Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. THE WASHINGTON POST High of 88 Low of 76 A disconnect in schools ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Politics Cruz’s conflicting stances 4 World Brazil’s poor leave party 11 Entertainment Comics are getting more colorful 16 5 Myths On Harriet Tubman 23 ABCDE Entertainment Comics are getting more colorful A disconnect in schools The financial decisions of telecom companies have left many rural students with sub-par Internet PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 . IN COLLABORAT ION WITH EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BROKEN RECORD: OFFICIALS MUST OBEY FOI LAW ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 Seven mile beach WaTeRFROnT WalKeRS ROaD TOWn cenTRe PlaZa BURRITO ™ BURRITO ™ Hospital immunity clause approved for repeal Change will not be retroactive JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A controversial section of the Health Ser- vices Authority Law giving immunity from prosecution to negligent doctors and nurses was approved for repeal Friday, after a unani- mous vote in the Legislative Assembly. The amendments to the law will not apply retroactively, however, meaning there is no right to seek compensation in relation to anyone killed or injured as a result of medical negligence in the last 12 years. The immunity clause came to light after a judge ruled in February that Norene Thompson, the mother of a child who suffered severe birth defects, could not bring a negli- gence lawsuit against the Health Services Au- thority because of section 12 of the HSA Law. Though publicity around the case and Ms. Thompson’s cause ultimately resulted in Fri- day’s legal change, as it stands, she remains unable to claim compensation. McKeeva Bush, who was government leader when the disputed section was passed, insisted again that it was never the intention of the legislation to provide a blanket immu- nity against medical negligence claims. He called on government to settle out of court with Ms. Thompson. “I beg the Cabinet to take the case [and] look at it. I would certainly do what I could to settle it. Take her and help the poor girl and the child, also,” he said. In his ruling in February, Justice Richard Williams said the wording of section 12 was “clear and unambiguous” and prevented law- suits against all employees of the hospital, in- cluding doctors, except in cases where “bad faith” could be approved. He suggested legisla- tors look again at the provision. MINISTER: COMPANY OPTION TO MAKE CAYMAN ‘MORE COMPETITIVE’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands lawmakers have approved a Delaware-style limited liability company ar- rangement as a new type of business vehicle for the local financial services industry. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said the bill has long been sought by the in- dustry and will make Cayman the first Carib- bean overseas territory to implement a limited liability company, or LLC, arrangement. “It is certainly a very exciting development for the financial services industry,” Mr. Panton told Legislative Assembly members last week. “In five years, this legislation … will be viewed as an iconic product in the Cayman Islands.” The Limited Liability Companies Law will “complement,” not replace, existing Cayman Islands business vehicles, he said. The desig- nation allows the LLC firm to use the quicker, “more flexible” accounting rules of a partner- ship but provide a legal designation of an en- tity as a corporation. It is essentially a mix of Cayman’s current rules for an exempted com- pany and an exempted limited partnership. A Cayman Islands LLC can be formed for any “lawful business purpose” and requires at least one member of the “corporation” to be registered with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, Mr. Panton said. “Importantly, with respect to the naming convention, the Limited Liability Companies Bill has been developed to describe an LLC without reference to the word ‘exempted’ to avoid undue criticism from certain groups in the international community who have an anti-Cayman Islands or anti-IFC [international financial center] agenda,” Mr. Panton said. The bill passed unanimously Wednesday. Deputy governor says civil service ‘taking beating’ from lawmakers Prison issue sparks legislative row BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The verbal “beating” Cayman Islands government workers sometimes receive from elected lawmakers has made some Cay- manians reluctant to join the civil service, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said Friday. Mr. Manderson was fielding a parliamentary question con- cerning certain hiring practices at the Cayman Islands Prison Service – particularly about why one Caymanian man had not been hired during a recruitment process last year – when the comment was made. The deputy governor was lauding what he referred to as a number of recent successes in hiring young Caymanian em- ployees for the civil service “despite the beating that we take down here sometimes.” He said the civil service is now made up of 74 percent Caymanian em- ployees, an achievement the ter- ritory could be proud of. “[The beating by lawmakers] is not helping me recruit Junior Batabano takes to the roads Hundreds of students, spectators and supporters took part in the Junior Batabano parade through George Town on Saturday. Pictured are ‘The Parrots’ of Red Bay Primary School. The Prospect Primary School troupe were the winners of the event. For more photos, see page 8. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. © y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - DIARY OF A BADMAN (R) 2:00 I 4:30 I 7:00 I 10:05 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) 3:45 I 9:50 HIGH STRUNG (PG) 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 9:40 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 (PG13) 12:30 I 6:30 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) My Office Small Business Solutions PERSONAL SERVICES • Visa Applications • UK Passport Applications • Status / Naturalization • Permanent Residency • Notary Public • Resumes BUSINESS SERVICES • Trade Business Licensing • Work Permits • Insurance Admin • Pension Admin • Book Keeping • OfficelDesk Rentals • Business Incorporation • Registered Agent We know what it takes to be a success Our motto is ”…making business simple” P. O. Box 12146 KY1-l0l0, 351 Whitford Place #1, Dorcy Drive (Industrial Park) George Town myoffice@candw.ky • info@cimyoffice.ky • www.cimyoffice.ky Tel. (345) 947-8370 • (345) 928-9495 Monthly Rentals on desk space. Call 926-2585 for details! Grand Court jurors who are in the April to July session are now to report for jury duty on Thursday, May 5, at 2:15 p.m. For the most up-to-date information, call the Jury Infor- mation line on 945-5072. JURY NOTICE Young Musician of the Year title awarded to flutist ALMA CHOLLETTE achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com Following a night of stiff competition at the ninth An- nual Butterfield Young Mu- sician of the Year competi- tion, 16-year-old flutist and St. Ignatius Catholic School student, Daniela Granados was selected as this year’s top musician. Competing against eight other voice, woodwind, string and piano musicians, ages 13-16, Ms. Granados, accompanied by piano, de- livered flute executions of Edwin York Bowen’s “So- nata for Flute and Piano, Op. 120” and Ian Clark’s “Hypnosis” for her big win on Saturday night, at the Prospect Playhouse. 16-year-old euphoniumist, Ruth Harris and 14-year-old vocalist, Jaedyn Hanna tied for first runner-up. St. Ignatius student Ms. Harris showcased her wood- wind ability with the works of Goff Richard’s “Midnight Euphonium,” and Otto Har- bach and James Kern’s “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.” John Gray High student Ms. Hanna opened her per- formance with “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” by Je- rome Kern and concluded with Stephen Schwartz’s “Defying Gravity.” All three contes- tants received cash prizes, and trophies. Other contestants were: Liana DaCosta (vocalist); De- quan Smith (piano); Maya Antas (piano); Katherine Er- skine (strings); Adrian An- glin (woodwind); Marcos Bertran (woodwind). Final concerts show- casing the young musicians will take place at the Family Life Centre commencing at 6:30 p.m., May 4-6. An awards night will take place on Sat- urday, May 7, at the Family Life Centre beginning at 6:30 p.m., which will include some highlight pieces from the National Children’s Fes- tival of the Arts. Joint first place runners up Jaedyn Hanna, left, and Ruth Harris, center, with Young Musician of the Year 2016 Daniela Granados. - PHOTO: ALMA CHOLLETTE GUY HARVEY, SEAWORLD TEAM UP TO SAVE SHARKS In a new partnership, Guy Harvey is teaming up with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to work on raising awareness and doing research on shark conservation. The Guy Harvey Research Institute estimates that al- most 100 million sharks are killed each year, with an es- timated 73 million killed for the trade in shark fins. In a press release an- nouncing the new ven- ture, SeaWorld president and CEO Joel Manby said, “SeaWorld is committed to raising awareness of the plight of sharks in the wild and the oceans they live in. As part of our commitment that we made in March of this year, we will put mean- ingful dollars, research and man hours towards reducing this troubling trend.” SeaWorld animal care team members recently joined a Guy Harvey Re- search Institute team to tag sharks off Mexico. The press release noted that the team tagged six Mako sharks over four days. “The partnership with SeaWorld will ensure our ocean conservation mes- sages and our efforts to pro- tect Mako sharks reach a broader audience here in the United States and world- wide,” Mr. Harvey said. “We are thrilled to gain the sup- port of the SeaWorld team as we continue to bring edu- cational initiatives and con- servation efforts to life.” SeaWorld has a new roller- coaster at its Orlando, Florida, facility called “The Mako” opening later this month. People waiting in line will be able to read about Mako sharks and the conservation efforts to protect the species. Grape stompers juice their way to glory Charity donation and wine dinner up for grabs Twenty teams signed up to climb inside barrels and stomp barefoot on grapes in the inaugural Grape Stomp and Wine Fest. Teams competed in the ancient art of crushing grapes with their feet, and the winner was the one to get to most juice from a barrel filled with grapes. Team Quintessential Grape- lets showed their stomping savvy and won a $2,000 dona- tion to HospiceCare. Each team had four people: someone to collect the juice, two people to hold the barrel, and the lucky man or woman to be the designated stomper, crushing several pounds of grapes with their bare feet. Competing in rounds with four teams each, the group that got the most juice out of their barrel advanced to the second round, again stomping pounds of grapes into juice. The grape juice was not destined to become wine, but there was plenty of wine to go around as more than 150 people joined in to watch or participate through the three elimination rounds of grape stomping. The winning team got to select a charity for a $2,000 donation and a Tortuga wine dinner for eight people. Guy Harvey, left, and SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby announce the new partnership in Orlando, Florida last week. Twenty teams signed up for the Grape Stomp competition to win $2,000 for the charity of their choice. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCANThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 Digital Ship Maritime CIO Forum will discuss the on-going role of IT and communications in the shipping industry with a special focus on: • How is innovation in communications driving the future of shipping? • Technology for the new maritime landscape • Cyber security and future-proofing your IT infrastructure • The future of unmanned vessels • Innovating and investing in the industrial Internet of Things • Big data and analytics to drive innovation, competitiveness and growth • Putting information security onto the boardroom agenda • The Digital Age - maximising efficiencies with next generation solutions for the maritime market • Harnessing disruptive innovation in the maritime sector WISTA and NAMEPA Seminar – The State of the Marine Environment, headlined by marine wildlife artist and marine biologist, Dr. Guy Harvey, and featuring special guest, Colin P. Young of IMO Regional Maritime Adviser Caribbean, will focus on various environmental issues facing the region including: • The emissions challenge for shipping • Port initiatives • Communicating with the public • Technological advances • Prediction and monitoring of pollution and other hazards using simulators, as utilised by the US Coast Guard, built by Transas Transas’ vision is to lead the way in creating an ecosystem of harmonised integrated solutions in safety, navigation and ship operations. In creating these solutions Transas unites global maritime stakeholders in the future of e-Navigation and operations. True to its vision, Transas has introduced THESIS, the Transas Harmonised Eco System of Integrated Solutions. THESIS is a flexible data resource where Ship, Fleet Operations, Academy (simulation & training) and Ship Traffic Control can all be connected to the ecosystem on a cloud based shared data platform. Transas will present its THESIS concept at the conference including a simulation of the Port of George Town. Presentations by Frank Coles - CEO of Transas on (i) Caribbean Port and Coastal Monitoring and Ship Traffic Control and (ii) on Pollution and other hazards prediction and monitoring using simulators, as used by USCG, built by Transas. The Mare Forum 4th Cayman Islands Shipping Summit will focus on the future trends of shipping, the trade and trade patterns affecting shipping, and the yachting business in the region. This conference will explore the imperatives for the Caribbean blue waters, the maritime infrastructure, profitable investments and business opportunities locally and in the Caribbean region, with a special focus on: • The Big Picture. Geopolitical considerations – the future of the American hemisphere, trade patterns, oil and gas renewables and shipping markets outlook. • Profitable investments and business opportunities • Imperatives for the Caribbean waters • Yachting – looking ahead • Doing business in the Cayman Islands To get more information on the event, to register as a delegate or find out about sponsorship opportunities please visit: www.CaymanMaritimeWeek.com or email info@caymanmaritimeweek.com or call +1-345-815-1665 Conference Overview Cayman Maritime Week 2nd - 4th May 2016 Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort IMSThe 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. MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Broken record: Officials must obey FOI Law “We now have an open government,” said Deputy Governor Franz Manderson back in September 2013, declaring that the Cayman Islands’ Freedom of Infor- mation Law was a success. In retrospect, it appears that some of Cayman’s civil servants did not receive the deputy gov- ernor’s message. Here’s a gentle reminder: In the Cayman Islands, FOI is the law of the land. The FOI Law happens to be, in our opinion, a decent piece of legislation. We also believe that Acting Infor- mation Commissioner Jan Liebaers has discharged his duties admirably during his time in office. That being said, regardless of how well a law is worded or how diligent a government overseer is, at the ground level – that is, where the public sector interacts with the private citizenry – the true test of a transparency regime is whether the applicant receives the public records he requested. Recal- citrant bureaucrats, as they say, “have ways” of thwarting the process. In other words, a good FOI Law is a step toward good, accountable governance, but is no substitute for it. We’ll highlight two egregious instances (that the Compass reported on last week) where civil servants attempted to deny information that is the rightful property of the people. The first involved a request for retrieval of emails from the Department of Children and Family Services, which, in turn, enlisted the help of the Computer Services Department. First, officials attempted to charge the applicant $1,620 for 15 hours of work, then winnowed it down to $540 for five hours – or a rate of $108 per hour. Finding that the hourly wage for a computer services administrator would actually run around $28-$29, Mr. Liebaers said, “No explanation is provided as to why $108 is being charged per hour or how that figure was arrived at.” Although it is frustrating to see the government attempt to grossly overcharge a member of the public for what, to us, appears to be a routine request, the second example is far more concerning because it involved systemic failures at the ministerial level. In brief, in May 2014 a person requested records related to local pensions investment laws, which are held by the Ministry of Employment, led by Minister Tara Rivers and Chief Officer Christen Suckoo. What followed was a textbook exercise in officials’ delay tactics, to the extent that two years later, some of the relevant documents still have not been released. What Mr. Liebaers found most concerning, a view we share, is that “a key staff member refused to coop- erate with [the manager] to make sure the ministry met its legal obligation.” The ministry’s conduct was so abysmal that Mr. Liebaers said he intends to file a formal report with Deputy Governor Franz Manderson about the issue. The deputy governor is not a bad place to start, but if we were filing the complaint, we would include in that correspondence the police and public prosecutors. The subject title of our email might read: “Section 55, Freedom of Information Law.” That section states: “(1) A person commits an offence, if in relation to a record to which a right of access is conferred under this Law, he – (a) alters or defaces; (b) blocks or erases; (c) destroys; or (d) conceals, the record with the intention of preventing its disclosure. (2) A person who commits an offence under subsection 91) is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one hundred thousand dollars or to impris- onment for a term of six months or to both such fine and imprisonment.” The applicant for the pensions records said, “[The ministry’s position] is very disrespectful to all employees in the islands.” That’s true. But when the Cayman government actively tries to keep public records out of public sight, it’s disrespectful to every single person in the Cayman Islands. 