BUSINESS | PAGE 11 PANTON EXPLAINS CAYMAN TO EU High of 87 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 MISSING BOATERS: THE 911 CALLS THAT DON’T RING TRUE ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 #203 Alissta Towers, 85 North Sound Road, Grand Cayman KY1-1109, T: + 1 (345) 949-9744 E: Aleisha.Lalor@caribbeanalliance.com www.caribbeanalliance.com BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A marathon meeting of the Legislative As- sembly that begins Wednesday is expected to take a few weeks to complete, putting the meeting’s end shortly before the government presents its next budget in late May. It is likely legislators will be meeting more or less steadily throughout the next two months. By law, a budget for the upcoming fiscal year must be completed by June 30. Premier Alden McLaughlin warned lawmakers earlier this week that the assembly would be seeing “some late nights” as a razor- thin majority government bench attempts to work through a new 18-month budget plan, as well as a series of crucial bills. Major bills A lineup of 18 bills, 10 private members’ motions, three government-initiated motions and 48 parliamentary questions await the Legislative Assembly meeting on Wednesday. The legislative initiatives being consid- ered include amendments to a controversial section of the Health Services Authority Law which has recently been interpreted by the local courts to mean public hospital patients alleging malpractice by authority staff mem- bers cannot sue the government unless they prove “bad faith” on behalf of those staffers. Another bill mooted by parliament seeks to remove all “public officials” from the membership of the Cayman Islands Anti- Corruption Commission. As it currently stands, that legislation, if passed, would re- move the police commissioner, auditor gen- eral and complaints commissioner from that body, which investigates allegations of cor- ruption against public officials in Cayman. Significant and long-standing legislative issues involving private sector workers’ re- tirement age, personal data privacy, politi- cians’ and civil servants’ interests disclosure and public education are all due to come be- fore the legislature in the current meeting. Other bills to be considered are a reworking of pay and pension benefits for Summary Court magistrates, a formal recognition of the local professional standards body for accountants, Back-to-back legislative meetings expected ‘THE WORST CASE OF ABUSE I HAVE EVER SEEN’ Call for prosecution after dead dog found JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The pile of skin and bones was just visible in the rock and dirt at the foot of the palm tree. Jason Jairam could make out the shape of a small dog, maybe four months old. A chain tied to the tree hung loose around its emaciated neck. It had been dead, he figured, for at least two weeks. Around 10 yards away, cowering in the shade of a neighboring palm tree, was another puppy – skinny, malnourished and dehydrated, awaiting the same fate. In 10 years at the Humane Society, shelter manager Mr. Jairam cannot recall a single inci- dent where someone has been prosecuted for an- imal cruelty or neglect. If ever there was a pros- ecutable case of animal abuse, he says, this is it. Mr. Jairam has seen some horrific incidents in his time, but none worse than the scene he wit- nessed Friday when he was called to a home in Prospect following a police raid. “There is no way to describe what I saw. It was like something from a horror movie,” he said. “This dog was basically chained to a tree and starved to death. If the police hadn’t been called to the house for a search warrant, the other dog would probably have died too. “This is the worst case of neglect I have seen in the Cayman Islands and it should be brought to the courts and prosecuted.” The dogs were discovered after the police PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Prison seeks business partners for job training JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The prison is looking to partner with private businesses to help put its under- resourced and under-used vocational training center to better use. Prisons Director Neil Lavis says staffing issues mean the center, which has work- shops for plumbing, air conditioning, woodworking and other trades, is under- used. He wants to bring in private sector partners in a job-training program that will help prisoners get skills and opportunities to work when they are finally released. As HMP Northward commemorates its 35th anniversary this week, Mr. Lavis, in an interview with the Cayman Compass, said the prison is beginning to embrace more progressive approaches. Rehabilitation and restorative jus- tice have replaced simple punishment in the ethos of modern prisons and though Mr. Lavis acknowledges resources in this area are thin, he is attempting to introduce some of those ideas in the Cayman Islands. “We are not well-resourced, but we are trying to do what we can with what we have got,” he said. A key concern is the inconsistency of training offered to prisoners. North- ward has a well-equipped vocational training center, but its trainers, who double as prison guards, can be called away at any time for more immediate tasks, like escorting prisoners to court or patrolling the wings. Now Mr. Lavis is looking to private companies to provide staff to train pris- oners in the workshops. “The ideal would be for someone to come in and say, for example, ‘I am going to take these six guys and train them in Northward Prison officials would like to engage private sector trainers who can help the inmates better use the prison’s vocational training facilities. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - THE JUNGLE BOOK 3D (PG) 1:00 I 1:30 2D I 3:30 I 4:00 2D I 6:30 7:00 2D I 9:00 I 9:30 2D THE BOSS (R) 1:00 I 3:40 I 7:00 I 9:30 BATMAN V SUPERMAN DAWN OF JUSTICE 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 3:45 2D I 8:00 CRIMINAL (R) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:10 I 9:50 ZOOTOPIA (PG13) 12:45 I 3:30 LONDON HAS FALLEN (R) 7:20 I 9:40 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456)640-FILM (640-3456) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - WEDNESDAY - MR RIGHT (R) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 9:40 THE JUNGLE BOOK 3D (PG) 1:00 I 1:30 2D I 3:30 I 4:00 2D I 6:30 7:00 2D I 9:00 I 9:30 2D THE BOSS (R) 1:00 I 3:40 I 7:15 I 9:50 HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR 3D (PG13) 1:20 I 4:15 2D I 7:20 I 10:00 2D BATMAN V SUPERMAN DAWN OF JUSTICE 3D (PG13) 12:30 I 3:45 2D I 8:00 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 LONG TERM RENTALS AT HARBOUR HEIGHTS 2BR/2BA CI$2,600 + utilities + 1 cleaning/wk. 4 separate units. Six to 8 months’ duration. Spectacular on SMB near Public Beach. No children. No pets. Month deposit required. Contact Paula/Shandy at 945-4295 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 4.3% -0.2% 1.3% 1.2% -2.7% 1.5% 2.4% -6.3% -0.3% 1.8% 2.5% 1.6% 2.2% 1.5% 2.4% -2.8% Cayman USA Burglar left clues that led to arrests Defendant appeals seven-year sentence as harsh and excessive CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Owners of two burgled homes found clues that led to the arrest of Donald Calvin Hooker, who was sentenced on Friday to 84 months’ im- prisonment for five offenses involving the property of others, and one traffic charge. “That’s very harsh and ex- cessive,” Hooker told Mag- istrate Philippa McFarlane, who imposed a series of concurrent and consecutive terms. One of his complaints was that the magistrate had considered his previous con- victions when she listed the aggravating and mitigating factors in each incident. He pointed out that he had served his sentences for previous offenses, but “they are going to haunt me.” He gave notice of appeal through attorney John Furniss. Crown counsel Eleanor Fargin earlier set out de- tails of Hooker’s offending in chronological order. The dates of the offenses did not always correspond with the dates of the charges because of the time it took to analyze the clues Hooker left behind. On Sept. 30, 2012, a man left his vehicle locked and secured in a parking lot on North Church Street. When he returned at 5 p.m. the right front window had been smashed; three rings and two cellphones had been taken. There were blood stains in- side the vehicle that appeared fresh, so scenes of crime offi- cers attended. In April 2015, Hooker’s DNA was found to correspond with DNA from the blood stains. Arrested and interviewed, Hooker said he did not re- member the incident, but he acknowledged being heavily intoxicated and committing crimes to feed his drug habit. He pleaded guilty in May 2015. The burglary of a Bodden Town residence was com- mitted on Jan. 15, 2013. The home was left secure in the morning, but when one of the occupants returned home at 4 p.m., he observed that the blinds on the front door were broken. He checked and found that a laptop, valued at $1,000, was missing along with a camera, jew- elry and passports. A T-shirt and pouch were found; they did not belong to the couple who lived there and so were pointed out to police. DNA from the T-shirt was found to correspond with Hooker’s DNA and he was ar- rested. In April 2015, he ini- tially denied owning the shirt or pouch. Shown photos, he said he recalled going into the house to steal, but little else. He pleaded guilty in May 2015. The next burglary oc- curred Nov. 5-6, 2014, at a private dwelling in North Side. The house was under- going renovation and was not occupied. The man working on the house had secured it the night before; the next morning he found a side door broken open. Items stolen, including tools, were valued at $9,935. When the owner looked around the property he found two uncapped, par- tially full bottles of water. He did not buy that brand, so he brought the bottle to the at- tention of police. The DNA profile from one of the bottles corresponded to Hooker’s DNA. Inter- viewed in April 2015, Hooker said he had been at the res- idence about four years pre- viously, when he took drugs with someone named Larry. The owner did not know any Larry. Hooker pleaded guilty on June 30, 2015. A month later he pleaded guilty to theft from the Red Cross donation deposit box at the charity’s headquar- ters on Huldah Avenue. Po- lice found shoes, clothes and electronics in the ve- hicle Hooker was driving on March 15, 2015, after a wit- ness “saw a man’s head come out of the donations box” and then the man drove off with items, Ms. Fargin said. The final charge was at- tempted burglary and crim- inal trespass, committed on Aug. 21, 2015. Hooker pleaded guilty to trespass and that plea was accepted. Ms. Fargin advised that Hooker had 65 previous con- victions, including burglary, other dishonesty and drug- related offenses. In the cases before the court, nothing was recovered, she said. Although the Summary Court is lim- ited on most cases to sen- tences of four years, it was open to the magistrate to im- pose consecutive sentences, she pointed out. Mr. Furniss emphasized Hooker’s guilty pleas and ef- forts to rid himself of his addiction, including time in the Drug Rehabilitation Court. At one stage Hooker had been given conditional bail so that he could attend a halfway house. He was on a curfew, had to obey all house rules, attend coun- seling sessions and wear an electronic monitor. In passing sentence, the magistrate said Hooker’s re- cord was a significant factor, but she also considered that his guilty pleas had been en- tered at an early stage. His record included 15 previous burglaries and 15 other of- fenses for dishonesty. Referring to his so- cial inquiry report, she said Hooker could not be seen as purely a victim of social circumstances. In the past, his pleas for assistance had been granted. At one point he was in the Caribbean Haven Rehabilitation Center, but was discharged because of poor attitude. “At this stage, no one has the answer,” she told Hooker. “I am hopeful while you are in custody you will access and use rehabilitation ser- vices available to you.” For the Bodden Town bur- glary, she started her sen- tence at three years, but added 12 months because of his previous convictions and three months because the of- fense was committed while on bail. For the guilty plea she deducted one-third of 51 months, resulting in a term of 34 months. For the North Side bur- glary, she imposed 22 months and made it consecutive be- cause it was a separate of- fense committed at a dif- ferent time. For theft from the Red Cross, she added 12 months consecutive, saying it was a callous thing to do and she did not care about the value of items stolen. For the criminal trespass she imposed eight months; for theft from the car, six months. Terms of imprisonment for traffic offenses were made to run concurrently, ex- cept for a second offense of driving without insurance, for which she imposed a fur- ther two months. Confirming that the overall total was 84 months, the magistrate gave Hooker credit for time in custody. HAVANA (AP) – Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who oversaw a warming of relations with Cuba’s Communist govern- ment and played a role in the secret negotiations that led to U.S.-Cuba detente, has stepped down, the Vatican announced Tuesday. He is being replaced as archbishop of Havana by Juan de la Caridad Garcia Rodriguez, the arch- bishop of the eastern city of Camaguey. Ortega was named Arch- bishop of Havana in 1981 and oversaw three papal trips to Communist Cuba. He ferried a letter from the Vatican to President Barack Obama during 18 months of secret negotiations that led to the Dec. 17, 2014 declara- tion that the U.S. and Cuba were restarting diplomatic relations and moving to- ward normalization. The church said Pope Francis had accepted Orte- ga’s resignation, which was presented in 2011 under a church rule requiring arch- bishops to offer their resig- nation when they are 75. His being kept on four more years was seen, par- ticularly in retrospect, as a reflection of the importance of his leading the Havana archdiocese at a critical time for Cuba. Archbishop of Havana steps down Referring to his social inquiry report, she said Hooker could not be seen as purely a victim of social circumstances. In the past, his pleas for assistance had been granted.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Missing boaters: The 911 calls that don’t ring true Following weeks of anticipation and hours of debate in the Legislative Assembly, Cayman Islands law- makers arrived at a consensus in regard to the con- troversy over the police response to a March incident involving five missing boaters. They agreed on a motion calling for two Caymanian justices of the peace to be assigned to the inquiry team, which is being led by a senior British Coastguard commander. Lawmakers seem to believe that the inclusion of the two Caymanians — one approved by Premier Alden McLaughlin and one by Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush — will aid the investigation and provide reassur- ance to the local community that the inquiry is fair and impartial. We couldn’t disagree more. Who could be better suited to review the police’s search-and-rescue mission than a senior officer from the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency who has coordinated thousands of marine searches over nearly 20 years? Who could be more impartial than someone who has no connection whatsoever to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the governor, the police, the missing boaters or the Cayman Islands in general? And yet, lawmakers’ grand idea is to inject into the process a pair of political appointees, who may have some link to either the police or the boaters, and who will certainly not possess anywhere near the level of expertise or experience possessed by Coastguard Commander Andrew Jenkins. At best, the political appointees will be unnecessary to the investigation. More probably, they will be hindrances. In regard to the five people who were lost at sea in March, the full truth should come out. But let’s keep in mind what we already know, including: • Between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, a fisherman spots Gary Mullings’s 28-foot boat (which is believed to have been carrying four other passengers, including his 9- and 11-year-old nephews) around six miles off the coast of Grand Cayman, with only one of its two engines operating. Weather conditions are worsening. • At 3:41 p.m., a cellphone on the boat experiences a “catastrophic disruption,” which could indicate the capsizing of the boat. • At 11:57 p.m., police are notified of the missing boaters. • At 8:30 a.m. Monday, police mobilize marine vessels and aircraft. • At 10:33 a.m., the police helicopter spots the capsized boat. There is no sign of the boaters. If we are trying to ascertain a complete picture of what happened that ill-fated evening, it seems to us that what has been largely unexplored, certainly in the media, are the actions of the boaters — not the police. For example, when did they leave shore? Where exactly did they go? Why did they go there? What was the condition of the boat, its contents and its passen- gers? Why did they not call for help? Some people have been trying to blame the police for this terrible loss of life. Remember, though, that the two boys were in the care of three adults, who are ultimately responsible for placing themselves and the children in peril. Our intention, for now, is not to establish blame but to establish cause and responsibility. Since the boaters went missing, some family members (and voices in other media) have accused police of delaying their response, or even of failing to respond to 911 calls they claimed were made as early as 8:29 p.m. Sunday. However, all available evidence to date (including from emergency call center officials and the phone company) indicates those earlier calls were never made. As far as has been proved, the first call to police didn’t come in until 11:57 p.m., or nearly midnight. Before then, there was no possibility of searching or rescuing — for the simple reason that the police didn’t know anyone was missing. Consider this quote from the Sherlock Holmes story “Silver Blaze” by Arthur Conan Doyle: “Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?” “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” “The dog did nothing in the night-time.” “That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes. That citation has become famously known in litera- ture as “the dog that didn’t bark.” Likewise, think of the now-discredited early call to the 911 emergency center as “the phone that didn’t ring.” Argentina’s triumphant return MOHAMED A. EL-ERIAN Last week, international capital markets enthusiasti- cally granted redemption to Argentina, a serial defaulter on money it has borrowed from external creditors. The scale of this reaction is counter-in- tuitive and could provide the wrong incentive underpin- nings for financial relation- ships that involve an impor- tant element of trust. Yet this kind of forgiveness has oc- curred regularly – for good and bad reasons – and, for the most part, prematurely. Argentina defaulted in De- cember 2001 and spent al- most 15 years in protracted legal conflicts with bond cred- itors. Despite many court rul- ings, the two sides could not arrive at an agreement that normalized badly disrupted capital-markets relations. The situation changed with the arrival of a new team in Argentina led by President Mauricio Macri, who took of- fice in December. Armed with a new court ruling and a preliminary agreement with most of the holdouts, the gov- ernment tested the waters through a new issue of long- dated bonds. The result was headline-grabbing. In what can only be de- scribed as a food fight among private creditors, about 2,000 orders were placed for the new bonds, resulting in a total notional demand of around US$70 billion, a record number for emerging mar- kets. Buoyed by the exuberant market reception, Argentina upsized its offering and made it less attractive for potential buyers by reducing the issu- ance yield by almost a full percentage point. The result was a US$16.5 billion emerging-markets bond issue and terms that were a lot more favorable to Argentina than the current market pricing for similarly rated debtors. This type of creditor be- havior is not without prece- dent. The history of emerging- market debt contains other cases when creditors re- warded a borrower that had recently experienced an ugly default, sharp confrontations and hadn’t yet worked effec- tively with multilateral insti- tutions (Russia after its 1998 default and Venezuela more than once). The creditors’ relatively easy approval has both good and bad reasons. Given Marci’s electoral promises and initial policy steps, there are reasons to believe that Argentina’s eco- nomic outlook could be dif- ferent this time. It is easy to see how credit committees could convince themselves that the probability of sus- tained improvement in the country’s creditworthiness and payment behavior is no- tably higher. There are also bad reasons. With the prevailing low and, in some cases, neg- ative yields on government bonds, some investors were dazzled by the yields of 7.5 percent to 8 percent on the new Argentine 10- and 30- year bonds. Others are taking an ap- proach that is even more short term, given the extent to which this bond issue was hyped by the investment bankers. Their expectation of profits comes from the “flip” – that is, selling the security for a gain shortly after they have been allocated their share in this highly over-sub- scribed event. There are three conclu- sions to draw: 1. Argentina is being re- warded as much, it is hoped, for its future good behavior as it is for its recent actions. As a re- sult, any notable setback on policy actions is likely to lead to a significant decline in bond prices. 2. Rather than signaling an improvement in the mar- kets’ underlying liquidity conditions, the huge Argentine issue could worsen future pockets of illiquidity, especially when some if some of the current debt holders begin to behave more like fleeing tourists than re- silient resident investors of emerging markets. 3. In a market where short- term behaviors often can diverge from longer-term sustainability, redemp- tion will repeatedly be granted too easily to debtors whose histor- ical record should de- mand far more disci- pline on the part of both lender and borrower. Mohamed El-Erian is the chief economic adviser at Allianz, chairman of President Barack Obama’s Global Development Council and the former chief executive officer and co-chief investment officer of Pimco. © 2016, Bloomberg View. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Trashing Cayman Brac Cayman Brac must be too beautiful for some folks, because they are taking it down a notch by carelessly trashing it. Walking most evenings on Ashton Reid Drive, aka the “cross bluff road,” I decided to pick up and bag the litter I saw: beer, soda and water bottles, lunch bags, wrappers, Styro- foam, glass, plastic, ciga- rette boxes – all mostly just tossed out car windows. Four large garbage bags were filled Tuesday night. By Wednesday night, there were 10 more bottles and cans and one entire lunch, tossed roadside … 24 hours later. Roger Bowen 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”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 Olympic Games 100 days to magic get ready to watch the like never before. OFFICIAL BROADCAST PARTNER #FlowToRioWEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Sister Islands In the April 27, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Com- pass, the newspaper reported: “Burgess Meredith, famous character actor and star of ‘The Music Man’ is pictured at Owen Roberts airport with his wife after their return from a week’s vacation on Cayman Brac with their friend Mr. Carl Marcum. Whilst there he took the opportunity to study the script for ‘Batman’ to be filmed by 20th Century Fox – a Golden Gate production. Mr. Meredith is currently acting in the ‘Pen- guin and Batman’ T.V. series and has recently completed the film ‘Hurry Sundown,’ from a novel of the same title, which was directed by Otto Preminger. “Mr. Meredith, Mr. Marcum and Mr. Mich Miller are all neighbors in Pomona, New York, which is their home base. “After a quiet holiday in the Brac Mr. Meredith was on his way to Hollywood where he was due to report at 6:30 a.m. on Monday last for rehearsal of ‘Batman.’” In the same issue, Cayman Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “Welcome Nana and Win, wife and son of Capt. Oswald Hunter, whose home is on Har- bour Island, Ocean Ridge, Florida. Capt. Hunter will join them on completion of his voyage on the S.S. Bangor which is now bound for France and Germany. Originally of Little Cayman, Capt. Hunter is a brother-in-law of Capt. Theoph- ilus Rich of the Creek whose guests they are. The Hunters own property at Preston Bay and Bloody Bay in Little Cayman, which island’s simple tropical beauty is alluring to Nana. “Welcome home on a fort- night’s holiday to Maureen Scott, eldest daughter of Capt. Lewin Scott of the Magister and Mrs. Vetha Scott of Kingston. It is some eight years since Mau- reen left Cayman Brac when the family went to Jamaica. She is guests with Mrs. Vida Ran- kine and Doreen and Mrs. Elvie Scott’s family of Spot Bay. On Saturday the family party led by Mrs. Venetta Walton picnicked on Little Cayman.” 50 years ago: Burgess Meredith visits the Brac Time is running out to enter the fourth Child Month Cupcake Wars competition, open to Brac pastry chefs ages 10-25. The judges are excited to taste this year’s new creations that will challenge the standard set by last year’s winners, Cupcake Angels Vitoria Buttrum and Leslie Anderson. Bakers must create two cupcakes, one using fruit in the recipe, and another that is diabetic-friendly. The contest takes place on Saturday, April 30, at the Layman E. Scott High School. The Brac Cupcake War winners will take on three other teams at The Ritz-Carlton on May 28. The free competition is sponsored by the Youth Services Unit, Kiwanis Club, Caribbean Utilities Company, Department of Children and Family Services, the Ministry of Tourism and Layman E. Scott Senior High School. Email james.myles@gov.ky for more information. CALLING YOUNG BRAC BAKERS Earth Month events wrap up on Brac A lecture and a party were among the public events bringing Earth Month activities to a close on Cayman Brac, with the final event, a talk on recycling, scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 30, at the Brac Public Beach. On Thursday, April 22, students from Creek, Spot Bay and West End Primary schools celebrated Earth Day at the Brac’s West End Community Park. Kath- leen Bodden-Harris led a talk on the Brac’s endemic Rock Iguanas. The inquisi- tive students were able to witness young hatchlings onsite, as young iguanas came out of hiding to check out the commotion. “Their appearances were pure joy to the youngsters as they listened and learned about these rare native crea- tures under the shady band- stand,” notes a press release. In the lecture, Ms. Bodden-Harris pointed out ways to identify the differ- ences between the native iguana species and invasive green iguanas. Pictures and flyers helped point out the differences between adult iguana males and females. The press release notes that the iguanas are cur- rently in the midst of mating season, and their strong urge to reproduce makes them more subject to road injuries or death, on their quest for mating partners. In addition, the students learned it is not necessary to feed iguanas since the entire island represents a lush banquet for the native reptiles, but that if they do want to feed them, recom- mended items include na- tive fruits such as seagrapes, bananas or papayas, rather than human processed foods such as bread and snacks. “The endemic creatures are opportunistic and if fed routinely will become ag- gressive, demanding food and [acting] territorial with each other,” the release notes. “Such behavior leads to fighting over feeding areas and can result in injuries [to the animals].” Researchers from the Department of Environ- ment will soon be rounding up Brac iguanas to tag the animals with beads and pit tags for identification. The researchers will also weigh and measure the iguanas and draw blood samples for DNA determinations and other necessary data. The students were informed of how to properly report iguana sightings and how to correctly read the color bead sequences, which is from the outside to the center. During the walk around the park, which holds the largest local concentration of population and nest sites, Ms. Bodden-Harris pointed out iguana nesting sites and bolt holes. The students also searched for spots where the females had dug to test the ground for potential nesting sites. After the walk, each of the children was given papaya seedlings to plant and care for in the park, and litter from the planting areas was removed and dis- posed of. The tiny seedlings will one day become food for the resident iguanas, as well as Cayman Brac Parrots and native bat species. On Friday, April 22, stu- dents who had not taken part in the iguana talk and walk were given the chance to do their part for Earth Day, as the Depart- ment of Agriculture donated and delivered three native fruit trees to local schools for commemorative Earth Day plantings. On Saturday, Brac resi- dents took the opportunity to appreciate the island’s dark sky, as the National Trust hosted a Meal in the Moonlight atop the bluff by the Lighthouse. Trust members and guests shared gourmet dishes, observing the local brown booby birds as they returned to their roosts in the evening. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about the Brac’s noc- turnal native creatures and plant life, then sat back to await the moonrise and take in the stars and some passing satellites. Wrapping up events for Earth Month, on Saturday, April 30, Mark Rowlands of the Department of Environ- mental Health and Public Works will give a presenta- tion on recycling at the Brac Public Beach at 6 p.m. To mark Earth Month, students from Creek, Spot Bay and West End primary schools attended a talk and walk focusing on local rock iguanas, at Cayman Brac’s West End Community Park. Students cleaned up litter and planted papaya seedlings. The students learned it was not necessary to feed iguanas since the entire island represents a lush banquet for the native reptiles.CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Sister Islands Students find inspiration in flotsam The student artists in the National Gallery’s Walkers Art Club at Spot Bay Pri- mary School recently fo- cused their creative skills on turning found objects into eye-catching artwork. The Gallery’s Sister Is- lands officer and instructor Simone Scott led a series of workshops on March 11 and 18 and April 15 on assem- blage, an approach to making art which dates back to Pablo Picasso’s cubist works from 1912 onward. Students also took inspiration from contem- porary Baltimore-based artist Donald Edwards and “Fish Skeleton” (2012), an art piece by Rasitha Sanjeewa which is part of the National Gallery’s permanent collection on dis- play in Grand Cayman. By re-purposing items they found on the beach, the young artists worked together to transform what might be considered as junk by some into a piece of art, which they have affectionately titled “Coco the Dog” because of the coconut that played a key part in the project. “The project changed a lot during the process until they could all decide on how the dog would look, down to the collar and a hair ribbon,” said Ms. Scott. “By the end of the class, students were in love with their creation and very proud of it.” Ms. Scott noted that ever since the Art of Assemblage exhibition was held at the National Gallery in May 2013, junk art projects have proven a hit each year with the Walkers Art Club students in Cayman Brac. “This year I was surprised by what they were able to achieve with just a few found items. Their creative juices flowed and problem solving skills were tested.” Along with the coconut, “Coco the Dog” also featured some ingeniously re-pur- posed plastic bottles and flip-flops. “National Gallery pro- grams in Cayman Brac have provided a much-needed ar- tistic outlet, especially for Spot Bay Primary School stu- dents, since they have not had an art teacher this school year,” said Ms. Scott. “We are very grateful to Walkers for sponsoring these two very popular art clubs at Spot Bay and West End pri- mary schools.” Walkers Art Club (Cayman Brac – Spot Bay Primary School) takes place every Friday from 3-4 p.m. Walkers Art Club (Cayman Brac – West End Primary School) takes place every Tuesday from 3-4 p.m. For more information about the National Gallery Walkers Art Clubs in Cayman Brac, email education@nationalgallery.org. ky or call (345) 945-8111. Amelia Dyck, Abbey Walton and Janae Scott scour the beach for inspiration. - PHOTOS: SIMONE SCOTT Hailey Ebanks, Sheila Watler and Talia Bustillo Bing .Hailey Ebanks touches up Coco the Dog. Cayman’s 4th island, pop. zero GEORGE NOWAK Cayman’s fourth island sits in the gin-clear waters of South Hole lagoon off Little Cayman. Richard Owen, the surveyor on board the HMS Blossom, which vis- ited Little Cayman in 1831, was more than likely the lucky person who is commemorated in the name of this little piece of paradise. Owen Island is a very special place because it is populated only by sea- birds, crabs and not a single human. It is a tiny speck of heaven, rarely mentioned in international travel ar- ticles, offering up an extra bonus as a surprise discovery to most visiting Little Cayman for the first time. Today the island is owned by the Palmer and Cumber families, the ma- jority belonging to John Palmer. Visi- tors who alight on its shores will be greeted by a charming sign under a coconut tree which reads: “PRIVATE PROPERTY – VISITORS WELCOME – PLEASE KEEP THIS ISLAND CLEAN.” The island has all the trappings of a classic south sea “motu” (Cay or islet): coconut trees, powdery white sand, seabirds and best of all no hu- mans – most of the time. If you do not have a boat, Little Cayman’s Southern Cross Club serves as a convenient gateway to Owen Island, which is an easy snorkel or kayak trip away. On the southern side of Owen Is- land one can explore the attached reef and chase multicolored fish among the caves and crevices, while several good-size resident barracudas look on in boredom. Owen Island is pictured to the right of Little Cayman. - PHOTO: ALAN MARKOFF For those interested in honing a new skill, Cayman Traditional Arts holds its community thatch plaiting class at Heritage House on the second and last Thursday of each month from 7-9 p.m., $5. Aspiring artists can check out the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands’ outdoor painting workshop with Monte Thornton on Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. Free for residents, $10 for visitors (includes art supplies). For young creative types, the Walkers Art Clubs run Tuesdays from 3-4 p.m. at West End Pri- mary and on Fridays from 3-4 p.m. at Spot Bay Junior School. On April 27, the Driver’s License Written Exam will be sat from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at the District Administra- tion Conference Room. On April 28, the Little Cayman Vehicle Licensing Visit takes place 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Little Cayman District Office. Also on the 28th, Cayman Brac Heritage House Mini Craft Markets will be on from 4-6 p.m. at Cayman Brac Beach Re- sort, and the community thatch plaiting class will be held from 7-9 p.m. at Heritage House. On Friday, April 29, schools will be closed for a Professional Development Day. On Saturday, April 30, Lions Club of Cayman Brac presents the Lil Miss & Lil Master Pag- eant at the Aston Rutty Centre. May 2-6 is Teacher Apprecia- tion Week, and Teacher Apprecia- tion Day 2016 is on May 3. The Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Immigration board meeting is on May 3. Friday May 6 in Little Cayman is Southern Cross Club’s Mex- ican Fiesta Party. UPCOMING SISTER ISLANDS EVENTS8 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS ALL INVENTORY MUST GO Stalker Pro 130 KYD$ 550.00 Stingray 95 KYD$ 450.00 Deluxe Seat KYD$ 75.00 Paddle KYD$ 50.00 Rudders, Rod holders and Trolleys available Kayak Closeout Sale Call 345-516-1924 for details www.sandbarkayaks.com Deputy governor slams door on ‘no confidence’ in debate over police MLAs insist they were not targeting rank-and-file BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A “lack of confidence” motion questioning the Cayman Islands police ser- vice’s management methods and seeking a review of its governance structure was rewritten in the Legisla- tive Assembly late Monday after independent law- makers agreed to a compro- mise with the Progressives- led government. The compromise was reached after Deputy Gov- ernor Franz Manderson crit- icized the motion, stating it would serve to deter young Caymanians from entering law enforcement professions in the future and would con- stitute a “huge disservice to the brave men and women” in the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. According to the compro- mise, supported by all 17 voting assembly members, the legislature requested that Governor Helen Kilpat- rick appoint an indepen- dent team to review RCIPS methods and administra- tion. In addition, the leg- islature asked that a suc- cession plan be created to appoint a Caymanian officer as commissioner of police within four years. “We have agreed to a way forward so we don’t have difficulties with our people in the near future,” East End MLA Arden McLean said late Monday. Mr. McLean had moved the initial pri- vate members’ motion which sought to declare a “lack of confidence” in the RCIPS and its governance. “No one really wanted to send a message that we were against the rank and file of the police depart- ment,” Mr. McLean said. “I have great respect … and admiration for all our law enforcement officers,” said Mr. Manderson, who does not often join in de- bates with elected mem- bers of the House, but com- mented Monday night during the legislative debate. “I stand here today to defend our law enforcement offi- cers … and let them know that we do have confidence in them. “I want members to think about what is being said here today … and what messages we are sending to our young people who might want to join the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, who might one day want to become commis- sioner of police. What mes- sage are we sending when these officers who have just joined the RCIPS [in local recruitment classes in 2014 and 2015] hear that we are going to be debating a no confidence motion in them?” No members of the Pro- gressives-led government bench rose to debate the mo- tion, which has touched off a firestorm of controversy and which has been blamed, at least partly, for the pre- mature departure of Police Commissioner David Baines, a year before his government contract was due to expire. Mr. McLean said the de- bate on his motion, which was signed by all eight MLAs who occupy the op- position benches in the leg- islature, had been confused by the deputy governor. Mr. McLean said his motion was not targeted at the “rank and file” officers who are out pa- trolling the streets. Rather, Mr. McLean said, it was de- cisions by those responsible for the management of the police service that had left the police unable to do their jobs properly. “We are asking them to do a job without pro- viding the tools for them,” Mr. McLean said. “We have failed.” The East End MLA said local police officers were going out with the equiva- lent of a “tamarind switch in their hands” when it comes to staff and equipment sup- port. “I am angry,” he said. “They’re overwhelmed with work. We expect too much from our police officers.” Further, Mr. McLean said, disputes over police staffing, particularly in the less-pop- ulated eastern districts, and complaints about how po- lice approach the public are nothing new. “This fight hasn’t been started this week,” he said. He read out, as examples, reports he pre- sented to Cabinet six times between 2010 and 2015 that concerned, among other areas, lack of police patrols and increased crime in the eastern districts. Mr. McLean and North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, who supported the private mem- bers’ motion, both said Mon- day’s motion was filed only after every other avenue to resolve the various policing problems had been explored. “What are we supposed to do?” Mr. Miller asked. “Sit back and wait another year for something to happen?” Mr. Manderson said sta- tistics recorded for police calls, arrests and cases be- fore the courts belie state- ments alleging the po- lice could not or would not do their jobs. The deputy governor said that between 2010 and 2016, the RCIPS recorded about 20,000 crimes, and between 2012 and 2016 officers ar- rested almost 9,000 people. Nearly 10,000 criminal cases were filed in Summary Court between 2010 and 2015, Mr. Manderson said, with a sig- nificant increase in pros- ecutions between 2012 and this year. “It’s a worrying trend, but it shows that the RCIPS is responding to and arresting persons for crime,” Mr. Man- derson said. He suggested the real “problem” is that “the police were actually doing their jobs” in locking up criminals. Police failures of late could not be denied, the deputy governor said. He indicated that the theft of drugs and other police evi- dence, including motorcy- cles, from the George Town Police Station were “un- acceptable” incidents that would be dealt with in the criminal justice system. “I’m not going to sit here and defend the indefen- sible,” he said. “[We must] hold police to account. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t. But there’s a way to do that … and this motion is not the way. “The public has the right to feel safe. The question is, do our people feel safe? The answer is ‘no,’ a lot of people do not. But we must take responsibility for our views and our words. There are people out there who will take a cue from them and use them as an opportu- nity to commit crime.” Mr. Miller said the deputy governor’s comments were an attempt to “spin” the issue – which has a much broader public safety aspect – into an “Ezzard and Arden attack the police” scenario. Mr. Miller suggested that the types of crimes being com- mitted in North Side – a re- cent home invasion burglary, a stabbing attack – weren’t occurring there years ago. Mr. McLean put it this way: “It cannot be right for the top brass in the service to have one or two people who are patrolling [the eastern districts]. The reason is the crime out there isn’t as bad as it is in George Town or West Bay. Well, at one time there wasn’t any crime in George Town or West Bay either. What do you think it came from?” “What message are we sending when these officers who have just joined the RCIPS hear that we are going to be debating a no confidence motion in them?” DEPUTY GOVERNOR FRANZ MANDERSON Arden McLean said his no-confidence motion wasn’t aimed at the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service rank-and-file, some of whom are shown here during the 2015 Remembrance Day parade. – PHOTO: KELSEY JUKAM. Arden McLeanFranz Manderson May marks Child Month celebrations A series of events and family activities are lined up in celebration of Cay- man’s 20th annual Child Month in May. Under the theme “Shaping Our Future,” the Department of Children and Family Services has once again partnered with gov- ernment and community organizations to facilitate family events throughout the month while raising aware- ness of and focus in making the community a better place for children. This year’s an- nual observance of Child Month will kick off with a live radio broadcast of the Church of God Universal’s opening service, on May 1 at 11 a.m. Minister for Community Affairs Osbourne Bodden said, “It is important that we as a community come to- gether to participate in these events, but also to assist each other in teaching and pro- tecting our children. The theme, “Shaping Our Future,” indicates how each of us and the community at large can contribute to en- suring a successful future for our children.” This year’s Child Month events include presentations on child protection and other activities taking place on all three islands.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Drugs and Serious Crime Task Force swooped on a home in Prospect and arrested Jonathan Welcome on Friday. The 22-year-old is suspected of pulling an imitation gun on police in a standoff in George Town a week earlier. He was charged with related offences on Monday, while police said they had arrested a woman and child on suspicion of aiding and abetting him. It is understood that the house raided by police did not belong to Mr. Welcome and there is no sug- gestion that it was his dog. Mr. Jairam said the Humane So- ciety would be pressing charges and seeking a criminal prosecution against whoever was responsible. He said the Department of Agricul- ture, which ordinarily has the re- sponsibility for enforcing the animal laws, had been too slow in the past to seek prosecution of offenders. “I have been at the Humane So- ciety for 10 years and I have seen all kinds of abuse, but I have never seen or heard of anyone being prosecuted. I think a lot of people think they can get away with it.” Spreading his fingers wide to il- lustrate its expansiveness, he said, “The Animals Law is this thick, but there is no one enforcing it. Until someone is prosecuted people will continue to think they can get away with it.” He said the Humane Society has no authority to go on to peo- ple’s property and confiscate ani- mals or to enforce any of the An- imal Laws. He said the Agriculture Department has that responsi- bility, but has been “too lenient” in investigating or enforcing the laws. Nonetheless, he says, the Hu- mane Society is there to do its part. If someone had reported this inci- dent sooner, they would have been able to help. “In this case the neighbors are almost as much to blame. The dogs would have been out there in the sun, starving for weeks and nobody called us or anyone else to report it. [T]hey were chained up in full view of the neighboring properties.” A police spokesman confirmed the find and said officers were making inquiries in conjunction with the Humane Society into the circumstances. The Humane Society is hoping for a happy ending for the sur- viving puppy, named Lennie, which means “brave lion.” “He is starting to put on weight and is doing well. He is a fantastic puppy, he just needs love.” The puppy is up for adoption at the Humane Society shelter, which can be reached on 949-1461. CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2016 Back-to-back legislative meetings expected ‘The worst case of abuse I have ever seen’ and management changes for the government’s segregated health insurance fund. Big budget The upcoming 18-month budget is a transitional document and will be dealt with at the beginning of the legislature’s next meeting, set to start sometime in late May. Finance Minister Marco Archer said Cayman is switching its gov- ernment budgets to a two-year cycle. The upcoming budget will run between July 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2017. After that, the govern- ment will issue two-year budgets, starting Jan. 1 of one year and ending Dec. 31 of the next. Mr. Archer said the 18-month budget will not have as large an operating surplus as recent gov- ernment budgets have shown, mostly due to timing. The 18-month period between July 2016 and December 2017 will contain only one “high earning” rev- enue period between January and April. Typically, the government takes in most of its annual revenue during the first few months of the calendar year when tourism revenues are at their peak and when most financial services-related company fees are due. By contrast, the next budget will contain two “low revenue” periods – during the tourism off-season, normally between August and No- vember, when government revenues tend to shrink. “Except for the operational surplus, the performance [for the 18-month budget] is as good or better than in previous years,” Mr. Archer said. The 18-month plan does not in- clude any proposals to borrow money or to add new government fees. The dog known as Lennie is on the mend after severe animal abuse, but another dog, whose remains were found chained to a nearby tree, wasn’t so lucky. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Lennie is also known as ‘Survivor’ because he survived being chained to a tree and nearly starved to death. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Inmates help the elderly On the eve of Corrections Week, prisoners and staff of the Cayman Islands Prison Service provided assistance to the elderly in need. On April 23, the Prison Service paid a visit to the home of a 99-year-old Northward resident and her 78-year old daughter. The Prison Service group arrived with supplies for clearing what had become an over- grown yard and garden. They cleaned up the yard, cut trees, trimmed plants and cleared the property of litter. The needed cleanup was brought to the attention of the Prison Service through a concerned relative who sought help for the mother and daughter, who were un- able to carry out the yard work themselves due to their age and health concerns. “We were asked to assist, and we are happy to, where we can, especially those in our community who are vul- nerable and in need,” said Raquel Solomon, the Prison Service spokeswoman. “The prisoners are also happy to do things outside of their normal routine and help others.” Appreciative of the ef- fort, the 99-year-old resident treated the cleanup party to songs as they worked. Prisoners and staff work on the yard of a 99-year-old resident and her 78-year old daughter, at their Northward home in Bodden Town. Prison seeks business partners for job training plumbing or brick laying.’ They can train them to the level they need and then con- sider taking them on when they become eligible for re- lease on temporary license.” He said the plan is in its early stages and no busi- nesses have been approached directly at this point. A project team has been set up at the prison and is meeting with the National Workforce Development Agency to work out the details. He said non-prisoners could potentially be invited to use the vocational center as part of the process. Mr. Lavis said barriers to employment are among the leading causes of re-of- fending for ex-offenders. If someone has a skill and a trade, he said, it gives them a purpose. If they have a job and some money, there is less chance of them re-offending and Cayman is a safer place. For businesses, he said, it would represent a chance to preview prospective em- ployees and train them to the level needed. “There’s also a public ser- vice aspect to it. This is all of our problems. We need to train and employ ex-offenders.” In a separate initiative, also aimed at helping to re- duce reoffending rates, the prison is looking for victims of crime who are prepared to discuss the impact the of- fenses had on them. The project, known as the Sycamore Tree Program, en- courages prisoners to confront the reality of their crimes. He said the process could be enlightening for prisoners. “A lot of the time they don’t see the connection to a victim when they break into a house or steal from someone,” said Mr. Lavis. “When someone stands in front of you and talks about how they have to sleep with the light on after a burglary, it can have a powerful effect.” Initially the prison service is looking for general victims of crime. Eventually Mr. Lavis hopes to find victims willing to directly confront the spe- cific offender responsible for the crime against them. He said the process is not designed for the most serious cases, such as rape, where confronting the offenders would be a traumatic experi- ence for victims. But, he said, in cases where property was stolen or privacy invaded, it could be cathartic for victims to get the opportunity to ex- plain to the perpetrator, the impact the crime had on them. “For the first time this puts the victim at the center of what we are doing. It has been shown in other areas to reduce reoffending. Let’s give it a try.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >