ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 SPORTS | PAGE 15 CAYMAN DRESSAGE TEAM READY FOR CHALLENGE High of 84 Low of 74 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 HEALTHCARE DEBTS: THE $1.18 BILLION MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR Road User Save up to CI$400 with home and car insurance Buy BritCay’s buildings insurance and receive a CI$250 gift certificate. If you have home insurance, you also receive a 10% discount on car cover. With the lowest deductibles at CI$200, you also save when you claim. Ask for a quote! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky FREE CI$10 Million ASSET PROTECTION! with motor cover* *private car insurance cgigrp Steep new fines for telecoms approved CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fines for phone, Internet and televi- sion providers in Cayman will increase from $25,000 to $500,000 for violating their li- censes and telecom rules under new rules passed in a second reading at the Legislative Assembly on Sunday. The amendments to the Informa- tion and Communications Technology Au- thority Law also give the regulator the power to fine a telecom up to $25,000 a day for ongoing violations. Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts, pre- senting the law to the Legislative Assembly this week, said the new fines “will get the at- tention of the licensees.” Telecoms have come under increased scru- tiny over service outages and customer com- plaints about not getting the Internet speeds they were promised. ICTA Managing Director Alee Fa’amoe told the Cayman Compass recently, “The idea was to not only give the Authority more teeth to enforce regulations, but to do so in a manner that avoided having to pursue criminal pros- ecutions via the courts.” “The fines we have proposed as a change to our law will cover all manner of transgres- sions by licensees,” he said. Mr. Tibbetts told his colleagues at the Leg- islative Assembly that the new fines are the first of several changes expected this year to give the telecoms regulator more powers for consumer protection. He said ICTA is developing new advertising guidelines to prevent false or misleading ad- vertising. Mr. Tibbetts said members of the Legislative Assembly can expect to see new consumer protection legislation gazetted by the end of this month. Mr. Tibbetts said that for Cayman to be competitive in the global financial services in- dustry, “reliable, high-quality telecommunica- tions is a must.” Complaints over Internet speeds made NEW HOME FOR CAYMAN RUGBY Dart donates land for new sports center JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Rugby will be moving to a new home after the Dart group offered land near Camana Bay on peppercorn lease for a new center which will be capable of hosting inter- national matches. The new headquarters, south of the Na- tional Gallery, will feature two pitches, as well as a clubhouse and parking. Derek Haines, president of the Cayman Is- lands Rugby Football Union, said members met last month to discuss the offer from Dart. He said the sport had “outgrown” the South Sound center, which has been the home of rugby in Grand Cayman for nearly 50 years. Mr. Haines acknowledged there was a strong “sentimental attachment” to South Sound, but he said the pitch was too small for international rugby and became overused as the sport grew. “There is a general appreciation from the membership that we need to move,” he said. “We have been offered this land by Dart and it makes sense to do it. “We are finalizing a letter of agree- ment with Dart before they can begin clearing the land, then we will submit an application to planning.” He said architect John Doak and project manager Renee Edwards are also working pro bono on the project. Even with that support, he believes it will be around three years before the pitches are ready for use. Describing the donation from Dart as Drug Court numbers surprise magistrate Funding needed for more probation officers, counselors CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com As seven people graduated from the Drug Rehabilitation Court last week, Mag- istrate Valdis Foldats admitted he was sur- prised by the effort and number of hours the graduates had put in. During the information graduation cere- mony on Thursday, the magistrate explained that he had decided to examine one grad- uate’s file, picked at random, to see how much work it took to graduate. “It knocked my socks off,” he said. As well as 25 court appearances, 24 probation meetings and 200 days of wearing an electronic monitor, the individual had to make three phone calls per week for nine months to see if he had been selected to come in for a drug test. He also had to undergo 30 tests outside of drug court, 12 tests in drug court, and 76 counselling sessions, including 63 group and 13 individual. “Those are the numbers needed for success,” he said. Those numbers showed the hard work one particular person had done, evidence that drug court is no easy option, he said. “Each graduate has the same or greater numbers. Each one of you is remarkable. My admiration for you just goes off the charts,” the magistrate acknowledged. The graduation was attended by partic- ipants in various stages of the drug court program, guests, counselors and probation PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Magistrate Valdis Foldats shows the thickness of one graduate’s file to illustrate how much work the person has done. – PHOTO: CAROL WINKER PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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. - THURSDAY - Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 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 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 Visiting Sports Medicine Physician specializing in non-operative musculoskeletal & joint conditions. Dr. Melissa Mascaro MD Cayman Clinic @ 439 Crewe Road, GT Is available for consultation from Saturday May 7th - Tuesday May 10th, 2016 Call: 949-7400 between 8:30am to 5:pm to make an appointment Cabinet gives $1 million to new cybersecurity initiative Interpol, GCHQ helped develop plan CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Interpol and GCHQ, the United Kingdom’s surveil- lance organization, have vis- ited Cayman over the past six months to help the country develop a new plan for cybersecurity, Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts re- vealed Wednesday in the Legislative Assembly. He said government in- vited the two agencies sepa- rately to help develop a plan to protect information and infrastructure in Cayman from malicious hackers. Government created a new working group to tackle cy- bersecurity issues, dubbed the CIG Cyber Team, and set aside $1 million to begin funding the initiative, Mr. Tibbetts said. “These islands have be- come a target for cybercrimi- nals,” Mr. Tibbetts said on the floor of the House. He noted that government received the report from In- terpol in February and a plan for information security from the CIG team. Mr. Tibbetts said the Information and Communications Technology Authority invited Interpol. Representatives from the international policing organization also met with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and other organizations. Earlier this year govern- ment put out two requests for proposals related to in- creased security for govern- ment networks. The first is for updated firewall equip- ment to harden the network and prevent hackers from getting easy access through outdated equipment. The second request for proposals is to develop a plan to bring the Cayman Is- lands government up to in- ternational standards to pro- tect critical infrastructure from hackers and to manage cybersecurity risks. Sunshine Suites gets new lease BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The owners of the Sun- shine Suites resort on West Bay Road have agreed to pay US$4 million to the Cayman Islands government to renew a 99-year lease of Crown land used by the business, Plan- ning Minister Kurt Tibbetts announced Wednesday. Mr. Tibbetts told the Leg- islative Assembly that the section of land, about six acres behind the Cayman Falls plaza on West Bay Road, is currently leased for a “nominal rental” for a 99-year term. He said that term began in April 1950 and was due to expire in about 33 years. Mr. Tibbetts said that the resort owners had plans to “upgrade” the property and approached the government to renew the lease earlier this year. The Crown has agreed to a modification of the cur- rent lease to provide up to a 99-year extension for use of the land. Mr. Tibbetts said Cabinet advised the governor in March to approve the lease extension. The extension was in exchange for a premium payment of US$4.05 million and would continue with the nominal lease payment each year. Mr. Tibbetts said gov- ernment received three val- uations of the property based on the long-term lease arrangement that varied between $4.1 million and $4 million. Last fall, the Cayman Compass reported that a U.S.-based investment group had purchased the Sunshine Suites resort. The group was also in talks for the 343-room Westin Grand Cayman resort, which is across the street from Sunshine Suites on the beach side of West Bay Road. Once the deals are com- pleted, both properties are expected to undergo exten- sive renovations. Car stolen during church burglary Police have issued an appeal to the public to help trace a vehicle stolen during a burglary at the Agape Church in George Town over the weekend. The burglary at the church premises on Fair- banks Road was discovered around 5 a.m. on Saturday, April 30. Police said the culprits appear to have entered the church office through a side window. As well as the white 2005 Ford Expe- dition, registration number 106 642, a laptop and safe were also stolen. In a statement released Wednesday, police appealed to the public to help locate the vehicle. Police noted that the registration plates on the vehicle may have been changed. Anyone with information can contact the police at 949-4222, call Crime Stoppers on 800-8477(TIPS) or use the tips online link at www.tipsubmit.com/ WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=681. “These islands have become a target for cybercriminals.” KURT TIBBETTS, planning minister Kurt Tibbetts Sunshine Suites is renewing its 99-year lease of Crown land. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Police issued this photograph of the 2005 Ford Expedition stolen Saturday from Agape Church in Fairbanks Road. Court files show bid to smear slain Honduran environmental activist TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – For months before her death, environmental activist Berta Caceres complained of re- peated threats warning her to stop leading protests opposing a hydroelectric project on her Lenca people’s ancestral lands. Then, on March 3, armed men forced their way into Ca- ceres’ home in the middle of the night, shot her four times and wounded a visiting Mex- ican activist, who survived by playing dead. The killing prompted widespread con- demnation and calls for an independent investigation, in part due to Caceres’s in- ternational prominence as the winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. Caceres’s slaying remained officially shrouded in mystery until Monday, when authorities arrested four people in the case, in- cluding a security employee working on behalf of De- sarrollos Energeticos SA, or DESA, the company car- rying out the Agua Zarca hy- droelectric project. The fact that those ar- rested have DESA and army ties was no surprise to Cace- res’s allies and relatives, who have long suspected the com- pany and elements of Hondu- ras’s government and military of being behind her killing. Previously unpublicized court records from 2014 show that the government and DESA repeatedly sought to smear Caceres and her col- leagues as violent anarchists bent on terrorizing the popu- lation through their protests at the project site. In filings seeking an in- junction against the dem- onstrations, Caceres and two leaders of her organiza- tion were accused of “usur- pation, coercion and con- tinued damage” and even attempting to undermine the democratic order.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 Apply today and get FREE† additional cards! Reward yourself in two easy ways Choose one or both! Welcome Bonus offers end May 31, 2016. †† Scotiabank Gold MasterCard® Get a Welcome Bonus of US$40† Cash Back ®Scotiabank / AAdvantage® MasterCard® Get a Welcome Bonus of up to 7,000 AAdvantage® miles† Travel Rewards ®® †Conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. Offers subject to change without notice. Customers earn 7,000 AAdvantage Miles as follows. You earn a welcome bonus of 3,000 AAdvantage Miles on your first purchase of any amount. Thereafter, you earn an additional 2,000 AAdvantage Miles after you have spent a cumulative amount of USD$ 800 on your new Scotiabank / AAdvantage MasterCard® credit, plus you earn a further 2,000 AAdvantage Miles when you add one or more supplemental cards to your account during the first 3 cycles from the account open date. Visit cayman.scotiabank.com/bonusrewards for full Terms & Conditions. ®Registered trademark of the Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. American Airlines® reserves the right to change AAdvantage® program rules, regulations, travel awards and special offers at any time without notice, and to end the AAdvantage® program with six months notice. Any such changes may affect your ability to use the awards or mileage credits that you have accumulated. Unless specified, AAdvantage® miles earned through this promotion/offer do not count toward elite-status qualification or Million MilerSM status. American Airlines® is not responsible for products or services offered by other participating companies. For complete details about the AAdvantage® program, visit www.aa.com/aadvantage. Scotiabank issues the Scotiabank/AAdvantage® card. American Airlines®, AAdvantage® and Million Miler are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. ®MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. /ScotiabankKY Go to cayman.scotiabank.com/bonusrewards to see how your rewards can add up. Cash Back Cayman_Q2 Credit Card2016_5.0667x7.8975.indd 14/17/16 8:17 PM 2016 Adult Batabano Band NameBrief Description Tribal Cayman 2015 Band of the year Fresh Carnival Marks 4 years as a participant and has actively promoted Batabano and their mas band internationally with package offers each year. Carnival Engineering A Reba Dilbert Creation, longest participant in Batabano Flow Telecom giant has been a returning presenting sponsor and mas band for 14 years, strengthening their brand with carnival over the years as well as supporting the growth of Batabano. Party Animals As their name states, they are the party on the road from start to finish. They have partnered with Craze Mas band a first time entrant, all the way from Cayman Brac. The Pirates representing the annual festival of the Cayman Islands, Pirates Week Cayman National Bank A very first time entry for this bank who’s staff looks forward to the experience and branding opportunity for Cayman National Cayman Aids Foundation First time entry as they spread awareness in art form Reflections Business entry quenching the thirst of the masqueraders and spectators whilst promoting Aloah water, available exclusively at Reflections outlets. Registered bands set to participate in the 33rd Annual Costume Street Parade on May 7th @ 1pm, starting from the Public Beach. Rubis station to be demolished; answers sought on fuel spill TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Rubis station on Shedden Road will be empty by Friday, and demolition will start immediately as workers and several compa- nies seek the origins, age and size of the fuel spill under- neath the premises. Remediation of the under- ground toxic oil and gas pool is likely to run into “six digits,” said station operator Wayne Kirkconnell, who has been clearing shelves, removing fur- niture and equipment. “We have a team of 10 or 12 people working five and six hours all day,” he said. The rush to vacate the property comes in the wake of last week’s discovery of the subterranean pool of oil and gas. A Water Authority inves- tigation and test samples con- firmed the presence of con- taminants in the water supply to one property. Mr. Kirkconnell says the Rubis station was affected by the contaminated water, which appeared immediately after excavations of the prop- erty to the rear of the station. Redevelopment of the site started last week as Orchid Development began preparing the area for a new building to be part of the company’s adjacent Cricket Square. Managing Director of Or- chid Development Clarence “King” Flowers offered few de- tails about the toxic pool, but said “assessment of the situa- tion is ongoing.” “There is a team of ex- perts and professionals who are working diligently to de- termine the appropriate course of action,” he said. Initially, Mr. Flowers had asked Rubis to vacate the station by June 30. “That’s changed now,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “Every- thing is coming down and we’ll be out in two days, gone by Friday.” Everything will be moved to his Rubis station on Lawrence Boulevard. The Water Authority, which sampled the chemical deposits last week, said a Florida- based lab had found traces of fuel-related pollutants in the water, exceeding interna- tional standards at one prop- erty, but below-critical levels at a second. “The authority immedi- ately advised the customer of the affected property that the water was not safe to drink,” said Water Authority Corpo- rate Communications Officer Hannah Reid, adding that con- tamination occurred “because the pipelines supplying water to the property had come in direct contact with the fuel.” Local wells were cleared of any taint, although the au- thority has advised those in the vicinity not to use ground- water until further notice. “The investigation is still ongoing,” Ms. Reid said. She said the spill “was determined not to have come from the existing gas station operations.” Mr. Kirkconnell attributed the subterranean pool to sev- eral auto body shops that had operated for 35 years at the rear of the station. “The mechanics were per- forming oil and gas changes and just dropped it on the ground,” he said. “The pool below is between five years and 10 years old.” After excavations disturbed the accumulated waste, he said, the liquid “ran downhill,” pooling beneath the building. “It’s kind of like reaching down and putting your hand into a sponge,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. Both he and the Water Au- thority said the Rubis owners had helped to ameliorate the situation, employing advisers to chart the next move. Since assumed control from Texaco in 2011, he said, “Rubis has spent a lot of money ensuring nothing was coming from the gas station. Rubis has brought in experts to help remediate this, working with a company out of the U.S. and being really generous cor- porate citizens.” Ms. Reid said Rubis con- tacted the authority when they discovered the fuel spill as part of ongoing developments on site. “Although the spill was de- termined not to have come from the existing gas-station operations, Rubis has taken the initiative to contract Ar- cadis, an overseas consul- tant with expertise in en- vironmental assessment and remediation, to consult on the matter.” Arcadis is an Amsterdam- based environmental con- tractor with 300 offices world- wide, including Florida. Rubis Managing Director Joel Maes said he had no idea how old or how large the spill was, adding that “a few test pits are being drilled.” Neither he, Mr. Whittaker nor Mr. Flowers would put a price on the remediation. “I have no idea,” Mr. Maes said. “No one knows how long it will take or who pays, but it’s going to go to the law- yers,” Mr. Whittaker sug- gested Wednesday. Mean- while, he sought to ease immediate concerns. “There isn’t a fire that’s going to explode under the sta- tion or anything. It’s just an un- healthy environment,” he said. The Shedden Road Rubis station stands largely deserted after clean-up efforts, preparing for a Friday move. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe 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. Patient: How’s everything looking, Doc? Doctor: I have your chart right here. You are rea- sonably fit for a person your age. Your blood pressure and cholesterol are fine, but you could stand to shed a couple of pounds. Patient: That’s great! Anything else? Doctor: Hmm … Let’s see. Oh, yes — You have a slow-growing cancer that over time, if we don’t treat it, is likely to kill you. Sometimes, the bad news simply cannot be rel- egated to a footnote, but needs to be blared out in all capital letters, right across the top of the front page. As in the scenario above, a significant piece of negative information can provide vital context to dictate future decisions. The difference in life choices for a “reasonably fit person,” and a “reasonably fit person with cancer,” is the difference between diet and exercise, and chemotherapy and radiation. Similarly, the Cayman Islands government’s inten- tion to avoid formal acknowledgement of its projected $1.18 billion in public healthcare debts (over the next 20 to 25 years) does nothing to change the grim truth of the situation — namely that our country has a massive liability that must be funded — and it may serve to delude officials into engaging in dangerous and unnecessary levels of spending or borrowing. While on several occasions we have lauded Finance Minister Marco Archer for diligence and performance, we cannot agree with the decision to amend the gov- ernment’s financial management law to allow budget officials to move the $1.18 billion liability — well, if not “off the books,” at least to the back of the books to the “notes” section. Minister Archer said that if the liability (representing money needed to pay for the government’s healthcare promises to retired civil servants, seamen and veterans) is contained “on the face” of the financial statements, then government could be put in a negative net worth position and the U.K. might again assume control of Cayman’s budget — meaning, perhaps, strict spending guidelines and no new borrowing. Minister Archer said, in the interests of trans- parency, the healthcare liability would still appear in “notes” to the financial statements. Who are we trying to fool here? This financial sleight of hand certainly wouldn’t trick an auditor general or a Foreign and Commonwealth Office tech- nocrat. Every first-year business student in Accounting 101 knows that, when reviewing financial statements, to go right to the notes. Particularly when it’s bad, the biggest information often appears in the tiniest type. What are we trying to accomplish? Is it govern- ment’s goal to move the healthcare debts off its balance sheet in order to borrow money that it can’t afford to borrow — because of the $1.18 billion in healthcare debts? As Compass reader Paul Peene pointed out in a letter we published Tuesday, “Cayman is indeed in a negative net worth position. We have made the $1.18 billion commitment to pay for retired civil service, after all. “Because it is not all due today, does not diminish the liability. If you diminish the liability then one has to also say we may or may not pay for those commit- ments down the road.” Mr. Peene and his calculator also figured out that, after factoring in an additional annual inflation rate of 7 percent for rising healthcare costs, that Cayman should be setting aside $123 million each and every year in order to pay for the liabilities. The way we see it, Cayman has three options (actually two): 1. Start saving now in order to fund future health- care costs. 2. Cross our fingers and hope our economy grows, providing enough extra revenue to government to pay the healthcare debts. Option number three would be not to fund the healthcare costs and to default on promises to retired civil servants. But, considering court precedents, poten- tial U.K. intervention and civil servants’ contracts, not paying does not appear to be a viable (or moral) option. In the case of Cayman’s healthcare liabilities, denial isn’t just unhelpful, it could be harmful. Healthcare debts: The $1.18 billion must be accounted for THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Venezuela ‘should’ be rich MATT O’BRIEN It’s come to this: The country with the largest oil reserves in the world can’t afford to brew its own beer, stay in its own time zone, or even have its own people show up to work more than two times a week. Venezuela, in other words, is well past the point of wor- rying that its economy might collapse. It already has. That’s the only way to de- scribe an economy that the International Monetary Fund thinks is going to shrink 8 percent and have 720 percent inflation this year. And that’s not even the worst of it. No, that’s the fact that the state itself is near collapse. Vene- zuela already has the world’s second-highest murder rate, and now the Chavista regime seems to be threatening vio- lence of its own if the oppo- sition succeeds in recalling President Nicolás Maduro. It’s a grim race between an- archy and civil war. This is an entirely man- made catastrophe. Venezuela, by all rights, should be rich. As we just said, it has more oil than the United States or Saudi Arabia or anyone else for that matter. But despite that, economic mismanage- ment on a world-historical scale has barely left it with enough money to even, well, pay for printing money any- more. That’s right: Venezuela is almost too poor to afford inflation. Which is just another way of saying that the govern- ment is all but bankrupt. How did Venezuela get here? Well, by spending more than it had and not having as much as it should. Let’s take these in reverse order. It re- ally shouldn’t have been hard for the government to use some of its petrodollars on the poor without destroying the economy. Every other oil- rich country, after all, has fig- ured that out. But you can’t redistribute oil profits if there aren’t oil profits to re- distribute, or at least not many of them. And there weren’t after Hugo Chavez replaced people who knew what they were doing with people he knew would be loyal to him at the state-owned oil company. It didn’t help that he scared for- eign oil companies off too. Or that he took money out, but didn’t put it back in, so that they can no longer turn as much of their extra-heavy crude into refined oil. Add it all up, and Venezuela’s oil pro- duction actually fell by about 25 percent between 1999 and 2013. But that didn’t stop the government from going on a spending spree. How big of one? Well, even triple-digit oil prices weren’t enough to balance its books. So it got money from the one place it could: the printing press. And it has had to get a lot more now that oil prices have fallen so far the past two years. The result, as you might expect, of printing all these bolivars is that the bolivar has lost almost all its value against the dollar – and no, that’s not hyperbole. Since the start of 2012, the bolivar has, according to black market rates, fallen 99.1 percent against the dollar. But rather than face this reality Venezuela has opted for a game of economic Whac- a-Mole. It has tried to legis- late inflation away by telling businesses what prices they’re allowed to sell at, and even tried to wish it away by saying it “does not exist.” All that has done, though, is make it harder for businesses to sell things at a profitable price – which means they haven’t sold things at all. So the government has tried to fix this by doling out dol- lars to select companies on better terms than anyone else can get them. The idea is that giving them money will let them keep making money – and, as a result, filling their stores – when they sell at the prices they’re supposed to. But the problem with this is while it’s not profitable for unsubsidized companies to stock their shelves, it’s not profitable enough for sub- sidized ones to do so either when they can just sell their dollars in the black market for more than they can resell im- ported goods. The upshot is that stores go empty, prices go up, and lines last for hours - although, in typical fashion, the government has tried to, I guess, solve this by forcing people out of them. This is only getting worse now that the oil-dependent government is running out of dollars itself. Indeed, the country’s biggest brewer just announced that it’s shutting down all its factories since it hasn’t gotten the dollars it needs to import ingredients. The same has happened with toilet paper, and almost with their money. Venezuela, you see, doesn’t have its own printing presses, but rather pays foreign com- panies to print their money for them. That means it needs dollars just to be able to create bolivars. But this isn’t just a story about bad ideas ruining an economy. It’s also a story about bad planning. Venezu- ela’s government has never come up with a backup system for its main hydroelectric gen- erator, so the country doesn’t have enough power now that a drought has brought water levels down to historic lows. Maduro has done everything from rationing power to malls to moving the clocks forward half an hour - so people won’t need lights as much at night - to telling the 30 percent of the country that works for the government to only come in on Mondays and Tuesdays. It’s a lot easier to come up with a list of things that aren’t failing. That’s nothing. Venezu- ela’s economy is collapsing, its currency is too, its stores have nothing in them, and it can’t keep the lights on or its people safe. The only things the Chavistas are good at is creating scapegoats, creating lines, and creating misery. Call it Maduro’s law: Ev- erything that can go wrong, will go wrong when your government makes it. Matt O’Brien is a reporter for Wonkblog covering economic affairs. He was previously a senior associate editor at The Atlantic. © 2016, The Washington Post 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” People line up to withdraw cash from an automated teller machine in Caracas, Venezuela, in March. - PHOTO: WILFREDO RIERA/BLOOMBERG5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 DIRECTOR Y & WEBSITE Health & Wellness CAYMAN’S PREMIER GUIDE T O DIRECTORY • WEBSITE • MAGAZINE • APP CAYMAN HEALTH IS A PUBLICATION OF PINNACLE MEDIA LTD. T: 345-949-5111 ext. 247 E: sales@caymanhealth.com Cayman Health Directory and CaymanHealth.com will be an invaluable health and wellness resource for the Cayman Islands. • Free access to print and online listings of all health and wellness practitioners in the Cayman Islands • Powerful online search engine with Google Maps identifying health and wellness locations, products and services • Latest health news and articles • Online glossary with over 1,800 health and wellness terms • Online Health Alert links Reserve your space… “Our goal is to provide informative and comprehensive resources to help improve and save lives in the Cayman Islands.” – VICKI LEGGE PUBLISHER, CAYMAN HEALTH Spotlight your health and wellness products and medical services. • Introductory Bonus Offers Available Through May 2016 CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Amendments to the Statis- tics Law, approved Monday by the Legislative Assembly, in- crease the penalties for people who do not fill out required surveys, and expands the vol- untary business surveys to in- clude trusts and companies in the special economic zone. The amendments to the Statistics Law solidify the section that states the indi- vidual data collected is pro- tected and not subject to the Freedom of Information Law. The changes increase pen- alties for employees of the Economics and Statistics Of- fice who breach confidenti- ality rules. The new law also creates a structure for the Economics and Statistics Of- fice to charge private compa- nies and government author- ities for custom data reports that fall outside of the office’s standard reporting. The statistics office is in charge of collecting eco- nomic and demographic data from around the country. The office conducts surveys of people and businesses to track how the islands change over time and prepares reg- ular reports on employment, the economic health of the country and others. Finance Minister Marco Archer, presenting the bill to his colleagues in the Legisla- tive Assembly, said, “The ESO receives a number of requests from authorities and private companies.” Those requests, he said, take time, and these amendments will allow the Economics and Statistics Of- fice to set a rate structure and collect revenue for devel- oping custom reports. The expanded reporting, Mr. Archer said, hopes to cap- ture more information from trusts and exempted compa- nies, such as those at Cayman Enterprise City, to include in the Economics and Sta- tistics Office’s economic re- ports. Participation for trusts and other companies now in- cluded in the law will be vol- untary, but Mr. Archer said it will help to get a more com- plete picture of the gross na- tional product and other im- portant economic indicators. Legislators voted to ap- prove the Statistics Bill amend- ments on the second reading Monday evening. The bill will still need a third reading, but that tends to be a formal last step once the debate on the changes is complete. STATISTICS LAW CHANGES INCREASE PENALTIES, DATA COLLECTION Premier: Hospital drops AIS, pharmacy contract remains CarePay criminal probe referenced in House BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority is no longer using the patient health claims adjudication system managed by Advanced Integrated Systems (AIS) Cayman Ltd. and its former Jamaican business partners, Premier Alden McLaughlin confirmed Wednesday. However, a pharmaceu- ticals management contract that was connected to the AIS negotiations in 2010-2011 is still in place, the premier said. “The AIS system is not op- erating,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “There is currently a request for proposals to procure a new [pharmacy] system.” The contract between the Health Services Authority and AIS Cayman Ltd. ended in the midst of a criminal bribery and fraud investiga- tion that sent former Health Services Authority board chairman Canover Watson to prison earlier this year. During Watson’s trial, evi- dence surfaced that Watson, his business partner – ad- mitted racketeer Jeffrey Webb – and several other in- dividuals sought to procure a pharmaceuticals system management contract with the Health Services Authority after they had set up a pri- vate sector pharmacy com- pany to operate in Cayman. That pharmacy – called SuperMed – never began op- erations in Cayman. Mr. McLaughlin told law- makers Wednesday, while re- sponding to a parliamen- tary question asked by North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, that the Health Services Au- thority was still partially using the pharmaceuticals management system set up by the AIS company’s Indian partner, Suvarna. The pre- mier said that system was being phased out as of Nov. 30, 2016 and a new provider would be selected via the bid process. After being questioned by East End MLA Arden McLean about the situation, Mr. McLaughlin clarified that the public hospital phar- macy was also partly using an older management system that predated the Suvarna system, which was brought in to work with the AIS pa- tient claims system. Mr. McLean wondered whether the Cayman Is- lands would be able to re- trieve any portion of the five-year, US$13 million con- tract it had entered into with AIS Cayman Ltd. in December 2010. “What recourse does gov- ernment have on the entire system since it’s not what we asked for?” he said. Mr. McLaughlin said it was his understanding that the criminal investiga- tion involving AIS Cayman and the CarePay patient swipe-card contract was not directly related to the pharmaceuticals system. The pharmacy contract was referenced in at least one count of the criminal indict- ment against Watson, but it was not a major focus of the criminal trial, which ended in February with Watson being sentenced to seven years in prison. The premier indicated that he could not answer whether the government would seek to recover any costs from the AIS-CarePay contract. “This is obviously a matter for the HSA board and its legal advisers,” he said.In the April 27, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a preCaymanian Weekly, a preCaymanian Weekly- cursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Haig Bodden wrote: “For many years now the dis- trict of Bodden Town has been neglected by Government. It is hard to pinpoint any particular administration as being respon- sible. Since the days when Com- missioner Cardinal opened up the little road which is our only link with the rest of the island, no spe- cial effort has been made to pro- vide us with the everyday facilities which are enjoyed in George Town. “The same taxes are levied di- rectly or indirectly on the just as well as the unjust, so it is only fair that all should share in the amenities which accrue from these taxes. “It is impossible in one short article to tell of all the injustices we have suffered, but I will en- deavour to mention a few of the more pronounced ones. “George Town and West Bay have enjoyed for many years a 24- hour supply of electricity, which is denied us. The power plant has been heavily subsidized by tax- payers money, our money. “These fortunate people also enjoy streets paved from side to side. No one cares about the marl dust that blows on our house tops, contaminating the water supply. “Daily collection of gar-“Daily collection of gar-“Daily collection of gar bage is made possible in George Town only because of a truck bought with taxpayers money, our money … “We once had a district con- stable and a policeman stationed in Bodden Town as a full-time of-in Bodden Town as a full-time of-in Bodden Town as a full-time of ficers. Luckily we are better be- haved than our forbears, as today our money can only pay for the maintenance of a constabulary in George Town and West Bay … “Only last week a committee of three persons was appointed to study the constitution of the Bodden Town parent teachers’s association. Why not appoint a committee to find out why the ju- nior school, for children in the three eastern districts, has not yet been built in Bodden Town as was planned long ago? Why not find out why Bodden Town has no playfield for the children, instead of wasting time on the ramifica- tions of a constitution which has served effectively and continu- ously for almost 20 years? “And now the crowning touch – George Town will get house to house telephones. The workers who commute by the dozens daily to George Town will not be able to talk to their own homes. I am aware of the fact the Cable & Wireless is not Government. But where was Government when the contract was being awarded? Had they no part in shaping the des- tiny of the underprivileged? “At nearly every meeting of the Legislative Assembly some board or committee is set up to go into something or other. Why not set up a committee to go into our long neglected state of affairs? “What I have written about Bodden Town is equally true of North Side, East End and Cayman Brac.” In the May 4, 1966 edition, Mr. Bodden wrote: “On Saturday evening April 30 Miss Yvonne Kelly, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peterson Kelly of Pease Bay, was united in marriage to Mr. Jerrold Trusty of Honduras. “On Saturday evening of last week Mr. George Hunter left the island for Jamaica. He has been sent by Cable & Wireless Ltd. to be trained as a telephone tech- nician. While in Jamaica he will be attached to the Jamaica Tele- phone Co. On the completion of his training George will return to his work in Grand Cayman. “This young man who is only 17 must be congratulated on his early choice of a career which is fully in keeping with our expanding economy. If George follows in the footsteps of his father and older brothers he must do well, as they are certainly among the greatest men in the island.” In other news: “Mrs. Ethelin Jackson of Sa- vannah celebrated her 82nd birthday last week. In spite of the fact that Mrs. Jackson is unable to walk, she is cheerful and retains her good senses.” THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Bodden Town Schools tennis program nets fans in Bodden Town The Cayman Tennis Fed- eration schools outreach pro- gram continues to elicit a lot of excitement from district primary students. Practicing moves like balancing on one leg while moving a ball around the edge of the racket, throwing a ball in the air, clapping and then catching it, and racing against their school- mates in short-sprint team competitions are some of the ways children at Bodden Town Primary School sharpen their tennis skills at the weekly program. “Many of the Year 2 chil- dren have not yet developed hand-eye coordination skills, so a great deal of the pro- gram focuses on exercises to improve those skills,” said coach Noel Watkins.“This makes it easier for them to hit the ball in the center of the racket to send it where they want to go!” Bodden Town Primary youngsters are learning the sport of Djokovic and Federer, thanks to sponsor- ship from Cayman National. Pupils at East End, North Side and West Bay primary schools also receive weekly tennis lessons during their regular physical educa- tion times. The coaching, which runs throughout the year, is arranged by the Tennis Federation of the Cayman Islands. The program equipment includes low-bouncing balls, mini portable nets and short- handled, light rackets, which makes picking up the game very easy, said Tennis Feder- ation president Simon Gunn. “This will be the fourth year Cayman National has sponsored this program for kids’ tennis in the outer dis- tricts,” he said. “It is won- derful they have responded to the need for more sporting opportunities for young people who don’t live within easy reach of George Town facilities.” Cayman National’s mar- keting manager Shari Wel- come said the company is very pleased to con- tinue its support of the Schools tennis program. “Through tennis our youth learn balance and body co- ordination, sportsmanship, discipline and develops their strategic and problem solving skills all of which are coupled with a healthy life- style,” she said. “We thank the Tennis Fed- eration and coach Watkins for their dedication to the youth of our community.” 50 YEARS AGO: Government asked to step up services Bodden Town Primary students practice their tennis skills.7 DISTRICT DAYS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 District Days Bodden Town Primary school students visit Joint Marine Unit The RCIPS Joint Marine Unit recently hosted 32 Bodden Town Primary school Year 1 students on an action-packed day-long field trip on April 28. The group visited various emergency response departments, where Senior Captain PC Hugh Bush and Customs Officer Randolph Jackson presented the duties of the police marine officers, describing a typical day for a police captain or navigator. The children also boarded vessels while marine officers described the controls and functions of the boats. Above, the class and marine officers are pictured in front of the marine vessel Guardian. ‘If we are looking for future leaders in the police, recruiting starts now in the schools,’ says Inspector Leo Anglin, marine commander, ‘and what better way to introduce these children to the possibility of a police career and maybe pique their interest than for them to see for themselves what our daily work looks like? I think they saw during their visit that our jobs are tough, yes, but rewarding.’ THIS MONTH AT THE WATLER HOUSE STUDIO AT PEDRO The Visual Arts So- ciety will host a number of workshops and other events this month at the Watler House studio at Pedro St. James. On Mondays through May 30 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. the painting open studio is open to youth and adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Materials and instruction are not included. On Tuesdays through May 31, narrative art classes with a qualified art instructor take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Artists of all levels will explore the theory of narrative art, dis- covering ways to tell sto- ries, develop lateral and divergent thinking, and come up with individual ideas to build into a piece working in different me- diums. Drop-in cost is $25 per session for members and $35 for non-members, and there is a discounted rate for 10 sessions. On Wednesdays through May 25, the ce- ramic open studio runs from 9 a.m. to noon and is open to adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. The drop-in fee is $15 for members and $25 for non- members. Clay, materials, glazes and firing facilities are available. On Saturday, May 14, from 3 to 6 p.m. the So- ciety will be holding a Painting Open Studio open to youth and adults who want to work inde- pendently in an inspiring atmosphere. Cost is $10 for members and $15 for non-members. Materials and instruction are not included. The Visual Arts Soci- ety’s AGM is on May 26 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Watler House Studio. The Annual General Meeting is open to everyone in- terested in attending and learning what the so- ciety has to offer. Meet the board of directors and other artists. Only paid-up members will be eligible to vote. Refreshments and light snacks will be served after the meeting. For more information on these and all other Visual Arts Society events, contact visualartcayman@ yahoo.com or 345-546-9422. Roadwork postponed Island Paving Ltd. has rescheduled to July 5 the roadwork to reinstate Bodden Town Road between Gun Square Road and Mon- ument Road. Work had been sched- uled to start on June 21. The Authority will con- tinue to maintain the trench along Bodden Town Road to minimize any adverse ef- fects on the residents and businesses of Bodden Town, as well as any that would affect motorists. The trench is part of Phase II of the Bodden Town Pipeline Project, which began in January. The new pipeline was in- stalled up to Monument Road until technical issues related to the reopening of the Lower Valley Water Works made it necessary to temporarily halt the project. There is still no con- firmed start date for the Au- thority to resume replacing the remaining 1,000 feet of old pipeline between Mon- ument Road and Manse Road. Further updates will be provided from the Water Authority as necessary. Astronomical Society meets next week The Cayman Islands As- tronomical Society will hold its next regularly scheduled monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 11 at Pedro St. James. Society President Chris Cooke notes the evening will be full of “great treats,” in- cluding views of Jupiter, the Southern Cross and the Jewel Box. If the weather is more than 50 percent cloudy, the event will be canceled. Please phone (no text) 925-7657 around 7 p.m. for a weather update. The Water Authority carries out work on the Bodden Town water main in January. Sunset at Pedro St. James, a perfect spot for stargazing. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday May 16th NO PUBLICATION Tuesday May 17th Thursday May 12th Wednesday May 18th Thursday May 12th Thursday May 19th Friday May 13th Friday May 20th Tuesday May 17th DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY Celebrate the long weekend DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY May 14th to May 16th (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, May 16th, Discovery Day. OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, MAY 16TH. PUBLICATION DEADLINES: THURSDAY, MAY 5 CHILD MONTH FOSTER PARENT DRIVE: Could you be a foster parent? Foster parents open up their hearts and homes to a child in need. The Department of Children and Family Services invites interested families to attend an information session at the Grand Old House 5:30-7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP by calling 949-0290 or emailing dcfs@gov.ky. LEGAL BOOT CAMP SERIES: “Employment, termination of employment, notice, unfair dismissal, redundancy and retirement,” by Huw Moses, offered 9–11 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members, $175; future members $225. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. GRAND COURT JURORS: All Grand Court Jurors who are in the April 6 to July 5 sessions are to report today at 2:15 p.m. The Jury Information line, 945-5072, has the most up-to-date information. FRIDAY, MAY 6 NEW YEAR HONOURS: Today is the deadline for the public to recommend people who have made outstanding contributions to Caymanian society for Her Majesty the Queen’s New Year Honours 2017. Nomination forms can be found on the U.K. government website at www.gov.uk/honours/overview. Completed forms should be returned, under confidential cover, to the Governor’s Office, or at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue, or via email to staffoff@candw.ky. For more information, contact the Governor’s Office on 244-2434. SATURDAY, MAY 7 BRAC SHOWCASE: National Children’s Festival of the Arts Showcase. 6:30 p.m. Aston Rutty Centre. TEEN PREGNANCY AWARENESS: The Department of Children and Family Services in partnership with the Family Resource Centre hosts a Teen Pregnancy Awareness Booth at the Batabano parade and street event. The booth in downtown George Town is aimed at educating young people about the adverse consequences of teen pregnancy. Representatives from both agencies will talk to teens about the “I am Worth the Wait” campaign and child protection. For more information, contact the Department of Children and Family Services on 949-0290 or dcfs@gov.ky. CAKE SALE: The Cayman Islands Girls’ Brigade National Council holds a bake sale at A. L. Thompson’s, from 9 a.m. Various cakes will be on sale at the fundraiser. SPRING TEA PARTY: St. Ignatius school hosts the party from 2:30-5 p.m. in the courtyard on Walkers Road. Tickets are $5 and include afternoon tea (beverage and finger foods), entertainment and a chance to win door prizes, including men’s and ladies’ watches. Ticket holders need not be present to win. Phone 949-6797. SUNDAY, MAY 8 MOTHER’S DAY: The Central Scranton Community hosts its annual Mother’s Day Bash at 1 p.m. at Central Scranton Park in George Town. Everyone is invited. MONDAY, MAY 9 TRANSIT OF MERCURY: The Astronomical Society has partnered with the University College of the Cayman Islands at the Dr. Wm. Hrudey Observatory with a number of specialist telescopes to offer an opportunity for students and the public to see the sun “up close” in perfect safety as Mercury crosses it in the morning. Contact caymanastro@yahoo. com to book a time slot and for details of parking and the location of the observatory. PAINTING OPEN STUDIO: Visual Arts Society offers Painting Open Studio to youth/adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James, Mondays through May 30 from 1–4:30 p.m. $10 member/$15 non-member. Materials and instruction not included. More information: visualartcayman@yahoo.com. TUESDAY, MAY 10 BASIC GRAMMAR & WRITING SKILLS: Part 2 of a course by Catherine Tyson. 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $150; future members $225. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 REVELATIONS EXPLAINED: Countryside Church of God on John McLean Drive, East End, presents Pastor John Wilcoxon of Manassas, Virginia. He will discuss aspects of the Book of Revelation and how it affects us today. Services will be held May 11-15, and May 18-22, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:15 p.m., and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact Pastor Marquiss McLaughlin at 925-7376. THURSDAY, MAY 12 CHILD MONTH GAMES NIGHT: The Department of Children and Family Services invites families for an evening of board games at the Book Nook in Galleria Plaza, West Bay Road, and at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre in Cayman Brac. The game night is from 6 to 8 p.m. The Book Nook offers discount coupons as winning prizes. Dinner is provided by Papa John’s Pizza. For more information, contact DCFS on 949-0290 and dcfs@gov.ky. FREE SME WORKSHOP: Tips for Developing and Running a Website, by Rasheed Girvan of Jamaica Yellow Pages. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. LEGAL BOOTCAMP SERIES: Immigration, Caymanian Status and Naturalization, by Nick Joseph. 9–11 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $175. Future Members $225. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, MAY 13 BE INFORMED: ESO Business Survey Workshop. 9:30- 11:30 am at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, MAY 14 DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in West Bay at the Town Hall junction 6–10 a.m. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Painting Open Studio offered to youth/adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James, 3-6 p.m. $10 pp/$15 pp non- members. Materials and instruction not included. More information, visualartcayman@yahoo.com. FAMILY FUN DAY: Blossom Village Park in Little Cayman 10 a.m, to 4 p.m. celebrating Child Month. SUNDAY, MAY 15 LITTLE CAYMAN: Church service and lunch at Little Cayman Baptist Church 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. celebrating Child Month. TUESDAY, MAY 17 CHILD PROTECTION: Presentation to preschool owners. South Sound Community Centre, 6:30 p.m. A Child Month event. SUPERIOR BUSINESS WRITING: Chamber course led by Catherine Tyson. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members $150. Future Members $225. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. St. Ignatius school hosts a tea party on Saturday, May 7, from 2:30-5 p.m. in the courtyard on Walkers Road. Tickets are $5.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY MAY 5, 2016 Happy Birthday in Heaven Jerry G. Whittaker May 5, 1956 – Sept 2, 2013 Always loved, forever missed Your loving wife Thelda, son Marco, daughters Shari & Satina, Grandkids Jaicee, Leighla, Ethan & Kailee Your gentle face and patient smile with sadness we recall. You had a kindly word for each and died beloved by all. The voice is mute and stilled the heart That loved us well and true. Ah, bitter was the trial to part from one as good as you. You are not forgotten loved one nor will you ever be. As long as life and memory last We will remember thee. We miss you now our hearts are sore As time goes by we miss you more. Your loving smile, your gentle face No one can take your vacant place. Happy Birthday in Heaven May 5, 1956 – Sept 2, 2013 their way to the Legisla- tive Assembly last year. Mr. Fa’amoe said at the time that complaints from a healthcare facility and Class A banks were the most troubling. “We have lost millions of dollars of inward investment be- cause of our lack of high- quality telecom infrastruc- ture,” he said. Chamber of Commerce CEO Wil Pineau told the Compass last month that in a survey of members, asked to identify issues with in- frastructure in Cayman, “Internet speeds and access topped the list.” Mr. Tibbetts said tele- coms have had “almost two dozen major outages in al- most as many months.” “In light of the dis- turbing number of out- ages,” Mr. Tibbetts said, ICTA is drafting legisla- tion related to keeping es- sential telecom equip- ment on island. Mr. Tibbetts said ICTA issued its first fines that he knew of earlier this year. The unnamed telecoms company did not report the reason for a 911 outage to regulators, and the Au- thority fined the company $75,000 for violating the terms of its license. Mr. Tibbetts said the company paid the fine quickly and praised ICTA and the Authority’s leader- ship for acting quickly in response to the outage. “Unfortunately, in the past, the leadership was very slow to act on such issues,” Mr. Tibbetts said of people who had been in charge of the Authority earlier. “Licensees have be- come [accustomed] to a lack of enforcement.” “Those days are over,” Mr. Tibbetts noted. Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo also compli- mented the new leader- ship at the Authority. He said, “There’s definitely a change at the Informa- tion and Communications Technology Authority.” The planning minister said he hopes the new daily fines for ongoing violations will help keep disputes out of the courts by allowing fines to accrue if telecoms sue government and allow violations to continue. The daily fines, Mr. Tib- betts hopes, will “cause every licensee to think twice about using the court system to draw out decisions.” If the case is decided in government’s favor, Mr. Tib- betts said, the fine would have continued while a judge could hear the case and make a decision. Steep new fines for telecoms approved CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 officers. Also present was Chief Magistrate Nova Hall, who co- chaired the original committee to get the drug court protocols established and finally put into law in 2006. The chief magistrate, who still takes a turn at presiding in drug court, congratulated the graduates and presented a gift of appreciation to drug court coordinator Katrina Watler. She said, “If I could put a plea to government, it is for more funding to be made available to our team mem- bers. The judiciary fully sup- ports the Counselling Ser- vices and the Department of Community Rehabilitation being granted more funding so that they can continue to offer their services and ex- tend them to the drug court.” Her comment came after the news that one probation officer, who had worked with the drug court, was now as- signed to other duties be- cause of staff shortages. The result is that there is just one probation officer left to deal with all drug court partici- pants – 36 after the gradu- ates’ departure. Magistrate Foldats agreed, saying it was shameful that there was just one probation officer and there was a sim- ilar problem with other mem- bers of the drug court team: “We’ve had difficulty getting individual counseling in be- cause we don’t have enough counselors,” he pointed out. The drug court team in- cludes not only counselors and probation officers but also a Crown counsel, a de- fense counsel (usually at- torney John Furniss) and a representative from Carib- bean Haven, the residential treatment facility. Partners include a halfway house, the National Workforce Devel- opment Agency and the De- partment of Children and Family Services. All are involved in sup- porting each drug court par- ticipant as he or she works toward sobriety, stable housing and employment. As Magistrate Foldats noted in his comments about the graduates individually, the paths toward these goals differed widely. Their case files showed that drug addic- tion crosses all ages, genders and economic strata, he said. But, “Each of you took the first step of accepting re- sponsibility for what you did, and saying ‘Guilty’ in court. You wanted to correct the sit- uation,” he continued. Court appearances in- cluded remembering to come, getting transportation, ar- ranging with an employer to get time off, waiting for the drug court team to finish its pre-court meeting, he pointed out. The random protocol meant getting access to a phone three times per week to call in, then showing up to be tested if selected. The tests themselves were “invasions of your personal space. It’s embarrassing because you’re observed,” he agreed. Getting to court, coun- seling and group meetings involved not only trans- portation issues but some- times having to arrange with family members for child care, the magistrate noted. Once in a meeting, “It’s a huge step to talk about things you probably never talked about before.” Informal statistics kept by the Cayman Compass show that 85 men and 15 women have graduated since March 2009 – 18 months after the drug court’s official start, fol- lowing the passage of nec- essary legislation. Of that total, 24 have returned to court, but their re-offending was not always drug-related. Several people have been al- lowed to repeat the program, but they are not counted as new graduates. “absolutely huge,” he said it would enable the rugby union, which has about 300 members, to continue to grow. He said other sports associations would also be able to rent the fields, cre- ating a revenue stream for the association. In a letter to members ahead of a “village hall” meeting on the issue last month, Mr. Haines said a new pitch had been iden- tified as a priority in the union’s strategic plan for the past eight years. “Cayman Rugby, including touch rugby, has enjoyed a tremendous growth in popu- larity, membership and suc- cess over the past 15 years or so, and the playing area has become overused with no downtime throughout the year,” he said. “For international tourna- ments it is desirable, and in the case of sevens, a neces- sity to have two pitches.” He said the new center would be ideally situated for the sport to progress. “The proposed site of the new facility sits between the two largest population cen- ters and, as such, is ideally located in terms of partici- pation growth. The [Rugby] Union has also been creating a relationship with Clifton Hunter school in North Side in order to continue to de- velop a program capable of servicing the third popula- tion area of North Side.” Chris Duggan, vice pres- ident at Dart, said the company would have no on- going role in Cayman rugby. “Cayman rugby has grown significantly in re- cent years and it currently has one of the largest and most effective youth pro- grams on the island,” he said. “The continued devel- opment of this program will provide enhanced develop- mental opportunities for the youth of our islands. “Dart remains committed to the continued growth and development of the youth of the Cayman Islands, and we will continue to invest in projects that provide these types of youth development opportunities.” He said the facility would also “attract world-class in- ternational teams and com- petitions to our shores that will not only further enhance the development of Cayman rugby, but will also help to further develop the Cayman Islands as a world-class sporting destination.” Drug Court numbers surprise magistrate Drug court coordinator Katrina Watler, standing, consults with some team members. Seated, from left, are Erica Ebanks, a probation officer who has been reasssigned but attended anyway; Maxine Anglin, the only remaining probation officer; and Alfred McLeod, counselor. – PHOTO: CAROL WINKER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Alee Fa’amoe New home for Cayman Rugby CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The new headquarters, south of the National Gallery, will feature two pitches, as well as a clubhouse and parking.Next >