High of 79 Low of 70 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. A king of Champagnes Getting to the ‘Krug’ of the matter B8 Disco Fever Boogie Oogie Oogie at Cayman Heart Fund gala B10 Technology Charity Lifestyles Walk a mile in her shoes ■ arts Cayman Arts Festival Elizabeth Pitcairn and more B11 SuperPhoto app Extraordinary effects produce dazzling results B6 Friday February 12, 2016 • Cayman Compass STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 JulyBOTTEGA PETALO IL VINO DELL’AMORE MOSCATO Sparkling Wine from Italy SAVE $4 ONLY $17.50 PER BOTTLE (until the end of February) Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.c om Walk a mile in her shoes Men: Don heels, help the Crisis Centre B5 cayman weekender Cayman Arts Festival Editorial | pagE 4 Orrett COnnOr’s intemperate On-air remarks eSTaBLISHed 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – Friday February 12, 2016 Anti-CoRRuption CommiSSion no meeting in past 12 months Charles dunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The last meeting of the Anti-Corruption Commission was on Feb. 13, 2015, a year ago Saturday. The five-member commission, tasked with investigating public corruption in the Cayman Islands, is down to one permanent member and has not had a quorum in a year. The commission is made up of the police commissioner, the complaints commissioner, the auditor general and two members ap- pointed by the governor. But the complaints commissioner left her post a year ago and the auditor general resigned last fall, and neither has been replaced. Both of the appointed members resigned last February and they, too, have not been re- placed, leaving Police Commissioner David Baines as the sole member of the Anti- Corruption Commission. Mr. Baines could not be reached by press time Thursday. However, writing late last year in the com- mission’s most recent annual report, Mr. Baines noted that during the past year, “cases of corruption continued to make their way into the spotlight, both on a local and inter- national level. These cases reiterate the [com- mission’s] stance that corruption continues to exist at various levels in the Cayman Islands.” Corruption cases have made headlines in Cayman and around the world in recent months with the Canover Watson corruption EstErlEy tibbEtts HigHway work progrEssing alan markOFF amarkoff@pinnaclemedialtd.com There is relief in sight for the traffic prob- lems along the Seven Mile Beach corridor. Work on the expansion of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway through Camana Bay and southward toward the Butterfield roundabout is progressing on schedule and will be com- pleted within 12 months, according to a press release issued Thursday by the Dart Group, which is undertaking the project. Several aspects of Dart’s original plans for the Esterley Tibbetts Highway realign- ment have changed somewhat after consulta- tions with Cayman’s National Roads Authority and overseas transportation consultants. An amendment to the existing approval has been submitted to the Central Planning Authority. “The amendment includes a northerly re- alignment and expansion of the Camana Bay roundabout as well as a new mini round- about,” the press release stated. “This expan- sion, collaboratively designed with and ap- proved by the NRA, will address current traffic issues as well as facilitate future growth.” The expansion project entails several previously reported elements that remain unchanged: ■■ The Esterley Tibbetts Highway will be widened to four lanes through the Camana Bay area and south- ward to the Butterfield roundabout ■■ The Esterley Tibbetts Highway will be re- aligned westward through Camana Bay, with the current divided road through that area becoming part of the Town Centre ■■ The current roundabout at the eastern end of Lawrence Boulevard will be closed and Branson’s visit: three stitches and a stingray ‘bite’ Charles dunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com While on island for just a couple of days for the Legends Tennis event and the Alternative Investment Summit, Sir Richard Branson managed to walk into a glass door, requiring three stitches on his forehead, and get “bitten” by a stingray while touring Stingray City with Guy Harvey. On his company blog, Sir Richard wrote, “I’ve been in the wars this week over in the Cayman Islands. I was very excited to make the trip to Grand Cayman for a spe- cial swim with dozens of beautiful rays. But Sir Richard Branson needed three stitches after walking into a glass door while shopping at a jewelry store. - pHoto: virgin.com/ricHard-branson PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 » Steve Harvey hosts radio show from Cayman Steve Harvey and co-host Shirley Strawberry broadcast live from poolside at the Comfort Suites hotel on Seven mile Beach on thursday. the pair are hosting their radio show from Cayman this week. For more, see page 12. – pHoto: JamEs wHittakEr2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Friday February 12, 