Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. High of 90 Low of 78 EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 FIREFIGHTERS’ THREE-ALARM MOLD EMERGENCY SPORTS | PAGE 17 CAVS END HALF- CENTURY OF CLEVELAND SPORTS HEARTBREAK ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 180913_PRINT-Ad-Strip-BOTY-6colxPage 1 11/30/15 12:30:30 PM Breaking down the budget Members of the Legislative Assembly have been debating the government budget all month, and the line-by-line budget ap- proval process continues this week. The $862.4 million budget covers expenses for the next 18 months. The Cayman Compass analyzed the more than 2,500 pages of financial documents in order to break down what is in the budget and to discern government’s spending priorities. For more, see story on page 5. JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fear over the spread of the Zika virus in the Caribbean has been blamed for a decline in stay- over tourism in Grand Cayman this year. After two years of record arrival figures, visitor numbers dropped in each of the first four months of 2016. Overall stay-over tourism declined from 151,657 in the first four months of 2015 to 147,342 in the first four months of 2016, a drop of 2.8 percent. Though there have been no reported cases of Zika in the Cayman Islands, Director of Tourism Rosa Harris said the public perception is that the disease is a threat across the entire region. She said group bookings, including wedding parties, were particularly affected in the first few months of the year. “A number of hoteliers have lost group busi- ness because companies do not want to put em- ployees at risk,” she said. “Even though we don’t have Zika, it is the perception and the threat overall to travel. “Our wedding and romance business is signifi- cant,” she said. “It has hurt our business tremen- dously. Brides are deciding to stay at home rather ZIKA FEARS ‘IMPACTING TOURISM’ KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com MLA Winston Connolly was among four wit- nesses who gave evidence Monday in the trial of Sandra Catron, charged with eight counts of ut- tering a false document. During the opening on Friday, Crown counsel Candia James said Catron is accused of sub- mitting false certificates to the Cayman Islands government for completion of an online para- legal course she was administering through her company Micro Matrix. In November 2011, then-Premier McKeeva Bush contracted Catron to provide paralegal training to Caymanians. Sponsorships for the paralegal course, paid to Catron, came from the Nation Building Fund. In June 2012, the Office of the Premier re- quested that Catron provide copies of certifi- cates of course completion so that there would be some documentation of how the money was being MLA TAKES STAND IN CATRON TRIAL PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Government’s biggest projects The budget for the next 18 months sets aside money to address several long-standing projects, including $7.9 million to complete redevelopment of the mothballed John Gray High School. Other projects include the revitalization of downtown George Town, buying land for a solid waste management facility and buying Crown land for conservation. John Gray High School George T own revitalization Solid waste facility Land for conser vation Roads upgrades Facility for mental health $7.9* $6.9 $6.5 $6.0 $3.4 DATA: Cayman Islands Government Data: CIG Capital expenditures Cyber security $2.5 Rec yc ling center $1.5 Cruise berthing $1.0 $0.5 * in millions National security $192.9 million Education $150.4 million Core government operating expenses Funding for schools, law enforcement National security, including police, prisons and other law enforcement functions, is government’s biggest expense, taking up 22 percent of the budget. Education is 17 percent of the budget. The category for “other” includes spending on financial services, tourism, culture, environment and transport. Data: Ministry of Financial Services Health $133.5 million General government ervices $128.8 million Social security & welfare $78.6 million Other $178.2 million2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS x SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - WARCRAFT 3D (PG13) 7:00 I 9:50 FINDING DORY 3D (PG) 12:30 I 1:20 2D I 3:00 I 3:45 2D 6:45 I 9:15 2D ME BEFORE YOU (PG13) 1:10 I 4:10 I 7:10 I 9:55 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES OUT OF THE SHADOWS 3D (PG13) 1:20 I 4:00 2D I 6:50 I 9:40 2D CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (PG13) 1:30 I 4:20 I 7:20 I 10:00 NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (PG13) 12:40 I 3:50 I 6:45 I 9:40 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) Pensions law changes ‘within 18 months’ Governor will not consider pension petition BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 50 changes to the Cayman Islands National Pensions Law will be brought into effect within the next 18 months, Legislative Assembly members heard Monday. Employment Minister Tara Rivers, who has over- sight responsibility to pri- vate sector pensions regu- lation, was asked Monday whether all the amendments to the law approved this year would be introduced in the 18-month budget period that starts July 1. “It is anticipated that would be the case,” Minister Rivers said. The specifics of when each section will come into force are not yet known. Ed- ucation Ministry Chief Of- ficer Christen Suckoo said the first round of changes would be made public shortly, with a second group to be consid- ered by Cabinet in September. “Some of the provisions will come into force for Jan. 1, next year, depending on the need to draft regulations and the need to educate [pension] plan members on some of the changes,” Mr. Suckoo said. Ms. Rivers said once the legal commencement order is approved by Cabinet, it will determine when the sections of the law come into force. A voter-initiated peti- tion seeking to stop three re- cent changes to the Cayman Islands National Pensions Law will not be consid- ered by Governor Helen Kil- patrick’s office. The petition, started by businessman Michael Caputo and submitted to the gov- ernor, the premier and two independent MLAs on Friday, does not have the required number of voter signatures to force a referendum. “Pension issues are a matter for the Cayman Is- lands government,” a state- ment from the governor’s of- fice noted Monday. More than 1,250 have signed the petition, but not all are registered voters in the Cayman Islands. The premier’s office had not made an official state- ment regarding the petition by press time Monday. Mr. Caputo, a Caymanian status holder who owns a window-washing business, has said he believes several changes made to the legis- lation by lawmakers are not “in the best interests of em- ployees in the islands” – as required by section 2 of the National Pensions Law. Among the specific sec- tions Mr. Caputo’s petition seeks to overturn are the change in the “age of pen- sion entitlement” (retirement age) from 60 to 65 and the change in maximum pen- sionable earnings from a $60,000 maximum a year to $87,000 a year. The petition also seeks to overturn a third provision, one that restricts the ability of individuals to receive a re- fund from their retirement savings account after leaving the islands for two years. In changes to the law, pen- sion refunds are restricted to amounts totaling less than $5,000 at the discretion of the pension plan manager. In the case of someone who has reached age 65 and cannot place the money earned in Cayman into an analogous retirement savings account overseas, a refund of the full amount can be given. Under the new law, plan participants who leave the islands for more than two years can put their pension funds into another retirement account, but cannot receive the money as a lump sum. Mr. Caputo said, “Changing the age of re- tirement to 65 and giving it a new name [age of pen- sion entitlement] is not for the benefit of employees in the islands. “Preventing people for- merly employed and formerly resident on the island from receiving their pension bene- fits in a lump sum is not for the benefit of employees in the islands.” Health City launches apprenticeship program Health City Cayman Is- lands and the National Work- force Development Agency is inviting young Cayma- nians to join an apprentice- ship program at the East End health facility. The program gives Cay- manians aged between 19 and 25 an opportunity to be- come qualified support-level healthcare administrators, according to a joint press release from the workforce agency and Health City. Apprentices without ad- vanced training will train for a diploma through Pitman, a globally recognized institu- tion that provides training in aspects of administra- tion including IT, finance and business. “The Ministry of Employ- ment and the NWDA are keen to tap into an industry that traditionally has attracted as- piring Caymanian doctors and nurses, but one it recognizes can also lead to meaningful employment opportunities at the administration and sup- port staff level,” said NWDA manager Dianne Conolly. “We are committed to doing everything possible to train Caymanians for the va- riety of career tracks avail- able at Health City Cayman Islands,” said project director Gene Thompson. “We are, therefore, excited that our dis- cussions with the NWDA have yielded such an exciting, mu- tually beneficial, program.” Employment Minister Tara Rivers said the hos- pital had already given in- ternship opportunities to almost 500 students and young Caymanians. “The apprenticeship pro- gram now being launched takes this collaboration one step further by offering formal training to, and cer- tification of the apprentices, which will make them more marketable and employable,” she added. The apprentices will also have the chance to apply for full-time positions, in the area they have trained in, once they have completed the program, Charles D. Bush, Health City’s manager of mission integration and spir- itual care, said. The cost of training for the administrative sup- port-level healthcare posi- tions of medical secretary or medical receptionist will be facilitated by grants through the Ministry of Education. Health City will also pro- vide a one-year paid ap- prenticeship, during which the participant will be re- quired to complete their studies, and then continue their training full time, where they will receive practical, hands-on experience while earning a stipend. To apply for the Health City Apprenticeship Program or for more information, contact the NWDA’s Training and Development Unit by email at nwda.apprenticeship@gov.ky or call 945-3114. Cayman’s historical ships inspire new stamps Historic ships are fea- tured on the latest stamp issue from the Cayman Is- lands Post Office. Five new stamps have been issued in tribute to the roles the vessels Kirk B, Nunoca, Rembro, S.S. Clara Scott and HMS Dragon played in shaping the is- lands’ history and economy. The series includes a 25 cent, 80 cent, $1, $2 and $4 stamps, as well as a first day cover and souvenir sheet. The 25 cent stamp fea- tures the Kirk B, which was built in 1929 by RB Kirkcon- nell and Brothers. Over the years, the ship was used as a freighter and for fishing and turtling. Built by Heber Arch Sr. in 1932, the Nunoca is fea- tured on the 80 cent stamp. The ship, which sailed reg- ularly between Cayman, Tampa and Jamaica, was lost at sea in 1936 with 22 people on board. On the $1 stamp is the Rembro, which was built for the McTaggart family in 1930 and mainly transported freight between Cayman, Panama and Jamaica. The S.S. Clara Scott, on the $2 stamp, was built in Cayman Brac by Capt. James E. Scott in 1905, and was the largest schooner built in the Cayman Islands. Featured on the $4 stamp is HMS Dragon, a British Royal Navy ship that sup- ported survivors of the 1932 hurricane in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The Cayman-built vessel Western Union, featured on the first day cover, was framed and prepared on Grand Cayman by the Arch Brothers. It was then dis- sembled and transported to Key West, Florida, for as- sembly and service. Built to maintain undersea com- munication cables between Florida cities, the Carib- bean and South America, the schooner is now listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The RMS Atlantis, which in 1937 became the first cruise liner to visit Cayman, with 340 tourists on board, appears on the souvenir sheet. For more information, contact the Cayman Islands Philatelic Bureau at 946-4757, email cistamps@gov.ky, or visit www.caymanpost.gov.ky. Cayman’s historical ships Kirk B, Nunoca, Rembro and S.S. Clara Scott are on four of five newly issued stamps. Employment Minister Tara Rivers at the Legislative Assembly. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Health City Cayman Islands and the National Workforce Development Agency have joined forces to offer an apprenticeship program for young Caymanians.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 We, being the local group, take this opportunity to respond to MRCU and Oxitec. 1. MRCU & Oxitec say that the Oxitec technology is supported by the World Health Organisation. They said: “Furthermore it is consistent with the World Health Organization’s recent recommendation for operational use of Oxitec’s mosquitoes in response to the international emergency related to Zika virus.” Is this fact or is it misleading? Below, is what was actually said by the World Health Organisation. Do not take our word for it, you can check it yourself on the WHO website: http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/news/ mosquito_vector_control_response/en/ It says: On 14-15 March 2016, the World Health Organisation’s Vector Control Advisory Group (VCAG) reviewed five potential vector control tools and existing tools for use in the context of the response to the Zika virus outbreak, including: ….mosquito control through genetic manipulation (OX513A)…. The main conclusions and recommendations of the meeting are as follows: • Full-scale programmatic deployment is not currently recommended for any of the five new potential tools reviewed by VCAG. However, the VCAG recommended the carefully planned pilot deployment under operational conditions of two tools (Wolbachia-based biocontrol and OX513A transgenic mosquitoes) accompanied by rigorous independent monitoring and evaluation. and: • The technology has demonstrated the ability to reduce the Ae. aegypti populations in small- scale field trials in several countries, but there is an absence of data on epidemiological impact. Additionally, sustained release of transgenic male mosquitoes is needed to maintain suppression of wild Ae. aegypti populations. The recommendation of the VCAG was as follows: This committee recommends carefully planned pilot deployment under operational conditions accompanied by rigorous independent monitoring and evaluation that builds entomological capacity to support operational use. RCTs with epidemiological outcomes should be carried out to build evidence for routine programmatic use of OX513A Aedes against Aedes-borne diseases. Comment: Our reading of the World Health Organisation’s statement is that they recommend pilot deployment accompanied by rigorous monitoring and evaluation. To us, that appears to be very different from the Oxtitec/MRCU statement in the Compass on Friday. They said, “it is consistent with the World Health Organization’s recent recommendation for operational use of Oxitec’s mosquitoes”. Is the Oxitec/MRCU statement Fact or Misleading? That is for you, the reader, to decide, but we ask you to think about the following: (a) Presumably, Oxitec provided all their data, research, assessments and results to the World Health Organisation. It would be in their own commercial interest to put forward their best case to obtain a full operational endorsement from the WHO. So, if that information was so compelling, backed by independent and expert assessment, why didn’t the World Health Organisation immediately recommend full-scale programmatic deployment? (b) The imminent release of 22m GM Mosquitoes in Grand Cayman is not a carefully planned pilot programme; MRCU/Oxitec announced in the Compass that: in the interests of public health, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit is launching new controls to combat the dangerous Aedes Aegypti. (c) In 2009/2010, Oxitec/MRCU released 3.3m GM Mosquitoes in Grand Cayman - that was 6 years ago! There have been other releases of GM Mosquitoes in Brazil, Panama and Malaysia. And yet, after all these years, the World Health Organisation is calling for independent monitoring and evaluation. Why? The answer has to be that there are no independent assessments other than those conducted by the company itself and their collaborators, such as MRCU. Dr. Guy Reeves, a molecular geneticist at Germany’s Max Planck Institute, said of the Oxitec programme: “To build trust in any cutting-edge science, a range of independent experts – not just the company that stands to gain or the regulatory agency involved – should have enough access to data published in peer-reviewed journals to be able to explain the specific benefits and risks”. 2. But, the National Conservation Council concluded there would be no impact on the environment or the population. So what was that conclusion based on? Was it purely based on evidence presented by Oxitec and MRCU? It appears that the World Health Organisation didn’t come to that conclusion, otherwise as stated previously, they would have recommended full scale operational use of OX513A. We challenge Oxitec to publish, in peer viewed journals, sufficient data for independent evaluation and assessment by a range of independent and worldwide respected experts. 3. Would the following be considered to be False or Misleading assertions? 1. Oxitec originally stated that no female GM Mosquitoes would be released as part of their suppression program. As it is only females that “bite”, it would be natural to assume there were no risks of being bitten and therefore no prospect of any transference to human beings of derivatives of the herpes virus and/or E.coli bacteria which are inserted into the GM Mosquitoes. What they told an audience, as part of a public consultation process, can be viewed on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdLT9Bpzshs. When pressed by a member of the audience, there was there an admission by Oxitec that some females would be released inadvertently. Comment: Oxitec now admit that 1 in 1,500 released GM Mosquitoes will be female. Whilst we are not eminent scientists or mathematicians, we can use a calculator! 22,000,000 / 1500 = 14,666. So, in West Bay, we about to have nearly 15,000 biting genetically modified mosquitoes released, all of which, contain derivatives of the E.coli bacteria and herpes virus. We wonder whether our Government has picked up on this astonishing figure: Our own esteemed Dr. Petrie said in 2012 after the GM Mosquito release in 2009/10: “They don’t care what lies they tell. Only male mosquitoes were released and they cannot bite and do not live long.” 2. Having now admitted that female mosquitoes would be released, albeit not intentionally, Oxitec now report that even if humans were somehow bitten, no genetically modified DNA would enter their bloodstream. Fact or Misleading? Comment: Phil Lounibos, (Ph.D Harvard, Distinguished Professor Ecology and Behaviour), who studies mosquito control at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, said in response: “to say that there’s no genetically modified DNA that might get into a human, that’s kind of a grey area.” 3. On their own website, Oxitec state that “in the laboratory, under optimum conditions for the mosquitos, a small number of Oxitec larvae (up to 5%) have been observed to survive until adulthood”. Fact or Misleading? Comment: In their own confidential internal document titled “Eliminating tetracycline contamination”, Oxitec reported a survival rate of 15% in a laboratory operated by one of their collaborating parties. Surely, to state to the public that only 5% of Oxitec larvae have been observed to survive to adulthood when, in one of their own collaborating laboratories results showed 15% survival, is misleading. Of course, what Oxitec will say is that this result was a ‘one-off’; that there were abnormal levels of tetracycline on that occasion, etc. For whatever reason, a 15% survival rate was a laboratory result which Oxitec chose not to include in their statement to the public. It therefore raises two issues: (i) the question of credibility – is there anything else that Oxitec has chosen not to tell us or the Government? (ii) how confident can we really be about the methods employed and experience of the so- called “collaborating parties”? 4. Why is the project being done [in the Cayman Islands] and what is the need/ benefit? A good question. So what was the answer provided by Oxitec/MRCU? They stated: “The aim of the project is to better control Aedes aegypti with initial roll-out in an area of West Bay in Grand Cayman. This mosquito is able to transmit Zika, chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever and potentially additional viral diseases, so an improved method of control is in the public health interest as existing methods are not effective enough? It’s not a great answer, is it? Let’s examine the facts. (a) We do not have Zika on island; (b) In 2015, there were 40 reported cases of dengue (out of a population of almost 60,000, this represents 0.07%); (c) By October 2014, there were 18 reported cases of chikungunya for that year, 14 of which were contracted overseas; (d) Yellow Fever 2016: “There are no suspected cases of yellow fever in the Cayman Islands,” said Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Samuel Williams Rodriguez. (e) Other additional viral diseases: Tell us what additional viral diseases you are referring to, and we’ll try to comment! The cynic might say, that the real answer to ‘why Cayman?’, is that being one of only 21 countries worldwide without protective bio- safety legislation, the Cayman Islands is being used by a foreign company, as an experimental source for the release of GM Mosquitoes. Further, from the figures above, one might also conclude that the Cayman Islands’ Government is using a ‘sledgehammer to crack a nut’. So why is our Government taking any risks at all (even minimum risks) by introducing an unnatural and scientific species to Grand Cayman to solve a problem that simply does not exist here? We do not need to be the guinea pigs for a foreign company which exists purely to make profit; our country is not Brazil which has a significant problem with Zika, for which we extend our support. If Brazil has decided to use the Oxitec programme and, ultimately, if that provides a non- harmful solution, no-one would be more pleased than us. However, it does not make any rational sense to import the Oxitec project here and there is certainly no such urgency which otherwise applies in Brazil. Why can’t our Government simply suspend the release of GM Mosquitoes in West Bay and say to Oxitec: “good luck in Brazil”; “experiment on their people and environment first”; and, “come back to us in the future when you have independent verified results of success and can prove that your suppression solution is safe”. Then, (and when the rest of the World has hailed Oxitec as the eradicator of a terrible disease) and only then, should we even think to consider its GM Mosquito project in our beautiful country. We implore our Honourable Premier Alden McLaughlin to revisit his Government’s decision. Opposition Leader, the Honourable McKeeva Bush, together with two other MLAs, supports the suspension of the release of the GM mosquitoes. Recently, he wrote to the Premier: “There seems to be need for more scientific answers to scientific questions and we must ask for the above position to be adhered to, and that is, a hold put on the project.” He further stated, that while the MLAs gave “preliminary support” for the project after an initial meeting with MRCU officials, the go-ahead was given “in the absence of any concerns at that time because constituents would not have known the intentions of the project then.” “New questions have now arisen and more public discontent has come to bear.” STOP THE RELEASE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES On 17th June 2016, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (“MRCU”) in conjunction with UK company, OXITEC, ran an advertisement in the Cayman Compass headed “Friendly Aedes aegypti Project”. On the Cayman Islands Government website, a press release stated that: “A local group opposed to the Friendly Aedes aegypti Project have made a series of public statements. Many of these assertions are false or misleading. This briefing is designed to facilitate accurate information.” Sponsored by Caymanians United To Suspend Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Project For those of you who also wish to express your concern about this matter, go to www.change.org (search “Cayman” and “Mosquito”) and sign the online petition. Or email us at: SuspendGMmosquitoesProject@yahoo.com. 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. 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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” People who become professional firefighters expect to encounter certain occupational hazards. Mold, however, isn’t one of them. The news that — not one, not two, but — all three of Grand Cayman’s fire stations have become infested with mold is intolerable. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, exposure to molds can cause some people to experi- ence nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing or skin irritation. People with serious mold allergies can have far more serious reactions, including fever or short- ness of breath. (According to the Wisconsin Depart- ment of Health Services, about 10 percent of people are allergic to one or more types of mold.) In rarer cases, mold infections can also develop in the lungs of people with chronic lung illnesses. In short, the significant presence of mold in the fire stations across the island (in West Bay, near the George Town airport and in Frank Sound) carries with it significant health risks — and potential liabilities. Perhaps even more remarkable than the mold itself is its suspected origin: Hurricane Ivan. Now, Hurricane Ivan was a truly terrible storm, bringing 155-mile-per hour winds, flooding more than half the island and causing billions of dollars in damage. It is a rare building that made it through Ivan without developing mold problems. But that was 12 years ago! The near-universality of mold infestation in the wake of Ivan merely serves to compound officials’ failure to detect the mold growing within the fire stations — whose air conditioning units, astonishingly, were never replaced after the storm. Last year’s review of the Cayman Islands Fire Service (whose personnel are almost all Caymanians) found systemic problems such as low morale, lack of protective equipment and deficiencies in training opportunities among local firefighters. The review led to the hiring of new Chief Fire Officer David Hails, who has decades of experience as a firefighter in the U.K., including eight years with Serco International Fire Training Centre. As we reported in Monday’s Compass, “West Bay MLA Bernie Bush said the mold situation was another example of the fire service officers being ‘treated dis- gracefully … for a long time.’” Here, we may part ways with Mr. Bush somewhat — and the idea that firefighters are regarded as second- class citizens within the civil service. Frankly, we don’t know why that would be the case. Nevertheless, we can’t help but wonder how per- vasive mold may be throughout all of government’s buildings, not just the fire stations. How many other government buildings have been neglected since Ivan? How many still have air-conditioning units that are more than 12 years old? Have any been thoroughly inspected for mold and other issues stemming from the hurricane? In other words, how many other government employees, and those with whom they come into regular contact, are being exposed to health hazards right now? Those are questions to which we may not receive answers — unless and until building inspectors begin to peer into vents, and peek behind the walls. Firefighters’ three-alarm mold emergency TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS ANDREW HAMMOND Nobody doubts that a vote to leave the EU on June 23 could bring enormous change in Britain’s relation- ship with Europe and its domestic politics. But that doesn’t mean that a vote to remain would bring a return to business as usual. Far from it. Even in the event of a strong remain vote, Prime Minister David Cameron would have new headaches: Over 40 percent of Conser- vative MPs who have de- clared a public position on the referendum are lining up to leave the EU, and this would make for a more un- ruly party, and even the possibility of further defec- tions of MPs to UKIP post– the referendum. A modest vote to remain, however – let’s say somewhere be- tween 50.1 percent and 53 percent –would mean even bigger problems. Imagine a result in which England (London excepted) voted to leave, while elector- ates in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales helped carry the day for the re- main camp. Such divisions within the U.K. could invig- orate English nationalists, and fuel the success of UKIP, which won 13 percent of the popular vote in the 2015 U.K. general election (though se- cured only one parliamen- tary seat). A narrow win for “remain” could feel like a moral victory for “leave”; it would energize the disgrun- tled right of the largely euro- skeptic Conservative Party. It would leave the European issue essentially unresolved, just as the September 2014 Scottish independence ref- erendum gave supporters of the union a win, but didn’t quash the issue and even led to a resurgent Scottish Na- tionalist Party. Some Conservative MPs have already indicated Cam- eron would “highly likely” face a vote of no confidence which would be triggered if 50 Conservative MPs write to the party’s 1922 Com- mittee and demand one. Even if Cameron survives an immediate challenge from within, he may not recover, similar to when Margaret Thatcher was challenged by parliamentary backbencher Anthony Meyer in 1989. Al- though Thatcher won con- vincingly, she lost power the following year in another leadership challenge. A close remain vote (the polls currently show the two sides about even) would also recast the terms of the debate over Cam- eron’s successor as prime minister. The chances for Chancellor George Os- borne would recede rapidly, with stronger support for “leave” supporters including former London Mayor Boris Johnson and Justice Secre- tary Michael Gove. Johnson is currently the bookmaker’s favorite to be the next Con- servative leader. Home Sec- retary Theresa May, who backs the “remain” camp but has largely stayed out of the referendum fray, has proved popular, but would lack the support for the euroskeptics in the party. In fact, it’s hard to con- ceive a scenario where the Conservative’s small parliamentary majority wouldn’t be affected by the EU referendum. A victory may allow Cameron to push forward with his renego- tiation package from Feb- ruary, but it would be hard for an embattled govern- ment to take a strong EU leadership role in coming years. Domestically, it will be even harder for a divided government to pursue key pillars of domestic policy, such as the public spending cuts of around £30 billion ($42.56 billion) that trig- gered the resignation of Ian Duncan Smith. If the remain camp emerges with more votes on June 24, it may feel like no victory at all. Britain may emerge less governable, and less engaged in an EU it vowed to reform. Andrew Hammond is an associate at the Centre for International Affairs, Diplomacy and Grand Strategy at the London School of Economics. He was special adviser to the U.K. government when Britain last held the presidency of the European Union in 2005. © 2016, Bloomberg View Even if Cameron wins the Brexit vote, he loses In fact, it’s hard to conceive a scenario where the Conservative’s small parliamentary majority wouldn’t be affected by the EU referendum.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 Explaining the CI government budget How government plans to spend more than $860 million CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government’s budget priorities for the year ahead include increased funding for schools, modest pay raises for civil servants, and more money for the country’s financial regulator and for public health to fight diseases such as the Zika virus. Members of the Legislative Assembly are currently debating the budget, working their way line by line through the expenses for the core government, government-owned companies and statutory authorities. The 2016-2017 Cayman Islands government budget will cover 18 months, realigning the budget cycle, from July through June, to follow the calendar year. In that year and a half, central govern- ment plans to spend $862.4 million, which amounts to a 3.7 percent increase from 2015-16 once it is broken down to compare year to year. Despite the spending increase, the Finance Ministry expects government will have a surplus of more than $45 million by the end of 2017. The budget is a sprawling document, spread across four budget books and more than 2,500 pages. The numbers in this story and the graphics on Page 1 are tallied from across ministries. CAPITAL PROJECTS John Gray High School Government plans to spend $7.9 million to continue devel- opment of the new John Gray High School. The project, started in 2008, has been stalled in recent years because government said it did not have the money to continue construction. Solid waste management system The Ministry of Home Affairs, Health and Culture set aside $6.5 million for the new solid waste management plan. The money is to buy land for a new waste management system, though the budget does not specifically say which land. Recycling center The budget includes $1.5 million for a new household waste recycling center, part of government’s solid waste management plan to divert recyclables, like cans and bottles, away from the landfill. George Town revitalization Almost $7 million will go to the George Town revitalization project, including roadwork, beautification and modernization projects. The key part of the central George Town revitalization is the proposed cruise pier. Mental health facility The Ministry of Health set aside $2.5 million for the development of a long-term residential facility to treat mental health patients. A mental health facility has been in the works for years and with the recent completion of the business case for the new facility, the project is getting closer to construction. Cruise berthing The budget for the next 18 months includes $500,000 for the development of a pier for cruise ships on the George Town waterfront. SOCIAL ASSISTANCE Needs Assessment Unit The government has budgeted more than $3.8 million for the Needs Assessment Unit. The money is to be used to assess clients for government housing, healthcare, permanent poor relief or temporary as- sistance. Government plans to spend $11.7 million on poor relief payments and vouchers. Housing Government plans to spend at least $4.3 million on housing programs, including mortgage guarantees and to support affordable housing on Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands. The biggest budget item is more than $2.9 million to pro- vide rental payments to people who cannot afford housing. Healthcare The Health Services Authority includes almost $22 mil- lion for people who do not have insurance or cannot af- ford to pay for healthcare. The biggest line item in the HSA budget is about $16.5 million for indigent care. The budget also includes more than $2.2 million for un- insured and underinsured children, almost $800,000 to care for uninsured and underinsured pregnant women before and after they give birth, and almost $2.5 million to provide care for the elderly and people with chronic ailments such as diabetes. Those funds do not cover the more than $90 million in bad debts owed to the HSA. By the end of 2017, govern- ment estimates the bad debts will climb to more than $108 million. Seamen Government plans to spend more than $13 million on ex-gratia payments to more than 1,000 retired seamen, vet- erans and their widows. The other major expense, to CINICO, will be almost $11.2 million for health insurance for retired seamen and veterans. Care for elderly and disabled The budget sets aside more than $5.7 million to care for adults with disabilities and the elderly who cannot afford to care for themselves. NGOs Government plans to give more than $34 million to non- governmental organizations for social, religious, recre- ational and other purposes. This spending includes Meals on Wheels, Cayman’s many sports clubs and associations, and organizations such as the Red Cross. BIG TICKET ITEMS Schools Education is one of the government’s biggest expenses, en- compassing more than $150 million. The budget for education includes almost $30.4 million for primary schools and $32.8 mil- lion for high schools. The University College of the Cayman Is- lands is allotted more than $6.3 million. Civil service pensions Government will pay more than $18 million to the Public Ser- vice Pensions Board to help catch up on payments to the main civil service pension fund. The defined-benefits pension plan has fallen behind in re- cent years, and government is adding money to help make sure there is enough in the fund to cover retirement costs for civil service pensioners. The additional money will not completely fill the gap, estimated to be at least $166 million over the next two decades. Cayman Airways Government plans to give Cayman Airways almost $24.7 mil- lion for operating domestic and international flights, a modest decrease compared to the year before. The budget also includes $7.7 million to help the airline pay off its debts. Health insurance for civil service retirees Government has budgeted more than $31.8 million for the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company for health insur- ance for civil service retirees. Roads The National Roads Authority plans to spend more than $15 million for road maintenance and other, bigger projects planned for the year ahead. Cybersecurity The Home Affairs Ministry has set aside $1 million to protect government computers from hackers. The money will be used to enhance cybersecurity in the public IT infrastructure, ac- cording to Finance Minister Marco Archer.TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS In the June 22, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, West Bay correspondent Leila Yates wrote: “Staff Sgt. Dale M. Banks is one of our Cayman boys who has done well in the U.S. Armed Forces. Dale is the younger son of Mrs. Iola C. Banks of West Bay. After graduating from Landon High School in Jacksonville, Florida, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Air Force and has made the Air Force his career, having served in various areas of the U.S. and Iceland doing admin- istrative work. [A glowing] letter of appreciation was given to him by his com- manding officer a few days before his departure for South Vietnam where he is now stationed. “[It read, in part]: ‘Your outstanding performance has attributed immeasur- ably to the effective and efficient accomplishment of ATC’s responsibility for the Military Assistance Training Program. The ex- emplary manner in which you carried out your duties, especially your conscien- tious and precise handling of the multitude of clas- sified documents, reflects great credit upon your self, this division and USAF.’ “Mr. Gene Borden is here spending his vacation, he lives in Deland, Florida with his family. “Mr. Vernal Ebanks and Mr. Ashton Ebanks arrived on the 12th from their jobs in the U.S. “Mrs. Vidette Ebanks left on the 18th for Jamaica to obtain medical aid. Her mother accompanied her. “Mr. and Mrs. John Ebanks returned on the 19th from Jamaica, where she went for medical aid. “Mr. Crawford Owens arrived on the 18th from S.S. Green Harbour. He is an employee of Central Gulf Lines. “On the 16th, their third child and daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bothwell, weighing 9 pounds, 10 ounces. “Mrs. Charles Glidden Jr. and her son Charlie, who is in school in Miami, arrived on the 16th. Charlie is on holiday. “Miss Sherilyn Banks, third daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Banks, who lives in Miami, is here on holiday visiting with rela- tives and friends. “Mr. Arlington Ebanks arrived on the 16th from the S.S. Green Dale. Ar- riving the same day was Mr. Lewin Parsons Jr. from his job in the U.S.A. “Mrs. Mary Ebanks and family, through this me- dium, desire to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to the many friends who so willingly responded to the call and those who gave blood on the 12th when she was in need of it. She wishes to thank all who helped in any way.” District Days West Bay Students raise money for wells in Africa The children in Sir John A. Cumber Primary School’s Reception class recently raised more than $4,000 to help build water wells in Si- erra Leone, Africa. “With the money raised, we hope to help with the completion of two water wells in Af- rica this year,” said teacher Patricia Bodden. This is the third year the students have been in- volved with this project, partnering with World Hope International. “To date, we have helped to complete three water wells and impacted the lives of 1,950 people in commu- nities in Sierra Leone and Mozambique in Africa. Our students have learned a valuable lesson of service to others, and what it means to be internationally minded, reaching out to others in need and trying to make a difference in their lives.” Ms. Bodden said the project came about when the children were learning about the importance of clean drinking water during a study unit about how water is essential to life. The children learned that not all people in the world have ac- cess to clean water and that many people, including very young children, die every day from diseases caused by drinking dirty water. “Our children were very saddened to learn this, and so we thought about ways to help make things better for the people we saw [in videos], and many others like them,” said Ms. Bodden. “Some children eagerly suggested sending clean drinking water by a boat or plane and sharing our clean water with people in Africa. In one of the videos we watched, we saw volun- teers from World Hope In- ternational drilling water wells for communities in Af- rica. After discussing this, we decided that would be a good way to provide clean drinking water.” This year’s Reception contingent of 81 students, led by the teaching team of lead teacher Patricia Bodden, along with Jes- sica Willis, Ranel Grant and Thresia McLean and four support aides, came up with ideas to raise $1,600. One bake sale on May 6 and one walkathon on May 27 later, the school’s Reception students and parents had raised $4,006.48. “All teachers, support aides and students were in- volved in the walkathon, along with about eight par- ents,” said Ms. Bodden, who noted the one-mile walk- athon took place on the field at the school. The students’ efforts are not going unrecognized, said Ms. Bodden. “The first year I did the project with my class, World Hope posted on their Face- book page a link to the news story on the fundraiser and did a short write up,” she said. World Hope has also sent reports of the projects the children were involved in to share with the rest of the school and parents. “This year we had a Skype session with Scott Drury, a representative from World Hope, where the chil- dren were able to ask ques- tions about the water well project, and he shared lots of information about it to them,” said Ms. Bodden. 50 years ago: Kudos for West Bayer in US Air Force Reception students raised an impressive amount at the walkathon. A well in Mozambique that the students helped fund.7 DISTRICT DAYS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 District Days West Bay A cool spell and over- cast skies over the Queen’s Birthday weekend made for a perfect day as ex- tended family got together for a fishing tournament to remember Burnis “Lil’B” Ebanks. Ken Williams took home the winning prize of a boat trip for two on Oh Boy Charters from the fishing tournament held at Barkers on June 13. Mr. Ebanks lost his life while out snorkeling off West Bay in 2014. He was 78. An avid fisherman, he also had a diverse career as a seaman, carpenter, North Sound tourist guide and community barber. “Uncle Burnis ‘Lil’B’ loved the Barkers area and often encouraged family to go there and enjoy what the Lord had given us,” said organizer Eziethamae Bodden. “Family and friends, the young and not so young came out and we all had a wonderful and relaxing day together.” Ms. Bodden presented the many young children in attendance with beach buckets, shovels and model plastic boats, which added to their fun in the sun. Refreshments were pro- vided by Ms. Bodden, Brad and Dolyn Ebanks, Cindy Ebanks and Lester Timothy. Top Sir John A. Cumber students recognized Sir John A. Cumber Primary School’s top Year 6 students received special recognition at last week’s leaving ceremony, marking the end of the school year. All the students honored at the event, held on June 17, received academic grades of level 5 or over. The theme for this year’s ceremony was ‘Embrace the future with confidence,’ and former student Renee Ebanks gave the keynote address to the audience of parents and students who packed the school auditorium. Until the end of classes on July 1, students at the West Bay school are engaging in a variety of activities including a careers day on June 20, field trips and practicing hard for the highly anticipated schoolwide talent show on June 29. The most outstanding boys with Education Minister Tara Rivers. Siblings Lillis, Rayburn, Arlene, Burnis, Clearstain and Gressmon Ebanks in 2013. Family event remembers Burnis ‘Lil’ B’ Ebanks Kaleb Jeffers offers Roman Rivers-Berry some fishing tips, joined by Janae Powery. Burnis’s niece Denise Ebanks looks at the family photo clothesline set up at the event.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY, JUNE 21 FREE AIDS TESTING: 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. today through Friday at George Town General Practice Clinic, Bodden Town Health Centre, East End Health Centre, Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac. Today only at Little Cayman Clinic. North Side and West Bay clinics, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Red Cross Headquarters, 5-7 p.m. SICKLE CELL SUPPORT: The next Sickle Cell Support Group meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Cayman Islands Hospital public health waiting room. Dr. Anna Matthews, general practitioner, and Dr. Linden Swan, pediatrician, will lead the discussion. All are invited. For more information, contact the genetics coordinator on 244-2630 or email joy.merren@hsa.ky. MOONLIGHT AND MOVIES: Tuesdays, through August, at 7 p.m. in Gardenia Court in Camana Bay. Families can spend time together taking in a movie under the stars. Dine at one of Camana Bay’s restaurants before the film, or set up a picnic on the grass, or just bring a blanket to relax and enjoy the show on the outdoor big screen. Showing tonight, “The Road to El Dorado.” WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22 FREE AIDS TESTING: 1-3 p.m. at North Side Health Clinic; Cayman AIDS Foundation in the Village, 5-7 p.m. George Town, Bodden Town and East End, see Tuesday. THURSDAY, JUNE 23 FREE AIDS TESTING: 1-3 p.m. at North Side Health Centre; West Bay Health Centre, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Red Cross Headquarters, 5-7 p.m. George Town, Bodden Town and East End, see Tuesday. FASHION SALE: Marriott Beach Resort, 7 p.m. Affordable designer and beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories, almost new. All proceeds benefit National Council of Voluntary Organisations. Donations are urgently needed. Donated items must be in good, clean condition. Contact Claire at kluyverclaire@gmail.com at Enough Stuff for more info or to donate clothing. FINAL WEEKEND: The Cayman Drama Society presents the comedy, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” Thursday through Saturday through June 25. Show time, 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $25 for adults and $15 for students; on sale from www.cds.ky or email boxoffice@cds.ky. BRAC COURT: Summary Court takes place from 10 a.m. in the Aston Rutty Centre today and tomorrow. FRIDAY, JUNE 24 FREE AIDS TESTING: University College of the Cayman Islands, 2-4 p.m.; North Side and West Bay Health Centres, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. George Town, Bodden Town and East End, see Tuesday. BBQ AND HOEDOWN: St. George’s Anglican Church invites everyone to the annual BBQ & Gospel Hoedown, from 5:30 p.m. at the Church Grounds, Courts Road. $15. Phone 949-5583. ISLAND LIVING SHOW: Home improvement displays and information at the Arts and Recreation Centre (ARC) 5-8 p.m. Tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organized by Cayman 27. SATURDAY, JUNE 25 FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast 7:30 a.m., at Lola’s (formerly The Upper Crust) restaurant in Camana Bay. Speaker will be Mr. Charles Watler. FREE AIDS TESTS: Seven Mile Beach Medical Clinic, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. BRAC PARADE: Braccanal Teen Parade. Contact cybbraccanalcommittee@ gmail.com or Ventisha Conolly 916-0212 for info or visit www.braccanal.com. MUSIC AND MORE: Cayman Music Collective and the Humane Society at The Cayman Distillery. Tickets are $15. Proceeds go to the charity and the artists. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and artists start at 8 p.m. There will also be a screening of the award winning “Bright Spot” followed by Stuart Wilson and DJ Lizzie Curious. NATIVE SONS: The exhibition “Native Sons – Twenty Years On” ends today at the National Gallery. Admission is free for everyone and all ages are welcome. There are special activities for children, available at the reception desk. TUESDAY, JUNE 28. LANDLORD AND TENANT RELATIONSHIP: Chamber of Commerce course presented by Sarah Allison. 9-11 a.m. Chamber office, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT: Free SME Workshop. 5:30- 7:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, JUNE 30 STUDENT FILMMAKERS: The Young Image Makers Red Carpet Premiere take places at the Harquail Theatre, 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public with a semi-formal dress code. For more information visit www.artscayman.org/young- image-makers, or email info@artscayman.org. SUMMER ARTS CAMP: Registration is due by today for the Cayman National Cultural Foundation Summer Arts Camp. Aug. 11-19. Open to students ages 7-16. Children 6 years old are accepted if an older sibling is enrolled. Activities focus on the visual, traditional and performing arts, with classes in drama, storytelling, dance, and more. Field trips highlight Cayman’s cultural and maritime heritage. Registration forms can be found at www.artscayman. org/creative-kids. Cost is $150 per child for seven days, snacks and lunch included. Payment due July 15. For more information, email cncf@artscayman.org or call 949-5477. SUNDAY, JULY 3 CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: For adults who want to work independently at the Visual Arts Society facility, Watler House Studio, Pedro Castle. $15, or $25 for non-members. Clay, glazes available. For more information, see visualartcayman@yahoo.com. SERVICE FOR GRADUATES: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church invites all graduates, pre-school through higher education, to the annual graduates service, 7 p.m. MONDAY, JULY 4 HOLIDAY FOOD STALL: Gun Bay United Church has a Food Stall at Elliot Conolly Civic Centre commencing 11 a.m. There will be turtle, conch, beef, rabbit, BBQ chicken, curry chicken and lobster; cassava cake, biscuit cake, pineapple upside down cake, homemade ice cream, and coconut tarts. SATURDAY, JULY 9 CAYMAN ISLANDS HIGH SCHOOL REUNION: Alumni who attended the school from September 1973 to July 1987 are invited to a reunion, hosted by Ivan and Mabel Farrington at the Cayman Turtle Farm. To RSVP, submit photos or for more information, call Mel at 925-1652 or email ivanf1934@yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST PROUD OF THEM: The public is encouraged to submit nominations to the Proud of Them youth recognition program. Youth ages 10-25 who are reaching new heights of achievement in academics, sports, their career, culture, business or community service can be nominated. Deadline is July 8. Forms can be found online at www.MCAYS.gov.ky. For more information, email proudofthem@gov.ky, or visit the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ ProudofThemKy. NEEDS ASSESSMENT UNIT: The Needs Assessment Unit has new hours. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. PINK LADIES: Coffee Shop at Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday- Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Call 244-2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@ gmail.com. STUDENT HEALTH SCREENING: All students entering government or private schools in Cayman for the first time are required to have health screenings, including students entering reception programs. Public Health Department staff will conduct the screenings, which are free. For those entering schools in West Bay and the Eastern districts, screenings will take place at the district health centers June 1-30. For all others, screenings will take place at the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre Campus from July 6 to Aug. 22. Appointments can be made at the school the child will be attending. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards, etc., in good condition always needed. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo restaurant. For more information on displaying work, email visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: KARoo Restaurant, from 7 p.m. to closing. Easels provided. No fee. Contact visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS St. George’s Anglican Church is holding its annual BBQ and Gospel Hoedown at the Church Grounds, Courts Road, on Friday, June 24.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 21, 2016 Pines Retirement Home On behalf of The Pines Board of Directors, residents and staff, our sincere gratitude to Mr. Paul Williams, The Pines 5K Walk/Run fundraising committee, and sponsors, for their kind donation of CI$6,000 raised at The Pines 5K Walk/Run Event. than consider a Caribbean wedding because of the perception that the entire Caribbean has Zika.” She said the Cayman Islands is too small to be noticeable as Zika-free on the U.S. Centers for Dis- ease Control and Preven- tion’s map, which high- lights affected areas. “It shows as if the en- tire Caribbean and Latin American region is im- pacted,” she said. She said the perception that Zika is a threat is a major issue across the re- gion, and that Cayman’s Department of Tourism is working with travel agents and marketing partners to convince tourists that it is not a threat here. Answering questions from legislators about the drop in tourism arrivals, during a Finance Com- mittee hearing on Friday, Ms. Harris said the de- cline in the Canadian economy is also a factor. While tourism num- bers from Cayman’s main source market, the U.S., are up slightly, visitors from Canada and Europe are down. “A number of economies are impacted and concerns over travel safety have fu- eled some of the shifts in our arrivals,” she said. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said spending is increasing in spite of the dip in arrival figures due to the increase in room rates. spent. Catron explained in an email that the course did not end until the following month, but she provided cer- tificates of completion to the government dated Aug. 1. Later that year, the court heard, Judy Powery, who worked in the Office of the Premier, received a phone call from one of the para- legal course students, prompting further inquiry into the matter, according to the prosecution. It was discovered that several stu- dents did not complete the course, even though Ms. Ca- tron had submitted certifi- cates of completion for those students to the government. In May 2013, when Mr. Connolly was a councilor for the Ministry of Education, he was asked by Education Minister Tara Rivers to con- duct a review of scholarships given through the Nation Building Fund, Mr. Connolly said. During this review, Mr. Connolly said, he examined a file containing documents relating to Catron’s contract with the government and thought it necessary to look into that matter further. Mr. Connolly testified that he was not asked to review the file pertaining to Catron in particular, but that the review was “just a general check” of the scholarships. On Sept. 12, 2013, Mr. Connolly made a report to the Financial Crime Unit, and on Dec. 12, 2013, of- ficers searched Catron’s home, recovering two large sheets of unused certifi- cate paper, investigating of- ficer Detective Constable Paul Ennis testified Monday. Later that December day, police interviewed Catron under caution. Police interviewed Catron again under caution on April 30, 2014. She was formally charged on May 27, 2014. On Monday, Mr. Ennis and the Crown counsel read transcripts of the two interviews conducted with Catron. During the first interview, Catron said “services had been rendered” in the form of registering students for the course and providing text- books and other materials. “If a person doesn’t do the course, that’s not really my concern,” Catron said during the first interview, adding that she went out of her way to follow up with students and accommodate them if they needed more time to complete the course. During the interview in April, she said, “If you reg- ister at ICCI or UCCI, you need to pay. They don’t care if you never attend a course.” During the first interview with detectives, she said that certificates were printed and held until an individual passed the course and that she provided the certificates to the Office of the Premier because the office asked her to provide them. Mr. Ennis said in testi- mony that during the first in- terview, the purpose of pro- viding the certificates “was to show that you lived up to your end of the bargain.” Two people who reg- istered for the paralegal course also testified Monday. The trial continues Tuesday. Hunters will get $5 per iguana BASIA MCGUIRE bmcguire@pinnaclemedialtd.com A weeklong green iguana culling trial kicked off this week in a bid to control the population, which has been estimated to have reached half a million on Grand Cayman. The culling trial, which runs through June 27, was announced on Friday, one day after a group of 18 registered cullers was chosen. According to the Depart- ment of Environment, which organized the cull, the small project will help the gov- ernment develop a com- prehensive and effective plan to tackle the exponen- tially increasing population of invasive green iguanas in Grand Cayman at the nec- essary scale. DoE director Gina Ebanks- Petrie said the department re- ceived $200,000 from the En- vironmental Protection Fund toward developing a green iguana eradication program. The money will be put to- ward devising and imple- menting a strategy to elimi- nate the threat of the animals. This cull is part of that ef- fort, and the hunters will re- ceive $5 for each iguana brought to the Department of Environment. Fred Burton, who for many years coordinated the suc- cessful Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, is directing the eradication efforts. He noted that the results of the re- cent green iguana popula- tion surveys by DoE research officers Jane Haakensson and Jessica Harvey were “shocking,” and “terrifying.” “The results are truly ap- palling,” he said. Ms. Haak- ensson confirmed that the es- timated population of green iguanas in Grand Cayman is about 500,000. “Their popu- lation looks to be doubling every 1.5 years,” she said. This week’s cull follows a much smaller initial effort to eradicate some of the green iguanas by three experienced hunters using licensed air ri- fles and small teams. In that recent two-week cull, the three contractors tried to reduce the green iguana density in their des- ignated area by 90 percent. By the end of the effort, more than 4,000 iguanas with a combined weight of about 2 tons, were turned in. The car- casses are taken to the George Town Landfill. The second trial is in- tended to test the logistics and effectiveness of involving larger numbers of people in culling over larger areas. The area being targeted encom- passes the western part of Grand Cayman, from around Hurley’s to West Bay. The hope is that up to 30,000 iguanas will be caught. The 18 cullers partici- pating in the trial were drawn from a group who attended a public meeting in 2015 on the future of green iguana control. The registered cullers are free to involve as many ad- ditional people they wish under their primary registra- tion, and Mr. Burton said that the cullers are required to be reasonably humane in their methods, and may use a va- riety of techniques, ranging from air rifles to nooses to hand capture. The cullers will need to re- quest permission to enter pri- vate property, and the orga- nizers foresee that cullers will be requesting access in many locations. The Department of Environment is asking the public’s cooperation as the green iguanas have become a major public nuisance and a potentially devastating envi- ronmental threat. “It’s hard to grasp the magnitude of the numbers, as the rate of increase was so powerful,” said Mr. Burton. “If we are going to turn that around, we are talking about very, very large num- bers [that will need to be eradicated].” Mr. Burton said the different methods and tactics for culling green iguanas will be analyzed after the cull, with the information used to inform how future ef- forts will be conducted. “If we are going to do large numbers low tech, or highly trained cullers going high- tech, for example,” said Mr. Burton. “At the moment, we don’t have enough informa- tion to make these decisions.” From an environmental perspective, Mr. Burton says the sheer number of mam- mals, due in part to their ex- tremely rapid reproduction rate, means they are wreaking environmental damage to the areas they inhabit, devouring plants, defoliating and killing native trees, and stressing and out-competing indigenous an- imals for food sources. Mr. Burton said the green iguanas may be exhibiting rapid evolution, as their be- havior is not seen in other green iguana populations. For example, they steal eggs from bird nests. “There is potential for eco- system change that has a knock-on effect for the entire ecosystem,” said Mr. Burton. “This problem has to be dealt with quickly, but it is going to be tough.” Cull to tackle Cayman’s 500,000 green iguanas MLA takes stand in Catron trial Zika fears ‘impacting tourism’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 There are an estimated 500,000 invasive green iguanas on Grand Cayman. The Zika virus is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.Next >