High of 89 Low of 81 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 IS OUR PREMIER THE ‘DUMMY’ OR THE VENTRILOQUIST? SPORTS | PAGE 18 ROSBERG CLOSES GAP IN F1 TITLE RACE ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 180913_PRINT-Ad-Strip-BOTY-6colxPage 1 11/30/15 12:30:30 PM Pamela Vaughn-Duncan, radiology manager, and Kincily Cletus, radiographer, demonstrate Cayman Islands Hospital’s new X-ray machine. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Governors foresaw immigration troubles BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Successive Cayman Islands governors foresaw the overseas territory’s current im- migration difficulties as far back as the late 1980s and reported the potential for “serious social problems” if various perceived dispari- ties were not addressed. The governors also warned of “prosperity largely based on dependent status” eroding if a move toward independence from Britain was proposed as a result of anti-foreigner sentiment. The statements are recorded in two de- cades of annual dispatches sent from the territorial governors to the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office between 1987 and 2005. The dispatches cover part or all of the terms of six Cayman Islands governors. One dispatch sent for the year 1989, early in the term of former Governor Alan J. Scott, noted that “tensions” had revived on the Royal Cayman Islands Police Force “between a few local officers and expatriates.” Mr. Scott saw the issues as a symptom of wider problems existing at the time. “We are in for an uneasy year, perhaps a watershed in Cayman politics and outlook,” Governor Scott wrote, referring to the year 1990. “The continuing pace of development will increase. Overt xenophobia is likely to in- crease with attacks on British presence, due to the frustration that on their prosperity and [relative] competence an advanced con- stitution or even independence might indeed be built, against the reality that prosperity is largely based upon dependent status.” The next year, Mr. Scott noted cries for in- dependence among the elected members had BERGSTROM NAMED NEW CHAIRMAN OF ECONOMIC ZONE BOARD BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Ogier law firm partner James Bergstrom has been named to chair the authority that over- sees operations of the Cayman Islands Special Economic Zone and its registered companies. The Special Economic Zone Authority had gone without a full-time chairman since spring 2015, when businessman David Kirkaldy left the post. Deputy Chairman Glen Daykin acted in the role during the period. In addition to Mr. Bergstrom, other zone authority directors Mr. Daykin, Sophia Harris and Marcus Cumber were reappointed to the board to serve terms through March 2018. Mr. Bergstrom has worked in Cayman’s off- shore finance industry since 1991, founding Ogier’s funds practice. He is also the former co-chairman of the Coalition for Cayman po- litical group. Since the special economic zone was formed in 2011 under the name Cayman Enterprise City, it has reported that more than 160 cor- porate entities have signed up there and 158 were operating in the zone as of last year. Minutes from an October 2015 authority board meeting note that more than 300 other companies were “in the pipeline” to join the economic zone. Businesses in the economic zone, which can provide services internationally but not in the Cayman Islands market, now hold more than 300 work permits, according to Immigra- tion Department data from July. Cayman Enterprise City reported late last year that companies operating in the zone and associated staff members had a $23.6 million impact on Cayman’s economy. Hospital gets high-tech X-ray facility TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Health Services Authority has built a new X-ray facility at the Cayman Islands Hospital, refitting an examination room and installing the state-of-the-art $400,000 machine, streamlining the once-cumber- some diagnostic process. Described by the hospital as “the first of its kind in the region,” the new machine was built by General Electric and installed earlier this month in the radiology de- partment by a two-member team from the manufacturer’s Jamaican affiliate, Arel Ltd. Following installation, physicists tested and approved the equipment for commer- cial operation on Aug. 10, ensuring radia- tion emissions were within international standards. General Electric and the hos- pital will launch an on-site training course – which takes four years – for the hospi- tal’s 14 radiographers, although the ma- chine’s essential functions are similar to an earlier generation of equipment, en- abling ongoing use. “[The] new X-ray machine was pur- chased as the old machine was obsolete and, as a result, finding replacement parts, had become challenging,” said Radi- ology Manager Pamela Vaughn-Duncan. “This created extended downtimes and affected patient care.” The Ministry of Health, which paid for the machine, had planned the project for 18 months, Ms. Vaughn-Duncan said. The Digital Discovery 656 is faster than its predecessor, she said. It “also produces images of greater quality with higher resolu- tions allowing for better diagnosis,” running on overhead tracks and rotating through PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - MECHANIC RESURRECTION (R) 1:00 I 3:30 I 7:00 I 9:45 PETE’S DRAGON 3D (PG) 12:30 I 3:15 2D I 6:45 I 9:30 2D SUICIDE SQUAD 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 3:50 2D I 6:55 I 9:50 2D BEN-HUR (PG13) 12:20 I 6:30 HELL OR HIGH WATER (R) 1:30 I 4:15 I 7:30 I 10:05 JASON BOURNE (PG13) 12:50 I 3:40 I 6:50 I 9:40 SAUSAGE PARTY (R) 4:00 I 10:00 640-FILM (640-3456) Goal is improved accountability KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) – Some 120 Jamaican po- lice officers will start wearing body cameras as part of a pilot program to increase accountability. National Security Min- ister Robert Montague says the body cameras will pro- vide additional protection to both citizens and police. The U.S. Embassy in Kingston has this week provided 120 body cameras to the Jamaica Constabu- lary Force. They will be sent to a few Kingston-area divisions and a road patrol unit. Police Commissioner Carl Williams says he ex- pects more cameras to be made available eventually. But he says “we will not be able to equip every po- lice officer on the front line with a camera.” Human rights activists have repeatedly criticized the high number of kill- ings by Jamaican police of- ficers, and residents of poor neighborhoods regularly protest what they insist are unjustified shootings. Jamaican police officers to wear body cameras Nine Northward Prison inmates helped unload and sort through a 40- foot container of supplies for George Town Primary School on Aug. 20. The container, which had been packed with salvaged items after Hur- ricane Ivan, contained furniture, equip- ment and books, most of which were still usable, according to a press release. Principal Marie Martin sought the assistance of inmates to sort through and dispose of any damaged supplies or furniture. Prison manager Richard Barton coordinated the volunteers, which included former students of the primary school. Ms. Martin remembered two in- mates, whom she also taught, and re- called them being good boys. “I would do anything to help Ms. Martin out,” said one inmate who re- membered her fondly. “She is one of the few people left in the world that cares for her students. Even when I attended George Town Primary, I must say, she tried hard with me.” The young man encourages all school students to try their best to refrain from troublemaking and to take advantage of the opportunities they are given. The inmates have already signed up to return to assist with other tasks, ac- cording to the press release. Inmates help GT Primary George Town Primary Principal Marie Martin works with inmates to unload and sort a full container of school supplies, in preparation for the school year, which started Monday. Inmates help unload items that had been stored since Hurricane Ivan. MIAMI (AP) – A tropical depression that formed in the Florida Straits was moving into the south- eastern Gulf of Mexico early Monday. The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center said it could soon become a tropical storm. The depression’s max- imum sustained winds were near 35 mph with some strengthening ex- pected during the next two days. Forecasters said it could become a trop- ical storm later in the day or overnight. As of 5 a.m. EDT, the depression was centered about 155 miles west- southwest of Key West, Florida, and was moving west near 9 mph . The depression was expected to bring 3 to 5 inches of rain over the southern Florida penin- sula and the Florida Keys through Wednesday that could cause flooding and flash flooding. Farther east, Hurri- cane Gaston has weak- ened a little as it drifted northward in the middle of the Atlantic. GULF OF MEXICO COULD SEE TROPICAL STORM THIS WEEK RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Busi- ness owners, beach- goers, and fishing cap- tains on North Carolina’s Outer Banks were warily watching tropical weather Monday that could rain out one of the last busy weeks of the summer. The first weather system was expected to become a tropical storm before brushing the North Caro- lina coast Tuesday, bringing heavy rain and high winds to barrier islands popular for serene beaches. Coastal Dare County in North Carolina could face winds of up to 45 mph with higher gusts and heavy rain that could flood low- lying areas from through Wednesday, according to an emergency management news release. To the south, Carteret County officials also warned of flooding and advised residents to closely monitor forecasts. A tropical storm watch was in effect for areas of the coast from Cape Lookout to the Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks. “I would advise every- body to take a look at the weather,” Dare County emer- gency management director Drew Pearson said in an in- terview when asked whether visitors should keep their travel plans. “They need to make those decisions based on what they see in the weather forecast.” As of 11 a.m., the first depression was located about 200 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras with top sustained winds of 35 mph and moving to the north- west. It was expected to become a tropical storm by Tuesday but not grow stronger than that, said Na- tional Weather Service me- teorologist Shane Kearns in eastern North Carolina. “Anything is possible, but we’re not really seeing any kind of significant strength- ening for the storm,” he said in an interview. The second depression was about 170 miles south- west of Key West Florida with maximum winds of 35 mph. It was moving west, but forecasters expect it to curve back to the northeast in the coming days. Staff for the Cape Hat- teras National Seashore was discussing the weather conditions with visitors to its popular campgrounds, according to a National Park Service news re- lease. It said tent camping is not advised during a tropical storm. Business owner Jen- nifer Scarborough said her biggest concern was that the first storm could satu- rate the area before another blow by the second storm. “The second storm is the one I’m more worried about,” she said. “I’m defi- nitely keeping an eye on it and planning accordingly …. If we have a lot of rain in a short amount of time that could be a problem. “ North Carolina’s Outer Banks watches two tropical systems 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 GDP growth (1998 to 2016) 1998200020022004200620082010201220142016 Cayman’s economy grew 2.4% in Q1 CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Led by construction, real estate and financial ser- vices, Cayman’s economy grew in the first quarter of this year, according to a re- port released recently by the government Economics and Statistics Office. Gross domestic product, the primary measure of eco- nomic expansion, grew 2.4 percent in the first quarter of 2016, according to the ESO re- port. Government economists project GDP will increase by 2.1 percent in 2016. Finance Minister Marco Archer said in a statement, “The domestic economy con- tinued to strengthen as GDP growth accelerated from the 1.4% recorded in the first quarter of 2015. Overall, the recent performance means that we are on track in achieving the 2.1% forecast GDP growth for the year.” Tourism Air arrivals in the first quarter fell by 2.5 percent, com- pared to the first quarter of 2015, according to the Depart- ment of Tourism. The ESO writes in the new report, “As supported by the first quarter economic perfor- mance, the macroeconomic out- look for the calendar year 2016 remains upbeat with further upward growth potential if a new hotel project currently in progress will increase stay-over tourists during the last quarter of 2016.” Referring to the new Kimpton Seafire resort on Seven Mile Beach, the ESO is looking to the added rooms for high- end stay-over tourists to help boost tourism numbers. Air arrivals from the United States rose by half a percent, but arrivals from other mar- kets, including Europe and Canada, dropped. Visitors from the U.S. accounted for almost 80 percent of air arrivals, ac- cording to Department of Tourism figures. The ESO notes that cruise arrivals continued to in- crease, up 12.5 percent in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2015. During the first quarter of this year, 224 cruise ships arrived in Cayman, up from 209 for the same period last year. Construction and real estate The construction industry grew by 6.3 percent in the first quarter of the year. The ESO’s quarterly report states, “Demand for construc- tion services is expected to be sustained by on-going projects such as the expan- sion of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and the Owen Rob- erts International Airport and the completion of private sector development projects.” The value of property -6% -4% -2% 2% 4% 6% Source: Economics and Statistics Office transfers increased signifi- cantly in the first quarter compared to Q1 2015, to more than $305 million from less than $150 million. The ESO writes, “This was due to the completion of sales and lease extensions of several multi- million dollar properties along the Seven Mile Beach.” JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Holding failing students back a year simply does not work, education officials said Monday as they out- lined plans to expand literacy and numeracy interventions for children struggling to meet expected standards for their age. Chief Officer in the Min- istry of Education Christen Suckoo and policy adviser Clive Baker both spoke in de- fense of the “social promo- tion” concept – advancing children through each year group regardless of their at- tainment level. Speaking on the first day of the school term, Mr. Suckoo said that while the idea is often popular with parents and the public, research sug- gests it is ineffective. “There are a lot of things in education that from a common sense point of view seem to make sense, but the research shows it is the exact opposite of what you should do. Holding students back is one of those areas. People speak to one or two examples where it might have been successful, but overall the general impact is negative.” He said the ministry was focusing instead on pro- viding the resources to cover the range of abilities within any given year group and bring failing students up to standard. Similarly, he said, taking badly behaved students out of school is another popular concept that is not supported by research. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of work to strengthen the ability to meet the stu- dents where they are and deal with the needs that are ex- isting today,” he said. Mr. Baker, senior policy adviser, said concentrating on interventions, for example through additional reading coaching, is the preferred policy for children who are falling behind. He said there is a large body of research that shows holding children back actu- ally has a negative impact on their progress. “We base all our work on international research,” he said. “Intervention and bringing in response to fill the gaps has a very high effect. Retention of students not only has a low effect, it actually has a deleterious effect – it ac- tually holds kids back. From a research basis, there is very little evidence that it helps.” He said there were rare occasions when, based on the evaluation of an educa- tional psychologist, a student would be held back a year, but this was the exception rather than the rule. He was speaking as ed- ucation officials met with the media Monday to high- light the progress made in the last school year and out- line their action plan for the coming year. Education Minister Tara Rivers said the Responses to Intervention literacy program had been one of the success stories of 2015/2016, helping schools surpass a target of 85 percent of Year 1 students reading at the expected age- group level. She said new resources, secured through a supple- mentary education budget, would help continue this pro- gram and expand it in the coming year. Ms. Rivers also high- lighted leadership training for principals through the On- tario Principals Council, and the provision of Special Edu- cation Needs Coordinators for every school as highlights of the last school year. She said both the 2015/16 plan and the new action plan for 2016/17 were aimed at addressing the shortcom- ings highlighted in a se- ries of critical baseline in- spection reports. Principals, officials and education professionals from across the system met in a se- ries of summer sessions to fi- nalize the education plan. Ms. Rivers said the in- spection reports had pro- vided “real clarity” on the areas of focus for each school, as well as broad areas of focus for the system. She said 50 new posts in the education system, approved after Cabinet sanctioned ad- ditional budget funding for education, would help pro- vide the needed personnel to address the shortcomings. “It was a consistent theme that we needed to strengthen special education and the provisions for the most chal- lenged students. Year on year we’ve been increasing re- sources in that area. This year we are able to now make a good dent with the addi- tional resources we can bring online very shortly.” Chief Officer Suckoo said he felt the system now had the resources in place to make improvements. He ac- knowledged that progress would not happen overnight, but he said, with the plans and resources in place, he expected the next set of inspection reports would paint a very different picture of Cayman’s schools. Officials: Holding failing students back is ineffectiveThe 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. TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Perhaps Premier Alden McLaughlin is willing to play the role of the “dummy” — but we, and we presume the Caymanian people, are not. About a month ago, Premier Alden McLaughlin informed us all that a review of the Cayman Islands immigration system conducted by respected local attorney David Ritch constitutes legally privileged advice, and accordingly, the report will not be released to the public — (which paid for it). “Government is considering and will act on the advice, but it should be understood that this advice is subject to legal professional privilege. As such, the advice is not intended for publication,” Premier McLaughlin said. … At least, that’s what we heard. The Cayman Compass immediately appealed that decision to the Information Commissioner’s Office. We received a response, not from the premier, but from Cabinet Secretary Samuel Rose. Signaling his intent to interpose himself in the Freedom of Information process, Mr. Rose (a civil servant who is essentially the equivalent of “chief officer” for the Office of the Premier) said, “There is no evidence that the premier made the initial decision [not to release the Ritch report].” Huh? Instead, according to Mr. Rose (as quoted in Monday’s front page story), “The [premier’s office information manager] followed best practice by seeking the assistance of the information manager for the Cabinet Office … and worked very closely with her to ensure that she applied the correct exemptions and correctly drafted the response to the applicant. “I am therefore satisfied that the initial decision was taken by the information manager in the Office of the Premier.” Translating from bureaucratese into plain English, what Mr. Rose is saying is this: Yes, Premier McLaugh- lin’s lips were moving. But no, the premier wasn’t the one doing the talking. Put another way, when Premier McLaughlin said in late July the Ritch report is not for publica- tion, he wasn’t making the decision — he was merely announcing it. Oh, brother. As we stated at the outset of this editorial, we’re wise to acts of ventriloquism. And we’ll tell you that Premier McLaughlin isn’t likely to allow himself to be a passive conduit for anybody else’s utterances … partic- ularly not for a civil servant in the role of “information manager” for his office. In addition to being the elected leader of this country, Premier McLaughlin is himself a trained attorney. We find it hard — no, impossible — to believe that he would say something publicly — or even repeat something — about “legal professional privilege” without playing an active, even starring, role in the process. The implication of Mr. Rose’s recent statement is government is seeking to delay its response to our request to see the report for at least several more weeks. (If the premier is the “decider” on the FOI response, then the matter would proceed directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office. If he is not, the process is re-routed, i.e. detoured, to Mr. Rose — and only after that might it go to the information commissioner.) Even if officials genuinely believe their assertion that the Ritch report constitutes legally privileged advice, that is no disguise for what appears to be their real motivation — to bury the report from ever seeing the light of day. You see, the concept of “legal professional privi- lege” is binding only on the attorney (in this case, Mr. Ritch), not the client. If Premier McLaughlin and Attorney General Sam Bulgin wished, they could buy an ad in tomorrow’s Compass and print the report in its entirety. (Heck, we’ll donate the space for free.) Whoever is claimed to be behind the curtain, pulling the strings or mouthing the syllables, here’s the funda- mental truth: Premier McLaughlin does not want you, the members of the public, to read this report — ever. Is our premier the ‘dummy’ or the ventriloquist? When science fiction becomes science STEPHEN BAXTER My 2013 science fiction novel, “Proxima,” is about a habitable planet of the star Proxima Centauri, a “red dwarf,” small and dim, that is the nearest star of all to our sun. I called my planet Per Ardua (after the motto of the Royal Air Force, “Per Ardua Ad Astra,” “through struggle to the stars”). Last week, a team led by Guillem Anglada-Escudé of Queen Mary University of London announced the discovery of a planet, called Proxima b, in this very location. Proxima is part of the Alpha Centauri stellar system, around four light years away. Its two principal stars, known as A and B, are like the sun, but Proxima is so dim it’s invisible to the naked eye and was not discovered until 1915, by astronomers working in Johannesburg. As the closest star to Earth, Proxima has featured quite frequently in science fiction before but generally simply to serve as the default first destination for early in- terstellar missions. The very first fictional starship bound for Proxima may have been by the mighty Adastra, in Murray Leinster’s “Proxima Centauri” (1935), which travels to Proxima for that most en- during of reasons: It is the “nearest of the fixed stars to humanity’s solar system.” Per- haps the most significant lit- erary usage of Proxima was by Philip K. Dick, whose novel “The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch” (1964), coincidentally set in the year 2016, features a surreal invasion from the star. But in the science fic- tion of the past, little thought seems to have been given to the details of any worlds of Proxima. The scientific con- sensus used to be that stars like Proxima could not host habitable worlds because such a world would need to be so close to its chill star that tidal effects would lock its rotation – like the moon orbiting the Earth. With one face in eternal day and the other in unending night, perhaps all the water, even the air, would freeze out on the dark side: one hemi- sphere a blasted desert, the other an ice cap. In recent years, however, we have been discovering “exo- planets,” planets of nearby stars, and as a result we’ve learned an awful lot more about planets, their origin and nature than we ever could have learned from the worlds of the solar system alone. And my novel was inspired by new thinking about planets of stars like Proxima. It seems that even a thin blanket of air could transport enough heat around such a planet to keep the dark side from freezing entirely, and a deep enough ocean would not freeze to the sea bed - and so a Proxima planet may be habitable after all. There is a kind of feed- back between science fiction and science, with the fiction extrapolating from the scien- tifically known into the un- known, and the science con- firming or refuting these wild guesses - the scientists themselves inspired, perhaps, by the visions of the fiction. Guillem Anglada-Escudé, who contacted me before the dis- covery was announced, told me he came across my novel during a public-outreach ex- ercise while the search for Proxima planets was in prog- ress – and, he told me, got hooked on it because of the plausibility of Per Ardua. An Earthlike world must exist in a star’s “habitable zone,” close enough for liquid water to exist on its sur- face: not too close and not too far. For any given star, the zone distance can be calcu- lated: Earth is about 93 mil- lion miles from the sun, right in the middle of our system’s habitable zone. A Proxima planet would need to be much closer to its star, but a plane- tary magnetic field should pro- tect the planet from the star’s flares and other hazards. So I confidently placed Per Ardua about 3.7 million miles from its star, compared to the 4.5 million miles esti- mated by Anglada-Escudé’s team for Proxima b, and with a mass 8 percent less than Earth’s, compared to 30 per- cent higher for Proxima b. A week ago, Proxima b it- self was fiction. Now that we know it is real, the fictional speculation moves on to what it would to be like to go there. I tried to imagine how life would adapt to the strange conditions of such a world. With one face permanently turned to Proxima, the plan- et’s “substellar point,” directly under the star, is a focus of climate patterns. Around the substellar point, there are concentric bands of life types, adapted to particular levels of starlight, with analogues of thick forest at the center and prairies and tundra farther out. These bands are broken up across land masses and oceans. The terminator zone, between permanent light and dark, features sunlit moun- tains surrounded by val- leys of perpetual dark. Prox- ima’s flares inflict long term changes on the climate, like our ice ages, to which life has to adapt. All this remains speculation, but Anglada-Es- cudé was kind enough to tell me that my climate descrip- tion was within plausibility for a Proxima planet, given his team’s studies. Someday we will know for sure. We will image the surface of Proxima b and measure the composi- tion of its atmosphere; per- haps we will send probes to its surface. But the real excitement is the wider significance of the discovery. Proxima may be an unspectacular red dwarf, but as any standard astronomy text will tell you, Proxima is actually more representative of our galaxy’s stars than our sun; while only a few percent of stars are like the sun, 70 percent are like Proxima. And red dwarfs are much more long-lived than the sun. So if we found an Earthlike world orbiting such a star - and in- deed the very nearest star of all – we can expect to find such worlds everywhere. Suddenly, the universe looks much more hospitable to life than it did just a few days ago. Stephen Baxter, born in Liverpool, England, is the author of 60 science fiction novels, including collaborations with Arthur C. Clarke, Terry Pratchett and Alastair Reynolds. © 2016, Special to The Washington Post PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE 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 • TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 Back-to-school giveaway draws crowd JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Airport Park was a hive of activity on Sunday, as par- ents and children enjoyed a back-to-school giveaway hosted by the Cayman Is- lands Conference of Seventh- day Adventists. “It’s definitely a good turnout and I am pleased with it,” said Angela Hall, associate director of the Cayman Is- lands Conference of Seventh- day Adventists. Mrs. Hall organized the back-to-school bash after she recognized the needs of par- ents from her rounds in the districts as a community ser- vice leader. She said more than 250 kids received back-to-school packages, and she still had more to give out. Throughout the event, there were long lines for slides, the bouncing castles were filled, mothers headed to the mas- sage stations and volunteers from the Seventh-day Adventist Community Service Department handed out school supplies. “Some families have three to four children … they are not working, single mums are struggling. I decided an initia- tive like the school giveaway would be good for parents,” said Mrs. Hall. Other leaders then decided it would be an even better idea to include the entire Cayman Islands, not just the Seventh- day Adventist community. “We recognized that some parents were having some challenges in getting sup- plies for kids returning to school, so we made the ges- ture for parents to come out and get their school sup- plies to lessen the burden. We hope it is something we can do every year,” said Pastor Reinaldo Drackett. At the giveaway, par- ents were also encouraged to provide their children with healthy food snacks. “Diabetes in kids is the number one growth in childhood diseases today, so we also brought on board nurses to help educate parents,” she said. “I think it is a little much [schools] are asking par- ents to provide for kids re- turning to school, but then again I am not a teacher, ” said Mrs. Hall. Matthew Benitez shows off his school package with dad Jerad Ebanks.Joshua Smith gets his face painted by Shorlene Blanchard. Paula Calzado gives a parent a massage.Parents with kids receive back-to-school packages from Seventh-day Adventist volunteers. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Bahamian national held for illegal landing Defendant says he drifted to Cayman while fishing CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Bahamian national charged with illegal landing has been remanded in cus- tody so that local authori- ties can check the story put forward on his behalf on Monday afternoon in Sum- mary Court. Antonio Bullard, 30, pleaded guilty to landing in Cayman on or before Aug. 25 in contravention of the Immigration Law. Crown counsel Greg Wal- colm told Magistrate Valdis Foldats that an incident had occurred earlier last week that led police to a Savannah residence on Aug. 25. A number of people were there along with Bullard. When questioned, he in- dicated he was fishing from Jamaica and had drifted to Cayman some weeks earlier. He said he had been staying at the premises with the per- mission of a male occupant. The magistrate ques- tioned whether it was cor- rect that a Bahamian was fishing from Jamaica. Mr. Walcolm checked further and said that there was a warrant for Bullard in the Bahamas; he had traveled through the Do- minican Republic and was staying in Jamaica. The magistrate said the matter should not go any fur- ther until the court was told what the warrant was for. “We’re not going to rush this through without additional information,” the magistrate said. “This court needs the full circumstances.” Defense attorney Dennis Brady said Bullard had been resident in Jamaica for the past two years. He had formed a relationship with a woman there and the couple are expecting a child in December. Mr. Brady explained that Bullard had joined the crew of a fishing vessel. He was on a small boat that got separated from the mother ship during difficult weather in the area of the Cayman Trench. The magistrate set the matter for mention again on Sept. 19 after Mr. Walcolm said that would give him enough time to check with of- ficials in other jurisdictions. “It’s de finitely a good turnout and I am pleased with it.” ANGELA HALL, associate director, Cayman Islands Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Seventh-day Adventists volunteers prepare snacks.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days West Bay TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 YEARS AGO A Henning-Ebanks wedding; Anglins welcome 9th child In the Aug. 31, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, West Bay correspondent Leila Yates wrote: “A quiet wedding was solemnized at the home of Capt. Lenard Henning on the 25th at 7 p.m. when his eldest daughter Nell was united in marriage to Mr. Stanley Ebanks. The cer- emony was performed by Rev. R. Coke in the pres- ence of a small number of relatives. Her only atten- dant was her sister Sylvie and Mr. Benson O. Ebanks was best man. The bride received many lovely and useful gifts. “Mr. Waldo Banks had an enjoyable visit with his relatives and friends. He left on the 25th for his home in Miami. “Miss Janet Bothwell left for a visit to Miami on the 25th where she will visit with relatives. Leaving on the same plane was Donna Mae Bush for two weeks in Miami with friends. Miss Nella Janes Parsons has gone to Miami for a visit. “Mr. Thomas Hydes and his wife arrived on the 25th. He is on two weeks’ vaca- tion. They live in Miami. “Mrs. Crawford Owens and little son Kern arrived on the 27th after a short visit to Miami. Travelling on the same plane were Mr. and Mrs. Carl Smith and little daughter Carla on a visit. Celia and Carla will remain for a while and Carl will re- turn to his home in Miami after spending 2 weeks. “Their 6th son and 9th child was born on the 25th to Mr. and Mrs. Nahon An- glin, weighing 10 pounds. “Mrs. Hannah Ebanks has gone to Tampa to visit with her son Noland and his family. “Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ebanks celebrated their third anniversary on the 17th. “Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy Ebanks became the happy parents of their second child and first son on the 27th, weighing 9 pounds 13 ounces. “To Mr. and Mrs. Jadon Ebanks of New York (for- merly West Bay) the precious gift of their first child a son arrived on the 25th, named Jack Lebourne, weighing 8 and a half pounds. “Mrs. Arthur Deschene (Peggy) arrived on the 27th from New York, where she lives. She will be here for three months. “Blandford Banks, 22 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Banks [is] sta- tioned in Guam Island for 16 months. He expects to be out in December. “Misses Carol Ann and Betty Ebanks have returned from Canada. They report having a wonderful time. They were treated very kindly, met many friends and visited lots of inter- esting places. They wish to thank everyone who helped to make the trip possible. “Messrs. John and Ezra Powery left on the 27th to join S.S. Dea Morris. “Mr. Edlin Rivers arrived on the 27th from Jamaica. “Mrs. Nina Wallace re- turned on the 28th from Ja- maica, where she obtained her visa for permanent resi- dence in the U.S.A. “Miss Margaret Levoise Ebanks, daughter or Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland Ebanks of Bosun Bay, celebrated her 18th birthday on the 24th. Her youngest brother, Cleve- land Lee’s birthday was on the 21st.” Striking scarlet ibis females join Turtle Farm aviary After several years of searching and negotiating, the Cayman Turtle Farm has succeeded in acquiring two female scarlet ibis to pair with the attraction’s two male birds “Ziggy” and “Bobo.” Inhabiting areas of the Caribbean and South America, scarlet ibis are waders and in the wild live in wetlands and marshy areas, in colonies which can consist of thousands of birds. They are native to the island of Trinidad and are that country’s na- tional bird. They have also been introduced to a few islands in the French Ca- ribbean, and to the British Virgin Islands. “The ‘girls’ arrived mid- July and were released into the aviary after a manda- tory two weeks semi-quar- antine while our park vet monitored them for any is- sues,” said Cayman Turtle Farm terrestrial exhibits curator Geddes Hislop. “While they were in the holding cage, our aviary staff took the opportunity to transition the birds to the aviary diet, which is different than the diet they had at Sea World San Diego. The staff also were training them to come when called and learn to hand feed on ibis pellets offered by our aviary visitors.” Both females are 8-year- old proven breeders from Sea World’s breeding flock of scarlet ibis. Ibis are protected under CITES Convention as Ap- pendix II species, meaning they need permission from the country’s wildlife au- thority to be exported. “We were allowed to ac- quire them because the birds were captive-bred and donated to the Turtle Farm on a zoo-to- zoo transfer as breeders,” ex- plained Mr. Hislop. “The ‘girls’ settled in surprisingly quickly and are now part of the aviary’s little ibis flock of five birds.” Mr. Hislop said they are already approaching visitors but not actually taking food from their hands just yet. Hopes are high that the new additions will help de- velop the Turtle Farm’s breeding program in coming years. “We hope that next breeding season, which runs from April to June 2017, they will bond with our males and we will have ibis sitting on eggs in nests.” The newly arrived scarlet ibis females are already interacting with aviary visitors. Duxey Ebanks GEORGE NOWAK Without question, Duxey Ebanks was one of West Bay’s grand old fiddlers. In his younger days he would take his catboat and sail toward George Town for a boat launching celebration or a wedding, sometimes staying away from home for up to five days rather than sail all the way back. He was also in high demand at kitchen dances during the Christmas season. On most occasions he would per- form with a backup band consisting of Julia Hydes or Erskin Ebanks on the cow–skin drum. Cleveland Ebanks would also join in on the coconut grater. This image was shot around 1975. Duxey Ebanks passed away in 1990. This photograph is from the book “The People Time Forgot” by George Nowak, available at the National Museum. All proceeds from sales of the book go toward museum projects. Duxey Ebanks with his fiddle.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days West Bay CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 West Bay’s Vanessa Williams a Proud of Them finalist A number of young people were honored as Proud of Them finalists at a recep- tion at the George Town Yacht Club this month. Candidates were nomi- nated by friends, acquain- tances and community mem- bers for reaching new heights in academics, sports, career, culture, business and commu- nity service. At the age of 21, West Bay’s Vanessa Williams has attained a master’s degree and is close to becoming a certified public accountant. With focus and determination, this exemplary young woman has achieved in a few short years what many others would have taken much longer to attain. Vanessa’s excellence in aca- demics began very early on in her life. She took great strides to maintain a high level of achieve- ment throughout her school years and was the valedictorian of her high school class. Her childhood ambition was to become an accountant, and she worked hard to pursue that dream. Following her gradu- ation from Cayman Academy, Vanessa went on to study at the University College of the Cayman Islands. She graduated with an associate’s degree in accounting, and was the recip- ient of the President’s Award. Vanessa’s academic journey continued with her acceptance to Andrews Uni- versity in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She applied for a scholarship with accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and was successful. In May 2014, she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in accounting, to earn her master’s degree in 2015. Following her pursuits in higher learning, Vanessa maintained her relationship with PricewaterhouseCoo- pers, becoming an associate with the firm. Vanessa continued her studies, with the goal of be- coming a certified public ac- countant, all while working full time. In 2015, she sat and passed two of her exams, taking her halfway through the process. In June of 2016, she sat the other two exams and is awaiting final results. New registering officer for West Bay JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Bethany Powery-Ebanks has been appointed the new registering officer for West Bay by the Elections Office. She takes over from Darlene Owens-Elliott, who served more than 20 years in the post. Ms. Powery-Ebanks will be responsible for registering those voters in West Bay whose names are not on the voter registration list before election day. Ms. Powery-Ebanks said since she is in a new role, she is looking into setting up locations where she can meet with the community to assist with registration. In the meantime she can also be contacted by telephone on 516-4402 to arrange to meet with individuals. Ms. Powery-Ebanks got in- volved with the Elections Of- fice during the 2013 elections, when Ms. Owens-Elliott con- tacted her about assisting her with registering voters. She comes into the role with knowledge handed down from her mother, Dolcy Powery, who assisted the Elections Office as well. “The most important thing I learnt from those in- dividuals is the level of pro- fessionalism displayed in dealing with the general public, and the importance of ensuring the validity and authenticity of documents received from prospective voters,” she said. She says she got involved because she recognized the importance of exercising one’s right to vote, and found helping individuals with the registering process and knowing that she has aided in the democratic process to be very rewarding. Her job also includes en- suring that those electors on the register of electors who no longer reside in the West Bay Electoral District do not appear on the list. This also applies to those who are deceased, found to be of unsound mind, or are serving or under a sentence of imprisonment exceeding twelve months. “We confirm individuals are qualified to register by making sure they meet the various criteria as set out in the Elections Law, along with the relevant sections of the Cayman Islands Constitution,” she said. Ms. Powery-Ebanks grew up in West Bay. She attended Cayman Prep and gradu- ated from the Cayman Is- lands High School, now known as John Gray High School. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the International College of the Cayman Islands. A firm believer in giving back to her community, Ms. Powery was the past Parent Teacher Association pres- ident at the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School. She still assists at her daugh- ter’s school, Grace Christian Academy, whenever needed, and is also very involved with the Boatswain Bay Pres- byterian Church, which she attends. She thanked the Elections Office and Ms. Owens-Elliott for the confidence they have placed in her to carry out the important task of regis- tering voters in the district of West Bay. “Miss Darlene has been doing this job for many years and I know that I have very big shoes to fill. However, I am committed to main- taining the high standards that she has set for this job. I would like the West Bay com- munity to know that they are still in good hands and I am here to assist, and do my part to ensure we have a smooth election process in our dis- trict,” she said. Wesley Howell, Supervisor of Elections, said he was sure that Ms. Powery-Ebanks would provide equally ex- emplary service to all the voters for the new West Bay electoral districts, which will come into force for the May 2017 General Elections, when “one person, one vote” will be introduced to the Cayman Islands. The enumeration of voters started on Saturday, Aug. 27 with over 160 enumerators visiting all buildings in the Cayman Islands to update the Voters Registration list. Through a door-to-door pro- cess, enumerators will ex- plain the registration process to voters, collect personal in- formation from voters who wish to register, verify proof of identity and address, and complete appropriate paper- work. The paperwork is then forwarded to the Registering Officers for their review and input. Passing the torch At the hand-over at the Elections Office in Smith Road Centre, Mr. Howell gratefully acknowledged the meticulous service that Ms. Owens-Elliott has provided over the past two decades to the electoral process and the voters of the West Bay district. “Her thoroughness and keen attention to detail raised the quality of the work she provided to the community to the highest standards,” said Mr. Howell. He thanked Ms. Owens-Elliott for all her ef- forts and work over the years. “You have provided excep- tional service to your com- munity,” he added. Ms. Owens-Elliott took on the responsibility of West Bay’s registering officer upon retiring from the Immigra- tion Department after 25 years of service as a senior immigration officer. Reflecting on some of the more notable moments of her role, Ms. Owens-Elliott said it was customary for her to receive election workers even after 11 p.m., when they brought her the forms they had collected. As registering officer, she also ensured that deceased persons’ names, as well as names of persons declared of unsound mind by the Chief Medical Officer or those oth- erwise ineligible to vote were removed, and new successful applicants’ names were in- cluded on the electors list. Ms. Owens-Elliott de- cided not to continue in her public office due to health issues. However, she has assured the office that she will continue to be avail- able to Ms. Powery-Ebanks as necessary. “My years with the Elec- tions Office provided a great learning experience. I en- joyed the work very much and am going to miss my coworkers. But my health is deteriorating and we need younger blood in the office now,” she said.her role, Ms. Owens-Elliott now,” she said. OTHER DISTRICT REGISTERING OFFICERS GEORGE TOWN: Kathryn Myles, 516-2117 BODDEN TOWN: Kerry Nixon, 516-4478 EAST END: Leisa Welcome, 516-4647 NORTH SIDE: Patricia Ebanks, 516-4349 CAYMAN BRAC AND LITTLE CAYMAN: Ellen Lazzari, 516-5307 Darlene Owens-Elliott, Wesley Howell and Bethany Powery-Ebanks Proud of Them finalist Vanessa WilliamsThe 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 AUGUST 30, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, AUG. 31 JOB FAIR: The Cayman Islands Prison Service, Fire Service and Police Service will hold a joint recruitment drive in a bid to hire Caymanian officers and firefighters. The job fair takes place at George Town Town Hall from 3-6 p.m. Potential applicants can learn more about the career options available at each agency. CERAMIC OPEN STUDIO: Offered by Visual Arts Society today for adults who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watler House Studio, Pedro Castle grounds. $15 pp/$25 pp non-members. Clay, materials, glazes and firing facilities are available. More information at info@visualartcayman.com. BOOK SALE: Today is the last day for the Red Cross Thrift Shop bag book sale. Customers can get all the books they can fit in a bag for only $5. SUNDAY, SEPT. 4 CHILDREN’S PROGRAM: There will be a Back to Schoolchildren’s program at the West Bay Wesleyan Holiness Church at 11 a.m. All school-age children will be rewarded. RUGBY SEVENS 5K: Camana Bay Town Centre, 7 a.m. Cayman Rugby holds a fundraising 5K race, with seven ways to participate – run, walk, skateboard, scooter, inline skate, bike or use a stroller (for infants). Registration is $20 for ages 13 and older, $15 for ages eight to 12, and free for ages seven and under. Proceeds will benefit the national rugby team to qualify for the Hong Kong 7s in April 2017. For more information, contact caymanrugby7s@gmail.com. MONDAY, SEPT. 5 YOUTH CHOIR: Cayman Youth Choir welcomes youth aged between 11-16 to audition, 6-7 p.m., at Cayman Prep, Smith Road. The Cayman Youth Choir exists to provide youth with the opportunity to experience the challenges, joys and rewards of choral singing of the highest caliber. For more information, contact Miss Ems on music_ems@icloud. com or through Facebook on www.facebook.com/ KYyouthchoir. BOOK LAUNCH: Artist/author Gordon Solomon launches his book “Doctor Moody” at the National Gallery, 4-6 p.m. All are invited. SUNDAY, SEPT. 11 ADULT EDUCATION: Registration is today at 2 p.m. at the John Gray High School auditorium for the CXC Education Program, which offers all adults a second chance at an education. Volunteer teachers are invited to apply. A variety of courses are offered at basic, intermediate and CXC exam levels. Also offered are skills-oriented subjects such as QuickBooks, cosmetology and dressmaking. Classes begin on Sept. 18. Students may register for as many courses as they can manage; registration fee is $100 to cover books and other supplies for the year. For more information, visit www.education. adventisteducation.org or call Dr. L. Smith, 325-6462, or Mrs. L. Wynter-Young, 938-3701. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14 THE BOOKENDS CLUB: Meets 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books & Books. All are invited to join members as they review their latest pick, “Up the Spiral Staircase” by Karen Armstrong. Share insights and impressions in an open discussion. The Bookends Club gathers on the second Wednesday of every month and new members are always welcome. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21 FLOETRY: Meets 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books & Books. All are invited to join poets and performers as they share their work during an open mic night of poetry and readings. Feel free to share your own work or come along and listen to others. GENERAL INTEREST VOTERS REGISTER UPDATE: Election Office officials will visit all residents from now through September to get an accurate electoral list for the May 17, 2017 elections, because the electoral boundaries have changed with the introduction of 19 single-member electoral districts over the three islands. Election officials will register new voters and update the details on the existing voters’ list. They will carry IDs and items provided by the Elections Office to establish their bonafides. ROALD DAHL STORY TIMES & MOVIES: Sept. 1 through Oct. 1. Story times are Tuesdays, 11 a.m., Regal Cinemas for ages infant-4; Thursdays 3 p.m., Books & Books for ages infant-3; Saturdays, 10:30 a.m., Books & Books, ages 2-7. Movies are Saturdays 10 a.m., Regal Cinemas. Story times are free. Movies are offered at $5 per ticket. VOLUNTEERS FOR PIRATES WEEK: The Pirates Week Office is seeking volunteers to assist in planning its upcoming events. For more information or to receive a volunteer application from, contact the Pirates Week Office via email at info@piratesweekfestival.com or 949-5859. VISUAL ARTS: Learn more about Literacy Month in September, and two Roald Dahl-art-inspired competitions. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com 546-9422 or jar.was@gmail.com. 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. 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 vascayman@gmail.com. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays in August. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant, located in Camana Bay. 7 p.m. to close. No fee, easels are provided. Participating artists receive two complimentary tickets for house wine or beer. vascayman@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. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-Step Recovery Group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Cayman has three chapters of Toastmasters International, geared toward development of public speaking and leadership skills. Grand Cayman club meets at George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7:15 p.m. every Thursday. Eloquent Speaker club meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. at Savannah United Church Hall. Eminent Orators club meets 2nd and 4th Monday 6 – 7:30 p.m. at Cayman Academy Canteen. Contact George R. Ebanks at 916-0687/322-9369 or georger.ebanks@gmail.com. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Full of Beans Cafe, Pasadora Place on Smith Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or check www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen 924-2819. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Roald Dahl’s whimsical characters will be featured in story times dedicated to the author’s works beginning Sept. 1 at Books & Books. These events, and many others, are part of Literacy Month celebrations at Camana Bay.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 30, 2016 Lightning kills more than 300 reindeer More than 300 wild reindeer have been killed by lightning in central Norway. The Norwegian Environment Agency said it is not uncommon for reindeer or other wildlife to be killed by lightning strikes, but this was an unusually deadly event. Trudeau heads to China to woo trade Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading for his first official visit to China, seeking to reset relations and boost economic ties with Canada’s second-largest trading partner. Trudeau departed Monday on a 10-day trip to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Hangzhou, where he’ll attend the Group of 20 summit. He’ll meet with Premier Li Keqiang, Alibaba Group Holding’s Jack Ma and Hong Kong billion- aire Li Ka-Shing, controlling shareholder in Calgary-based Husky Energy Inc. It’s a good time to be out of the country. While the prime minister is away, Statistics Canada is expected to report the economy shrank 1.5 per- cent in the second quarter. All the more reason for Trudeau to tackle issues such as the decline of Chinese investment in Canada’s energy sector. “What actually we need with China is to reset the re- lationship a little bit,” Trudeau told reporters Friday, the same day his predecessor, Ste- phen Harper, announced he was resigning from politics. It was Harper in 2012 who introduced rules restricting takeovers in the oil sands by state-owned companies. The measures were designed to prevent foreign governments from gaining too much influ- ence over Canadian oil. Since reaching a record $21.3 billion that year, in- cluding CNOOC’s $15.1 bil- lion acquisition of Nexen Inc., Chinese investments in Canada’s oil and gas sector have cooled to $2.19 bil- lion this year, according to data compiled by Bloom- berg. Purchases slumped to $343 million in 2013, the year after Harper imposed the new rules. Finance Minister Bill Mor- neau, who will accompany Trudeau on the trip, hinted on Aug. 21 the government was open to easing the 2012 restrictions. The Liberal gov- ernment is focused on “ways we can enhance the Cana- dian economy,” Morneau said. “In that light, we seek to en- courage investment in Canada and that’ll be something we’ll be bringing forward in meet- ings in China as we will in bi- lateral meetings with all the countries we meet.” Trudeau echoed that five days later, saying the issue of oil-sands investment was one “that we’re certainly going to lean into” on the trip. He also said Canada would press against a change that would restrict China’s market to Ca- nadian canola exporters. China hopes Trudeau’s visit can bring fresh im- petus to ties, Foreign Min- istry spokeswoman Hua Chu- nying said Monday at a daily briefing. Asked about the pos- sibility of progress toward a free trade pact, she said China hopes it “can reach more mu- tually beneficial and win-win results with Canada.” Trudeau will draw on his family connection with China, which dates back to his father, who established ties while prime minister. The younger Trudeau has tried to balance courtship and admonition of Beijing, pursuing trade while also speaking out – joining Group of Seven leaders in ex- pressing concern about Chi- na’s assertions in the disputed South China Sea, admonishing a senior Chinese official for his treatment of a Canadian reporter, and citing the coun- try’s human rights record. That said, Canada has sent mixed messages to China re- cently. British Columbia in- stituted a tax on foreign real estate buyers, a move aimed almost exclusively at wealthy Chinese driving up the Van- couver housing market, while Trudeau’s government has moved to collect more data on foreign home ownership. Canada complained ear- lier this year after China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, lashed out at a Canadian journalist during a visit to Ottawa for questioning Chi- na’s human rights record. Trudeau also hosted Wang in Ottawa on the heels of the G-7 summit that riled China, one Trudeau preceded with a state visit to Japan, a regional rival. China will view the visit as a chance to repair ties with Canada, said Shi Yinhong, di- rector of the Center on Amer- ican Studies at Renmin Uni- versity in Beijing and an adviser to the State Council. Trudeau “can’t be worse than his predecessor Harper,” Shi said. “China blames his pre- decessor for the current poor relations but still believes Trudeau could bring changes.” One potential move would be to coax Canada into joining the China-led Asian Infrastructure Invest- ment Bank, an entity the U.S. has declined to be part of. “It’s very important for China to win over Canada to join the AIIB, which would be a clever way for Beijing to isolate its competitor, the U.S.,” Shi said. In an interview pub- lished last week with the China Youth Daily, Cana- da’s ambassador to China, Guy Saint-Jacques, said joining the AIIB was under “active consideration.” “We had some questions early on about the gover- nance issues related, but we have been reassured,” he said in the video interview. At the G-20 meeting, Canada will be engaging European states to press for ratification of a trade deal with the European Union. In- ternational Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, who will accompany Trudeau on the trip, appointed a new envoy last week to help ratify the pact, while saying the G-20 talks overall will focus on ways to spur growth. Still, if Trudeau is going to diversify trade and spur eco- nomic growth, China will be a crucial partner. This year’s oil invest- ment figures were driven in part by a $1.3 billion pur- chase of a stake in some of Husky Energy’s pipelines and storage tanks in Alberta and Saskatchewan by companies controlled by Li. Although merchandise trade between Canada and China totaled US$75 billion in 2015, up 20 percent from 2010, that was only an eighth of the value of total trade be- tween Canada and the U.S. Trudeau’s call for a “more balanced” relationship evokes data that show Canada’s im- ports from China are worth almost double that of its ex- ports to the country. “We need to ensure that access to markets for our producers is there,” Trudeau said Friday. “These are the interests we are going to be strongly and carefully bal- ancing as we engage with the economic powerhouse that is China.” © 2016, Bloomberg Zika fears spread to Singapore as infections grow Global health officials stepped up defensive mea- sures against Zika over the weekend as the virus con- tinued to expand its reach at a rapid pace. Singapore reported one of the largest single clus- ters outside of the Americas, confirming 50 infections. On Monday, inspectors armed with insecticide were vis- iting high-rise public housing buildings to look at toilets and other areas for stagnant water, according to the AFP. On the opposite side of the world, Disney World, Uni- versal, SeaWorld, Busch Gar- dens and other theme parks in Florida said Sunday that they would begin distributing free insect repellent to visitors. Gov. Rick Scott’s office told The Orlando Sentinel that he had “talked to many of the at- tractions and theme parks. He’s held multiple confer- ence calls with Visit Florida and tourism leaders to make them aware of things they can do. He appreciates all of these businesses doing this.” Cities still hundreds of miles away from the current mosquito-borne outbreaks in the United States, which have so far been limited to Florida and Puerto Rico, have begun spraying densely populated areas to try to ward off mos- quitoes for as long as pos- sible. Baltimore advised resi- dents of some neighborhoods to stay indoors after 10 p.m. Sunday to avoid being ex- posed to mosquito-killing spray from trucks, the Balti- more Sun reported. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after finding Zika in blood that had been donated by an individual in Florida, began efforts to screen the entire country’s blood supply for the virus. In a separate action, regulators is- sued an emergency use autho- rization for Swiss drugmaker Roche’s molecular diagnostic test for Zika. Samples from patients with fever, rash and other symptoms of the virus can now be sent to a lab that can use Roche’s technology to rapidly test for infection. In a statement, the com- pany reaffirmed its “commit- ment to help healthcare pro- fessionals who are working to combat this serious disease.” Zika first drew the alarm of public health officials be- cause of its link to thousands of babies with severe birth defects in Brazil. The virus is now actively spreading in 51 countries. In the United States, six babies were miscarried, still- born or aborted due to birth defects that appear to be related to the virus. The Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention says an additional 17 babies infected with the virus in the womb were born with microcephaly, a con- dition defined by an abnor- mally small head. The outbreak in the city- state of Singapore, a hub for Southeast Asia, has alarmed its neighbors. Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam have each seen a single case of Zika and have been concerned that the in- fections might be spreading locally, but have not been able to confirm whether that is the case. In the past 48 hours, Taiwan has issued a travel advisory for Singapore, and Malaysia ordered thermal screening at checkpoints for travelers who enter from Sin- gapore by bus. Subramaniam Satha- sivam, Malaysia’s health min- ister, said at a news confer- ence that 150,000 to 200,000 people commute between Johor in Malaysia and Singa- pore each day. “The risk is imminent,” he said, according to Singapore’s Straits Times. “The main thing is to reduce the risk of the virus spreading to others.” © 2016, The Washington Post A public service announcement against the spread of the mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus, in a residential neighborhood in Singapore. - PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire and daughter Ella-Grace board a government plane in Ottawa en route to China. - PHOTO: AP Cities still hundreds of miles away from the current mosquito-borne outbreaks in the United States have begun spraying densely populated areas to try to ward off mosquitoes for as long as possible.Next >