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” FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM Speaking out against cruelty to animals “Editorial – Keeping quiet on animal cruelty and crime,” April 28 After volunteering for a bit at the Humane Society, we fell in love and adopted a mix. After bringing her to the Department of Agricul- ture (where they tried to get us to surrender her), we were told she wouldn’t be allowed back on island because she might have been mixed with an aggressive breed. But after seeing how many poisonings, purposeful starvations, and lack of enforcement continue to plague the island – I’m not sure I’d want to bring my dog back on island. Joseph Tepper Can we please be honest here for a second? How many people would report their neighbor for animal cru- elty if they suspect that their neighbor is involved in crim- inal activity and is likely to be someone that has access to illegal firearms? While the police now have bulletproof vests, Tasers and guns to protect themselves from the new face of crime in the Cayman Islands, what ex- actly do the ordinary citizens have that they can use to pro- tect themselves? The citizens of this country are as much if not more on the front lines of the fight against crime in this country but have no addi- tional means to protect them- selves and their families. Mack Boland Keeping quiet on animal cruelty and crime … How do we expect to live in a civilized world when we see a dog being tied up and punished to death, and hide and protect criminals with no consequences? What is this teaching the kids – the next generation? Or do we want to continue to live in an uncivilized country while government remains sitting down and being just like the enablers? Ron and Clair Ebanks I am so sickened by the cruelty, ignorance and neglect by Cayman residents, and the same for the police and legis- lators, turning their heads and not dealing with cruelty to an- imals, that I cannot speak on this subject at this time. Lukishi Brown “‘The worse cast of abuse I have ever seen,’” April 27 Very sad story, but again there is someone to blame and obviously people who are responsible for certain jobs are definitely not doing their job. These departments will not prosecute people, and it is high time they start giving out tickets for this neglect and stop burying the evidence. When you encounter some of the workers in depart- ments like Agriculture and Environmental Health, it makes you wonder why these places are not closed down. Government needs to seri- ously look into these two de- partments. Back in the day when there were only two or three employees, people in those departments did their jobs. They visited neigh- bors and you were told to get things in order before they came back. Nowadays, you do not see anyone checking unsightly garbage dumps in people’s front yards. You want to tell me that decent citizens have to put up with this? Plus the rats running across the road day and night? When you complain to the workers, they complain that they need more money. This department that is re- sponsible for seeing that places are kept clean from front yard garbage dumps – government need to fire ev- eryone and get a new crew of workers in all departments. Many will not be happy with my comments; no problem, someone has to have enough guts to speak about these things. Wild cats, wild dogs, they are everywhere, tied and untied, and no one speaks out, but why can’t the responsible departments drive around and do their jobs in- stead of sitting down on the roadside eating lunch every hour on the hour, and the other shot callers sitting in the air conditioning on their cell phone? Everybody is a boss. Make a call and see how many bosses you must go through. Twyla Vargas Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” What would this amazing man have thought of the Cayman Islands when not only are its animals so horribly mis- treated and abused, but when those in a position to stop the abuse and prosecute the of- fenders turn a blind eye and do nothing? Reading this ar- ticle absolutely sickened me. It’s time for the Depart- ment of Agriculture to step up. Hire more enforcement officers. It’s time for the po- lice to make the arrests, for the offenders to be found guilty in a court of law. Maybe then others would realize that there are conse- quences for abusing animals, even if their conscience does not guide them to do what is right. Let’s make Cayman a nation Mahatma Gandhi would have called “great.” Kelly ReinekingThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 CAYMAN ISLANDS LOGO USAGE Where feasible, prefered usage of the Cayman Islands logo always includes the Sister Islands wordmark. Due to size restrictions and legibility concerns, however, this may not always be possible. At sizes above 1.75”, the Sister Islands wordmark must be included. At sizes below 1.75” the Sister Islands wordmark should be removed. 