High of 84 Low of 74 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. Politics Can Trump be bumped from top? 4 World The latest threat of Zika 11 Entertainment Who wants a piece of celebrity? 17 5 Myths The placebo effect 23 THE MIND’S BIOLOGY Doctors are reaching past the symptoms of mental illness to fix the circuits that breed them PAGE 12 ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 . IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST The mind’s biology Editorial | pagE 4 Clink, Clink Drink, Drink Wink, Wink ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MonDay February 29, 2016 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA CHICKENCHICKEN BURGER EXTRA LONGEXTRA LONG BUTTERYBUTTERYBUTTERYBUTTERYBUTTERYBUTTERYBUTTERYBUTTERY CHEESEBURGERCHEESEBURGER CHICKENCHICKEN BURGER Health chiefs paid negligence settlements JaMes Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Health Services Authority has paid out-of-court settlements to at least eight people who brought medical negligence claims against it since 2005, according to an affidavit from CEO Lizzette Yearwood. Brief details of the affidavit are contained in a lengthy legal judgment which concluded that the public hospital and its staff are protected from negligence lawsuits under sec- tion 12 of the HSA Law. Despite that “blanket immunity,” Ms. Yearwood acknowledged in her testimony that the hospital had settled such cases out of court on numerous occasions. Ms. Yearwood disclosed that there have been around 17 claims since 2005 and that at least eight involved settlement, Justice Richard Williams wrote in his judgment, which was published on Feb. 9. Evidence of the private payouts emerged after a hearing involving Norene Ebanks, whose child suffered serious birth defects as a result of what she alleges was the negligent management of her labor and delivery at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Ms. Ebanks tried to sue the hospital on be- half of her daughter Donette, now 10. A judge ruled Friday that the contentious section 12 provided the hospital with immunity in negli- gence cases, as the HSA had asserted. Lawyers acting for Ms. Ebanks (formerly Thompson) had argued that the disputed section was being wrongly interpreted. They cited the fact that hospital doctors took out malpractice insurance and that the HSA had made previous compensation payouts as evi- dence that the law was not intended to pro- vide immunity from negligence claims. The judge dismissed the argument, saying the wording of the law was clear and Auditors: FinAnce LAw chAnge opens door to corruption brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Government re- cently approved a subtle change in the ter- ritory’s finance law that will leave the door open for “abuse and corruption at the very highest levels,” representatives of the Auditor General’s Office said last week. The amendment to the Public Management and Finance Law involved giving the Cabinet, and in some cases the finance minister acting alone, the ability to waive government rev- enue collection in certain circumstances: For instance, waiving customs duty on construc- tion materials for a needed public project. Previously, the power to waive or reduce those fees lay with the financial secretary. This change was recommended by a select government committee which spent a year re- viewing finance law amendments and was ap- proved in October by the Legislative Assembly. Acting Auditor General Garnet Harrison said Thursday that he did not approve. “This amendment contradicts the ef- fective role Cabinet plays in the gover- nance framework … reduces transparency and accountability for these types of trans- actions and effectively politicizes an ad- ministrative decision-making process,” Mr. Harrison told the legislature’s Public Accounts Committee last week. Performance audit manager Martin Ruben put it another way: “We believe … the way that revenue waivers are managed today, in their entirety, that they are open for abuse and corruption at the very highest level. Unless government decides to put in place Esterley Tibbetts lane closures begin this week Motorists are being ad- vised to use West Bay Road while work is carried out along the Esterley Tibbetts Highway throughout March. A section of the road will be reduced to one lane each way for three to four weeks, starting this week, while the National Roads Authority car- ries out road repairs. The lanes in the vicinity of Canal Point Drive, between SafeHaven Drive and the Century 21 roundabout, will be partially closed from Thursday. A trial run of the diversion plan will be car- ried out on Tuesday, according to the NRA. Marion Pandohie of the NRA said workers would be repairing dips in inner lanes of the road. According to the roads au- thority, the work will be con- ducted “primarily throughout the day with special consid- eration made for peak hour travel periods.” The roadwork is expected to take three to four weeks. For southbound traffic Jazz prodigy delights students Grammy-nominated Joey Alexander, 12, plays to a student-dominated audience Feb. 26 as part of the Cayman Arts Festival. Concert pianist Glen Inanga arranged for Joey to come to Cayman “to inspire the children.” See page 10 for the full story. - photo: MAtt LAMers PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS Monday February 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) TRIPLE 9 (R) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES (PG13) 1:20 I 4:20 I 7:20 I 9:50 ZOOLANDER 2 (PG13) 12:50 I 3:15 I 7:30 I 10:00 GODS OF EGYPT 3D (PG13) 12:40 I 3:30 2D I 7:00 I 9:50 2D KUNG FU PANDA 3 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 2D I 5:00 I 7:20 2D I 9:40 DEADPOOL (R) 1:00 I 4:00 I 7:10 I 9:40 Employer to pay $269,024.92 by Dec. 15, 2017 Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Representatives of the Hurlstone group of companies appeared in Summary Court on Thursday for an up- date on charges of failing to contribute to a pen- sion plan for employees and failing to pay arrears within the time given by the Superintendent of Pensions. Attorney Charmaine Richter confirmed a pro- posal to pay $269,024.92. A payment of $50,000 is to be made by April 30, with another $50,000 to be paid by Dec. 15. A third payment of $50,000 is to be made by June 15, 2017. The balance of $119,024.92 is to be paid by Dec. 15, 2017. Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson told Magistrate Grace Donalds, “The Crown’s position in re- spect of these matters is that we want the monies to be paid over by the companies operating in the Cayman Islands re- garding pensions for their employees who qualify. We bend over backwards,” he said. The charges date from 2011 and relate to Hurlstone Ltd., Hurlstone General Contractors Ltd., Cayman Steel Ltd., Pro- Electric Ltd., Construction Equipment Services Ltd. and Construction Management Ltd. File notes indicate that the matter first came to court in 2011. In September 2012, repre- sentatives of the compa- nies and of the Pensions Office were in discussion regarding payment, and by April 2013 “substantial progress” was being made. There were six more court appearances before the figure owed was agreed on. The court continued to monitor progress over five dates in 2015. On Thursday, Mr. Ferguson advised that the charges would have to be amended in regard to the time frame in which pen- sions contributions had not been made. He asked for another mention on May 26 to see if the pro- posed first payment in April had been made. The charges date from 2011 and relate to Hurlstone Ltd., Hurlstone General Contractors Ltd., Cayman Steel Ltd., Pro-Electric Ltd., Construction Equipment Services Ltd. and Construction Management Ltd. Payment Plan offered in Pension charges Carol Winker cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Bail was withheld on Friday for a West Bay man after Magistrate Grace Donalds heard details of an alleged conspiracy to import 509 pounds of ganja into the Cayman Islands. Ricky William Manderson Sr., 59, was charged with conspiracy with others un- known, between Sept. 1, 2015 and Feb. 23, 2016, to import the illegal vegetable matter. Crown counsel Scott Wainwright said police re- covered the ganja on Tuesday night, Feb. 23. Officers esti- mated its street value to be in the region of a half-mil- lion Cayman Islands dollars. He explained that the po- lice helicopter and the ma- rine unit Niven D were in- volved in an operation to stop a 25-foot fishing vessel around 9:45 p.m. off the coast of North Side. It had attracted officers’ atten- tion because it had no lights and seemed to be evading authorities. The vessel ran aground in the area of the Hutland Road junction, Mr. Wainwright said. There appeared to be three people aboard, all of whom fled into the bush. Around midnight, police found Manderson in the vi- cinity of Chisholms Drive. He was wet and wearing shorts, a T-shirt and no shoes. Asked if he had any knowledge of the boat, he said within the hearing of two officers that he had cap- tained the boat and was with two Jamaicans, “Fabian” and “Mac.” Manderson was taken into custody and interviewed under caution. He made full admissions to importing ganja on a large scale, Mr. Wainwright told the court. Manderson said he went to Jamaica in September 2015, flew into Montego Bay and met Mac. They came to an agreement to import the ganja. Manderson was to re- ceive 200 pounds of ganja, for which he thought his return would be around $50,000. However, he then con- tradicted what officers re- ported hearing him say ear- lier. He was adamant that he was not physically on the boat – his only role was to receive the boat when it came ashore. He said he had spoken to Mac about a half- hour before the boat came to shore. When police asked him for his phone, he said he had lost it that night. Mr. Wainwright ob- jected to bail, pointing out that there were two men in- volved in the operation who were still at large and if Manderson had contact de- tails, he could assist them. He also had previous con- victions, albeit none for im- porting or possessing drugs with intent to supply. The Crown also feared that he would fail to surrender. Mr. Wainwright said Manderson was unemployed and had committed the offense for fi- nancial gain. Defense attorney John Furniss said failure to sur- render was not a risk be- cause Manderson was not going anywhere off island until this matter was re- solved. He suggested a curfew, reporting conditions and an electronic monitor. Manderson did not have any contact information about ei- ther of the other men. One of the people who ran from the boat had contacts in Cayman, he noted. Manderson had not tried to run, the attorney pointed out. The magistrate gave her decision to withhold bail, in- cluding in her reasons the fact that the investigation is continuing to locate the co-accused. Mr. Furniss asked if he might make another bail ap- plication when the others are apprehended. He was told yes. Manderson did not react to the bail refusal except to say, “They go back to Jamaica and I gotta be remanded.” The matter was set for mention again on March 3. Bail refused on ganja charge The police helicopter captures the action as the crew of the Niven D closes in on the fishing vessel. Cayman Academy students Marial Elvin, who is interested in being a special education teacher, and Nickayla Graham, who wants to be a pediatrician, enjoyed the career expo. - Photos: alma chollette Students Catherine Haye, Jovanna Ebanks and Carl Lewis take part in the career expo with Jude Scott and Leanna Jarvis of Cayman Finance. Schools, businesses, government entities and the University College of the Cayman Islands were in the spotlight at the annual Chamber of Commerce Careers, Education and Training Expo on the campus of UCCI on Feb. 26. More than 30 companies and six schools, along with government representatives, showcased oppor- tunities in fields including den- tistry, finance, education, banking, journalism, hospitality and food. The networking event gave stu- dents the opportunity to meet potential employers and find out information about scholar- ships, internships, training and employment. students explore careers at expo3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Monday February 29, 2016 181003-Ad-Compass-JrPg-Cannes.indd 11/28/16 3:49 PM The home that Cayman built James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new cottage for boys is opening on the site of the Frances Bodden Home in Lower Valley, filling an “urgent need” for youngsters in care. The home is the culmi- nation of a massive com- munity effort, with all the labor, equipment and ex- pertise on the $500,000 project donated. The cottage will provide accommodation to boys who are taken into care because of abuse or neglect. Garth Arch, chairman of the CAYS Foundation board, which runs the home, said it would fill a “void in the continuum of care for our youth.” Mr. Arch said the need for the facility was evident. The Bonaventure Boys Home in West Bay is de- signed for boys on Youth Rehabilitation Orders, taken into care because of their offending or behavior. The Frances Bodden Home is intended for girls, and the Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home is for children under 12. Until now there has been no facility for older boys in care for their own protection. Some are currently housed in the girls home on the same site at Lower Valley. Five other boys are in temporary situations on a waiting list to go to the new home. Dorine Whittaker, chief officer in the Ministry of Community Affairs, said the aim in most cases is for children taken into care to be returned to their parents after a few months. In more serious cases of neglect or abuse, she said, social workers look to find family members or foster parents to look after the children. “We try to work with parents as much as pos- sible. This facility should be our last resort,” she said. “We don’t want this to be full all the time.” She said the aim is for children to spend just a few months in the home and then move on to more per- manent accommodation. Mr. Arch said the CAYS Foundation had gone out to the community to raise money for the home. “It was quite evident that there was a gap where there was a need for a fa- cility for boys in care for their own protection. At the time we started this, the government was in the midst of the financial crisis and the decision the board made was that we couldn’t wait. We reached out to the private sector and the response was amazing. Nobody said no,” he told the Cayman Compass. John Doak Architecture designed the home, Arch and Godfrey managed the build and a host of other companies provided mate- rials and technical support. A variety of charities and community groups provided financial support. Speaking to donors and dignitaries at the opening ceremony, Mr. Arch added, “This new building, while it is modest in size, is signif- icant in what it represents – a community coming to- gether for the youth of these islands. “As you pass by this home in the years to come, know that within these walls children are growing up with love and protec- tion, hope is being given and lives are being changed for the better, all be- cause of the contributions that you made.” Premier Alden McLaughlin said the opening of the home was an important step and “gives us capacity we didn’t previously have.” Premier Alden McLaughlin, Community Affairs Minister Osbourne Bodden, Governor Helen Kilpatrick and Dorine Whittaker, chief officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, officially open the new home. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Garth Arch, chairman of the CAYS Foundation board, surveys the new boys’ home. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe 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. According to police data on traffic offenses, the number of charges for DUI (that is, “drink driving”) declined by 36 percent in 2015, compared to the previous year. To our readers who have been present for “closing time” at any of our country’s bars, restaurants or black- tie gala affairs (in other words, where alcohol is being served): Who believes the drop in DUI charges reflects a decrease in drinking or an increase in conscientiousness among nocturnal revelers? Let’s be honest. The DUI numbers can be virtually anything we choose them to be. If the RCIPS decides to issue no citations for driving under the influence, the number would decline to zero. But it would not be an improvement. Or, conversely, if the RCIPS were to stop every vehicle every night on West Bay Road, for example, to check for inebriated drivers, the DUI numbers would skyrocket. Adding context to the DUI data point is another data point – fatal road accidents (a metric that is accurately measurable). The one-third decline in DUIs in 2015 was accompanied by a threefold increase in the number of road deaths. In total, 12 people died as a result of traffic accidents in Cayman last year. Many are in mourning because a few made poor decisions while intoxicated. The first fatal traffic accident in Grand Cayman this year, claiming the life of National Roads Authority worker Denvil Roy Mitchell, potentially involved alcohol, though not on the part of Mr. Mitchell. Following a collision on the evening of Feb. 21 between Mr. Mitchell’s motorcycle and an SUV, a 53-year-old man was arrested by police on sus- picion of drunken driving and suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. Inspector Adrian Barnett, head of the RCIPS Traffic Management Unit, preached a message that is all too familiar, but absolutely true: “The fact is that drinking and driving, speeding and the general failure of drivers to pay attention to what they’re doing continue to be the main causes of fatal accidents.” Let us add our own unoriginal observations. If you drink, do not drive. If you’re going to drive, don’t drink. You could very well kill or injure yourself … or even worse, someone else. Our public transportation system is imperfect, but options do exist. Flag down a bus. Hail a cab. Call a friend or relative. A feeling of stewardship should extend to those you happen to be out with. If you see someone who is not fit to be behind the wheel, speak up. As the saying goes, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” There’s also a corollary to that saying: “Good friends don’t let friends walk drunk.” Some reports have shown that it is more dangerous to attempt to walk home while intoxicated (if the distance is short), than it is to drive home intoxicated. The danger for drunk pedestrians, of course, is drunk drivers. We don’t recommend either. Consider the example of the 29-year-old visitor who, after leaving a Seven Mile Beach bar early Tuesday morning, was approached by a masked assailant and viciously beaten, injured and robbed. Likewise, Grand Cayman is far too populous and its roads are far too narrow and crowded (with vehicles and pedestrians) for police to maintain a laissez faire attitude toward the extremely dangerous and illegal practice of driving drunk. We concede the difficulty of enforcing drinking-and- driving laws in a tourist destination. Much of the tourism experience – not just here but everywhere – revolves around restaurants, bars, partying and revelry. The conun- drum raises questions over how much enforcement is enough enforcement. This is not just a matter for the police. It’s anyone’s responsibility – comrades, bar workers, hotel staff, valets – who witnesses an intoxicated person about to settle into the driver’s seat, and who does nothing about it … except maybe to open the car door for them. Instead of being seen as the fastest way to get home, driving drunk should be feared as the fastest way to a jail cell. Death by vehicle is far more common than death by firearms in the Cayman Islands. Clink, clink Drink, drink Wink, wink Monday February 29, 2016 • Cayman COmpass Letter to the eDitor HSA immunity should not extend to clinical negligence It was heart wrenching and yet inspiring to see and read about how Norene Thompson cares for her daughter Donette with the pure love of a mother. She was understandably devas- tated by the ruling that the Health Services Authority is immune from suit in any case where bad faith cannot be proved. By way of full disclosure, I, too, have a court case pending against the HSA but which, I have to say, pales in comparison to what this poor mother and her child have been and are going through. In that regard, it was in- teresting to read your edito- rial of Feb. 25 in which you called the immunity provi- sion “legislative malprac- tice.” Justice Williams also expressed his discomfort with it. It should be noted, however, that this provision is found in most statutes in Cayman creating public authorities. It is found, for example, in the Monetary Authority Law, Health Practice Law, Airports Authority Law, Information and Communication Technology Law, Maritime Authority Law and Mental Health Commission Law. Thus, especially if the provision will be found to violate the Bill of Rights at the next stage of the pro- ceedings — which is the highly likely result — there will be a need to examine all legislation relating to statutory authorities with a view to amendment or repeal. As to the case itself, it was clearly well argued and the Judge gave a well- reasoned decision, but per- haps one vital respect could have been pursued further. Basically, he said that since the words conferring immu- nity were “clear and unam- biguous,” there is nothing he could do. Whereas this is a valid rule of interpreta- tion, it does have a caveat. There were clearly at least two provisions that were clear and unambiguous, namely, the immunity pro- vision itself and the provi- sion that requires the HSA to “maintain and promote the health and wellness of patients.” The solution in such cases is found in the oft- quoted words of a famous Law Lord who said that in construing written instru- ments, including statutes, “the grammatical and ordi- nary sense of the words is to be adhered to, unless that would lead to some absur- dity, or some repugnance or inconsistency with the rest of the instrument, in which case the grammatical and ordinary sense of the words may be modified, so as to avoid the absurdity and in- consistency but no farther.” In other words, if the clear and unambiguous reading of one part of a statute ap- pears to conflict with an- other equally clear and un- ambiguous provision, the court must always seek an interpretation that recon- ciles the two provisions. Now, an immunity pro- vision of this kind is gen- erally meant to protect a regulatory body when it makes an honest mistake. It is never meant to be an indiscriminate bar to suit. For example, imagine that there is a serious and ap- parently credible allega- tion of malpractice against a doctor. The Medical Board under the Health Practice Law may suspend the doctor immediately. Later it may emerge that the allega- tion is false. An immunity provision is aimed at pre- venting the doctor from re- covering damages from the Board for loss of business unless there was bad faith. Indeed, without some lim- ited immunity of this kind, such bodies cannot mean- ingfully perform their func- tions. By the same token, the HSA should enjoy im- munity in matters not re- lated to the actual provi- sion of medical services. For example, the provision should protect the HSA if, in its financial statements, there was a material mis- statement of fact on which a party relied on in deciding to enter into a contract with the institution and thereby suffered loss. Further, there is an- other rule of interpreta- tion that says that, as much as possible, it must be as- sumed that all provisions in statute were inserted for a reason. The interpre- tation given by the court to the immunity provision amounts so saying that the provision that imposes a duty to provide health and welfare is as good as not being there. One provision was sacrificed to the other. In a nutshell, the immu- nity provision was never meant to protect the HSA against clinical negligence, and there are legal authori- ties that would have helped the court avoid this absurd result. As it is, if an abso- lutely sozzled ambulance driver from the HSA were to crash and kill a patient they were conveying, there is nothing the court can do about it. This absurd result was avoidable if the appro- priate rules of interpreta- tion had been applied. Bilika H. simamba Consultant Legislative Counsel Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Monday February 29, 2016 BritCay BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International insurance, health, pensions, life Saving Cayman’s important species for future generations. Danielle Watler, National Trust Marketing Manager recently received a donation presented by John Cameron, General Manager, British Caymanian Insurance. Danielle expressed her gratitude,“Thanks to the generous donation from BritCay and our shared belief that our forests and habitats urgently need to be protected, the National Trust continues to further its goal of having a system of areas under protection across all three Cayman Islands. The demonstrated strength and success of the Trust’s land purchase and protection programme is only possible with the support of our donors. This year we are pleased that funds from the Land Reserve Fund will go towards dry forest habitat which will help save Cayman’s important species for future generations”. cgigrp Gov’t IT budget halved since 2008 Computers chief ‘unclear’ on services provided Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com While information tech- nology was playing a larger role each day in public gov- ernance, the Cayman Islands was slashing its IT budget year after year, finance re- cords reveal. Government’s budget for the Computer Services Department, which han- dles IT services for central government entities, was about $12 million during the 2008/09 fiscal year. Following a series of an- nual reductions, by 2013/14 the budget had been cut to less than $6.5 million. In the current year, 2015/16, the budget is just under $7 million, according to Acting Chief Officer for the Ministry of Home Affairs Wesley Howell. “At a time when gov- ernment has more de- mands on IT services, the IT budget was shrinking,” Mr. Howell told the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee on Friday. Mr. Howell is not banking on a significant increase in funding to computer services for the upcoming govern- ment budget year. Rather, he said the mission and services provided by the department would have to change. For the most part, he expects a greater reliance on outsourced day-to-day opera- tional activities for IT. “It’s already happening at this point, it’s not coordi- nated,” Mr. Howell said. Newly appointed Computer Services Department Interim Director David Smailes told the com- mittee Friday it was un- clear to him at this stage “what services we provide to government.” Mr. Howell and Mr. Smailes’s statements were made during a review of a 2015 audit report that indi- cated the government’s IT in- frastructure is vulnerable to external and internal sabo- tage, that development of the system has been “ah hoc” for a number of years, and that IT management and security “has not been a priority” for government managers. Former Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick reported on the situation in 2012 in a review that was shielded from public view. Auditors made the follow-up 2015 evaluation public after de- termining government had done little to improve a dire situation with IT security and that in some cases the problem had gotten worse. A number of other areas covered in the report revealed the depth of government’s IT deficiencies. No one was hired for a two-year period to review and maintain IT security for the system, Mr. Howell confirmed. He said computer services staffers “did the best they could” at the time to cover the gaps. Another potential gap ex- isted within the statutory authorities and government- owned companies that op- erate separately from the central government. In many cases, the Computer Services Department does not provide services to those entities, which hire their own tech- nical staff. Mr. Howell agreed that no one was looking at the 26 outside agencies to see if their security procedures were adequate, and that these entities, which in- clude Cayman Airways, the Cayman Islands Airports Authority and the Health Services Authority, were on their own. “We have a collection of silos,” Mr. Howell said. Mr. Howell said a “base- line” recommendation for minimum government com- puter security parameters had been sent to Cabinet for review. However, he said computer services still has “financial challenges” and might not be able to perform all those functions under the current budget. When the Ministry of Home Affairs took over the Computer Services Department in 2013, it began to replace some IT hardware and software, but noted the department was still oper- ating based on “incremental changes” to the budget, not the “radical changes that we feel are needed.” “This is a … national matter,” he said. “IT affects the entire Cayman Islands, not just one department.” “This is a…national matter. IT affects the entire Cayman Islands, not just one deptartment.” Wesley HoWell, acting chief officer, Ministry of Home Affairs SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Leilani Dominicci has all the typical worries of preg- nant women plus a new one spreading across Puerto Rico: the fear she will be- come infected with the Zika virus and put her baby at risk. Her unease has escalated so much that the 38-year- old attorney barely leaves her home in the capital of San Juan because of warn- ings the island faces an on- slaught of the mosquito- borne illness. As the virus sweeps through the hemisphere, Puerto Rico has become America’s own front line in the battle against it – home to 3.5 million U.S. citizens and with a trop- ical landscape that is an ideal breeding ground for the mosquito that spreads Zika, as well as the dengue and chikungunya already common here. Officials have barred local blood donations, ramped up efforts to eradi- cate the Aedes aegypti mos- quito and are trying to mon- itor every pregnant woman on the island due to fears Zika might cause birth de- fects. The voluntary reg- istry by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extends to all Zika-infected women and their babies throughout the United States. The Puerto Rican gov- ernor, meanwhile, has de- clared a public health emer- gency, and the CDC, which earlier urged pregnant women to reconsider visits to Puerto Rico, has asked Congress for $250 million in emergency aid to battle Zika here. The CDC has also sent nearly 40 health workers to help, and is using the island as a test bed for Zika studies. Puerto Rico braces for wave of Zika virusMonday February 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town A very Sandy wedding It was a truly international affair as 175 guests from 15 countries attended the wedding of Kellie McGee, 27, of George Town and Serginho Sandy, 33, of Port of Spain, Trinidad. The couple joined hands in marriage at Rum Point on Jan. 2. The wedding was officiated by Rev. Donovan Myers and planned by Juliette Heath of 5 Star Events Cayman. Mr. Sandy, a university football coach prior to relocating to Cayman, and Ms. McGee, an accomplished pharmaceutical professional and 2015 winner of the Young Caymanian Leadership Award, have been together for almost four years. According to the couple’s wedding website, they share a love of Soca music and first met in 2012 at a carnival during Mr. Sandy’s first trip to the is- land. Two days later they met again at a birthday party at Rum Point, where photos reveal a smitten Mr. Sandy al- ways close to his future bride’s side. After a failed attempt at recon- necting later that night, the couple went on their first official date the next day, spending time at the turtle farm, drinking rum punch at Royal Palms, strolling on the beach and stopping at Singh’s Roti shop for goat roti and a beer. After two years of long-distance dating, their paths converged in Cayman on Aug. 6, 2014. Mr. Sandy contrived to find himself alone on a “perfect evening” with his girlfriend on a quiet strip of Seven Mile Beach, with a cooler of wine on his arm and a ring in his pocket. The rest, as they say, is history. From the engagement on the sands of Seven Mile Beach, to the exchanging of vows on the sands of Rum Point, it was indeed a very Sandy wedding. Mr. and Mrs. Sandy - Photos: Rebecca DaviDson Kellie McGee and Serginho Sandy stand at the alter with Rev. Myers. The couple joined hands in marriage on Jan. 2. GeorGe Nowak The year was 1968. There was no radio, no roundabouts or Internet in the Cayman Islands. There were few hotels, guest houses or footprints along Seven Mile Beach. As far as visitor occu- pancy goes, it was esti- mated that there were approximately 300 beds for rent. Diving had already started to take off, spear- headed by the vision of Bob Soto. Outside the hotels, there were not many res- taurants or gift shops, but C0-Mart LTD had its grand opening in George Town. That same year the Cayman Islands Tourist Board released an official rate sheet for hotels along Seven Mile Beach. Selected summer rates, quoted in USD included: ■■ The Beach Club Colony (36 rooms): $10.50 – $15.50 per night ■■ Coral Caymanian (20 rooms): $12 per night ■■ Galleon Beach Hotel (37 rooms): $12 – $15 per night ■■ La Fontaine (47 rooms): $16 per night ■■ Cayman Resorts (condo style) – $150 per week Except Cayman Resorts, all prices in- cluded two meals per day. By 1973 the luxurious Grand Caymanian Holiday Inn was built, where you could stay for $54 per night in high season. An average return air ticket from Miami cost just $78. GeoRGe Town: Did you know? In the March 2, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the latest airport news included: “The Caymanian expects to bring you news of the progress on the re- construction of the airport from time to time as the work progresses. “Mr. D.M. Rennie, project manager at the airport, informs us that prepa- ration work is getting under way. “The quarry plant is in place and has started crushing stone; the con- tractor’s offices have been erected and are having the finishing touches put to them; the Storage Hopper for Concrete has been erected and the concrete mixer is now in its place. “The ‘Inagua Rover’ arrived in George Town on Thurs. last with heavy asphalting equipment for the Limmer and Trinidad Company plus a few more items for the contractors. “The consultant’s offices are now nearing completion and blasting op- erations have been going on at the quarry at Spotts. “The navigational beacon for air- craft has now been installed at the airport. “This beacon was originally at Palisadoes and was donated to the Cayman Islands Corp. by the author- ities in Jamaica. “It was brought here 18 months ago and the unit has been completely rebuilt to bring it up to present day standards. “It contains a 1,000 watt lens system and the rotation is at 41/2 rev- olutions per minute. “It is under the complete control of the traffic controller in the air- port tower so that in the event of a pilot complaining of the light daz- zling him when he is coming in to land, the controller can switch it off. The angle of the light beam is set at 5 degrees above horizontal which is the correct setting for this type of light.” 50 yeaRS aGo: George Town’s airport renovationsCayman Compass • Monday February 29, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town Scout Week kicks off in George Town Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com “Do Your Best … Uphold Your Honour” is the chal- lenge for Cayman’s Scouts, who are celebrating Scout Week through March 5. The week’s first event on Feb. 28 was a Founder’s Day service and parade in observance of Lord Robert Baden-Powell held at Church of God Full Gospel Hall, South Church Street in George Town. The service provided a means for scouts to reflect and reaffirm their commit- ment to the principles and teachings of scouting. Scouting was first intro- duced in Cayman in the late 1920s by the Rev. Ed Beale, a Presbyterian minister. The Scout program cur- rently provides a wide range of activities to boys ages 6 to 20. During Scout Week, scouts and their adult leaders throughout Cayman will participate in activities ranging from a community service day, group socials, chores and a basketball championship. They will also join with sister organization Girl Guides at a celebration campfire at the Savannah/ Newlands playing field on Pedro Castle Rd.Scout Week kicks off with a Founder’s Day service and parade in honor of Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Edward Patterson GeorGe Nowak Edward Patterson was the pro- prietor of “God’s People Market,” which was located in George Town. Mr. Patterson usually wore military fatigues and boots, but he had no guns. “I’m a farm soldier,” he would say. “God is on my side.” His small store was packed with everything you could imagine. There was not a nook or cranny that was not filled with something, be it pencils, batteries, sewing nee- dles, or light bulbs. You name it, Mr. Patterson had it. Outside the store, he displayed and sold everything from bicycles to coconuts. He was a hard-working entrepreneur who could always figure out a way to make a dollar. If you had something to promote, Mr. Patterson would endorse your busi- ness or product over his public ad- dress system, the speakers attached to the roof of his car, which he would drive around town. He stayed especially busy during election times. Mr. Patterson passed away in 1999. This photograph 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. Early settlers in Cayman built distinctive house-shaped graves that have piqued the interest of historians and visitors for many years. Writing of his experiences in the West Indies in 1845, Rev. Hope Masterton Waddell, a Scottish Missionary Society mis- sionary who was shipwrecked in Grand Cayman, noted: “The burial-place took my at- tention as peculiarly neat and simple. The graves were marked, not by mounds of earth and headstones, or great massive tombs, but by houses in minia- ture, just large enough each to cover one person; mostly about six feet long, two feet broad, and one and a half high, with a sloping roof and full gable end, in which was inserted a small slab containing the name of the occupant, his age, and the day on which he entered his narrow home, ‘the house appointed for all living.’ They were well built, white, and clean, and, of course, of all sizes. Sometimes a row of them close to one another indi- cated a family place of sepulture. The want of sufficient depth of earth for an ordinary grave, per- haps, led to the adoption of this literal necropolis.” To this day, these unique grave markers, thought to date from the early 1800s, can be viewed in a few spots in George Town, including at Elmslie Memorial Church, in Old Prospect at the Watler and Eden family ceme- teries, and at Spotts cemetery, as well as at several other sites around Grand Cayman. Cayman’s cemeteries were tra- ditionally located on beachfront family land, since the sandy ground was easier to dig and would not take up valuable ar- able soil used for farming. Naturalist and amateur histo- rian Ann Stafford has developed a keen interest in exploring the ori- gins of these graves and recently published an extensive chronicle of their roots and locations on her blog, CaymANNature. The fascinating story of the graves, updated in early January, is also complemented by other news and events of the time pe- riod, placing the graves in histor- ical context. Ms. Stafford proposes that while the quaint shape may be, by design, a symbolic home for the hereafter, it may have also been a practical way to protect the materials covering the coffin from erosion by the elements. The week’s first event on Feb. 28 was a Founder’s Day service and parade in observance of Lord Robert Baden-Powell held at Church of God Full Gospel Hall, South Church Street in George Town. House-shaped graves at Spotts cemetery. - Photos: Ann stAfford People The Time Forgot House-shaped graves a Cayman curiosityThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Monday February 29, 2016 • Cayman Compass heading toward George Town, electronic message signs will be placed at the intersections at Governors Harbour and Cost-U-Less roundabouts ap- proaching the work zone, ad- vising of the work ahead and offering a detour by turning onto West Bay Road. “We will be making adjust- ments to the signal timing at Lawrence Boulevard in order to improve traffic flow along West Bay Road during peak hours, and motorists are encouraged to use West Bay Road as an alternate route to the Esterley Tibbetts Highway during the construction period,” the NRA said in a statement. For more information, call 946-7780 or email nra@nra.ky. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Esterley Tibbetts lane closures begin this week DoE, Paul Allen settle differences to salvage reef JAMES WhittAkEr jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Work will resume Tuesday on repairing an area of coral reef that was dam- aged when the mega-yacht Tatoosh, owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, dropped anchor off West Bay in January. Ending a running dis- pute, the Department of Environment and Mr. Allen’s company Vulcan Inc issued a joint statement late last week confirming they had agreed to an “emergency restoration plan” for the reef. The two parties had clashed over the size and scale of the restoration job, with Mr. Allen’s company ac- cusing the DoE of dragging its feet on approving its sug- gested remediation plan. The most urgent time- sensitive work began two weeks ago as the negotia- tions dragged on. Those dif- ferences now appear to have been resolved and reef res- toration experts Polaris Applied Sciences will be on site Tuesday to get on with the job. The DoE and Vulcan said in the statement that they have agreed on the “princi- ples and parameters” of a jointly administered plan, “which has the immediate focus of helping to speed up the recovery of the damaged site, and to minimise or pre- vent ongoing losses and harm to the injured coral habitat.” The first part of the plan, to triage the affected coral, has already been completed by staff of the DoE and Polaris, the statement read. The triage work includes up- righting, uncovering, securing and moving viable corals to safe locations while work on stabilizing the reef structure is completed. Beginning Tuesday, the next step in the recovery plan, which is expected to be carried out by the Polaris team, is to stabilize or re- move larger rubble and “pre- vent continued and future damage to nearby living and established resources from the impacts of rubble move- ment,” but “as much rubble as possible and to the ex- tent practicable will be incor- porated onsite, to re-create and retain the original reef structure.” Work will also be done to try to re-create the lost reef structure, or reduce the appearance of scraping or scarring. Recovery workers will also attempt to rescue and reattach as much living coral as possible “to reduce the time for a full site nat- ural recovery and restore ecosystem services.” Thereafter, the site will be monitored “to determine the success of the restoration ef- fort in the months and years following completion.” According to the state- ment, oversight of the resto- ration activities will be car- ried out by Harold Hudson, described as a world leader in restoration of coral hab- itats and formerly of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who will be engaged by Vulcan but will report to both Vulcan and the DoE. The monitoring of the suc- cess of the restoration effort will be carried out under the auspices of the DoE. “The DoE and Paul G. Allen are deeply committed to ocean health and conser- vation. Both the DoE and Vulcan have worked hard to ensure that this agreement reflects the best international standards for restoration of coral habitats. They look for- ward to working together on the restoration,” the state- ment added. Paul Allen’s yacht Tatoosh. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER The lanes in the vicinity of Canal Point Drive, between SafeHaven Drive and the Century 21 roundabout, will be partially closed from Thursday. A trial run of the diversion plan will be carried out on Tuesday, according to the NRA. - PHOTO: TAnEOS RAMSAyThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Monday February 29, 2016 unambiguous, though he con- ceded he was “uncomfortable with such immunity.” He said the fact that the Health Services Authority had made payouts in the past did not change his interpretation of the wording of the law. The judge wrote that Ms. Yearwood, in her affidavit, had also suggested that sec- tion 12 had been used suc- cessfully as a defense against at least six other neg- ligence claims. Summarizing the evi- dence, he added that lawyers for the HSA had highlighted that although some claims had been settled out of court, there had been no admis- sion of liability on the part of the authority. He said he had accepted it would be unfair to give too much weight to the settle- ments in other clinical neg- ligence claims because the authority was restricted by legal professional privilege from giving a full explana- tion. He added that other fac- tors could have influenced decisions to pay out. “When reaching a set- tlement about a claim, a number of factors come into play, one being the potential size of damages in relation to the likely legal costs of con- tested proceedings.” James Kennedy of Samson and McGrath, which repre- sented Ms. Ebanks and her child in the case, said the out-of-court settlements were brought up as evidence, in the eyes of the plaintiff, that the Health Services Authority had on other occasions doubted that section 12 pro- vided immunity for its staff. He said the judgment Friday, which affirmed that section 12 does provide such immunity, made it highly un- likely that patients would get out-of-court settlements in the future. He said the law firm is contemplating an appeal on that decision as it simul- taneously moves forward with a Bill of Rights chal- lenge to the law. “If somebody commits an act of negligence, it is a long- standing principle of English law that the victim should be compensated by damages in a sum that will put them back as nearly as possible into the same position as they would have been if the negligence had not occurred,” he said. “Section 12 takes away the ability of people to get that compensation for negligent acts done to them.” robust procedures … we believe that this will just be open for abuse going forward.” Mr. Ruben gave the ac- counts committee an ex- ample of what occurred with the National Roads Authority agreement, which eventually led to the development of the Kimpton hotel on Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman. In the middle of that deal being negoti- ated, government changed hands three times from the United Democratic Party, to the People’s National Alliance, to the Progressives-led coalition. Reviews by the Auditor General’s Office in 2015 found one gov- ernment did not know what had been done by another and negotiations related to the deal had to be completely redone during the Progressives administration. Public Accounts Committee Chairman Ezzard Miller said he was in full agreement with the auditor general and was concerned that some previous duty con- cession or waiver agree- ments with government – prior to the public finance law being changed in 2015 – had been done outside local law. “[Now] Cabinet has carte blanche to waive any fees that it wants,” Mr. Miller said. “I don’t think any of us support that.” Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson said gov- ernment’s annual budget documents do not contain any information regarding government’s equivalent expenditures when tax revenues are waived. Mr. Jefferson said under the Stamp Duty Law, the finance min- ister can waive stamp duty to an unlimited amount, but in practice, current Finance Minister Marco Archer does not do that. In cases in- volving a waiver of more than $20,000, they are taken to Cabinet. The finance minister also has the ability to waive planning fees up to $5,000 and import du- ties to a maximum of $20,000. In both cases, higher amounts must go to Cabinet for approval. The finance ministry is in charge of customs, which levies import du- ties, and would deal with most stamp duty amounts charged, but in cases where other waivers had been agreed, Mr. Jefferson said the ministry would not necessarily know about it if it was not told. “Our knowledge of [rev- enue] waivers throughout the government is fairly restricted to what we do … ourselves and what we got informed of via Cabinet,” Mr. Jefferson said. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said as far as he was aware, Cabinet had been waiving fees in conjunction with the law. No allegation of wrong- doing in connection with the waiving of govern- ment revenues has been made against Mr. Archer, although auditors have said that previous min- isters’ actions in connec- tion with fee waivers have been questionable. Auditors: Finance Law change opens door to corruption CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Health chiefs paid negligence settlements Norene Ebanks cares for her 10-year-old daughter Donette Thompson, who has cerebral palsy. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS The Health Services Authority has made out-of-court settlements in numerous negligence cases. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Global finance officials vow to shore up sagging growth SHANGHAI (AP) – Finance officials of the world’s big- gest economies promised Saturday to use “all tools” to shore up sagging global growth and to avoid de- valuing their currencies to boost exports, but made no pledges of joint action. Finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of 20 rich and devel- oping countries tried to re- assure jittery financial mar- kets that the global economy is healthy, though they ac- knowledged in a statement that they “need to do more” to boost growth. The declaration fol- lowing a two-day meeting promised “growth-friendly” tax and spending policies. The governments pledged to press ahead with pre- viously promised reforms aimed at making their econ- omies more efficient and productive. “We agreed to use all tools – monetary, fiscal and structural – to boost growth,” China’s finance minister, Lou Jiwei, said at a news conference. What each country does will be dictated by its cir- cumstances, Lou said. He said some can afford stim- ulus while others where debt is high have to move faster on structural eco- nomic reforms. Companies and investors were looking to the Shanghai meeting for reassurance and action. But leaders from the United States, China, Europe and elsewhere had tried to squelch expectations that it would produce specific growth plans. Global growth is at its lowest in two years and forecasters say the danger of recession is rising. The International Monetary Fund cut this year’s global growth forecast by 0.2 per- centage points last month to 3.4 percent. It said another downgrade is likely in April. The G-20 statement ac- knowledged that “vulner- abilities have risen” in the global economy against a backdrop that includes volatile capital flows, the European refugee crisis and the possibility of a British exit from the European Union. But it said that growth should continue at a “moderate pace” in ad- vanced economies and “re- mains strong” in developing countries. The governments prom- ised to avoid “competitive devaluations” of their cur- rencies to boost exports – a key concern of global mar- kets following turmoil over China’s yuan. THOuSAndS MARcH in LOndOn TO OPPOSE nucLEAR ARMS LONDON (AP) – Thousands have marched through London to oppose the re- newal of Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons system in what demonstrators de- scribe as the biggest such rally in a generation. Waving placards and banners, the protesters offered their opposition Saturday ahead of a final government decision on whether to replace the current generation of sub- marines that carry the nuclear warheads. Britain’s Ministry of Defense says getting the new submarines will cost 31 billion pounds (US$43 billion) over a 20- year procurement pro- gram, together with an- other 10 billion pounds for unexpected cost in- creases. Supporters be- lieve Trident is critical to national security, but Labour’s long-held sup- port is now in doubt, as leader Jeremy Corbyn is opposed to such weapons. Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told the crowd that Trident was both “immoral” and “impractical.”Next >