ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Wednesday February 10, 2016 Business | Page 10 seC, Caledonian agree to settlement High of 80 Low of 70 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. editorial | Page 4 FiFa sCandal Fallout: not just ‘not over,’ but barely begun Minister Rivers calls for Hewitt bankruptcy tad stoner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com A late January filing in the Grand Court seeks to bankrupt West Bay’s John Gordon Hewitt and wife Velma Powery-Hewitt for failing to pay nearly $140,000 in costs to Education Minister Tara Rivers. The bankruptcy petition comes after a March 13, 2015, decision by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie to hold the Hewitts respon- sible for Ms. Rivers’s US$138,666.79 defense against a formal challenge to her eligibility to stand for office in the May 22, 2013, election. Six days after the vote, Premier Alden McLaughlin appointed Ms. Rivers minister for education, employment and gender affairs. The petition claims “John Gordon Hewitt, of … West Bay … is indebted to your Petitioner in the sum of US$138,666.79 evidenced by an Interim Costs Certificate dated June 25, 2015 entered by the Clerk of the Court in favour of the Petitioner …” The two-page petition, filed on Jan. 29, says the judgment for costs was originally “entered” against Mr. Hewitt in June last year. When payment was not immediately forthcoming, a bankruptcy notice was served on July 29 seeking payment within seven days. Ms. Rivers, the petition says, “therefore prays that … on the hearing of this petition, the said John Gordon Hewitt may be adjudged bankrupt,” setting a hearing for April 14. The move brings to a head the long-sim- mering confrontation between Ms. Rivers, who won one of West Bay’s four seats in the May 2013 election. She finished only a few votes ahead of Mrs. Powery-Hewitt, whose husband subsequently challenged the future minister, claiming that her long residence outside the country, working for a London law firm, dis- qualified her under constitutional rules re- quiring a minimum residency period. In a July 17-19, 2013, Grand Court case, Cayman constitutional adviser and London QC Jeffrey Jowell, supported by local attorney Paul Keeble of Hampson and Company, argued Mega-yacht owner plans reef restoration james Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Representatives of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen say he has developed a remediation plan to help restore damaged reef impacted by his 300-foot mega-yacht Tatoosh. The billionaire businessman retained ex- perts in coral restoration to “assess the situ- ation” and has submitted a plan of action to the Department of Environment, according to a statement from his company Vulcan Inc. The company did not reveal the cost of the reme- diation plan or how it would be funded. It also stopped short of accepting re- sponsibility for the damage, saying, “We took this step even though extensive past and re- cent damage to this same reef, as a result of other incidents, makes it difficult to deter- mine what, if any, actual damage was caused by the Tatoosh.” An anchor chain from Mr. Allen’s yacht was blamed for damaging coral across a 13,000-square-foot area of reef on Jan. 14. Video footage by divers, shared with the Cayman Compass last week, showed where coral had been sheared off from the reef. The Department of Environment has de- clined to comment beyond an initial statement outlining the size of the impacted area and in- dicating that 80 percent of the coral within that zone had been destroyed. Mr. Allen, through his company Vulcan, has consistently maintained that the yacht moored in a position explicitly directed by the Port Authority. The Port Authority has de- clined to comment. In a statement this week, Vulcan said it Webb parties amid FIFA fallout brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com His best friend and someone he once de- scribed as “his brother” was sent to jail for seven years Friday. The regional FIFA offices he led in Cayman were closed down permanently last week. The local football organization he ran for 24 years is now under a criminal investigation. But Jeffrey Webb, according to pictures widely circulated on social media Sunday and Monday, spent last weekend partying. Webb, 51, of Cayman, is residing in sub- urban Atlanta, awaiting sentencing on June 3 in connection with his guilty plea to rack- eteering, money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy in the United States. Webb is charged, along with dozens of other current and former FIFA officials, in a scheme that American prosecutors say earned more than US$200 million in bribes over two decades. The bribes were paid by sports mar- keting companies, prosecutors said, in ex- change for FIFA officials’ agreement to award lucrative marketing contracts for football tournaments to those companies. This weekend, social media photo- graphs appeared that depicted Webb’s wife – Kendra Gamble-Webb – and her husband hosting “Kendra’s 40th Harlem Renaissance Birthday Party.” The photos, which appear to have been taken inside Webb’s Loganville, Georgia home, where he is currently under 24/7 monitoring while awaiting sentencing, depict Webb in a white tuxedo, standing at a blackjack table and with his arm around Mrs. Gamble-Webb, holding a microphone. A big food spread also appears in one of the photos, with nap- kins depicting the two teams in Sunday’s Super Bowl game. Jeffrey Webb and his wife, Kendra, at her 40th birthday party. Webb at a party at his home in Loganville, Georgia. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Wednesday February 10, 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. - WEDNESDAY - 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 US Senator callS for inveStigation of crUiSe Ship in Storm MIAMI (AP) – Federal transportation officials might soon be looking into a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that ran into high winds and rough seas in the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend. Sen. Bill Nelson has called for the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the voyage that forced fright- ened passengers into their cabins overnight Sunday as their belongings flew about, waves rose as high as 30 feet, and winds howled outside. “The thing about this storm was that it was fore- cast for days. So why in the world would a cruise ship with thousands of passen- gers go sailing right into it?” Nelson said Monday on the Senate floor, ac- cording to a news release from his office. The National Weather Service’s Ocean Prediction Center had issued an alert for a strong storm four days in advance, Susan Buchanan with the weather service said. The first warning was issued Saturday for pos- sible hurricane-force winds in the area the ship was scheduled to sail through. Royal Caribbean an- nounced Monday that the ship was turning around and sailing back to its home port in New Jersey. No injuries were reported, and the ship suffered only minor damage. Artists invoke hope in cancer fight Cayman Islands art- ists helped spread a mes- sage of hope for cancer pa- tients, survivors, and their friends and families with works on display at the Cayman Islands Hospital’s Chemotherapy Unit. The exhibit was spon- sored by the Health Services Authority on Feb. 4, World Cancer Day. Artists were asked to create works to answer the question, “What does hope look like?” By exhibiting the pieces at the Chemotherapy Unit, event organizers sought to emphasize the impor- tance of hope in the fight against cancer. Artist Avril Ward spear- headed the exhibit, which has previously been shown at several locations around the island, including hospital wards. “I was extremely honored to be asked to transform the Chemotherapy Unit on World Cancer Day,” Ms. Ward said. “I believe, along with medi- cation and early detection, a positive state of mind and the hope patients have, along with the encouragement from those who support them, is one of our greatest weapons against all diseases.” The gathering brought together cancer patients, survivors, healthcare pro- viders and artists, pro- viding an opportunity for all to engage, connect and reflect while exploring their own meaning of hope. “It’s a great blessing to care for our cancer patients,” said HSA chemotherapy nurse Cyndy Ebanks. “They teach us humility, trust, strength and endurance. I am honored to be a small part of their journey of living with and surviving cancer.” HSA chief executive Lizzette Yearwood, who also attended the event, said, “Both cancer awareness and treatment are very near and dear to my heart. I ap- plaud all the amazing pro- fessionals who work tire- lessly to ensure care is received. I also applaud the many individuals and fami- lies who are fighting or have fought cancer in our com- munity and globally. Your strength and courage are truly inspiring.” Artists pose with some of their artwork at the Chemotherapy Unit. Members of the HSA chemotherapy team, from leftt, Andrew Ward, Karen Pinnock, Rosanna Humphries and Cyndy Ebanks, at the World Cancer Day art exhibit.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday February 10, 2016 It’s showtime for Cayman agriculture The 49th Annual Agriculture Show will kick off early Wednesday morning at the Stacy Watler Agriculture Pavilion in Lower Valley. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and the opening ceremony begins at 9 a.m. From the mo- ment the cow bell rings de- claring the start of the show, the day will be packed with performances, competitions, livestock displays, exhibi- tions, food, arts and crafts and more. Horsemanship displays are set to start at 11 a.m., and rodeo activities will run after lunch with barrel racing and pole bending. Those who want to get in on the rodeo action can take a ride on the mechanical bull. There are plenty of ac- tivities for youngsters too. Kids can enjoy storytelling at 12:30 p.m., a sack race at 3 p.m., and a play area and pet- ting zoo all day long. New to the show this year will be carnival games, fashion shows, dancing demonstrations and a fruit and vegetable carving competition. Food stalls at the show will feature a large variety of traditional Caymanian deli- cacies with vendors from all around the island offering turtle, conch, seafood, beef, jerk and other favorites. The Marketplace will also be set up, where farmers will sell their fresh, local produce. Bring a basket and stock up on peppers, pumpkins, ba- nanas, yams, plantains, cal- laloo and more. The agro-industrial area has expanded this year, with merchants selling power tools, gardening pots, fruit trees, ornamentals and soil. Raffle tickets are on sale for $25, which also covers the cost of entry to the show, and prizes include $20,000, an appliance package, tickets for two to New York and an iPhone 6. General admission to the show is $10; price for children ages 2 to 11 is $5; and children under 2 get in for free. Caymanians and status holders who want to reg- ister to vote can do so at the show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Status holders need to bring along a birth certifi- cate, Caymanian status cer- tificate, and a passport or driver’s license. Those who were born in Cayman, and have Caymanian parents or grandparents, should bring their birth certificate, the birth certificate of a parent or grandparent who was born in the Cayman Islands, and a passport or driver’s license. There will be an ex- panded parking area to help with traffic, but an in- crease in traffic is expected on Shamrock Road around the event in Lower Valley between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Police will be on hand to di- rect traffic. Visitors who hand fed birds at the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm have helped raise $1,324 for the Cayman Blue Iguana Recovery Program. This the second dona- tion made to the recovery program by the Turtle Farm since proposing its fund- raising initiative in late 2014. Quarterly, the Turtle Farm’s Caribbean Aviary has dedicated raising pro- ceeds for conservation-based organizations. In the last calendar- quarter of 2015 (October- December), the Caribbean Aviary acquired $1,324 through selling bird food to visitors wanting to partake in bird feedings by hand. “Visitors to the CTF’s Caribbean Aviary ex- hibit make a $1 donation to enjoy a hand-feeding interaction with various birds housed at the aviary,” said the Turtle Farm’s cu- rator of terrestrial exhibits and education programs, Geddes Hislop. “A notice board with flyers and posters as well as conversations with the aviary staff educates guests about the target conserva- tion project and encourages them to contribute by en- joying the handfeeding expe- rience,” he said. “The recovery of the en- dangered Grand Cayman blue iguana species has be- come a world-renowned success story that interna- tional conservation groups have studied and attempted to emulate,” said Danielle Watler, marketing manager at the National Trust, as she accepted the donation on be- half of the recovery program. “However, with each suc- cess have come matching challenges to surmount,” she added. “The generous dona- tion received by the Cayman Turtle Farm allows the Blue Iguana Recovery Program team to carry out the im- portant work we do at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park that allows the popula- tion to remain steady.” Bird food raises money for blue iguanas Curator of terrestrial exhibits and education programs of the Cayman Turtle Farm, Geddes Hislop, hands over the check to Danielle Watler, marketing manager at the Cayman Islands National Trust. The rodeo is always a draw at the Agriculture Show. There is always an array of fresh fruit and vegetables on display at the Agriculture Show.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. Canover Watson is in Northward Prison. Jeffrey Webb is under house arrest in Georgia. Our gov- ernment has stripped public funding away from the Cayman Islands Football Association. Cayman’s CONCACAF offices have been shut down. And yet the local fallout from the global FIFA scandal has barely begun. The courtroom inquiries into world football leaders haven’t even started. Cayman will play a starring role in this unfortunate drama, and government (and others) would be well advised to develop a well-thought-out media and communications strategy. “Winging it” will not do. On Monday, we wrote that Watson’s guilty verdict shouldn’t – and won’t – signal the end of investigations into the corrupt CarePay deal, which is inextricably entangled in the ongoing FIFA and CIFA scandals. Remember that Watson had roles in CIFA, the Caribbean Football Union and FIFA; Webb (his alleged co-conspirator in the CarePay trial) was the head of CIFA and CONCACAF and a key figure in FIFA; and Mark Scotland (who was Cayman’s minister of sports, as well as health) began working for Webb as youth development director for CIFA in 2014, after leaving elected office. Recall also that Cayman was more than well-rep- resented at the now-infamous FIFA meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, in May 2015, when Webb and six other FIFA officials were arrested by Swiss police on alle- gations of corruption, money laundering and rack- eteering, some of which involved Cayman’s finan- cial sector. The Cayman delegation included, among others, Mr. Scotland, former tourism minister Cline Glidden, and CIFA President Bruce Blake. (It is important to point out that other than Watson and Webb, none of the individuals named above has been accused of any wrongdoing or been found guilty of any offense, civil or criminal. Their rights and repu- tations must be both recognized and preserved.) CarePay, of course, is just one thread in the tangled tapestry of Cayman’s connections to the FIFA scandal, which is primarily a global story with activity unfolding in many jurisdictions, spearheaded by investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice. Judging from the inquiries we continue to receive from foreign jour- nalists, international interest in Cayman’s part of FIFA remains extremely high. A current snapshot of this evolving story: • Watson is in prison, serving a seven-year sentence after a Caymanian jury found him guilty of five criminal charges of fraud, breach of trust and conflict of interest in relation to CarePay • Webb remains under house arrest in his Georgia home (just down the street from a house owned by Watson) since pleading guilty to numerous FIFA-related charges in U.S. court. (Read today’s Compass story about Webb’s partying over the weekend in celebration of his wife’s 40th birthday) • Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden is standing by the government’s decision to keep public funds away from CIFA until the group’s current leadership steps down • In the U.S., a civil lawsuit has been filed by CONCACAF, alleging that CIFA was used as a vehicle for a US$1.2 million “graft” involving Webb • Downtown, Webb’s CONCACAF offices have been shut down, and football executives have given way to furniture movers. The FIFA storm (Category 5 on the scandal scale) continues to grow in intensity, and Cayman, unfortu- nately, remains uncomfortably close to the eye. FIFA scandal fallout: not just ‘not over,’ but barely begun Wednesday February 10, 2016 • Cayman COmpass What’s next for Haiti? WasHington Post Editorial Board In Haiti, it has too often been the case that what can go wrong does go wrong. That’s why it’s such a relief that Haitian leaders, with a critical assist from the Organization of American States, were able to agree on an 11th-hour deal, just before President Michel Martelly was to leave office Sunday with no successor in place, to avert a power vacuum. It’s also why there re- mains cause for concern, and the pressing need for inter- national vigilance, as the im- poverished Caribbean nation embarks on what is likely to be a volatile interregnum under the auspices of a care- taker government. Under the agreement struck Saturday, on the eve of the expiration of Martelly’s term, Prime Minister Evans Paul will remain in office until Haiti’s parliament se- lects a new president. That’s expected to take place in the next few days. Once it does, the accord calls for a new prime minister to be chosen by consensus and for a verifi- cation commission to review October’s botched elections. It was those elections that yielded weeks of escalating protests and violence, cul- minating in the cancellation of a scheduled presidential runoff vote last month. So far, so good. The problem is how to go for- ward with a new presidential runoff election, which the deal specifies should take place by April, with so many potential disputes left unresolved. Already, a handful of the fall’s presidential also-rans – there were 54 candidates – have dismissed the pro- cess as illegitimate on the grounds that most members of parliament were elected in the same flawed first-round elections that resulted in the cancellation of the runoff last month. Beyond the imme- diate selection of the interim president, or of a new prime minister, it is all too easy to imagine bitter disputes arising should the commis- sion reviewing the elections order that the results be re- vised or scrapped. Such disputes would be particularly dangerous in the current climate, in which armed men in the uniform of the Haitian army, an institu- tion that was abolished in 1995, have been roaming the streets, clashing with pro- testers who had been insisting on Martelly’s departure. Martelly is to be com- mended for leaving office in accord with the constitution; his failure to do so would al- most certainly have triggered a bloodbath. He also agreed to allow a member of an op- position party to be selected as the interim president, the New York Times reported. However, Martelly is also suspected as the force manip- ulating those gunmen in the street, a suspicion made cred- ible by the corrupt cronies with whom he surrounded himself as president. And it was Martelly’s heavy-handed attempt to hand-pick a suc- cessor, a formerly obscure ba- nana exporter named Jovenel Moise, that helped taint October’s election results. The last time Haiti was saddled with an interim gov- ernment, after President Jean- Bertrand Aristide’s ouster in 2004, it took two years to or- ganize and execute elections. That cannot be allowed to happen again. Haiti wants and deserves a democratically elected new government on the prompt timetable set by the new agreement. © 2016, The Washington Post 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” Demonstrators chant anti-government slogans during a protest on Saturday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. – Photo: AP The problem is how to go forward with a new presidential runoff election … with so many potential disputes left unresolved.5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Wednesday February 10, 2016 DRIVE THRU OPEN LATE FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS UNTIL 1AM AT SEVEN MILE BEACH Female joggers attacked in GT, WB Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com At least nine separate at- tacks on female joggers have been reported since last May, with the most recent spate of indecent assaults being reported along the George Town waterfront and adja- cent areas of South Sound. All of the attacks have oc- curred either shortly before dawn or just after dawn, the Royal Cayman Islands Police said. The perpetrators are not always described as vi- olent, but are typically ag- gressive, groping and grab- bing their victims. One of the attacks in West Bay involved serious physical violence. The most recent inci- dent occurred along Walkers Road near Webster’s Drive in George Town around 6 a.m. on Monday. The suspect, described as a small man with a “soft voice” is alleged to have ap- proached a female jogger and indecently assaulted her. The attack follows two other incidents on South Church Street on Jan. 28 and Jan. 30, police said. Those involved women walking or running along an area fre- quented by joggers between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. One assault happened near Dart Park in South Sound, the other near Grand Old House restaurant in George Town. Police could not state whether the same man was responsible for all three attacks. In both cases from late January, a woman walking or running alone was grabbed by a man who emerged from the bushes along the road and ran up behind her, then ran away after the attack. As a result of the three recent attacks, police said they have increased early morning patrols in the wa- terfront-South Sound area. The George Town inde- cent assaults mirror sev- eral others than have oc- curred in West Bay, most recently in January. On Jan. 17, a woman run- ning near the intersection of Willie Farrington Drive and the Esterley Tibbetts Highway was grabbed by a masked man who ran up be- hind her. On Oct. 13, 2015, a woman was jogging near the entrance to The Shores sub- division in West Bay when a man ran up and grabbed her, threw her to the ground and assaulted her at about 5:30 a.m. The suspect ran off when the victim screamed. Four other attacks on fe- male joggers occurred be- tween May and July 2015, police reported. All of the attacks involved a suspect who was riding a bicycle. On July 18, around 5:45 a.m., a woman was walking along Batabano Road when a man ran up behind her and indecently assaulted her by grabbing her backside. In May, in three sepa- rate reports, three women told police they had been as- saulted by a man on a bi- cycle while they were run- ning or walking in the West Bay area. Two of the assaults oc- curred in May. The other oc- curred in November 2014, but the victim came for- ward only after reading of similar attacks. Cayman fighting Zika before it gets here Charles DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The red and white Mosquito Research and Control Unit plane began making the rounds this month, joined by truck- mounted foggers on the ground, to kill the mosqui- toes blamed for spreading the Zika virus around South and Central America. For Cayman’s public health officials, the question is not if the Zika virus, linked to severe birth defects, will arrive in Cayman, but when. Consensus from the World Health Organization and other international public health leaders is that the best way to control Zika’s spread is to kill the Aedes ae- gypti mosquitoes that carry the virus. Bill Petrie, head of the MRCU, said, “The good news is that we have experience in dealing with this type of thing from the previous dengue and chikungunya out- breaks in the region. “We also have a commit- ment from government, from the premier, that we will be provided with the resources that we need,” he said at a press conference, joined by Premier Alden McLaughlin and Cayman’s public health officials from the Health Services Authority. No Zika cases have been identified in Cayman, but the first local case was recently found in Jamaica and the virus is now found in almost every country in South and Central America, and in many Caribbean countries. Authorities in Colombia and Venezuela recently an- nounced that hundreds of thousands of people may be infected in the South American neighbors, in- cluding in Venezuela’s second largest city, Maracaibo, on the Caribbean coast. In Brazil, where the first serious outbreak began last year, some 1.5 million people are reported to have been infected. The WHO estimates that only 20 percent of people who contract Zika will show symptoms, including fever, rash and other signs similar to dengue or chikungunya, but the real risk is to the un- born babies whose mothers get the virus. Researchers have linked Zika to major in- creases in microcephaly, a se- vere birth defect that causes babies to be born with small heads and underde- veloped brains. In Cayman, as in other areas where the Aedes ae- gypti mosquitoes can be found, the best way to fight the spread of the virus is by getting rid of the in- sects’ breeding areas, most often standing water around homes, officials say. The Aedes aegypti is con- sidered a domesticated mos- quito and lays its eggs in any containers with fresh standing water. The mos- quito’s favorite spots in- clude pots, bottles, old tires, clogged rain gutters, any- where with standing water. Mr. Petrie called on the public to help get rid of the mosquito’s breeding grounds. He said, “It does not breed in mangroves, swamps or bush; it likes fresh water. It’s a container breeder, so we are talking about buckets and drums, containers the size of a drinking water glass are fa- vored by Aedes aegypti. “We are encouraging resi- dents to have a look around your home twice a week. It just takes 10 minutes to go around your yard, turn up buckets, cover drums, fix your screens and drain water from plant pots and discarded tires.” The WHO warns that Aedes aegypti eggs can survive in dry environ- ments for a year or more, so people should clean the sur- faces of anything that had standing water and potential mosquito eggs. Police say they have stepped up patrols following a series of indecent assaults on female joggers. - PHOTO: FILE YOung dEbaTErs bOOsT THEIr skILLs A workshop to help young debaters hone their skills was recently held at several schools. The Fred Speirs Inter- School Debate Workshop hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Grand Cayman Sunrise and Rotary Central from Jan. 26-28 provided an opportunity for stu- dents to brush up their de- bating techniques, as well as helping teachers with coaching tools. The workshop, named after late educator and local Rotarian Fred Spiers, was led by debate experts and guest presenters Brian Casey and Patricia Donnelly, both from Halifax, Canada. Mr. Casey has 35 years’ experience in debate coaching and served as president of the Canadian Student Debating Federation and president of the Nova Scotia Debating Society. Ms. Donnelly has been a debate coach since the late 1970’s. She has been a director of the Canadian Student Debate Federation, and has just completed her term as president of the Nova Scotia Debating Society. The debates were at- tended by more than 30 students from eight high schools. The debates covered topics including whether reality TV does more harm than good, whether cell- phones should be banned in schools, and the evils of so- cial media.Wednesday February 10, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS In the Feb. 9, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, Cayman Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch reported: “Dr. and Mrs. C.P. Idyll made a brief visit to the is- lands a fortnight ago. Dr. Idyll is chairman of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, Miami, member of the faculty of the University of Miami Department of Research and Fisheries and instructor of ma- rine science. “On Jan. 25, there was a public meeting at the court house, Stake Bay which was well attended. “The Chairman was Mr. D.H. Foster, District Commissioner. Mr. J.A. Ryan, who officially represented the Cayman Islands a the International Conference on Tropical Oceanography in Miami Beach in November last year, in- troduced the guest speaker, Dr. Idyll. “Dr. Idyll led a stimulating discourse on the ‘Conservation of Fisheries.’ The best concept is ‘Wise Use,’ meaning the fish- erman must know how to catch the maximum professionally, while enabling the stocks to maintain themselves. “The sportsman wants des- perately to conserve the fish population – he seeks the plea- sure of mastery and release, the commercial fisherman of necessity brings the popula- tion down to its lowest level. “Where interests are simul- taneous the protective measure is priority – the yielding of one group to the other, in the use of a particular bank. “He explained conserva- tion laws and the essentiality of international cooperation to protect spawning grounds. In questions and answers he gave useful information.” 50 years ago: Fishing and marine conservation District Days Sister Islands Little Cayman’s renown as a premier dive destina- tion has its origins in a few acknowledged tourism pio- neers, among them the late Gladys Howard, owner of Pirates Point resort. This year, the resort is cel- ebrating its 30th anniversary, a bittersweet milestone given that Ms. Howard passed away just a few months ear- lier. Her enduring legacy as a vibrant personality is maintained throughout the grounds and lives on in the memories of her longtime staff and loyal guests. “When Gladys bought Pirates Point in 1986, the joke was that the termites were holding up the walls,” said resort manager Gay Morse. “It was a six-room, very rustic resort with a small home kitchen.” Mrs. Morse said that with only 13 residents on Little Cayman in 1988, which in- cluded the Pirates Point staff, no condos, no televisions, no store and no bank, the re- sort was a labor of love and commitment. It has now evolved into an 11-room re- sort, featuring a 40,000 gallon swimming pool overlooking the ocean, a new 42-foot dive boat, and a state-of-the- art kitchen. Mrs. Morse said Ms. Howard’s concept of catering to her guests with fresh products and homemade breads and desserts was a gamble, given that the island was supplied only by an oc- casional barge and a plane that came a few days a week. “The dive operation was started by her own instructor, Larry Smith, and she brought Donna and Paul Ingle to help her in the day-to-day running of the resort,” said Mrs. Morse. When Mr. and Mrs. Ingle left, Gay and Ed Morse ar- rived 1988. Ms. Morse said that despite the obsta- cles the resort faced, guests were amazed by the quality product Ms. Howard and the Morses were able to offer in the early years, given the re- mote location. “The dive operation evolved into a catered experi- ence with long computer pro- file, no time limit type dives,” said Mrs. Morse. “Buoyancy work and critter finding were the focus of the dive instructors that have come throughout the years.” She said that as the resort grew, another team of dive instructors was added and the resort began attracting worldwide recognition for its hospitality. “The present dive staff, Mike Vallee and Michelle Davis, have been with the resort a long time,” said Ms. Morse. “Mike has brought his knowledge of iguanas and birds and nature to new levels and shares his knowledge with guests throughout the week,” she said. “Michelle has helped share the resort responsibili- ties with me and we both still love getting in the water.” Mrs. Morse noted the at- mosphere delivers a unique concept, and each member of staff brings something spe- cial to the resort. “Dania Skyers from Jamaica can be found cheer- fully cleaning rooms or helping out with dinner. Seth Ridewood and Tiago Peixoto are newer dive crew, but have each brought something spe- cial to the diving and are finding new ways to improve the resort also,” she said. “The guests can bond and have fun and enjoy the peace and quiet that Little Cayman provides, at a resort that is eco-friendly and tucked into massive sea grape shade trees. It is a world of its own.” Ms. Howard died in October of 2015 after a four- year battle with cancer. “But her dream has been car- ried forward through her daughter, Susan Howard, who is wanting to continue with the traditions and com- mitment to the guests who have become friends over the years,” said Mrs. Morse. “The resort has become a place known for holidays being an event, birthdays a celebration and a good time had by all.” The resort’s main chef, Dianne Fite, has been there for 10 years and was trained by Ms. Howard. “She can be heard singing in the morning and asking what someone’s favorite des- sert is so she can create it,” said Mrs. Morse. Ms. Fite and fellow re- sort chef Anthony Pizzarello have both won awards at the Sister Islands Cook-off and Pirates Point has been named the best restaurant in the Sister Islands many times. Martha Steinhagen, Gay Morse, the late Gladys Howard, Dianne Fite and Michelle Davis. Dianne Fite, Gay Morse, Patrick Parma and the late Gladys Howard. Pirates Point marks 30 years The Pirates Point dive boat.Cayman Compass • Wednesday February 10, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Sister Islands Long-term service recognized Long-serving Cayman Brac staff of the Department of Children and Family Services received a special thank you recently. The 17 employees were honored with awards on Friday, Jan. 29 at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre, according to a press release. Minister of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden and Ministry Chief Officer Dorine Whittaker were on hand to present the awards. “In 2015, staff members in Grand Cayman were presented with their long service awards so the Department of Children and Family Services was happy to use this visit as an opportunity to award the dedicated staff of Cayman Brac,” said Minister Bodden. Community development officer Annie-Rose Scott was the longest- serving awardee at 28 years of service, for which she received a plaque. Having started out as a clerical of- ficer, moving on to work as an execu- tive officer, then a senior social work assistant and now community develop- ment officer, Ms. Scott has made a ca- reer of assisting young people, adults and seniors. “I really enjoy my work, I find it very rewarding,” she said, noting that she’s now coming up on 30 years of service in a field she loves. The 15 remaining long-service recipi- ents work at the Kirkconnell Community Care Centre as community care workers, with the release noting that together the group has served 329 years on the job. Youngsters hit the pool Young swimmers on the Brac were out in force for a day of competition at the Sister Islands Swim Club’s first Burner Meet of 2016. Held on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the government pool in Stake Bay, it was the first swim meet in many years, according to a press release. Seventeen swimmers across several divisions of age 6 and under, age 7-8, age 9-10 and Open, competed in races in all four strokes – butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. At the end of the meet, swimmers took part in freestyle relays, adding to the fun. Organizers noted the meet was held in an ef- fort to encourage the sport among youth. Swimmers were awarded ribbons by coach Michael Hundt and Swim Club president Kenny Ryan for their efforts. Coach Susan Hundt and parents of the Swim Club served as timers and record keepers for the day, and the Sport Association of the Sister Islands contributed pizza for those in attendance. The club’s next swim event will be the CNB 800M Sea Swim on Saturday, April 9, in Cayman Brac. The swim is open to anyone who would like to participate. Annie-Rose Scott receives an award from Minister Osbourne Bodden. Community care workers at the Kirkconnell Community Care Centre and employees at Cayman Brac’s Department of Children and Family Services were honored with awards on Friday, Jan. 29. Swimmers take in the action. The opening of a new fa- cility on the Brac serving the Sister Islands on Friday, Jan. 29 drew a small crowd of dignitaries and residents. Located on 23 Dennis Foster Road, the new Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports offices will house the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Needs Assessment Unit (NAU) staff. The premises are newly reno- vated and also include a conference room. “These two entities, I should note, offer separate services,” said Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden, to the dignitaries, civil servants and residents attending the opening. “The DCFS has two Social Work staff and a Community Development Officer on island to serve you. These persons focus on child protection mat- ters, adoption, juvenile delinquency, domestic abuse, elderly matters and community-related is- sues. Meanwhile, Needs Assessment Unit staff pro- vide financial assistance services,” Mr. Bodden said. He also noted the more than 30 years of DCFS rep- resentation in Cayman Brac since Karen Fraser first held the post of welfare and pro- bation officer in 1978. “But with the creation of the Needs Assessment Unit in November 2013, we real- ized that the existing space was lacking and no longer adequate,” said Mr. Bodden. Other officials joining Mr. Bodden at the opening were Sister Islands rep- resentative and Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell, Ministry Chief Officer Dorine Whittaker, NAU Director Tamara Hurlston, Acting Director of DCFS Paulinda Mendoza- Williams, District Commissioner Ernie Scott, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tibbetts, and Chief Officer for District Administration, Stran Bodden. New offices open on Brac From left, Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell, District Commissioner Ernie Scott, Acting Director of DCFS Paulinda Mendoza-Williams and Minister for Community Affairs Osbourne Bodden tour the new facility.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Wednesday February 10, 2016 • Cayman Compass that Ms. Rivers had furthered her education – a constitu- tional exception to residency requirements – while prac- ticing at London’s Allen & Overy, and that her posses- sion of a U.S. passport did not indicate divided loyalty. When handing down judg- ment on Aug. 9, 2013, Chief Justice Smellie did not indi- cate costs, but on March 13, 2014, in a 13-page decision, he cited Ms. Rivers’s claim that “it would be neither fair nor appropriate that she should be required to bear them herself …” He did not name the amount, but called the costs “quite significant.” The Jan. 29 petition caught the Hewitt couple by surprise. “I don’t what I will do,” Mr. Hewitt said. “I don’t what will happen now.” He said he felt “a little bit of disgust for Cayman’s con- stitutional system,” worrying that the chief justice had erred in his judgement. “It’s just astonishing,” he said. “No one in the world ex- pected that to go down the way it did.” Mrs. Powery-Hewitt was bitterly disappointed, saying only, “I am just praying. I don’t know what else to do.” Personal bankruptcy is similar to corporate bank- ruptcy. A court-approved trustee values all liabilities and assets, then proportion- ally distributes whatever re- mains among creditors. In the extreme, bank- ruptcy could force the couple to liquidate their West Bay home, their car, any bank accounts and any other possessions. Mr. Hewitt said family attorney Steve McField “is working on it.” Mr. McField declined to comment. Ms. Rivers’s attorneys also declined to comment. Ms. Rivers had not re- sponded by press time to re- peated efforts to contact her. Minister Rivers calls for Hewitt bankruptcy “I am just praying. I don’t know what else to do.” Velma Powery-Hewitt “Still living the good life this weekend!” said one of several commenters who sent the photos to the Cayman Compass via email. The home in Loganville, according to statements and testimony in Canover Watson’s recently ended criminal trial, was purchased with ill-gotten funds from the Cayman Islands public hospital patient swipe- card contract, known as the CarePay contract. Prosecutors alleged that Webb secured two amounts – a US$240,000 loan and a US$250,000 pay- ment from a locally reg- istered company – to help settle the mortgage on the 10,000-square-foot, six-bed- room, eight-bathroom prop- erty in Loganville. The US$250,000 pay- ment initially came from the Cayman Islands Football Association, routed through a local company known as Black Holdings, prosecutors said. The US$240,000 loan, from Fidelity Bank, was to a Cayman-registered com- pany owned by Jack Warner, Webb and Costas Takkas, all of whom were indicted in the FIFA corruption scandal. The Fidelity loan was paid back with money Webb re- ceived from the CarePay con- tract, as part of what pros- ecutors allege was an illicit scheme run by Webb and Watson to skim profits from the public hospital system. The funds from CIFA landed in Webb’s CarePay bank ac- count and were transferred to a bank in Georgia, prose- cutors said. Watson was convicted Thursday on five of six criminal counts in connec- tion with the CarePay fraud scheme. Webb, who is also charged in the case, was un- able to attend the Cayman trial due to his sentencing in the U.S. criminal case in- volving FIFA corruption. CiFa probe The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is also inves- tigating additional bribes Webb is alleged to have re- ceived through FIFA’s Centre of Excellence football field project in Prospect, Grand Cayman. These bribes are referred to generally in the FIFA indict- ment issued against Webb. The Compass reported Monday that US$1.2 million in “loans” to the Cayman Islands Football Association in late 2013 – ostensibly related to the Centre of Excellence project – were described as “graft” in a U.S. federal court lawsuit filed in December. The December 2015 law- suit alleges that the money represented bribe payments given indirectly by two com- panies – Cartan Tours and Forward Sports – to former CIFA President Webb. The suit alleges Cartan paid the bribe money in exchange for a lu- crative business arrangement with CONCACAF, world foot- ball’s regional governing body for the Caribbean, North and Central America. Cartan, a suburban travel accommodation company, never provided any “mate- rial services” to CIFA, the law- suit states. Cartan, in its re- sponse to a 2015 audit, said its US$600,000 portion of the money was a “gift” to CIFA to help it pay for the Prospect football complex. Cayman Islands Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden said Tuesday that it was his understanding “this matter of the US$1.2 million is with the Anti-Corruption Unit.” “These were the irregulari- ties that were spotted by the auditors, and went a long way towards them being unable to sign off [CIFA’s financial state- ments] for 2014,” Mr. Bodden said. “There appears to be a lot of things wrong with CIFA, CONCACAF and FIFA dealings themselves and also with pri- vate enterprise. It gives me a very uneasy feeling as min- ister. “The eyes of the world are upon us and Cayman must clean up its act in regards to football administration.” Compass journalist James Whittaker contrib- uted to this story. had developed a reef res- toration plan which was with the Department of Environment for review and urged the Cayman Islands government to get on with implementing it. According to the state- ment, “Mr. Allen and Vulcan asked the Department to consider the plan on an expedited basis and have continued to offer the ser- vices of the experts to consult and work with the Department.” “Paul G. Allen and Vulcan believe the most important action now is a rapid review of the reme- diation plan by local offi- cials and the restoration of the reef. Time is of the es- sence, and we stand ready to begin playing our part in quickly implementing that plan.” The statement went on to outline Mr. Allen’s creden- tials as a “global philanthro- pist and conservationist.” “Mr. Allen has devel- oped programs and in- vested in solutions that protect and regenerate de- clining coral reefs, created the largest comprehensive data-collection and anal- ysis of the world’s popu- lations of reef sharks and rays, and is working to raise awareness and in- spire action to address cli- mate change and illegal fishing. Because of that commitment, the damage to the reef resonates partic- ularly deeply with us and is why we supported swift action to help mitigate the impact and restore the reef as quickly as possible.” The Department of Environment has referred questions on the incident to Angela Piercy, spokeswoman in the Ministry of Financial Services, Commerce and Environment. She said Tuesday, “Because the matter is under investigation, DoE will not make further state- ments until the time is more appropriate.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mr. Allen Mega-yacht owner plans reef restoration Paul Allen’s yacht Tatoosh on its recent visit to Cayman. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Webb parties amid FIFA fallout CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Canover Watson was led from court at Kirk House Feb. 4 following his conviction in the CarePay case. Jeffrey Webb is also charged but was not available to attend trial in Cayman. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS The now-empty CONCACAF office on the second and third floors of the George Town Financial Centre was run by Jeffrey Webb between 2012 and 2015. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Education Minister Tara Rivers leaves court on Aug. 9, 2013, surrounded by well-wishers after Chief Justice Anthony Smellie ruled she was qualified to run for office and to be elected as an MLA following a challenge to her eligibility by John Gordon Hewitt. – PHOTO: CHRIS COuRTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Wednesday February 10, 2016 Ireland moves to suppress gang war Ireland’s police force has deployed military-style road checkpoints as part of the government’s toughened measures to try to prevent a gang war in Dublin. PURITAN CLEANERS Professional Laundry and Dry Cleaning 949-7104 puritangc@candw.ky 337 EASTERN AVENUE GT. DACO WATER SPECIALTIES A division of Puritan Cleaners Dealers in MYERS Pumps & Water Systems 949-7104/526-1038 337 EASTERN AVENUE GT. Spy chief warns of US attacks inspired by terrorism in Paris Follow-on attacks in U.S. feared The nation’s intelligence chief warned Tuesday that terror attacks in Paris and California last year could lead to a wave of follow-on plots in the United States and Europe carried out by militants emboldened by the failure to prevent earlier strikes. James Clapper, the di- rector of national intelligence, said in prepared Senate testi- mony that U.S.-based extrem- ists “pose the most signifi- cant Sunni terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland in 2016.” “The perceived suc- cess” of the attacks in Paris, Chattanooga, Tennessee, and San Bernardino, California, “might motivate others to replicate opportunistic at- tacks with little or no warning, diminishing our ability to detect terrorist op- erational planning and read- iness,” Clapper said in testi- mony submitted to the Senate intelligence and armed ser- vices committees. Clapper also warned of other dangers including in- creased aggressiveness from Russia in cyberattacks and penetrations, and con- tinued signals from North Korea that it is determined to develop nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States. Clapper, CIA Director John O. Brennan and other intelligence officials are ex- pected to spend much of the day Tuesday in hearings aimed at examining the most pressing security threats to the United States. It will be Brennan’s first public appearance before the Senate intelligence com- mittee since early 2014, months before the panel is- sued a scathing report on the agency’s use of brutal inter- rogation measures against al- Qaida suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Although Clapper cited the rising danger of home- grown terror plots, he led his written testimony with a survey of threats related to the rising U.S. dependence on computer systems. Russia is increasingly willing “to target critical in- frastructure systems and conduct espionage opera- tions even when detected and under increased public scru- tiny,” Clapper said. © 2016, The Washington Post Although Clapper cited the rising danger of home- grown terror plots, he led his written testimony with a survey of threats related to the rising U.S. dependence on computer systems. James Clapper, director of National Intelligence, testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Monday. – Photo: the Washington Post Train crash in Germany kills at least 9, injures nearly 90 BAD AIBLING, Germany (AP) – Two commuter trains crashed head-on Tuesday in southern Germany, killing nine people and injuring around 90 as they slammed into each other on a curve after an automatic safety braking system ap- parently failed, the transport minister said. The regional trains col- lided before 7 a.m. on the single line that runs near Bad Aibling in the German state of Bavaria. Aerial footage shot by APTN showed that the impact tore the two en- gines apart, shredded metal train cars and flipped sev- eral of them on their sides off the rails. The first emergency units were on the scene within three minutes of receiving the call, but with a river on one side and a forest on the other, it took hours to reach some of the injured in the wreckage. Hundreds of rescue crews using helicop- ters and small boats shut- tled injured passengers to the other side of the Mangfall River to waiting ambulances, which took them to hospitals across southern Bavaria. The two train drivers are thought to be among the dead and one person is not yet accounted for, au- thorities said. “This is the biggest ac- cident we have had in years in this region,” po- lice spokesman Stefan Sonntag said. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said safety systems on the stretch had been checked as recently as last week, but Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt suggested that a system de- signed to automatically brake trains if they accidentally end up on the same track did not seem to have func- tioned properly. Dobrindt, however, said it was too early to draw a de- finitive conclusion. “The site is on a curve. We have to assume that the train drivers had no visual contact and hit each other without braking,” Dobrindt told reporters in Bad Aibling, adding that speeds of up to 100 kph (60 mph) were pos- sible on the stretch. Black boxes from both trains had been recovered and are now being analyzed, which should show what went wrong, Dobrindt said. “We need to determine immediately whether it was a technical problem or a human mistake,” he said. Authorities had initially reported 150 injured but federal police spokesman Stefan Brandl later low- ered that figure to 89, with ten of those injuries con- sidered serious. Each train could hold up to 1,000 passengers and are commonly used by chil- dren traveling to school, but because of regional holi- days to celebrate Carnival, fewer than 200 were on board in total. “We’re lucky that we’re on the Carnival holidays, be- cause usually many more people are on these trains,” regional police chief Robert Kopp said. About 700 emergency personnel from Germany and neighboring Austria were involved in the rescue effort, using about a dozen helicopters. Train operator Bayerische Oberlandbahn started a hotline for family and friends desperate to check on the passengers. “This is a huge shock. We are doing everything to help the passengers, relatives and employees,” said Bernd Rosenbusch, the head of the Bayerische Oberlandbahn. In Munich, about 60 ki- lometers (40 miles) away, the city blood center put out an urgent call for imme- diate donations in the wake of the crash. Germany is known for the quality of its train ser- vice, but the country has seen several other accidents, typically at road cross- ings. Most recently, a train driver and a passenger were killed in May when a train hit the trailer of a tractor in western Germany, and an- other 20 people were injured. In 2011, 10 people were killed and 23 injured in a head-on collision of a pas- senger train and a cargo train on a single-line track close to Saxony-Anhalt’s state capital of Magdeburg in eastern Germany. Germany’s worst train accident took place in 1998, when a high-speed ICE train crashed in the northern German town of Eschede, killing 101 people and in- juring more than 80. An aerial view of rescue forces working at the site of the train collision near Bad Aibling, Germany, on Tuesday. - Photo: aPNext >