2016 • Cayman Compass til 3pm Saturdays & Cimboco ~ A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in The Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast til 3pm turdays & Sundays! Brunch & Breakfast CARIBBEANCAFEA Mobile: 345-323-8573 Office: 345-943-8573 / Fax: 345-949-9753 heather.richards@remax.ky / www.remax.ky Heather Richards DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN! Cayman Islands Member of CIREBA Fantastic Find! Family home recently renovated featuring large great room for entertaining and relaxing. Walks out onto patio w/hot tub. Big yard, fully fenced and landscaped. A definite must see!! MLS 405404 CI $384,000 Prospect Drive Home ONE BEDROOM APT SALE Call Lin at 548 0000 Cayman Realty Group COUNTRYSIDE Granite Counters, Pool, Furnished $154,900 PROSPECT Granite Counters, Spacious and Furnished $159,900 Harpist Extraordinaire Eugenio Leon Serenades Tableside Tonight Friday and every Friday! TOMORROW Saturday, Feb. 13th Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man TONIGHT! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm Tarpon Fish Feeding 7:30pm & 9:00pm Nightly Fish FeedingTarpon Come for Dinner Stay for Dancing Live Music 8:00pm - 11:00pm Saturday, Feb. 13 Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky CIFA members involved with CarePay pharmacy deal Business plan revealed on Watson’s USB drives Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com At least three current or former members of the Cayman Islands Football Association, including Canover Watson and Jeffrey Webb, intended to benefit from the creation of a new pharmacy business that was to be set up after the hospi- tal’s CarePay patient swipe- card system was put in place, information obtained from detachable computer memory drives at Watson’s former business office reveal. A computerized pharma- ceuticals management con- tract for the public hos- pital system, as was the case with the entire CarePay system, had its award di- rected by Watson, who served as chairman of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority board of direc- tors between 2009 and 2013. Watson was sentenced to seven years in prison ear- lier this month on five of six charges related to the CarePay fraud. One of the charges – alleging breach of trust by a public official – was partly related to the pharmacy business. The allegation at trial was that Watson, Webb and their Jamaican business partner Douglas Halsall were at- tempting to set up a phar- macy business that would di- rectly profit from the award of the CarePay contract and its associated computerized pharmaceuticals manage- ment system. The pharmacy, Crown prosecutors alleged, would essentially become the sole private sector distrib- utor of HSA patient medica- tion through the use of pro- prietary software owned by Mr. Halsall’s company, Advanced Integrated Systems in Jamaica. Eventually, if and when the CarePay card system expanded to the private sector, the phar- macy or pharmacies owned by Watson, Webb and Mr. Halsall would effectively have cor- nered the entire consumer pre- scription drug market, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Patrick Moran alleged during Watson’s trial. Watson denied any and all such prosecutorial claims and said financial spread- sheets recovered from his computer flash drives at fi- nancial services company Admiral Administration merely amounted to him ana- lyzing data. “Mr. Halsall brought to my attention an opportunity [in- volving] SuperMed Pharmacy, about possibly setting up a pharmacy in Cayman,” Mr. Watson testified at trial. “It was simply a spreadsheet and nothing more.” The pharmacy deal never went through, but prosecu- tors said those involved had already selected a name – SuperMed Pharmacy Cayman – and Watson, in 2011, paid more than US$6,000 for one-month’s rent on a 4,000-square-foot building on Grand Cayman. The cost of the rent was to be split with Webb, according to information con- tained on the flash drives, prosecutors said. In addition, Mr. Moran said, shareholders of the proposed SuperMed Pharmacy deal were revealed on Watson’s computer flash drives. They were Webb [25 percent], Watson [25 percent], Mark Campbell [10 percent], Norman Dunn [20 percent] and Mr. Halsall [20 percent]. Mr. Campbell is an executive member of CIFA. Watson agreed those were the names listed on the flash drive information, but said that Mr. Moran’s al- legations had “nothing to do with reality.” Mr. Moran said, contrary to what Watson claimed, the pharmacy deal with SuperMed was not a fan- tasy. “This wasn’t [Watson] doodling in the slightest,” he said. Mr. Moran said Watson knew how much the rent would be, had already se- lected a location and had paid a first month’s deposit on the facility. “Why did you need a phar- macy that was 4,000 square feet?” Mr. Moran asked. “That was the space that was available,” Watson said. “[Mr. Halsall] likely would have made it into a pharmacy and a convenience store. It never became anything more than a forecast.” Earlier