ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 High of 87 Low of 77 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small Craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE INS AND OUTS OF GOVERNMENT’S CASH FLOW SPORTS | PAGE 18 LIVERPOOL PASSES CHELSEA TO TOP EPL 182701-Ad-CompassStrip-MC-Grammys-6colx1*5.indd 110/28/16 12:29 PM Marine app launched at fisheries conference Regional conference begins at the Westin JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fisheries experts, marine scientists and policymakers from across the Caribbean and the Americas gathered in Cayman this week to share ideas and discuss new policies to fight threats to the marine environment. The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute is hosting its 69th annual conference at the Westin, Grand Cayman. New developments in combating the threat posed by invasive species like lionfish, and regional cooperation in dealing with cross- border issues such as the blankets of floating sargassum weed which have inundated Carib- bean beaches and impacted tourism on mul- tiple islands, including Cayman, are on the agenda for the week-long conference. Nancy Brown-Peterson, chairwoman of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, said the event is also a great opportunity for en- vironmental leaders to share innovations and new ideas and hear about the latest scientific studies and policy developments. During the opening ceremony Monday, the Cayman Islands Department of Environ- ment announced a new smartphone app to improve enforcement of marine conserva- tion laws here. The app taps into the phone’s GPS system to inform users when they are in a marine park and remind them what rules apply. It also enables boaters to report violations of conservation legislation. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, director of the Depart- ment of Environment, told delegates at the conference that the app is one way of stepping up enforcement without adding staff. With a proposal on the table to dramat- ically expand the size of Cayman’s marine parks, including no-fishing zones, she said the department is looking to enlist the public to help enforce the new rules. BOUCHARD SENTENCE REDUCED BY TWO YEARS Aspinall sentence stays same BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman convicted of stealing an esti- mated $1.9 million in cash and property from an elderly Australian man she befriended had her 12-year prison sentence reduced to 10 years by the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, an accountant convicted of stealing nearly US$500,000 from two invest- ment funds he directed during a liquidation process did not have any time added to his three-and-a-half year prison sentence by the appeals court. The three-member Court of Appeal con- sisting of Justices Sir Bernard Rix, Sir George Newman and Sir Alan Moses did not give any reasons for their decisions in the respec- tive cases Monday afternoon, but indicated written judgments in each of the cases would be forthcoming. Michelle Bouchard The one-time caretaker who befriended an elderly Australian multimillionaire, was sen- tenced to 12 years’ imprisonment in April and sought to lower her sentence during the hearing Monday morning. Bouchard’s attorney, Peter Carter, QC, sought to convince the court that such a lengthy sentence was well outside what a woman in her ‘50s with no prior criminal con- victions deserved. “The simple ground of appeal in this case is that 12 years for this woman for these of- fenses is too long,” Mr. Carter said. Bouchard was convicted on 25 of 26 crim- inal counts which related generally to what Customs will no longer take checks CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Beginning Nov. 14, the Cus- toms Department will no longer accept personal checks for duty payments and other fees. Businesses will still be able to pay customs fees by check. Collector of Customs Charles Clifford said in a press release that the department is doing away with check payments be- cause of too many bad checks. The department will still take cash, bank drafts and credit and debit cards in both Cayman and U.S. dollars. “Persons who knowingly tender ‘bad’ cheques should note that they are, in effect, committing a criminal offence and are therefore liable to pros- ecution,” Kevin Walton, head of the Customs Revenue Col- lection Portfolio, said in the press release. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 3 » Triathletes hit the water, roads PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Almost 200 people take the plunge Sunday morning for the first leg in the 20th annual Cayman Islands Triathlon. Organizers say a number of new triathletes signed up for the Olympic and sprint distance swim-bike-run races this year. For more, see page 17. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 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. DOCTOR STRANGE 3D (PG13) 1:00 | 1:30 2D | 3:40 | 4:30 2D 6:50 | 7:25 2D | 9:40 | 10:05 2D TYLER PERRY’S BOO! (PG13) A MADEA HALLOWEEN 1:15 | 3:45 | 7:10 | 9:40 JACK REACHER: (PG13) NEVER GO BACK 1:30 | 4:30 | 7:20 | 10:00 INFERNO (PG13) 12:45 | 3:30 | 6:45 | 9:30 TROLLS 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:00 2D | 5:15 | 7:30 2D | 10:00 - TUESDAY - Judge explains dishonesty and duress CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Justice Michael Wood began his summing up on Monday in the trial of Paul Anthony Hume Ebanks, who has pleaded not guilty to 27 counts of ob- taining property by deception and one count of theft of a passport. Ebanks is accused of obtaining sums of cash, said to have totaled more than $167,000, by falsely repre- senting in 26 instances that the money was required payment for the legiti- mate grant of Caymanian status or permanent residence. One charge re- lates to a false representation that payment was required for the award of a government contract. The alleged offenses took place be- tween mid-2012 and December 2014. The trial began the week of Oct. 10 and more than 50 witnesses were heard from, either in person or by having their statements read. Justice Wood said he would sum- marize the evidence, but it was for ju- rors to decide the witnesses’ reliability and truthfulness. The importance of the evidence was also for them to de- cide. He pointed out that there would be no more evidence and they must not speculate. One name that had loomed large in the case was that of McKeeva Bush, he noted, referring to the former pre- mier whom Ebanks maintained he was working for. “You mustn’t speculate about what he might have said, could have said, or whether he should in fact have come along to court. So you have to do without McKeeva Bush.” He reminded jurors that their task was to decide whether the Crown had proved the case on each count. Feel- ings of sympathy or prejudice or any other emotion should have no place in their deliberations, he pointed out. The charges against Ebanks al- leged dishonesty, the judge noted. Ju- rors needed to consider two questions in deciding whether Ebanks had been dishonest. Was what he was doing dis- honest by the ordinary standards of reasonable people? Must he have real- ized what he was doing was dishonest by those standards? When the defendant gave evidence, he admitted getting money from some people in order to repay others who, he said, were threatening him. This was a defense of duress, the judge said. “There are circumstances in which any defendant, although ad- mitting that he intentionally com- mitted a serious crime, can be ex- cused by law.” When a defendant raises the de- fense of duress, it is not for him to prove it, the judge said, it is for the prosecution to disprove it. There were two counts in which the issue was raised. When considering them, jurors had to ask themselves a series of questions, he instructed them. Was the defendant or his family threatened with death or serious in- jury if Ebanks did not pay back the money? If jurors were sure that was just a story he had made up, then he was guilty. If jurors concluded Ebanks may have been threatened, did he hon- estly believe that the threats would be carried out immediately or immi- nently if he did not comply? If jurors were sure he did not so believe, then Ebanks was guilty. If jurors concluded that Ebanks may have honestly believed that the threats would be carried out, then they had to ask whether Ebanks’s decision to obtain money from two men was a direct result of the threats. If jurors were sure that Ebanks would have obtained the money from them whether or not he was threat- ened, he would be guilty. If jurors concluded that the threats may have been the real reason for his decision to obtain the money, then they had to ask – would a reason- able person have been driven to act as the defendant did? Jurors had to con- sider if Ebanks had any opportuni- ties to escape from those threats, for example, by going to police. Would a reasonable person have taken any of those opportunities? If jurors were sure a reason- able person would not have acted as Ebanks did, then Ebanks was guilty. If jurors were not sure, then he was not guilty. Justice Wood said he would con- tinue after lunch to summarize evi- dence from the group of witnesses he referred to as “the politicians” and then review Ebanks’s evidence. He expected to send jurors to begin their deliberations on Tuesday morning. Jurors needed to consider two questions in deciding whether Ebanks had been dishonest. Was what he was doing dishonest by the ordinary standards of reasonable people? Must he have realized what he was doing was dishonest by those standards? Jury in status scam trial told not to speculate A boat from Cuba landed in Barkers over the weekend. The Immigration Department did not respond to questions about the migrants who landed on the West Bay beach. People in the area say police and immigration were watching the boat before it landed. Cuban migrants typically pass the Cayman Islands in hopes of reaching Honduras so they can take the land route north through Mexico to the United States. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Cuban boat lands at Barkers A 26-year-old George Town man is out on bail after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident, in connection with a hit-and-run inci- dent in which a cyclist was seriously injured. The incident happened Friday evening near 60 Sound Way, in the vi- cinity of the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Shedden Road, according to the Royal Cayman is- lands Police Service. Just after 11 p.m., 911 received two reports, one of a collision between a car and the bicycle, and one of a silver Honda Accord colliding with a concrete wall on Whitman Seymour Drive. Police and emer- gency personnel re- sponded to the calls. They found the cyclist injured but conscious. The driver of the ve- hicle, reported to be the Honda Accord, had left the scene. Officers then re- sponded to Whitman Seymour Drive, where they found the driver of the Accord. The cyclist was still in the Cayman Islands Hospital as of press time Monday. His injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening. Man arrested in connection with hit-and-run A fight broke out among several young men along Market Street at Ca- mana Bay around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police re- ported, and one youth said his phone was stolen. The attackers ran away before security arrived. Another scuffle hap- pened about 30 minutes later between the alleged victim and another youth he accused of stealing his phone. Police and security guards quickly detained the person identified as the attacker, according to a police press release. Police arrested the at- tacker on suspicion of as- sault, theft and possession and consumption of ganja. The police statement noted, “The arrested juve- nile was also wearing a shirt with profanity on it at the time. He was informed that this was a public order of- fence for which he would also be prosecuted.” ARREST MADE IN FIGHT AT CAMANA BAY3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 “This is clearly going to require an expansion of en- forcement activity but there are limited resources to achieve this.” The SIREN app, devel- oped with Bangor University in Wales as part of the U.K.’s Darwin Initiative, allows boaters to report incidents and observations and attach pictures. It also allows DoE enforcement officers to ac- cess reports and licensing information in the field at the touch of the button. “Not only will our officers be more efficient, they won’t have to call back to base for information,” said Ms. Ebanks-Petrie. Bradley Johnson, DoE re- search officer, added, “We can only be in so many places at so many times so this is re- ally a tool that allows the public to help provide infor- mation to us.” Ms. Brown-Peterson said the app is a classic ex- ample of an innovation that emerges in one country that could be shared and adopted by others, which is one of the reasons for holding the annual conference. She said many countries in the region face similar is- sues with resources to fund enforcement, and may look to mirror what the DoE has done with the app. Other issues affecting the region include the threat of over-fishing and the con- flict between development and preserving the environ- ment, she said. She said many poorer countries have a larger pro- portion of subsistence fish- ermen which has created political push-back against sensible limits on fishing. “It is a tough dynamic because they know the sci- ence, they know what needs to be done, but they face that push-back.” Similar conflicts arise when policymakers seek to balance development with environmental con- cerns, she added. “Tourism is big money and it is hard to say no Marine app launched at fisheries conference CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The SIREN app, developed with Bangor University in Wales as part of the U.K.’s Darwin Initiative, allows boaters to report incidents and observations and attach pictures. A green laser hit the po- lice helicopter while it flew over West Bay Friday night, police reported. “The Police Helicopter crew was struck twice in quick succession by a high- intensity green laser light from the ground,” a press release stated. Police spokeswoman Jac- queline Carpenter said, “This was not just some little toy.” She said the flashes came from an “industrial- strength laser beam.” Police said the officers could not figure out the exact location of the laser, but it was from the Finch Drive area in West Bay. “The action of endan- gering aircraft is an offence in the Cayman Islands that is taken seriously and any offender will be arrested and could face imprison- ment. In addition to posing a risk to the crew, it also distracts them from their operational tasks and di- verts resources away from other duties,” the police statement said. Ms. Carpenter said there have been cases in the United Kingdom where people were charged for using similar la- sers on aircraft. HIGH-INTENSITY LASER HITS POLICE HELICOPTER Bradley Johnson demonstrates the new SIREN app, which the Department of Environment has launched to help enforce police marine laws. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER The app allows the public to access information and report incidents.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” Several recent news stories have suggested that government is shifting its tactics toward people who owe it money. Good. Not only are the receivables overdue, so is the need for policy change. In recent weeks, the Health Services Authority has announced plans to hire a debt collector to go after $58 million in past-due accounts from patients, the Department of Immigration is seeking to recover more than $4 million in unpaid permanent residency fees, and the police are arresting people for neglecting to pay traffic tickets. In the case of the HSA, the public healthcare system was laboring under a policy where the agency could not sue residents for medical debts, and also could not write off bad debt on its balance sheets. The result was the accumulation of some $90 million in hospital debts that the authority, frankly, could do little about (either in a practical or an accounting sense). That contributed to an attitude among the Cayman community that at the public hospital, healthcare was “free.” That, of course, is unacceptable, and the HSA should have, and should exercise, the right and the means to pursue money that is owed to it, and by extension to us, the taxpaying public. That being said, even most felony offenses have statutes of limitation — and much of the debt owed to the HSA is more than six years old; further, we are aware of instances where patients never received a bill from the HSA in the first place. How can that possibly be? For any business or enterprise, the most funda- mental cash control mechanisms are “accounts receiv- able” and “accounts payable.” Billing must be timely — usually within 30 days from the time services were rendered — and receivables must be attentively managed and “aged.” When receivables go beyond, say, 60 or 90 days, red flags should be automatically raised, and follow-up should immediately ensue. Every CEO, CFO, CPA, chartered accountant or comptroller knows this, raising red flags in our minds about how these HSA debts have been allowed to go unattended to for so many years. Where, we ask, is the accountability? Then there’s the situation in which many of the 473 individuals who owe fees related to permanent resi- dence now find themselves. As pointed out by Deputy Governor Franz Manderson as well as attorney Nick Joseph (if there are two people who know more about Cayman’s immigration than they do, we are hard- pressed to think of them), many of those individuals are people with close, even familial, Caymanian ties, who may have never been aware they had to pay PR fees, or may have legitimate legal arguments that they in fact do not owe those fees at all. Others have already had their status revoked and/or have long departed from the islands. Meanwhile, Cayman’s government itself is notorious among the local business community for being slow to pay its bills. Months can pass before a company receives payment for an invoice sent to government, and this can be devastating to small businesses which rely on tight cash flows to pay their employees and vendors. Government’s issues with money going in and going out should not be issues at all. Money owed to govern- ment should be collected, and money owed by govern- ment should be paid. Promptly. The ins and outs of government’s cash flow TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS MOHAMED A. EL-ERIAN As Americans prepare to go to the polls after one of the most bizarre election campaigns, here are the main things that investors should keep in mind. Although the presidential race tightened in the last 10 days, many prognosticators and betting sites still predict that Hillary Clinton will win. If her victory is combined with down-ballot results that prolong gridlock in Congress – the most frequently pre- dicted outcome for the leg- islative-branch elections – markets would likely react in a relatively calm and orderly fashion. Equities would re- main range-bound overall, as would bonds and currencies. There are two market “tails” that accompany this baseline; and they would lead not just to major moves in in- dices, but to notable compo- sitional changes, too. An equity market selloff is likely should Donald Trump win the presidential vote and also reaffirm his intention to move quickly on policy po- sitions that disrupt long- standing trade relationships (such as tariffs on China and Mexico and the revoca- tion of the North American Free Trade Agreement). The selloff would be larger if he also were to also create un- certainty about the future shape of the financial system, such as by calling for an im- mediate repeal of the Dodd- Frank legislation without of- fering a credible alternative. Under this first tail sce- nario, the turmoil in equity markets would cause risk spreads to widen on both investment grade and high- yield corporate bonds. The reaction of government bond markets would likely be more nuanced. Nominal Trea- suries would find themselves pulled between expectations for lower growth and those for higher inflation – that is, unless Trump repeats his at- tacks on the Federal Reserve, in which case higher yields would ensue. The outlook for inflation-sensitive securi- ties, particularly TIPS, would be less ambiguous given that markets would likely revise up their projections for the possibility of a fiscally in- duced increase in inflation. The other tail event, a Clinton win combined with a Democratic sweep of Con- gress, would likely bring about an equity market selloff that would entail more pronounced moves for cer- tain sectors (such as pharma- ceuticals and traditional en- ergy). Bond markets would also come under pressure be- cause of the higher proba- bility of fiscal stimulus. The currency markets are where the these two tail sce- narios would have have quite different effects. In the case of a Trump win resulting in anti-trade measures, upward moves in the dollar could ma- terialize. Although a trade war would initially hurt both the U.S. and its major trading partners, the U.S. would have less to lose in relative terms given that it is a less open economy. By contrast, a Dem- ocratic sweep would lead to a weaker dollar. What about the longer- term prospects? Under the baseline of a Clinton presidency and con- gressional gridlock, the con- sensus predictions are for a prolongation of the two char- acteristics that have under- pinned relative market sta- bility and supported financial asset prices: low but stable growth and repressed finan- cial volatility. I would suggest that this consensus view is likely to be challenged in the years ahead on both counts. First, the prolonged period of low growth is fueling ele- ments of its own disruption. Indeed, the rise of the anti- establishment movements in the U.S. and Europe is just one element of a broader set of evolving disruptors to the “new normal” that have broad political, economic, financial and institutional drivers. Second, the continued ef- fectiveness of central banks in repressing financial market volatility also needs to be questioned and even doubted. Some institutions have demonstrated a de- clining ability to perform this function. (A prime example is the Bank of Japan, which has experienced a huge erosion of its influence on the value of the yen.) Others, such as the Federal Reserve, have shown a lack of willingness to carry on as before. And in most cases, including the Eu- ropean Central Bank and the People’s Bank of China, this reticence also is caused by the growing threats of collat- eral damage and unintended consequences. As for the likely duration of market moves under the two tail scenarios, it would be unwise to take too much comfort from the snapback experienced in the aftermath of the Brexit in the U.K. U.S. markets have much greater global prominence because of the dollar’s status as a reserve currency and the extent to which other coun- tries essentially have out- sourced some of their finan- cial intermediation function to American markets. As a result, the repercussions of a spike in volatility would likely be deeper and more du- rable. Add to that legitimate concerns about the possi- bility of strained market li- quidity, and the possibility of unsettling moves should not be dismissed lightly. Put all this together and it should come as no surprise that market measures of up- coming volatility have risen in the last week while equity markets have moved lower. The previously held comfort that the elections would have rather benign short-term market outcomes is being questioned on two counts: the recent tightening of the race for the White House, and the extent to which the artificial market stability of the recent past is threat- ened by a growing host of longer-term economic, finan- cial, institutional and polit- ical disruptors. El-Erian is chief economic adviser at Allianz, chairman of President Obama’s Global Development Council and former chief executive officer and co-chief investment officer of Pimco. He is the author of ‘The Only Game in Town: Central Banks, Instability and Avoiding the Next Collapse.’ © 2016, Bloomberg View How markets will react to US elections Under the baseline of a Clinton presidency and congressional gridlock, the consensus predictions are for a prolongation of the two characteristics that have underpinned relative market stability and supported financial asset prices: low but stable growth and repressed financial volatility.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 The Elections Office says it has signed up 1,052 new voters as canvassers go door to door to make sure every eli- gible voter is registered for the May 2017 general election. The total number of voters in the Cayman Islands is now 19,515, according to the Elec- tions Office. The number will likely increase as elections workers continue canvassing in George Town through the end of November. In a press release, Deputy Supervisor of Elections Sheena Glasgow said, “With the focus now on canvassing George Town, we are asking residents to be prepared for the enumerator’s visit. This in- cludes having their supporting documentation ready for per- sons registering for the first time as well as for those al- ready registered who may need to submit name changes.” She also asks that people in gated communities make sure elections workers are allowed in. Elections workers added 538 new voters in Bodden Town and 359 in West Bay. The Sister Islands added 83 new voters. Fifty people in North Side signed up as new voters, and 32 registered in East End. Ms. Glasgow said the of- fice removed 32 people from the voter rolls. Twenty-two people had died, eight were disqualified because they were sentenced to a year or more in prison, and two were “de- clared of unsound mind.” Canvassers have also made 2,364 changes to voter registrations to up- date names, addresses or oc- cupations for people already signed up to vote. The number will likely increase as elections workers continue canvassing in George Town through the end of November. Cayman’s voter rolls top 19,500 Famed Barbadian jazz/reggae saxophonist Arturo Tappin made an impromptu visit to music students at John Gray High School on Friday. The ‘saxiest’ horn man the Caribbean was in Cayman to perform at the 2016 Allure Fashion and Jazz Weekend at the National Gallery. - PHOTO: SCOTT SWING Arturo Tappin visits John Gray CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A miniature pony that was sexually assaulted at the Equestrian Center last week will need emergency surgery after her condition deterio- rated Sunday night. Jessica McTaggart Giuzio, with the Equestrian Center, said in an email Monday, “Pebbles took a turn for the worse overnight and we are flying in the vet from the USA to do emergency sur- gery tomorrow.” Police said they are still investigating the Thursday night assault on the horse and an incident from August when two full-size ponies were sexually assaulted with a foreign object. One of those horses, Charm, died from her injuries. Police spokeswoman Jacqueline Carpenter said Monday, “We really need some community assistance on this case.” She asked for any tips “no matter how small” that could help solve the cases. Anyone with information can call the George Town police station or make an anony- mous tip with Crime Stop- pers at 800-8477. The Equestrian Center is offering a $15,000 re- ward for information leading to an arrest. Pony to have emergency surgery after assaultDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days West Bay TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS For 10 years, beach training goes to the dogs Dogs got to romp on the beach and in the surf on Sunday, and Kenneth Morgan of Cayman Ca- nine Training Services was hon- ored with a champagne toast and gifts of a photo collage of 10 years of beach training, as well as a video. The event at West Bay Public Beach marked 10 years of a special Hu- mane Society activity. Volunteers have been bringing shelter dogs to the beach on Sunday mornings for obedience training where they learn how to walk on a leash, sit and heel, and get some much-needed social- ization, all of which makes them more “adoptable.” The dogs have the chance to relax and go for a swim, giving them a refreshing respite from living in the shelter. Under Mr. Morgan’s super- vision, hundreds of dogs and their owners have benefited from learning the basics of obedience and dog handling that have helped them transition to their new homes after living at the shelter. Newly adopted dogs and their owners also attend the weekly beach training, which provides a welcome introduction to the basics of dog ownership and obedience for new pet owners. 50 YEARS AGO Controversy over Club Inferno In the Nov. 9, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, news from West Bay included: “Four hundred and twenty people gathered at Club Inferno for their Halloween Dance on the 1st. This is the largest gathering at the club since the Byron Lee shows and Graham Thompson and the Mashy- iannes would like to thank all who supported them on this occasion. “Door prizes – 1st, a free trip to Ja- maica – was won by Jackbent Ebanks and 2nd, a case of Pabst beer, by Langley Wood. The prize for the best costume was selected from the 14 en- trants and presented to Irma Ebanks who dressed as an Indian chief.” In the same issue, letter writer Mrs. Ducan Ebanks shared her thoughts: “I wish to congratulate Mr. Dudley Christian on his subject concerning trying to convert Club Inferno into a school for the needful children of West Bay. I sincerely hope that our government will look into this sub- ject, as Mr. Christian said we might never have such an able and wide opportunity to do so much good at once, and act now. “I am quite willing to do my part in sponsoring this request and I trust all good sensible and good thinking people will wake up to the fact and see the awful condition that our is- land is in due to this cursed place known as Club Inferno and other clubs and bars in the island that are on the same basis. Let us wake up and see the degrading condition of some of our young people who are becoming victims of this place.” Also in the Nov. 9 edition, West Bay correspondent Leila Yates wrote: “The Church of God was opened on Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. with the following programme: PS 100 v.4 by Elder Ti- dyman Ebanks and Opening of the Door. ‘Song To God by the Glory’ by congregation, Pastoral Welcome by Elder F.E. Arch. A floral tribute in memory of the late Pastor Charles Glidden by his grandchildren Dar- lene and Elizabeth, and also a tribute to the late Hopkin Ebanks. Prayer by Miss Redley Powery. Scripture reading by Elder Will T. Bodden. Quartette by George Town members. An address by His Honour the Administrator. Expres- sion of appreciation of workers and donors. An offering plate was given by the George Town Sunday School. A Pulpit Scarf by Beverly Powery and Hilda Glidden. A bouquet by Mrs. Waldo Bodden. A song by the West Bay members. A solo by Mrs. F.E. Arch. Dedication message. The offering was taken while the congregation sang ‘O God Our Help.’ Dedicatory prayer by Elder F.E. Arch. A quartette by George Town members. The Church’s One Foundation by the congregation. Benediction by Elder Arch … “Mr. and Mrs. Denvard Forbes became the happy parents of their fifth child and daughter on the 5th weighing 10 pounds. “Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Ebanks be- came the happy parents of their sev- enth child and fourth daughter on the 6th weighing 7 1/2 pounds.” RHYTHM WORKSHOP A HIT AT SIR JOHN A. CUMBER Students at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School were recently treated to a visit from master percussionist Eden Hurlston. Mr. Hurlston, a member of One World Entertainment, led a rhythm workshop for more than 200 students from Years 4 to 6. It was one of the final events organized by Re- bekah Jefferson, the outgoing music teacher. Students learned about rhythm and rhythmic struc- tures, improvisations and percussion. The drums fea- tured were the cajón, a box- shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru; the djembe, a rope-tuned skin- covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa; the Talking drum, an hourglass-shaped drum from West Africa; and the Cuban conga. Mr. Hurlston expressed ap- preciation to those who sup- port music, and encourages youth and children to keep practicing and have confidence in their ability. “I love presenting to children because it’s in those formative years that they can more freely explore their creativity,” Mr. Hurlston said in a press release. Eden Hurlston with Jada Murdock, Evan Elizando and Henry Fernandez-Ebanks at a percussion workshop at the school. Beach training participants with chief trainer Kenneth Morgan at the 10-year anniversary gathering on Sunday. - PHOTO: CATHERINE MACGILLIVRAYDISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days West Bay CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 101-year-old man gives FC International camp a boost JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Wellesley Howell never played football in his life, but the 101-year-old shoemaker recently scored a huge goal with a group of young players at the Ed Bush playing field. The players were attending the Cayman Islands FC In- ternational West Bay football camp on Oct. 29, which, ac- cording to the organization’s president, Kennedy Ebanks, encourages young footballers everywhere to take part, stay active and to engage in posi- tive pursuits. “That’s it, just give it a little kick,” the children said, with coaches gathered around, as Mr. Howell kept a firm hold of former MLA Ellio Solomon and kicked the ball, relaying to the kids that living a century has taught him a thing or two. “Look up and lift up your brain, you might not realize the significance of it now, but later on in life you will,” said Mr. Howell. He said he was quoting from a poem his teacher told to him in school a long time ago and he had lived by it. He grew up in Chester- field, St. Mary in Jamaica with his father Nehemiah Howell, a farmer, and his mother Agatha. He made Cayman his home after falling in love with the place on his first trip in 1958. He never left. Today, he says, Cayman is far different from when he arrived, but in his heart it remains the same as when he first saw it. Mr. Howell still shows up to work some days, and still has a very sharp mind, good hearing, needs no glasses to read a book, and says he rarely has a sick day. “You are a shining ex- ample of showing we can live a very long and good life,” Mr. Solomon told Mr. Howell. He also praised FC Inter- national for the job they are doing with young people. “Kennedy and the group have been doing an awesome job with the young people at the football camp for many years, and it’s a very posi- tive program for the young people,” he said. SOL Petroleum Cayman Islands Ltd. Esso Sta- tion has been a sponsor of the football camp for many years. “We are happy to assist FC International with the football camp. It’s a posi- tive thing they are doing for the young people and we will continue to support them,” said Sol sales and marketing manager Rosa- lind Robinson. Church service celebrates older persons Boatswain Bay Presbyte- rian Church recently marked Older Persons’ Month with a special morning worship service. The service on Sunday, Oct. 30, featured the Power of Praise group, who per- formed many songs. Elder Rupert Ebanks led the service and gave the sermon. Erlene Hunte gave the children’s message. “At the service, we made a special effort to recognize persons aged 60 years and older,” said church member Eziethamae Bodden. Varion Ebanks received a prize for being the oldest male at 88, while Gen Hen- ning received a prize for being the oldest female at age 81. Rudy Powery and An- nadean Ebanks received prizes for perfect atten- dance this year, while Danna Morris, Erlene Hunte and Ei- lene Sutton received prizes for turning 60. Carolyn Watson received a prize for her birthday on Sunday. Pastor Ebanks and his wife Victoria also received a prize in honor of their 59th wedding anniversary in Oc- tober, and all those in atten- dance age 60 and older re- ceived a bookmark. “In addition, those cele- brating birthdays and wed- ding anniversaries came forth and gave a celebration offering, which is given to a children’s home in India,” said Ms. Bodden. The Botswain Bay Presbyterian Church recently marked Older Persons’ Month with a special service. 101-year-old Wellesley Howell recently paid an inspirational visit to the young players at the Cayman Islands FC International West Bay football camp. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Remember Wear a poppy. poppy. We ask that you remember our Veterans by sending a donation, however small, to the Cayman Islands Veterans Association at P.O. Box 11686, Grand Cayman KY1-1009. In a follow-up interview, Mr. Walton said the Customs Collector follows government policies to collect fees when someone bounces a check. “This has always been a task for us,” he said. He said government main- tains a list of people who try to pay with bad checks, “but that doesn’t mean that individuals don’t pass bad checks from time to time.” The new policy means the Customs Collector will not have to worry about whether a check will clear. “We are looking for- ward to smoother collec- tion of revenue as a result of the policy change, notably during the upcoming busy season,” he said. Customs duty is Cay- man’s second-largest source of government revenue, ex- pected to bring in $223 million in the current 18- month budget cycle. Duties on alcohol alone are forecast to bring in $27 million in the 2016-2017 budget. Companies will still be able to use checks for im- ports, but individuals will need to use cash or a card. People normally en- counter customs duties when bringing in lots of goods through the airport or having items shipped from overseas. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Customs will no longer take checks American volunteer medics treat casualties of Mosul combat MOSUL, Iraq (AP) – When Iraqi forces pushed into Mo- sul’s urban center last week, Derek Coleman, an American volunteer medic, was among those treating the wounded at a front-line field clinic. He said he helped treat 44 casualties before he lost count. “I think the Iraqi (mili- tary) got an awakening when they pushed too far for- ward,” Coleman said, flipping through a notebook he uses to keep records of his cases. In all, 12 soldiers died at the clinic on Friday, he said. “We had two Humvees just loaded with dead bodies.” As Iraqi forces struggle to secure the gains they made on Mosul’s eastern edge, the fight against Islamic State militants has quickly trans- formed into close-quar- ters urban combat. With it, casualties among Iraq’s troops and civilians are spiking, though Iraq’s mili- tary has not released offi- cial death tolls. As Coleman spoke, hun- dreds of civilians could be seen in the distance pouring out of Mosul on foot, many holding white flags made of scraps of dishtowels, torn clothing and pillowcases. Iraqi soldiers gathered them on street corners and loaded them on trucks to be taken to camps for the displaced. At least twice on Sunday, ISIS mortar rounds targeted the fleeing civilians gath- ered around the aid sta- tion, sending medics run- ning for cover behind nearby buildings. At times the flow of wounded civilians and sol- diers was constant, with ve- hicles racing from the front lines to reach the cluster of cots beside two ambulances. Pete Reed, another Amer- ican volunteer at the field clinic, said they expect high casualties. “It’s a huge urban en- vironment,” Reed said. “Imagine trying to go into Brooklyn or Charlotte, North Carolina, where you have huge buildings.” “Now imagine that from every door, window, that kind of gunfire can come out of it at any moment,” he said as small arms fire echoed from the front line in the distance. Car bombs are “ripping these things apart. Humvees aren’t built” to withstand a car bomb, he said. “Nothing’s built for a sui- cide vehicle.” In late afternoon, a soldier was brought in with multiple gunshot wounds. Medics tried to bandage the wounds. When his breathing stopped, Reed began to preform chest compressions. The soldier’s eyes glazed over. A few minutes later, the half-dozen medics and soldiers gathered around stopped what they were doing. “We don’t have a name for him,” special forces Maj. Ahmed Hussein said. Then pulling out a black marker, he wrote, “Heroic martyr, Mosul division,” on the body bag. One American volunteer at the field clinic said they expect high casualties. Pete Reed, center, an American volunteer at a field clinic, talks to Iraqi special forces soldiers on the eastern outskirts of Mosul. - PHOTO: AP Nearly 50 buildings damaged in Oklahoma quake CUSHING, Okla. (AP) – Dozens of buildings sustained “sub- stantial damage” after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake struck an Oklahoma town that’s home to one of the world’s key oil hubs, but officials said Monday that no damage has been reported at the oil terminal. Cushing City Manager Steve Spears said 40 to 50 buildings were damaged in Sunday’s earthquake, which was the third in Oklahoma this year with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater. No major injuries have been reported, and Spears said the damage included cracks to buildings and fallen bricks and facades. Oklahoma has had thou- sands of earthquakes in re- cent years, with nearly all traced to the underground injection of wastewater left over from oil and gas produc- tion. Sunday’s quake was cen- tered 1 mile west of Cushing and about 25 miles south of where a magnitude 4.3 quake forced a shutdown of several wells last week. Fearing aftershocks, po- lice cordoned off older parts of the city about 50 miles northeast of Oklahoma City to keep gawkers away late Sunday, and geologists con- firmed that several small quakes have rumbled the area. Spears said an assisted living community had been evacuated after damage was reported. The Cushing Public School District canceled Monday classes. The Oklahoma Depart- ment of Transportation re- ported Sunday night that no highway or bridge damage was found within a 15-mile radius of the earthquake’s epicenter. The quake struck at 7:44 p.m. Sunday and was felt as far away as Iowa, Illi- nois and Texas. The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 WASHINGTON (AP) – What hap- pens if America wakes up on Nov. 9 to another undecided, hotly disputed presidential election? What if the outcome turns on the razor-thin margin in one or two states, one can- didate seeking a recount, the other going to court? We know what happened in 2000, when the Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote effectively settled the election in favor of George W. Bush. As controversial as that de- cision was, it was made by a nine-justice court. This time around, there are only eight justices and the possibility of a tie vote. That would leave a lower federal or state court ruling in place, with no defini- tive judgment from the nation’s highest court. “It would be Bush v. Gore, with a twist,” said one elec- tion law expert, law professor Richard Hasen at the Univer- sity of California at Irvine. “I call it the nightmare scenario,” said University of Kentucky law professor Joshua Douglas. Sixteen years ago, the court divided 5 to 4 about whether to get involved at all and then voted the same way to stop Florida’s state court-ordered recount. The five more conser- vative justices sided with Re- publican nominee Bush, while the four more liberal justices would have ruled for Dem- ocrat Al Gore. “A no-brainer!” Justice An- thony Kennedy said in Jan Crawford’s book “Supreme Conflict,” recalling the decision to take on the case. “A state court deciding a federal consti- tutional issue about the presi- dential election? Of course you take the case.” The odds of history re- peating itself in Florida or else- where are long. But it’s hard to discount any possibility, how- ever remote, in a tight cam- paign that already has seen Democratic lawsuits charging voter suppression and Re- publican claims the election will be rigged. The reason a tie Supreme Court vote is even possible stems from another aspect of this unusual election year, the Senate Republicans’ refusal to act on President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February. Any decision to seek a recount or otherwise contest the election results would depend on the margin in any one state and its poten- tial for affecting the national outcome. In 2000, neither Bush nor Gore could muster an Elec- toral College majority of 270 votes without Florida. “For candidates who lose by a fraction of a percent, even up to 1.5 percent, they will at least explore their op- tions for seeking a recount or challenging the results in a particular state,” said Mi- chael Morley, a law professor at Barry University in Or- lando, Florida. Morley repre- sented Republican Joe Miller in his postelection challenge to Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who won re-election as a write- in candidate after losing the GOP primary to Miller in 2010. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2016 Alm Hoe For Our Mother Mother your life was a blessing, Your memory a treasure, You are loved beyond words, Today on your fi fth birthday away from us, Missed beyond measure From your loving Husband and children prosecutors said was a scheme to steal money from James Handford, her elderly employer, with whom she had developed a relationship. Mr. Carter suggested that “seven to eight years” would have been a more reasonable sentence. He also stated that Bouchard has agreed to hand over assets totalling about $1.6 million, including $1.4 million in cash and a condo- minium valued at $250,000. An asset forfeiture hearing is set for Tuesday, the ap- peals court heard. The Crown argued that Bouchard, in addition to stealing money from Mr. Handford, had sought to “hide” some of the stolen as- sets in a Canadian bank. Canada has no legal assis- tance treaty with the Cayman Islands and Court of Ap- peal justices queried whether some of the Canadian money had gone “missing.” It was stated that Mr. Handford’s family might have to employ other means to “track down” the funds, if any remained, in Canada. Mr. Carter said his client was ready and willing to pay some $1.6 million in frozen assets located in Cayman – making good on the ma- jority of the amounts she was convicted of stealing (about $1.9 million). “Whatever your lordships decide, Ms. Bouchard is going to be in prison for a long time and she’s not going to have any assets,” Mr. Carter said. Robert Aspinall The former Deloitte funds manager pleaded guilty ear- lier this year to stealing about US$495,000 from two U.S.-based investment funds he was directing on behalf of his employer during a liqui- dation process. Aspinall was sentenced to three-and-a-half years on one of the two theft charges against him. Sentences for the other theft charge, as well as money laundering and forgery allegations, were or- dered to run concurrently by the trial judge, Justice Timothy Owen. Crown prosecutors, led by Simon Russell-Flint, QC, ar- gued that the sentence was “unduly lenient,” suggesting that Justice Owen had given Aspinall less than the min- imum acceptable guide- lines suggested for a serious theft offense. Mr. Russell-Flint ar- gued that the trial judge ap- peared to have considered only one of the victims in Aspinall’s theft when in fact there were multiple victims, including the investors in the two American funds De- loitte had been appointed to manage, as well as the De- loitte firm itself. “He went to considerable lengths to obtain the monies and to ensure there was little likelihood of him being iden- tified as the person behind [the thefts],” Mr. Russell- Flint stated. Given the facts presented in the case, the Crown asked that Aspinall’s sentence be extended to between five and six years. Aspinall’s defense team, led by Charles Miskin, QC, essentially argued that the Crown was seeking another bite at the apple on a case they had already agreed to plead out. Prosecutors disagreed with Aspinall’s plea only when they learned the length of the sentence, Mr. Miskin stated, and had presented nothing to justify why the accountant’s sentence had been “unduly lenient,” seeking to draw “additional infer- ences” that were not brought up during the original sen- tencing hearing. “It’s not as simple as bringing Mr. Russel-Flint down here, polishing up the ball and having another go at the wicket,” Mr. Miskin said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 NICARAGUAN OFFICIALS SAY PRESIDENT WINS 3RD CONSECUTIVE TERM MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) – President Daniel Ortega overwhelmingly won re-elec- tion to a third consecutive term as Nicaragua’s leader, according to results early Monday, even as the opposi- tion called the voting a farce. With about two-thirds of ballots counted in Sunday’s six-candidate presidential race, Ortega had more than 71 percent of the votes, ac- cording to the Supreme Elec- toral Council. Ortega ran with his wife, Rosario Murillo, as his vice presidential candidate in a race that pitted him against five lesser-known candidates after court rulings weakened the opposition. Critics of the government said the election was un- fairly tilted against the op- position, but Murillo praised the process. Emerging with her husband after casting their ballots shortly before the polls closed, she called the vote “an exemplary, his- toric election.” There were no vote counts yet for 92 congres- sional seats that were also contested Sunday. Electoral Council head Roberto Rivas also said 65 percent of Nicaragua’s 3.8 million registered voters participated in the elec- tion. The opposition, which had urged people to boycott the vote, disputed that, con- tending turnout was low. The main opposition move- ment, the Broad Front for Democracy, estimated “more than 70 percent” of voters did not cast ballots. Ortega and his leftist Sandinista National Liber- ation Front have benefited from the Central American country’s steady economic growth and low levels of vi- olence compared to neigh- boring Honduras and El Sal- vador. Many Nicaraguans also cite the first lady’s so- cial programs as a major reason for the governing party’s popularity. But critics accused Ortega and his allies of manipulating the polit- ical system to guarantee he stayed in power for a new five-year term by domi- nating all branches of gov- ernment, allowing indefinite presidential re-election and delegitimizing the only op- position force seen as ca- pable of challenging him. They said he wants to form a political dynasty together with his wife. Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega, recieves a ballot while his wife and vice presidential candidate Rosario Murillo waits, during elections on Sunday. - PHOTO: AP ‘Nightmare’ if disputed US poll goes to Supreme Court In this Nov. 8, 2000 file photo, a man holds four copies of the Chicago Sun-Times, each with a different headline reflecting a night of suspense, drama and changes following the presidential race between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush. - PHOTO: AP Bouchard sentence reduced by two years A police officer escorts Michelle Bouchard to court to hear her sentence after a jury found her guilty on 25 counts. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYNext >