High of 89 Low of 79 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Ganesha Festival Go dotty over it! Food & Dining Food & Dining Technology TRAVEL Grand tour Gilbert Nicoletta’s tour of Europe. B4 Farm-to-table fare Local produce is in the spotlight Saturday nights at Abacus B3Lunch on the edge Chill out with the laid back, Caribbean feel at Over The Edge B6 Family owned and operated since 1984 14 stores island-wide and May Lou’s in Cayman Brac | For more information, pleas e call 949-770 1 A registere d merchan t of CaymanGiftCertifi cates.com Connect wit h us on Facebook: facebook.com/T ortuga FineWinesan dSpirits 20% OFF on 750 ml. bottles Triple distilled 10 0% pure Blue Agave Tequila • Silver • Añ ejo • Respos ado • Se lect Barre l Reserv e ® Family ow ned and operate d since 1984 14 stores islan d-wide and May Lou’s in Cayman Brac | For more information, please call 949-77 01 A registe red merchant of CaymanGiftCe rtificates.com Connect with us on Facebook: fac ebook.com/Tortug aFineWinesand Spirits 20% OFF on 750 ml. bottl es Triple distilled 100% pure Blue Agav e Tequila • Silver • Añejo • Resp osado • Se lect Ba rrel Rese rve ® STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $ 56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.com Fine Wine and Spirits Family owned and operated since 1984 14 stores island-wide and May Lou’s in Cayman Brac | For more information, please call 949-7701 A registered merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.comConnect with us on Facebook: facebook.com/TortugaFineWinesandSpirits 20%OFF on 750 ml. bottles Triple distilled 100% pure Blue Agave Tequila • Silver • Añejo • Resposado • Select Barrel Reserve ® 20%OFF TRIPLE DISTILLED 100% PURE BLUE AGAVE TEQUILA 750 ml Bottles Silver • Añejo • Resposado • Select Barrel Reserve If you were a fan of the Dots app, you’ll love Dots & Co B7 Join in the activities on Sunday and raise money for the Crisis Centre B2 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Grand tour EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE LASTING LEGACY OF ‘IVAN THE TERRIBLE’ ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 Gov’t $1.2 billion healthcare liability figure may be low BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government’s $1.18 billion figure for estimated healthcare liabil- ities due over the next two decades may be a bit low. According to testimony Wednesday in the Legislative Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, the future liability figure was cal- culated in mid-2014 without including in the total more than 2,000 public sector workers – many of whom will retire in Cayman at some point. Those workers, a total of 2,275 in mid- 2014, are employed in the 26 statutory author- ities and government-owned companies. George Town MLA Roy McTaggart questioned whether those employees had been included in the estimated $1.18 billion lia- bility figure. Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson said they had not. Mr. Jefferson later clarified that current retirees on the government pension plans, seamen and veterans, active civil service em- ployees [of which there were 3,571 in mid- 2014] and the employees’ dependents were all included in the healthcare liability estimates. “It would be correct to say that the post- retirement healthcare liability of the statutory authorities and government companies have not been included in the figure of $1.18 bil- lion,” Mr. Jefferson said. The $1.18 billion, which is more than the entire Cayman Islands public sector earns HSA PROMISES ‘CLEAN ACCOUNTS’ BY 2018 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Health Services Au- thority has pledged to report “clean” financial statements by 2018, after receiving a tongue- lashing from Public Accounts Committee Chairman Ezzard Miller this week. The public health agency, which has never received an “unqualified” audit opinion since government changed its accounting system in 2004, said Wednesday that a few issues are preventing it from reaching that goal. For every audit of the agency’s finances up to June 30, 2010, the HSA received what is known as a “disclaimer of opinion” – meaning not enough information was provided for au- ditors to provide an opinion on the validity of the report. Each audit since mid-2010 has received a “qualified” opinion, meaning there were significant issues in the reporting of the financial statements. In the HSA’s case, those issues include tens of millions of dollars in uncollected bills and confusion over what it will owe for retired workers’ healthcare coverage. Health Services Authority Chief Execu- tive Officer Lizzette Yearwood and HSA board Chairman Jonathan Tibbetts said Wednesday that 2018 was set as the date for when those items would come off the books. “The Public Accounts Committee is be- yond this idea that the auditor general keeps reporting the same thing, year after year after year after year and we keep getting Peak storm season approaches a day before Ivan anniversary TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com They call it the “season within the season” – the eight weeks from Aug. 22 that is considered “the most active and dangerous time” for tropical storms, ac- cording to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More precisely, NOAA names Sept. 10 as the most likely date to find a tropical storm brewing in the Atlantic Ocean. As that peak season settles in through October, Cayman this weekend marks the 12th anniversary of Hurricane Ivan, the cat- egory 5 fury that wreaked as much – and maybe more – damage as the great, un- named storm of 1932. In September 2004, surges exceeding 10 feet poured across the coastline, swamping inland areas; 81 percent of Cayman’s build- ings were affected and hundreds rendered unusable. Winds exceeded 150 miles per hour, the rain and roaring water knocked out utilities and stripped vegetation; roads washed away; the airport closed as walls were ripped off hangars, private planes flipped on their backs and commercial air- craft fled to Honduras or stayed away. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 13 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 12 » A tent is erected in South Sound after Hurricane Ivan devastated Grand Cayman on Sept. 11 and 12, 2004. - PHOTO: ALAN MARKOFF2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Enjoy a Cimboco breakfast of *Two Eggs (Done to your liking) *Your Choice of Apple Smoked or Canadian Bacon *Herb Roasted Potatoes *Honey Wheat Toast For ONLY $5.00!!! Finish it o with a cup of Java for $1.99 Start your day o right! Mon-Fri * 7:30-11:00am *Except Holidays Salsa Tuesdays with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Tarpon Fish Feeding 7:30pm & 9:00pm Nightly “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Friday, Sept. 30th Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Salsa “BOOGIE NIGHTS”“BOOGIE NIGHTS” Friday, Sept. 30Friday, Sept. 30 Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics “BOOGIE NIGHTS”“BOOGIE NIGHTS” Friday, Sept. 30Friday, Sept. 30 Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Last Friday of EVERY MONTH is almost here! Fish Feeding Tonight! Friday Happy Hour 5pm-7pm Don’t forget NEXT Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm Call 949-2231 or email: thewharf@candw.ky Salsa Free lessons with Kirk starting CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Magistrate Grace Donalds denied bail on Wednesday for a man and a woman after hearing details of the charges against them – possession and possession with intent to supply over 200 pounds of ganja. Eduardo Swaby Gutierrez, 32, and Leonela Pedroza, 29, appeared in Summary Court, where Crown counsel Eleanor Fargin set out details of the defendants’ arrests. She said police went to a West Bay address on Sept. 5 and knocked on the door. Both Swaby and Pedroza were there. At that stage, Swaby said there was ganja in the premises. The officers could smell it. They asked about a door that was locked and Swaby indicated there was a key for it in the kitchen. The key ring had a charm on it with a monkey design and Pedroza said it was hers. The door was unlocked; it led to a laundry area. Inside were five Voyager suitcases and two smaller canvas bags, all packed with ganja. Ms. Fargin said a scien- tific evaluation was still being done, but initial indications were that the ganja weighed more than 200 pounds and had a street value of more than $200,000. In the kitchen, officers found a glass jar with ganja in it and digital scales. There were also 20 cases of quart-size glass jars, 12 jars to a case. When interviewed, Swaby had no comment. Pedroza said she did not go into the laundry room, she did not use it and had no knowledge of the drugs. She said Swaby was her boyfriend and she lived there with him and he paid the bills. She told offi- cers she worked in a bar on Seven Mile Beach. Ms. Fargin told the court that police searched another address connected to Swaby and they found more than $7,000 in cash – CI$4,000 and the rest in U.S. currency. The money is the subject of a charge of possession of crim- inal property. The Crown asked that the defendants be re- manded in custody. Defense attorney John Furniss applied for bail on behalf of Swaby. He pointed out that his client owned a business in West Bay and if he were remanded, the busi- ness would suffer. The money found by offi- cers was from Swaby’s shop, he said. Mr. Furniss said Swaby would deny being in pos- session of the ganja, which the attorney accepted was a considerable amount. How- ever, Swaby could be bailed with conditions of daily re- porting, he suggested, with family members able to pro- vide surety. Attorney Martha Rankine applied for bail for Pedroza. She said her client had been in Cayman since 2013 and had never been in trouble be- fore. She had no knowledge of the ganja, but pointed out there were other individuals who had access and keys to the property. Ms. Rankine said Pedroza was working here to support her family in Colombia and she was their only source of income. She begged the court to consider bail because if Pedroza did not go to work that afternoon she would lose her job. After considering the sub- missions, the magistrate said she found in both cases that there was an exception to the right to bail. She therefore refused the applications and set the next mention date for Sept. 14. Ms. Rankine’s client ap- peared distressed and the at- torney asked to return in two days to renew the bail appli- cation. She was reminded that she could apply to the Grand Court. Bail denied for pair charged with 200 pounds of ganja SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Justice officials say a Puerto Rico man accused of creating 300 Twitter accounts to ha- rass people online will face trial in the first case of its kind for the U.S. territory. The island’s Justice De- partment said a judge found enough evidence to try Omar Falcon Torres. He is accused of stalking a pregnant woman, misappropriating identity and intimidating witnesses in part by sending them what authorities said was violent sexual imagery and using violent language. Officials said he operated under the name “MedeaBot” for two years. Falcon’s trial is scheduled to start in October. MAN WITH 300 TWITTER ACCOUNTS TO FACE TRIAL Trial continues for two police officers accused of using excessive force CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police officer Cardiff Robinson gave evidence on Thursday that he used a Taser on a suspect in May 2014 because he honestly be- lieved the man was a poten- tial threat to his safety and the safety of other officers. Shown video footage taken from the police heli- copter the night of the inci- dent, he was asked to com- ment on frames showing the suspect on the ground and other police officers around him. “You were fearful for your life?” Crown counsel Candia James asked him. “Yes,” the officer replied. Robinson and fellow of- ficer Austin Etienne have pleaded not guilty to common assault, specifically, using ex- cessive force. The trial began earlier this year and Ms. James closed the Crown’s case on Wednesday. Defense attorneys Dennis Brady and Natasha Bodden argued that there was no case to answer, but Mag- istrate Philippa McFarlane found that there was. Along with the helicopter video, there was video from the two officers’ Tasers; the mag- istrate said she had found it “really jarring,” with the suspect heard to say, “Don’t shock me. Don’t shock me no more.” She said even if she ac- cepted that the first deploy- ment of the Taser was pos- sibly reasonable, it was the subsequent deployment (while the suspect was on the ground) that satisfied her the use of force was excessive. However, she continued, what she then had to con- sider was the officers’ state of mind at the time they used their Tasers. Robinson said he was on duty with other officers the night of May 2, 2014. They re- ceived a report about a do- mestic dispute in the vicinity of the Compass Centre. On attending, they saw a woman outside a car, crying. One of the officers went to speak with her; Robinson, as the patrol car driver followed the vehicle. He tried to get the sus- pect’s car to stop by means of siren and blue lights. On reaching Crewe Road, the driver drove harder, over- taking other vehicles. He went onto the East-West Ar- terial and began swerving and straddling two lanes. Officers contacted the Bodden Town Police Station and officers there set up a roadblock, but they had to pull their vehicles out of the way because the car would not stop. A vehicle coming from the opposite direction had to go up on the sidewalk Officer says he feared for his life before using Taser to avoid a collision, Rob- inson said. At one point he lost sight of the vehicle he had been following, but the po- lice helicopter advised of its whereabouts. He con- tinued to follow into East End and the whole chase was over 38 miles, but he could not say how long it lasted. When the vehicle finally stopped, Robinson alighted from his vehicle with his Taser because he knew that “once you take it out, it re- cords … so it is clear what is happening.” “I honestly believed that the subject I was dealing with was a threat to my safety and the safety of other officers,” he said. “In my mind he was a violent man. It was after 1 a.m. The place was dark.” He said the officers were shouting very loud, “Get out of the vehicle, get out of the vehicle.” One of his colleagues pulled open the vehicle door and then backed off. When Robinson approached the vehicle, he saw a machete near the driver’s seat and the driv- er’s hand was on his thigh. “I believed my life was in serious danger. We were not getting response from the vehicle,” Robinson said. When he fired his Taser, he realized it missed or did not connect through thick clothing because there was no reaction from the person in the car. That was when Etienne fired his Taser. When the suspect was pulled from the car by an- other police officer, he started to kick up and the officer told him to release his hand. The suspect had one hand cuffed and the other hand free, but he was not complying with the of- ficer’s directions. That led Robinson to believe the suspect had a weapon. He accepted that there were three or four other of- ficers present and the sus- pect was on the ground, but asserted, “It takes a lot to manage someone who is drunk or on drugs.” Mr. Brady asked if he had fired the Taser as an act of punishment. “No sir, never,” Robinson replied. Ms. James reminded him of a voice heard on the footage shouting, “Burn him!” Robinson replied that he did not say that and he did not hear it said that night. “Isn’t that what spurred you on?” Ms. James asked. “No,” was his answer. Etienne was out of the courtroom when his co-de- fendant gave evidence and then began his own ac- count after noon. The video footage from both officers’ Tasers has been played several times during the trial. The court has heard that the suspect/victim had a blood-alcohol level of 0.142. The legal limit is 0.100. Ms. James confirmed that the man was sub- sequently charged with driving under the influ- ence, failing to comply with an officer’s directions, committing a negligent act, possession of an offen- sive weapon and breach of the peace.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” The lasting legacy of ‘Ivan the Terrible’ If you happen to be in Cayman Brac and strike up a chat with an older resident, we can pretty much guar- antee that the conversation will, at some point, turn toward the horrible, unnamed storm of 1932. In other words, the devastating and deadly hurricane is perhaps the landmark event in the memory of anyone who lived through it. By virtue of its magnitude, conse- quence and trauma, the legendary storm has indelibly seared itself into the fabric of the Brac’s culture. A parallel relationship exists between the residents of Grand Cayman and the great hurricane of 2004, which did have a name, and an appropriately terrible one — Ivan. This weekend we mark the 12th anniversary of the landfall of the Category 5 hurricane. The power and the fury of the storm — which caused 10-foot tidal surges, billions of dollars in property damage and destruction that set our country’s economy back for months (even years) — reverberates to this day … as evidenced by the fact that the occasion merits front- page treatment in today’s Cayman Compass (and this very editorial). Just as Western history is divided into two grand epochs — B.C. and A.D. — Cayman’s modern history is also bifurcated — “before Ivan” and “after Ivan.” Apart from the stories from the storm and its after- math (and, yes, everyone who was here has an Ivan story or two), the memory of Ivan does serve a prac- tical and constructive purpose, that is, as a reminder that late summer hurricanes can and do arise, and accordingly our islands cannot let down our guard just because we’ve been lucky so far this hurricane season. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts five months. In our reckoning, the first three months (June, July and August) are merely a “dress rehearsal” for the real “season within a season” of September and October. As National Weather Service chief John Tibbetts says in today’s news story, “The peak of the hurricane season means storms are usually created faster, there are more of them and they tend to come in spurts.” Simon Boxall, awareness and communications officer for Hazard Management Cayman Islands, is rightly concerned that the quietude of the hurricane season thus far may imbue residents with a false sense of serenity. “As we approach the peak of the hurricane season it is important that individuals take their family, indi- vidual and business preparedness seriously … it only takes one to create a disaster and possibly put resi- dents’ lives at risk,” he said. Like memories of great natural disasters, some words of advice never fade into inconsequence. Accordingly, we hope our readers have kept in their possession the Compass’s “Hurricane Guide 2016,” a special publication included in the June 9 edition of the newspaper. If you have lost track of your physical copy, the definitive hurricane preparedness guide can be viewed for free on our website — which always contains up-to-date information on the latest develop- ments in tropical storm activity. Ideally we won’t need to act on the contents of the manual, but it is important that we all know what to do before, during and after a catastrophic storm. In the meantime, we’ll monitor the weather, report what we learn, and hope that come November, we as a country can breathe a collective sigh of relief and relax, at least until next year. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS LETTER TO THE EDITOR The reality of trying to hire ‘100 percent’ Caymanian I refer to the editorial in your issue of Sept. 9, “When showing up isn’t optional,” as well as the many articles I have read over the past sev- eral months related to the high unemployment rate and its relationship to expat workers taking jobs from a ready, willing and prepared local workforce. I am currently opening a large retail operation in Grand Cayman, and a very considerable amount of money has been allocated to a project that has been three years in the making. Part of the company initiative from the outset has been to hire as close to 100 percent lo- cally as we can. As an em- ployer we feel this is our re- sponsibility; however, it has turned out to be a difficult task to succeed at. We started by running a full-page colored advertise- ment in the Compass, of- fering entry level positions at $10-plus an hour for per- manent positions. In the first four days we received fewer than eight responses. Since that time, we have ad- vertised almost daily for set- up staff and have sched- uled interviews on multiple nights over two weeks, with interviewers working up to 8 p.m. at night to accommo- date people’s schedules. We have responded to everyone that has sent in a resume without leaving anyone out, provided they are local or have the right to work. What we have found is somewhat disappointing. There are a startling number of responses that simply email without a resume saying “Interested Call Me.” There are resumes that are sent as a picture off of a phone, all folded up and barely readable. Then there are those that will not start the pro- cess of setting up an inter- view unless they are told the wage, for the reason they “won’t leave the house for under $8.50 an hour.” After committing to an in- terview within the past 24 hours, fully 25 percent have not shown up and failed to provide the professional courtesy of a phone call. Only “one” person has been professional enough to call to cancel, and the reason provided was that it was raining and they didn’t wish to get wet. Being on time seems to be an issue as we are often told “I can ‘try’ and be there ‘around’ the sched- uled time.” Dress is more than often not business ca- sual, as would be expected. Then there is the indi- vidual that arrived with a child who was left in a run- ning vehicle. This person proved less than attentive as they proceeded to use their phone through the inter- view process. When the inter- viewer ended the interview due to the fact he did not have this person’s attention, he was then told to “F off” be- fore the person left. Not to be left out is when we ask a person being interviewed to tell us about their work ex- perience and what they feel they would bring to the job. On more than one occasion we are told they should get the job because they are en- titled to it as a Caymanian, and feel they need to add nothing further other than “anyone could do this job.” I fully believe that you can not and should not paint everyone with the same brush, and we are also very much aware that you have to do a lot of interviewing to find the right people. I must say however that given all that is said about how many people are looking for work and the concerns of em- ployers hiring expats, it is more than shocking to live our reality of going through this process. There seems to be a lot of attitude and a complete disregard of busi- ness professionalism, a lack of interview preparation and poor resume preparation, with most being out of date including phone numbers that are out of service. I imagine and am fearful of what will happen when we actually provide a start date and people are expected to show up on time and pre- pared to work. Our expecta- tions are high, as they should be, and we will not open a new business that provides a poor customer experience for any reason, which in- cludes poor work ethic of our team members. We hope that we will not be further disappointed by the options provided in our commitment to hire local, but it should be noted that the process is anything but as easy as some would indi- cate. I believe if this situation is going to change there must be a good deal of training made available and, to be blunt, a change in the gen- eral attitude of some people looking for work. There are no free rides and there is no entitlement no matter where we are from, and throughout life there will always be somebody behind us to take the opportunity we failed to grab on to. Let’s prepare the local workforce for the process. As a local employer I will per- sonally step up to assist in the process if given the op- portunity. The schools would be a great place to start. Michael Allen Buy $mart, Galleria Plaza On more than one occasion we are told they should get the job because they are entitled to it as a Caymanian, and feel they need to add nothing further other than “anyone could do this job.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 CAYMAN PREP & HIGH SCHOOL Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands CELEBRATES ANOTHER YEAR OF EXCELLENT ACADEMIC RESULTS The Council of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands join the Board of Governors of Cayman Prep & High School in congratulating our highest performing Year 11, 12 and 13 students who, once again, have achieved outstanding academic results. Year 11 Star Performers Most of our subjects are examined through Cambridge IGCSE and several students are entered into the Cambridge International Certificate of Education (ICE). The ICE Diploma with Distinction was awarded to Gabriella Cansell, Asia Dixon, Emilie Edgington, Will Edwards, Hannah Fowler, Charlotte Hodkin, Leann McLeod, Sarah Needham and Anja van Genderen. The ICE Diploma with Merit was awarded to Sarah Blake, Stefanie Boothe, Kali MacLean, Sammy Rowland, Ciaran Touhey and Dylan Windsor. Our Year 11 students achieved the following outstanding results: 45% A*-A, 75% A*-B, 95% A*-C. Year 12 AS-Level Students Sixth Form A-Level Star Performers Our 43 Year 12 students celebrated outstanding success at AS-level with a 96% pass rate, 73% of all passes in the A – C band with an outstanding 49% at A – B. With 48 students, this was our biggest ever Year 13. These talented students recorded no less than 54 passes at the very highest A*- A grades. 70% of grades awarded were A*- B. Congratulations to all our students and their teachers on this richly deserved reward of their talent, hard work and commitment to excellence. Many thanks to our parents for all their continuous support. Emma Turnbull 8 A* 2 A Hannah Fowler 6 A* 4 A 1 B Leann McLeod 5 A* 5 A 1 B Charlotte Hodkin 3 A* 6 A 2 B Amy Peccarino Palmer 5 A* 5 A 1 B Dominic Dyer 4 A Zoe Conolly Basdeo 6 A* 5 A Anja van Genderen 10 A* 1 A Eddie Weber 7 A* 4 A Gabriella Cansell 7 A* 3 A 1 B Sarah Needham 6 A* 5 A Shane McDermott 2 A 1 B 1 C Johann Whorms 3 A 1 B Georgia Burke 2 A 2 B Jessica Khouri 2 A 2 B Derricka Neysmith 2 A 2 B Radley Watler 2 A 2 B Alex Flores 2 A 1 B 1 C Polly Serpell 2 A* 1 A University of Bath Florence Allan 3 A* 2 A Exeter University Georgia Heaver-Wren 3 A* 2 A Kings College London Ethan Whittaker 3 A* 1 A Princeton Michael Cummings 1 A* 3 A University of British Columbia Rachel Boyd-Moss 4 A* Durham University (reapplying Cambridge) Max Pairadeau 2 A 1 B 1 C University of Tampa Lee Lewis 5 B Oxford Brookes University Janell Taylor 3 A 1 B University of West Indies Oneka Thompson 1 A* 2 A 1 B C I Law School Max Johnson 3 A 1 B Brunel University Abbie McMillan 4 A Bristol University Torrean Shields 2 A 2 C Year 13 A-Level Students, Results & Universities Katherine Tatum-Aguirre 1 A 3 B Evronique Parker 1 A 2 B 1C 6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘Interventions’ aim to lift reading ability JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Around halfway through their first year in school, stu- dents across the Cayman Is- lands sit down to an unusual reading test. The word list goes some- thing like this: lug, dez, waz, pud, dak, keb. It might seem counter-intu- itive to teach invented words to beginner English speakers, acknowledges Brad Wilson, the literacy specialist at the Ministry of Education. But nonsense word fluency, which tests the ability to rec- ognize symbols and letter com- binations and blend sounds to form words, is considered an essential decoding skill needed to become a reader. The phonics test is con- sidered a reliable screener to identify students at risk of de- veloping reading difficulties. It is one of a series of “diagnostic tests” given to youngsters during Year 1 of primary school as part of the new Response to Inter- vention program. The program has been credited with making inroads in resolving some of the most significant issues facing Cay- man’s youngest students. Of- ficials say an intense focus on reading in the early years will help deal with a slew of is- sues later on. Interventions helped 86 percent of Year 1 students in the public school system meet the expected literacy level for their age group in the last ac- ademic year – the first time the intensive intervention pro- gram has been used in Cay- man’s schools. At the Edna Moyle Primary School in North Side, 100 percent of students reached the required level. The aim of the program, which has now been expanded to Year 2, is to identify and cor- rect reading difficulties early, to prevent them spiraling into bigger problems as reading gets more complex. Mr. Wilson said the basic concept of the RTI program is simple and revolves around in- tensive, additional tutoring for those who are struggling. While students at age five are not expected to arrive at school able to read, they are expected to have acquired cer- tain language skills in identi- fying sounds and symbols – the building blocks that will help them become readers. The range of abilities for early readers is as diverse as their backgrounds. Some children have to be taught to hold a book and ma- nipulate the pages. Mr. Wilson has encountered students who attempt to turn the page by swiping as you would to flick through pages on an iPad or a smartphone. Others have memorized “sight words” but haven’t mastered the decoding skills needed to learn new words. “A lot of people think you just put books in a child’s hand and they can read, and for a portion of children that is true. For others, you have to explicitly teach some skills that they don’t already have,” said Mr. Wilson. “It is not just about teaching a kid to read, it is about identifying their specific problem and putting addi- tional instruction in place that is appropriate.” Those who have not de- veloped the necessary skills get a six- to eight-week “inter- vention” in small groups, ini- tially involving an additional 20 minutes of instruction per day. If that doesn’t correct the issue, then longer one-on-one sessions are added. Students are screened three times per year to check their progress against ex- pected levels. At Year 1 level, Mr. Wilson said, the problems encoun- tered can be addressed with five basic interventions. For the cohort of students who started their school lives in September 2015, the pro- gram, which is being rolled out in stages, will follow them through their school careers. The constant moni- toring and coaching should ensure that the range of problems they might en- counter as older readers are less complex and easier to manage, Mr. Wilson says. Students in Year 1 get 90 minutes of literacy teaching a day. Mr. Wilson and three literacy coaches are working with teachers at all primary schools to ensure consis- tency of method across the school system. Clive Baker, senior policy adviser, said focusing on pho- nemic and phonological skills, among others, has proven ef- fective in transforming results in school systems across the English speaking world. He said intense focus on literacy in the early years will pay div- idends for Cayman’s students in the long term. “It is a slow process that focuses very much on early learners – four- five- and six- year-olds. You won’t see it show up in external results for several years.” He said there had been “pockets of excellence” in the past, but the Response to In- tervention program was de- signed to make it the norm. He said the challenge for the Min- istry is to put the resources and checks and balances in place to ensure the system is followed with “fidelity.” He said many of the 40 new posts announced last month would go toward providing the classroom assistants needed to make the program work. “What we are doing is what has been proven to work. If there has been fidelity, if we have hired the right people and filled the posts it will get results, but it will take time.” Woman restrained by police at John Gray High School JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman acting errati- cally and apparently suffering from mental health issues had to be restrained by police at the John Gray High School campus on Wednesday. The woman, in her ‘20s, gained access to the school campus, apparently in an ef- fort to see her mother, who is a staff member at the school. She was chaperoned by security guards once her presence was noticed, but at some stage appeared to experience some sort of mental episode and began acting strangely and be- came confrontational with her mother and others who tried to intervene. Police were called and the woman had to be restrained before she was removed from the premises. Principal Jon Clark said no one was hurt and there was no damage to property. He said school staff acted quickly and responsibly to contain the incident. “I am happy with how the staff handled it and managed to keep most of it out of the eyes of the students. It was a dif- ficult situation and they dealt with it in the best interests of the students and of the woman herself, who I understand has some health issues.” Mr. Clark and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice said rumors that a Taser had been used in the incident were not true. Justine Ebanks interacts with students at Edna Moyle Primary School . Teacher Kerry-Ann Grant works with young students in a literacy class at Edna Moyle Primary School. K erry-Ann Grant leads a class at Edna Moyle Primary School. The school had 100 percent of children reach expected levels for their age group in literacy at the end of Year 1. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAYDISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days East End North Side CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 50 YEARS AGO: Women’s Guild social draws impressive crowd In the Sept. 7, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, North Side correspondent Nettie McCoy wrote: “The Women’s Guild held its monthly social tea on the 1st at the Presbyterian Cot- tage. It began by singing ‘In Christ there is no East or West,’ after which the oldest Guild member, Mrs. Ditha Ebanks, offered a short prayer. We were then led in a sing song by some of the younger girls who were present. The secretary had prepared a quiz which proved quite interesting. The Guild hymn was sung and refreshments served. This was the best attended social tea that we have had for a long time, and a very enjoyable hour of Guild fellowship was en- joyed by all present. “Mrs. Rose Chisholm and little son returned from Ja- maica on the 3rd. Harvey, having his eye attended to, is much improved. “Miss Zelmalee Chisholm went to Cayman Brac on the 1st where she will be teaching in the Government School in Spot Bay. “On the 4th Mr. and Mrs. Selbourne Lazzari and chil- dren returned to their home in Cayman Brac. Mrs. Laz- zari was among the team of schoolteachers who went to Barbados. She teaches at the Creek, Cayman Brac. “Mr. Basil Small and Charney Whittaker returned from Jamaica on Saturday. Mr. Small re-opened school here on Monday. “Mrs. Clinton Whittaker and her daughter Shirley Ann returned on Sunday from Miami where they spent an enjoyable 2 week vacation. “Mr. Solomon Ebanks left for Kingston on the 3rd to join his wife, who is under the doctors’ care there. “The stone-laying cere- mony of the United Church here will take place on Thursday 22nd at 5:30 p.m. All friends and well- wishers are cordially in- vited to attend.” In the same issue, East End correspondent Charles Dixon wrote: “Mr. Lee Wills of Colony Hotel, Montego Bay, spent a few days at the Tortuga Club. “Miss Betty Ann Fuller (daughter of Mrs. Glendova Fuller) spent her holidays with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. W.A. McLaughlin, and returned home to Ja- maica on the 3rd. “Mrs. Coleen Chong and daughter spent a few weeks as guests of Mr. and Mrs. Rayburn Conolly and re- turned to Jamaica on the 3rd. “Mrs. Evelyn (Angie) McLaughlin and 19 month old daughter arrived on the 1st from the U.S. to join her husband. “Miss Dorothy Bryan returned on the 1st from Cayman Brac to resume du- ties as teacher. “Miss Margaret Rose Conolly returned on the 2nd after spending a short vaca- tion in the U.S. “Mr. Devy Conolly left on the 4th to reside in the U.S.A. “Also leaving on the 4th was Mr. Stanton Jackson after spending a short vacation. “Mrs. Warren Conolly re- turned on the 4th after at- tending an educational course in the U.K. “Mr. Austin Bell returned to Jamaica on the 3rd after a short vacation with his wife.” Women’s Guild social draws impressive crowd Trust seeks eastern district volunteers The National Trust is ap- pealing for volunteers for projects and activities in the eastern districts. Volunteers are being sought to take part in the Trust’s Logwood Project, which is focused on elimi- nating invasive plant spe- cies in the Mastic Reserve in North Side. Field work is expected to start in October along the Mastic Trail. The work is part of a region-wide project, led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, ad- dressing invasive species in the Caribbean. Similar proj- ects are being conducted in Montserrat and the British Virgin Island, among others. “With the focus on inva- sive species, we started out addressing green iguanas. Now we are extending the work to invasive vegetation,” said the Trust’s environ- mental programs manager, Paul Watler. The Trust has received funding for the project from EU BEST, a voluntary scheme promoting conserva- tion and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU Outermost Regions and Overseas Coun- tries and Territories. “We fall into that cate- gory and received this grant to tackle invasive species on Trust reserves,” said Mr. Watler, adding that the focus on logwood will benefit the re- serve by maintaining the in- tegrity of the Mastic habitat. Logwood (Haematoxylum campechianum) originates from South America and was an important source of dye for centuries. “If you soak the heart- wood, it will turn the water blue and will dye cloth blue and sometimes purple,” said Mr. Watler. The extract was once used as a pH indicator, as its brownish color be- comes yellow-reddish under acidic conditions and purple when alkaline. The extract’s dye component, haema- toxylin, is still used to dye microscope slides. In the past, logwood in- tended for export was planted in Cayman. Over time the trees have gained a sig- nificant foothold in Cayman’s wooded areas. Mr. Watler said that as an invasive species, it has done well as it has evolved some traits that allow it to be suc- cessfully opportunistic. “Logwoods tend to shed a lot of their leaves; they con- tain a kind of chemical com- pound that works as a her- bicide,” he said. That means that where the leaves land, they inhibit growth of other plant species, allowing the logwoods to colonize areas over time if intervention is not taken. “As part of the work, we have had to spend time to map where the invasive spe- cies problem is, and record ‘before and after’ results,” said Mr. Watler. “We are going to try a couple of different techniques to carry the work being done forward, as well.” The project work will in- volve removing existing vege- tation, but once that happens, dormant seeds will quickly sprout up in the cleared areas, so the eradication work will have to keep going in the future. “The very first thing we had to do was map the ex- tent of exactly where the in- vasives are in the protected areas, which is now done,” said Mr. Watler, noting the next step, clearing the plants, is now ready to begin. “We definitely know there are logwood trees in the Mastic reserve as they are visible along the trail, and we have seen them off the trail as well,” said Mr. Watler. “Invasives often colonize disturbed habitat,” he said. “Down at the southern trailhead, the whole area was bulldozed in the past so there are a lot in that area.” The reserve also con- tains other invasive species, including false tamarind and wavy leaf basket grass, which the project workers will also be clearing. The clearing work will take place during normal working hours, so project vol- unteers will need to be able to take part during the week and have a willingness to work in hot weather. The Trust is also seeking volunteers to help out at the Blue Iguana breeding facility at the Queen Eliz- abeth II Botanic Park in North Side. Volunteers will assist the blue iguana wardens with basic animal husbandry, in- cluding feeding, providing water, collecting food for the next day and cage and gen- eral maintenance. The facility welcomes one to two volunteers any day except Sundays, with work most days taking place from 8 a.m. to noon. Group volun- teers must be pre-arranged at least a week in advance. To sign up for these and other opportunities, email community@nationaltrust.org.ky or call the National Trust on 729-1121. Walking the Mastic Trail, which runs through the Mastic Reserve. - PHOTOS: STEVEN CLARKE A Lasagra’s flycatcher sits on the branch of a logwood tree on the Mastic Trail.8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Evalee Edwarda Spence of George Town. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date We have been asked to announce the passing of Mrs. Evalee Edwarda Spence of George Town. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. James David Edward Bernard of George Town, who passed away on Friday, August 26, 2016. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. James David Edward Bernard of George Town, who passed away on Friday, August 26, 2016. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at Churchill’s Funeral Home, 328 Eastern Avenue, George Town at 3:00p.m. Interment to follow at Prospect Cemetery. In Loving Memory Carlyle B McLaughlin Sunrise October 5, 1923- Sunset September 11th, 2014 Letter to Heaven I am writing you this letter to you up above To tell you how much I miss you with all of my heart and love. I do not know why you had to go. It just wasn’t fair. I am left with this sorrow, sometimes too much to despair. It is hard not to touch you, it is hard not to see you.. I wish so much to hear your voice. JUST ONE MORE TIME. I am left with this sorrow, sometimes I hear you whisper inside my thoughts I feel you around me.. I know you live on Through those lives you have touched. I know someday I’ll see you again, in my heart I’ll hold you close, and keep you safe.. until then. Keep sending me signs Always remembered Always loved From your loved ones you watch over From: Your Brokenhearted Wife, Children, Grandchildren, Great- Grandchildren & Great-Great-Grandchild I’ll hold you close, and keep you safe.. until then. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Harry Washington Swaby of George Town. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Harry Washington Swaby of George Town. Details for a Thanksgiving Service will be announced at a later date. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.comwww.churchillsfuneralhome.com First Anniversary in Heaven Ena Essie Chollette (nee Ebanks)Ena Essie Chollette (nee Ebanks)Ena Essie Chollette (nee Ebanks)Ena Essie Chollette (nee Ebanks) Sunrise Dec 23, 1934 – Sunset Sept 11, 2015 Praying God will keep you in his gentle care. All our love: Merrell, Bridgette, Rickie, Floyd, Lisa, Maribeth, Sherry & Randy, Grandchildren & Great-grandchildren Carnival orders more mega-ships JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Carnival Cruise Line has ordered two more mega-ships, providing further succor to supporters of a cruise dock for Cayman, who sug- gest the move toward bigger ships is bad news for destinations that still use tenders. The cruise giant, which along with Royal Caribbean accounts for nearly 80 percent of cruise arrivals in the Cayman Islands, is scheduled to take delivery of two new 180,000 gross-registered-ton cruise ships, in 2020 and 2022. The ships, with passenger ca- pacity of 5,200, are unlikely to stop at ports that use tenders because of Carnival’s previously stated con- cerns about the logistics of moving so many people. Supporters of a cruise port for Grand Cayman, which is still in the planning stages, say the trend toward larger ships shows that Cayman must have new piers if it wants to remain in the cruise busi- ness in a meaningful way. “Carnival only just ordered four ships with higher capacity than the (Royal Caribbean) Oasis class just last year, so to see another order of large ships within approx- imately 12 months shows how fast the industry is moving toward these mega-ships,” said Chris Kirkconnell of Cayman’s Port, Cayman’s Future. “Those against cruise berthing will keep pretending the ships aren’t getting bigger or will say we should focus on smaller ships re- gardless of the fact that there aren’t enough smaller ships left to keep the industry feasible. “Anyone that works in the cruise industry knows that this has been the trend for a long time now and the cruise lines will continue to build larger ships, eventually re- placing the smaller ones completely. Carnival originally said they would not build Oasis/Genesis class ships and now they keep ordering ships of similar or larger size.” The Miami-based cruise com- pany said Tuesday that the vessels will be powered by environmentally friendly sources. Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a media statement, “We are thrilled to be introducing Carnival Corporation’s ‘green cruising’ de- sign platform to North America. Both of these ships will be fully powered at sea and in port by Liq- uefied Natural Gas, which is the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. These ships are being designed for maximum energy efficiency and en- vironmental friendliness.” The ships announced Tuesday are in the same size class as four previous ships that were ordered last year by the parent company, which made news because Carnival said they would be able to hold a record 6,600 passengers with every berth filled. Currently, Royal Ca- ribbean’s Oasis class ships, which carry 5,400 passengers, are the largest in the business. The ships, with passenger capacity of 5,200, are unlikely to stop at ports that use tenders because of Carnival’s previously stated concerns about the logistics of moving so many people. The Vista, the largest ship in Carnival’s fleet, made its debut earlier this year. Family values conference kicks off on Sunday Conservative attorney David Gibbs, president of the of the National Center for Life and Liberty in the United States, will give a key- note address Sunday at a conference on “Bible-based family values” in Cayman. The Cayman Ministers’ Association will gather at the Lions Centre Sunday evening to “raise awareness among the Cayman commu- nity regarding what they perceive as ‘critical issues being [foisted] on the next generation,’” according to a press release. The asso- ciation has been vocal, es- pecially over the past year, about preventing gay mar- riage in Cayman. Brendan Bain of the Family Life Ministries in Jamaica and Cayman Pastor Alson Ebanks are also listed as keynote speakers. David Gibbs rose to prominence in conservative U.S. legal circles as the lead attorney for the parents of Terri Schiavo, a case he lost over trying to prevent the re- moval of a feeding tube from a woman who was in a veg- etative state in a Florida hos- pital for 15 years. According to the Cayman Ministers’ Association, “Mr. Gibbs’ presentation will aim to frame the historical and current legal debate on the definition and nature of the family, and will discuss the way forward in navi- gating today’s increasingly diverse perspectives.” In the release, Mr. Gibbs said he is concerned about shifts in culture away from conservative values and to accepting things such as gay marriage. He noted, “No part of the world is immune from these influences. This is be- cause we live in a global community where media is disseminated so quickly and people are exposed to all these new viewpoints without having a worldview framework within which to place those viewpoints.” Mr. Ebanks, vice chair of the association, said the meeting will focus on what he calls “alternative life- styles,” as well as issues with marriage, traditional relationships, family roles and responsibilities, and sexual morality. “It would be hypocrit- ical for us not to acknowl- edge that one of the catalysts for this rally is the publicity over the last several months given to alternative lifestyles, but this cannot be the main focus of the rally since the real issues are more exten- sive,” Mr. Ebanks said. He said he hopes the gathering can help create an organization for the Chris- tian right in Cayman. “The churches have long wanted to collaborate on var- ious community outreach ac- tivities, and now that we are working together, we are an- ticipating many tangible ben- efits to come to the Cayman community over the longer term,” Mr. Ebanks said. Mr. Bain said many areas are being pressured to be more accepting of rights for homosexual people. “A number of individ- uals, international groups and governments are ex- erting pressure on our com- munities to accept sexual practices that have not been previously accepted in most Caribbean communities,” he said.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 Portugal cracks down on freebies Portugal’s government is introducing a code of conduct that prohibits high-ranking public officials from receiving gifts worth more than 150 euros ($170). Dr. Astley Rudyard McLaughlin 20th October, 1954 – 9th September, 2015 A Special tribute in loving & blessed memory of our precious, loving, caring & devoted son, brother, uncle & cousin who left us, one sad, long, lonely, and painful year ago, today Friday 9th Sept, 2016. You didn’t have the chance to say farewell our precious, Junior, Jun or Junie as you were aff ectionately called. You left us all too soon. Junie you had a heart of gold worth more to us than any amount of silver or gold; you were such a loving, caring, kind, generous, considerate person. You were kind to all who came in contact with you, family, strangers, acquaintances, birds, animals and even a baby snake you found in the leaves who you named Fred. It followed you around like a puppy. When you didn’t see it, you only had to shout its name and it would be right there. The wild chickens that you fed, they only had to see you and they would fl y like birds to get to you. If anyone needed help you didn’t have to know them, you would off er and help in any way you could. Junie you will never know how proud we all are and thank God who gave us someone as precious as you. You’ll never know how important you were to all of us, words are inadequate to say how much we miss you. You will always be in our hearts. We think about you every day. The moment you died, our hearts were torn in two—one side fi lled with heartache, the other side died with you. Only God in heaven knows our grief and pain, but we have the comfort of knowing you are at peace where you won’t hurt anymore. We Love you, we miss you. When you were here, we always felt nothing could go wrong, but you’re still our inspiration, and your memory keeps us strong. Rest in Peace our precious angel. This is the saddest year of our lives but we’ll meet again on that beautiful shore. Your broken hearted mother Esther, brothers Charles, Clarence, Robert & Richard; special nephew Zared, others Carlos, Chris, CJ, Caden, Javii, Jhace; nieces Michelle, Kayla, Kalie, Zytka, Zariza, Jessiah, Jyasia & Cousins. Uncle Junie To my extra special Uncle Junie you were my uncle, father, brother, friend, pal, mentor & advisor. I remember as a little boy you would throw me up and catch me. I never felt afraid, your hands was so big and strong I always felt I would be safe in those hands. Uncle Jun, you had a heart of gold. I cannot express what you meant to me. I have no one to talk to now. I could tell you anything—my fears, my doubts; you never criticized me & you never put me down; you talked to me on my level. I always thought that you would be here for me. I think of you in silence and make no outward show for what you meant to me, only God in heaven knows. You fell asleep without saying good bye, but my memories of you will never die. Earth has one precious soul less and heaven one angel more. Obama turns attention to South China Sea VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) – Presi- dent Barack Obama put the long-simmering dispute in the South China Sea front and center on the agenda at a regional summit Thursday as it became clear that most of the other leaders gathered in the Laotian capital were going to let China off with a mild rebuke over its ter- ritorial expansion in the re- source-rich waters. “We will continue to work to ensure that dis- putes are resolved peace- fully, including in the South China Sea,” Obama said at a meeting with leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. He said an international arbitration ruling on July 12 against China was binding and “helped to clarify mari- time rights in the region.” ASEAN held a sepa- rate meeting later Thursday with eight world powers, in- cluding China and the U.S., in a gathering known as the East Asia Summit. The par- ticipants were expected to let China off with a muted reprimand over its expan- sionist activities in South China Sea, according to a draft of their joint statement. The final version was not immediately released. The U.S. has repeatedly expressed concern over Bei- jing’s actions in the resource- rich sea. Obama brought that up again. Referring to the arbitra- tion panel’s ruling that in- validated China’s territo- rial claims, Obama said, “I realize this raises tensions but I also look forward to discussing how we can con- structively move forward to- gether to lower tensions and promote diplomacy and re- gional stability.” China shot back with comments aimed at the United States. “A couple of extra-re- gional countries still wanted to use the occasion of the East Asia Summit to talk about the South China Sea, particularly to press on the regional countries to abide by the arbitration, which is untimely and inappropriate,” Chinese Vice Foreign Min- ister Liu Zhenmin told re- porters. He said it is “also against the trend in the re- gion to resolve the disputes by cooperation and dialogue. In some sense they are being self-isolated,” he said. The East Asia Summit draft statement said ASEAN and its partners “reaffirmed the importance of main- taining peace, stability and security and freedom of nav- igation in and over-flight in the South China Sea.” “Several Leaders re- mained seriously concerned over recent developments in the South China Sea …. We stressed the importance for the parties concerned to resolve their disputes by peaceful means, in accor- dance with universally rec- ognized principles of inter- national laws,” it said. China has turned shoals and coral reefs into seven man-made islands and built airstrips capable of han- dling military aircraft on three of them. The East Asia Summit draft statement was less forceful than the state- ment that ASEAN leaders is- sued on Wednesday to ex- press concern over China’s island-building. It said ASEAN “took note of the concerns expressed by some leaders on the land reclamations and escala- tion of activities in the area, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased ten- sions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region.” The use of the phrase “some leaders” in the two statements underscores the fundamental problem ASEAN has in dealing with China – not all its members are willing to scold Beijing. Cambodia, for example, re- mains in China’s camp, as does Laos to a large extent, preventing any robust state- ment from the consensus- bound ASEAN group. U.S. officials, however, said there were other crit- ical elements in the ASEAN statement that China failed to block, and which they said amounted to a strong diplomatic rebuke of Beijing. China pulled out all the stops to block any reference to the words “recent activi- ties,” “serious concern,” “rec- lamation,” “militarization,” “loss of trust” and “need to respect legal processes,” but failed as all these phrases made it into the statement, said a senior U.S. admin- istration official who re- quested anonymity to dis- cuss diplomatic discussions. Though Beijing recently announced a $600 million aid package for ally Cam- bodia, China was unable to get it to block the state- ment, the official said. Cam- bodia did however block an explicit mention of the tribu- nal’s ruling, which the Phil- ippines was willing to con- cede, the official said. The issue of ownership of territories in the South China Sea has come to dominate ASEAN summits in recent years. China claims virtu- ally the entire sea as its own, citing historical reasons. That has pitted it against the Philippines, Vietnam, Ma- laysia and Brunei, all mem- bers of ASEAN, which have overlapping claims. The Philippines took its dispute with China to the international tribunal some years ago, but the coun- try’s new president, Rodrigo Duterte, who took office on June 30, has been more conciliatory toward China. Liu, the Chinese vice foreign minister, pointed that out. Duterte “has been sending messages for im- proving relations with China since he took office. In fact there have been contacts in different channels between China and the Philippines, including non-official chan- nels,” he said. President Barack ObamaNext >