in the trial, the head of the Health Services Authority’s pharmacy op- eration testified that Mark Campbell was a pharmacist by trade. Mr. Campbell did not testify at the trial. “This wasn’t [Watson] doodling in the slightest.” Patrick Moran, deputy director of public prosecutions Canover Watson 52 dead in riot at northern Mexico prison MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) – A brutal fight between rival factions killed 52 inmates and injured 12 at a prison in northern Mexico on Thursday, the state governor said. Nuevo Leon Gov. Jaime Rodriguez said there were no reported escapes and the battle, which sent flames bil- lowing into the pre-dawn sky, did not involve guns. Mexico’s deadliest prison riot in many years broke out just six days before Pope Francis is scheduled to visit another Mexican prison, in the border city of Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua state. Rodriguez said at a news conference the fight involved a faction led by a member of the infamous Zetas drug cartel, Juan Pedro Zaldivar Farias, also known as Z-27. The Zetas once nearly controlled the area around Monterrey and Zaldivar Farias was a suspect in the 2010 shooting death of American David Hartley on Texas’ Falcon Lake. Hartley was reportedly shot while touring the lake with his wife on Jet Skis. The governor, said the fight broke out between supports of Zaldivar Farias and Jorge Ivan Hernandez Cantu, who has been identified by local news media as a member of the rival Gulf drug cartel. The war between to two cartels bloodied Nuevo Leon state and neighboring Tamaulipas state between 2010 and 2012. Images broadcast by Milenio Television showed flames leaping from the prison, with a crowd of people bundled against the cold gathered outside the prison. Some shook and kicked at the prison gates, demanding to be allowed in. Rescue workers could be seen bringing injured inmates from the Topo Chico prison in Monterrey, at least some with burns. Rodriguez said the fight broke out just before mid- night, and that inmates set fire to a storage area, causing a thick cloud of smoke. The deadliest prison riot in recent memory also oc- curred in Nuevo Leon, in February 2012, when mem- bers of the Zetas murdered 44 members of the Gulf Cartel at the overcrowded Apodaca federal prison. One month earlier, 31 inmates died in a brawl in the neighboring state of Tamaulipas. That riot involved inmates fighting with makeshift knives, clubs and stones. The report, based on visits and interviews at 101 of Mexico’s most populated prisons, found that 65 of the facilities were run by in- mates, not authorities.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 Cayman Compass • Friday February 12, 2016 Sweet deals for Valentine’s Day Get it in store today or visit discoverfl ow.ky Conditions apply Postpaid FREE Prepaid $109 Get the Alcatel Pop 3 for as low as... with 1GB dataThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Friday February 12, 2016 • Cayman COmpass Former Cabinet Secretary Orrett “OC” Connor, who has a post-retirement job hosting a thrice-weekly talk show on Radio Cayman, took to the airwaves last Friday to sound off on the biggest news story of the year: Canover Watson’s unanimous conviction by a seven- member Caymanian jury on five criminal charges related to the fraudulent CarePay scheme. In his remarks regarding Watson using his public position as then-chairman of the Health Services Authority to steal hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars from the Cayman Islands government, Mr. Connor went on to castigate the Cayman Compass for publishing a photograph of Watson, doing his “perp walk” in police custody, on that day’s front page. (Other media outlets in Cayman published similar photos.) Mr. Connor insinuated that the newspaper’s motivation behind publishing that image was that Watson is “a Cay- manian of color.” Shame on you, Mr. Connor. Venomous remarks that are calculated to divide people on the basis of skin color are always reprehen- sible but even more so when uttered by someone of Mr. Connor’s stature. Interestingly, we are unable to quote more extensively from Mr. Connor’s comments, which were monitored by several journalists in our newsroom. While we are certain of the accuracy of our reporting, we requested from Radio Cayman the actual audio recording from Mr. Connor’s broadcast. Station staff informed us that because of tech- nological malfunctions, the usual backup failed. However, as the British say, Radio Cayman employs a redundant “belt and braces” approach to backing up its daily broadcasts. In case something goes amiss, a second backup is always recorded. Only in this instance, “Our back-up to the back-up also failed,” station staff said. How unfortunate. Delving back into Compass archives, we retrieved the front page of our Feb. 20, 2007, edition. It included a large photograph of Canover Watson during a happier moment, when he won the Young Caymanian Leader- ship Award. How does Mr. Connor reconcile the two con- trasting images? We’ll help him: They were both news. Simply put, the Compass is not in the business of “bad news” or “good news.” We are in the news business. Readers will no doubt recall another “show trial” that ended with a very different result — that of former Premier McKeeva Bush who was acquitted on all charges of corrup- tion. Mr. Bush was, not surprisingly, featured prominently on Page One of the Compass in a photo as he emerged from the court building. In regard to Mr. Connor’s statements, let us stipu- late the following: While poisonous and odious, his words may or may not cross the line between defamation and fair comment. What makes them of particular interest is that they were uttered on a government radio station by a man who has drawn his paycheck for as long as we can recall from government. Mr. Connor would be well advised to ponder the language of Grand Court Judge Michael Mettyear in addressing Watson when he sentenced him to seven years in Northward Prison: “The evidence against you was overwhelming. You conspired with Jeff Webb to steal money from the Cayman Islands government.” And, it follows, when he stole from government, he stole from all of us, including, yes, Mr. Connor. In their 2014 report on Cayman’s civil service, Ernst & Young consultants recommended that the government get out of the radio business and that Radio Cayman be sold to the private sector. The consultants were correct. Orrett Connor’s intemperate on-air remarks 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” Tesla for the masses? Edward NiEdErmEyEr When Tesla confirmed that it will sell its new Model 3 for as little as US$35,000 – US$25,000 with govern- ment subsidies – it seemed like a step toward realizing the “secret master plan” that founder Elon Musk laid out a decade ago: “To enter at the high end of the market, where customers are pre- pared to pay a premium, and then drive down-market as fast as possible to higher unit volume and lower prices with each successive model.” If so, what explains the company’s dismal earnings report on Wednesday and the 40 percent plunge in its shares this year? Perhaps it’s because in- vestors finally understand that the company is going to struggle mightily to ramp up production to the scale re- quired to compete outside its luxury niche. Think about it: If even with all its hype and brand prestige it can’t make money on its high-price, low- volume Models S and X, why should anyone expect Tesla to do so on a new car that starts at half the price? The real question is whether it should even be trying to. Even with an ambitious goal of building 500,000 cars a year by 2020, Tesla would only have a fraction of the scale enjoyed by its competi- tors in terms of global prod- ucts and platforms. And a huge amount of each unit’s cost would still be tied up in expensive batteries, where savings are going to be very difficult. Tesla will have to cut costs to the bone to reach the targeted price for the Model 3, meaning all the features that surprised and delighted con- sumers in the Model S – long range, rapid acceleration, a high-tech interior and innova- tive design – will be lost. And whereas the Models S and X have gone unchal- lenged on the electric-vehicle market, established auto- makers with scale and profit margins that Tesla can only dream of are preparing ve- hicles that will take on the Model 3 directly. How will Tesla maintain its hype and prestige if its US$35,000 car feels less luxurious than a US$20,000 gasoline car … or even a comparably priced electric Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Bolt? On the off chance Tesla can build a lower-cost car that lives up to drivers’ quality expectations, scaling up production to half a mil- lion units a year will only exacerbate all of the prob- lems it is having now at 25,000-plus. Tesla owners fill Web forums with com- plaints about Model S de- fects and fit-and-finish prob- lems, which will scale at least as fast as production volume. (Consumer reports demoted the car’s reliability to “worse than average” in October.) The already long lines at Supercharger sta- tions will grow, stranding even more drivers waiting for a charge. The firm’s lack of dealerships to pro- vide sales and service, along with its abysmal customer communications, will fur- ther dampen driver enthu- siasm. Abandoned by erst- while partner Toyota, the undisputed master of high- volume production and ser- vice quality, Tesla stands little chance of handling these scale-driven chal- lenges effectively. As it produces at higher volumes and sells at lower prices, Tesla will learn one of the most counter-intuitive truths of the car business: Mass-market consumers are actually harder to keep satis- fied than luxury buyers. Cars like the Model S are bought by enthusiastic customers who are attracted to its unique design, performance and brand image – and who typically have other cars they can drive if their beloved ma- chine breaks down. Buyers of affordable sedans are more dependent on a car’s quality to serve their everyday needs, yet also more able to replace a defect-plagued model with a competitive make. If you are disappointed by your Accord, it’s pretty easy to trade it in for a Camry, and vice-versa. Tesla’s experience with well-off, enthusiastic early adopters does not pre- pare it well for the competi- tive realities of US$35,000 and under. This dynamic explains why mass-market cars are as unsexy and appliance-like as they are: The most suc- cessful manufacturers put far more focus on refining production processes than on breathtaking design or gee- whiz gadgetry. Tesla’s culture is the opposite. Its quality problems, supply-chain chal- lenges and repeated produc- tion delays are offset only by its ability to inspire pas- sion for its products. This kind of company can suc- ceed, even thrive, building ex- pensive and highly sought- after cars at low volume. But Tesla’s strengths as a com- pany don’t translate well into mass-market products, and its weaknesses are precisely the kinds that tend to bring high-volume manufacturers to their knees. Tesla may feel it has al- ready invested too much into the Model 3 to turn back now. But giving up its dream of selling large numbers of an affordable car seems much easier than remaking the com- pany’s entire cutting-edge cul- ture into that of a pragmatic, Toyota-like mass producer. Musk has already built a brand that is the envy of every luxury car maker. Rather than put that accom- plishment at risk, maybe he should build on its strengths. Across the car business, auto- makers are giving up on the capital-intensive, low-margin business of affordable se- dans. Tesla is far better off finding a sustainable niche as a Silicon Valley Porsche than chasing its founder’s hubristic goal of bringing electric cars to the masses. Edward Niedermeyer, an auto-industry consultant, is the co-founder of Daily Kanban. © 2016, Bloomberg View Mass-market consumers are actually harder to keep satisfied than luxury buyers.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Friday February 12, 2016 Friday February 12, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days East End North Side North Sider shines in pageant finals North Sider Sheril McField re- cently represented her current home county of Surrey, England, in the Ms. Galaxy UK 2015/2016 contest. The 31-year-old mother of three, who bested 100 other contestants to become Ms. Surrey Galaxy in May last year, took part in the finals for the national Ms. Galaxy contest on Feb. 4. Galaxy Pageants produces the U.K.’s Mrs. Galaxy, Ms. Galaxy, Miss Galaxy, Miss Teen Galaxy and Junior Miss Galaxy competitions. The win- ners of the Galaxy pageants get to compete in the Galaxy International Pageant held in Orlando. Out of the 26 finalists who made it to the British national competi- tion, in an experience she dubbed “sensational” and “momentous,” Ms. McField was awarded the prize for 3rd runner-up (4th place), as well as winning the Best in Evening Wear Award. “As this was my first pag- eant that I have ever entered I was proud to be serving Surrey, and even more elated to be representing the Cayman Islands,” said Ms. McField. “Coming from such a minus- cule island to a big country and winning the regional title had me speechless.” Ms. McField praised the other contestants, as well as pageant di- rector Holly Pirrie. “When I made it to the top 10 in the pageant, I was proud, ecstatic and content,” said Ms. McField. “In my heart I was willing to walk away knowing that I did my- self, my family and both of my countries proud.” She said she had been overcome by emotion when she heard her name announced in the top 5. “I, Sheril McField, a short girl from the smallest town in the Cayman Islands, North Side, was the 3rd Runner Up in Ms. UK Galaxy in England. Words cannot express the feelings that I carry within at this very instant,” she said. Ms. McField said she is getting ready to celebrate her upcoming birthday, and the official crowning of Ms. UK Galaxy on Saturday, Feb. 13. After that, she’ll be returning to her “Land of Soft Fresh Breezes.” “No success is colossal without home, sweet home,” she said. Ms. McField plans to pursue work as a commercial model, having graduated from John Casablancas Modeling & Careers Center in Atlanta a few years ago. She said she previously put a four-year model contract for the Atlanta Film & Fashion Board along with Model Productions USA on hold for her kids. After her experience in the pag- eant, she says, she feels the 3rd runner-up award symbolically rep- resented the three Cayman Islands, and with that, offered a kind of sign. “I must admit that the influence was positive and I’ve came out more confident,” she said. “I will definitely be [entering] an- other pageant. With Jesus by my side, the best is yet to come.” Thanking her parents, family, friends and supporters, she said she was extremely grateful for all their encouragement so far. “But to my biggest fans, my kids, whom I could hear screaming for me on stage, no words can describe the debt of how they made me feel,” she said. “I love you!”Ms. McField at the recent pageant. In the Feb. 9, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a pre- cursor of the Cayman Compass, North Side correspondent Nettie McCoy reported: “After attending her broth- er’s wedding and spending a happy vacation of 2 weeks at home with her family, Mrs. Velonie Hurlston returned to New York where she now re- sides on Jan. 31. “Mr. John Wesley Ebanks who went to Freeport, Bahamas seeking employment, returned home so as to have papers fixed to re-enter as an employee of the Cement Co. there. Having obtained a letter stating that he would be given a job, he has re- turned there to work. “Mrs. Weddie Connolly and son Churchill who went to Jamaica recently for med- ical aid have returned feeling much improved. “The cool weather which has been prevailing throughout the island recently is very much felt up ‘North.’ Each Norther seems to be a little colder. Showers of rain have also been falling which indeed are a blessing.” In the same issue, East End correspondent Charles Dixon wrote: “Mr. Roosevelt Rankine left on the 3rd to join his ship in Jacksonville. Also leaving the same day was Mr. Stanton Jackson who returned to his job as patrolman with the N.M.U. and Mrs. Trevor Watler who went to Jamaica to spend a few weeks with friends. “Mr. Lesley Forbes returned on the 5th via Jamaica, where he works for N.B.C. Returning the same day was Mr. Stanley Gourzong, from Jamaica where he spent some time with friends. “The weather continues to be cold and bleak. Night-time temperatures range from 63 to 58 degrees. “Visitors from the U.S. and Canada are surprised at the change in our little island.” 50 years ago: Visitors depart, cool weather stays put Breezy North Side makes for perfect beach day Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Beachgoers, warned about rough seas and stiff breezes this week, were not deterred from trying their best to use their Ash Wednesday holiday to unwind by the sea on beaches all over the island. The cooler temperatures made the day thoroughly enjoyable for one group of Bodden Towners, who packed up their bags and headed up to a picturesque spot in North Side’s Old Man Bay. The plan was to light the grill and brave the stiff winds instead of attending the popular Agriculture Show at Lower Valley. “It was chilly and windy, but we preferred to do just that, in- stead of fighting the traffic and crowds at the Agriculture Show,” said Trilby Lingard. Mrs. Lingard, along with hus- band Harold, his friend James Collins and wife Cecile, said they eventually had to put on sweaters to keep warm, but it was nice not having to hide from the hot sun for a change. “Normally on a day out to the beach, we would have to hide from the sun behind the trees, but on Wednesday we had to seek out the sunny spots, it was just nice and chilly,” she said. Dressed in Christmas sweaters and wind- breakers, Mrs. Lingard said it was fun trying to light the grill and keep the chairs upright. “It would have made anyone laugh to see Harold and James trying to tie up the hammock. They just gave up after the wind kept it hoisted in the air like a kite and no one could get in,” she said. “It was chilly and windy too. The beach is nice in the summer but I never thought I would have to wear a sweater midday on the beach.” Mrs. Collins said it was a nice time to enjoy the chillier weather and seize the opportunity to in- dulge in some outdoor fun. “We even found time to pound almond seeds, just like in the old days when we were children growing up,” said Mrs. Collins, adding that getting her husband from Philadelphia to try local al- monds was a laugh. “He figured we were all crazy to eat such things off the land, and even crazier for wanting him to try something he didn’t think we knew anything about,” she said. “This is the coldest February I can recall for quite some time,” said Mrs. Lingard. “Often time it’s getting hot this time [of] year.” The temperature on Wednesday was officially 79 degrees, but up in North Side on the beach, with the chilly winds, they said it felt more like in the 60s. The breezy weather is ex- pected to stay around for a few more days. James Collins and Harold Lingard fight the wind to hang a hammock. - Photos: Jewel levy Trilby Lingard fixes a plate of burgers.Cayman Compass • Friday February 12, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days East End North Side Lions volunteers lend a helping hand Members of the Lions club were out in the dis- trict of East End on Saturday, Jan. 30 to lend a helping hand. A joint project between the geriatrics and social services committees of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman saw club members delivering shopping bags stocked with dry goods to more than 50 elderly and infirm local residents in the district. A community food pantry was established in September 2015 by Lions Tannya Mortimer and Letitia Lawrence with the intent to aid the indigent and youth in need. “The pantry has been pro- moted on various occasions, and thus far has aided a vast amount of families through the Department of Children and Family Services as well as a number of churches,” said Ms. Mortimer. She added that pantry requests have been growing and the committee con- tinues to partner with mem- bers of the local community. Ms. Mortimer said that in an effort to reach more people who may not be aware of the pantry service, the geriatrics committee chair, Lynval Watkins, pro- posed that the committee team up with the social ser- vices committee to expand the scope of the project in the outer districts. East End was chosen as the district to kick off the expanded program. “The pantry receives tre- mendous monthly sup- port from Kirk Market, and Hurley’s Market recently donated a vast amount of items from an in-store pro- motion,” said Ms. Mortimer. “It is support from com- munity partners such as these that allow the club to impact families on a wider scale.” Ms. Mortimer says from now on the group plans to conduct the pantry outreach program in a different dis- trict each month. Requests for assistance through this program can be made to cilionsfoodpantry@gmail.com. Lions Eric Anderson, John Ebanks, Lynval Watkins, Cordella Chollette, Trevor Watler and Michael ‘Troopa’ Troop. Lion Heidi Anderson with centenarian Stella Welcome.Lion Eric Anderson delivering a pantry shopping bag. Stella Welcome greets Trevor Watler, John Ebanks and Michael Troop of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman. People The Time Forgot GeorGe Nowak This image shot around 1983 shows Tally McLaughlin standing at the door of his East End home. When this photo was taken, Tally mused about his donkey, Tanny: “I had her for 15 years until one day a speeder from George Town knocked her down and killed her. Tanny had good sense, I’d just get on her back and she knew where to go. She would eat anything except fish. Since Tanny’s gone I gotta do a lot more walking, but I got my wompers … they still holding up.” This image is from the book ‘The People Time Forgot’ by George Nowak, available at the National Museum. All proceeds from the sales of the book go toward museum projects. Tally McLaughlinThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Friday February 12, 2016 • Cayman Compass 9 LOCAL&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Friday February 12, 2016 We thought of you with love today, But that is nothing new. We thought about you yesterday, And the 3 years since you’ve been gone too. We think of you in silence, We often speak your name. Now all we have is memories, In Loving Memory of our Dear Son and Brother Marco P.O. Rankine Feb 12, 1992 – Feb 10, 2013 And your pictures in a frame. Your memory is our keepsake, with which we will never part. God have you in his keeping, We have you in our hearts. We will forever love and miss you. Rest in Peace until we meet again. Love always and forever, Your brokenhearted mother, Susan, Stepfather, “Ricky”, and sisters Ashantae and Azariah We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Eric David Ermando Smith affectionately known as “Ricky”, who passed away on Friday, February 5, 2016. Details of A Service of Thanksgiving will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Eric David Ermando Smith affectionately known as “Ricky”, who passed away on Friday, February 5, 2016. Details of A Service of Thanksgiving will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Details of A Service of Thanksgiving will churchillsfuneralhome.com We regret to announce the passing of Ethel Vinola “Nolie”Ebanks Who departed this life on Thursday, 28th January, 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, 13th February, 2016, at the Veterans & Seamans Center, Cayman Brac, with interment to follow at the West End Cemetery. Funeral goers are invited to wear colorful attire, as Nolie loved bright colors. Ethel Vinola “Nolie”Ebanks Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com Funeral goers are invited to wear colorful attire, Marco Peter Oliver Rankine 12 February 1992 On your 3rd birthday away from us On your 3rd birthday away from us On your 3rd birthday away from us Not a day goes by that you are not thought of Sometimes it brings tears or sometimes a smile Love and miss you forever Mel and Haileigh HMS Mersey postpones visit Bad weather prevents ship from docking The British Royal Navy Ship HMS Mersey, on standby to provide disaster relief in the Caribbean re- gion, postponed a visit to Grand Cayman Thursday be- cause of bad weather. The ship was due to dock on the island for two days of activities, including an exercise with the ma- rine police and community work with the Sunrise Adult Training Centre. “Due to prevailing weather conditions the Mersey has been unable to dock in the harbor and its announced program has been cancelled. “It is expected that the ship will return later in February when the weather has improved and the invita- tion will be re-issued in due course,” the governor’s office said in a statement. Patrolling the seas The HMS Mersey, with a crew of 47 and a team of medics, will patrol the Caribbean region to provide support and reassurance to British Overseas Territories in the region. Equipped for disaster re- lief, it also provides support with anti-drug trafficking operations.The HMS Mersey was due to arrive in Cayman this week but has rescheduled its visit. - PHOTO: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE UCCI hosts free TED Talk simulcast Director and activist Norman Lear among 70 speakers The University College of the Cayman Islands is setting up access on campus for stu- dents and visitors to view a free TED Talk next week. TEDxLIVE@UCCI is a an all-day simulcast of TED2016, a sold-out event in Vancouver, Canada, that costs $8,500 to attend. The simulcast at UCCI on Tuesday runs from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. in the Professional Development Centre. All are welcome, and attendees may come and go freely during the event. The Vancouver event, which runs from Feb. 15- 19, will feature more than 70 speakers, each giving 18-minute talks or shorter presentations. The simulcast TED con- ference in Cayman, which covers one day of the Vancouver event, will fea- ture speakers discussing the topics “Radical repatterning,” “Imagination. Invention. Ingenuity,” “Lifehacks” and “Deep Memory.” Norman Lear, a televi- sion producer of such hit shows as “All in the Family,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The Jeffersons,” will be among the speakers. His talk is scheduled between 8 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Mr. Lear, who at 93 is still pitching ideas for television shows, considers himself an activist, and his strong sup- port of First Amendment rights and progressive causes helped to win him a spot on the TED 2016 stage. He founded the 300,000-member liberal advocacy group “People for the American Way” and bought an original copy of the Declaration of Independence and took it on tour in all 50 U.S. states for 10 years. Other speakers at this year’s TED conference in- clude scientists, psycholo- gists, linguists, healthcare providers and musicians. TED, short for Technology, Entertainment and Design, is a nonprofit dedicated to spreading ideas through short, powerful talks. Founded in 1984, the con- ference now covers a broad range of topics. A full schedule and list of speakers can be viewed at conferences. ted.com/TED2016. To register to attend the event at UCCI, email tedxucci@ucci.edu.ky or contact Dr. JD Mosely-Matchett at 623-0552. TV show producer Norman Lear will be one of the speakers. (AP) – The five FIFA pres- idential candidates meet in Miami on Friday with the election’s most inscrutable voters who are deep in their own leadership race amid a financial crisis. Nothing is simple these days with scandal- rocked CONCACAF which has had three recent pres- idents indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in a sprawling FIFA bribery case. Still, the 35 FIFA voting federations from North and Central America and the Caribbean could be decisive in the Feb. 26 election. “Every member can make their own decision,” Victor Montagliani, the Canadian Soccer Association’s presi- dent, told The Associated Press in a telephone inter- view. “The CONCACAF ex- ecutive committee is not going to issue any state- ment that they will support any candidate.” That freedom alone makes the region’s inten- tions unpredictable, plus its non-aligned status with the FIFA candidates coming from Africa, Asia and Europe. They are: Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim al Khalifa, the presumed front-runner from Bahrain who leads Asian soccer; UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino from Switzerland; Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, a former FIFA vice president from Jordan; former FIFA international relations di- rector Jerome Champagne of France; and South African businessman Tokyo Sexwale, who leads FIFA’s anti-dis- crimination task force. Prince Ali had pockets of support in the region when losing to now-banned FIFA President Sepp Blatter last May, while Infantino now has pledged votes from the seven-member Central American group. Two weeks from the ballot in Zurich, FIFA poli- tics are not the main reason for the special gathering of 41-member CONCACAF, which includes small island federations not yet affiliated to the world body. CONCACAF, like FIFA, is pushing through wide- ranging reforms to im- prove governance and pro- tect against corruption. Both soccer bodies had their leadership structures and reputations shredded last May when U.S. and Swiss investigations of cor- ruption spanning decades were unsealed. In an extreme scenario, both bodies risk being shut down and indicted as cor- porate defendants by fed- eral prosecutors. On Friday, CONCACAF members will take a posi- tion on the slate of FIFA re- forms being voted on this month and update on their own revamp. FIFA CANDIDATES HEAD TO MIAMI TO MEET CONCACAF IN CRISISNext >