7 APPROvED LOGO AT ANY SIzE ABOvE 1.75” APPROvED LOGO AT OR BELOW 1.75”DO NOT USE LOGO WITH SISTER ISLANDS NAMES AT OR BELOW 1.75” logos // MINISTRY OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, TOURISM & TRANSPORT CAYMAN ISLANDS GOVERNMENT Log on to www.caymancarnival for more information GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDSMONDAY MAY 2, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town A chance to watch the transit of Mercury The Cayman Islands As- tronomical Society and the University College of the Cayman Islands are joining forces to offer a glimpse of a rare astronomical event. On the morning of Monday, May 9, for a few hours the planet Mer- cury will slowly cross the sun’s disk, appearing to ob- servers as a tiny black dot in the event known as the transit of Mercury. Astronomical Society and UCCI invite schools and the general public to the Dr. Wm. Hrudey Observatory located on the UCCI campus. Chris Cooke, president of the Cayman Islands Astro- nomical Society, said mem- bers of the general public and schools will be able to see in detail the Transit of Mercury, with people having the opportunity to see the sun safely, as attempting to look directly the sun without the correct equipment may cause damage to the eyes. The event is free as the aim is to promote astronomy as a way of encouraging the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math in the Cayman Islands. “We are quick to admit the Transit of Mercury is not as rare or spectacular as the Transit of Venus, which many people attended on June 5, 2012, but our telescopes since then are much better,” said Mr. Cooke. “On that afternoon, over a thousand people came to watch the transit on a rooftop at Camana Bay,” he said. That event was also or- ganized by the Astronomical Society and UCCI and in- cluded the transmission of the transit via the Internet to Trinidad, where a live three- hour TV program was broad- cast using the images. “This time we will hope- fully see the planet Mercury perform the same trick,” said Mr. Cooke. “To be fair, Mercury will be seen as a tiny dot, but we will also be able to view the sun it- self which may at the time also show sunspots and flares.” The Dr. Wm. Hrudey Ob- servatory opened its roof in February 2012 on the UCCI campus and has pro- moted academic research in astronomy, as well as en- couraging public visits. Dr. Hrudey is also the prime ad- vocate of the UCCI STEM conferences, the fourth one set to take place in October. The Astronomical Society has been a keen supporter of the observatory and STEM con- ferences since their inception. The general public is en- couraged to pay a visit to the observatory to look through the telescopes, and the As- tronomical Society also of- fers free public outreach to schools and societies. In the near future, the As- tronomical Society is also planning to give away 12 tele- scopes to local schools in order to help seed science clubs. Contact caymanastro@yahoo.com to book a time slot and for details of parking and the location of the Observatory. George Town Primary students do their part for the planet The George Town Primary Year 4 students in charge of organizing the school’s monthly community service garnered a turnout of 70 parents, staff and students on Saturday, April 16, for the island-wide Earth Day cleanup, collecting more than 100 bags of trash. The school participates in the event annually, with teams lending lots of elbow grease to areas around the school, including Rock Hole, McField Lane, Eastern Avenue and Courts Road. The school’s Early Act group, which has 25 members from Years 3 to 6, partners with CUC, turning its attention to the Sparkys Drive/Progressive Distributors area. Pictured are members of this year’s Early Act contingent along with CUC staff, with some of the trash they successfully collected. Bill Hrudey adjusts a telescope for 2012’s transit of Venus, which attracted about 1,000 people to a Camana Bay rooftop. The public is being invited to a viewing of the transit of Mercury at the Observatory at UCCI on Monday morning, May 9. 50 YEARS AGO: Tour sheds light on GT schools In the May 4, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, George Town correspondent Frances Bodden wrote: “Ten members of the Board of Education visited schools in the George Town area on April 27. “At the Secondary Modern School they were welcomed by Mr. T.E. Mc- Field, the principal, who showed them around each classroom. The headmis- tress being absent, Miss Joanna Clark, the senior assistant who is from Ja- maica, met the members at the George Town Junior School. Here the children enjoyed singing for the vis- itors but the acoustics are poor and the conditions a bit overcrowded. “The third call was at the Government Secondary Grammar School where the principal, Rev. J.R. Gray, M.B.E., B.Sc. greeted the del- egation. It is gratifying to note that a new building is being erected to house this school as the present build- ings are most inadequate. “Mr. E.U. McNamee con- ducted them around the Cayman Prep School. This school is now showing its worth in the new building, the discipline is excellent and the children were happy and bright. “Before lunch at Sea View, members vis- ited the site of the new Grammar School which is progressing rapidly. “Next on the list was the Truth for Youth School where Miss Wilma Moffit is the principal. A good atmo- sphere exists here amongst the staff and children and the students seem to be very keen on their work. “At the Triple C School, intelligence tests were being given when the party ar- rived. Mrs. Twila Holm, principal, showed them around the school, which is airy and pleasant. The children were very cheerful. “The last school visited was the Hurst Memorial School which is run by Miss Gleeda Forbes. This school was very crowded and a bit dark but the headmistress is very keen on her work.” 6CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days George Town John Gray prefects complete their tenure Thirty-five Year 11 stu- dents have completed their year-long tenure as prefects of the John Gray High School class of 2016. The prefects assisted in mentoring, tutoring, and carrying out canteen and compound duty. They also raised funds for the Cayman Islands Cancer So- ciety and the Nadine An- dreas Children’s Home – $1,055 and $402, respec- tively – through bake sales and Christmas caroling. With the support of the school community, the pre- fects hosted a teacher ap- preciation event at the school’s hall. As a reward for their ef- forts over the year, the group was