SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 High of 89 Low of 78 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY Politics Rudy Giuliani’s new role 4 Nation An eye in the sky for Pentagon 9 Awards Searching for Bill Murray 16 5 Myths Charter schools 23 A world growing apart Migration, a refugee crisis and terrorism have caused us to wall ourselves off. PAGE 12 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2016 . IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST A world growing apart EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CAYMAN EDUCATION: DIVIDED SCHOOLS LEAD TO DIVERGENT FUTURES Seven mile beach WaTeRFROnT WalKeRS ROaD TOWn cenTRe PlaZa BURRITO ™ BURRITO ™ Gala raises funds for veterans JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 150 veterans and guests celebrated the Cayman Islands fifth an- nual Veterans Gala/Dinner Dance at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort Saturday night. The black tie gala raises funds to help support the many older veterans who need assistance in Cayman. The evening began with attendees min- gling over cocktails in the lobby of the ho- tel’s ballroom where guests were pinned with poppies. The remembrance poppy has been used since 1921 to honor and re- member those who have fallen in war. Vice president of the Cayman Islands Veterans Association Andrew McLaughlin sounded the call for the formal seating of guests in the “mess.” At the head table were Governor Helen Kilpatrick, police In- spector Ian Yearwood, Deputy Commis- sioner Kurt Walton and wife Meredith, Cap- tain Dale Banks and wife Beverly, Shadden McLaughlin, Derek Haines, who was serving as guest president for the night, and his wife Helen, and Samuel Rose and wife Elkie. Mr. McLaughlin called for a moment of silence in remembrance of fallen comrades as his wife Shadden, also a veteran, lit a ceremonial candle to honor fallen comrades. A video, titled “A Salute to the Cayman Islands Veterans – Know your Veterans” gave attendees the opportunity to hear veterans share their testimonies and experiences. A special recognition was also given to the family of the late Captain Thomas Ewart Ebanks, who passed away on Sept. 14. When World War II began, young Mr. Ewart signed up as a member of the GM mosquitoes on track in West Bay trial Voters in the Florida Keys to weigh in on a genetically modified mosquito test there CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Residents of the Florida Keys go to the polls Nov. 8, de- ciding not just between pres- idential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, but casting a vote on whether or not to test genetically modified mosquitoes on one small island near Key West. As voters in Florida debate the first trial of GM mosqui- toes in the United States, re- searchers with Oxitec in the Cayman Islands are seeing more mosquitoes with the marker that shows the genetic modi- fications are taking hold with local mosquitoes. British-based Oxitec started the GM mosquito trial in West Bay over the summer, releasing about 300,000 male Aedes ae- gypti mosquitoes a week. The idea is that Oxitec’s males will mate with the wild females and the genetic modification means the next generation will not sur- vive to adulthood. Oxitec’s Cayman project man- ager Renaud Lacroix, in an in- terview last week, said testing in the 300-acre research area WORK HALTED ON BT SOLAR FARM; LIKELY NEW DATE IN SPRING TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Construction has stopped on the 20,000 panel, $1.4 million solar farm on nearly 22 acres east of Bodden Town because of finan- cial problems, delaying commissioning until at least next spring. The utility-scale solar array was scheduled to be completed next week, with interconnec- tion to the Caribbean Utilities Company’s na- tional electricity grid and commissioning set to soon follow. Workers at the site, near Pease Bay Pond on Lake Destiny Drive, were still clearing land last week, saying they still had work to do at the back of the area before finishing. The company leading the effort, Entropy Cayman Ltd., said there were financial prob- lems as U.S. banks balked at lending for the project, although company representatives say the 5 megawatt array will still go ahead. They predict a completion date “in early spring.” The representative, who asked to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak publicly, said recent storms on the U.S. east coast, where Entropy Cayman parent En- tropy Investment Management is located, had distracted attention from the Cayman effort. More importantly, he said, Entropy’s bankers had sought further paperwork. “It has taken much longer on the construc- tion and to get with the bank. They have re- quired some changes to the documentation,” he said. “In any project, there are govern- ment documents and private documents, company documents, and we are working Oxitec’s Renaud Lacroix shows how the genetically modified mosquitoes are raised in a lab in George Town. - PHOTO: CHARLES DUNCAN PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Veterans Association Vice President Andrew McLaughlin, center, and Cayman Cadets perform 10 push-ups as guests, including Governor Helen Kilpatrick in background, applaud and cheer them on at Saturday night’s Veterans Gala. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. JACK REACHER: (PG13) NEVER GO BACK 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 9:45 KEEPING UP WITH (PG13) THE JONESES 12:45 | 4:15 | 7:15 | 10:00 THE ACCOUNTANT (R) 12:30 | 3:30 | 6:50 | 9:50 MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME (PG13) FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 3D 12:45 2D | 3:45 | 6:40 2D | 9:30 BEFORE I WAKE (PG13) 1:10 | 3:50 | 7:10 | 9:35 THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM (R) 1:20 | 4:10 | 7:20 | 9:40 - MONDAY - IMMIGRATION SCAM CASE: Former press secretary to McKeeva testifies Defense raises issue of ‘governor’s permit’ CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Charles Glidden, former press secretary to the pre- mier from 2010 to 2013, gave evidence last week in the trial of Paul Anthony Hume Ebanks, who is accused of collecting $164,700 largely by falsely representing that cash was required as pay- ment for a legitimate grant of Caymanian status or perma- nent residency. The deception scheme oc- curred between July 2012 and December 2014. Mr. Glidden told Jus- tice Michael Wood and the seven-member jury that he was press secretary to Pre- mier McKeeva Bush from 2010 until Mr. Bush left of- fice in December 2012; he then became press secretary to the new premier until the 2013 elections. Crown counsel Toyin Salako asked him if he had ever been asked on behalf of Mr. Bush to speak to someone named Paul Anthony Hume Ebanks and he answered, “No.” He also answered no when asked if he had known the name before he read about the case in the press. The Cayman Compass re- port of the trial on Oct. 12 referred to a jurors’ ques- tionnaire, which asked if the potential juror or a close family member had a per- sonal friendship or close as- sociation with Franz Man- derson, Cline Glidden Jr., Charles Glidden or William McKeeva Bush or their imme- diate families. Ms. Salako asked Mr. Glidden who “CG” was. He re- plied that was his first cousin, Cline Glidden; he himself had never been referred to by that nickname. Mr. Glidden said he had never been asked to organize any meeting with the defen- dant and was not aware of any meetings with him. He said he had never accepted cash from a member of the public and no one had ever handed cash over to him for status or permanent residence payment. He said he would not accept such payment be- cause it was unethical, il- legal and did not comply with his standards. Payment for status or per- manent residence goes to the Cayman government, he said. Since the government initia- tive to grant status in 2003, Mr. Glidden said he under- stood that any grants of status by Cabinet had to be approved by the Legislative Assembly and he believed the number was limited. Defense attorney Lau- rence Aiolfi suggested that Mr. Glidden was aware of the status scheme at the time it was operating and he had had a phone conversation with Ebanks around July 2012. Mr. Glidden said he had never spoken to the defendant. Mr. Aiolfi suggested that “during those conversations,” Ebanks had raised his own situation because he was sub- ject to a “governor’s permit.” Mr. Glidden replied, “I’ve never had a conversa- tion with him.” Other suggestions were that Mr. Glidden had arranged a meeting between Mr. Bush and Ebanks at a local restau- rant; that there was a legiti- mate scheme Ebanks was re- quired to help with and if he did not help, there would not be any assistance with Ebanks’s own governor’s permit; that Ebanks brought Mr. Glidden cash and some de- tails for a person’s status “out- side Government Building.” Mr. Glidden disagreed with all of those suggestions. Mr. Aiolfi then suggested that Mr. Glidden’s involve- ment ended when he called and said Mr. Bush would be taking over. Mr. Glidden re- plied, “My involvement never ended because it never began.” The attorney asked if he had had any discussion with Mr. Bush or [Deputy Governor] Franz Manderson in reaching a decision to come to court and give evidence. “No, I have not,” he replied. Questioned again by Ms. Salako, Mr. Glidden said he was completely surprised that his name had been dragged into this matter. Asked if he knew such a thing as “the gover- nor’s permit” existed, he said he wasn’t exactly sure what that was. Asked again about col- lecting cash from Ebanks out- side the Government Adminis- tration Building, Mr. Glidden said he never had and never would. “It would have ruined my reputation,” he pointed out. “My reputation is what I operate on.” JURY NOTICE All Grand Court ju- rors in the Oct. 5 to Dec. 30 session are advised that the date has been changed for their next jury duty and they are now to report on Monday, Oct. 31, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury In- formation line on 244- 3899 for the most up-to- date information. HAITI AUTHORITIES SEARCH FOR 172 ESCAPED INMATES ARCAHAIE, Haiti (AP) – Po- lice officers were searching cars and boats for escaped prisoners on Sunday after recapturing at least a dozen of the 172 inmates who overpowered guards and escaped from a lockup in central Haiti, the prison’s director said. The prison break oc- curred Saturday in Arca- haie, a coastal town about 30 miles north of Haiti’s capital. The community is far from the southwest area that was slammed by Hur- ricane Matthew’s eye ear- lier this month. One guard was reported killed and others were in- jured. An inmate report- edly died following a bad fall while trying to scale a prison wall. Haitian Na- tional Police officers set up numerous checkpoints along roads to search vehicles. Small boats in fishing towns around Arcahaie were also being checked. Heurtelou Paul Colson, director of the Arcahaie Prison, said the lockup housed 266 inmates. Justice Minister Ca- mille Edward Junior told Haiti’s biggest newspaper, The Nouvelliste, that the al- leged mastermind of the es- cape, convicted kidnapper Yvener Carelus, was among the men captured after the prison break. “He planned the escape from the inside with a few accomplices,” the minister was quoted as saying. Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles said the in- terim government has given clear instructions to the justice minister to “take all necessary measures to remedy this unaccept- able situation.” Three acquitted of gun charge, sentenced for ganja CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Justice Charles Quin found three men not guilty of possessing an unlicensed firearm and then sentenced them for the ganja in which the firearm had been found. Caymanians Leon St. Mi- chael Hydes and Clebeland Swaby Powery, along with Jamaican national Marlon Crowe – not to be confused with Caymanian Marlon Crowe – pleaded guilty ear- lier this year to conspiracy to import 194 pound of ganja. Last Wednesday, they re- ceived prison terms ranging from 34 months to four and a half years. Crown counsel Scott Wain- wright conducted the pros- ecution. It was based on the fact that on Feb. 4, Cayman’s Joint Marine Unit on board the vessel Guardian found the men in a boat drifting approximately 20 miles off East End. Also on board was a large amount of ganja. The men were arrested on sus- picion of importation of the drug; they and the vessel were brought to Grand Cayman. Inside the packages of ganja, officers found a firearm and 64 rounds of ammunition. The men pleaded not guilty to the firearms charge, saying they had no knowledge of it. After trial last week, Jus- tice Quin found there was no case for them to answer. He pointed out that there was no forensic evidence such as fingerprints or DNA to link any of them to the gun; there were fingerprints on it but they were not identified. He also noted that there was no evidence of any of them being involved in the packing of the ganja and no evidence that anyone told them about the gun in the ganja. Therefore they were all acquitted. Defense attorneys agreed that the three men were aboard the vessel with the in- tention of bringing the ganja to Cayman. Hydes had co- ordinates for where they were to meet another boat at sea so that the ganja could be transferred. On behalf of Powery, 32, attorney John Furniss ac- cepted his client had previous convictions, but none for dealing with ganja. “As far as he was concerned, he was just assisting,” Mr. Furniss said. Attorney Nicholas Dixey said Hydes, 34, had consid- ered a defense of duress be- cause he had been threatened and shots were fired at his house. Hydes had admitted to having drug debt because of his ganja use; he was looking for a way to wipe out that debt. Mr. Dixey accepted that this defendant had re- ceived an eight-year sentence for possessing a firearm, which he had been asked to look after for a friend. He previously had received nine months for a ganja-re- lated offense. Attorney Crister Brady ad- vised the court that Crowe, 34, had no previous convic- tion in Cayman or in Jamaica. “He considered the trip to be a one-off to make some money,” the attorney said. Justice Quin described the amount of ganja as a signifi- cant haul – 16 separate bags – ready to supply. He did not doubt that other people were involved, both in Jamaica and in Cayman. Because the men pleaded guilty, they would get a dis- count, but not the usual one- third, the judge said. He de- termined that 20 percent was appropriate. On that basis, Crowe was sentenced to two years, 10 months. For Swaby, the judge con- sidered that the aggravating factor of his previous con- victions balanced the miti- gating factor of his plea and sentenced him to three and a half years. In Hydes’ case, Justice Quin explained, the previous convictions were a more se- rious aggravating factor and he imposed a sentence of four and a half years. Charles Glidden CORRECTION A photograph that ap- peared with an article in Friday’s Cayman Com- pass titled “Kudos for youth basketball league champions” misidenti- fied the basketball player pictured. The player was Joshua O’Garro. The Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those inter- ested in contacting the paper for that purpose can send an email to editor@ pinnaclemedialtd.com.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 †Conditions apply. You will earn 3% cash back on the first USD$20,000 (or equivalent in local currency) you spend annually at gas stations and grocery stores. This 3% cash back applies at merchants which are classified in the MasterCard network as Grocery Stores & Supermarkets, Service Stations and Automated Fuel Dispensers (Merchant Codes: 5411, 5541 & 5542). 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Plus enjoy all the flexibility and purchasing power of gold. ® #MostCashBack Earn cash back on every purchase: AT GROCERY STORES AND GAS STATIONS 3% = AT PHARMACIES 2% = EVERYWHERE ELSE 1% = WELCOME BONUS US$40† ard. cash back rewards on all your ® ard. ® ard. † cash back ever! † Cayman_Q4 CC_Campaign 2016_Compass_JrPg_6.8222x11.8975.indd 104/10/2016 16:38 Real estate agent killed in crash JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A real estate agent and mother of three, Heather Moffitt-Gibson, was killed in an early morning car acci- dent in North Side Friday. The 43-year-old died after her burgundy Land Rover careered off the road and into the bushes near Rum Point. Her husband Bobby Gibson announced the news in a Face- book post to family and friends on Friday. He wrote, “It is with heart-felt regret that I am informing friends and family of the tragic passing of Heather Moffitt-Gibson, my wife and mother of my children and grandchild. “She was involved in a car acci- dent early this morning. As a family, we are mourning her passing for she will be greatly missed. She was a great mother to our children Papie, Dylan and our baby girl Hannah and even better grandmother to our grandson Jaxon.” Ms. Moffitt-Gibson worked as a real estate agent with Cayman Luxury Properties. Jeanette Totten, who owns the business with her husband Robert, said the whole team were devas- tated by the news. “She was not only a co-worker, she was also a friend to all of us at Cayman Luxury as well as others in the Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Association. Her bubbling personality will be missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and especially her chil- dren at this time.” James Whittaker, CEO of Green- Tech, where Mrs. Moffitt-Gibson previously worked as office administrator, said, “During her time with us, she quickly became a valued employee and friend. She will be dearly missed by our en- tire team and we are terribly sad- dened this tragedy has befallen her and her family. We especially pray for her children during this very difficult time.” Police ask anyone with information on the accident to call the Traffic Management Unit at 649-6254. The James Whittaker quoted in this story and James Whittaker, the writer of the article, are not related. Heather Moffitt-Gibson, 43, was killed in a car accident in North Side Friday. As expansion work on the Owen Roberts Interna- tional Airport continues, the Cayman Islands Airports Au- thority is advising travelers to expect some inconvenience at the check-in area of the airport from Monday. A wall partition will be placed in the west side of the check-in hall Monday, re- ducing space in the hall. The Airports Authority, in a state- ment issued Friday, said it expected that during peak traveling times passengers would have to queue outside the terminal building. “Passengers are being encouraged to allow extra time for their travel,” the Airports Authority said in the statement. “The CIAA apologizes for any inconvenience caused and would like to thank our passengers for their patience during this time,” the state- ment continued. The airport’s terminal is undergoing a $55 mil- lion expansion, which is ex- pected to take until late 2018 to complete. The construction work is being carried out in phases to ensure the terminal remains fully operational throughout the construction period, air- port officials have said. Phase one of the airport expansion, involving con- struction of a new baggage sorting area and luggage screening room, has been completed. The current work involves phase two, which in- cludes expansion of the ar- rival and departure areas. The airport was built to handle about 500,000 passen- gers annually but currently more than twice that number pass through the terminal. The revamped facility is ex- pected to be able to handle up to 2.5 million passen- gers a year, Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said in an interview earlier this year. A wall partition will be placed in the west side of the check-in hall Monday, reducing space in the hall. Renovation work to reduce space at airport check-in area Construction work at the airport will impact passengers at the check-in area from Monday, according to airport officials. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe 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” MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS ANNE APPLEBAUM MANILA – This is a column about high geopolitics: the United States, China, the Philippines, the fate of the American order in the Pa- cific. But the great forces that move history often have their origins at a much lower level. And some of them were visible last week on a cell- phone in Manila. The phone belonged to an acquaintance, an intelligent and well-educated man in his 20s. As we were talking, he pulled it out to illustrate a point. “Look,” he said, flicking through selfies taken at par- ties and restaurants. “Here’s a picture of me with the son of Marcos. And here’s me with Imelda.” He flicked again. “And here I am with the son of Duterte.” And again: “Here’s me with the son of Aquino.” In a few moments, he’d shown us the children and grandchildren of three de- cades’ worth of Filipino pol- iticians: Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator overthrown by street demonstrations in 1986; Imelda Marcos, his wife, who became famous for her extensive collection of shoes; Benigno Aquino Jr., who was assassinated after challenging Marcos; Benigno Aquino III, who has just finished serving a six-year presidential term; and newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte, who has already gained renown for swearing at President Obama, praising China and executing alleged drug dealers without evi- dence or trial. In theory, these were pho- tographs of bitter political enemies. In practice, they il- lustrated the extraordinary homogeneity of the Filipino political class. Imagine a country in which you have not just a few people named Bush and Clinton at the top of the political totem poll, but dozens of them, and at every level: cousins, nephews and sisters-in-law, occu- pying mayors’ offices, Senate seats and governors’ posts across the country. Now think of the unease that Hillary Clinton inspires simply by virtue of her sur- name – the sense that she is part of a dynasty – and mul- tiply it by the same propor- tion. Add to that a govern- ment finance system that includes both “budget” and “off-budget” spending that no one controls, and influ- ence networks upon which everyone is reliant in order to obtain licenses, permits and even ordinary public services. Throw in fast growth – last year the Philippines grew even faster than China – and social media: More than 47 million people, nearly half the country, are on Facebook; like the rest of us, they are accus- tomed to a world where you can make something happen instantly, with a mouse click, and where angry trolls, fake websites and phony news are just part of politics. Put all of that together, and you have the beginning of the explanation for the wave of populism that brought Duterte to power, as well as evidence that Asian democ- racies are just as irrational as those in the West. For in fact, Duterte is part of the same elite as his predeces- sors: His father was the gov- ernor of the province where he served as mayor. Voting for him on the grounds that he is an “outsider” is like voting for Donald Trump in order to kick millionaires out of politics. His slogan – “change is coming” – has the same empty appeal as “make America great again.” But it worked. Duterte won be- cause he convinced people that he could find simple solutions to complex prob- lems in a society where re- form always seems to be blocked or delayed. Since his election, Duterte has lost no time trying to ful- fill his open-ended promise. His “war on drugs” has been literally that: the shooting of alleged drug traffickers, because trying and sen- tencing them take too long. Anyone killed by accident, in- cluding children, is “collat- eral damage”; as for human rights, he says, “I don’t give a s--t.” But the drug war is already having side effects – there is a rise in vigilan- tism and spreading gang vio- lence – and it won’t improve the daily lives of the majority. Sooner or later, Duterte will need to do more to demon- strate “change.” In that context, Duterte’s turn to China – here is where we get back to geopolitics – makes sense. There is little evidence of rising anti-Amer- icanism in the Philippines, one of the most pro-Amer- ican countries in the world. China’s militarization of the South China Sea – an area Manila calls the West Phil- ippine Sea – and its claim on Philippine territory still make people nervous. But the Chinese offer a model of au- thoritarian decision-making. They have openly supported Duterte’s anti-drug campaign and his attack on human rights. They are offering in- frastructure investments. They may be offering more financial inducements be- hind the scenes. Above all, they offer a symbolic change. Standing with China, Duterte looks new and different, bold and fast, a man ready to gamble, to junk a decades-old alliance in favor of a partnership with a decades-old rival. And in a country where the president desperately needs to appear “different” from his own po- litical class, that’s invaluable. Anne Applebaum writes a biweekly foreign affairs column for The Washington Post. She is also the Director of the Global Transitions Program at the Legatum Institute in London. © 2016, Washington Post Quality education is the only ticket out of poverty for far too many. It is the passport not only to well-paying jobs but, even more importantly, to a rich, fulfilling life. For that reason, we were delighted (but never- theless dismayed) as Premier Alden McLaughlin last week described the effective segregation of the Cayman Islands public school system as “one of the greatest setbacks not just to education, but to the society we have.” That assertion is correct and, if anything, an under- statement. The marooning of Caymanian students in failing government schools, while expatriates and wealthier Caymanians attend far superior private schools, is a sure path to divergent and unequal futures. We simply cannot reconcile Premier McLaughlin’s observation from his actions (or inactions) on the issue, first during his tenure in 2005-2009 as Minister of Edu- cation, and now as he is winding up his four-year term as premier and leader of the Progressives government. Put simply: Why has not he used his considerable influence to remediate this unacceptable condition that is crippling future generations of young Caymanians? Actually, it was not so long ago that Cayman’s gov- ernment schools did accommodate all children living in the territory. However, the blossoming of the “Cayman economic miracle” resulted in an influx of fresh foreign residents and government officials made a cold-blooded and ultimately toxic miscalculation: Make free public edu- cation an entitlement program for Caymanians only. In so doing, they introduced an inequitable system of “double taxation” on expatriate families, who are forced to pay a “formal tax” to fund schools their children cannot attend, and also an “informal tax” in the form of private school tuition. Recent generations have borne witness to the results of this blunder: Stemming from necessity, the private school system has flourished while the public schools have languished. Today, despite the high cost, more than 40 percent of Cayman’s students now attend private schools. After students graduate from this “two-tiered system,” they “meet” in the marketplace and, on this little island, compete for the same jobs. It is an unfair fight. The private and public school alumni may as well be strangers from two different worlds. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued what many consider to be its finest decision of the 20th Century. In a case known as “Brown v. Board of Education,” the justices unanimously held that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” and must be eliminated “root and branch.” The case was based on race but is equally cogent when applied to other standards in other venues, such as country of origin and economic circumstances. Unfortunately, Cayman’s school segregation has been in existence long enough that the problems with public education have ossified, calcified and fossilized. “Fixing” Cayman’s public schools won’t be as simple as reinte- grating them. Public schools must be improved to the extent that they are attractive to all families who live here, regardless of nationality or economic realities. A small glimmer of hope can perhaps be found in the newly passed Education Bill, which includes language opening the prospect of publicly funded but privately administrated schools (akin to U.K. “academies” or U.S. “charter schools”). We remain agnostic as to who operates particular schools in Cayman. Our only concern is accessibility and student achievement. In the months approaching the election, the Cayman Compass will have much more to say on this topic in these editorials as we consciously put forth the future of education in Cayman as the number one issue, not just in the campaign, but in the country. Cayman education: Divided schools lead to divergent futures How Duterte cast himself as an agent of change Standing with China, Duterte looks new and different, bold and fast, a man ready to gamble, to junk a decades-old alliance in favor of a partnership with a decades-old rival.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 Premier Health BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. 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CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky cgigrp In 1984, BritCay joined Colonial Group International (CGI). In 1995, BritCay was the first company to offer Cayman residents an overseas network option with world class facilities. It was the first of many changes to come. notable firsts! Firefighters train for aviation emergencies Members of the Cayman Islands Fire Service tackled a mock airplane blaze last week as part of a two-week training course to prepare firefighters for potential avia- tion disasters. According to a press re- lease from the Fire Ser- vice, the firefighters expe- rienced “real conditions in real time” during the Aviation Bridging Course at the fire training ground. A life-sized mock airplane, which roaring fires can be set in and around, was set up at the training ground to simulate situations fire- fighters might encounter in a real disaster. Chief Fire Officer David Hails said the bridging course gave the firefighters, who are more accustomed to dealing with domestic fires, an opportunity to learn about aviation firefighting. “What we are trying to do is introduce a level of flexi- bility within the Cayman Is- lands Fire Service,” he said. “Right now, we have two dis- tinctly different departments, we have aviation and do- mestic. Our aim is to cross- train personnel so they have the ability and knowledge to work in both departments. That gives us more flexibility and increases our capability to provide a first rate fire ser- vice for the Cayman Islands.” During the exercises and training, seven firefighters and a supervisor learned how to function as a team to rescue passengers, set up proper evacuation paths, deal with visibility issues such as thick smoke, create surviv- able conditions and react to any number of situations. The training was led by Watch Manager Lee Gou- pillot from the International Fire Training Centre in north- east England, who traveled to Grand Cayman to help train the local firefighters. “Structural firefighting has a more controlled approach in regards to time frame, while aviation has to work on an extremely strict time frame,” he said in the press release. “This time frame is around three minutes, so if there was a major aircraft accident the fire crews have approximately three minutes to control the fire and start the rescue process.” Firefighters also took part in a four-day classroom course with 20 lessons, de- signed to develop an expert level of knowledge about air- craft and aviation fire tech- niques, Mr. Goupillot said. He added, “We taught them everything from avia- tion communication to the different terminology used when fighting an aviation fire, as well as everything about an aircraft, its con- struction, how it flies, how it stays in the air, how it lands. We also looked at compo- nents such as engines and undercarriages, what hap- pens after an incident occurs and how you preserve evi- dence, because after an air- craft accident there will be an investigation.” Chief Hails said it is im- portant for firefighters to re- ceive this type of training on a quarterly basis. “Firefighters don’t go to aircraft fires every day, so it is vital to get the exposure on the fire ground to ensure that everyone has maintained those skills, and that they can fight aviation fires practi- cally and efficiently,” he said. Fire Officer Nicholas Per- alta, who took part in the training, described the ex- perience as an “eye-opener” for him as he had not un- dertaken any aerodrome training before. “I now have more confidence in myself, and if we did have a real avia- tion fire emergency I would know exactly what to do and how to handle the situa- tion,” he said. Leading Fireman Du- ronnie Myles, who joined the Fire Service in 1999, said he had been fighting domestic fires for 17 years and never knew what went into aviation firefighting until now. “Being able to get this type of hands-on experience has been unbelievable. I have learned so much in the class- room and on the training field,” he said. On Friday, the firefighters were tested with 50-ques- tion multiple-choice tech- nical assessment. Mr. Goupillot said once the team passes the aviation exam, they will receive their certification, which is inter- nationally recognized. “Making the transition from domestic firefighting to aviation can be diffi- cult; however, this group has adapted extremely well and is eager to learn what needs to be done,” he said. While Cayman will con- tinue to send firefighters off island to take part in IFTC training, group training courses will now take place regularly on the fire ground, Fire Chief Hails said. “The training facilities were assessed and it was de- cided that the facilities were good enough to carry out training on island and then bring the expert from the U.K.,” he said. “To have the in- structor come to this location and participate in training is a massive bonus for us and it is very cost effective as well.” WARNING REPEATED OVER SAMSUNG NOTE 7 PHONE The Civil Aviation Au- thority of the Cayman Islands issued a safety advisory last week reminding air opera- tors, passengers and crew that they are banned from taking Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones on to planes. The phones are subject to a worldwide recall after sev- eral spontaneously caught fire or exploded. According to the latest ad- visory from the aviation au- thority, any traveler on an aircraft is prohibited from carrying the Note 7 smart- phone on their person, in carry-on or checked bag- gage or as cargo, effective from Oct. 15. For more information, call 949-7811 or email civil.aviation@caacayman.com. Firefighters tackle a simulated airplane fire at the fire training grounds.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town In the Oct. 26, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, news from George Town included: “Mr. Charlie Bodden, well known seaman and fish- erman of George Town, aged 70 years, died in a [car] acci- dent on the West Bay Road a little west of the West In- dian Club at 12:10 a.m. on Sunday morning. “At a meeting of the Cayman Prep School P.T.A. held on Friday last, the Chief of Police gave a talk on the responsibilities of parents and teachers in the matter of road safety as it applies especially to children …. “During the few months he has been on the is- land, the Chief said he was horrified at what he sees on the roads just travelling five miles around George Town. Far too many bad and careless drivers, chil- dren playing all over the road, even babies crawling in the centre of the road, children pushing each other in front of vehicles, etc. He urged his hearers to keep their children off the roads when playing. “The Chief said … the Police Force … are trying their best to improve the traffic situation and make the roads safer for us all. The biggest obstacle is the complete lack of coopera- tion from the public, par- ticularly when accidents occur, for nobody ever sees anything.” “The ‘As WE see it’ column reported: “We would this week call attention to the disgraceful condition of the George Town Cemetery. “Since there is no one to attend many of the graves and since others don’t seem to care the grass is now 6 feet or more high in some places and the general condition of the graveyard is a real disgrace. “It seems that somebody has to thoroughly clean the whole area and then decide whether it is to be planted with proper grass which must be kept mowed or sanded off as in West Bay. “If the Government is not going to do this, then they must make the matter clear and some organisation or organisations must take it as a civic duty to deal with the matter and pay a man to put in say one day per week to keep it in good order.” In the same issue, George Town correspondent Frances Bodden wrote: “Mr. Ballantine Chol- lette, after spending seven months in the island with his family returned to the U.S. on the 20th to join his ship. “Inspector and Mr. Carley Nixon left for Ja- maica. Inspector has been poorly of late and has gone for medical advice. We wish for him a speedy recovery. We are glad to report that his son Kirkland who was operated on recently at the Hospital is doing well. “Sam the fisherman had another prize catch on the 20th when he hooked and landed a marlin which was 8 feet 8 inches long, and had a tail spread of 36 inches and weighed 275 pounds. “Mr. George Hinds, grandson of Capt. Rayal Bodden, has received his Fireman’s Plaque for Dis- tinguished Service in con- nection with his act of bravery reported in our issue on Sept. 28. “He has also a letter of commendation from the Sheriff of Dade County, Florida. “Firefighter Hinds en- tered a burning building and rescued a 6 year old child who was in a bedroom unconscious and thus as- sisted in saving his life.” MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS George Town seniors crowned king and queen at gala 200 attend Older Persons’ Month Seniors Bash Seniors hailing from all across the Cayman Islands got together recently for a rollicking night of fun and music. George Town swept the board when two of the district’s seniors were crowned king and queen at the Older Persons’ Month Seniors’ Bash held on Saturday, Oct. 15. According to a press release, about 200 attendees dressed up and boogied down at the dinner dance held at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Re- sort & Spa. As well as soca and calypso by the New Generation band, the seniors also danced the night away to vintage ska, swing band music and country. Crowned king at the end of the night, Crosby Walton, who is orig- inally from Cayman Brac, also got a standing ovation for his rousing rendition of the Frank Sinatra standard “My Way.” The queen title was won by Glennis Ramoon. Each winner received a brunch voucher for two from the Westin. Traditionally seen as one of the highlights of Older Persons’ Month calendar, the dinner dance was held in the hotel’s ballroom. Organized by the Department of Children and Family Services, the welcome address was given by Minister for Community Af- fairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden. He invited seniors to relax and enjoy themselves at the soirée in their honor, and ac- knowledged the $13,000 worth of sponsorship for Older Persons’ Month events from Cayman Na- tional Bank and Ernst & Young. Gayle Connolly, 65, was one of eight Cayman Brac attendees. It was the West End resident’s first time at the bash. She liked the catering and particularly ap- preciated the singing by en- tertainer Barbara Gee whose repertoire included “Queen of the Silver Dollar.” Sarah Ebanks, 80, was another of the many attendees who went away tired but happy. “I enjoyed it very much as I saw a lot of friends I’d not seen in months,” said the resident of the Golden Age Home in West Bay. Ms. Ebanks, a former North Side resident, especially liked dancing to the live calypso music. “The crowd and the music were excellent,” she said. “That’s when you can put it on the floor.” The atmosphere, good food and music reminded Ms. Ebanks of the town hall dances she and her friends frequented as young adults. Trevor Watler from East End agreed that the event had been a great success. Bussed in on De- partment of Child and Family Ser- vices transport, the octogenarian thought the meal was “fabulous,” but didn’t dance due to hip and back problems. He said he would especially have liked to dance a waltz or two as they were partic- ular favorites in his heyday. On Oct. 1, the United Na- tions celebrated the International Day of Older Persons, though in Cayman, the entire month of Oc- tober is designated as Older Per- sons’ Month. The theme of this year’s Older Persons’ Month is “Take a Stand Against Ageism.” 50 years ago: Traffic concerns make the news Singer Barbara Gee serenades an appreciative audience.King and Queen of the Seniors’ Gala dance competition, Glennis Ramoon and Crosby Walton, are congratulated by Director of DCFS Felicia Robinson. Older Persons’ Month Ambassadors James Powery and Janilee Clifford dance the night away at the Seniors’ Gala. Minister for Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden joins revelers on the dance floor at this year’s Seniors’ Gala at the Westin.District Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 ‘Pioneer’ Triple C celebrates anniversary MATT LAMERS mlamers@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seventy-five years to the day after Triple C School first opened with just one teacher and seven students, hundreds of people filled the Family Life Centre in George Town to celebrate the school’s legacy and contributions to the islands. Attendees at last Thurs- day’s banquet included cur- rent and former faculty and students, as well as Educa- tion Minister Tara Rivers and renowned southern gospel singer Abby Paskvan. In separate interviews, alumni talked about the school’s influence on their lives and faith, sharing sto- ries about the early days of Triple C. “When my mother and father found out this school was starting up, they were most happy to send me there,” said Georgette Ebanks, who was in the first gradu- ating class of 1947 with six other students. “My parents sacrificed to send me to Triple C, and it was a most wonderful, awe- some experience,” she said, adding that her father had worked hard to put her through school. “He went away during WWII. He was on a ship that was carrying supplies to do with the war and his ship was torpedoed. I was 16 and my brother was not even 10 years old then.” Ms. Ebanks started going to the school in 1941. When it was founded, Triple C was the first private school in Cayman to provide both elementary and sec- ondary education. Pat Kirkconnell was the first of three generations in her family to attend Triple C. “Those were the days you had to go to school by boat,” she said, referring to when she started at the school at age 13. “Our teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Hastings, were ex- ceptionally great teachers and people,” she said. “Their Christian ways and the way they treated everyone – it was a good atmosphere throughout the school.” Maureen Bodden, an- other alumna, started going to Triple C when she was 6 years old, when the school was located where Bayshore Mall sits today. “We didn’t have air con- ditioning,” she said. “We had mosquitoes and sand flies, but we loved it. We knew hard times in the olden days, but they were the good days.” Ms. Bodden was still at- tending Triple C when it changed locations to Hospital Road in 1963. She graduated in 1964. The school has been at its present location since 1997. Triple C says it provides “a quality Christian educa- tion,” and it was that educa- tion which former student Alson Ebanks credits for turning his life around at a young age. “I was out of school at 15, but I really had nothing to show for it,” he said. “So after working for a year, I said ‘You know, I really don’t want to do this forever.’ And at the age of 17 they admitted me to Triple C, and I buckled down for the first time in my life. “What I think was most significant was the way in which the staff, the principal, took a personal interest in me and in the other students,” he said. “They assisted us at every level – we socialized together, we played together, but, of course, we studied to- gether …. Because it was a Christian school, they wanted to make sure we got involved in our spiritual nature. That wasn’t my particular inclina- tion at that point in time, but they facilitated that. As a re- sult of that, in my junior year, I became a Christian.” Mr. Ebanks, emcee for the evening, attended Triple C from 1967 to 1969. He said it’s important for current students to “recog- nize they have opportunities now that we did not have. Take advantage of this great opportunity.” Education Minister Rivers addressed her former class- mates and teachers, saying, “Triple C is truly a school that is a pioneer. You are a pi- oneer in the Cayman Islands education system. “Triple C has been a leader in providing the means for Cayman’s children to be ed- ucated. As a daughter of a former Triple C student, and as a former Triple C student myself, and now as minister for education, I know that I am grateful for Mr. Orrie and his sister Ms. Ena Merren – they had a vision for this school, and they made it a matter for prayer. “Undoubtedly, Triple C has helped shape Cayman into the country that it is today. It has provided a positive in- fluence on both education and Christian values for our people,” Ms. Rivers said. “As minister of education, I would like to thank Triple C for all of its academic and spiritual contributions over the past 75 years, especially to our young people, our pre- sent and our future” “Triple C is truly a school that is a pioneer. You are a pioneer in the Cayman Islands education system. You are really a leader in the world of education.” TARA RIVERS, education minister Alson Ebanks attended Triple C from 1967 to 1969. Georgette Ebanks was in Triple C’s first graduating class of seven students 1947. She is holding her graduation portrait. - PHOTOS: MATT LAMERS Maureen and Maxine Bodden graduated in 1964.Pat Kirkconnell Education Minister Tara Rivers talks about her time at Triple C.Southern Gospel singer Abby Paskvan belts out a song. Triple C’s dance troupe performs for guests at a banquet to mark the school’s 75th anniversary.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Thursday 27th October from 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM Meet our exhibitors at the ARC Camana Bay. Entry is FREE Best Dressed Chicken • AL Thompson’s Home Depot Island Electronics • CayBrew • LED Lighting Home Gas • Growing Beauty 21 Farmer’s Market Vendors Featuring Agricultural Vendors from all across the Region: Honduras, Jamaica, Belize, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, Haiti, Suriname, Trinidad and more Product Samples – Demonstrations – Giveaways Free Flu Shots from HSA – Special Offers and more Celebrate the Caribbean Week of Agriculture PlaceMarket cece CWA2016 MaMaMa CWA2 ARC at Camana Bay | 26 & 27 October, 2016 Cayman contingent and joined the Trinidad Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The night continued in good spirit with Mr. McLaughlin “fining” guests who “violated the integrity” of the mess, to support veterans coffers. Guests were asked to pay fines for leaving the room to smoke, use the bathroom, not wearing a poppy and vet- erans for not wearing their dog tags. One Scottish at- tendee who was wearing a kilt was given the option of paying a fine or performing a jig. He quickly paid up. Young cadets serving as valets were also called into action and performed 10 push-ups with Mr. McLaughlin. Thanking guests for at- tending, Mr. McLaughlin said they could not do it without the community’s help. “We do not receive a stipend from the government, but from fundraisers such as this one. Your support is very impor- tant,” he said. Civil servants join domestic abuse campaign Civil servants joined with the Business and Profes- sional Women’s Club Friday to make a symbolic stand against domestic violence Friday at the Government Ad- ministration Building. A “Silent Witness” march against domestic violence and bullying was postponed on Friday due to rain, but civil servants took the op- portunity to dress in purple to show their support for the club’s stance against do- mestic abuse. The march was organized by the club. A press release from the Civil Service pointed out that, according to Royal Cayman Islands Police Service sta- tistics, in 2015 there were 112 incidents of “assault do- mestic violence;” 13 cases of rape; two attempted rapes; 28 cases of insulting the mod- esty of a woman and seven cases of defilement. Business and Profes- sional Women’s Club Pres- ident Annie Multon told Acting Deputy Governor Stran Bodden and other civil servants, “Domestic violence hurts, it hurts our children and our society in general. We have taken the stand to fight against domestic vio- lence because we have seen too many people suffer, es- pecially women and chil- dren who have had to leave their homes and seek shelter with family members or gov- ernment agencies to pro- tect themselves.” She said the theme of this year’s campaign is “Peace be- gins in the home.” “We have added to that theme with ‘Protect Our Children, Protect Our Fu- ture’ to encourage the gen- eral public to do their part in our community in the fight against all sorts of abuse, es- pecially where children are involved,” she added. “Re- gardless of where the abuse occurs, at home or in the schools, we have a duty to protect our future generation by eradicating abuse wher- ever it may exist.” Mr. Bodden said he was pleased to do his part in raising awareness. “Domestic abuse is not just a woman’s problem. It is a problem for everybody. We all have to be a part of the solution. We as a community and as individ- uals need to stand up and get involved,” he said. The “Silent Witness” march has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 1. Marchers, carrying red painted cut- out cardboard figures repre- senting past domestic abuse victims, will start from the old government adminis- tration building, the Glass House, and march to the steps of the Legislative As- sembly in George Town. showed that about 30 percent of the Aedes aegypti larvae had the genetic modification, up from about 10 percent in early September. The target is 50 per- cent, he said, and when Oxitec and the Mosquito Research and Control Unit can keep that level for four weeks, that was when previous studies have shown the A. aegypti population can drop by more than 90 percent. “We expect a reduction in early 2017,” he said. During the dry season the mosquito population drops naturally, but Mr. Lacroix said they are not measuring total numbers, but instead com- paring the numbers to a neigh- boring area in West Bay with a similar mosquito population. The hope, he said, is to try to keep the population as low as possible through the dry season and that will help keep the number of mosquitoes down when the rainy season starts next year. “West Bay has one of the highest populations we’ve seen” of Aedes aegypti, he said, but “that will show that we are up to the challenge.” Oxitec’s current con- tract with government and the MRCU is up at the end of April, but he hopes that with good results in getting rid of the Zika-carrying mosquitoes that contract can be extended. Decision time for Florida Keys Voters in Monroe County, Florida will get to have a say in whether Oxitec can test the GM mosquitoes on Key Haven, a tiny island near Key West. The county will have a pair of nonbinding votes on the GM mosquito test, one for Key Haven residents and another for the rest of the county, according to the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections website. Monroe County covers the Florida Keys and a large section of Everglades National Park. The countywide ballot poll asks, “Are you in favor of the Florida Keys Mosquito Con- trol District conducting an effectiveness trial in Monroe County, Florida, using geneti- cally modified mosquitoes to suppress an invasive mos- quito that carries mosquito- borne diseases?” Voters in Key Haven will be asked specifically about the release of GM mosquitoes in their town. The election will be Nov. 8. The election news website FiveThirtyEight reports that three of the five board mem- bers in charge of the Keys Mosquito Control District will vote on the test based on the results of the ballot poll. The debate is heating up, with protests and competing ad campaigns. The Florida Keys News reported recently that Intrexon, Oxitec’s U.S. parent company, donated $100,000 to a new political action com- mittee to pay for an “education awareness campaign” to sway voters into saying yes to the nonbinding ballot poll. The United States Food and Drug Administration gave Ox- itec the green light in August to test the GM mosquitoes, is- suing what’s called a “finding of no significant impact.” Fed- eral officials require a U.S. trial before Oxitec can get final FDA approval to use the GM mos- quitoes there. Civil servants, including Acting Deputy Governor Stran Bodden, center, and members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of the Cayman Islands, including president Annie Multon, center right, unite in a stand against domestic abuse Friday at the Government Administration Building. Gala raises funds for veterans GM mosquitoes on track in West Bay trial CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Andrew McLaughlin, Veterans Association vice president, escorts Edith, wife of the late Capt. Ewart Ebanks to her seat. – PHOTO: JEWEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2016 From birth to death, healthcare conference looks to each stage in life CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Opening the seventh an- nual Cayman Islands Health- care Conference Thursday evening, the leading public health official in the Carib- bean told conference goers about the next big public health goal – work against violence and unhealthy life- styles to increase the re- gion’s average life span three years by 2025. Caribbean Public Health Agency Executive Director Dr. James Hospedales said reaching that goal will re- quire work beyond the health sector into education, urban planning and agriculture to change the way people live in the Caribbean and create healthier lifestyles. The Caribbean Cooper- ation in Health IV, or CCH IV, as the regional initiative is called, was approved last month by ministers of health from Caribbean Community member states. The other big goal for CCH IV is to reduce what’s called the “disability-adjusted life years” – meaning the mea- sure of disease overall ex- pressed as how many years of life are lost due to health problems and other causes of early death – by 10 per- cent in 10 years. Explaining the goal, Dr. Hospedales said CCH I was able to eliminate measles in 1991, the first region in the world to eliminate the highly infectious virus. “This re- gion may be small, but we can do big things,” he told the crowd of about 400 at the conference. Organizers say al- most 1,000 people turned out over the four days of the conference. The theme for this year’s conference fits well with the new Caribbean public health goal: The Chapter of a Healthy Life. Sessions at the free conference high- lighted health issues through a person’s life from child- hood to old age. Health Ministry Chief Of- ficer Jennifer Ahearn, in an interview at the conference, said the sessions planned for this year had something for everyone: healthcare profes- sionals, patients and parents. She said she hoped attendees could get “that one nugget of information to make a posi- tive change in their life.” She added, “The speakers will hit every step of peo- ple’s lives.” The conference included sessions on children with dis- abilities, childhood trauma and emotional health, meno- pausal health and ageing. Dr. Hospedales and the new regional public health goals also hope to tackle each step in people’s lives. To reach the goal of extending life ex- pectancy regionwide, he said CARICOM countries will need to look at the broader societies to get people eating healthier, exercising more and reducing violence. Obesity a serious issue The number one cause of death in the Caribbean, and in Cayman, is non-communi- cable diseases, such as dia- betes, heart disease and obe- sity. Dr. Hospedales showed a graph of overweight and obesity rates in the region, and the Cayman Islands was one of the top countries on the chart, with more than 65 percent of men overweight and more than 70 per- cent of women. He said problems with obesity, which can lead to diabetes and heart dis- ease, should be addressed through policies to help people be more active and eat healthier. For example, he said, the built environment on many Caribbean islands does not help people get daily exercise. “Developers in the Caribbean like to fill every inch with housing and roads,” he said, but they don’t include walking paths and bike lanes that, Dr. Hospedales said, would be good for people’s health and the environment. He said another policy issue for CARICOM states is that most do not have man- datory food labelling rules. The Caribbean is “highly de- pendent on imported foods,” he said, but most people may not know what they are ac- tually eating. Another factor in the re- gion is violence. The leading cause of death for people 15 to 24 years old in the Carib- bean is from injuries, either from accidents or violence. Murders in some countries, he said, cause an “epidemic of fear and stress,” leading people to spend money on security instead of health- care and education. The violence seen in some Caribbean states is not nearly as much of a problem in the Cayman Is- lands, but non-communi- cable diseases continue to challenge the healthcare system in Cayman. Dr. Elizabeth McLaughlin, acting chief medical of- ficer for Cayman’s Ministry of Health, said the average life expectancy in Cayman is 82, better than the United States, Canada and many of the islands’ neighbors in the region. But, she said, obesity and related diseases could threaten that. “If we don’t have healthy bodies and healthy minds, we cannot enjoy all that we have,” she said on the opening night of the conference. on capital structures and debt structures. “It’s dragged on, certainly, and is a matter of paper- work,” he said. The initial agreement with the Electricity Regula- tory Authority was to com- plete construction by late Oc- tober, but the spokesman said the company had hoped to “put out electricity and get in there” by December. “We’re now looking at early spring,” he said. “It’s not that we don’t have the money, but we are ‘harmonizing’ the paperwork to go forward.” Entropy, the Electricity Regulatory Authority, Ca- ribbean Utilities Company and the Ministry of Plan- ning staged a formal ground- breaking on May 9 at the former vegetable farm, prom- ising “in a few months, this spot will be a sea of silicon, glass, steel and wires, and pumping clean renewable en- ergy into every home.” CUC President and CEO Richard Hew reacted cau- tiously to this week’s develop- ment, saying the company is aware of the delays, but looks forward to completion. “CUC has substantially completed the interconnec- tion facilities for the project, including a new 13 kilo- volt line,” he said. “Entropy has indicated to CUC that while they are still working on the project, they are be- hind schedule. “We will advise on a new completion date when we are in a position to do so,” Mr. Hew added. The Electricity Regula- tory Authority originally awarded the project in 2013 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania- based International Electric Power. A “Power Purchase Agreement” for IEP’s sched- uled 5 MW of electricity was signed with CUC and sub- mitted for ERA approval at Christmas 2014. The ERA imprimatur did not come until November 2015, how- ever, by which time IEP had sold its interest to North Carolina’s Entropy Invest- ment Management. Entropy pegged the price of Cayman’s solar-generated power at 17 cents per kilowatt hour, although CUC’s complex base rate structure is likely to add 10 cents to that price, bringing consumer costs to 27 cents per kWh. While slightly more expen- sive than current diesel-gen- erated costs of 25 cents per kWh, volatile oil prices, im- proving solar technology and emission-free generation miti- gate in favor of renewable en- ergy in the long term. Electricity Regulatory Au- thority Managing Director Charles Farrington echoed the Entropy representative: “The ERA is working with Entropy to the extent that it can to facilitate the arrange- ments that the banks wish to put in place as regards their prospective lending to En- tropy, and, hopefully this will soon be resolved. “Obviously, the ERA cannot do anything that could tie its hands in any way or expose it to any li- ability,” he said. “[The] ERA hopes this is just a bump in the road, and whilst it has delayed the start of construc- tion we still fully expect the project to proceed and be completed during H1 2017,” the first half of the new year. Mr. Farrington said the authority is preparing a new “request for proposals” for a second renewable energy project, and the Entropy delay is unlikely to affect it. “This has not delayed the second RFP,” he said although progress had been slowed by work on the national energy plan and the looming transfer of Electricity Regulatory Au- thority powers to the new Utilities Regulation and Com- petition Office. “Nevertheless,” Mr. Far- rington said, “we haven’t completely dropped the ball on that and have a number of decisions to make soon which will, we anticipate, set the stage for that RFP to proceed. Knowing how the issue that Entropy has run into is resolved could be im- portant information to in- form future RFPs. “So – as always – we will proceed somewhat cautiously, but hopefully with good re- sults in the end.” Chief Officer of the Ministry of Health Jennifer Ahearn and Caribbean Public Health Agency Executive Director Dr. James Hospedales, who delivered opening speeches at the Cayman Healthcare Conference. Work halted on BT solar farm; likely new date in spring CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The land designated for the new solar farm in Bodden Town lies empty. Health Services Authority staff at the conference: From left, CEO Lizzette Yearwood, Dr. John Lee and Angella Berry. - PHOTOS: MAGGIE JACKSONNext >