ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 High of 88 Low of 76 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. HURRICANE GUIDE 2016 WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE DURING AND AFTER A STORM HURRICANE GUIDE 2016 What to know before, during and after a storm EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CHASING THE ‘MISSING MILLIONS’: DON’T. RoadUser Save up to $400 with home and car insurance Buy BritCay’s buildings insurance and receive a $250 gift certificate. If you have home insurance, you also receive a 10% discount on car cover. With the lowest deductibles at $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 $10 Million ASSET PROTECTION! with motor cover* *private car insurance cgigrp Premier fires back at Bridger Calls letter seeking ‘negotiated settlement’ blackmail BRENT FULLER AND ALAN MARKOFF bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com; amarkoff@pinnaclemedialtd.com Premier Alden McLaughlin angrily re- sponded in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday to a letter from former Operation Tempura senior investigating officer Martin Bridger, saying that it constituted “an attempt at blackmail and an attempt at extortion of the Cayman Islands Government.” The letter, which was sent to the pre- mier on June 1 under the heading “Private and Confidential,” warned that the Cayman Islands could face significant reputational damage if facts relating to the Operations Tempura and Cealt investigations were to become public knowledge. Mr. Bridger gave Mr. McLaughlin until the close of business on June 3 to respond, and when the premier did not, he circulated the letter to local media outlets on Tuesday. Mr. McLaughlin said Mr. Bridger had been “trying to extort and blackmail the Cayman Islands government over the course of some time,” adding that Mr. Bridger “should be in jail for what he has done to the people” of the Cayman Islands as a result of the Operations Tempura and Cealt, which has cost the juris- diction “upwards of $15 million so far.” “And now he has the audacity to write to me in terms which I would consider black- mail,” the premier said. In his June 1 letter, Mr. Bridger asked Pre- mier McLaughlin for a private meeting to bring all outstanding Tempura-related matters to an “amicable resolution.” “I am sure you can understand that I want to put all of these matters behind me and move on with my life and, if possible, avoid GOVERNMENT CHASING MILLIONS IN UNPAID RENTAL TAXES Requirement states all tenants should be paying stamp duty JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government officials are going after millions of dollars in unpaid taxes on rental properties. The Lands and Survey Department has issued a reminder that every tenant in the Cayman Islands should be paying stamp duty, regardless of the length or type of their lease. Several real estate agents told the Cayman Compass they were unaware of the require- ment. The Cayman Islands Real Estate Bro- kers Association says traditionally the law has not been enforced on residential leases. “I have never heard of anyone that has paid it,” said Jeanette Totten, the as- sociation’s president. They should be, said Jon Hall, chief valua- tion officer with the Lands and Survey Depart- ment. He acknowledged that collection of the tax on residential rental properties has his- torically been lax, but he said the law clearly states that 5 percent of the annual rental value on any lease agreement, regardless of length or type of lease, is due in stamp duty taxes to the government. “I can understand how some confusion and misunderstandings may have arisen,” he said. “However, there are no exceptions, and I cannot stress enough – if you have a written lease, regardless of whether it is called a ten- ancy, lease, agreement or other similar de- scription, then stamp duty is payable on it.” Based on realtors’ estimated average rental Charity climbers scale Andean peak JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands flag was flying at the summit of Mount Tarija in the Bo- livian Andes this week as charity moun- tain climbers completed the first part of a “three-peak challenge.” Led by Derek Haines, the trio of climbers are raising money for the Have a Heart Foundation, which pays for life-saving heart operations for underprivileged children at Health City Cayman Islands hospital. Mr. Haines, Vico Testori and Barry Yetton aim to scale three mountains in Bo- livia, with a combined height of 57,285 feet, during the next month. Peak one was chalked off the list this week, when the three men reached the summit of Mount Tarija after a 12-hour climb, including traversing a glacier. Starting from base camp high in the Andes, the three began their summit attempt at 1 a.m., reaching the glacier at 4 a.m. “We donned our crampons and hel- mets, roped up to our local mountain guides and set off upwards with ice axes in hand,” Mr. Haines said in an emailed ac- count from Bolivia. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » Vico Testori, Derek Haines and Barry Yetton at the summit of Bolivia’s Mount Tarija. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. y *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - KEANU (R) 2:00 I 4:30 I 7:30 I 10:00 ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 3D (PG) 1:10 2D I 4:20 I 7:00 2D I 9:50 X-MEN: APOCALYPSE 3D(PG13) 1:00 I 3:50 2D I 6:50 I 9:30 2D TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES OUT OF THE SHADOWS 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:40 2D I 6:50 I 9:40 2D ANGRY BIRDS 3D (PG) 1:30 2D I 4:10 I 7:10 2D I 10:00 BARBERSHOP 3 THE NEXT CUT(PG13) 1:20 I 4:00 I 7:20 I 9:50 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman recognizes World Oceans Day KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com In recognition of World Oceans Day, Environment Minister Wayne Panton on Wednesday reasserted his commitment to seeing the National Conservation Law fully implemented as soon as possible and to bringing pro- posals to enhance and “fu- ture-proof” Cayman’s national system of marine parks. In a message marking World Oceans Day and World Environment Day (June 5), the minister said that although Cayman was one of the first countries to enact compre- hensive marine conservation measures, and that its ma- rine resources are “relatively healthy,” its marine environ- ment has nevertheless been subjected to threats such as overfishing, coastal devel- opment, mangrove removal, coral bleaching and the pro- liferation of invasive lionfish. “Over the last 30 years, our marine parks have served us well, preserving marine life in the Cayman Islands for residents and tourists alike to enjoy,” Mr. Panton said in the statement. “But we know that our reefs are still in decline and we live in a different world today – the threats are real and growing and we must respond.” “This is why I am also committed to ensuring that the proposed enhancements to the marine parks, which have been recommended by the [Department of Envi- ronment] and endorsed by the National Conservation Council, are adopted as soon as possible,” he added. The minister said that the proposals for the enhanced marine parks aim to pro- vide appropriate protections to the “fragile” marine envi- ronment, which offers the Cayman Islands many eco- nomic and social benefits. Department of Environment Research, in conjunction with Bangor University and The Nature Conservancy, has shown that marine protected areas are the most effective, efficient and economical way to conserve marine resources. The minister also noted that Cayman is “ahead of the curve” when it comes to the protection of sharks and rays. All species of sharks and rays are protected by the National Conservation Law. “As a fisherman, I know the perception is that we compete with sharks for fish, but this is not the case,” Mr. Panton said. “Even when a shark occasionally takes a tuna or snapper off the line, it’s not competing with us. That’s simply a sign of a healthy marine environment, which means more fish. “Research around the world has shown that when we have healthy shark populations, we have healthy reefs and other marine environments.” The Cayman Islands Human Rights Commission also released a statement marking World Oceans Day, applauding the government’s efforts to promote sustain- able development of Cay- man’s marine environment and encouraging it to “con- tinue to comply with its con- stitutional duty to protect our natural resources.” The statement noted that Section 18 of the Cayman Islands Constitution gives a right to protection of the environment. “In all its decisions, the government is required to have regard to the need to foster and protect an envi- ronment that is not harmful to the health or well-being of present and future gener- ations, while promoting jus- tifiable economic and social development,” the statement said. “This includes the adop- tion of legislation and other measures to protect the her- itage and wildlife and the land and sea biodiversity of the Cayman Islands.” The commission also en- couraged Cayman Islands residents to show their sup- port for World Oceans Day by participating in beach cleanups, collecting recy- clable materials, learning about climate change to un- derstand what can be done to decrease its impact on sea and marine life, or by visiting the Cayman Islands National Museum and Maritime Heri- tage Trail to learn more about Cayman’s maritime and sea- faring history. ICCI inducts students into honorary society Fifteen students from the International College of the Cayman Islands have been inducted into the Sigma Beta Delta International Honor So- ciety chapter. This is the college’s first academic honor society. The induction took place on June 5 at the George Town Yacht Club. Felicia Bodden, Cynthia Campbell, Shenek Conolly, Ava Fearon, Kimari Fletcher-Barrett, Paula Ford, George Gorham, Derick Johnson, Melody Martin, Patriann Monteith, De- siree Myles, Naresa Robinson, Cashema Rankine, Diana Virtue and Jeoffery Walton were the students inducted. “This is another big win for ICCI students and ter- tiary education in Cayman,” said ICCI President David Marshall. “Student member- ship in Sigma Beta Delta is additional evidence that our students are coming out of our programs prepared for the workforce and are com- petitive on the global stage.” Founded in 1994, Sigma Beta Delta recognizes scholarship and accomplishments among accounting, business admin- istration and management students. It also encourages and promotes personal and professional improvement. To be invited to the membership by the faculty, students must be in the top 20 percent of their academic program and be considered to have a good moral character. “I am extremely thankful to receive this honor, to show to my employer, and have it be put in my employee file,” said ICCI graduate stu- dent Ava Fearon. “It is an ac- knowledgment of all the hard work of studying while main- taining a full-time job and doing it at the highest level.” The ceremony included an address by guest speaker Dr. Randy McLeod, vice presi- dent and board member of Sigma Beta Delta. “When employers come to colleges and universities looking for talent, they don’t say give me your average stu- dent. They always ask for the best students. You are the best students at the Interna- tional College, and you are being selected for member- ship in an organization with some of the best business students in the world,” said Mr. McLeod, who is also a business administration pro- fessor at Harding University. Mr. McLeod presented the official charter from the Sigma Beta Delta U.S. national office formally approving IC- CI’s chapter, and also pre- sented each student with a certificate, pin and honor cord – all symbols of membership. “As a student,” said ICCI accounting student Derick Johnson, “you want to be part of something to help give you a bright future and make you stand out from the crowd.” Sigma Beta Delta has more than 400 chapters in- ternationally and more than 85,000 members. About 5,000 members a year are inducted. Lance Barnes, Melisa Hamilton, Dr. Alicia Law, and Wayne McManus are the new faculty chapter offi- cers. ICCI founder and Pres- ident Emerita Dr. Elsa M. Cummings and ICCI board chair Mike Mannisto were in- ducted as honorary members. International College of the Cayman Islands students and inductees of the Sigma Beta Delta International Honor Society. PRESIDENTIAL VOTE COUNT DRAGS ON IN PERU LIMA, Peru (AP) – Econ- omist Pedro Pablo Kuc- zynski clung to a thin lead over the daughter of a jailed former president early Wednesday as the count from Peru’s presi- dential election dragged on, straining nerves in a nation divided after a po- larizing campaign. With tallies from 98.4 percent of polling sta- tions counted, Kuczynski had 50.1 percent of the votes compared with 49.9 percent for Keiko Fuji- mori, daughter of former strongman Alberto Fuji- mori. The total number of votes separating them was about 44,000. While two quick counts showed Kuczynski pre- vailing in Sunday’s elec- tion, still being counted are the ballots cast by 885,000 Peruvians eligible to vote abroad, the last of which are expected to ar- rive in Peru on Wednesday. Peruvians living abroad, the majority in the United States, turned out mas- sively for Fujimori in the 2011 election but are ex- pected to be more split this time around. About 1,200 hand- written tallies representing up to 360,000 votes were being disputed and were sent to a special electoral board for review, Mariano Cucho, the head of Peru’s electoral authority, told RPP Radio on Tuesday Both candidates have remained largely silent while awaiting final re- sults of Peru’s tightest presidential race since 1962, a contest that ended in a military coup. “Tranquility and se- renity,” Kuczynski urged on Tuesday, amid strained nerves among his sup- porters. “We have to wait for the final verdict. We’re almost there.” Regardless of who wins, half of voters are bound to be disappointed, making it harder for the next president to govern. Aides in both campaigns are jockeying for posi- tions in an eventual alli- ance in congress, where Fujimori’s Popular Force won a solid majority of 73 of 130 seats. Kuczyn- ski’s fledgling movement will have just 18, fewer than the country’s main leftist alliance. If Kuczynski holds onto his lead, it would be a stunning turnaround. Fujimori won April’s first round of voting by more than 20 points in a field of 10 candidates and consistently led Kuc- zynski in polls before Sunday’s runoff. Kuczynski, 77, managed to climb back in the race by attacking his younger rival as a risk to Peru’s young democracy. Playing on memories of Alberto Fujimori’s well- known ties to corrup- tion, organized crime and death squads, for which he’s serving a 25-year prison sentence, he seized on string of scandals that hobbled Fujimori in the final stretch.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS “Public Reminded of Stamp Duty on Leases” — That was the subject line of an email we received recently from the Cayman Islands government. It was the Lands and Survey Department’s casual, almost offhand way of announcing its intention to extract unknown millions of dollars from an unwitting public, through stamp duty payments on residential rental agreements. (Most major commercial renters already are paying stamp duty.) Never mind that the department has no infra- structure in place to collect stamp duty on residential leases, or that it is unclear how far back in the past those unpaid taxes would accrue, what the conse- quences are for nonpayment or how they would be enforced. Not to mention the inflationary effects to Cayman’s already-exorbitant cost of living, concen- trated on renters who tend to have lower incomes, and residential landlords, many who are Caymanians of modest means themselves. Or that Lands and Survey is the same department that was recently castigated by a judge for its long-running practice of charging buyers “extra” stamp duty whenever the department’s in-house valuations of property are greater than the actual sales price. Little consideration, it appears, has been made to the impossibility of enacting the measure, the sig- nificance (if any) of the impact on the public purse, or potential abuses of certain individuals by way of selective enforcement. In other words: Here we go again. Cayman has deliberately abstained from imple- menting an income tax for several very good reasons. One of those, of course, is that it is a major selling point for our islands to attract investments and investors. Another, which is perhaps no less important, is that the costs of a mechanism to enforce and collect an income tax, in a country of 60,000 people, would be immense and might even surpass the revenues. For better or worse (we’d say better), Cayman’s government lacks the infrastructure and the expertise required to collect taxes proactively from individual households. Contemplate, for example, the government’s attempts to assess and collect fees for garbage pickup — a task that thousands of small and large municipali- ties worldwide perform routinely. But not in Cayman. Last year, an Internal Audit Unit report showed that hundreds of business and condo complexes were not being billed for trash pick-up, and many may not have been paying those fees as far back as 2010, when gov- ernment had given up on charging residential homes for trash pick-up. If our government can’t collect a garbage tax (or, more recently in the news, the $90 million in “doubtful debts” for public hospital services), then it is highly unlikely it will ever recoup its unpaid “rental taxes.” Nor should it. Our government already is bringing in revenues approaching a billion dollars per year. The last thing it needs is to extract more revenue, particu- larly in the form of a “new” direct tax on residents. That being said, the law — even a bad, barely- thought-out one — is still the law. Accordingly, the next task falls to Cayman’s law- makers. The way we see it, they have two options: 1. Declare a blanket amnesty, accompanied by an official mea culpa, that assures Cayman resi- dents they will not be held liable for years of “back taxes.” Then, going forward, come up with a prac- tical and efficient way to enforce the provisions of the Stamp Duty Law dealing with residential lease agreements; or, alternatively — 2. Declare a blanket amnesty on “back taxes” and then, in the equivalent of a public execution, excise the provision of the Stamp Duty Law dealing with residential lease agreements. Our government then might want to call a press conference, announce it is killing the onerous revenue measure as yet another demonstration of its ongoing commitment to lower the tax burden on Cayman voters. In an election year, it might just work. Chasing the ‘missing millions’: Don’t. 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” LETTER TO THE EDITOR GM mosquitoes too risky As a frequent tourist to the Cayman Islands, I re- main dumbfounded with the government-approved genetically modified mos- quito program. In my opinion, why in the world would the Cayman Is- lands government risk and conduct such an experiment with a GM mosquito that may potentially harm such a beautiful and unique island? It is proven that all living things learn to adapt to their environment. Fur- ther evidence can be had from the fact that these ge- netically modified mosqui- toes have already learned to adapt to their present laboratory environment. As such, it is only conceiv- able that once released into the outside environment, they may learn to adapt to their new outside environment. It is straightforward to think and easy to understand that a laboratory is a “con- trolled environment” where scientists control every as- pect of the subject environ- ment, and that all the scien- tific data relates only to that specific environment. Con- versely, the opposite holds true in the outside environ- ment, given it is an “uncon- trolled environment” and anything can happen because there are no controls. In the event something does happen and these ge- netically modified mosqui- toes learn to adapt and do not die as prescribed, what recourse is there and what plans are in place to remedy the situation? In my opinion, should something happen and this genetically modified mosquito learns to adapt to their new outside environ- ment, your island would be infected with a Franken- stein mosquito where the effects and consequences would be unknown. The result could be that tourists would not visit and banking would stampede off your island, potentially and effectively devastating many aspects of your livelihood; tourism, healthcare, environ- ment, ecosystem, economy, real estate, banking, etc. Therefore, my question is quite simply: Why take such an unwarranted risk? Tony D’Aversa It is proven that all living things learn to adapt to their environment. FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM “On the landfill: No plan, no timetable – and no money,” June 6 We can’t embarrass the Cayman Islands government about this disgraceful land- fill. I think the only thing that we can do to get them to do something about it, is to take it and put it in their front yard, then they might do something about it. Ron and Clair Ebanks Apart from the Zika threat – this landfill issue will kill us. Not just the bad small and negative PR. I mean literally. Until a solution is found, I suppose we all have to stock up on gas masks to prevent long-term irreversible health issues. I suppose we all can buy new lungs and get blood transfusions until the problem is fixed. What about property values in all the fancy canal lots and proper- ties along the North Sound? Thank God – me nah living close to this mess! This dump has to go and I would encourage the cur- rent PPM government to go eat some humble pie and beg Mr. Dart to take over this mess once and for all. You don’t have to be a finan- cial wizard to see you will save yourself US$100 million and countless lives and med- ical bills incurred by the na- tion. Put this money to work – pay down national debt and plug holes in the ticking time bomb called national pen- sions which is about to go bust in a few years’ time. Please stop sitting on your hands or hiring useless con- sultants which will take you back to first base – which is to go have a talk with Mr. Dart. Clarence Ebanks Sadly, Alden McLaughlin and his colleagues had the opportunity to tackle this when they were in power before and fluffed it. I re- member in 2006 that rather than actually deal with the dump they did things like going to the U.S. to explore “waste to energy” while at the same time ignoring practical solutions, including one that would have created a proper recycling facility. In fact, if you look back, it seems they did everything ex- cept tackle the problem, and when they lost the 2009 elec- tion, all they left behind was an even bigger pile of trash waiting to be sorted out. This just sounds like history re- peating itself. David Williams The dump situation could have been fixed, but the PPM came up with a “Voters Plan” and the people of Bodden Town took it – “hook, line and sinker.” Yes, I remember every- body going down to the slaughter by the PPM’s “No Dump in Bodden Town” pri- vately held meetings, fooling the people that truckloads of garbage would be hauled up here every day from all over the island and from the dump, creating a dump in this district. Most people never wanted to hear the facts as to what would take place, and now we are still faced with Mount Trashmore. The Bodden Town Pro- gressives government prom- ised, and bellowed from po- diums and sidewalks, that so many bad things were going to take place by putting the dump in the area designated, and had the people revved up and ready to fall into a ravine of untruth. Now, three years later, no solution, no plans and half the crowd is still drunk with the Kool-Aid. Twyla Vargas5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 Cayman ‘Zika free,’ health officials say Case was likely sexually transmitted between tourists CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The recent case of Zika possibly linked to Cayman was not spread by local mos- quitoes, but was sexually transmitted by a tourist’s partner from St. Maarten, the Cayman Islands Public Health Department said Wednesday. Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams- Rodriguez said in a state- ment that a female tourist from the Netherlands met in Cayman with her partner in May. Both the man and woman exhibited mild Zika symptoms, and she tested positive for the virus when she returned home. Dr. Williams-Rodriguez, head of public health for Cayman said, “At this stage, taking into consideration her medical history and the visit from her partner from a country with a confirmed Zika virus outbreak, coupled with the fact that they stayed to- gether for a period of one week after the onset of his symp- toms, we conclude that this is a presumptive case of sexually transmitted Zika virus.” In the written state- ment, Dr. Williams-Rodri- guez noted, “I want to make it unequivocally clear that as of June 7, 2016, there are no confirmed cases of Zika virus in the Cayman Islands. I encourage all residents who have returned from an en- demic country where there is an outbreak of the Zika virus and who present with symptoms, to contact their general practitioner.” The Public Health Depart- ment said the woman from Amsterdam visited Cayman from April 13 to May 18, and her partner visited for 11 days, starting on May 6. The statement noted that the man from St. Maarten had symp- toms on May 10 but did not go to a doctor. The woman had mild Zika-like symptoms, similar to those for dengue and chi- kungunya, from May 11 to 13, according to Dr. Williams-Ro- driguez. He said she traveled back to the Netherlands on May 18 and again had symp- toms of Zika, which are sim- ilar to symptoms for dengue and Chikungunya. She sought medical attention in her home country and tested positive for Zika. “As the case was diagnosed in the Netherlands, it will be reported as an imported case for the Netherlands and not the Cayman Islands. The Mos- quito Research and Control Unit is fully informed of the details surrounding this in- vestigation and continues to take all the necessary mea- sures to intensify vector con- trol in the area where the couple stayed,” Dr. Williams- Rodriguez said. He added, “Residents who have no travel history to any country endemic to the Zika virus but who experience symptoms, especially skin rash, conjunctivitis (red eyes) and fever, should alert their general practitioner at once.” Zika is transmitted through Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and can also be passed from men to women through sexual in- tercourse. The Public Health Department warns, “All men returning from where local transmission of Zika virus is known to occur are encour- aged to adopt safer sexual practices or consider absti- nence for at least four weeks after return.” Zika is active in most countries in the Caribbean, and almost all of South and Central America. The Mosquito Research and Control Unit has been increasing its efforts to con- trol the Aedes aegypti and other mosquitoes as the rainy season begins. MRCU director Bill Petrie, in a re- cent interview, said the unit is ready to respond to any potential Zika outbreak and is working to keep mosquito populations under control so any potential virus is kept under control. Aedes aegypti mosqui- toes prefer to live and breed around homes in fresh water and, Mr. Petrie said, are noto- riously hard to control. They breed in clogged gutters, in- side tires and birdbaths, and other areas that collect fresh water. The best way to con- trol the Aedes mosquitoes is by making sure there’s no standing water in buckets, water bowls and other things that could hold rainwater. Many people infected with Zika show no symp- toms, and those that do could have a fever, rash, and joint and muscle pain. The most serious impact from Zika is for pregnant women. Babies of women who contract the virus while pregnant can be born with severe brain de- fects, most notably micro- cephaly, when the head and brain do not fully develop. Jamaica announced this week that it will require Zika tests for all pregnant women. “I want to make it unequivocally clear that as of June 7, 2016, there are no confirmed cases of Zika virus in the Cayman Islands.” DR. SAMUEL WILLIAMS- RODRIGUEZ, Public Health Department A Mosquito Research and Control Unit truck transports a fogging machine and a suited mosquito control officer. – PHOTO: BASIA MCGUIRETHURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Bodden Town In the June 8, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a pre- cursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Haig Bodden wrote: “Departing from this district on Thursday last for New York were Edward Solomon, Lewis Berry, Rudolph Martinez and George West. These young men have gone to work with National Bulk Carriers. “The lifeline of our economy depends today more than ever on our seamen. Thousands of dollars come into this island every year from this source. “It is safe to say that had it not been for the shipping companies, especially the giant N.B.C., there would not be three banks in op- eration here. There would be no jet airport, no supermarkets, no telephones, no asphalted streets filled with sleek automobiles, no tourists, no rapid construction of prefabricated and block buildings. In fact, the island would be where it was 25 years ago. “There is one appalling factor in this otherwise rosy picture, and it is this: they that go down to the sea in ships are in many re- spects outcasts. “What is being done to protect our seamen? It is true that a union is functioning but, as everyone knows, its powers are far from being absolute. Able though the union’s negotiants may be, their ideas are generally circumscribed. “Every week a new committee is formed or a new board estab- lished for some object of insignifi- cant purpose … Why is there no marine board or shipping master besides an overworked collector of customs? “Although things are not satis- factory, proper negotiations could improve the lot of the seaman. I firmly believe that if a delegation from the House of Assembly vis- ited the head office of the main shipping companies, some ami- cable agreement could be formu- lated and both employer and em- ployee would benefit. “The most vital string in our economy is being threatened … Caymanians must wake up and live and fight to preserve the pres- tige built up by countless gener- ations in the noble tradition of seamanship.” 50 years ago: Dependence on seafaring raises questions Couple celebrates 64 years of marriage JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com An East End man who mar- ried a girl he fell head over heels in love with at a town hall dance is just as much in love today as when he first met her on the dance floor 69 years ago. That night when he went over and asked for a dance, he knew right away he had found his life- long companion. To let her know he was serious about her, the next day he turned up at her workplace with a letter of proposal asking her permission to date. Martin Bodden 86, and wife Mar- jorie, 85, celebrated their 64th wed- ding anniversary on May 29 at their home on Meadowlark Drive, Spotts Newlands, with family and friends, and Mrs. Bodden’s favorite local dish – stew fish and salt beef rundown. “I loved her from the very first time we met. I can’t re- member where we met, but I know I still love her,” said Mr. Bodden on a recent afternoon. “Martin, you remember, we met at the dance and that’s where we got to talking,” said Mrs. Bodden. “Oh, yeah! I remember now. I loved you from that very first time … yes, ma’am.” “I knew he was serious because the very next day he turned up at my workplace and handed me this letter telling me he loved me and asking if I had a boyfriend, and if he could date me,” said Mrs. Bodden. She agreed to date him, and it was not too long afterward that she realized Martin was the one, because when he came calling, he was always very neat, he had a job, worked very hard and he was well mannered. Not everyone was so enthusiastic about the match. After dating for five years, Mr. Bodden wrote three let- ters asking Marjorie’s mother for her hand in marriage, and was denied all three times. In the end, the couple got married in 1952 when Marjorie gave her own consent. “Her mother didn’t want me, but after Marjorie gave consent, she couldn’t do nothing about it again … but not one of the family came to the wedding,” Mr. Bodden said. “We have a good life to- gether; every bad situation I try to make something good out of it,” said Mrs. Bodden. The newlyweds first lived to- gether in George Town, building a small home there a year later. Like many men at the time, Mr. Bodden soon went to sea, leaving for up to 14 months at a time. But once the couple started welcoming children, Mrs. Bodden urged her husband to end the seafaring life because she feared his children would grow up not knowing him, and not forge a strong father/child bond. Mr. Bodden consented, and took a job at the airport as a fireman, and the family moved to a bigger home in Newlands. Mr. Bodden eventually had to retire after get- ting ill with a heart condition. He then joined the team at the A. L. Thompson’s store, only retiring after he became ill again. Mrs. Bodden said she did her best to bring up the children to be ambitious, to share with one another and to love and respect people and the community. She says her children still help and respect each other and she praises God for that. When asked the secret to a great marriage, “Prayer, patience and per- severance was the glue that kept us together. Divorce was never an op- tion so we had to make it work,” the couple agreed. “I loved her be- cause she was very neat and the best of cooks.” Mr. Bodden said. Throughout the marriage, the couple did everything together. They went to church, worked, gardened, shopped, cooked and went to sleep together, Mrs. Bodden said. Of course, they had their ups and downs and bumps along the way, but she be- lieves in the power of prayer. “When you are married and the matrimony says ‘For better or worse,’ you must stick to that. When you have children, divorce is not the answer,” she said. Mrs. Bodden said when the dif- ferences and difficulties came along, she did not let them get her down. Instead, she turned her attention to their seven children. “One thing I never believed in was divorce. It makes me know it pays to serve the Lord because in everything I give thanks, because I could not have made it without Him,” she said. In her spare time, Mrs. Bodden was known for spending most of her time visiting shut-ins, reading, cooking, cleaning, singing and praying with them. She was awarded the certificate of honor for Christian Service to the Community on He- roes Day 2010. She also took frequent cruises with the ladies from the Sev- enth-day Adventist Church. Mr. Bodden spent his leisure time building “ludie” boards, and their son Martin recalls his father entertaining the children for hours with the game. Mr. Bodden spent his spare time making the boards, which became a popular request from many in the community. “It was just a hobby and he would give them away, but after a while there were so many requests, he de- cided to sell [them] just to offset the cost of the wood,” he said. Martin and his siblings Mary, George, Vincent, Debra, Ernest and Marlon also heard many good stories from their father about his life at sea, and he taught them how to handle a boat, draw a fish pot and bait a hook. “My dad said he had a friend that would set the fish pots and mark the spot by a cloud. If he found the fish pots again, I do not know, but that was a big joke with the family when it was told,” said Martin. Watching his mother in the kitchen preparing meals was also a charm for Martin. He said his mother loved to cook and show them how things were done. “I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her, and admired the way she multi-tasked the sewing, cooking, cleaning and having everything so coordinated.” He said she was always willing to help people and to do whatever it took to keep the family together. Mrs. Bodden feels the couple has been truly blessed, and believes that if her husband goes before her, she will not be too far behind. “Some- times it makes me wonder if it’s re- ally worth being together for so long, and one has to go, but God knows how I will manage, so I won’t stress and go that far,” she said. Marjorie gives Martin, her husband of 64 years, a hug. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYCAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days Bodden Town Rains signal start of crabbing season JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A first good rain of the season usually signals the beginning of crabbing season, which meant a taste of Caymanian tradition was in the forecast at the Harry McCoy Sr. Park in Bodden Town on June 4. Three steel rods, an- chored by some huge 16- penny nails to an outside kitchen caboose, supported a pot of boiling land crabs flavored with local sea- soning and Scotch bonnet peppers, onions, plantains, potatoes and green ba- nanas covered with plan- tain leaves. Half a bread- fruit wrapped in tinfoil and fresh sweet corn cooked on the coals below. This was to be a feast for a group armed with spicy pickled peppers and onions in vinegar, fresh limes and cracking uten- sils, waiting in anticipation under the park huts. “This is a lot of culture and tradition you see right here and a little rain won’t stop this crab feast,” said Emil Watler as he checked the pot of crabs. His friend Rose Arnold pulled out her cellphone and began taking pictures. “I am sending these to my daughter Areta in New Jersey,” she said, more than impressed with the abun- dance of crabs and local produce simmering over the coals. Waiting for the crabs to turn a lighter color after 25 minutes, which would signify they were ready to eat, the group prepared the table by covering it with green thatch leaves and newspaper pages. Savoring this delicious dish can be really messy; that is why most crab eating and picking is done outside. Having to crack or rip open a crab does not make for dainty dining, and some- times teeth and bare hands are used when a mallet knife fails to do the work fast enough. This is also the time crab stories are told of the big one that got away, new rec- ipes shared and the one that lost its “pincher” on some- one’s finger or toe. “I have to get glasses be- fore I go crab hunting the next year,” Mr. Watler said, laughing. Alice Mae Bodden said that’s because the crabs were running round his feet and he kept asking where were they were. “Ummmm, the flesh of these black and also these red crabs is very sweet,” said Mr. Watler, doing his best to change the subject, dipping the meat into a plate of spicy pickled sauce and lime juice and popping it into his mouth. “There’s just a few places in Cayman these black crabs can be found, Beach Bay and Manse Road … it’s hard to distinguish the male from the female in this lot,” he said, devouring another piece of crab. To distinguish the male from the female in some land crabs, you will notice a triangular shape on the rear section of the bottom of the underside. The female has a broad, round marking, and the male has a triangular marking. Crab aficionados know that ensuring females are not overcaught will keep the population from being de- pleted too much, but once in a while enjoying a female that has tasty eggs inside is not to be missed. Crabs make their ap- pearance between April and June and take to the streets from the back lands, making their way across the busy highways to the sea. Some- times the crabs end up in people’s backyards and ga- rages, but more often, they are squashed by cars while trying to cross the roads. Crabs are mostly caught at night. To avoid capture, a crab will protect itself by putting up its two defensive claws. Before going crab hunting, crabbers cover themselves in lots of mos- quito repellent and bring flashlights. After the crabs are caught, a holding pen is set up and the crabs are fed on mangoes until they are ready for boiling. Despite all the work that goes into catching them, crab lovers like Mr. Watler aren’t put off from landing this tasty seasonal delicacy. “They can be a little bit intimidating when you see them, but people are usually just kind of ex- cited when they go crab hunting,” he said. “They can be a little bit intimidating when you see them, but people are usually just kind of excited when they go crab hunting.” EMIL WATLER Crabs on the table ready for picking. A first good rain of the season usually signals the beginning of crabbing season. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY At last year’s crab fest, Bodden Town MLA’s Osbourne Bodden and Al Suckoo place the crabs in boiling water. Scotch bonnet peppers and vinegar are used to make the spicy sauce.The crabs simmering over the coals. The Bodden Town Heritage Committee and elected representatives invite the public to attend the dedication service and reopening of the renovated Heritage House at Harry McCoy Sr. Park on Monday, June 13, at 4 p.m. Organizers encourage one and all to join in this opportunity to learn more about Cayman’s past and its nation builders. The event will feature an arts and crafts display, music by Swanky and refreshments. Heritage House reopens Monday The end of the school year signals time for school field trips, and Pedro St. James in Savannah is proving a popular Bodden Town district destination. The historic site offers students, like this group from Cayman Academy, guided tours of the grounds and the movie theater, and arranges to have local thatch or rope makers come to Pedro so the kids can get an appreciation of Cayman culture and heritage. Admission is $1 per child for school groups and summer camp kids under age 12, and $5 for guides and teachers. Spring is for school at Pedro8 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS FLOWERS SEA SWIM 2016 SATURDAY JUNE 11 PHOTO CONTEST PHOTO CONTEST • www.caymancompass.com/contests • ENTER TO WIN • A private charter for up to 15 people on Cayman Private Charters’ 44 ft. ‘Paradise Breeze’ catamaran AND • A three course dinner (of their choosing) for 4 people at Ristorante Prima to include one bottle of Prosecco and two bottles of wine VISIT THE COMPASS PHOTO TENT 2016 Miller, McLean: No PR for Cayman’s ‘economic migrants’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two independent opposi- tion MLAs said they oppose granting permanent resident status to long-term Cayman Islands workers who do not have direct family connections to the islands, in comments made during budget debates over the past week. North Side MLA Ezzard Miller raised the issue June 1 in the context of a legal review of Cayman’s permanent resi- dence approval system. The review began last year after Cayman Islands Chief Jus- tice Anthony Smellie issued a judgment in August that raised numerous questions about how current and pre- vious residency applications were handled. Following Jus- tice Smellie’s ruling, immigra- tion attorney David Ritch was hired by government to review its policies and laws, specifi- cally with regard to the per- manent residence application and approval process. No applications for per- manent residence have been approved under the most recent revisions to the Cayman Islands Immigra- tion Law, which took effect in October 2013. Mr. Miller gave his view of the ongoing immigra- tion issues during his debate on June 1. “We have the review of the PR provisions in the Immi- gration Law to ensure non- Caymanians can now stay, get Caymanian status after PR and keep the jobs from qualified Caymanians,” Mr. Miller said. “Where is the promised immigration reform that was promised to us in October 2013 … which was supposed to tighten up on work permits and [make] other changes that needed to be made to benefit Caymanians? Let me repeat what Ezzard Miller’s position is on this: The only [way] you should be able to get Cayman status is by marriage or descent. I don’t think anybody should be able to come to my country as an economic migrant and get Caymanian status be- cause they’ve made plenty of money,” said Mr. Miller. In his budget debate Monday, East End MLA Arden McLean said that a distinction should be made in the Immigration Law be- tween granting someone Cay- manian status and awarding them “security of tenure.” Mr. McLean also noted his view that only non-Cayma- nians who are married to Cay- manians or who have family ties to the islands should be allowed to obtain Cayma- nian status, which is akin to legal “belonger” status in other British Overseas Territories. Now, any worker who stays in Cayman as a legal resident for at least eight years is al- lowed to apply for permanent residence – the right to reside in Cayman for the rest of their life. The residency status does not convey any citizenship rights in the U.K. or Cayma- nian status rights here, both of which must be sought sep- arately and only after quali- fying for permanent residence. Other U.K. territories have also struggled with the issue in recent days, most notably Bermuda, which has not maintained “path to citizen- ship” legislation for non-Ber- mudians who have no family ties to the country. Attempts to change the law to allow long-term workers without family ties to Bermuda to seek permanent status were met with protests that included an attempt to blockade the doors of parliament. Premier Alden McLaughlin has received Mr. Ritch’s re- port on the review of the per- manent residence system and said he would address it later on during the meeting of the Legislative Assembly, which is expected to run through this month. ATTORNEY ON TRIAL FOR INFLICTING GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Trial began Wednesday for Simon Christopher Courtney, who has pleaded not guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on two pedestrians along West Bay Road last year. Courtney, an attorney, has also pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving and reckless driving in con- nection with the same in- cident, which occurred on Jan. 25, 2015. The first two charges are that he unlawfully and ma- liciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Kathy Schubert and Richard Schubert. Details of the dangerous driving charge are that he drove a Ford Mustang Shelby along West Bay Road in the vicinity of the Villas of the Galleon in a manner that was dangerous to the public. A fourth charge, an alternative, is driving in a reckless manner. Four men and three women comprise the jury in the case presided over by Justice Malcolm Swift. Senior Crown counsel Tricia Hutchinson said ju- rors would hear evidence that Mr. and Mrs. Schubert, who had arrived on island the evening before the inci- dent, were walking to a res- taurant when they were hit from behind by a vehicle, throwing them into the air. Mrs. Schubert landed on the driveway median and Mr. Schubert landed on the sidewalk. When emergency re- sponders arrived, Courtney was not at the scene. Ms. Hutchinson said ju- rors would hear from wit- nesses who saw the defen- dant at The Ritz-Carlton champagne brunch from shortly before noon until minutes past five. She also said they would see CCTV showing images of the road, the traffic and the collision. The first witness said she saw the Mustang coming from under the pedestrian bridge at The Ritz-Carlton. She said it seemed to be going faster than it needed to for that area and for the condition of the road, which was wet. The car swerved, then made a sharp turn back into its own lane, went onto the sidewalk and struck an elderly couple. She was still giving her evidence at press time.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JUNE 9, 2016 CAYMAN ACADEMY P.O. Box 515, Grand Cayman KY1-1106, Cayman Islands Telephone – (345) 640 2630 Email:caymanacademyschool@gmail.com A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST INSTITUTION Cayman Academy Invites Applications for CAPE Starting 2016/17 Academic Year Cayman Academy is launching CAPE (the Caribbean Advanced Pro ciency Examination) in the 2016/17 academic year. Students with CSEC or equivalent secondary education certi cation are invited to apply. CAPE is equivalent to the British Advanced Levels (A-Levels), both of which are intended for entrance to regional, Canadian, and British universities. Students entering American universities with CAPE quali cations may be eligible for credits and exemptions in selected subject areas. CAPE grants certi cates for individual subjects, a diploma (a cluster of six subjects) or an associate degree (seven or more subjects). Subjects may be studied concurrently or singly. Cayman Academy starts its CAPE programme this year with the business strand, in the following subjects: Accounts Economics Management of Business Caribbean Studies Communication Studies This year, students may select an additional subject from the following options: Pure Mathematics Environmental Science Information Technology Application forms are available from the Registrar, Cayman Academy, telephone: (6402630 or 9267190) email: caymanacademy@gmail.com Deadline for applications is August 12, 2017 Surveillance oversight committee never formed CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com The audit committee that is supposed to provide over- sight for surveillance and wiretap warrants has never been formed, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Telecom regulations give the police, customs and im- migration the ability to apply to the governor of the Cayman Islands for war- rants to intercept telecom- munications without judicial oversight. Approved in 2011, changes to the law, published in the Cayman Islands Ga- zette last month, will restrict when the governor can issue warrants for wiretaps and similar surveillance. The Cayman Compass asked the governor’s of- fice and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service for the number of times these types of warrants have been applied for and used. The governor’s office de- nied a Freedom of Informa- tion request seeking data on how many warrants have been issued, and the po- lice have not responded to the newspaper’s FOI request or questions seeking more general comments. Through a spokeswoman, the police said, “We will not comment on issues that could compromise national security or the conduct of lawful investigations.” The regulations out- line that an “Interception of Communication Audit Com- mittee” provides oversight for the program. The func- tion of that committee “shall be to conduct audits of in- terceptions carried out under these Regulations.” The reg- ulations say the committee will examine “all intercep- tion equipment and data re- cords at least once every six months to determine whether interceptions were conducted in accordance with these Regulations.” An email response to a Freedom of Information re- quest relating to the com- mittee stated, “We must in- form you that no records exist as the ‘Interception of Com- munication Audit Committee’ has not yet been formed.” Under the law, the gov- ernor gives the final sign-off on requests for surveillance. Such requests are forwarded by the commissioner of po- lice to the governor from the police service, immigra- tion or customs. The issue of governor-ap- proved surveillance was the subject of a Human Rights Commission review shortly after the regulations were approved in 2011. A Human Rights Commission report in 2012 stated, “Telecommu- nication message intercep- tion carries the potential for human rights infringements,” and indicated that it consid- ered the Audit Committee to be one of the most impor- tant checks and balances in the process. The new changes to the Information and Communications Tech- nology Authority (In- terception of Telecom- munication Messages) Regulations will tighten the rules on when the governor can issue a warrant for law enforcement surveillance. The previous regula- tions said the governor “may” issue a warrant “in the in- terest of national security; for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime; to avert an immediate threat to human life”; based on in- ternational agreements for mutual assistance; or “to safeguard the economic well- being of the Islands.” The new rules say the governor can issue a warrant only for those five reasons. The amended regulations for the first time gives pros- ecutors the ability to use ev- idence collected with gov- ernor-issued warrants in court. If prosecutors want to use the evidence, they will have to apply to a judge to be able to use anything collected through this type of warrant. Previously, anything gathered through these surveillance warrants was not allowed to be used in a prosecution. The amended regulations give the judiciary the first op- portunity to review the war- rants, but only if the Depart- ment of Public Prosecutions wants to use evidence col- lected through this type of surveillance in court. The audit committee, meant to give oversight to governor-issued surveillance warrants, has never been formed. “Throughout the long slog, we traversed cre- vasses, quickly and del- icately crossed snow bridges and eventually ar- rived at the final steep ap- proach to the summit at 9:30 a.m. The sun now with us, we were afforded su- perb views back to our base camp and across the Andean ranges,” he wrote. The next peak – Huayna Potosi – was visible in the background as the three climbers posed for pictures with the Cayman flag at the summit, before returning to base camp. The three-peaks chal- lenge is part of “The Moun- tains and Marathons Chal- lenge,” a team fundraising effort that also involves multiple marathons and two Ironman challenges. All money raised goes to the Have a Heart Foun- dation, which has funded operations at Health City for scores of young chil- dren from across the Ca- ribbean, Central and South America. During their trip, the group visited two Bolivian children, Carlos and Abi- dael, who previously had surgery at Health City. Chiropractor arrested on suspicion of secretly photographing patients A chiropractor is being in- vestigated amid allegations that he secretly took inappro- priate photographs of female patients during treatment, police revealed Wednesday. The man, aged 47, was ar- rested Tuesday on suspicion of causing alarm, harassment or distress to a patient at a local medical practice. The arrest follows an in- vestigation into a complaint from a woman who had obtained chiropractic ser- vices from the doctor, and suspected that he had taken unauthorized photos of her during her treatment, ac- cording to a police statement. “The investigation into the complaint uncovered pictures of another woman or women who appear to be patients. The subjects in the photo do not appear to be aware that a photograph is being taken.” The man is now on police bail. The Council of Professions Allied with Medicine, which regulates the chiropractic profession in the Cayman Is- lands, has been notified of the case, police said. Anyone who may have information of relevance to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Constable Emma Twydell at 936-1161. Anonymous tips can be provided via Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Charity climbers scale Andean peak Derek Haines and a mountain guide, top left, approach the summit.Next >