treated to a field trip, with lunch at Rum Point, and tours at Pedro St. James, and the Mission House in Bodden Town. Josue Sanchez-Ebanks and Chauntol Hylton served as this year’s head boy and girl. St. Ignatius donates to Hospice St. Ignatius Catholic School presented $1,500 to Cayman HospiceCare on Thursday, April 28 as part of the charity’s yearly ‘Big Bash’ event. The donations were collected during a special dress-down day the school held last month. Pictured is Year 2 student Kai Reilly delivering the funds to Hospice representatives palliative nurse specialist Felicia McLean, left, and director of operations and development Danielle Coleman, who thanked the school wholeheartedly for its support. This was not St. Ignatius’s first donation to the organization, and they hope to be able to continue assisting Cayman HospiceCare in future endeavors. The school prides itself in making a priority of teaching its students to become active and caring members of their community. The 2015-2016 John Gray High School Year 11 prefects with Principal Jon Clark, back center, and teacher Cassandra Ebanks (head of prefects), to his right. Young science fair contestants impress With projects ranging from biology to physics and every- thing in between, young sci- ence students recently wowed judges with their impressive efforts at the Dr. Bill Hrudey Science Fair. The fair was held at the Arts and Recreation Centre at Cayman International School on Saturday, April 23. “Rotary Central Cayman Islands is pleased to have the annual science fair as one of our major annual proj- ects,” said Rotary Central Cayman Islands secretary William Inniss. “This is an example of where some of the music ex- travaganza ticket sales funds, which is one of our major fun- draisers along with the bus shelters, [are] invested each year, not to mention the plan- ning and volunteer time do- nated by our Rotarians.” He noted this is the 10th annual Rotary science fair, which was renamed last year in honor of fair founder Bill Hrudey, a past Rotarian. This year, 97 students en- tered 60 projects in the compe- tition. Almost 200 participants, volunteers and well-wishers attended the awards banquet, according to Mr. Inniss. First place winner Johna- thon Bedasse in the physics, chemistry, and computer sci- ence category, also received the Cayman Enterprise City’s Most Innovative award. Johna- thon’s project, titled Microbial Fuel Cell, examined how de- composing waste can generate small amounts of electricity, comparing cow manure with swamp sludge. Microbial fuel cells take electrons released through ox- idization from electrochemi- cally active bacteria and put them to use. “He found that the swamp sludge in his experiment pro- duced a higher voltage than the cow manure, showing how microbial fuel cells using that source might be a viable type of renewable energy in the future,” said his mother Gillian Bedasse. First place winners in each category received $1,500, second place winners received $1,000, and third place prizes were $500. The Most Innovative project prize winners, the age 10-11, and age 9 and under best project categories re- ceived $1,000 each, with the prize money split equally if a group project won, or if there was a tie. In the Earth Science: Envi- ronment, Weather, Astronomy and Ecology category, first place went to Dilan Tatum of Layman E. Scott High School, for his project “How length of the blade of a windmill changes the energy output.” Second place went to Zandie Smith and Vasti O’Connor of John Gray High School, and tied for third place were Geor- gina Healey of Grace Christian Academy and Caitlyn Darby of Cayman Prep and High School. In the Food and Health category, first place was awarded to Nicholas Corin of Cayman International School for his project on the impact of hand-eye coor- dination on memory recall. Second place went to Ben- jamin Tatum of Triple C School, and the third place prize went to Olivia Zimmer of Grace Christian Academy. In the Life Science category, which included micro-biology, botany or zoology, first place went to the team of James Banks, Iona Nicol and Jo- anna Robinson of First Baptist Christian School who looked at using a solar oven to heat food and water and to cook. The second place prize went to Erika Sobers and Justine Rhule of St. Ignatius Catholic School, and third place was awarded to Phillip Whan Tong of Cayman Inter- national School. In the Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science cate- gory, winner Johnathon Be- dasse had some hot com- petition from second place winner Thomas James Sevik Jr. of Layman E. Scott High School, and Lucas Tatum of Triple C School. The winners of the Best Project awards were Connor Finch of Cayman International School in the 10 or 11 year old category for his project on the comparative effects of Coke, Diet Coke and soda water on teeth, and Ethan Anderson and Caleb Suckoo of First Baptist Christian School in the age 9 and under category won for their project on a passive hot water heater. Johnathon Bedasse with his winning project ‘Microbial Fuel Cell,’ which examined how decomposing waste can generate small amounts of electricity. Connor Finch with his winning project ‘Is it Sugar?’ on the comparative effects of Coke, Diet Coke and soda water on teeth. Georgina Healey won third prize in her category for her project on testing the salinity of coastal waters. Joanna Robinson, James Banks, and Iona Nicol show off their first place awards in the life science category for their solar oven project.8 LOCAL NEWS Check out these photos and others by visiting caymancompass.com/photogalleries or on facebook.com/caycompass (and don’t forget to tag yourself and your friends!) MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS A week before the main Batabano carnival, stu- dents donned headdresses, beads and elaborate costumes for the Neverland-themed Junior Bata- bano parade, Saturday. Getting into the spirit of carnival, school troupes paraded through central George Town. With each school team following its own sound truck, students danced as the parade made its way along the waterfront with spectators cheering them on. ‘The Lost Children’ of Prospect Primary School collect their trophy after being judged the 2016 Junior Batabano winners. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Shilpa Tagalpallewar paints a henna design on the arm of festival organizer Donna Myrie-Stephen. – PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON Prospect Primary’s troupe parades through George Town. – PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON Jay McKenzie, Isabella Buttrum, Jaysie Allen and Jacqueline Jackson of Clifton Hunter High School were all in pink for Junior Batabano. – PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON St. Ignatius students get into the spirit of Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. – PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON ‘The Treasures’ from Cayman International School take part in Junior Batabano. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE John Gray High School’s ‘Merpeople’ whistle, march and dance their way through the parade. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE A Red Bay Primary School student gets some last-minute makeup touches before the school’s troupe, ‘The Parrots,’ hits the road. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKEThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MAY 2, 2016 Trust Company Ltd., Nagoya JAPAN - Satisfying customers since 1988 get an instant quote on our website: +81-52-219-9024 sales@japanesevehicles.com facebook.com/JapaneseVehicles f HONDA INSPIRE 2008 5,400 US$ S/N 176249 HONDA FIT 2007 1,400 US$ S/N 176146 BMW 3 SERIES 2006 4,200 US$ S/N 176404 NISSAN CUBE 2009 1,590 US$ S/N 176022 AUDI A6 2007 7,900 US$ S/N 176397 HONDA STEP WAGON 2006 1,280 US$ S/N 176223 NISSAN DUALIS 2007 4,200 US$ S/N 176464 NISSAN SKYLINE 2006 3,990 US$ S/N 176406 NISSAN MURANO 2009 9,500 US$ S/N 176198 Get a FREE 30 Day Guarantee with your vehicle purchased from Trust Company Ltd.! 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He said the case had high- lighted an error in legislation that his administration had moved swiftly to rectify. “Why should we shield public agencies or employees of such agencies from account- ability for errors or accidents? In the view of this adminis- tration, this is wrong … there should be no wrong without redress,” the premier said. He said the amendments would not apply retroac- tively. That means anyone de- nied the right to sue since the original legislation was passed in 2004, including Ms. Thompson, still has no legal recourse against the hospital. Mr. McLaughlin said government had been ap- proached by lawyers for some such patients advocating that all potential claims that had been debarred by section 12 now be allowed. “We concluded that this is not a policy decision we could possibly take,” he said. “We have no way of knowing how many claims are out there. “We have no way of quan- tifying the results in terms of damages.” Opposition leader Mr. Bush has repeatedly claimed, as he did again in Friday’s debate, that his administration did not intend to introduce blanket im- munity for negligent doctors. But Mr. McLaughlin cited Hansard transcripts from the 2004 debate, when the dis- puted provision was intro- duced as an amendment to the HSA Law. He said the tran- script of the debate showed Mr. Bush and his health min- ister at the time, Gilbert McLean, had known exactly what they were doing and that he, as an opposition member, has opposed this. Mr. Bush continued to deny this, however, insisting the judge had misinterpreted the law and insisting neither he nor his ministers had believed they were legislating immunity for negligent doctors. Though the 2004 amend- ment does include a reference to “all employees” of the Health Services Authority having im- munity from prosecution, Mr. Bush said the clause was meant to cover board members and non-medical employees but not “medical practitioners.” Citing other legislation which requires doctors and nurses to maintain malprac- tice insurance, he said it was clear that section 12 was not intended for doctors. “My contention is that the judge’s interpretation was wrong,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned there was no such intention from the min- ister and there was no such policy by the government that someone should not stand re- sponsible for something they did that happened in the course of treatment.” Mr. Bush added that the fact that a similar clause was included in at least seven other laws, demonstrated that multiple governments had not recognized that the clause con- ferred such immunity. There was no discussion in the debate about changing leg- islation regarding other gov- ernment entities with similar immunity clauses. Mr. McLaughlin, con- cluding the debate, said he sympathized with Mr. Bush and was not out to vilify him, but insisted the wording of the “unfortunate provi- sion” was clear. “Whatever it was they thought the effect of the 2004 amendment was or wasn’t, it has been found by the Grand Court, and on plain reading to me, that the effect is to confer immunity on all employees of the Health Services Authority with respect to the discharge of their functions or duties, and that is sufficiently broad to catch doctors nurses and other healthcare workers,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Attorney General Samuel Bulgin spoke briefly during the debate to lend his support to the change in legislation. He said the ruling did not sug- gest doctors were automati- cally liable. “This will simply allow persons to have their day in court,” he said. “They will still have the burden of having to prove their case. They will still have to prove a breach of duty of care that led to the injury,” he said. The original section 12 states, “Neither the authority nor any director or employee of the authority shall be liable in damages for anything done or omitted in the discharge of their respective functions or duties unless it is shown that the act or omission was in bad faith.” The amendment removes the reference to em- ployees and adds negligence alongside bad faith as an ex- emption to the immunity. Mr. Bulgin said he believed this wording would be suffi- cient to allow patients who be- lieved they had been victims of medical negligence to have their day in court. Legislators voted 17-0 to approve the amendments. The bill still has to pass a third reading in the house, but that is typically a formality. Hospital immunity clause approved for repeal A number of other finan- cial services industry-related bills were approved last week by lawmakers. Economic zones Changes to the Spe- cial Economic Zones Law – which allow for the creation of special corporations that can provide their services in- ternationally, but not within Cayman – addressed func- tions of zone entities and the operations of the board that oversees the special eco- nomic zone companies. The changes set out re- quirements of the board in conducting due diligence on directors of special eco- nomic zone companies. In doing so, the board can call any person to attend a meeting of the authority. Another requirement forces a company that “switches” to the special eco- nomic zone to de-register its work permits. Permit holders must leave the islands for at least 30 days prior to re-reg- istering the permits. Min- ister Panton said this would “limit the ability of entities operating within the do- mestic economy to take ad- vantage of the special eco- nomic zone.” Economic zone work permit fees are far less expensive than for companies conducting business within Cayman, in most cases. The changes also removed two senior civil servants from membership on the Special Economic Zone board. Tax information A change to the Tax In- formation Authority Law sets out administrative pen- alties for individuals or corporations who do not exchange information as re- quired under the legislation. The maximum penalty for non-compliance with the law or being in breach of re- porting requirements in the regulations is $50,000. Bearer shares A change to the Compa- nies Law abolishes the ex- istence of bearer shares in Cayman. A bearer share is a share in a company’s capital which is registered by a cer- tificate but which does not record the owner’s name. A 2012 Financial Action Task Force recommended that Cayman should take ac- tion to “prevent the misuse of bearer shares.” Since that time, Mr. Panton said Cayman has only allowed a company to issue bearer shares if the custodian of those shares is named in the company register. Caymanians into the civil ser- vice,” Mr. Manderson said. “People are saying to me, ‘Mr. Manderson, if I got to come down here and take a beating for doing [the] job, well, maybe I don’t want to join the civil service.’” In recent years, the deputy governor and other senior civil service staff members have faced numerous ques- tions referencing specific jobs for which Caymanians were not hired. Those included, but were not limited to, the hiring of a senior planning official, a ministry chief financial officer, a police-helicopter pilot and a senior official in the Infor- mation and Communications Technology Authority. The latest dispute on Friday involved a man about 19 or 20 years old who Mr. Manderson said was not suc- cessfully recruited to the prisons service for reasons that were not stated during the Legislative Assembly de- bate. East End MLA Arden McLean had asked about the results of the latest recruit- ment process at the prisons. Mr. Manderson said a re- cruitment effort that started in mid-2015 for prisons of- ficers, which received more than 450 applications, led to seven successful applicants completing a prisons training course. At the end of the training course, six of those applicants – four Caymanians and two permanent residents – were hired. The seventh ap- plicant – also a Caymanian – was not kept on staff. Mr. Manderson said the young man was given the reasons why he was not hired, but the deputy gov- ernor was not allowed to read those out in the Legislative Assembly Friday. Opposition Leader McK- eeva Bush objected to Mr. Manderson’s description of how legislators treat civil servants. “What does he mean, that the civil service takes a beating?” “I’m repeating what was said to me,” Mr. Manderson said. “I think everybody knows what I’m talking about.” After Speaker of the House Juliana O’Connor- Connolly interjected to calm matters, Mr. Manderson in- dicated that the civil service knows its job is to answer to the elected political lead- ership. “We understand that very clearly,” he said. Mr. McLean said he was “embarrassed” by the deputy governor’s com- ment indicating that 74 per- cent of the civil service staff being Caymanian was a “proud” achievement. “Proud!” Mr. McLean shouted. “This country is ours and we should be 100 percent.” Mr. McLean read out a letter the prospective prisons officer sent to Prisons Di- rector Neil Lavis, which in- dicated the young man’s be- lief that he actually had been hired at the service, but was then let go on the same day. The young man said it was his belief that his employment at the prison had been termi- nated that day. The East End MLA opined: “What disrupts our country … is that not every one of them are Einsteins, but given the opportunity, they can become productive citizens.” Mr. Manderson said he understood that, but in the end, the Caymanian man did not meet the pass mark that was set for the prisons ser- vice recruitment. “The civil service has been criticized for not doing its job to a high standard and the only way to change that is to do two things: We train up the people we have now, or we bring in higher-skilled in- dividuals,” he said. “Would we have liked to employ all seven [Caymanian prison officers]? Absolutely. But we have stan- dards. We are not going to compromise those standards.” Minister: Company option to make Cayman ‘more competitive’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Deputy governor says civil service ‘taking beating’ from lawmakers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >