Main cover title goes here High of 91 Low of 79 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Politics Trump’s big-money backer 4 Nation Car dealers face a tough sell 8 Museums MLK items are mostly unseen 16 5 Myths Smartphones 23 A seventh-grader ’s sext was meant to impress a boy. He shared it. It nearly destroyed her. PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2016. IN COLLABORA TION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE EUROPEAN UNION: WILL THE ‘EMPIRE’ STRIKE BACK? ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 Seven mile beach WaTeRFROnT WalKeRS ROaD TOWn cenTRe PlaZa BURRITO ™ BURRITO ™ Governor slams RCIPS for ‘failings’ in child abuse probe Three Family Support Unit officers transferred BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick lambasted what she called the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s “failings” that led to Thursday’s acquittal of two child abuse sus- pects in a case that involved allegations of sexual assault against an 11-year-old girl. “It is totally unacceptable for there to be failings such as these in the investigation of a child sex abuse allegation,” Ms. Kilpatrick said Friday afternoon. “I expect the RCIPS to con- duct a thorough and objective investigation … to determine what went wrong. Those found responsible for the failings must be dealt with quickly and appropriately.” The police service confirmed Friday that three officers from the Family Support Unit who were involved in the 2012 abuse investi- gation, including two supervisors, “have been transferred from their roles and are currently working in different capacities while the dis- ciplinary reviews are carried out.” “This action was not taken in response to any external query, but is in accordance with our standard operating procedures and evaluation of the specific circumstances,” the RCIPS statement continued. As of press time Sunday, no RCIPS officers had been suspended over the botched investi- gation, according to department officials. Grand Court Justice Timothy Owen, who delivered a not guilty verdict in the case Thursday morning, called the police in- vestigation into the alleged sexual assault “grossly incompetent.” The initial complaint was made in 2012, but the case had not come to trial until July 2016. Presiding in a non-jury trial, Justice Owen said there was “inherent weakness” in the prosecution’s case, even though he did not find the victim – who was 11 when the initial CAYMAN TURTLE FARM CHANGES ITS NAME Butterfield lists on New York Stock Exchange BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Turtle Farm will be called a “farm” no longer. Managing Director Tim Adam announced last week that the islands’ most popular land-based tourism attraction will now be known as the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter. “We believe that the name should fit the function,” Mr. Adam, who has run the organi- zation since January 2010, said during an in- terview on Friday. According to the official announcement sent Thursday: “It will be the same popular tourist attraction as before, and will continue to serve schools, conserve turtles and collabo- rate with other research establishments.” There will be a separate operation, called Cayman Turtle Products, which will continue to produce and sell turtle meat for the local community. Mr. Adam said the sale of “rea- sonably priced” turtle meat should continue to reduce the risk of poaching the wild sea turtle population. The operation, which has been in Cayman since 1968 and which was taken over by the government in 1983, began with one objec- tive: “to meet the demand for turtle meat and other turtle products by breeding and raising [the turtles] in captivity without diminishing the wild population,” according to a statement MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Butterfield Group listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday in an initial public offering of 10.6 million shares. Bermuda Premier Michael Dunkley joined Butterfield CEO Michael Collins in the symbolic ringing of the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange to mark the start of trading for Bermuda’s largest bank’s stock in the United States. Butterfield’s shares were of- fered at $23.50 per share, in the middle of the $22 to $25 range expected before the offering, and the bank started trading at $25. Speaking to the Cayman Compass from New York, Mi- chael Collins, Butterfield Group’s chief executive officer, said, “We can be proud that a community bank that has roots Bermuda Premier Michael Dunkley, left, and Butterfield Chairman Everard Barclay Simmons Jr., watch Michael Collins, right, the CEO of the Bermuda bank, ring the bell of the New York Stock Exchange as its shares are listed during its IPO on Friday. - PHOTO: THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE VIA AP PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL NEWS CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man entered pleas of not guilty in Grand Court on Friday to two charges of rape and two of indecent assault. The alleged victim was a boy who was between the ages of 4 and 6 when the offenses were said to have occurred several years ago. Defense attorney Nich- olas Dixey said his client had chosen trial by jury. Justice Charles Quin set the trial for May 1, 2017. He continued the defen- dant’s bail until then, with conditions that include curfew and residence at a specified address. be a member of the URCO board, said the new law would streamline oversight. “The Petroleum Inspec- torate in its current form will be largely preserved under the amalgamated entity, notwith- standing there will be process improvements, optimization, harmonization, etc. “The organizational struc- ture will be somewhat dif- ferent to what currently ex- ists, but this administrative arrangement is not intended to alter our remit vis-a-vis the Dangerous Substances Law as a policy.” Rick McTaggart, presi- dent and CEO of Consoli- dated Water Company, said his organization was still re- viewing the legislation, and hoping to hear from its Min- istry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and In- frastructure sponsors. “No one has met with us yet or showed us the law, al- though we heard about it earlier in the year,” he said. The legislation will re- solve tensions between Con- solidated Water Company and the Water Authority-Cayman regarding the latter’s dual role as regulator and service provider. The two have been locked in talks for two years regarding changes to Consoli- dated Water’s license. Water Authority-Cayman Director Gelia Frederick- van Genderen said she had seen the draft legislation only recently. “We have not had time to review further … We are well aware of and certainly support government’s stated intentions to establish an office to regulate utilities in- clusive [of] the water sector. We are working with the ministry on the relevant leg- islation,” she said. Managing Director of the Information Communications and Technology Authority Alee Fa’amoe directed ques- tions to the ministry. In a statement, the min- istry addressed concerns about water utilities, saying they would be “subject to a transparent and structured regulatory environment as are the service providers in the other utility sectors” and that “amendments to the Water Authority Law will … repeal the economic regulatory func- tions of the authority.” Overall, the statement said, URCO would “promote fair and effective competi- tion; protect the interests of consumers: supervise, mon- itor and regulate any sectoral utility … ensure utility ser- vices are satisfactory and ef- ficient and that charges im- posed in respect of utility services are reasonable and reflect the efficient costs of providing the services; … and promote innovation [and] facilitate economic and na- tional development in the markets and sectors for which it has responsibility.” Government “is keen to complete this regulatory reform, and the remaining legislation related to the water and fuels sectors are expected to be tabled at the first sitting of the Legisla- tive Assembly in 2017,” the statement said. 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Appointments: 916-8005 before 19th Sept. 928-7126 between 19th-21st Sept. Mr. Vijay Wadhwani will be available 8am to 8pm daily. www.noblehouse.us - wadhwani@noblehouse.us *** FREE SHIRT with each suit! *** Mon 19th Sept - 3pm-8pm Tues 20th Sept - 8am-8pm Weds 21st Sept - 8am-3pm Marriott Beach Resort Utility chiefs cautious on new regulations TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Utility chiefs have reacted cautiously to Monday’s pub- lication of a draft law cre- ating a unified commission to oversee water, electricity, telephone and fuel providers, while dissolving separate regulatory bodies previously responsible for each industry. Establishing the Utility Regulation and Competi- tion Office, or URCO, the bill will go to the Legislative As- sembly at its next sitting, scheduled for October. The bill will be accompanied by related legislation dissolving the Information and Com- munications Technology Au- thority, the Electricity Reg- ulatory Authority and the Petroleum Inspectorate, while the Water Authority-Cayman, under still-pending legisla- tion, will lose its economic regulatory function. Other amendments will affect the Wastewater Collec- tion and Treatment Law and the Dangerous Substances Handling and Storage Law. The move – by the Min- istry of Planning, Lands, Ag- riculture, Housing and In- frastructure – comes in the wake of 2014’s Ernst & Young consultant report, recommending measures to streamline government ad- ministration and achieve cost savings of $250,000 per year. Under URCO, separate oversight bodies will be merged into a single office with a nine-member board of directors, meeting at least six times each year and in- cluding executive directors of information and energy, and the chief petroleum inspector. ERA Managing Director Charles Farrington said, “I do not see the change resulting in any immediate change to electricity regulation. Over the longer term, it should re- sult in an authority/office with wider and deeper exper- tise, which should improve the effectiveness of regula- tion of all the affected utili- ties … There should be syn- ergies that are realized over time which I see as a posi- tive development. The legisla- tion has been developed with an objective of having little, if any, immediate impact on the electricity sector.” He did not anticipate being part of URCO, as he hopes to retire after passage of the legislation. Timing, he indicated, was “contingent on the legislation being ad- opted by the LA …” Duke Monroe, chief in- spector at the Petroleum In- spectorate and scheduled to TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Under the new law, the Utility Regulation and Competition Of- fice will create a four-member Risk and Audit Subcommittee, a Regula- tory Committee, a Policy and Tech- nical Committee for each regulated sector, and a Remuneration and Human Resource Committee, all drawn from URCO members. The office will regulate con- sumer prices and ensure rea- sonable costs for network in- terconnections and sharing of infrastructure. It will also regulate mergers and acquisitions. A “consumer protection” section authorizes codes of practice for pro- vision of services, and creation of pro- tective “Consumer Councils.” URCO it- self will review consumer complaints rather than the provider itself. Critics have accused the mo- nopoly utilities – water and elec- tricity particularly – of slow adoption of new technologies in an effort to defend their economic po- sition. The draft legislation obli- gates URCO “to promote innovation” and “national economic competi- tiveness,” using technological im- provements to “enhance workplace productivity and quality of life.” In a similar vein, the law creates a “Universal Service” fund to ensure Cayman residents have access to utility services. An 11-page section on “anti- competitive practices” allows URCO to intervene in the case of a utility’s “abuse of a dominant po- sition,” including price fixing, lim- iting production or investment, or colluding to share markets or sources of supply. At the same time, however, the law allows URCO to exempt or de- clare the provisions “inapplicable” should they improve trade, pro- duction or distribution, or promote technical or economic progress. Section 70 addresses Caribbean Utilities Company, drawing a fine line between protection of CUC’s “legitimate business interests” and monopoly abuse of purchase and selling prices, “limiting production, markets or technical development to the prejudice of subscribers,” “applying dissimilar conditions to equivalent transactions,” thereby placing other parties at a competi- tive disadvantage, and cross-subsi- dizing any CUC services with reve- nues from other company services. URCO may seek a court in- junction against any utility, even sending its own officers to search a company’s premises. Anti-com- petitive penalties are 10 percent of the licensees annual turnover. CUC’s 2015 operating revenues, for example, were nearly $190 million. Net earnings were nearly $21 million. If a utility fails to comply with an URCO order, an individual can be fined $500,000 and a company $3 million. Grand Court jurors in the July 6 to Oct. 4 session are advised that the report date of Monday, Sept. 19, has been changed. Jurors are now required to report on Monday, Sept. 26, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Infor- mation line on 945-5072 for the most up-to-date information. JUROR NOTICE What the proposed utility regulation office will do An overall utilities regulatory body, to be known as URCO, will oversee electricity, water and fuel. Utilities will be “subject to a transparent and structured regulatory environment.” MINISTRY OF PLANNING MAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO RAPE OF BOYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 Specialized Plastic Surgery now available Begin your journey today by calling us to schedule a consultation. Limited appointments available. 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With trusted experience and expert advice we will provide you with information to help you make the best choices to give you the best possible outcome. 1 (345) 945-4040 | 1 (345) 640-4040 | healthcitycaymanislands.comMONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 The bullies in that faraway socialist blot, aka Brussels, are eyeing the Cayman Islands’ milk money again. Our perceived offense, this time, is not “behavioral” – i.e. being too secretive or granting special tax deals; no, our “sin” is that Cayman doesn’t have a local cor- porate income tax. If this were a usurpation of land, rather than finance, Brussels would be censored and condemned for invading a foreign territory. We’ll briefly highlight the relevant content of the European Commission’s new “pre-assessment scorecard,” which is a preliminary step in what may become yet another financial blacklist. (For more details, read the front page story published in Friday’s Cayman Compass.) Cayman’s so-called scorecard reads as follows: • Home to a great amount of financial activity (“Strike One”); • Strong economic ties to the EU (“Strike Two”); and, • Certain “risk indicators,” such as a lack of corpo- rate income tax (“Strike Three”). Think about that for a moment. If Cayman does end up on an EU blacklist based on the factors in the scorecard, that means all our efforts over the decades by our officials and industry to comply with interna- tional regulations, global standards, endless photo ops signing tax information exchange agreements, benefi- cial ownership databases, etc., will have amounted to almost naught as far as Europe is concerned. Increasingly it appears the only way European officials will ever be satisfied with Cayman’s role in the international financial services arena is if Cayman has no role. Cayman is not the only “third country jurisdic- tion” to be swept up in Europe’s expansive dragnet. Other financial centers flagged for one or more “risk indicators” on the scorecard include: the Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Singapore … and the United States … and China. (In other words, just about all of them.) Perhaps it is time for the “empire” to strike back. Cayman’s posture on these bullying tactics, to our mind, has been far too passive – all compliance, little defiance. Following the rule for government assessments in general, Europe has exempted its own entities from inspection during the exercise. EU countries such as Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – whose governments have come under recent fire for enabling “aggressive” tax structures (which European officials, in Orwellian fashion, have dubbed “anti-competitive”) – are subject to a different set of standards, and conse- quences, than everybody else. European officials say the scorecard is “an objec- tive and robust data source,” and “does not represent any judgement of third country jurisdictions, nor is it a preliminary EU list ….” Does anyone believe that? What we are wit- nessing is “Big Brother” Brussels blithely and rou- tinely trying to impose its version of economic redis- tribution and social justice on its member countries. Was anyone, other than the metastasizing legion of Brussels bureaucrats and regulators, surprised when the United Kingdom finally said, “Enough; no more; no thanks; adios?” For us in Cayman, the key questions about the new tax scorecard are: 1) What is Europe going to do with it? 2) What, if anything, are we – our officials and our industry representatives – going to do about it? – EDITORIAL – The European Union: Will the ‘empire’ strike back? 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” I am calling for indepen- dent moderate conservative Caymanians to run as can- didates in the 2017 general election. We need Cayma- nians who are not afraid to fight for freedom, fair treat- ment and justice for the Caymanian people and to protect our privacy and re- ligious freedom, someone who understands that what our government has done for the past 15 years is not working for our country or for our people. We have to define mar- riage as God intended be- tween man and woman. And make it clear in the laws. Our country is going to hell in a hand basket under the pretense of good talk on television and ra- dios about business and jobs. In reality, our politi- cian do not get it. We need to bring back all types of businesses to this country who can pro- vide better paying jobs for our people, more pros- perity, better financial se- curity with more money to spend and more freedom; the people should have choices, not more laws and extravagant spending and mandates. Caymanians are suffering just trying to keep up with these man- dates, pensions and insur- ance. Some of us cannot pay school fees, can’t send our children to university, and can’t even pay their mortgage. Businesses are closing every day and the establishment groups think everything is fine. Their bread is buttered; they do not care about yours. Many Caymanians are dying of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, sugar diabetes, and even dialysis in this country because they just can’t af- ford medications or to eat healthy anymore; they are living paycheck to paycheck. Government’s taxes and fees on supermarkets, gas and other basic everyday goods are outrageous. Cay- manians, open your eyes, each day our lives are get- ting worse, not better. A liberal progressive gov- ernment thinks that the bigger the government be- comes and the more con- trol they have over your life with more rules and regula- tions, more mandates, higher taxes and fees, more bureau- cracies, more laws, more social service programs – somehow they think these things can improve our lives and make it better and pro- vide jobs and that this will make the economy better. This could never be further from the truth; only the pri- vate sector can improve the economy. These ideas make the country poorer, less pros- perous and create more gov- ernment dependencies and more crime in the country. This is why the middle-class people are just about done in our country; people are dis- couraged. The middle-class has been chocked with un- necessary laws. On the other hand, a moderate conservative gov- ernment, like Kennedy and Reagan administration in the U.S., we know has been proven to work, with less intrusions in people’s lives, and by downsizing the gov- ernment, by cutting taxes and fees, even corporate tax, reducing rules and reg- ulations, cutting bureaucra- cies and give people back their freedom to do busi- ness and to provide jobs and allow the private sector to work without govern- ment interference. This is the path to prosperity and a successful government with better stability and less crime and more pro- ductive people with better- paying jobs and a better future for our country and its people, unlike what the government is now doing. Caymanian people, look around you, it’s another election year coming. Don’t be fooled with propaganda. Where have they been for the last few years, when you could not find a job or pay your bills? Look at your surroundings before voting for the same old as we have done for the past 15 years, with more crime than we ever had, more Caymanians in prison, less jobs, less freedom, less choices, and businesses closing their doors. Our country is be- coming a disaster. Our government is con- cerned about a fancy dock, modern airport, and you cannot afford to feed your family. That is the wisdom of our politicians. The cost to do business here is ridiculous; we have too many laws that kill jobs; our country’s debt and spending is out of control. We need to stop spending and borrowing what we do not have. At this time, we should be trying to pay off our debt first. So many in our government seem to not care; no one is doing the things that make Cay- manians’ lives easier or less hustle to do business or even to live. The only thing our politicians seem to agree on is creating new laws, and spending govern- ment money on unneces- sary things that do not ben- efit or help the people. We need you as a candi- date to stop this runaway train. We can turn this country around, we need to make sure there is a fu- ture for our children and grandchildren. We can do this. Let’s make Cayman a more pros- perous and safer place for everyone to live in again. I am not a politician. Please do not brand me as one. I am just a concerned Caymanian with a God- given vision of our coun- try’s future and don’t like what I see for our children and grandchildren. Allan R. Wagner LETTER TO THE EDITOR Cayman needs change in 2017The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Maedac closes Crewe Road station 50 YEARS AGO South Sound United Church hosts Sybil McLaughlin Mini-mart, car wash, tire shop still open JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com After 37 years in the gas business, Maedac House on Crewe Road has closed its pumps. The company ceased op- erations as a Rubis autho- rized distributor earlier this year to look at other oppor- tunities where it can focus on distribution of conve- nience items, said Morgan DaCosta, director and opera- tions manager. The mini-market, car wash and tire shop remain open for business, he said. Mr. DaCosta’s father, Hartmann DaCosta, started Maedac House 37 years ago with a little shack after purchasing land on Crewe Road from Wilford Ryan. The station and two pumps were added as a Texaco expansion station after the elder DaCosta identified the opportunity for a gas station in the area when the road was upgraded. “Cayman was a place where you had to look for other opportunities to stay in business those days, but the dynamics have changed today,” Mr. DaCosta said. In 1971, Mr. DaCosta’s fa- ther ran a business from his home in Savannah, supplying biscuits and chips to local convenience stores, schools and gas stations. As the business grew, it moved to a property on North Sound Road. When the lease was up, Hartmann DaCosta moved on to Crewe Road and in 1979 built his own building, where the DaCosta family business has been based ever since. “As things changed, the road had an effect on the business,” said Mr. DaCosta. “There are more people in the market, more stores in concentrated populated areas, so we looked at the best way forward. We deter- mined we did not want to be in competition with the stores we were supplying, and not in the business of selling gas,” he said. As suppliers of consumer goods such as snacks, sodas and cleaning products, Mr. DaCosta said the mix works well in the convenience stores. “The competition is very stiff running a gas station today. Unfortunately, we cannot all compete on the same price,” he said. Among other things, he said, the cost of having fuel supplied on demand is very expensive. He noted, however, that the Rubis suppliers had never been a problem. Mr. DaCosta said they have a good management team in place and see a lot of opportunities for growth. Hartmann DaCosta, now 79, along with his wife Emma Jane, is still involved in the business, although not as much as in earlier years. He still sits on the family board but tells his sons it’s now their time to take care of the business. Morgan DaCosta’s wife Jocelyn runs Maedac Supplies’ human resources division. In the Sept. 28, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, news from South Sound included: “On the 8th, the C.E. So- ciety held its weekly prayer meeting at the United Church. At this meeting, Mr. McNee McLaughlin, pres- ident, extended a warm welcome to Mrs. Sybil McLaughlin, on behalf of the Society and particularly on behalf of the Church School, of which Sybil is the superintendent. At the end of this attachment, she went to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to attend the 15th World’s Convention of the Christian Endeavour Society. This was followed by a tour of some of the European countries. “After the meeting, a so- cial was held at the Commu- nity Hall where members of the C.E., Church School and friends of the community gathered to welcome Sybil. Delicious refreshments were served, this part of the en- tertainment being sponsored by the officers of the C.E. “Among the visitors were Miss F.L. Bodden, M.B.E., J.P., Miss Una I. Bush and Rev. John Lord. “Congratulations go to the following from the district on their passes in the recent G.C.E. examinations: “Cayman Government Grammar School – Miss Marjorie Hurlston: English Language, English Literature, Spanish, History, Scripture. “Cornwall College, Mon- tego Bay, Jamaica – Gordon McLaughlin: Maths (dis- tinction), English Language (credit), English Literature (credit), Physics, Geom. and Mechanical Drawing. Vivian McLaughlin: Eng- lish Language, English Lit- erature, Art. “As from the 18th of Sep- tember, the hour of church school has been changed to 4:30 p.m. All parents and children are asked to note this and a cordial invitation is extended to all, especially to new residents to the South Sound district to attend.” In other George Town news: “Mrs. Jesse Davidson celebrated her 90th birthday on the 8th of September. On the 14th, about 25 guests gathered at her home for a prayer meeting. Mr. David West presiding led the group in singing, accompanied by Mrs. Hope Borden on the accordion. Pastor Raib Arch led in prayer and sev- eral scripture passages were read. Testimonies of encour- agement were given by sev- eral present and, by special request, Mrs. Hope Borden sang, ‘My heart is fixed on Jesus.’ Pastor Raib Arch spoke on ‘My heart is fixed.’ “After the service refresh- ments were served and ‘Miss Jesse’ was presented with a basket of groceries by the Church of God (Universal).” The Maedac team: Morgan, Jocelyn, Emma Jane and Hartmann DaCosta. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Maedac House is no longer selling gas, but the convenience store remains open. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY “We determined we did not want to be in competition with the stores we were supplying, and not in the business of selling gas.” MORGAN DACOSTADistrict Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 Designer raises Cayman flag on New York runway Artist launches book at Gallery reception JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A local designer’s vision for the Cayman flag was fulfilled during New York Fashion Week this month. Olivia B, also known as Georgette Bodden, raised the flag for during her final walk at the Nolcha Shows Spring/Summer 2017 “Ones To Watch” runway show on Sept. 12 at the ArtBeam event space in Manhat- tan’s Chelsea neighborhood. “Some guests even recognized the flag. It was surely a proud moment to be the first person to raise the flag at one of the world’s top international fashion weeks,” said Ms. Bodden. The local fashion designer said her vision was to highlight the Cayman Islands as an emerging, fashion-conscious destination, after her debut in the Allure Fashion Show in Grand Cayman in 2015, and she did just that by mentioning Cayman in numerous TV interviews. “Being a part of the Nolcha Shows runway will be an experience that I will forever talk about and be grateful for,” she said. The Nolcha Shows are held during New York Fashion Week for independent fashion designers to showcase their collections to a global audience of press, retailers, stylists and industry influencers. Ms. Bodden’s style features bright, bold colors, reflecting her personality and the vibrant mixed culture of the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean. The Cayman col- lection featured in New York was inspired by the royal poinciana: her prints capture the essence of the tree’s many clusters of beautiful rich red-orange flowers. “When I first saw the fabric early in 2016, the poinciana trees were not yet in bloom as they typically bloom in the mid-summer. But once the trees started blooming and flam- boyantly displaying their beauty all around the island, especially the one on the lawn of the old government building the Glass House, I knew that would be the name for the col- lection,” said Ms. Bodden. Preparing for the show meant that a lot of work, prayer, faith, ded- ication and persistence went into her designs, she said. The work took many forms, from writing sponsor- ship proposals and following up with sponsors to working with her seamstress late after work to com- plete the collection. “I survived purely on passion. Al- though that may sound like a lot of work, now that the runway show is over, the real work of international marketing through buyers begins now,” she said. “The fashion industry is a very rewarding but competi- tive industry. You have to be thick- skinned, resilient, smart and persis- tent if you want to survive. With that being said, I intend to take this pas- sion as far as I possibly can.” Ms. Bodden’s Facebook page states that while working in the finance industry for more than 17 years, she immersed herself in var- ious art forms as a creative outlet to express herself and maintain bal- ance. Although the brand Olivia B is new to runways, her passion for fashion started at an early age when she spent countless hours watching her mother craft eye-catching, one-of-a-kind pieces. At the Allure Fashion Weekend Grand Cayman, her first collec- tion received overwhelming support from the crowd, she said, and since then, she has designed for former Miss Cayman Islands (2008) Nicosia Lawson and reigning Miss Cayman Islands, Monyque Brooks. Award-winning artist and musician Gordon Solomon recently launched his new book, “Dr. Moody,” at a recep- tion at the National Gallery. The event on Sept. 5, marked the culmination of several years’ work for the artist, who started the series on which the book is based in March 2014. “This book took nine months to do all 20 sketches and another nine months to paint each idea,” said Mr. Sol- omon, who held his first solo art exhibition in 2005. His awards include the Cayman Islands Cultural Foundation’s Artistic Endeavor Award (2002), the Silver Star Medal for Creativity in the Arts (2009), and second place in the Ogier Art Awards (2012). “Recalling [my grandfa- ther’s] nature got me thinking of how we humans are inher- ently the same, moody,” said Mr. Solomon. “I began this series in March 2014 after a discussion with a close family member; this conversation had such a profound effect on me that it led me to question what we all have in common as human beings. The experience was so overwhelming that I had to come up with this illustrative exploration of moods. I found that ultimately, when we eval- uate ourselves, we realize that we all feel the same way; our mood becomes a mood of triumph and of kind disposi- tion towards others.” Mr. Solomon said the Dr. Moody series is organized in five sections representing five human senses depicted via a variety of animals that are experiencing human moods. “I used haiku short poetry for their description to aid you with your connections of recall,” he said. “I was motivated by the senses instead of seasons, which is a shift from most traditional haiku poetry that is inspired by nature. I did keep the formula of 5-7-5 syllables and was still able to achieve the over-arching view that oftentimes we treat each other as animals.” Olivia B’s biggest supporter is her dad George. Georgette Bodden holds the Cayman flag during her finale walk on the Nolcha Show New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2017 ‘Ones To Watch’ runway show. From left, National Gallery assistant curator Kerri-Ann Chisholm, gallery events assistant Cassandra Shea, artist and author Gordon Solomon and gallery events and retail manager Meegan Ebanks8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Volunteers practice disaster response Man pleads guilty to firearm and ammo charges BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dozens of volunteers clad in light-blue vests practiced putting out fires, search- and-rescue techniques and treating “wounded” pa- tients Saturday morning at the Lower Valley agriculture grounds. The drills, set up by Hazard Management Cayman Islands with assistance from the Cayman Islands Red Cross, were part of the Com- munity Emergency Response Team – CERT – training for volunteers. The CERT program has been developed since Hur- ricane Ivan in 2004, when it was realized that certain incidents, particularly in Grand Cayman’s more rural districts, needed emergency responses that were not al- ways available immediately due to travel difficulties or shortages of resources. During Saturday’s training, volunteers got to practice on “real-life” rescue response scenarios. A triage of mock “wounded” patients was set up inside the agri- culture pavilion where the “patients” were bandaged and treated for their var- ious stages of injury. Vol- unteers practiced some search-and-rescue methods inside one of the houses on the pavilion grounds, while others used a fire extin- guisher to put out a small fire, under the direction of local fire service crews. The two-day training for CERT volunteers includes CPR and first aid, as well as training in the use of defibrillators. There is also some training for volunteers in assisting individ- uals who may have been af- fected by a disaster to manage their stress, and in how to manage a storm shelter. Not every district in Grand Cayman has a CERT- trained team, but a number of neighborhoods have reg- istered CERT teams in North Side, West Bay, Bodden Town and George Town. CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Randy James Parch- ment pleaded guilty in Grand Court Friday to charges of possessing an unlicensed firearm and 50 rounds of ammunition. Parchment admitted having the Smith and Wesson .38 revolver on Eastern Avenue on Aug. 5, together with six rounds of ammunition. The other 44 rounds were recovered from a George Town resi- dence the same day. When Parchment first ap- peared in Summary Court on these charges, the mag- istrate was told that they were the result of an inci- dent in the parking lot of Dolphin Centre. Police re- ceived a report of someone brandishing a handgun around 2 a.m.; when of- ficers responded, ap- proached the man and re- quested a search, he said no and continued to walk away. When ordered to stop, he refused to comply, and he resisted officers’ attempts to hold him. A Taser was eventually used on him and he was taken into custody. Parchment, 35, was represented by attorney Crister Brady. Justice Charles Quin or- dered a social inquiry re- port. On the basis that it could take eight weeks to prepare, sentencing was set for Nov. 24, at 2:15 p.m. A mock triage is set up in the agriculture grounds pavillion, where volunteers practice treating ‘injured’ patients. Volunteers practice putting out small fires under the direction of Cayman Islands Fire Service crews Saturday at the Lower Valley agriculture grounds. - PHOTOS: BRENT FULLER9 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 FREE 30 day Guarantee with your vehicle from Trust Company Ltd.! Need parts, alloy rims and accessories? Visit our online parts shop parts.japanesevehicles.com Trust Company Ltd., Nagoya JAPAN +81-52-219-9024 | sales@japanesevehicles.com Authorised Agent for Trust Company Ltd. Authorised Agent for Trust Company Ltd. your vehicle from Trust Company Ltd.! Foster’s Airport Centre, 63 Dorcy Drive Industrial Park, George Town cayman@japanesevehicles.com Call now to book your free consultation: 345 525 4305 345 916 4011 Foster’s Airport Centre, 63 Dorcy Drive | cayman@japanesevehicles.com Independent LA members to host district meetings Group denies political party status BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The five independent members of the Legislative Assembly will begin hosting a series oftown hall-style meetings this week aimed at bringing voters up to speed on a number of issues par- liament will consider when it meets next month. Just do not call these members a political party. “As of now, no,” said Bodden Town MLA Alva Suckoo. “We’re just working together.” The public is invited to the series of meetings, the first of which is scheduled for Monday night in East End. Other meetings are scheduled between Tuesday and Sept. 28 in North Side, Savannah, South Sound, West Bay, Cayman Brac and the Seafarers Hall in George Town. All meetings are set to begin at 8 p.m. The independent mem- bers have held separate com- munity meetings periodically over the last few years, in- cluding North Side MLA Ez- zard Miller’s district council gatherings, East End MLA Arden McLean’s district meetings, and district “yard” meetings Mr. Suckoo and Bodden Town MLA Anthony Eden have hosted from time to time. George Town MLA Winston Connolly has also held community meetings from time to time, indepen- dently of the Progressives. However, political ob- servers have noted the group acting more in unison of late, including bringing a mo- tion seeking a referendum on same-sex unions to the Leg- islative Assembly for the next session. All five MLAs signed the motion and are now at- tending informational dis- trict gatherings together. Among the matters up for discussion at the meetings, according to an announce- ment last week, are the ref- erendum, the recently re- vised Legal Practitioners Bill, the Elections Bill, education and employment and an item noted as “the threat to our historic beach accesses.” The proposed changes to the Elections Bill, bringing it into line with Cayman’s new single-member constituency voting system, may have some effect on the independents if they do decide to join together to contest the next ballot. According to the rewritten section 22 of the Elections Bill: “Any group of persons whose activities indicate they come together to contest an election, shall register as a political party.” In circumstances where such a group carries out ac- tivities that “indicate that they have come together to contest an election,” the su- pervisor of elections may conduct an investigation to determine whether the group’s activities indicate that it is, in fact, a political party. If the supervisor deter- mines this is the case, the su- pervisor will then designate the group as a political party – with or without its consent, the bill states. “Where a group of nomi- nated candidates designated as a political party are ag- grieved by the designation, that group of nominated can- didates may, within seven days of the notification of the designation, appeal to the Grand Court against the de- cision of the supervisor [of elections],” the bill states. In such a case, the Grand Court would be required to hear the appeal within 14 days. No appeal can be made of the Grand Court’s decision, ac- cording to the bill. The determination re- garding what is and is not a political party is important, mainly for financial reasons during the course of an elec- tion. Independent candidates are allowed to spend more money on their campaigns individually during the six weeks between nomination day and election day ($42,000 maximum under the amend- ment bill), while political party candidates can spend less individually ($36,000 as proposed under the new bill.) Mr. Suckoo said he and other former Progressives- party backbench mem- bers Winston Connolly and Mr. Eden were aware of the changes the ruling government wanted to bring for some time, since they were discussed years ago in the Progressives caucus. He said the designa- tion of political parties is prob- ably necessary when it comes to money spent on campaigns and who is spending it. “The line that has to be drawn is at public resources and funding,” he said. “I’m not shocked this bill was brought forward, it’s just a matter of how you prove [a group is a political party].” The Bodden Town MLA suggests that different spending limits for indepen- dent candidates and party candidates should be made the same under the revised Elections Bill. Since breaking with the Progressives-led administra- tion in late 2015/early 2016, Messrs. Suckoo, Eden and Connolly have maintained in- dependent stances in the assembly, refusing to join the opposition Cayman Is- lands Democratic Party or to form their own opposition party. The group has gener- ally supported tighter im- migration controls and in- creased hiring of Caymanian workers, advocated for the same-sex union referendum, and supported the move to- ward a one man, one vote political system, although in slightly different forms. Eighty-two Cuban mi- grants are now being housed at various locations on Grand Cayman. The latest group of eight migrants was brought in after they were rescued at sea by a passing vessel on Sept. 13. The men said they were stranded at sea for four days after their vessel’s en- gine experienced problems. On Sept. 9, 15 Cuban migrants were taken into custody by immigration officers after their boat en- tered local waters. The group first arrived in the Bodden Town area at about 10 p.m. on Sept. 7. They departed the fol- lowing afternoon, immigra- tion officers said. Damage sustained to the rickety vessel during the depar- ture forced the group to re- turn the morning of Sept. 9, when they were spotted just offshore near the Bodden Town cemetery. A second failed attempt to depart was made that day, after which four mi- grants aboard the craft were taken into custody. The remaining 11 were taken into custody by im- migration officers after fur- ther difficulties occurred with the boat while trying to depart. More than 80 Cuban migrants housed in Cayman This group of Cuban migrants was taken into custody in Bodden Town on Sept. 9. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLER CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman who admitted stealing jewelry from her employer’s store was sen- tenced on Thursday to six months’ imprisonment. Madeiny Williams-Ro- driguez Ebanks-Pol, 38, pleaded guilty in February to stealing from Mitzi’s Fine Jewelry on two occasions in November 2015. The stolen items included: a $4,000 sapphire diamond 18 carat ring; a $2,000 charm bracelet; a $2,000 gold neck- lace; and a $18,000 diamond pendant. All items were re- covered from a Cash for Gold pawn shop. The matter was ad- journed several times while the court waited for a social inquiry report and victim impact statement. On Thursday, Crown counsel Greg Walcolm em- phasized that the offending was a breach of trust that warranted a sentence of immediate imprison- ment. He pointed out that Ebanks-Pol was seen on CCTV stealing the jewelry from display cases, so her discount for a guilty plea should not be the usual one-third; he suggested 15 percent to 20 percent. She did assist in getting the jewelry back by admit- ting where she had taken it, he agreed. Mr. Walcolm empha- sized the significant impact of the theft on the victim. Her business was creating jewelry and offering it for sale. Since the thefts, she had been unable to vest her trust in anyone else and had not been able to pro- duce new jewelry. Defense attorney Keva Reid told Magistrate Grace Donalds that her client, who has lived in Cayman for 20 years, has two children. If she were jailed, her finan- cial position would deterio- rate and her children would be adversely affected. The defendant stole the jewelry because she was desperate to get money in order to buy groceries and pay bills, Ms. Reid said. Imprisonment would have a devastating effect on her and the children, who are at a delicate point in their lives, Ms. Reid con- tinued. Ebanks-Pol’s mother assists with the children, but she is 70 years old. The defendant had taken her employer to reclaim the jewelry from the place where she had pawned it, Ms. Reid pointed out. She was ex- tremely sorry for what she had done. Employee jailed for theftNext >