sports | page 15 Heat set francHise sHooting record High of 83 Low of 75 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 Manderson on a wortHy Mission ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – tHursday MarcH 3, 2016 PremierHealth More claims get an automatic green light with BritCay! 57% of your claims were auto-adjudicated first* with BritCay. (*2014) BritCay budgets for high volumes of claims. We pay more claims, more accurately and quicker than any other local health insurance provider. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp Developer wants to create resort district JaMes wHittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Developer Dart Realty is seeking per- mission to remove “beach rocks” from shallow coastal waters off a Seven Mile Beach property where it is proposing to build a five-star hotel. Dart has switched the site of the long- planned hotel to a beachfront property close to the Tiki Beach restaurant. The hotel, which is expected to be a Four Seasons, was originally slated for the opposite end of the beach, next to Royal Palms. Dart says it hopes to incorporate the new hotel and the neighboring Kimpton hotel in a luxury “sea to sea resort dis- trict” stretching from the Cayman Islands Yacht Club on the North Sound to Seven Mile Beach. The long-term master plan for the area could also include canal-entry from the North Sound, under the highway, allowing visitors to both hotels to be taxied from the airport by boat. New restaurants and other amenities, including a kids resort, conference center and sports club, are also being discussed for the site. The five-star hotel has a tentative opening date of 2020. But the develop- ment hinges on a coastal works applica- tion, filed by Dart on Thursday, seeking ap- proval to begin removing beach rocks from the shallow waters off Seven Mile Beach. Jackie Doak, chief operating officer at tad stoner tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cricket Square builders Orchid Development will break ground this summer on the fifth and latest addition to the upmarket office park, demol- ishing the Rubis gas station on Shedden Road to make way for a new six-story building. The as-yet-unnamed $20 mil- lion office block, which will en- compass nearly 130,000 square feet, will cover the site adjacent to the phase four Willow House, which opened in 2012. Construction on the new 85-foot-high building is likely to take two years and will also encompass the small auto body shops behind it, providing nearly 1,000 parking spaces. Orchid Development will also pave the abandoned lot across the street for off-site parking. The Flowers family, owners of Orchid Development, owns the building’s one-acre plot, which was the location of its original block-building factory in 1946. The operation moved to Industrial Park 30 years ago, leaving the Shedden Road property vacant. Orchid Development Managing Director Clarence “King” Flowers said he bought the new Cricket Square parcel, containing the gas station and the now-abandoned auto body shops, about six months ago. “Everything is growing and we need more space,” he said. “We have not gone to market yet,” with the new building, he added, but “we’re working on it.” Brent fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Sixteen people have been fired from the Cayman Islands civil service since January 2015, mostly due to what was termed “misconduct.” According to the government’s Portfolio of the Civil Service, between Jan. 1, 2015 and March 1, 2016, two workers were dismissed “for inadequate performance.” Another 14 workers were let go based on un- specified “misconduct,” which did not neces- sarily have to do with poor job performance, according to portfolio chief officer Gloria McField-Nixon. The data was released amid warnings, this year and last year, by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson that poor job performance could lead to “separation” or “exit” from the civil service. Few workers have been released from the government service because they were not doing a proper job, compared to those termi- nated for misconduct. Within the past two years, however, the cen- tral government has completed performance agreements for all of its workers – about 3,600, Mr. Manderson said. This gives civil service managers a baseline against which to measure the effectiveness of an employee, he said. If employees fail to meet stated goals, they face discipline which can include written reprimands, suspension without pay or a job transfer. In certain cases where non-performance is egregious, Ms. McField-Nixon said, civil ser- vants can be terminated. “The … personnel regulations set out the pro- cedures to be followed for terminating staff on the grounds of significant inadequate performance,” she said. “Generally speaking, the law calls for there to be evidence-based decision-making, open communication with the staff member regarding the concerns, and two opportunities for the staff member to respond to the stated concern.” After that, the employee is given a “reason- able period” – about one month – to improve performance. If nothing changes, dismissal can occur, she said. Mr. Manderson told civil servants in an ad- ministrative circular this week that the portfolio would produce plans this month to “deal more effectively with staff who have failed to perform their duties at a satisfactory level.” “I expect inadequate performers to make the nec- essary improvements or exit the service,” he said. dart hotel plan hinges on rock removal Summer groundbreaking set for Cricket Square block Civil service fires 16 people in 14 months The proposed location of the new Dart hotel. Tiki Beach restaurant can be seen on the right. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS Thursday March 3, 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. - THURSDAY - 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 Civil servants step up to challenge Auditor Ruel Huet won the civil servants’ pedometer challenge, clocking in excess of 70,000 steps, the equivalent of around 35 miles a day. Mr. Huet took a grand total of 1,423,130 steps, comparable to more than 700 miles of walking, in the 21-day challenge. He said he had walked morning, noon and night to reach the staggering total. “I grew up walking consistently in the Philippines and loved walking as a hobby. My approach is consistent. I walk in the morning before work, at lunch, after work. I also gain steps by doing things like parking further away, taking the stairs and moving around at home. “I am well aware of how long and how far I must go to achieve a certain amounts of steps. It is really determination that fills the gap and makes it happen.” Rounding out the leader board were Winston Sobers, Joseph Anderson, Daphine Watson and Marco Miranda. Mr. Sobers works with Mr. Huet in the Auditor General’s Office. Mr. Huet said they both exercise regularly and inspired each other to go beyond their limits for the challenge. The initiative aimed to promote health and fitness across the government sector, and fo- cused on workers making positive changes in their health and wellness. Workers used pedometers and were chal- lenged to take 10,000 steps per day for 21 days, from Jan. 18 to Feb. 8. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson presents Ruel Huet with his trophy for winning the pedometer challenge. top five individual steppers ranked by total steps nameteamrecorded days total steps daily average 1 Ruel HuetOAG Watch Dogs201,423,13071,157 2 Winston SobersOAG Watch Dogs211,272,48960,595 3 Joseph Anderson Economics & Statistics Office211,041,74749,607 4 Daphine WatsonTurtle Troopers211,038,13149,435 5 Marco MirandaBookworms211,000,01347,620 top 10 teams teamtotal stepsteam stepper average 1Cadet Corps (3 steppers)1,895,008631,669 2OAG Watch Dogs (11 steppers)5,695,071517,734 3PLAHI Striders (12 steppers)4,422,842368,570 4Economics & Statistics Office (9 steppers)3,085,487342,832 5Office of the Deputy Governor (12 steppers)3,875,255322,938 6District Administration (5 steppers)1,361,260272,252 7Core Ministry H&C (8 steppers)2,170,259271,282 8#iamjohngray (33 steppers)8,823,678267,384 9DoCS Steppers (14 steppers)3,255,570232,541 10Little Steps (10 steppers)2,292,707229,271 Cancer survivors and pa- tients are invited to get cre- ative in April in a pilot art program taught by mixed media artist and cancer sur- vivor Lisa Ebanks. Ms. Ebanks, through the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, will host the six- week “Art Through Cancer, Cancer through Art” pro- gram, which will encourage participants to express themselves. The program is limited to the first eight people who register. “Art through Cancer,” which runs from 12:30-2:30 p.m. April 7 to May 12 at a venue yet to be announced, requires no experience or artistic ability to take part. The themes throughout the program are: “Opening up to be Creative,” “Renewing,” “You’re a Star,” “Back to Nature,” “My Favorite Caymanian Ting” and “My Hope.” Materials, equipment and light refreshments will be provided. Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions and will receive a certificate upon completion of the course. Ms. Ebanks, a 1996 grad- uate of the International Academy of Design in Toronto, Canada, has also tried to in- spire others through mentor- ships with the Chamber of Commerce and the National Gallery. Her own paintings can be seen at various loca- tions around island. Those interested in the pilot program are asked to register in person at the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, 114 Maple Road. For more information, contact Ms. Ebanks at leledesigns2@gmail.com or 327-9931. Art program invites cancer survivors, patients Multimedia artist Lisa Ebanks. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY A new one-way system for boats using the north and south channels of Camana Bay harbor is in place. Boats can now enter only from the north channel, near 94 Solaris Avenue, and must leave from the south channel. For more information, email harbour@camanabay.com or call 640-4000. OnE-WaY cHannEL sYsTEm inTrOducEd in camana BaY HarBOr3 LOCAL NEWS Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The way independent re- ports of the Cayman Islands Auditor General’s Office are released to the public and considered by government is under review, the Cayman Compass has learned. Private discussions among members of the Public Accounts Committee and the auditor’s office have been held in recent months, and last week committee chairman Ezzard Miller pub- licly expressed some displea- sure about the current pro- cess. Mr. Miller’s comments in the committee did not spe- cifically address the public release of the auditor gener- al’s reports, but rather cen- tered on what the civil ser- vice does with those reports after it receives them. The issue of how, when and to whom government au- dits are released has been a thorny one among elected of- ficials, who are currently in- volved in a wholesale review of parliamentary standing orders. Those orders, among many other things, set out how the Auditor General’s Office’s reports are to be made public. Currently, the auditor delivers his reports to the Legislative Assembly Speaker, and then they are made public by the audit office, usually within two weeks and well before any Public Accounts Committee review. Former Auditor General Alastair Swarbrick com- mented on the current process in a 2015 “posi- tion paper” distributed by his office: “This period between de- livery and being made public enables the report to be cir- culated to all members of the Legislative Assembly, something that is not nec- essarily done in other juris- dictions, and provides them with the opportunity to re- ceive a briefing from the au- ditor general if they so de- sire. When they are delivered to the Legislative Assembly they are also formally pro- vided to the PAC for further consideration.” It has not always been done this way in Cayman. Prior to 2006, reports from the Auditor General’s Office were withheld from public release until they were reviewed by the Public Accounts Committee – a process that often did not happen for months or even years following the comple- tion of an audit report. In the interim, audit office re- ports were often leaked to the press or the public by legislators who had received them. That process was changed due to concerns about the relevance of information in audit reports being lost and potential interference with the duties of the Auditor General’s Office, which is supposed to be independent of central government. “The ability to make re- ports public shortly after they are delivered to the Legislative Assembly is a fundamental element of an effective independent legislative auditor,” Mr. Swarbrick said in his 2015 paper. “It is a key element for effective governance and ac- countability and delays in the public release of reports undermines their useful- ness in holding government to account for their use of public resources.” Once they reach the Public Accounts Committee, the audit reports typically have attached a “manage- ment response” from the civil service or relevant agency that was audited. That response usually states whether the government service agrees or disagrees with the audit findings and how and when they will im- plement changes based on the report. Mr. Miller’s statements made in the Public Accounts Committee last week indi- cated his belief that the way these reports are being han- dled now essentially serves to sidestep the duties of the Public Accounts Committee. “It is my view that we are circumventing many of the responsibilities of the Public Accounts Committee,” Mr. Miller said last week. “The ideal process would be that the auditor does his audit, has his findings, gives management … the oppor- tunity to respond to those findings. That report is then given to the PAC which does its own investigation and determines the appropriate- ness, the correctness of the recommendations and the findings, and that – based on what the PAC finds in agreeing or disagreeing on the odd case it may happen with the auditor general – that the recommendations become real.” The Legislative Assembly is then expected to respond to the committee’s recom- mendation in a “government minute,” in which it commits to implementing the audit recommendations that have been agreed, Mr. Miller said. There was no commentary last week regarding at what point in this process audit re- ports should be released to the public. The difficulty Mr. Miller sees in the current process is that the civil service ends up accepting audit recommenda- tions it has no way to pay for, if there is a cost associated with them. “There [must be] a com- mitment by the elected arm of government, not only to the implementation of the [audit] recommendations but also to provide the re- sources to do so,” Mr. Miller said. “I would hope that, in the future, we could get to where the process is com- plete. Where are you going to get the resources from if you don’t have any commitment from the political arm?” Deputy Governor Franz Manderson asked Mr. Miller whether he believed it was premature for civil servants to accept recommendations directly in audit reports. “In a sense, yes,” Mr. Miller said. “When you do it this way and you’ve ac- cepted the recommendations … then you are accepting the responsibility to pro- vide the resources which [the civil service] is unable to do.” In the Cayman Islands, the Legislative Assembly is re- sponsible for appropriating all public funds to the rele- vant government entities that then carry out the plans of elected members. “It’s a very important point and we need clarity on it,” Mr. Manderson said. Public Accounts Committee members have told the Cayman Compass, as part of the recent discus- sions, that the timing of the release of Auditor General’s Office reports has come up. Committee members have said they generally do not support long delays between the completion of an audit and its review by the PAC. However, in some cases com- mittee members have com- plained that these audits “appear in the press” before members have had a chance to review them. In the normal course of business across the Commonwealth, Mr. Swarbrick noted, indepen- dent audit offices “are free to publish and dissemi- nate their reports, once they have been formally tabled or delivered to the appropriate authority.” In the Westminster (U.K.) system, comptroller and au- ditor general reports are considered public when they are submitted to the journal office of the House of Commons. They are made public without the involve- ment of politicians or the rel- evant public accounts com- mittee. However, the reports can only be submitted while the House of Commons is in session. In Scotland, the delivery of auditors’ reports to the clerk of the House can be done at any time and, there- after the report is considered to be a public document. Practices vary across the Caribbean, but generally an audit report is submitted to the Speaker of the House who then makes it public. Afterward, the relevant Public Accounts Committee will consider the report and issue its own report, if it desires. Cayman Compass • Thursday March 3, 2016 6th Annual Caring for Life Golf Tournament Friday, 11 March 2016 North Sound Golf Club Shot-gun start 12:30pm CI$600 per team To become a sponsor or enter a team contact Sheena Bodden at: sheena.bodden@scotiabank.com or 914.6271 EST. 1975 PLATINUM SPONSORS Cayman_Caring For Life GolfT_2016_5.0667x7.8975.indd 12/29/16 2:08 PM Ad Sponsored by The Cayman Compass Audit report release, review process may be changed “It is my view that we are circumventing many of the responsibilities of the Public Accounts Committee.” Ezzard MillEr, chairman, Public Accounts Committee Mr. Miller Registration has been ex- tended until March 11 at 11:59 p.m. for those who have not yet applied to at- tend the second annual TEdxUCCI talk. Hosted by the University College of the Cayman Islands, TedxUCCI: FutureVision will high- light local and interna- tional speakers who will give their take on what the future might hold from their perspective as an artist, inventor, thought leader, adventurer, hobbyist or visionary. Scheduled for March 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., “great conversations, interesting activities and delicious food” will be provided at the event, and only those who submit an application and are ac- cepted to participate will be allowed to attend, organizers said. Each candidate notified of acceptance as a participant must make their payment within five days of receipt. Attendees can pay at the UCCI Administration Office. Tickets are $10 for students and $25 for non-students. For more information or to apply, visit tedxucci.ky. TED talk deadline extendedThe 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. Manderson on a worthy mission “Civil servants who consistently provide poor customer service will be required to separate from the Civil Service.” — Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, February 2015 “Inadequate performance continues by some staff. I have, therefore, made dealing with poor performers my top priority for the year.” — Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, February 2016 Our deputy governor, it appears, has thrown down the other gauntlet. By announcing that he has made the improvement — or elimination — of “inadequate performers” in the civil service his “top priority” for 2016, Mr. Manderson has sent a message we advise government employees take to heart. In past decades, Cayman Islands civil servants have typically greeted sternly worded memoranda with a col- lective yawn, secure in the knowledge that, even though the Public Service Management Law lays out a theoret- ical process for terminating government employees, the practical reality has been far different. Simply put, getting rid of poor performers in the civil service has bordered on impossible. However, it seems this time Mr. Manderson isn’t just “talking the talk,” he has already begun “walking the walk.” Specifically, each of the 3,600 core government employees now has a “performance agreement” with his or her relevant supervisor, setting out performance targets and annual reviews. Such agreements (which should be familiar to people employed in the private sector) provide benchmarks by which supervisors can fairly assess an employee’s perfor- mance. They enable supervisors to take any number of actions, including raises, rewards, reprimands, and, yes, dismissals. The ability to fire an employee is one of the most important and effective tools of management, both to get rid of poor performers and to motivate remaining employees who may be in need of, er, encouragement. Speaking of benchmarks, we have one of our own by which to judge the success of Deputy Governor Mander- son’s initiative: the number 16 — which is how many civil servants have been dismissed since January 2015 for inadequate performance (2) or misconduct (14). It will be telling if, in a year’s time, that number has dramati- cally increased, or if not, if there has been a noticeable improvement in service from government. In conjunction with the performance agreements, we advocate for changes to the legislation which sets out how a civil servant can be dismissed. Government managers should have recourse to a short, clear path to termination, with a very limited appeals procedure, which should take place after the dismissal process, not during. Although the rights of individual employees should be protected, there must be greater protections for the tax dollars that belong to the country as a whole. Our support for the deputy governor should not be regarded as an assault upon Cayman’s civil service. According to laws of statistics and human nature, the larger an organization is, the more “inadequate per- formers” it will contain, particularly in the absence of regular pruning. If the deputy governor follows through on his commitment, the civil service will emerge much improved — not just in the quality of the civil servants, but also in the quality of their workplace environment. We’ll put it this way: Every single person in a given government department knows who the inadequate per- formers are. They do because those inadequate per- formers make their lives more difficult. Terminating those inadequate performers will not only make things easier for the good-to-great employees, but the reduction in payroll expenditures will also serve to safeguard their own positions for the future. Of all the people in the Cayman Islands, it seems obvious to us that Deputy Governor Manderson is the only man for this toughest of jobs. Moreover, he’s the right man for the job. He possesses the qualifications (being an attorney-at-law), the experience (decades in the civil service), the empowerment (as the titular head of the civil service, through the Office of the Governor), and the temperament (calm, reasonable and serious). Additionally, Deputy Governor Manderson is an appointed official, not an elected one, and, therefore, should be insulated from potential political retribution from the powerful civil servant voting bloc that has effectively paralyzed action from Cayman’s lawmakers. We suggest, for the good of the country and their own electoral ambitions, that our legislators present a united front of support for the deputy governor as he attempts what would truly be a monumental accomplishment: bringing real accountability to the civil service. THURSDAY MARCH 3, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM “‘Inadequate performance’ continues in civil service,” March 2 Mr. Manderson is cer- tainly saying the right things and I am sure he will follow through. The bigger an organization the harder it is to keep track of individuals’ performance. And, sadly, governments worldwide seem to have a problem with over staffing. This is not just a Cayman Islands problem. I understand that in Greece it is actually il- legal to fire civil servants. I also understand that young Greeks fantasize about get- ting a government job as it is a job for life with minimal effort required. Norman Linton The situation in Cayman seems more like Saudi Arabia. The government had a golden goose for a long time after creating an off- shore tax haven and massive financial services industry and decided they could af- ford a massive civil service. Now Cayman isn’t the only game in town and off- shore financial centers are being squeezed. Eventually something has to give. At least Saudi Arabia has a sovereign wealth fund to cushion the blow. Cayman has squat. Cristoph Walser Mess with a man’s pay- check, you disrupt his way of living. I agree with Mr. Manderson taking a strong stance in this, but I do hope he realizes that a lot of the inadequate performance is trickling from the top. Do you see a river flow upstream? Twyla Vargas This is a start, but why has it taken 50 years to get to this point? On a related matter, congratulations to Mr. Manderson on his efforts to have civil servants improve their fitness. In this regard he certainly leads by example. Roger Davies Seeing will be believing! No one holds anyone to stan- dards here. J. Bodden I contend that the “inade- quate performance” starts at the top and that if the perfor- mance issues at the top are not removed, then nothing will change for the better. Mack Boland “Cayman Airways reshuffles schedule to limit delays,” March 2 Sadly, however Mr. Whorms phrases it, this is just trying to paper over the cracks again. Whatever spin he tries to put on this, having over 1 in 10 flights running more than two hours late is unacceptable, particularly during what is normally one of the busiest and most profitable periods of the year for the airline industry. The fact is that Cayman Airways operates an aging, uneconomic fleet of 737s that are becoming increasingly difficult to maintain, and these issues are only going to get worse. Sooner or later, the government will have to face up to the fact that this simply isn’t a viable op- eration. At that point they will either have to find the funding to re-equip Cayman Airways or cut their losses, downsize and use code- sharing agreements with major carriers to keep the routes to the U.S. flying. Pretty much anywhere else in the world, the eco- nomic realities of airline op- erations would have kicked in years ago, and Cayman Airways would have been rationalized, downsized or shut down completely. Part of the problem is that Cayman Airways tries to be all things to all people without the nec- essary resources. A 737 may be fine on long routes like Boston and New York, but does it really work on the shorter flights to Jamaica, Cuba and Honduras, or could something like a 70-80 seat turboprop do the job just as well and a lot cheaper? Does Cayman Airways even need to fly into the U.S., or would it make more sense to code- share these services with the other airlines serving the same routes? To quote Tuesday’s ed- itorial, “Every dollar that is given to someone who does not really need it, is a dollar that could have been given to someone who does.” You could equally apply that to the millions handed over every year to Cayman Airways because at the end of the day, the only people who seem to benefit from all this public money are air- line employees and all those lucky people who qualify for cut-rate prices and compli- mentary air travel. David Williams “EDITORIAL — Clink, clink; Drink, drink; Wink, wink,” Feb. 29 I know the young tourist who was viciously beaten last week and who is men- tioned in this editorial on DUI. I met him two years ago while lecturing at a University in Frankfurt, Germany. After the lecture, he approached me to discuss the topic and expressed his interest in some day trav- eling to the Cayman Islands. Well, he saved his money for two years and finally ar- rived on Grand Cayman. Then less than seven hours after he arrived, the beating oc- curred, his arm was broken, his holiday was spoiled and his confidence in advertising claims was destroyed. You see, he was an easy target because he had been told repeatedly that the Cayman Islands was the safest place on Earth. He let his guard down because he had been assured that he was here to enjoy being in paradise. So yes, DUI is a serious problem here in Cayman. But that young tourist wasn’t drunk. He was walking down West Bay Road be- cause a taxi driver quoted him a return-trip price that was $20 more than he had paid to arrive on Seven Mile Beach, so he was hoping to catch another cab that might offer a more sensible price for his ride back to his host’s home. When the car with his assailant pulled up next to him on West Bay Road, his guard was down and his nightmare began. DUI is an unconscionable act. But so is our nation’s vigorous marketing campaign that is leaving our foreign guests unprepared for the reality of our not-so-Cayman- Kind island. J.D. Mosley-Matchett “Center for special needs adults strives to meet growing demand,” March 1 Glad to see adults with special needs being served in Cayman. The way we treat our special needs citizens is the real measure of our civili- zation. Good job. Keep up the good work! Herb Neely “Cayman cruise passengers run for fun,” Feb. 24 This is a really great idea! And it sounds like it was a complete success. Let’s encourage a lot more of this sort of activity. It’s great for the participants as well as for the economy of the island. Jimmy Gilbert 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 NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday March 3, 2016 ‘My throat was slashed,’ witness tells Grand Court Defendant charged with attempted murder CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man appeared in Grand Court Tuesday charged with the attempted murder of Blake Christopher Barrell, whose throat was slashed during an incident in down- town George Town on June 16 last year. David Andrew Bodden is charged with attempted murder, with an alternative of wounding with intent to cause serious bodily harm. Mr. Barrell, giving evi- dence via video link from the United States, said he had spent 12 days in hospital after his throat and chest were slashed. Having lived his whole life in Cayman, he was now residing in Florida where he worked as a landscaper. Senior crown counsel Elisabeth Lees asked why he had left Cayman. “I was in fear of my life,” the witness replied. On the day of the attack, he explained, he had driven to court in his father’s white Daihatsu. He was in court for drug offenses and firearm charges. He drove to town with two men and parked be- hind the public library. He left court around 11 a.m. by himself and drove around to look for one of the men but did not see him, so he proceeded alone in the car down Fort Street toward Mary Street. He was aware that Bodden was behind him in a Jeep Cherokee. Then there was an impact that smashed the back window of the Daihatsu. His car was crashed into more than once and he got out and ran. He said Bodden chased him and caught up with him in front of the building housing the Appleby law firm. “We made contact then. We were wrestling … and holding each other.” Asked what happened next, Mr. Barrell said, “Police separated us. I stood beside a police car where they told me my throat was slashed.” He said a police officer drove him to hospital, where he un- derwent surgery; he stayed in hospital until June 27 and left for the U.S. on July 6. Questioned by defense attorney Amelia Fosuhene, he agreed that Bodden had grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt and contact had lasted only two or three sec- onds. He also agreed that when an officer pulled Bodden away, he did so in a downward movement. He accepted that he did not know he had been injured until he moved away. He ex- plained that the knife was so sharp he did not feel it. “It happened so fast. We came in contact and then we were out of contact. That’s all I know.” He said the cut did not come from the car crash. Jurors saw photographs of the wound. Mr. Barrell denied a sug- gestion from Ms. Fosuhene that he had shown “gun fin- gers” to Bodden when he first saw him on Fort Street. He denied being involved in any discharge of a firearm in the vicinity of Bodden’s home on June 8. He agreed there was an exchange with Bodden on June 10, but said Bodden threatened him first. Ms. Fosuhene suggested that Mr. Barrell had gone to the U.S. not because he was afraid for his life but because of what he had done on June 8 and June 10. “You’re wrong,” the witness replied. Re-examined by Ms. Lees, Mr. Barrell said the firearm charge against him related to a bullet and the charge was dismissed. The drug charges still stand, he said. Asked about a charge of threat- ening to kill, he said it re- lated to his own brother, not David Bodden. The trial is sched- uled to continue on Wednesday morning. Women remanded for immigration scam CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two women are scheduled to be sentenced on March 8 for their roles in an immi- gration scam that led people to hand over $2,500 each in the belief that they would be granted permanent residence. Marcia Angella Hamilton, 46, was found guilty of six counts of obtaining prop- erty by deception after a judge-alone trial that ended in November. Judith Francia Douglas, 51, pleaded guilty last June to nine counts of ob- taining property by deception. The offenses occurred in 2009-2010. Justice Charles Quin heard mitigation from the women’s attorneys last week and then adjourned to consider his decisions. He remanded both women in custody; they had been on bail pending the comple- tion of pre-sentence social inquiry reports. Attorney Margeta Facey- Clarke argued that Hamilton had not personally bene- fitted from her actions – that she had collected money from people but had handed it over to Douglas. “Her in- volvement was doing favors. She was at all times trying to help her family and friends,” Ms. Facey-Clarke maintained. In fact, Hamilton handed over money for one of her own relatives, the attorney pointed out. Later, when she had suspicions about a scam she was able to get her money back from Douglas, but she had no proof and therefore had no obligation to tell po- lice. Other people had col- lected money and passed it on but they were not charged, Ms. Facey-Clarke said. Justice Quin said these were points that could be made in the Court of Appeal, since it would be bizarre to ask him to reject evidence he had already accepted. Hamilton had been alerted that things were not right, but she continued to be in- volved. “That’s the criminality of it,” he said. “You may feel your client has been treated harshly while others were not brought to court,” he ac- knowledged, but asked Ms. Facey-Clarke to concentrate on mitigation. She said the delay of six years had put tremen- dous stress on her client; the waiting itself was like a prison sentence. Hamilton had suffered embarrass- ment and found it difficult to obtain employment: “She believes everyone looks at her as a thief.” Referring to what she called an exceptional cir- cumstance, the attorney ad- vised that Hamilton’s young child suffers from a serious disease for which treatment is available only in the U.S. The child looks to Hamilton for mental and emotional support, Ms. Facey-Clarke told the court. She said Hamilton was willing to make restitution of monies not returned – around $17,000 – and she asked for a non-custodial sentence. Crown counsel Toyin Salako, who conducted the case for the prosecution against Hamilton, submitted that this defendant was partly responsible for the six year delay, since two appli- cations for adjournment had been made by the defense. It would be unfair to sug- gest that she could delay a trial and then benefit from the delay, Ms. Salako argued. Attorney Guy Dilliway- Parry spoke for Douglas. He asked that she be given full credit for her guilty pleas and that nothing said on behalf of Hamilton be held against his client. He said Douglas was ashamed of what she had done and was painfully aware of the suffering and distress she had caused. “It was a hopeless decep- tion with no prospect of ever going undetected,” he said. Douglas had saved the court time and money through her pleas, he pointed out; they meant that 22 witnesses did not have to come to court. Douglas was willing to pay compensation, he noted. The nine counts for which guilty pleas were ac- cepted had involved just over $22,000. It would be unfair to suggest that a defendant could delay a trial and then benefit from the delay, Ms. Salako argued. CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The trial of Justin Ramoon and Osbourne Douglas for murder has been confirmed to start on April 18. They are charged with killing 20-year-old Jason Powery in central George Town on July 1, 2015. They are further charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm. Justice Charles Quin confirmed the date after hearing from attorneys on Friday. Theft charge On Tuesday, he set a new trial date for Michelle Bouchard, who is charged with thefts from a named individual’s bank account. Her trial is now set to start on April 4 instead of March 30. She entered pleas of not guilty in January 2014. Justice Quin noted that a visiting judge, Justice Paul Worsley, is scheduled to sit from April 4 to April 29. The trial will be allo- cated to him. Sentencing Fitzroy Marvin Roach is scheduled for a sen- tencing hearing on Friday, March 4. He has pleaded guilty to causing the death of Beverley Ramsay by care- less driving. The charge arose from a collision that occurred on Oct. 16, 2012 along Esterley Tibbetts Highway. Ms. Ramsay drove a taxi van. Roach initially pleaded not guilty and a trial date was set; he changed his plea in September 2015 and his attorney requested a social inquiry report. Conspiracy to defraud Four men and one woman charged in November with local retail banks will have their cases mentioned again on Friday, March 11. Ovidui-Giulian Dobrea, 40; Ionut-Catalin Petcu, 27; Marius-Ioan Bud-Popa, 42; Ayoub Cheaaibi, 27; and Nytia Tynea Bradley, 26, are accused of conspiring together with others un- known to defraud the banks by dishonestly with- drawing cash from auto- matic teller machines with the use of cloned credit cards between Oct. 31 and Nov. 3. Several of the defense attorneys indicated that their clients were eager to enter their pleas at that time. New Grand Court dates set He accepted that he did not know he had been injured until he moved away. He explained that the knife was so sharp he did not feel it. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers issued nearly five dozen traffic ci- tations last week in Grand Cayman’s eastern districts. In addition to 58 traffic tickets, police also made 11 arrests in the district during the week of Feb. 21 to Feb. 28 for drugs, drunken driving, a burglary and outstanding warrants, police said. They also served 31 summons in that week. New Bodden Town po- lice station commander Frank Owens said traffic enforcement by his officers, particularly on weekends, was being stepped up in the districts. On Sunday, Feb. 28, RCIPS issued 19 cita- tions in one day and made four arrests for drug-re- lated offenses. “My current focus is on burglary and the illegal and dangerous riding of motorcycles and dirt bikes, which is an obnoxious nui- sance affecting the quality of life of residents in the area,” Mr. Owens said. “We intend to send a message that the eastern districts are not a place for weekend drinking and racing.” “We intend to send a message that the eastern districts are not a place for weekend drinking and racing.” Frank OwenS, Bodden Town police station commander Traffic TickeTs up in easTern disTricTsThursday March 3, 2016 • Cayman Compass 6 DISTRICT DAYS Agriculture in the spotlight Officials from St. Kitts and Nevis recently accompanied a number of local agriculture officials on a tour of farms in the Bodden Town area. A press release notes that as part of government’s on- going focus on agriculture following January’s Heroes Day event honoring leaders in agriculture, and the Agriculture Show held on Feb. 10, Agriculture Minister Kurt Tibbetts was joined by St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Agriculture Alexis Jeffers and Permanent Secretary Eric Evelyn on a tour of five farms that produce a variety of crops and livestock. Ministry of Agriculture Acting Chief Officer Leyda Nicholson-Makasare and the Department of Agriculture’s Assistant Director Brian Crichlow, plant protection of- ficer Joan Steer and agrono- mist Claudette McKenzie also took part in the tour. The guests noted that while St. Kitts and Nevis are smaller and less populated than Cayman, their aim is similar to Cayman’s – to in- crease the production of crops, livestock and the use of greenhouses on their agri- culture lands. The group first visited fruit orchards owned by Mr. Tibbetts before going to Davy Ebanks’s farm. Officials then visited Kent “Biggie” Rankin’s farm, where he raises cows, pigs, goats and chickens. It was noted that the growing popularity of jerk stands, in- cluding Mr. Rankin’s, has stimulated local demand for these fresh meats. At Harvey Stephenson’s Lookout Farm, the tour party saw some prize goats as well as a variety of niche crops, including bitter melon, cal- laloo, avocado, pumpkin, spinach, long-beans, okra, eggplant and tomatoes. As a special sub-industry, the 35-acre farm also pro- duces around 150 gallons of coconut water each week. The next stop, Patrick Panton’s farm, produces a combination of ornamental plants and edible crops in greenhouses and in open fields. Mr. Panton also raises free-range chickens. Officials commented that while demand is increasing for local organic produce and meats, challenges include competitive pricing and a lack of people willing to work on the farms. For its final call of the day, the group visited the Farmers Market at the Cricket Grounds, the most re- cent venue for “farm to fork” services. The press release also notes that the government supports the farming com- munity, primarily through the Department of Agriculture, in a variety of ways, including scientific research and tech- nical assistance, direct grants and importation of new breeding stock. Minister Kurt Tibbetts was joined by St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Agriculture Alexis Jeffers and Permanent Secretary Eric Evelyn for a tour of five farms in Cayman. St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Agriculture Alexis Jeffers pets a goat at Harvey Stephenson’s farm. The tour group pays a visit to Kent ‘Biggie’ Rankin’s farm. From left are: Nevis’s Permanent Secretary Eric Evelyn, Minister Kurt Tibbetts, Rankin’s Farm manager Orville Bailey, Nevis Minister of Agriculture Alexis Jeffers, Department of Agriculture agronomist Claudette McKenzie, Department of Agriculture plant protection officer Joan Steer, Ministry Acting Chief Officer Leyda Nicholson-Makasare and Department of Agriculture Assistant Director Brian Crichlow. - Photos: Lennon Christian In the March 2, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Arthur Hunter wrote: “A least 6 members of the Cayman Islands Police Force are from Bodden Town and therefore their conduct and welfare is of particular interest to the citizens of this area. While I have no desire to join in the present wave of anti- police sentiments there are certain factors that need to be exposed in the hope that by so doing the ills will be cured and a greater measure of respect merited by the force in general. “A policeman’s duty is primarily to uphold the law and to prevent and de- tect crimes. His conduct should be a model to his fellow citizens, particularly the illiterate class. If a po- liceman commits a wrong, the general public will feel that they can do like- wise. Perhaps that is why the Grand Court is always burdened with debt cases. It is unfortunate, but true, that some of the members of our force are noted de- linquent debtors. This is just not good enough. They seem to delight in using their ‘exalted status’ to their own advantage and the detriment of their fellow citizens, forgetting that they are subject to the same law as John Public. “A policeman should re- member that he does not cease to be a policeman when he sheds his uni- form and that the eyes of the public will critically observe him if he staggers around in plain clothes in a state of insobriety or if he drives a car in a reck- less manner or at an exces- sive speed. “Naturally, policemen are ordinary human be- ings, but on the other hand they should endeavour to place themselves in a po- sition where they can al- ways demand respect. No one respects those who have no self respect. As a policeman should not have to be exposed to criticism other than that attendant on his onerous tasks, let us hope that those of our force whom ‘the cap fits’ will wake up to their re- sponsibilities and ensure that the conduct of their private lives is such that it can be emulated by every Tom, Dick and Harry.” 50 years ago: Call for proper conduct by off-duty police Agriculture Minister Kurt Tibbetts, right, with farmer Harvey Stephenson. The tour group pays a visit to the greenhouse at Patrick Panton’s farm. District Days Bodden TownCayman Compass • Thursday March 3, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Bodden Town Meet Cayman’s king of recycling Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com If there’s anyone who can be considered the em- bodiment of the saying, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” Bodden Town resi- dent Emile Levy fits the bill. Mr. Levy specializes in finding treasure among dis- carded junk and bringing it back to life. Thread spools, whelk shells, feed bags, smokers, buses, wood pallets, dis- carded refrigerator drawers and shelves, bottles, pans; you name it, and Mr. Levy can repurpose it, having mastered the art of making money from discarded items, or creatively re- using them as eco-friendly home furnishings. “Government should give me the dump and I would show them what to do with it,” said Mr. Levy. “It’s a treasure trove of goodies that could create tons of jobs for Caymanians in the recycling business.” Passionate about the is- land and the natural envi- ronment, Mr. Levy is a big supporter of recycling. He is also a carpenter, plumber, designer and me- chanic. After his retire- ment from the U.S. Armed Forces and working for 20 years as a master jeweler at a diamond exchange in Philadelphia, the recycling entrepreneur returned to Cayman. At his newest ca- reer as a craftsman, he cre- ates colorful tote bags at his business, Camp Buttonwood Recycle in Midland Acres. As the inventor of the Siggy Bag, he transforms empty animal feed bags into fun, funky and eco-friendly totes and shopping bags. Mr. Levy said he got the idea to start his recycling business when supermar- kets across Cayman started charging 5 cents for each plastic bag and encour- aged people to bring their own bags. While gathering capital for his Siggy bags, Mr. Levy visited local shops, markets, expos and businesses to find out where the demand was for the tote bags. Along with wife Lyn, the couple first began selling the bags at Saturday’s Market at the Grounds in Lower Valley, and later at the Wednesday Camana Bay farmers market. Since then, he has expanded to a spot on the George Town waterfront where cruise vis- itors also purchase his lo- cally made souvenirs. The Siggy tote bags come in a variety of sizes and are adorned with pictures of chickens, goats, cows, horses and dogs. The bags with the chicken designs are Mr. Levy’s favorite since he kept chickens as pets when he was growing up. But the Siggy bags are just a small portion of Mr. Levy’s wide-ranging recy- cling projects. To him, almost anything discarded and du- rable has recycling potential. Constantly looking to re-purpose cast-off mate- rials, Mr. Levy has a fully functional house brim- ming with recycled material and furnishings. Standing outside his home, Mr. Levy pointed to a pile of cut-up grape and casuarina tree branches waiting to be burned and sold as charcoal. “Food cooked on this wood tastes much better than the coal brought from the super- markets,” said Mr. Levy. He explained how the logs are cut into small pieces, then burned in a drum until they are reduced to charcoal. “These will soon be on the market,” he said. Among the traditional brick and mortar houses on Mr. Levy’s street in Midland Acres, no one can tell that the base and sides of his front porch and outdoor swing are interlaced with re- cycled wood pallets he has collected from various job and business sites. His yard is a maze of re- cycled items, and nestled be- tween some coconut palms and a lime tree is Mr. Levy’s hidden garden. “This is where I come to chill,” Mr. Levy said, entering the nature alcove to show off his hammock, white sand pathway lined with conch shells, and an open air kitchen equipped with homemade cooking pan. A tree limb shaved to make a shelf holds calabash dishes and plates Mr. Levy uses for eating and drinking. In the corner, a stack of dried coco- nuts will be cracked, grated, juiced and boiled to make coconut oil. Exiting the garden, Mr. Levy sets off down a path lined with re-purposed items like a crate loaded with hun- dreds of thread spools and whelk shells, and a huge table crafted from a red- painted door. His destina- tion proves an even more unusual sight: a recycled bus he has turned into an office, studio and tote bag distributing center. Hundreds of bags and aprons line the floor and hang from the ceiling; a sewing machine with un- finished cuttings sits in a corner. “This is where we bring the bags to get stitched after they have been washed and dried,” explained Mr. Levy. In the studio section of the bus, he is putting fin- ishing touches to a coral and shell-festooned artwork of former Speaker of the House, Mary Lawrence. The dedication to recy- cling and conservation ef- forts is impressive. He has installed water saving tools in his outside shower and toilets, and even the cabin on the back of his truck is made from recycled wood. In his kitchen, shelves and drawers from old re- frigerators screwed to the walls are stacked neatly with spices and various kitchen items. Outside, a gutted refrigerator has been transformed into a planter for herbs, vegetables and other plants. “There is so much stuff we throw away in Cayman that can be put to good use,” Mr. Levy said. “It is truly amazing what people can create if they set their minds to it.” A picture of former Legislative Assembly Speaker Mary Lawrence, created from recycled items. Mr. Levy uses calabash gourds as dishes, and coconuts to make coconut oil. Emile Levy trims feed bags before cleaning them. This pile of seagrape and casuarina limbs will be burned to make charcoal.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY, MARCH 3 ImmIgratIon, Permanent resIdence: Chamber course presented by Nick Joseph. 9–11 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $175. Future Members $225. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, MARCH 4 sPrIng FLIng: St. Ignatius School Fair. 3 to 6:30 p.m. on the school grounds. $5 ticket for prize draw. Games tickets are $1 each. Lots of food, games, fun and prizes. All are invited. SATURDAY, MARCH 5 FUr BaLL: 1950s-themed gala at the Marriott to raise money for the Humane Society. Special guest is Robert James Clarke, pet portrait artist. Tickets are $150, free welcome drink, wine and 3-course meal. Casual dress code with prizes for best-dressed male and best-dressed female. 7 p.m. Silent and live auction, raffle, live music. For tickets, contact cihsfundraising@ gmail.com or 949-1461. PaWs In tHe sand: Dinner at Rum Point restaurant to raise money for Protection of Animal Welfare Society. Tickets are $125 per person, with free ferry service leaving SafeHaven Dock at 5 p.m. for cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Includes Broadway show, silent and live auctions. Tickets from Lighthouse restaurant or contact 916- 1731 or 916-3957. SUNDAY, MARCH 6 FItness Fest: ARC at Camana Bay, 8 a.m. Fundraiser for the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens community projects. Variety of physical activities to ‘80s music. Spot prizes and refreshments. Adults, $20; youths 14-18, $10. Contact nereenthomas@yahoo.com or 936-1739. taI cHI: Free Tai Chi lesson on The Crescent, Camana Bay, with Sensei Greg Reid from CASK Karate. 8:30 a.m. For more information, contact CASK at 925-3367. ceramIc oPen stUdIo: Offered by Visual Arts Society for adults who want to work independently. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watler House Studio at Pedro Castle. $15 members, $25 non-members. Clay, materials and firing facilities available. Contact visualartcayman@yahoo.com. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 BooKends cLUB: 6:30–7:30 p.m., Books & Books. All are invited to join members as they review their latest pick, “Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage” by Alice Munro. THURSDAY, MARCH 10 cHamBer coUrse: “Essentials of Supervision” presented by Julie McLaughlin. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $150. Future Members $225. Register online at www. caymanchamber.ky. SUNDAY, MARCH 13 care K9 5K: Fun Run and Dog Jog. Registration 6:30 a.m. Start 7 a.m. Nexus Way, Camana Bay. Dog lovers are invited to show off their pets’ sporting talent or take a Humane Society shelter dog for a jog. The 5K route follows a scenic double loop through Camana Bay’s Town Centre. Registration is $25 and includes an event T-shirt, finish-line snacks and doggie biscuits, as well as entry into a random prize draw. The event raises funds for CARE’s community spay and neuter programs. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 FLoetrY: 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books & Books. Join Cayman’s poets and performers as they share their work during an open mic night of poetry and readings. This event is open to the public; attendees are free to share their own work or listen to others. SATURDAY, MARCH 19 LIttLe caYman agrIcULtUre sHoW: Blossom Village Park, Contact Debbi Truchan 925-6442 or debit@candw.ky. SATURDAY, MARCH 26 cHaLKFest: 1 p.m., Market Street in Camana Bay. The competition is open to artists of all ages and abilities. Registration fee of $5 for kids and $10 for adults. Proceeds benefit The National Gallery Outreach Program. Prizes for the best work. Entry categories are Primary (5-10 years old), Middle School (11-13), High School (14-17) and Adults (18+). Chalk provided free. Participants are encouraged to bring rags, sponges and buckets to help with blending and covering large areas. Free water and sunscreen. MONDAY, APRIL 4 YoUtH cHoIr: Cayman Youth Choir welcomes youth ages 11-16 to audition 6-7 p.m. at Cayman Prep School, Smith Road. The Cayman Youth Choir exists to provide youth with the opportunity to experience the challenges, joys and rewards of choral singing of the highest caliber. For more information, contact Miss Ems on music_ems@icloud. com or through Facebook on www.facebook.com/ KYyouthchoir. GENERAL INTEREST LoBster season cLosed: The Department of Environment reminds the public that the closed season for lobster is March 1 until Nov. 30. It is illegal to take, purchase, receive or possess lobsters originating from Cayman waters. The closed season encompasses the months in which lobsters are most likely to spawn. People who suspect that lobsters are being fished during closed season can call 911, or DoE enforcement officers directly. Grand Cayman: 916-4271 or 949-8469; Cayman Brac, 926-0136; Little Cayman, 916-7021. Free HIV testIng: The Public Health Department advises the public of extended hours for free HIV screenings offered at the Cayman Islands Red Cross on Huldah Avenue, George Town. The free testing is available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday. FIsH FrY: St. Ignatius School canteen, Fridays during Lent. Serving from 5-8 p.m. Dine in or carry out. Menu includes mahi-mahi for $10 or snapper, $12, with all the trimmings. Proceeds are for religious education and youth ministry. VIsUaL arts scHoLarsHIPs: Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Ltd. and the National Gallery will award a four-year scholarship for a student who wishes to pursue an undergraduate degree in the Visual Arts field. Scholarship is worth US$20,000 per year. Application forms, information sheets and additional opportunities for students can also be found on the NGCI website www.nationalgallery. org.ky. Applications can be submitted directly to the NGCI Education Department at education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. PrescHooL FUndIng: The Ministry of Education is now accepting applications from parents of children who qualify for the Early Childhood Assistance Program, which provides early childhood center funding for Caymanian children between 3 years old and Reception age as of Sept. 1 and who meet certain financial criteria. Application forms and information can be downloaded from www. education.gov.ky/portal/page/ portal/mehhome/education/ earlyeducation. Application forms may also be collected from the Government Administration Building, Department of Education Services or early childhood centers. Deadline is April 29. adULt art coUrses: New art courses at the National Gallery include drawing and painting, followed by batik and hatting. See www. nationalgallery.org.ky/news/ ngci2016adultcourses. HUmane socIetY BooK LoFt: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards, etc., in good condition always needed. consUmer ProtectIon: The Law Reform Commission invites comment on the discussion paper, “Consumer Protection – Entrenching Consumer Supremacy in Cayman Islands Legislation.” The paper can be viewed on www.lrc.gov.ky. Submissions should be emailed to cilrc@gov.ky or sent by post or hand to the Director of the Law Reform Commission, 4th Floor, Government Administration Building, Portfolio of Legal Affairs, 133 Elgin Ave., George Town, Grand Cayman, P.O. Box 136, Grand Cayman, KY1-9000. Deadline is April 29. PaIntIng oPen stUdIo: For adults who want to work independently. 12:30-4 p.m. Mondays until March 21. Watler House Studio at Pedro Castle. $10 for members of Visual Arts Society, $15 for non-members. Materials, instructions not included. Contact visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. VIsUaL arts socIetY: Ceramic Open Studio for adults on Wednesdays in March, 9 a.m. till noon. Figure painting classes Tuesdays till March 22, 7 p.m. Watler Studio at Pedro Castle. For more information, contact visualartcayman@yahoo.com. artIsans marKet: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@visualartcayman.com. reeF restoratIon: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates and times are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. sPecIaL oLYmPIcs: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. Lost dogs: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. red cross tHrIFt sHoP: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. mUseUm toUrs: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. ncVo VoLUnteers needed: Volunteers needed for the National Council of Voluntary Organisations’ children’s services programs. Contact Alta Solomon at 949-2124 or ncvocoordinator@ncvo.org.ky. BetHesda coUnseLLIng centre: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Thursday March 3, 2016 • Cayman Compass A dog portrait by artist Robert James Clarke, who is the special guest speaker at the Fur Ball on Saturday, March 5.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Cayman Compass • Thursday March 3, 2016 The family of the late Derek Wight was the orig- inal owner of the site. Eldest son Michael said the $2 mil- lion sale to Mr. Flowers came about because his family saw an opportunity to realize a profit from a fallow piece of real estate. “We owned it for quite awhile, 30 years, 40 years,” he said, “and there was always a [gas] station there, at first Texaco and then Rubis. There was always a garage there.” Selling it “was something we had talked about for quite a while,” Mr. Wight said. “We didn’t operate the station or anything, so it was a prop- erty without much use, and we were not going to use it or develop it in the near future. “The Flowers family had been after it for about 20 years; they always intended to do Cricket Square, and they’ve done a really good job. It’s going to be something really good and that was part of the discussion,” he said. Mr. Flowers said the company is still negotiating tenancies and has not com- pleted arrangements for the project, but demolition is roughly scheduled for some- time after June 30, and that “if it all comes together,” construction could begin shortly afterward. According to Planning Department documents, the structure will be a “sim- ilar design of the existing office buildings at Cricket Square,” which was created in 1994, and now, with the new building, will cover 15.5 acres. Plans call for a pedestrian crosswalk linking the lot across the street to the new development. The Rubis station has been at its Shedden Road lo- cation for nearly 40 years, initially under the Texaco brand until late 2011. Since July 2014 the Rubis station has been leased to and operated by Wayne Kirkconnell, whose family also owns the Rubis sta- tion at the corner of West Bay Road and Lawrence Boulevard. They took over the Seven Mile Beach location a few months ago, he said. “I’m about 40 years old,” Mr. Kirkconnell said, “and the Shedden Road station has been there as long as I can remember.” The demolition, he said, “is unfortunate. It’s a nice area with a lot of busi- ness, with good demand. But this is progress.” He said the station is un- likely to be relocated or re- built in another location. Since he leases the business from Rubis, Mr. Kirkconnell said he is not likely to gain any compensation for its loss. Rubis said it has not de- cided what might happen. “At the moment,” said Rubis Head of Finance Henrico Duplessis, “the land is there and we simply lease it; we don’t own it. We were told at the beginning of the year that the ownership had changed, but the new owners have not said when they want to move ahead.” Dart, said the rocks need to be moved to create safer and easier access for swimmers. She said a deal with the hotel operator, which Dart has not named but several politicians, most recently tourism councillor Joey Hew, have indicated will be Four Seasons, is contingent on the rocks’ removal. Environmental consul- tants hired by Dart have re- viewed the site and sug- gested the rocks can be excavated with little impact on the environment. The initial coastal works application is for a trial in- vestigation to remove rock samples and test method- ology for a full excavation of the partially submerged rocks. The developer will also investigate the possibility of crushing the rocks to be re- turned to the beach as sand. Ms. Doak acknowledged there are small patches of coral in the area, but she said they are not significant. She said Dart has worked with consultants with in- depth knowledge of Cayman’s coastal environment, in- cluding geologist Brian Jones, and Richard Seymour, who worked on an earlier study of Seven Mile Beach. She said both men had recommended that the rocks could be removed without impacting the dynamics of the beach and its ecosystem. “Given our land holdings in the area, we are as sen- sitive as anyone to anything that could impact the envi- ronment or the dynamics of Seven Mile Beach,” Ms. Doak added. She said the rocks made it difficult to swim or snorkel in the area, and improving ac- cess is important to the suc- cess of the project. “It is not the experience you get in other parts of Seven Mile Beach,” she said. The coastal works ap- plication is the first step in bringing Dart’s long-held plans for a five-star hotel to the Cayman Islands. Ms. Doak said the site was switched after discussions with the five-star operator that will manage the hotel. She said the new location provides an opportunity for Dart to create a resort district. “We did originally have the hotel at Camana Bay, but because of the multiplicity of options that this site gives us, we decided, with the op- erator, to go for this site. “The really unique prop- osition that this provides to us as a developer is it gives us the opportunity to create an amazing resort district with much more amenities in addition to the two distinct hotel sites.” The five-star property, which is in the conceptual phase, is estimated to have 175 rooms and 80 residences. Like the Kimpton hotel, it will be set well back from the beach and could include residences on both sides of the highway. Subject to the Department of Environment’s review of all technical documenta- tion and Cabinet’s approval, the beach-rock removal trial would be conducted in late April and the project would begin in November, to avoid turtle nesting season. The five-star hotel has a tentative opening date of 2020. “Everything is growing and we need more space.” ClarenCe Flowers, managing director, Orchid Development Dart hotel plan hinges on rock removal Summer groundbreaking set for Cricket Square blockCivil service fires 16 people in 14 months Previous warning The deputy governor’s intention to begin reducing the number of government workers who do not per- form their jobs well was announced in February 2015 in a memo to all staff. “Civil servants who consistently provide poor customer service will be required to separate from the civil service,” Mr. Manderson’s Feb. 13, 2015 administrative circular read. “Such persons, by association, harm the rep- utation of the majority of staff who do exceptional work and they harm the public’s confidence in the civil service overall.” Mr. Manderson said it was “evident” that the civil service was “not doing enough” in the area of customer service, and he used as an example a recent poll in the Cayman Compass newspaper as evidence of customer dissatisfaction. In the follow-up memo released this week, Mr. Manderson noted it was evident that inadequate performance by “some staff” continues in the civil service. Representatives of the Cayman Islands Civil Service Association said this week that low-per- forming workers could hardly complain about the policy. Association president James Watler said as long as the policy is enforced fairly across the service, the employee group would not have a problem with it. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 InqueSt: Police officers tell of domestic incident calls to couple’s home CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A coroner’s jury in the inquest into the deaths of Nichelle Anna-Kay Thomas and Devon Roy Campbell heard from three police of- ficers who had responded to calls to the couple’s home on separate occasions. The inquest began on Monday, with evidence concluding by lunchtime Wednesday. Coroner Eileen Nervik said she would in- struct the jurors and sum up the cases on Friday morning so that they could return their verdicts. The bodies of Ms. Thomas and Mr. Campbell were found at the Bodden Town home of her employer on Sunday morning, Feb. 9, 2014. Post- mortem examinations indi- cated that she had died from multiple chop wounds and he had died by hanging. Acquaintances of the couple gave evidence that Ms. Thomas, 21, had suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of Mr. Campbell, 39. Both were from Jamaica. He worked in Grand Cayman and she came to the island in March, 2012 and they lived together in an apartment in Bodden Town. The coroner read a state- ment from Police Constable Owen Santo Jr., who said he responded to a call from a neighbor of the couple in October 2012. He spoke to Ms. Thomas and she said she had had a dispute with Mr. Campbell, who had accused her of having a boyfriend in Jamaica. She said she wanted to leave Cayman and would stay in another room in their apartment until she left. She did not want Mr. Campbell arrested. The officer inquired if there was a machete on the premises, but none was seen. He gave Mr. Campbell a warning and also warned both parties to keep the peace. He said the situation was calm when he left. Mr. Santo said no do- mestic violence report was submitted because he was not aware that one was to be done if there was no visible injury. Police Constable Rohan White, in his statement, said he responded to a report from Ms. Thomas in September 2013. She said Mr. Campbell had taken her passport and their baby’s passport. While talking to her, Mr. White saw Mr. Campbell drive up in a car and the of- ficer advised him that he had no right to hold Ms. Thomas’s passport and was told to hand it over. He did and she was satisfied, Mr. White said. He said he did not fill out a domestic violence report because Ms. Thomas did not show any signs of fearing for her safety. Police Constable VonDante Leslie gave a statement about an incident on Jan. 28, 2014. He said he received a report about a domestic dispute in which someone was armed with a screwdriver. When he arrived at the scene, an officer from the Uniform Support Group was already speaking to a man, who was not armed. The complaint had been made by a next-door neighbor. Mr. Leslie said he spoke with Ms. Thomas, who in- dicated that Mr. Campbell had threatened her with a screwdriver. He saw no injuries. He asked several times if she wanted an investiga- tion but she said no; all she wanted was to pack up her personal things and leave the location. He called the Family Support Unit and got a number for the Women’s Crisis Centre. He said Ms. Thomas spoke to someone there and arrangements were made for her to stay there. A neighbor said she would provide Ms. Thomas with transportation. Mr. Leslie said officers spoke with Mr. Campbell, and he was severely warned. The officer stated that he was aware it was procedure to fill out a domestic incident form. “We did not prepare a referral on this occasion be- cause she said she was de- parting the island that Friday to go home to Jamaica.”Next >