human being, what you do with your money in regard to other people, and taking care of education for chil- dren and healthcare and global initiatives for other people,” Ms. Curtis said. On Friday morning, Ms. Curtis made an example of her words, taking the time to read to local school- children at Camana Bay. Ms. Curtis has written 12 children’s books, which have sold millions of copies worldwide. When she is not acting in films and writing best- sellers, Ms. Curtis often appears as a spokes- person for various prod- ucts, and has been the face of brands such as Hertz, L’eggs pantyhouse, Voicestream Wireless, and, most recently, Activia yogurt. “I wasn’t going to make much money as a writer or actor alone,” Ms. Curtis said. “I needed to diversify.” Ms. Curtis told the au- dience that as a freelancer, which she described as waking up every day without a job, she is wary of high-risk alternative in- vestment strategies. The crowd briefly ap- peared to think she was joking when she explained that real estate had been a particularly good in- vestment for her and her husband, actor and di- rector Christopher Guest, but she assured them she was serious. “We call ourselves the idiot savants of real es- tate,” Ms. Curtis said. She credited much of her success to making good choices at what she called “hinge” moments. Quoting author Marisha Pessl, Ms. Curtis said: “Life hinges on a couple of seconds you never see coming, and what you decide in those seconds determines everything. “All of our plan- ning, all of our invest- ment strategy, all of our health strategy, all of our marital strategy, life is going to hinge on some- thing coming we don’t see before it happens, so how will we live our life if that’s true?” Ms. Curtis said. “The way we live our life is to be the wealth manger of humanity, to be wealth managers within our families … so I hope you make good choices leading up to that hinge and that when it hap- pens, that because of the good choices you made in your life, you will be able to intuitively handle that situation.” On the opening day of the summit, come- dian and conference key- noter Jay Leno delighted his standing-room-only audience with his rapid- fire delivery of some very (very!) funny material. We won’t attempt to “quote” any of Leno’s best jokes – they wouldn’t have the same effect in print (and a few were unprint- able) – but after years of being a fixture in “late- night comedy,” Leno, we can report, is still at the top of his craft. (There was a strict no photo rule at the Jay Leno performance on Thursday.) Cut $250* from your motor premium with BritCay home insurance! Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky 12 Kirkconnell St. Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254 SPO, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel.948-1760 A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *Each new buildings insurance policy with BritCay comes with a $250 gift certificate which you can use with BritCay Motor Insurance. *conditions apply Actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis answers questions at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Friday afternoon. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Premier Alden McLaughlin delivers remarks at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit on Thursday morning. Anthony Cowell, head of Alternative Investments at KPMG in the Cayman Isands, was among the speakers.Next >