ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 SPORTS | PAGE 16 KANUGA READY FOR DESERT-TO-MOUNTAIN ULTRAMARATHON High of 90 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 HSBC AND HILLARY: WHEN THE SCALES OF JUSTICE ARE UNEVEN PremierHealth More claims get an automatic green light with BritCay! 57% of your claims were auto-adjudicated first* with BritCay. BritCay budgets for high volumes of claims. We pay more claims, more accurately and quicker than any other local health insurance provider. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES 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 cgigrp Legal action sought to halt GM mosquito release KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Opponents of the planned re- lease of millions of genetically mod- ified mosquitoes in West Bay are taking legal action in an effort to halt the operation, which is sched- uled to begin Thursday. On Wednesday, an application for judicial review and an application for a stay of the release of the mos- quitoes were filed by HSM attorneys on behalf of Dwene Ebanks, who spearheads an opposition move- ment called Caymanians United Against GM Mosquitoes. The Mosquito Research and Con- trol Unit, in collaboration with bio- technology company Oxitec, plans to begin releasing GM Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a preventive measure to control the mosquito responsible for the transmission of viruses such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya. The release is scheduled to begin Thursday afternoon in West Bay. If a judge grants the stay, that re- lease would be delayed pending the judicial review. The applica- tions had not been heard by a judge as of press time Wednesday. The application for judicial review seeks for a review of the de- cision of the National Conservation Council on May 18, which granted a permit to the MRCU and Oxitec for the import and release of up to 22 million GM mosquitoes in West Bay. In an affidavit to the court, Mr. Ebanks said he was applying for judicial review of the contested de- cision on five “principal grounds,” which include concerns about a “failure to carry out an independent risk assessment upon which to base any properly informed decision to grant the MRCU application.” Mr. Ebanks said in his affi- davit that the National Conserva- tion Council “relied solely on a risk assessment authored by Oxitec in collaboration with MRCU in Oct. 2009” and that the council “appear PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » May takes over as prime minister while EU exit struggle looms LONDON – Britain’s carefully choreographed political change of command culminated Wednesday with Theresa May inheriting the reins of a country caught in an unac- customed vortex of uncertainty as it hurtles toward an exit from the European Union. May was invited to govern the country during an au- dience with Queen Elizabeth II only minutes after David Cameron visited Buckingham Palace and formally re- signed as prime minister. A photo of May curtsying before a handbag-toting Queen signaled the moment that May formally ascended to the country’s highest political office. Minutes later, in her first address outside 10 Downing Street, May delivered a short but striking statement that sketched out her vision as Britain’s first female leader since Margaret Thatcher. May departed from typical Conservative rhetoric and vowed to fight against the “burning injustice” that she said has worked against minorities and women. She also promised to work on behalf of the poor and the working class. Although she did not delve deeper than broad strokes, May emphasized bright horizons for Britain outside the European Union in contrast to the gloomy forecasts from those who consider the referendum outcome a monumental mistake. “As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold, new, positive role for ourselves in the world and we will make Britain a country that works not for a privileged few but for every one of us,” said May, who had leaned to- ward the pro-EU side before last month’s vote on Britain’s EU future. She also said she would vigorously defend the “pre- cious bond of the United Kingdom,” a nod to her determi- nation to beat back the revitalized secessionist movement in Scotland driven by opposition to the decision to leave the European Union. Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Theresa May at the start of an audience in Buckingham Palace, where she invited the former home secretary to become prime minister and form a new government on Wednesday. - PHOTO: DOMINIC LIPINSKI VIA AP New Prime Minister Theresa May, followed by her husband Philip May, walk into 10 Downing Street, London, on Wednesday. - PHOTO: STEFAN ROUSSEAU VIA AP PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The following was read by Patricia Bradley at a Mass of Thanksgiving for photographer Yves- Jacques Rey-Millet, who passed away on June 30 at the age of 70. Of all the places I thought I would be traveling with Yves-Jacques, being here on his last journey today was not one of them. We had set off 4.5 months ago to Barbados, where suddenly he be- came ill; on return, he was diagnosed with liver cancer and so began a re- lentless and rapid decline. So, as his dear friends, we need this gathering for support, for re- membering and to say a joint goodbye to this most special and be- loved of human beings. Yves-Jacques was born of French parents, and adopted Swiss na- tionality, he and his brother were schooled until bar finals in Switzer- land and spent their holidays with their grandmother in Florida. He will be buried in her grave [this] week. Yves-Jacques and [his first wife] Ann-Marie came to Cayman in the mid-’70s and built a house at Bat’s Cave [in Cayman Brac] where many here enjoyed their renowned hospitality. He was loved by his friends and his presence gener- ated an immediate feeling of good will and bonhomie. He was such good fun and his very amusing dry wit was used to best effect when he mixed his punch line in French and English. Yves-Jacques was highly intelligent. His Swiss legal friends, especially his closest friend of 55 years, Jean-Pierre Jacquemoud, said he would have had a brilliant ca- reer at the bar. He chose different path, using his legal brain on family issues and on photography, a pas- sion which began aged 13. These and book publishing became an in- tegral part of Yves-Jacques’s intel- lectual life and to which he com- mitted his last 33 years. No day went by without active photography, studying new equip- ment, experimenting with new tech- niques, cataloguing images or dis- cussing books or travel or the latest species required for publication. He relished the dual challenge of producing perfect images of birds in flight while at the same time capturing their unique qualities so as to make each species identifiable and recognizable. It is a rare skill. In 1982, Governor Peter Lloyd in- troduced us and suggested our col- laboration on a Cayman bird book and the idea took off. It led to one of the defining friendships of our lives. We embarked on a joint voyage of discovery – that lasted 33 years and with a conversation that continued without ceasing. It led to the first photographic field guide for birds. Yves-Jacques was proud that first book, illustrated with photo- graphs rather than drawings and paintings, set a precedent and is now part of an international series published by Bloomsbury. The se- ries includes his Jamaican book, fol- lowed in 2013 by our photographic guide to the all birds of the Cayman Islands. This book also belongs to his wife, Alexandra, to whom Yves- Jacques dedicated it. She went with him almost daily, helping add to his mighty 30-year database of several hundred thousand images. It was her patience and sense of order that allowed peace and calm to reign as we married the text and the images we chose to produce a pub- lishable whole. All the proceeds of the book have been donated to the National Trust. Since 2013, we have been working on a book of Cuban birds with Ar- turo Kirkconnell. It was Yves- Jacques’s final wish to complete the book and we have promised to do so in his memory. Yves-Jacques’s library of endemic bird photographs of the Greater An- tilles is unique, and contributed to global knowledge and understanding on the often endangered and threat- ened species of the West Indies. He has made a genuinely important contribution to science, and I hope that sharing his photographic library will form a living and valued memo- rial to this gifted and dedicated man. Yves-Jacques was my dear and much loved friend, and I will al- ways treasure this unique and very precious friendship. The Bradley family send their love and condolences today. Yves-Jacques was liked by al- most everyone he knew or came into contact, remembered long af- terward by his kindness, generosity, and beautiful manners. His gift of generating warmth was much in ev- idence at the hospital for those last sad weeks. I would like to thank, on behalf of the family, Dr. Hol- liday, Dr. Bromley and Dr. Venetia Binoy and all her team at Health City. He could have not had more tender care anywhere. The best things that happened to Yves-Jacques in the last 10 years was meeting Alexandra. She ban- ished all the years of loneliness and they brought each other great happiness including their shared delight in the natural world. And he loved and was proud of his son Alexander. He finally had a family, and it brought him immense joy and fulfillment. A Mass of Thanksgiving for the life of Mr. Rey-Millet was celebrated at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Grand Cayman, on Thursday, July 7. SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - THE BFG 3D (PG) 1:00 I 4:00 2D I 7:00 I 9:50 2D THE SHALLOWS (PG13) 12:40 I 2:50 I 5:00 I 7:15 I 9:30 THE LEGEND OF TARZAN 3D (PG13) 1:10 I 3:45 2D I 7:10 I 9:45 2D CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (PG13) 1:30 I 7:20 MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES (R) 12:45 I 3:20 I 7:30 I 10:00 THE CONJURING 2 (R) 4:00 I 9:50 FINDING DORY 3D (PG) 12:30 2D I 3:00 I 6:45 2D I 9:15 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) SATURDAY, JULY 16th,8PM Sponsored by: Sponsored by: SATURDAY, JUNE 18th 8PM OBITUARY Life and work of photographer Rey-Millet celebrated Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet, March 21, 1946 - June 30, 2016 CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Prosecutors allege former government clerk Atisa Ebanks stole more than $50,000 meant to pay for cit- izenship applications, and falsifying receipts for almost two years. In the Grand Court jury trial that began this week, prosecutors accuse Ebanks of 30 counts of theft, alleging she stole $500 in naturaliza- tion fees, paid in cash to the Chief Secretary’s Office, now known as the Deputy Gover- nor’s Office. Prosecutors say a fo- rensic audit found more than 100 irregularities in the books, with applicants paying the $500 fee to gov- ernment, but the money was not accounted for in the gov- ernment’s payment system. Crown counsel Toyin Salako, opening the trial, ac- cused Ebanks of taking the money and giving the citi- zenship applicants fake re- ceipts, stealing $51,000 between early 2007 and March 2009. Questioned about her department’s payment pro- cessing during the trial on Wednesday, former corpo- rate manager for the Chief Secretary’s Office Chris- tine Wright said there was “an element of trust” that kept the fraud from being discovered. Referring to the govern- ment accounting system, Ms. Wright testified that she re- lied on the software to flag potential problems, “if there were any discrepancies, the IRIS system would have picked it up.” The Crown said the Chief Secretary’s Office first fig- ured out something was amiss with the payments on Oct. 24, 2008, when one of the applicants was not called as part of the Pledge Ceremony, the final step in naturalization. The woman had expected to be naturalized during the ceremony, but was not on the list because her $500 fee payment had not been recorded. Ebanks allegedly stole the money and gave the woman a fake receipt. The woman brought the receipt back to the office and an- other clerk saw that the re- ceipt was not what the of- fice would have issued and there was no information in the accounting system about the payment. The clerk brought the issue to Ms. Wright, and Ebanks returned the money, saying she had forgotten it in her desk. The prosecutor said the mistake triggered an internal audit that found a pattern of stealing cash used to pay the fees and generating false receipts. The Chief Secretary’s Of- fice placed Ebanks on re- quired leave in March 2009, according to prosecutors, and she resigned in De- cember of that year. The trial continues Thursday. Prosecutors say a forensic audit found more than 100 irregularities in the books, with applicants paying the $500 fee to government, but the money was not accounted for in the government’s payment system. Gov’t clerk accused of $50K theft Yves-Jacques Rey-Millet, March 21, 1946 - June 30, 2016The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JULY 14, 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 JULY 14, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS We’ve written before in this space that in the Cayman Islands, there should be only one set of laws — applied to everyone, fairly and equally. In Monday’s editorial on unlicensed beach vending, we wrote, “When it comes to enforcing a clearly written law, a term that our officials should never be using is ‘compromise’.” It’s a significant problem — and one not limited to Cayman. Consider Wednesday’s front page story on the HSBC money laundering scandal. We featured it so promi- nently because of the “local connection.” In brief, HSBC’s Mexican subsidiary had a branch set up in Cayman. Investigators from a U.S. Senate subcommittee found HSBC had “major anti-money laundering weak- nesses” and revealed the existence of thousands of “high risk” Cayman accounts dealing with hundreds of millions of dollars. Those Cayman accounts, a bank compliance officer said, enabled the “massive misuse by organized crime.” In total, investigators said at least $881 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Mexican and Colombian cartels were laundered and reached the U.S. banking system as a result of HSBC’s anti-money laundering failures. On top of that, the bank also broke U.S. laws by conducting transac- tions for customers based in countries such as Cuba, Iran, Libya, Sudan and Burma, contrary to U.S. sanctions. Think: Drug money, blood money, terror money. And yet, despite the magnitude of the alleged offenses — or perhaps, because of the magnitude — the U.S. Department of Justice refused to prosecute HSBC in 2012, at the behest of … guess who? … British authorities. It’s a classic example of behind-the-scenes machi- nations by powerful people, and it has only come to light after a separate investigation from a U.S. Con- gressional committee. The players in this drama included some of the biggest names in American and British government, including U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (who over- ruled Justice Department staffers’ advice in his decision not to prosecute HSBC), U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne (who intervened on HSBC’s behalf in the form of a written letter to U.S. officials), as well as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (who received Minister Osborne’s letter). In his missive, Minister Osborne warned that a criminal conviction for HSBC, and ensuing loss of its U.S. banking license, might destabilize the global economy. (“Too big to jail?”) In addition to Minister Osborne’s lobbying effort, the U.S. Congressional report claims that the U.K. Financial Services Authority (Britain’s financial regulator) “appar- ently hampered” investigations into HSBC and influenced the Americans’ decision not to prosecute. Ultimately, HSBC “settled the matter” in exchange for paying $1.92 billion in penalties. As we said, much of the HSBC saga played out behind closed doors. For an example of a very public drama that evidences a multi-tiered justice system, however, consider the recent announcement by FBI director James Comey that — after delineating a preponderance of evidence of culpability — he recommended against prosecuting Demo- cratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for mishan- dling classified material while she was U.S. secretary of state (the “email controversy”). Eminent political commentator Charles Krauthammer theorized in a syndicated column we published Monday, “[Mr. Comey] did not want the FBI director to end up as the arbiter of the 2016 presidential election. If Clinton were not a presumptive presidential nominee but simply a retired secretary of state, he might well have made a different recommendation. “Prosecuting under current circumstances would have upended and redirected an already year-long presiden- tial selection process. In my view, Comey didn’t want to be remembered as the man who irreversibly altered the course of American political history.” In our opinion, whether it’s a relatively small matter such as beach vending, a tremendous financial matter such as the HSBC scandal, or a politically significant development such as Ms. Clinton’s email troubles, the principle is the same: Being afraid to alter the course of an election, economy or history is no excuse for altering the course of justice. HSBC and Hillary: When the scales of justice are uneven The travesty of teacher tenure LOS ANGELES – The mills of justice grind slowly, but life plunges on, leaving lives blighted when justice, by being delayed, is irremedi- ably denied. Fortunately, California’s Supreme Court might soon decide to hear – four years after litigation began – the 21st century’s most portentous civil rights case, which concerns an on- going denial of equal pro- tection of the law. Every year, measur- able injuries are inflicted on tens of thousands of al- ready at-risk children by this state’s teacher tenure system, which is so politi- cally entrenched that only the courts can protect the discrete and insular mi- nority it victimizes. In 2012, nine Los Angeles stu- dents recognizing the fu- tility of expecting the Leg- islature to rectify a wrong it has perpetrated asked California’s judiciary to continue its record of vin- dicating the rights of vul- nerable minorities by requiring the state’s educa- tion system to conform to the state’s Constitution. After 10 weeks of testi- mony, the trial court found the tenure system incom- patible with the California Supreme Court’s decision, now almost half a century old, that the state Consti- tution, which declares ed- ucation a “fundamental” state concern, guarantees “equality of treatment” to all K-12 pupils. It “shocks the conscience,” the trial court said, that there is “no dispute” that “a signifi- cant number of grossly in- effective teachers” – per- haps more than 8,000, each with 28 students – are doing quantifiable damage to chil- dren’s life prospects. Technically, California teachers are granted lifetime tenure after just two years. Actually, they must be noti- fied of tenured status after just 16 months. (Thirty-two states grant tenure after three years, nine states after four or five. Four states never grant tenure.) When incom- petent or negligent teachers gain tenure, dismissal pro- cedures are so complex and costly that the process can take up to 10 years and cost up to US$450,000. The trial court called the power to dismiss “illusory.” Each year approximately two teachers are dismissed for unsat- isfactory performance – 0.0007 percent of California’s 277,000 teachers. Instead, school districts are forced to adopt what is called the “dance of the lemons,” whereby grossly in- effective teachers are shuf- fled from school to school. Another facet of the tenure system – the teachers last hired are the first fired when layoffs are required – reinforces the powerful tendency for incompetent teachers, who must teach somewhere, to accumulate in schools with the most teacher vacancies. These are disproportionately schools attended by low-income mi- nority children. Abundant research dem- onstrates that teacher quality is the most impor- tant school variable deter- mining academic perfor- mance. This is why there is more variation in student achievement within than be- tween schools. This variation is especially dramatic among students from education- ally disadvantaged families. A single grossly ineffective teacher can deprive students of a full year of learning, with consequences that in- clude lower graduation and college attendance rates, and lifetime earnings more than US$250,000 lower than for pupils without a single in- competent teacher. Because teachers’ unions insist that financial appropriations are the all-important determi- nants of schools’ successes, they are perversely reluctant to acknowledge the impor- tance of quality teachers. The appeals court re- sponded with a judicial shrug to the trial court’s fac- tual findings. It said Califor- nia’s tenure system does not constitute a denial of equal protection because the iden- tifiable class of people being injured have no “shared trait.” Oh? What about their shared injury? The injured pupils share a suscepti- bility to injury because of their shared trait of being economically disadvantaged. This trait concentrated them in schools that themselves have a shared trait – dispro- portionately high numbers of bad teachers. The appeals court breezily said the injured were merely an “unlucky subset” of pu- pils, a “random assortment” produced not by the tenure laws but by the administra- tion of them. This, however, is a distinction without a difference: The tenure laws’ purpose is to dictate out- comes by depriving admin- istrators of discretion. Sys- temic results cannot be dismissed as “random.” Even if the tenure laws were nei- ther written with a discrim- inatory motive nor adminis- tered with a discriminatory intent, the system is now known to produce – not in- variably but with a high probability – predictable patterns of disparities. Liberal and conservative legal luminaries, from Har- vard’s Laurence Tribe to Stanford’s Michael McCon- nell, have urged California’s Supreme Court to do what the appeals court neglected to do – apply heightened scrutiny to the tenure laws that prioritize teachers’ job security over pupils’ con- stitutional right regarding education. California’s Su- preme Court will have na- tional resonance if it affirms that public schools are es- tablished to enable children to flourish, not to make even dreadful teachers secure. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2016, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE 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 find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 Cayman teen makes Adobe’s top 25 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands high school student Brandon Saunders, 16, has been named one of Adobe Photo- shop’s “25 under 25” in an in- ternational competition for graphic designers. The competition, which fielded around 1,000 entries from across the globe, asked designers under the age of 25 to submit graphic de- signs using photos provided by Photoshop. Mr. Saunders, who said he is not a “huge social media guy” under normal circum- stances, found out about the competition on Instagram – a social media site that focuses on photos – and took a look at some of the contest entries that already had been made. “I looked at some of them and thought ‘I’m not too bad … I can do that,’” he said. Mr. Saunders said the loosely defined goal for the designers, in honor of the Adobe company’s 25th anni- versary, was to design a piece that represented the number 25 or that showed 25 sepa- rate items “reminiscent of us [the designer].” “With the images avail- able for the competition [provided by Photoshop], I decided to go for a ‘Blade Runner’ look,” Mr. Saunders said, referencing the 1982 Ridley Scott science fiction film made 18 years before the St. Ignatius High School stu- dent was born. Among several entries he submitted, the win- ning design depicted a dark, urban highway scene with a shrouded figure – appearing similar to ‘Blade Runner’s’ main protagonist, Deckard – overlooking the landscape. “They thought it was rem- iniscent of me,” Mr. Saunders said. There were entrants from at least 20 countries on five continents. Of the 25 con- test winners, Mr. Saunders is the second-youngest. “The youngest had me beat by about three months,” he said. Unfortunately for the graphic design world, Mr. Saunders said his chief interests lie more with the film industry. “I’m into film- making, and if it’s not film- making, then scoring [music for] films,” he said. For being named the among the top “25 under 25,” Mr. Saunders received a cash prize and a bound book from Adobe with his images and those of his fellow contest winners. His contest designs are available for viewing at www.behance.net/ gallery/37871451/Metallic-Traveler. Brandon Saunders, 16, shows his winning design from the Adobe Photoshop ‘25 under 25’ competition. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLER Video: Driver evades police in George Town slow-speed chase BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The driver of an SUV being pursued by police turned around three times in the middle of a busy George Town street, according to a driver who witnessed the pursuit and recorded part of it on his mobile phone. The slow-speed chase oc- curred June 28 on Harbour Drive/North Church Street along the George Town wa- terfront. Police declined to comment on whether the driver was apprehended during the pursuit around 11 a.m., or why officers were chasing him. According to the driver who witnessed the incident, the vehicle being pursued was heading north along the waterfront when it made a U-turn in the middle of the street and headed south- bound. The vehicle then turned again in the street, in front of the police car, and headed back north. It is at this point that the video recording shows the SUV turning slowly in front of the police car, while the police vehicle allowed it to turn around and head back southbound again, picking up speed. The man who re- corded the incident, who did not want the Cayman Com- pass to use his name for fear that his employment on is- land might be negatively af- fected by releasing the video, said he was surprised by what he observed. “The driver he was pur- suing turned around three times that I know of, [during] any of which [the pursuing officer] could have very easily boxed him in and appre- hended the suspect,” the man said in an email to the Com- pass. “Instead, [the officer] chased him back through George Town where there were three cruise ships in and people everywhere.” A police statement, which the Compass received Wednesday, indicated wit- nesses would not have all the information that the pur- suing officers had at the time. “We see nothing to ques- tion the officers’ judgment here,” the RCIPS statement indicated. “Officers often have only a few seconds to make decisions to save lives and protect property. In this ex- ample, the car could [have] driven into another vehicle instead of safely stopping. These are the sorts of pos- sibilities officers must con- stantly consider.” The way police handles pursuits has been under in- creased scrutiny since a 2013 Grand Court judgment in the trial of a lawsuit filed after a man’s death during a 2008 police chase on West Bay Road. In that case, the family of Bruce Lee Ebanks sued the driver of the vehicle being pursued by police, as well as the Cayman Is- lands government, over the fatal crash on Feb. 29, 2008. Mr. Ebanks and 21-year-old Sidney Myles, who were pas- sengers in the car driven by then-19-year-old Alex Callan, died in the Friday night smash on West Bay Road. Mr. Callan survived and was sentenced to four years in prison for causing death by dangerous driving. In late March 2013, then- Grand Court Justice Alex- ander Henderson granted a judgment and costs in favor of Paulene Ebanks, the mother of Bruce Lee Ebanks. “The [Feb. 29, 2008] ac- cident was contributed to, if not caused by, the speed at which Mr. Callan was driving,” Mr. Justice Hen- derson wrote in his ruling, dated March 27, 2013. “He was doing so because a police car was chasing him. Had the pursuit been ter- minated, it is more prob- able than not that Mr. Callan would have slowed down to a normal speed so as to avoid attracting further police at- tention. The negligent failure to end the pursuit was one factor which contributed to the accident.” Dart in court over former tenant’s junk vehicles JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands’ largest developer, Dart Re- alty, claimed in court this week that it has spent thousands of dollars on legal fees and cleaning up junk vehicles from an auto garage business operated by one of its former ten- ants, following an enforce- ment notice from the plan- ning department. The developer, along with its tenant Harold Spence, were called to Sum- mary Court on Tuesday, to face charges of failing to comply with a planning en- forcement notice. Lawyers for Dart said they were expecting the charges against the com- pany to be withdrawn at the hearing. However, pros- ecutors requested a week- long adjournment, which was granted, to clarify its intended stance. Mr. Spence was not in court. The dispute relates to a piece of land, close to Jo- se’s Esso station on Crewe Road, which the plan- ning department said was being operated as a garage and site for re- pairs and storage of ship- ping containers without planning permission. Linda DaCosta, for Dart, said the company had done everything in its power since the notice was re- ceived in 2014, to deal with the issue. She said the junk vehicles have now been removed. She said Dart had re- ceived no cooperation from the tenant and began pro- ceedings against him in Au- gust 2015, which had taken time to progress. “We are not capable, pursuant to the law, to go in and kick someone out. We had to go through the process,” she said. The tenant has now been evicted, and she said Dart removed the junk vehi- cles at its own expense. Request for withdrawal of charges She said the planning department had been in- formed every step of the way, and she contested the prosecution’s application for another adjournment, asking for the charges to be withdrawn. “An adjournment is not going to take this matter any further, our client has already spent thou- sands of dollars on legal fees and for me to come to the court once more is just unnecessary, your honor,” she said. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats said the power to withdraw the charge lay solely with the prosecution and agreed to adjourn the case for a week. A still from the video taken of the June 28 slow-speed chase as the suspect vehicle makes a three-point turn in front of the pursuing police vehicle.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Bodden Town THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Road safety comes into question In the July 13, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Haig Bodden wrote: “The western entrance to Bodden Town is marked by one of nature’s little quirks, Guard House Hill. The old road was beset with two boulders resembling the Pillars of Hercules at the entrance to the Mediter- ranean Sea. “For some inexplicable reason, the engineers who built the new road could not widen this gap. Instead they built, at an astronomical cost, the most hazardous section of road there is in Grand Cayman. A narrow serpentine track, over- looking stupendous preci- pices somehow managed to get the surveyors’ approval, and today remains as a death trap. “Eight accidents, two of them being collisions, have already occurred at this site. “A couple of years ago, there was a big stir about improving this section of the road. Our represen- tatives fought hard and noisily and I believe even at- tracted the attention of the Road Board. However, this death alley remains as dan- gerous as ever. It is only a matter of luck that no one has received injuries here, but the stage is all set for a gruesome tragedy. “The road needs to be widened another ten feet. A steel or concrete rail should be erected at the edges. It will take a lot of money to do all this. Establish a toll gate and charge three shillings for each vehicle passing through it, and in 35 years the road will pay for itself. Future genera- tions would have a safe road without stretching the national debt. “Present day measures are necessary to make this bend safe. Tourists who fre- quent this road ought to be considered. Remember that the foot of this hill is often approached at 50 miles per hour. There are no signs or ‘Sharp bend ahead’ notices to warn motorists unfa- miliar with the area. “Someone who lives around here mentioned that they were alarmed to see a tourist coming out of the dead end Manse Road, and almost going into a five ton truck. There is no stop sign at the junc- tion of the Manse Road and the highway, and it is likely that an unwary mo- torist will plunge into on- coming traffic. Because of the terrain the view here is often obscured. “Most of the natives know that Guard House means unguarded, but how can foreigners know when they reach this point? “This article is not in- tended to criticize the in- ertia shown toward this situation, but it is written in the hope that the mo- toring public will be suf- ficiently alerted to their perils, and will continue to agitate for improvements. “A final warning – be- ware the little ridge which has recently been humped across the top of the hill. Any car which hits that springboard at fifty miles an hour will surely take a dive into the deep beyond.” Service with a smile all in a day’s work JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A service station atten- dant’s reputation for being well-mannered, friendly and welcoming is earning him much attention in the Bodden Town community. Since he started working at Lorna’s Rubis about eight months ago, Logard Ander- son’s pleasant personality has not gone unnoticed by customers. Some honk car horns when passing, others simply pull in to fill up and have a chat. “How are you today?” he cheerily greets a customer on a recent morning. “What can I do for you today?” are the next friendly words. “You know you can win some free gas if you put $25 instead of $20,” he continues as he’s at the back of the car. “All right, you drive safe and have a pleasant day,” he adds as he finishes up, before turning his attention to the next customer. For Mr. Anderson, 57, it’s just another day on the job that he loves. “I like meeting new people every day, and the work is not all that hard,” he said. Growing up, he said, having good manners was important. “If you passed someone on the street and didn’t wave or say hello, your parents heard about it long time before you reached home,” he said. To some, good customer service is as simple as solving problems and offering solu- tions in an expedient manner, which Mr. Anderson does and more, going above and be- yond in his duties. Even when faced with dis- gruntled customers who talk to him as though the rising price of gas is his fault, he finds pleasant ways to respond. “When they pull up to the pump they say, ‘What hap- pened, gas was $3.95 yes- terday and today it’s $4.18 … what’s really going on, how are we going to sur- vive?’ I tell them maybe it’s the cost of other rising prices, and the delivery ser- vice, and that I hope it goes back down very quickly for them,” he said. According to Mr. An- derson, he is just as sur- prised as most customers when the price of gas goes up overnight. “When I leave work at night and return in the morning and see that the price of gas has gone up, I can’t really do nothing about that. What I can do is pump the gas and treat my cus- tomers right,” he said. Whether it’s morning, noon or night, Mr. Anderson said he does not hesitate to ask if his customers are doing all right. “I got to keep the cus- tomers happy and comfort- able so they can come back and keep up the services and me in a job,” he laughs. He credits his mannerly upbringing for his ease with the customers, but feels some of his good service skills came from working at the Bodden Town Pirate Caves, where he welcomed visitors and locals. Before becoming a pump attendant, Mr. Anderson had his own small construc- tion business. He said it fell apart because work in that field became a lot tougher to get, but that does not stop him from taking a few part- time jobs occasionally when he’s not at the pumps. “I am quite comfort- able right where I am for now,” he said. Logard Anderson pumps gas at Lorna’s Rubis station in Bodden Town. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Horse lovers saddle up at Cowboy Town camp Children in Bodden Town are learning to ride, take care of, and be safe around horses at Cowboy Town Stables’ “Summer at the Barn” horse camp. On Wednesday, a group of campers were learning the ropes of feeding, cleaning, set- ting up the arena, house- keeping, grooming and saddling, all before jumping on a horse. Emily Barton, on va- cation from Texas with her family, said she was having lots of fun. “I love horses and animals, and being at the horse camp means a lot to me,” she said. She helped feed the horses and clean out the stables. The camp is de- signed for children of all abilities. Feeding the horses was part of the camp chores for Emily Barton. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYDISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 Bible inspires campers’ adventures Youngsters take part in ‘Cave Quest’ JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Vacation Bible School is a popular children’s ac- tivity at this time of year, a way to bring the com- munity together as young- sters get involved and fami- lies make connections with their church. The kids at the Bodden Town Church of God Vaca- tion Bible School are taking part in “Cave Quest,” which offers an experience that helps explore what it means to follow Jesus through dark times, organizers said. The Bible school activ- ities, which run weekday evenings, include exploring Bible stories, meeting new friends, conducting ex- periments, playing sports, singing and snacks. According to Pastor Hyacinth Rose, Cave Quest is built around the theme of coming out the darkness and people having trust and hope in the Lord. Each day, the campers ro- tate from station to station, learning about sharing Je- sus’s love with others be- yond the four walls of the church building. Equipped with flash- lights and protective hel- mets on a recent evening, the children could not wait to explore paper caves full of vibrant colors and dif- ferent textures that the decorating team had con- structed around the church. Glow-in-the-dark paper stalagmites and stalactites led the way as the children crawled through the caves, learning about God’s love at the various exit points. At Sharon Roberts’s sta- tion, the children learned how to make sugar crystals and how caves played very important roles in Biblical times – one being the place where Jesus was laid to rest after he was crucified. Stopping in at Steph- anie Roberts’s station, they got to sing worship songs, laugh and dance. In her classroom, Pastor Rose, dressed in a nurse’s coat, explained how the church supports mission- aries in countries like Haiti and Nicaragua. She encour- aged the children to as- sist these countries and missionaries by bringing just a few cents to Bible class, explaining that small sums would go a long way in making life better for people in need, She also en- couraged the campers to always look for evidence of God’s love all around them through the things that they see, smell, touch and hear. Children learn about missionary work in Hyacinth Rose’s class.Youngsters show off camp name tags. GUN SQUARE, A SLICE OF BODDEN TOWN HISTORY Gun Square is believed to be one of Bodden Town’s two historic defense points, the other being Guard House Hill at the western approach of Bodden Town. It was a perfect battery as it overlooked one of the prin- cipal channels of the day when Bodden Town had a natural harbor. Two 18th century cannons still stand there. For many years, one of the cannons lay buried in the sand, until around 1910 when four Bodden Town men, Henry Bodden, Procklington McCoy, Conwell Solomon and Thomas Tatum dug it out and placed it in its original posi- tion at the eastern end of the small square. This information was supplied by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.The cannons at Gun Square in Bodden Town - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Sharon Roberts shares sugar crystals with campers.Joshua Rose gets ready for his hike through the caves.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. THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, JULY 15 ART GRANTS: Today is the deadline to apply for a grant for the arts offered by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. The grant can be used to bring projects to fruition or support ongoing programs. Past grants have been awarded for training, productions, publications, festivals and special projects. Application forms and guidelines can be found online at www.artscayman. org/grants-for-the-arts. BOOK SIGNING: Ross Tibbetts will sign his work of fiction “The Walker – ‘80s Sci Fi in Beach Town U.S.A.” Group discussion. Free admission, 6:30 p.m. at Books & Books. SATURDAY, JULY 16 WOMEN AND DIVING: Join Divetech for an afternoon two-tank boat trip at 12:45 p.m. Meet Ania Milanowska, executive director of the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and the staff of Divetech for a wall/reef trip. Certified divers only. Residents US$60; visitors US$100. Price includes refreshments. US$30 from customers will be donated to the Crisis Centre. Spaces are limited. Call 946-5658 to reserve or email reservations@divetech.com. CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: “One Man, Two Guvnors” comedy play, starring James Corden. 7 p.m. at Regal Cinemas. MANGO SEASON: The first Looky-Ya Mango Season at the Museum. 3-8 p.m. Admission is free. Food and mango products, a mango peeling/eating competition, music by local artists, arts and crafts, fun for kids and the entire family. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 FLOETRY: Books & Books, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Poets and performers share their work during this open mic session. Members of the public are encouraged to listen in or join in. THURSDAY, JULY 21 HUMANE SOCIETY PUB QUIZ: Fidel Murphy’s, 7 p.m. featuring quiz master Dhara Levers. $10 per person, for teams of six people maximum each. All proceeds go toward transferring dogs to their new homes in the U.S. Call Fidel Murphy’s on 949-5189 to reserve your table or email sarah.dyer@gmail.com. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WORKSHOPS: Basic Writing and Grammar Skills Part 1; Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Sign up at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, JULY 23 SUMMER SPLASH PARTY: The Crescent, Camana Bay. 2-7 p.m. SUMMER CAMPS KIDS SUMMER ART & CRAFT CAMP: Visual Arts Society: Watler House Studio, Pedro St. James. Wednesdays and Thursdays, July 20 to Aug. 18. Open to kids ages 5 to 12. $45 pp; fee includes materials and snack. For more information, visit visualartcayman@yahoo.com. SUMMER ARTS CAMP: Hosted by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation, Aug. 11-19, registration closes July 15. Open to kids ages 7 to 16; children 6 years old accepted if an older sibling is enrolled in the camp. Camp activities focus on the visual, traditional and performing arts, with classes in drama, storytelling, dance and more. Campers will also get to take part in field trips that highlight Cayman’s cultural and maritime heritage. Online registration forms at www. artscayman.org/creative- kids. Cost is $150 per child for seven days. Snacks and lunch are included. For more information, email cncf@artscayman.org or call 949-5477. KARATE KAMP: Purple Dragon Karate at Mirco Centre offers karate, crafts, field trips, indoor and outdoor activities 8:30 a.m. till 5:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays until Aug. 19. $75 per day; $40 half-day; $300 per week; $280 per week for two weeks; $250 per week for four weeks. Call 946-1241 or email purple@candw.ky. SAILING CAMP: Cayman Islands Sailing Club. Children ages 6 to 16 and beginners welcome. Each camp is two weeks, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Games, field trips and lots of sailing in North Sound. All safety equipment is provided. $650 for non- members; $550 for CISC members. Lunch option for two weeks is $80. One- week option available by request. To register, contact sailingcentre@sailing.ky. Call 926-7915. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Wesleyan Holiness Church, 150 North West Point Road, West Bay. July 11-15, 6-8 p.m. For children ages 5 to 12. Call 949-3394 for information. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: ‘Cow a-bunga farm, growin’ with our faithful God.’ Calvary Baptist Church, 191 Walkers Road, George Town. July 18-22, 8:30-noon, ages 4-17. Call 949-0629. BRAC YMCA CULTURE CAMP: Aug. 1-5. 8:30 a.m. to noon. Brac Heritage House. Cost $50. Contact simones@candw.ky. BRAC SPORTS CAMP: Football, Aug. 1-5, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Brac Sports Complex (Bluff Field). Ages 7–17. BIBLE SCHOOL: Aug. 1–6. Creek SDA Church Vacation Bible School. 5:30–8:30 p.m. Contact Marva Crew at 924-0429. WATERCOLOUR KIDS CLUB: Saturday mornings 10 a.m. to noon. National Gallery, until Aug. 13. Free watercolor art activities for kids. These creative drop-in sessions will inspire families of all levels and abilities. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Bookings are not required. For more information, contact education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. ADVENTURES IN ART: Presented by the National Trust and Art Nest Creative Studio. Held at Dart Family Park Aug. 1-5 and 8-12 for ages 4 to 10. Runs 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. $300 per week includes snack, lunch and materials. After-care till 5:30 p.m. is additional $25. Register at www.nationaltrust.org.ky. BIBLE SCHOOL: Red Bay Church of God (Holiness) holds Vacation Bible School for ages 3 to 12, July 11-15, 6:30-9 p.m. Activities, craft, Bible lessons, snacks and prizes. All free. For more information, call 924-8611 or 916-3800. SUPERHEROES: Cayman Theraplay and Chatterbox present a camp targeting social communication and motor skills for ages 4 to 7. Aug. 8-12, 9-10:30 a.m. $285 per week. At Cayman Theraplay, Plaza Venezia. Email admin@caymantheraplay.com. SPORTS CAMP: Camana Bay Sports Complex. Weekly, from 8 a.m. to noon for ages 6 to 14. Weeks starting July 11 and 25 are $150. Contact cbsc@camanabay.com. BASKETBALL CAMP: July 18-22 at the Arts and Recreation Centre (ARC). $150 per person. 8:30 a.m. till noon for ages 7 to 12; 12:30-4 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Contact cbsc@camanabay.com or 640-2878. STARFISH VILLAGE: Camana Bay. Enrichment activities for ages 3 to 12, divided by age groups. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. $80 per day, with other rates by the week or half day. Contact info@starfish.ky. SHUTTERBUGS: For young photographers. Picture This Studios, Camana Bay. Ages 8 to 11, Mondays from July 11. Ages 11 to 16, Fridays from July 15. Each session is 9 a.m. till noon; $35. Contact bouke@picturethis.ky or 943-3686. GENERAL INTEREST NCVO PRESCHOOL: Miss Nadine’s, the NCVO preschool, and Jack & Jill Nursery now have spaces for children 3 months to 5 years. They are on a first-come, first-served basis, so parents are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Contact Miss Nadine’s Preschool at 945-1078 or email ncvopreschool@ncvo.org.ky. 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. Money is 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 ended June 30. For all others, screenings will be 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, visit www. visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: KARoo restaurant, from 7 p.m. to closing. Easels provided. No fee. Contact www.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. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Diver Christy Baum, left, with Divetech’s Joanna Mikutowicz at the Kittiwake dive site off West Bay. Divetech is hosting a two-tank boat trip Saturday to help raise funds for the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre. The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 to have failed to give any consideration … to the fact that such a risk assessment could not be regarded as in- dependent; the principal au- thor was a party with a com- mercial interest.” Trial release in 2009 Oxitec first released mos- quitoes in Grand Cayman during a six-month trial starting in September 2009. The application for judi- cial review also asserts that the October 2009 risk as- sessment does not comply with European law, and that the National Conservation Council should have made its own inquiries to ensure that the risk assessment complied with EU directives. ‘No public consultation’ Another significant con- cern of Mr. Ebanks – and an- other ground on which the application for judicial re- view was filed – is the con- tention that the council “acted unlawfully in failing to carry out a public con- sultation” before approving the project. Mr. Ebanks said in his affidavit that the release of the GM mosquitoes in 2009 and 2010 was “undertaken in secret,” and that there was only one public meeting regarding this year’s planned release. “I believe that without proper and truthful infor- mation on a topic which may have an impact on the health of the public and an effect on the environment, the people of the Cayman Is- lands are not in a position to give their informed consent to the release of an alien and genetically modified species to the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Ebanks said in the affidavit. The application for judi- cial review also notes that while the date of the grant of the import license is not known, what “is known,” the application states, is that the MRCU and Oxitec, with the involvement of the Min- istry of Health, entered into a partnership agreement be- fore MRCU’s submission of the application to the Na- tional Conservation Council. “There is therefore a clear risk that NCC’s consider- ation of the application has been tainted by the taking into account of an irrelevant consideration – namely the existence of this partner- ship agreement which was the subject of a prior press release on May 5, 2015 an- nouncing the multi-phase roll of Oxitec’s programme on Grand Cayman.” The de- cision to grant the applica- tion by the National Conser- vation Council was taken at its meeting on May 18. “The NCC may – through taking this fact into account – have fettered its discre- tion in the decision making process, as a rejection of the application would be in conflict to a binding agree- ment involving another Gov- ernment Department,” Mr. Ebanks said in his affidavit. The Cayman Compass approached the MRCU, Ox- itec and the Ministry of En- vironment for comment, but had received no responses by press time. CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JULY 14, 2016 AGM Notice Notice is hereby given, that the Annual General Meeting of Rotary Central Junior Achievement of the Cayman Islands will be held at the Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square, West Bay Road Wednesday August 3rd, 2016 at 6:00 pm Cameron’s farewell Earlier Wednesday, Cam- eron went through his final, mostly ceremonial, paces as leader. He received a standing ovation in Parliament and declared Britain “much stronger” than when he took office six years ago as he left Downing Street for the last time as prime minister. Amid gusting winds and bursts of rain, Cameron gave a short statement outside the prime minister’s resi- dence with his wife and three young children by his side. He thanked the country for the “greatest honor of my life” and wished his successor luck guiding Britain through its difficult EU split. It was Cameron’s bad bet on the EU – in calling a ref- erendum that he lost – that set off Wednesday’s transi- tion, just a year after Cam- eron won a resounding vic- tory that could have kept him in office until 2020. Cameron took some jabs from opponents who blamed him for calling that vote when he appeared on the green benches of Parliament earlier Wednesday. He was also cheered by supporters, and his premiership was cel- ebrated by fellow Conser- vatives who congratulated him on cutting the deficit, enacting gay marriage and appointing women to key posts – one of whom will take his place. May became the 13th prime minister to air-kiss the hand of Queen Elizabeth II, who at 90 has seen leaders of government come and go on average every five years during her six-de- cade-plus reign. But amid the pomp and circumstance was the serious business of a nation facing the gravest challenge to its iden- tity since it shed its empire. May, 59, is handed a daunting task from the 49-year-old Cameron that neither wanted: taking the country out of the Euro- pean Union. May, who is just the second female prime min- ister in British history after Thatcher, won the job on Monday after her sole rival, Andrea Leadsom, unexpect- edly dropped out. May had already won the first round of voting – among Conserva- tive members of Parliament – last week. With only one can- didate in the race, a planned summer-long vote of rank- and-file party members was called off. May takes the keys to 10 Downing Street after six years directing the country’s do- mestic security as home af- fairs secretary. In that time, she developed a reputation as a steely yet cautious manager. Colleagues have described her as tough- minded and well-briefed on her portfolio of issues, which included the fight against Islamist extremist violence and policing of the country’s borders. She has been a hawk on the need to cut immigration and had pushed for a greater government role in electronic surveillance. Her views on foreign and economic policy are less known. But in her first major speech on the economy this week, her tone was more lib- eral than expected – empha- sizing the need for growing the economy, rather than cut- ting government spending. On foreign policy, she has taken a hard line on con- taining Russia and China. She has also worked closely with colleagues across Europe and in Washington on counterter- rorism efforts as Westerners have flocked to Syria to fight alongside the Islamic State. Supporters laud her re- solve and her experience. De- tractors depict her as stub- born and rigid. “She’s the best of a bad bunch,” Vince Cable, a Liberal Democrat who worked along- side May as business secre- tary before last year’s general election, told the BBC. May’s first hours in office include briefings by top ad- visers on the most pressing problems facing the country. But it is the British exit from the European Union – Brexit – that looms largest. During the country’s referendum campaign, she was a reluctant advocate for staying in the 28-member bloc. Since last month’s vote, however, she has repeatedly insisted that the voters’ will should be honored and that “Brexit means Brexit.” One of her first major de- cisions as prime minister will be to choose when to begin negotiations. Before her victory was assured Monday, she had said that she would not trigger Ar- ticle 50 – the never-before- used mechanism for exiting the European Union – before year’s end. But she is likely to come under pressure from European leaders across the English Channel and from Brexit advocates at home to accelerate that timetable. Once the process has begun, Britain will have just two years to negotiate its way out of the bloc. The time frame is considered short for such a complicated un- tangling. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told Par- liament this week that, in re- ality, it may take as long as six years. It all could be moving too fast for British strat- egy-crafters. Cameron an- nounced his plans to re- sign soon after the vote, having failed to persuade the country to take his ad- vice and stick with the EU despite its flaws. His govern- ment had no real plans for what to do the day after a Brexit vote. © 2016, The Washington Post May takes over as prime minister while EU exit struggle looms CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 David Cameron, his wife Samantha and their children, from left, Nancy, Florence and Elwen, leave 10 Downing Street on Wednesday. - PHOTO: AP/FRANK AUGSTEIN Legal action sought to halt GM mosquito release CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Oxitec project manager Renaud Lacroix examines GM mosquito pupae in a lab on the MRCU premises. - PHOTOS: MATT LAMERS Genetically modified mosquito larvaeNext >