Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. High of 87 Low of 75 Batabano! Spotting fake cigars Learn what to look for when negotiating in Cuba B7 FilmOn App Stream UK live TV for free! B10 Technology Lifestyles Music on the Menu EVENTS Theater ‘Rundown’ re turns Annual comedy revue brings the belly laughs B3 FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Mas bands hit the road on Saturday B8 A feast for the ears at Luca B2 STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July THURSDAYS 5 to 7 pm The Greenery (near The Strand) FRIDAYS 5 to 7 pm Governors Square STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $ 56 Until 31 July A TASTE OF TORTUGA… Join us Complimentary Wine Tastings Take home a bottle of the featured wine for 15% o . For more information about our weekly specials and events follow us on Facebook facebook.com/TortugaFine WinesandSpirits Photo: Stephen Clarke CAYMAN WEEKENDER EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE EY REPORT: REQUIEM FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 Premier, minister head to London as beneficial ownership deal unravels BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The United Kingdom is seeking an agree- ment with other leading economic powers in western Europe – and elsewhere – that will lead to the automatic exchange of data on company and trust ownership information. The proposed agreement – should it be- come the “truly global standard” – will be followed by the Cayman Islands, Premier Alden McLaughlin told lawmakers Thursday. Mr. McLaughlin said it appears that what Cayman has previously agreed with the U.K., basically a locally regulated system that would provide company ownership informa- tion upon request to U.K. law enforcement or tax authorities – filtering those requests through a Cayman Islands government agency – would not meet the standard as proposed. “The [beneficial ownership] agreement we have with the U.K., the U.K. government is sat- isfied with,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “But what has transpired is the other European Union countries … are pressing for a new global standard with respect to the automatic ex- change of beneficial ownership information.” The new standard has not yet been devel- oped, Mr. McLaughlin said, but it is at the ini- tiative stage. He said the Cayman government wants to be included in those discussions. “There is no question that countries who do not cooperate in this initiative … are likely to wind up on a blacklist,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Mr. McLaughlin, Financial Services Min- ister Wayne Panton and George Town MLA Roy McTaggart are traveling to the U.K. for next week’s Anti-Corruption Summit hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron. PENSION ‘REFUNDS’ RESTRICTED BY NEW LAW Retirement age, fund contributions increased BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Greater restrictions will be placed on the transfer of pension funds out of the Cayman Islands, particularly when those transfers in- volve lump sum “refunds” to individuals who have left the islands, according to legislative changes approved this week. The amendments to the National Pensions Law, which have altered more than 50 sections of the legislation, were approved by a majority of Cayman Islands lawmakers late Wednesday. The amendments represent the first complete overhaul of the legislation since it came into effect 18 years ago. The National Pensions Law governs the operation of private sector workers’ retire- ment funds in the islands. A separate law gov- erns regulations surrounding the three public sector retirement funds. According to the legislation, which still re- quires a third reading and assent by the gov- ernor, the ability to obtain a lump sum refund from the individual’s pension fund would be removed, regardless of that person’s immigra- tion status. The removal of the refund provision does not mean an individual would be prevented from transferring the money into a retirement savings account overseas. However, it would prevent the person from receiving a lump sum in an immediately accessible bank account. Also, the amended law will also re- quire a longer time before the money can be Genetically engineered mosquitoes to be released in Grand Cayman CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Genetically engineered mosquitoes will be released across Grand Cayman in the coming year, starting in West Bay, in an effort to control the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes responsible for spreading Zika, dengue and other viruses. A 2010 test in East End with the ge- netically engineered mosquitoes from U.K.- based firm Oxitec eliminated 96 percent of Aedes aegypti in the test areas. The program releases genetically engineered male mosquitoes that breed with local females. The male passes on a gene that causes the offspring to die before they reach adulthood and can reproduce again. Oxitec currently is working in Brazil to control mosquitoes in the areas hardest hit PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 » Renaud Lacroix of Oxitec places his hand inside a mesh box with genetically modified mosquitoes to demonstrate that the male Aedes aegypti do not bite. Renaud Lacroix, Tali Cohen and Glen Slade of Oxitec at an information booth at West Bay dock on Thursday. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 »2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman’s Most Affordable Happy Mother’s Day Brunch & Breakfast till 3pm, Saturday & Sunday! Cimboco - A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in the Marquee Plaza Residential • Commercial • Industrial 936.5625 (LOCK) r.deadbolt@hotmail.com Residential • Commercial • Industrial 936.5625 (LOCK) Rob Ward Certifi ed Locksmith FAST, RELIABLE ONSITE SERVICE CXC Math Marathon This Saturday May 7, 2016 Where: 100% Math Shop #3, The Solution Center, George Town When: 8 am - 7 pm Cost: $90 Free math clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays until CXC Math Exam May 18, 2016. Eugenio Leon Harpist Extraordinaire, serenades tableside tonight and every Friday night! Salsa Tuesdays with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Tonight! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm Tonight! TOMORROW Saturday, May 7th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man Friday, May 6th LIVE BAND Friday, May 6th LIVE BANDLIVE BAND TONIGHTTONIGHTTONIGHT Playing all the classics! 8:30pm - 11:30pm The one & only ManGoJam Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky Salsa Free lessons with Kirk starting Happy Mothers Day From Tevin & Javon Happy Mothers Day Happy Mothers Day Happy Mothers Day From Zaire Airport fence damaged in crash The Owen Roberts International Airport perimeter fence was damaged Thursday afternoon when a car smashed into the fence during a downpour. The accident occurred across the road from the cricket pitch during a sudden downpour around 1 p.m. Police and airport security officers responded to check the damage to the fence. The driver was not injured. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Michelle T donates to Cancer Society JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Gospel singer Michelle T has donated part of the proceeds from sales of her album “Here Is My Praise” to the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. Michelle T is the stage name of Michelle Durrant, who recently concluded a U.S. promotional tour. On her re- turn to Cayman, she stopped by the Cancer Society office with her husband to donate $500 toward the charity’s awareness programs. “It was a rough time for me as a wife and mother when my husband Chris was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, and to see how God helped him is remarkable. I felt the Cancer Society should benefit from the proceeds to assist other people in the same situ- ation and give back to the so- ciety,” said Mrs. Durrant. Cancer Society Operations Manager Jennifer Weber said the charity, which did not know Mrs. Durrant was going to make the gesture, appreciated the donation. “Every donation that we receive is valuable to the pro- gram that it funds. We are helping so many people, and every dollar makes a differ- ence,” said Ms. Weber. In a recent interview with the Cayman Compass, the singer said she feels the ut- most happiness that she has been able to travel abroad to promote her album and the Cayman Islands, and to give something back to the community. “Here Is My Praise” was launched by Praise 87.9 FM during a “Tribute to Dad” gospel concert on June 20, 2015 at the Lions Centre. The album is a collection of some of her singles, and includes nine original songs and three collaborations, in- cluding with George Nooks, Jermaine Edwards and Andre Leon. The title track was written and produced by Clive Bennett. BOAT CAPSIZES OFF SMB Marine police re- sponded Wednesday to a report of three men in the water after a boat capsized off Seven Mile Beach in rough sea conditions. According to a police press release, a member of the public alerted 911 around 5:20 p.m. of a small, overturned boat drifting about 500 feet off the beach, with three men in the sea. “The police vessel Niven D responded and found two men onshore near Tiki Beach, and a third swim- ming toward shore. The men were not injured,” the police statement reported. Police said none of the boaters had been wearing life jackets, and the Joint Marine Unit learned that they had not alerted the Port Authority of their trip before setting off. “Despite tragic inci- dents in recent months, we continue to see instances in which people have not taken recommended steps to ensure their own safety while out on the water,” said Inspector Leo Anglin, RCIPS Marine Commander. Victoria Anderson-Gray, center, from the Cayman Islands Cancer Society receives a donation from gospel singer Michelle T and husband Chris Durrant.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 visit discoverfl ow.ky Flow terms and conditions apply. $ 249 Prepaid $ 699 Prepaid $ 129 Postpaid $ 199 Postpaid J5S6 Grab an amazing SAMSUNG for your mom at an amazing price this Mother’s Day. Our tech experts will help mom with her new phone. with a 3GB data plan. don’t miss the mother of all deals.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Since the turn of the century, the Cayman Islands government has produced two especially outstanding reports. Both of these — the Miller-Shaw Report and the EY report — were commissioned by the government, presumably read by officials, then shelved, shredded, burned and buried (not necessarily in that order). The fates of those documents are far from unique; our government ignores (or rewrites) consultants’ reports all the time. However, aside from their exceptional quality, what sets those two reports apart is the importance of their subject matter, which is no less than ensuring a financially sustainable future for our country. We all know what happened to the recommen- dations contained in the Miller-Shaw Report from 2010 — that government cut costs, reduce fees, save money and promote transparency. In two words: Almost nothing. As for 2014’s similarly spirited, but far more detailed, EY Report, styled “Project Future” by the government, we have far more questions than answers. Here are three that immediately spring to mind about former Education Chief Officer Mary Rodrigues and her “strategic reforms implementa- tion unit”: 1. Where is she? 2. What is she doing? 3. How much money, especially in salaries, has been spent? Since Ms. Rodrigues was named to lead the original four-person unit, the tangible results we have witnessed have consisted of a handful of announce- ments, a couple of billboards erected in front of the Government Administration Building, and a website that was last updated in mid-February with a post titled “Launch of Civil Service Strategic Plan (Part One)” containing general vision, mission, goal and core value statements. Why even bother? The small steps the government has taken are only worth mentioning because it illustrates how half- hearted their efforts have been. Aside from a leasehold-freehold property swap or two, the government has mostly confined itself to tinkering with independent oversight bodies, in the forms of mergers that save almost no money and may hamper the watchdog groups. Let’s face it: Creating an Ombudsman’s Office and Public Utilities Commission hardly amounts to a grain of sand on Seven Mile Beach, financially speaking, especially when contrasted to the initiatives that gov- ernment will not take, such as outsourcing public sector healthcare, selling swaths of under-used public property and privatizing entire government agencies. On the plus side of the ledger, and this is entirely under the heading, “Politics,” not one civil servant will lose his or her job, be forced to compete in the private sector or experience the prospect of potentially uncomfortable but necessary change. Considering that the roughly 6,000 people employed by the public sector represent the largest single voting bloc in Cayman, and that the next election will occur in a year if not sooner, what are the chances that any of those reforms will take place? (Witness, for example, the recent vociferous rebuttal from the Civil Service Association to Minister Marco Archer’s comments that government employees may have to start paying some of their health insurance premium costs in two years’ time.) The government may regret it ever commissioned the EY Report. It shouldn’t. It did the right thing, and it received enormous value for its paltry investment. It is past time for Ms. Rodrigues and her team to do what we’re paying them to do: Implement the key recommendations of the EY Report — with the enthu- siastic support of the Progressives government. The EY Report: Requiem for recommendations FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM What’s going on in Bodden Town? Every district is favored with members of the Pro- gressives government except East End and North Side, and those two district representa- tives as far as I am concerned should have been given a government seat three years ago. Of course, they were not, because they stand for the people, but I believe that in three years they have learned a big lesson. Each district has people who viciously ran campaigns to make changes, so my thoughts are a start to “fixing your problems.” This year, 2016, is “Election Year.” Next year is “Voting Year.” I am from the district of Bodden Town, and I have been watching Bodden Town and reporting what has been done and not done by all par- ties without prejudice. Having four members of the Progressives party and will someone from this dis- trict please reply on this media, and tell me what I have missed that has been accomplished in three years that is worth bragging about. The Progressives stopped residents from using the … whatever we want to call them … huts on the Coe Wood Public Beach; allowed the premises of the old Health Clinic to be sneakily privately used; built a “political friends” back road that cost thou- sands of dollars from Lookout Garden to Harry McCoy Park and Mission House. Now the roadway has been closed because neigh- bors were being disturbed by traffic. Well, it has since be- come a bypass for criminals’ getaways and drug users. No one uses it when there is an occasion. The hurricane center in front of Rankin’s Jerk Centre has been struggling for the past three years on private property. In fact, concerned citizens need to take a drive through and look and hope they all do not have to pile in down there with no win- dows and doors if there is an unannounced hurricane this year. The Progressives would not give the money they promised to assist with their portion of completing the hurricane/church center. But could spend half a million dollars on a “political friends” play house alongside the Harry McCoy Park. While you are in the area, question why more than half a million dollars was ap- proved by that government to “political buddies” to put on a roof and refurbish the Ashford House that is only used once a year. There are and will be more questions than an- swers, and although the Bodden Town party is split in two, someone needs to start talking to each other because we will vote you all out, and other “wannabe politicians from this town,” I suggest I hear you open your mouth on this media, because I hope you are not thinking that you are going to sit silently watching and thinking we have a reason to vote for you in 2017. You gave, and are giving us no reason. It’s going to take much more than hams, turkeys, fruit baskets and truckloads of soil and cement blocks this election. Twyla Vargas LETTER Tall buildings not comical Your cartoon last week, “Planning Approval – by Caymanman,” would be more humorous if I were not living next to a five-story (actually seven-story) project that is being built 100 feet from the median high water mark instead of the min- imum 130 feet required, as attested to by a private pro- fessional survey, a survey done by the Department of the Environment (who also objected to the project) and a survey done by the Cayman Islands’ own Lands and Survey Department. When I (and another 20- plus people) placed our ob- jections regarding this issue before the Central Plan- ning Authority, for inexpli- cable reasons the Attorney General’s office told the CPA that “any contention that the survey is inaccurate is not an issue for the Central Plan- ning Authority to consider at this time.” And the building con- tinues to be constructed at 100 feet in many places from the median high water mark. Cartoon – funny; reality – not so much. Richard J. Beard PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 Bel Air Drive, South Sound 4 bed 2400+ sq ft 3 full bath and 1 half bath Kitchen with island, gas option, all stainless steel appliances Garage, guest quarters, attic storage, balcony, patio, private backyard ICF construction, hurricane rated low-e windows AC Trane 18 seer, standing seam roof Living area 14 ft above MSL Large swimming pool and covered patio Granite countertops or Quartz upgrade Porcelain or laminated wood floor or engineered wood upgrade Custom options available Price point: starting at $495,000 CI compare price per sq ft to other South Sound properties Preconstruction stamp duty savings. Ask for details. 938-7826 Only 5 units left in phase III and selling fast. 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 4.3% 1.2% -2.7% -0.2% 1.3% 1.5% 2.4% -6.3% Potential rights breaches by Immigration Department revealed Nature of breaches not disclosed, to protect confidentiality of complainants BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Human Rights Commission reviewed three potential cases of human rights breaches against the Immigration Department in 2015, a report made public Wednesday revealed. The commission, which looked into 39 allegations of human rights breaches during the calendar year, flagged up five instances where “possible breaches have been deemed to have been taken place by the commission.” In addition to the three poten- tial breaches by the Immigration Department, one potential human rights breach apiece against the Health Practice Commission and one against the Medical and Dental Council were reported. The nature of the breaches was not disclosed by the Human Rights Commission, which stated it was seeking to maintain the confidenti- ality of the complainants involved in the human rights claims. However, commission chairman James Austin-Smith noted in his letter to lawmakers introducing the report that a number of com- plaints made to the Human Rights Commission pertained to section 19 of the Cayman Islands Con- stitution Order, 2009, which con- cerns lawful administrative action by government. “[The commission] continues to encourage government develop sound policies to manage the de- cision-making processes public of- ficials engage in daily in order to properly uphold this most impor- tant right,” Mr. Austin-Smith said. Section 19 of the constitution states that all decisions of govern- ment must be lawful, procedur- ally fair, rational and proportionate. That issue has arisen a number of times in regard to ongoing immi- gration-related appeals before the Grand Court. One such writ, filed Oct. 19, 2015 on behalf of Cherine Amanda Roch- ester by law firm Travers Thorp Al- berga, alleges that Ms. Rochester “was never personally served with the reasons” why the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board denied her permanent resi- dency application. This failure to provide in- formation “deprived” Ms. Roch- ester of the ability to formulate proper grounds for an appeal, the lawsuit alleges. In addition, issues identified in an Aug. 28, 2015 court judgment from Chief Justice Anthony Smellie dealt with two major areas: The ac- tions of the Immigration Appeals Tribunal in judging two earlier cases where non-Caymanians had applied for permanent residence – the right to remain in the terri- tory for the rest of their lives – in which the tribunal’s actions were determined to be a “miscarriage of justice.” Those applications were made under a former version of the Im- migration Law. The Immigration Appeals Tribunal was ordered to re-hear the applications of the two workers, one of whom had applied for residency status in 2006. Essentially, the court judgment involving the two non-Caymanian workers stated that the decision by the Immigration Appeals Tribunal to deny their permanent residence ap- plications was “irrational” because the tribunal could not properly ex- plain or identify the criteria it used to rule on the applications. Justice Smellie ruled that in both cases the Immigration Appeals Tri- bunal “impeded the course of jus- tice” by using materials to judge the permanent residence applications without allowing either applicant to speak to that material. The tribunal also failed to show the applicants, or even the court, how it had used those materials in judging the applications, so the court could not determine the legal “reasonableness” of the appointed body’s decision-making. That is essentially the same claim made in an Oct. 2, 2015 lawsuit, filed by Milton Arthur John Buchanan. The writ filed on Oct. 2 2015 on Mr. Buchanan’s behalf by law firm Bodden and Bodden alleges that the Immigration Appeals Tribunal “acted unreasonably and/or con- trary to the principles of natural justice” in denying an appeal of his permanent residence application after it was initially denied by the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board. Mr. Buchanan’s application es- sentially claims that the board erred in law by not correctly determining how many “points” he should have been awarded on his permanent residency application for his salary and occupation. In addition to the three potential breaches by the Immigration Department, one potential human rights breach apiece against the Health Practice Commission and one against the Medical and Dental Council were reported. James Austin-SmithThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 WIN the Ultimate trip for TWO to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games! Watch the men’s & women’s 100m final live To play, text RIO to 4263 for your chance to WIN* Prize includes airfare, accommodation and event tickets Plus, more great prizes to be won including a Samsung Galaxy S6 2000 hours of live action in crystal clear HD Watch wherever whenever on-the-go More Caribbean coverage than ever before *Texts cost $1.00 Promotion runs from April 22 - June 16, 2016 and is applicable to Flow residential prepaid and postpaid mobile customers only. One (1) entry for each question answered correctly. Each text message will cost $1.00. Flow terms and conditions apply. Competition rules apply. See discoverflow.co for details. be there when the magic happens8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Sunrise 24th March 1943 Sunset 8th May 2015 It’s your rst Anniversary in heaven and your second Mother’s Day. Even though you are not here we still think about you. May your soul rest in peace. From your family, Especially Trecia your friend Happy 1st Anniversary in Heaven Laura Louise Hurlston Affectionately known as “Lil One” Happy 1st Anniversary in HeavenHappy 1st Anniversary in Heaven Affectionately known as “Lil One”Affectionately known as “Lil One” We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Elva Laura Loyed affectionately known as “Loris”, who passed away on Saturday April 30, 2016. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, Northwest Point Road, West Bay at 10:00a.m. Viewing will be from 9:00-9:45a.m. Interment to follow at West Bay Cemetery. In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Cayman Islands Hospice Care. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com 1st Birthday in heaven Loving Mother & Grand Mother Mary Patricia McField You never said I’m leaving You never said goodbye You were gone before I knew it And only God knew why If love alone could have saved you You would have never died In life I loved you dearly In death I love you still In my heart you hold a place That no one will ever fi ll It broke my heart to lose you But you didn’t go alone For part of me went with you The day God took you home Love always and forever more Pat & LeAndre In Loving Memory of my daughter Mary Patricia General, Grand-mother and Great-Grand-mother God’s Garden God looked around his garden and he found and empty place. He then looked down upon the earth and saw your previous face. He put his arms around you and lifted you to rest; God’s garden must be beautiful he always takes the best. He knew that you were suffering he knew you were in pain. He knew you’d never ever get well on earth again. So he closed your weary eyelids and whispered “Peace be thine”. Then he took you up to Heaven with gentle hands so kind. It broke our hearts to lose you but you did not go alone, for part of us went with you the day God welcomed you home. From your loving Mother Catherine, Step-father Johnny, Sister Geva, brother Tony, Sons Gordan, Jermaine, Daughters Desiree, Pat and all your loving grand-children and aunts and cousins Grand-mother and Great-Grand-motherGrand-mother and Great-Grand-motherGrand-mother and Great-Grand-motherGrand-mother and Great-Grand-mother In Loving Memory of my daughterIn Loving Memory of my daughter The family of the late Fendley Rudolph Ebanks (better known to his friends and acquaintances as “Old Joe”) wish to express sincere gratitude to friends and well wishers who called, visited, sent cards and flowers, offered sympathy and words of encouragement during our time of bereavement. A very special “Thank You” to: The doctors (particularly Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bonadie), nurses and staff at the George Town Hospital Critical Care and Emergency Units, who worked incredibly hard to provide excellent care to Fendley. Churchill’s Funeral Home for unparalleled service. Your guidance and expertise made all the difference during this difficult time. Rev. Donovan Meyers, Rev. Dr. Dave Hazle and the Elmslie Memorial United Church family, together with everyone who graciously participated in the service. We are eternally grateful to each and every one of you and are deeply touched by your kindness and generosity. Pansy, Joan, Dianne, Paulette and the rest of the family. Fendley Rudolph Ebanks 29th March, 1925 – 17th April, 2016 It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the sudden death of our beloved son and brother, Anthony “Tony” D.J. Moore on Saturday April 30, 2016. He is survived by his loving mother Katie, siblings Nikki, Kristie, Scott and Mark, four nieces, three nephews, one great-nephew and one great-niece. Details for a celebration of his life will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at churchillsfuneralhome.com Groundbreaking set for solar farm TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Groundbreaking will take place Monday for Cay- man’s first solar farm, which will begin generating power in October. Initially scheduled for February, construction on the 21,690-panel, 22-acre array in eastern Bodden Town will start one week after the May 9 groundbreaking on a former vegetable farm adja- cent to Pease Bay Pond. The project will cost approxi- mately $18 million. The farm is expected to begin producing 5 megawatts of electricity in late October, a slightly accelerated schedule from an otherwise typical “seven to eight months” after the start of construction, ac- cording to David March, managing partner of North Carolina-based builder En- tropy Investment Manage- ment, and local affiliate En- tropy Cayman Solar. Mr. March will arrive on Sunday for the ceremony, and will leave Tuesday. He is likely to meet legal ad- visers and subcontractors while here. The hiatus between Feb- ruary and May, he said, “had been caused by a variety of administrative tasks that always take longer than one expects.” Entropy has built more than 350 MW of solar, mostly in the U.S. The company has completed 41 projects, in- cluding three 10MW arrays in Panama. Mr. March be- lieves “Latin America and the Caribbean are attrac- tive investment markets and have unique load, environ- mental and grid characteris- tics that multiply the value of solar and other renewable- energy technologies.” In October 2013, Cayman’s electric utility overseer, the Electricity Regulatory Au- thority, approved a 5 MW solar bid tendered by Pitts- burgh’s International Electric Power, which subsequently transferred the project to En- tropy Investment Manage- ment, an affiliate of Entropy Cayman Solar Ltd. On Oct. 30, 2015, the Elec- tricity Regulatory Authority approved an agreement for the generation and purchase of solar-generated electricity hammered out between En- tropy and the Caribbean Util- ities Company. The 25-year pact requires Entropy to supply 5MW of solar-generated power to CUC’s nationwide transmis- sion and distribution grid. The utility will pay 17 cents per kWh to Entropy, though the price charged to con- sumers is likely to be closer to 27 cents. Electricity Regulatory Authority Managing Director Charles Farrington said the authority had not been given “a firm groundbreaking date,” but had approved “only a target commercial opera- tion date of October 2016 – which ERA understands has not been changed.” The solar farm is the first utility-scale solar project in Cayman. As such, develop- ment costs “are considerably higher,” Mr. March said, “and time lines extended, as well as the regulatory evolution in new markets.” “The same was true in the United States. Early proj- ects took considerably longer than what is experienced today. We expect the Carib- bean will become easier and less expensive to do renew- able energy projects as the market matures,” he said. Training and costs of labor are higher in Cayman than the U.S. Design and ma- terials, he said, must with- stand hurricane-force winds. Since Cayman is es- sentially made up of vol- canic rock, “We cannot drive racking pilings, so we need to use high wind-velocity bal- lasted systems,” which means Entropy must import consid- erable amounts of cement. “Since Cayman is low- lying land, we also [have] to build up the height of the site for flooding purposes,” he added. “The lack of utility- scale solar equipment sup- port in the Caymans requires us to use more easily replace- able and redundant systems to avoid downtime.” Proximity to the ocean “requires the use of more ex- pensive materials, such as stainless steel, to avoid corro- sion,” he said. Finally, he pointed to reg- ulatory uncertainties for a first-time utility-scale re- newable-power project: “It took all parties a long time to work through all the issues, but all parties worked collab- oratively and in partnership. Everyone had the same goal of getting this solar project completed.” Because the Cayman grid is smaller than in the U.S., it required “much more dil- igence, engineering, safety concerns and forethought” to integrate renewable power. “There isn’t as large a margin for error in a small grid,” he said. “The ERA and CUC understand this and did a great job in ensuring safe, reliable solar integration.” He was hopeful that as the project proves successful, it might spur further devel- opment of solar, not only in Cayman, but throughout the Caribbean. Mr. Farrington said the Electricity Regulatory Authority was already looking toward a second tender for a new 5 MW solar farm. Construction on the 21,690-panel, 22-acre array in eastern Bodden Town will start one week after the May 9 groundbreaking on a former vegetable farm adjacent to Pease Bay Pond. Groundbreaking for a solar farm will be held in Bodden Town on Monday. – PHOTO: FILE9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 6, 2016 In Memory of our dearest Mother, Julia Almeria Hydes January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015 On this fi rst Mother’s Day after your passing, we remember your love, your honesty, your kindness, your humour, your wisdom, and your labour of love for us. You were with us for 80 years as our dear Mother, and we will treasure all of the precious memories of you always. In loving memory, respect and honour, Your children: Francine, Edmund, Raybe, Lewieceto, Edroy and their families “ Remembrance in life’s passing is the truest form of love one can give, for a Memory should never die, and a love should live forever in the heart of another.” Laura M. Phipps-Kelley In Memory of our dearest Mother, In Memory of our dearest Mother, January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015 In Memory of our dearest Mother, In Memory of our dearest Mother, January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015January 25, 1909 – November 30, 2015 We regret to announce the passing of Vincent Duhaney Who departed this life on Wednesday, 20th April 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, 14th May, 2016, at the New Testament Church, George Town. Viewing will be from noon prior to the service. Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. We regret to announce the passing of Corinne Yvonne Conolly Who departed this life on Sunday, 1st May 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, 14th May, 2016, at the East End United Church. Viewing will be prior to the service from 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow in Gun Bay Cemetery pg We regret to announce the passing of Daphne Delvia Gomez Who departed this life on Wednesday, 27th April 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, 7th May, 2016, at Church of God, Chapel, Walkers Rd. Viewing will be held from 1:00 p.m. prior to the service Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. School exams moving to computers in 2017 Administrators working to build infrastructure, new method CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Filling in little circles on the Scantron sheet with a No. 2 pencil will be a thing of the past for students in Cayman government sec- ondary schools. Starting in January, the Caribbean Ex- amination Council tests will be giving all its Caribbean Secondary Education Certif- icate multiple choice exams on computers. “This will affect everyone,” said Lyneth Monteith, acting chief education officer with the Department of Education Services. She said the biggest issues for the school system will be ensuring there are enough computers and suit- able IT infrastructure for testing days. The change will also affect the private schools that use the CXC exams. For teachers and students in government schools, the methods for teaching and preparing for the tests will have to change, Ms. Monteith said. In a statement, CXC writes, “Electronic testing will bring regional learners up to speed with world- wide test-taking practices and provide them with the flexibility to interact with images, video, audio and other resources during their examinations. “CXC’s electronic testing format will adhere to world- class security standards which will guarantee the in- tegrity of the test taking.” “There is phase-in time,” Ms. Monteith said, for ev- eryone involved to switch over to the new electronic tests and for her department to make sure there are enough computers to go around. “The basic issue will be the infrastructure and having enough computers for the largest exams,” she said. For John Gray and Clifton Hunter high schools, Ms. Monteith said, “two big exams last a whole day” and she estimates that 200 students at each school will take the tests at the same time. “The other exams are manageable,” she said, and most tests can be done in ex- isting school computer labs. The Caribbean Examina- tion Council, based in Bar- bados, notes in its news re- lease, “This exciting, new initiative is in keeping with CXC’s commitment to ob- serve global quality stan- dards in the delivery of examination services and de- liver enhanced learner expe- riences through the consis- tent use of technology.” Sixteen countries use the CXC exams, including Cayman, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, and Trinidad and Tobago. The CXC curriculum is similar to the English GCSE system. The curric- ulum is taught across gov- ernment schools and in sev- eral private schools in the Cayman Islands. The change will also affect the private schools that use the CXC exams. The days of filling out school exams on paper are numbered, as Cayman’s schools get ready to move to computer-based tests.Next >