ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 High of 86 Low of 74 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 GENDER EQUALITY TRIBUNAL SCORES GIANT VICTORY FOR … MEN’S RIGHTS? LOCAL | PAGE 9 SCHWARZENEGGER KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT INVESTMENT SUMMIT Personal Insurance Save up to $400 with home and car insurance Your first BritCay’s buildings insurance policy comes with a $250 gift certificate and a 10% discount on car insurance. With the lowest standard deductible at $200, you also save when you claim. Ask for a quote! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky FREE $10 Million ASSET PROTECTION! with motor cover* *private car insurance cgigrp GOV’T IN TALKS WITH UK ON BORROWING RULES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com While it has helped drive down Cayman’s national debt over the past three years, a fi- nancial management agreement between the Cayman Islands and U.K. governments has delayed major public projects and may also delay repayment of further debts, Finance Minister Marco Archer said this week. Mr. Archer said Cayman is in negotiations with U.K. foreign office leaders in an effort he hopes will make some terms of the govern- ment’s Framework for Fiscal Responsibility agreement less stringent. “We spoke with the Foreign and Common- wealth Office and asked them if there’s some way to see if we can reduce the length of time it takes to get from concept to completion [of these public projects],” Mr. Archer said. BUSH CALLS FOR SMB BUILDINGS UP TO 30 STORIES “We must build higher,” opposition leader says JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com As Cayman’s first 10-story buildings opened on Seven Mile Beach on Tuesday, Op- position Leader McKeeva Bush called for de- velopers to be allowed to build higher. Mr. Bush, speaking at the opening of the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, said his vi- sion for the islands includes buildings of up to 30 stories. Pitching the concept as a balance between development and the environment, he said taller buildings would eat up less land space. “Cayman can’t be left behind our competi- tors. We need to think of places like Monaco and Singapore and what they have done,” he told the crowd at the opening ceremony. “I am saying it is time for us to move to different heights, to 20, 30 stories. We will save land, we will save property and it will be better for these islands. “We have to balance our environment with the development we need to feed our fami- lies, educate our families and assist our busi- nesses in doing so.” Pyrotechnic premiere of Kimpton Seafire Resort As guests gathered at a reception to celebrate the opening evening of the Kimpton Seafire Resort, they were treated to an especially good omen – one of the most spectacular sunsets of the year. A number of invitees likened the luminosity to the Impressionist paintings of Claude Monet or Auguste Renoir. – PHOTO: DAVID R. LEGGE PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 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) 1:30 | 4:30 2D | 7:15 | 10:05 2D JACK REACHER: (PG13) NEVER GO BACK 1:30 | 4:15 | 7:20 | 10:00 INFERNO (PG13) 12:45 | 3:30 | 6:30 | 9:30 ALMOST CHRISTMAS (PG13) 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 9:50 TYLER PERRY’S BOO! (PG13) A MADEA HALLOWEEN 1:15 | 3:45 | 6:45 | 9:40 TROLLS (PG) 12:30 | 3:00 2D | 5:15 | 7:30 2D | 10:00 - THURSDAY - Cayman AIDS Foundation NOTICE OF AN ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE CAYMAN AIDS FOUNDATION LTD will be held at Office of The Cayman AIDS Foundation (CAF). 21 Caymanian Village North Sound Road on Friday December 16, 2016, at 6:00PM for the following purposes: A. Review the Accounts for the year ended December 31st 2015 B. Report of the President C. To transact any other Business and Appointment of Directors Cayman internet fraud report sets off worldwide probe Scam victims in 15 countries BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Cayman Islands resi- dents who thought they were buying a relatively cheap Toyota RAV4 online ended up getting scammed for $3,000. However, their report of the crime to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice in October 2014 ended up becoming part of an in- ternational criminal investi- gation that led to a West Af- rican man being sentenced to state prison in Indiana, USA, earlier this year. On Friday, the Cayman Is- lands residents were returned the $3,000 taken in the scam via order of a U.S. court. “This is a wonderful ex- ample of the benefits of in- ternational law enforcement cooperation,” RCIPS Detective Superintendent Pete Lans- down said Wednesday. “This case illustrates that these kinds of crimes can be solved, with a good result for victims who have lost their money.” The scammer sentenced to five years’ imprison- ment in July in Hendricks County, Indiana, is Onitidjou Gilles Yvan Agbomenou. Ac- cording to Indiana court re- cords, Agbomenou and three associates offered anything they could think of for sale on sites like eBay, eCay- Trade and Craigslist – pup- pies, cars, rental apartments – where the price being of- fered seemed “too good to be true” and might lure in un- suspecting victims. The victims – at least 88 of them in 15 countries – were asked to send pay- ments through MoneyGram wire transfer services. If the money was sent, no mer- chandise was received, and the scam victims never heard from the “seller” again. According to U.S. federal authorities, Agbomenou used 11 aliases, 15 addresses and 16 MoneyGram cash transfer locations. Police alleged that he held two bogus Nigerian passports, although he is from Benin, and that he has used different dates of birth to effect his scams. “MoneyGram has repeat- edly placed this suspect on [an] internal blocking list and as a result the suspect sub- sequently changes the names used and other identifiers to able to continue to receive transactions,” Indiana court records stated. Detailed indictments against Agbomenou in the U.S. show he was initially charged with 144 counts, mostly alleging theft in small amounts from wire transfers, generally between US$500 and US$5,000. Additional charges of forgery and cor- rupt business influence were also filed in Indiana. He pleaded guilty on July 29 to one count of corrupt business influence and two counts of forgery and was sentenced to 1,825 days [five years] in Hendricks County. Cayman case RCIPS Financial Crime Unit detectives responded to a report on Oct. 20, 2014, that two Cayman residents had attempted to buy a 2005 Toyota RAV4 for CI$3,000 via eCayTrade. The scam victims who were interested in the car received an email reply from someone calling him- self “Rex,” who said he was a Cayman Islands student studying in the U.S. The RAV4, he said, was still for sale and was with a “trusted friend” on Grand Cayman. The victims, believing the RAV4 was indeed on is- land, sent two wire trans- fers on Oct. 15, 2014, totaling nearly US$3,600. According to a police de- scription of the incident: “[The victim] drives to the ‘meet’ location to receive the vehicle and no one shows. During email exchanges be- tween [the victim] and “Rex,” Rex explains that his col- league was busy and could not make it. Rex then sends another email indicating he had another buyer for the ve- hicle and requests [the vic- tims] send another CI$3,000. “At that time [the victims] realized they were being scammed and went to Mon- eyGram to get their money back, but the money had already been transferred and picked up.” MoneyGram According to U.S. court records, MoneyGram’s own internal review of the sus- pected wire frauds reveal that between November 2013 and October 2014, an indi- vidual using the name Lorain Lareau had defrauded “sev- eral foreign-based Money- Gram customers.” When this matter was re- ported to U.S. authorities, Homeland Security agents identified the suspect in these frauds as Agbomenou, who was in the U.S. on a stu- dent visa. Indiana authori- ties put the total amount taken in these scams by Agbomenou and his asso- ciates at just more than US$200,000 during the pe- riod between November 2013 and October 2014. The RCIPS said four people were arrested in the U.S. in connection with this scheme and pleaded guilty to various acts of dishonesty between December 2015 and September 2016. Two men acquitted of rape charge Woman admits lying about use of firearm CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two men accused of raping a woman were found not guilty Tuesday after a trial by judge alone. The men, one of whom fled Cayman, had admitted to having sexual intercourse with a woman on the same night. In his judgment, Justice Charles Quinpointed out that the main question was whether the woman had consented. An- other issue was voluntary in- toxication. The Crown’s case was that the woman was so in- toxicated that she did not have the capacity to consent. The woman told the court she thought she had about eight drinks of brandy that night. She said she had worked for the first man for about three or four weeks, taking care of his children, and that they had a good rapport and had jokingly talked about sex. Normally her employer drove her home. That night, they took a bottle of brandy with them and stopped for food andat a George Town bar, where she saw the second man. She had met him before; he had given her a ride home once or twice. She said she remembered going to an apartment with her employer and having a conver- sation with him on the sofa but not what was said. She also remembered having sex with him in the bedroom. The next thing she knew, another man was having sex with her. She said she did not consent. She woke up around 5 a.m. andsaw her employer’s friend asleep on the sofa. She got dressed and got a lift from a passerby and told him she had been raped, but that she did not want to go to police. She told her boyfriend two men had held her up at gunpoint, but said she was not raped. She later went to police with her aunt and told them she had been held at gun- point. Later she told them she had been raped. She said she did not recall resisting her employer, but she was either drunk or passed out and not in any condition to consent.She said the second man had sex with her without her consent. She later admitted to po- lice that she had lied about the men having a gun. The judge accepted that rape victims can feel embar- rassed or ashamed and not be forthcoming about the facts. According to her employer’s account, they were going to the apartment for one reason – to have sex. The woman had de- scribed the apartment in detail and gave a detailed account of their sexual activity. In the judge’s view, such an account could not have been given by someone who said she was so drunk she passed out. Asked about her detailed account to police, she said she did not recall giving it. Her employerabsconded after giving his statement and remains a fugitive.He was defended by attorney Dennis Brady. The second man, repre- sented by attorney Crister Brady, gave his evidence in person. He said when he ar- rived at the apartment, at the invitation of his friend, he heard the woman and his friend talking in the bed- room. He entered the bed- room when his friend left and had intercourse with the woman, who he said did not seem to be drunk. Justice Quin said he found that the woman had been af- fected by her voluntarily in- duced intoxication. “I am not sure she did not consent,” he said. It may have been that she tried to revoke her consent af- terwards, he said.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 What is ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE? Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the broader term for resistance in different types of microorganisms and encompasses resistance to antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic and antifungal drugs. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change in ways that render the medications used to cure the infections they cause ineffective. When the microorganisms become resistant to most antimicrobials they are often referred to as “superbugs”. This is a major concern because a resistant infection may kill, can spread to others, and imposes huge costs to individuals and society. Why is AMR a Global Concern? • AMR kills - Infections caused by resistant microorganisms often fail to respond to the standard treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. • AMR challenges control of infectious diseases - AMR reduces the effectiveness of treatment because patients remain infectious for longer, thus potentially spreading resistant microorganisms to others. • AMR threatens a return to the pre-antibiotic era - Many infectious diseases may become uncontrollable. • AMR increases the costs of health care - When infections become resistant to first-line medicines, more expensive therapies must be used. The longer duration of illness and treatment, often in hospitals, increases health-care costs and the financial burden to families and societies. • AMR jeopardizes health-care gains to society - The achievements of modern medicine are put at risk by AMR. Without effective antimicrobials for care and prevention of infections, the success of treatments such as organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy and major surgery would be compromised. • AMR compromises health security, and damages trade and economies - the growth of global trade and travel allows resistant microorganisms to be spread rapidly to distant countries and continents. Facts on antimicrobial resistance • About 440,000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) emerge annually, causing at least 150 000 deaths. Extensively drug- resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has been reported in 64 countries to date. • World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unless drastic measures are taken to reduce AMR, in 2050 AMR will be the largest cause of death worldwide, causing 10 million deaths annually. • A high percentage of hospital-acquired infections are caused by highly resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. • Resistance is an emerging concern for treatment of HIV infection, following the rapid expansion in access to antiretroviral medicines in recent years; national surveys are underway to detect and monitor resistance. • AMR has become a serious problem for treatment of gonorrhea (caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae), involving even “last-line” oral cephalosporins, and is increasing in prevalence worldwide. Untreatable gonococcal infections would result in increased rates of illness and death, thus reversing the gains made in the control of this sexually transmitted infection. • New resistance mechanisms, such as the beta-lactamase NDM-1, have emerged among several gram-negative bacilli. This can render powerful antibiotics, which are often the last defence against multi-resistant strains of bacteria, ineffective. What drives AMR? • Inappropriate and irrational use of medicines provide favourable conditions for resistant microorganisms to emerge and spread. For example, when patients do not take the full course of a prescribed antimicrobial or when poor quality antimicrobials are used, resistant microorganisms can emerge and spread. Underlying factors that drive AMR include: • Inadequate national commitment to a comprehensive and coordinated response, ill-defined accountability and insufficient engagement of communities. • Weak or absent surveillance and monitoring systems. • Inadequate systems to ensure quality and uninterrupted supply of medicines. • Inappropriate and irrational use of medicines, including in animal husbandry. • Poor infection prevention and control practices. • Depleted arsenals of diagnostics, medicines and vaccines as well as insufficient research and development on new products. How is AMR spread? • Fecal contamination – when an animal is slaughtered or when AMR containing faeces is used as manure, AMR microbes can be transferred to the environment or meat products; • Water contamination – vegetables, fruit or shellfish can become contaminated if the water used to grow them or in which they live has AMR microbes; • Cross-contamination – Without the correct hygiene practices, AMR bacteria can be spread through food being handled on contaminated surfaces which can then be spread to other foods. How can I avoid it? • Always remember the 4 Cs when handling any food - Chill correctly, Clean well, Cook thoroughly and avoid Cross-contamination; • Meats such as poultry, pork, minced beef and lamb should be cooked so that the meat is steaming hot and there is no pink colour and juices run clear; • Wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables if you are eating them raw; • Only use antibiotics when necessary and complete the prescribed course so they can work successfully. • The emergence of AMR is a complex problem driven by many interconnected factors; single, isolated interventions have little impact. A global and national multi-sectoral response is urgently needed to combat the growing threat of AMR. The Response of The World Health Organization WHO is engaged in guiding the response to AMR through: policy guidance, support for surveillance, technical assistance, knowledge generation and partnerships, including through disease prevention and control programmes; essential medicines quality, supply and rational use; infection prevention and control; patient safety; and laboratory quality assurance. WHO calls on all key stakeholders, including policy-makers and planners, the public and patients, practitioners and prescribers, pharmacists and dispensers, and the pharmaceutical industry, to act and take responsibility for combating antimicrobial resistance. The Response of the Cayman Islands: • Increase awareness island-wide • Develop a National Action Plan to combat AMR • Include all relevant stakeholders from the public and private sector, including the people of the Cayman Islands and visitors. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE FACT SHEET For further information Contact the Public Health Department at 244-2621 or 244-2561 or The Department of Agriculture at 947-3090The 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” NOAH FELDMAN There are two truths about the Electoral College: It ought to be abolished, and it never will be. Calls for changing the constitutional election system abound now that Hillary Clinton has won the popular vote and lost the electoral vote, as Al Gore did in 2000. But it turns out that the same Constitution that enshrines the effectively pro- tects the small states from an amendment they don’t want. The problem goes back to the nation’s founding – and short of abolishing the states as ef- fective sovereigns, it basically can’t be fixed. The small states, which benefit from candidates’ at- tention, would never con- sent to being marginal- ized through a proportional system that favors the in- terests of densely populated states. But replacing the Electoral College would take a constitutional amendment approved by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and three-quarters of the state legislatures. Even if the first bar could be cleared – which is wildly unlikely – overcoming the second is unimaginable. The Catch-22 is no acci- dent. It goes back to the Phil- adelphia Constitutional Con- vention and the summer of 1787. The most enlightened Founders, including James Madison, pressed hard for a proportional Senate along- side the proportional House. The small states blocked it. And along the way, the small states also entrenched an amendment process that makes it essentially impos- sible to overcome their will. The story of the small states’ stand is fascinating and deeply consequential, but let me clarify that the Electoral College itself was not primarily a concession to the small states. Rather, the Electoral College was a compromise between selec- tion of the president by state legislatures or election by popular vote. Madison and other cen- tralizers, such as James Wilson of Pennsylvania, didn’t want the state leg- islatures to have too much power. They feared the states would pull the country apart, as seemed to be happening under the Articles of Con- federation. But direct elec- tion, which Wilson strongly favored, had its own risks, including a splintered elec- tion if the populace hadn’t heard of the candidates – or the election of an (ahem) un- suitable candidate by the un- tutored people. The Electoral College is, however, almost proportional to population – unlike the Senate, which was the small states’ main accomplishment. Madison went into the convention calling for pro- portional representation in both legislative chambers. His so-called Virginia plan was partly an effect of his re- publican ideology, which re- quired majority rule. It was also convenient for Virginia, which had the largest pop- ulation at the time. Majori- tarianism would, then as now, favor the regional inter- ests of concentrated popu- lation centers. Of course, Madison knew that small states wouldn’t like his proposal. But he pri- vately told his allies that the small states would have no choice but to go along with the big states. If the union fell apart, he figured, the large states would swallow the small states, so the small states had more to lose. Mad- ison actually said as much on the floor of the conven- tion: “What would be the con- sequence to the small states of the dissolution of the union?” he asked rhetorically. Would the small ones be more secure “when all con- trol of a general government was withdrawn”? Unfortunately for Mad- ison, his prediction was spectacularly wrong. As the summer progressed, the small states flatly refused to give up equal representa- tion in the Senate. They in- troduced the New Jersey plan, which all knew was a stalking horse to force compromise on the Senate. Eventually (and famously), the big states folded and the Great Compromise prevailed. As an effect of that compro- mise, Article V made amend- ments depend on the agree- ment of the states, too. It also made equal representation in the Senate unamendable ex- cept with a state’s consent. How did the small states get away with it? Here’s the kicker: The small states pre- vailed on equal Senate repre- sentation because they had equal votes in the Consti- tutional Convention itself – and would have an equal say in ratification. Madison had failed to realize that, given this equality, the small states could hold the large states hostage, gambling correctly that the big states would fold on the Senate. It didn’t escape notice that the reason for the small states’ power was the voting system of the convention. Madison and others were horrified at the illogic that the convention was itself following voting rules that made no sense as a matter of republican theory. But the big states couldn’t change the convention’s voting rules, which themselves followed the model of the Articles of Confederation, without get- ting the small states to agree. So why did the Articles of Confederation give all states an equal say in Congress? Because on July 4, 1776, the United States came together in part as a union of 13 states that had been British colonies until that day. Acting as separate states, the new states gave each other equal weight – like nations in the general assembly of the United Nations. In other words, the acci- dent of British colonial char- ters gave rise to the system we now have – and the great difficulty of amending it. This made no sense in 1787, and it makes no sense now. But short of abolishing the states as sovereign entities – which plenty of reasonable people (from big states) preferred at the founding – there was no choice but to let the small states get away with it. The upshot? When it comes to the difficulty of amending the Constitution to get rid of the Electoral Col- lege, you can blame it on the British Empire. Feldman, a Bloomberg View columnist, is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard. © 2016, Bloomberg View THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS When the Gender Equality Law was passed in 2011, lawmakers hailed it as an important step toward rec- tifying systemic bias toward men over women in the Cayman Islands private sector. Now, in its highest-profile decision yet, the associated Gender Equality Tribunal has issued a ruling based on the opposite: that a woman was unfairly being paid more than men in comparable positions, and for a government job in Cayman’s prisons system. Underscoring the absurdity of it all is the infinites- imal magnitude of the “disparity” in pay between the female prison supervisor and the four male custodial managers — amounting, in total, to 1.7 percent per year. (For our readers without a calculator nearby, that equates to $850 per year for a $50,000 salary or $425 for a $25,000 salary. In other words, a rounding error.) In addition, the obvious question needs to be asked: What’s sex got to do with this? The Tribunal’s ruling dwelled at length on issues unre- lated to “gender equality,” namely the pre-existing friend- ship and work history between the female supervisor Nina White and Cayman Islands Prison Director Neil Lavis — a connection that Mr. Lavis had appropriately disclosed to ministry officials and fellow interview panel members before Ms. White interviewed for the job. If primary issues to be considered involved allegations of pay inequality because of personal favoritism, why did the matter go before the Gender Equality Tribunal in the first place, rather than the Labour Tribunal? As a general point, we resist and resent efforts to divide the human species into subcategories, to reduce them to superficial characteristics, such as gender, race, religion, class or nationality, and to attempt to compare and judge them accordingly. Since we have a Gender Equality Tribunal, are we to have a tribunal for each of the other traits we listed above, plus additional ones for blood type, dietary restrictions or political ideology? We would contend the opposite. Citizen tribunals are little more than coteries of amateur judges. The lack of training, experience and judicial temperament leads directly to decisions like the one made by the Gender Equality Tribunal. This single case is a persuasive argument in favor of getting rid of the Gender Equality Tribunal, for starters. It is difficult to believe that this kind of intrusive flexing of authority over an ultimately trivial matter is what our elected officials envisioned when they unani- mously approved the Law and created the Tribunal. We would argue, on the other hand, that it was inevitable. The Tribunal’s methodology of attempting to compare salaries, using criteria such as job titles and years of experience, is fundamentally flawed. As any business owner will tell you, an individual’s job title does not equate to the value he or she brings to a company. “Years on the job” is also a poor indi- cator, one promoted primarily by entities (such as unions) who oppose “merit pay” and government bureaucrats who like simple, “one size fits all” metrics. Stated briefly, people defy such simplistic categorization. In a way, it is good that the first vehicle to hit the Gender Equality Tribunal pothole is a government- controlled one. If a private company were dragged through this process over a matter of 1.7 percent, it would have a profound, chilling effect on Cayman’s business environment. The ruling should serve as a warning to officials, sig- naling the necessity of swift action in regard to this rogue Tribunal — and, more broadly, of intense critical scrutiny of Cayman’s entire network of citizen panels adjudicating administrative law. Gender Equality Tribunal scores giant victory for … men’s rights? Blame the British for the US Electoral College [T]he Electoral College was a compromise between selection of the president by state legislatures or election by popular vote.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 more sleeps 2 IT’S ALMOST HERE! Lovers of Magic Mila, 6 and Lilli, 4 CAMANABAY.COM Visit our website for all the cheer-filled details. ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING THIS SATURDAY, 5-8PM Enjoy Festive Performances Browse the Christmas Market Whisper in Santa’s Ear Fewer sign up this year for Christmas cleanup work JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com More than 300 people turned up at the Lions Com- munity Centre on Wednesday looking for Christmas work under a government-spon- sored program. Last year, more than 700 people signed up for tem- porary work under the Na- tional Community Enhance- ment Project. Employment Minister Tara Rivers said she was happy to see fewer people seeking work this year. “That’s a testament that the government is really committed to trying to im- prove the employment pros- pects of all in the country,” said Ms. Rivers. From as early as 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Caymanians and people with the right to work waited for a chance to get a temporary job in the cleanup project that runs in the weeks before Christmas. The work includes gardening and cleaning public parks, beaches and roadsides, as well as re- pairs and maintenance on government properties. After a short welcoming prayer by Jean Solomon, Levi Allen, the Public Works De- partment Training, Devel- opment and Safety Officer and project manager for the program, gave instruc- tions on working safely and some of the guidelines that govern the project. Tasha Ebanks Garcia, deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Employment, de- scribed the registration pro- cess as workers went through the various sign-up stations. Ms. Rivers also told workers that the government is committed to ensuring that those who sign up to work do not just consider the program “free money.” “That’s not what it’s about. This program is about giving each of you the op- portunity to demonstrate that you are willing, are able and you are capable of hard work. My grandmother al- ways said hard work don’t kill nobody,” Ms. Rivers said. Community Affairs Min- ister Osbourne Bodden agreed that it was a good thing to see fewer people looking for jobs. “If we have one person not working, it’s one too much in my mind and my goal is to try and get all of [you] guys, if you want to and really care to, into the workplace,” said Mr. Bodden. The government spent $444,359 on last year’s program. Ganja boat lands, no one on board Police appeal for public assistance Royal Cayman Is- lands Police officers were searching East End dis- trict on Wednesday for the occupants of a canoe containing a sub- stance believed to be ganja, which landed near Colliers Beach. Police found and seized the craft and the drugs on board around dawn Wednesday, but as of press time, whoever had been on board had not been found. As of late morning, po- lice believed the individ- uals were still in East End, but said they may be attempting to get to other parts of Grand Cayman. Anyone who noted “sus- picious looking” people in the East End/Colliers Beach area Wednesday morning is asked to call 911 or the George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Man arrested in West Bay fight Released on bail A 29-year-old West Bay man was arrested Sunday night after another man was injured in a fight ear- lier that evening. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the dispute oc- curred near the intersec- tion of Reverend Blackman Road and Birch Tree Hill Road in West Bay around 7:15 p.m. A man who was hurt in the fight was treated at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital and was later released. The suspect was re- leased on police bail and had not been charged as of press time Wednesday. Employment Minister Tara Rivers speaks Wednesday with people at the Lions Community Centre looking for work on the government’s National Community Enhancement Project. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Bodden Town THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Seagull from DC winds up in the district In the Nov. 16, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Haig Bodden wrote: “How far do birds travel? A seagull which bore a tag from Wash- ington D.C. was caught here on Saturday by Raymond Jackson. “Raymond was featured in the Caymanian a few months ago when he had discovered a twin mango. A born naturalist, this boy has his eye open all the time for all the little inter- esting oddities of nature. “The seagull was set free after the identifica- tion tag had been removed. The tag will be returned to Washington. It is a reg- ular practice to mark birds in order to determine their migration habits and other characteristics. “Mr. Cardinal Carter returned to the island after spending a month abroad. “Mr. Lepair Barnes and his wife Lillian returned on Sunday from New York. Lepair had been gone for almost 15 years. “Mr. Alfred Rob- inson also arrived on Sunday evening.” Pirates invade Bodden Town JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The exciting prospects of enjoying local food, artifacts, cultural activities and local music had visitors and pirates stopping in at the Bodden Town Heritage Day on Monday. The annual event held at the Harry McCoy Sr. Park and Nurse Josie’s Home during Pirates Week featured live music, crafts, food, local busi- nesses and more from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Nov. 14. And by the water on Coe Wood Beach, partygoers were busy cooking up jerk and fried fish while enjoying the day listening to country singer Dexter Bodden and playing dominoes. On parade was the Bodden Town Festival Queen, showing off an elaborate costume made with stunning feathers col- lected from the friendly neigh- borhood peacock. Along with other beautiful costumes, young people modeled some of the latest youth fashions. Visitors came dressed up in antique clothing and pi- rate gear, including Cay- man’s most famous pirate, Darvin Ebanks, and his crew. The group enjoyed lunch on the grounds, and visited the old-time Cayman kitchen located behind Nurse Josie’s Seniors centre. Among other things, the Heritage Day provided an op- portunity for locals to sell fa- vorites like coconut water, roast corn and heavy cakes. Although happily eating special occasion food and en- joying the ambience of the shady almond trees and live music by Dennom Bodden, many visitors wondered at the lack of people attending, and what time the dance and fireworks would be taking place. It was not until late eve- ning that many learned that the dance and activities scheduled for Pedro Castle later that night had been canceled. To give visitors a bit more time to enjoy them- selves, the Heritage Com- mittee announced the activi- ties at the park would go on until 10 p.m. A few visitors said they like bringing their families to Heritage Day every year, but found the events in the dis- tricts were slowly dwindling. Twyla Vargas, who has lived in the neighborhood all her life, said she felt the heri- tage days are in need of an in- jection of new life. “I enjoyed the day by the roadside, eating roast corn and chatting with family and friends as they made their way to the park, and I enjoyed the music by Mr. Bodden,” she said. Pirates Melinda Maldonado, Darvin Ebanks, young Matthew Bush, Mason Evans and Richard Carey strike a pose in front of the old-time kitchen behind Nurse Josie’s Senior Centre.The Bodden Town Heritage Queen shows off her peacock costume. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Rethann McCarthy tends the caboose at Pedro Watler’s Culture Spot.Pirate Darvin Ebanks visits with neighbourhood resident Twyla Vargas. Kids enjoy snow cones on the go.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 UCCI awards honorary doctorate to Steve McField Steve McField has received an honorary doctorate from the University College of the Cayman Islands for his con- tributions to the fields of law, history, politics, public educa- tion and nation building. Mr. McField was presented the award by university presi- dent Roy Bodden during UC- CI’s commencement cere- mony on Nov. 3. Listing Mr. McField’s many accomplishments and ser- vices, UCCI social sciences chairman and director of re- search and publications Liv- ingston Smith described Mr. McField as, “an individual who, in the course of his life, has learned how to turn vicis- situdes into persistence and obstacles and potential down- falls into triumphs.” Mr. Smith said Mr. McField received his early education at various schools, including the Seventh-day Adventist School on Fort Street. George Town, but his desire to attend col- lege was set back when his parents could not afford to send him abroad to study. This did not keep him down, and his yearning for ed- ucation was inspired further when he met Leila McTaggart Ross Shire, the author of the Cayman National Song. She mentored the budding scholar, introducing him to some of the giants of literature. Like most Caymanians of the day, Mr. McField went to sea in 1955 to earn money to further his education. With his meager savings, he was able to attend the New York School of Dental Tech- nology, where he earned a diploma. In 1967, he sat the Canadian National Board Ex- amination for Dental Techni- cians and he became a dental technician in Canada. In 1968, he attended Van- couver City College and then the University of British Co- lumbia, graduating with honors in history and polit- ical science. He later attended the University of British Co- lumbia Law School before transferring to the University of the West Indies, where he graduated with honors. In Vancouver, he was a member of the Vancouver Council of Christians and Jews. He was also a member of the Vancouver Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Col- ored People and served as the chairman. Within that organi- zation he went to work on the campaigns of the late Emory Barnes and Rosemary Brown, the first black politicians to be elected to the British Co- lumbia legislature. While a student at the University of British Co- lumbia, Mr. McField wrote a letter to the U.N. Decolonization Committee. His letter was later turned into a petition that circulated in the United Nations. In 1974, he served as clerk of the courts in the Cayman Islands Judicial Department, and was called to the Bar at the Honorable Society of Lin- coln’s Inn in London in 1977. He was elected vice president of the Student Union. Mr. McField also served as Crown council in the Legal Department of the Cayman islands. In 1979, Mr. McField es- tablished his own law firm. He was a founding member of the Caymanian Bar Association in 1988 and served as vice president, president and Bar Council member. He was awarded the Bar Council’s award of “Man for all Seasons” for leading the Cayman Bar Association. He is also a member of the International Bar Association. He has served the Cayman Islands on the Housing Devel- opment Board, Air Transport Licensing Board, Cayman Is- lands Airports Authority Board and National Roads Authority Board. He has written two books: “The History of Family Land in the Cayman Islands” and “The Cayman Islands: The Ideal Caribbean Fi- nancial Centre.” In 1991-1992, Mr. McField was one of the authors of a draft of the Cayman Constitu- tion, on behalf of the Cayman Bar Association. In 2003, the Quincenten- nial Committee awarded him for his contributions to Cayman society, and in Jan- uary 2011 was awarded the Cayman Medal of Honour Commander Class during Na- tional Heroes Day. “Today, hardly retired, Mr. McField continues to be a historical, constitutional, cul- tural and political commen- tator on television, radio and the print media in the Cayman Islands,” said Mr. Smith. UCCI President Roy Bodden presents Steve McField with his honorary doctorate. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Kids in the limelight at Pedro pirate fun day Hundreds of young pi- rates and their crews congre- gated on Pedro St. James on Sunday for the Pirates Week children’s fun day featuring contests, games and lots of pirate entertainment. “We saw approximately 300 children of all ages with parents in tow, all dressed as pirates,” said Pirates Week Executive Director Melanie McField. “As usual, everyone was excited to meet and take pictures with the pi- rates, including Captain Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard and Cayman’s own Cap- tain Black Terrence. We are so thankful to our local and international pirates for all their time and ef- fort in helping to entertain people,” she said. The day featured cos- tume contests, a treasure hunt, a magician and plenty of food, with friends and families making the most of the outing by picnicking under the palm trees and exploring the Pedro great house and grounds. Ms. McField thanked all of the sponsors for helping to support an event to “offer children an opportunity to create lasting memories of our national festival.” Savannah Primary students honor vets Savannah Primary School students had a special dress-down day on Nov. 4 to raise money for the Cayman Islands Veterans Association. The students raised $519, which was presented to veteran Col. Larry Rochelle by school Head Boy Maleik Eden and Head Girl Soleya Manzanares. At two special school assemblies on Nov. 7 and 8 for the infants and the seniors, Col. Rochelle spoke to the students about Remembrance Day and the role veterans played in history, and the students had the opportunity to ask questions and to get a close look at some military memorabilia. Kids had a swashbuckling time at the Pirates Week Children’s fun day at Pedro. - PHOTO: JONATHAN WILLIAMS8 HEALTH NEWS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 181852_PRINT2-IH-Anniversary-ComPage 1 11/11/16 4:48:06 PM Uncommon local surgical case featured in medical journal A case involving a Chrissie Tomlinson Memo- rial Hospital patient with chronic pancreatitis and a ruptured spleen has been featured in a peer-reviewed medical journal. A report on the case by the hospital’s chief radiologist, Dr. Yaron Rado, and general sur- geon Dr. Christopher Bromley appeared in the Case Reports in Surgery journal. The re- port was studied and written in collaboration with three doctors from the University of Liverpool Medical School – Parisa Moori, Edward J. Nevins and Thomas Wright – who were shadowing the Chrissie Tomlinson doctors at the time of the case. The case report explores the rare complication of a pancreatic pseudocyst in a 29-year-old male patient who had been admitted to Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital after presenting himself at the emergency department. The patient had a his- tory of excessive alcohol in- take and chronic pancreatitis. His case involved a pancre- atic pseudocyst, secondary to chronic alcoholic pancre- atitis, which was complicated by an atraumatic splenic rup- ture. “The low occurrence and poor understanding of such cases make this a vital topic for awareness for emer- gency general surgeons,” the doctors said. A CT scan confirmed splenic rupture, which was managed surgically with a full recovery, according to a press release from the hospital. In their report, the doc- tors indicated that there are several cases in the literature documenting cases of atrau- matic splenic rupture, “but it remains an uncommon phe- nomenon and for this reason this diagnosis is often over- looked in a patient without a history of trauma.” Dr. Rado and Dr. Bromley “were able to postulate that when specific findings occur in a patient under the cir- cumstances discussed in the case, what may happen next,” the press release stated. The doctors decided to prepare the report and share the information because “[t] hey hope that by raising awareness, they will be en- abling other emergency de- partments to diagnose similar cases.” Longtime visiting spe- cialist Dr. Joel N. Slutsky has relocated to the Cayman Is- lands, according to a press release from Chrissie Tom- linson Memorial Hospital. Dr. Slutsky is now a full- time member of the hospital team, the press release states. Dr. Patrick Auman, admin- istrator for the hospital, said, “The expediency of appoint- ments with Dr. Slutsky and the benefit of his presence here for anyone experiencing urological problems will be an asset to the community as a whole. We are grateful he is here full-time with CTMH.” Dr. Slutsky completed his education at Universidad Au- tonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico and an internship in urology; he also had a five- year residency in surgery and urology at Rush Univer- sity Medical Center in Chi- cago, Illinois. He specializes in pros- tate problems, incontinence and treatment for overac- tive bladder. He also per- forms pelvic floor recon- struction, sacral nerve stimulation therapy, and surgical solutions for urolog- ical problems. Dr. Slutsky has been treating patients on island for more than 15 years. He recently closed his practice in Chicago where he was also on staff at Rush Univer- sity Medical Center. He also taught urology residents at the university. He is certified by the American Board of Urology and is a member of the Chi- cago Urological Society, Il- linois Urological Society, American College of Sur- geons, American Urological Association and American Medical Society. VISITING UROLOGIST RELOCATES TO CAYMAN Dr. Joel Slutsky DOCTOR TO TALK ABOUT MEN’S CANCERS Baptist Health South Florida urologist Dr. Daniel Martinez will make presenta- tions at men’s cancer aware- ness lectures this week. The lectures are hosted by the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, Lions Club of Cayman Islands and Baptist Health International. The first “Pillars to Men’s Health” lecture will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Lions Centre. On Friday there will be a “Breakfast & Learn” at 8 a.m. and a “Lunch & Learn” at noon, both at Room 6, CUC Corporate Administration Building, 457 North Sound Road. Food will be provided at both events. According to a press re- lease from Baptist Health South Florida, Dr. Martinez is fellowship-trained in sexual medicine, andrology and male infertility. He received his de- gree from Boston Univer- sity School of Medicine in Massachusetts.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016 FIND YOUR BEST DEALS DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE OVER 10,000 CARS IN STOCK Tel : +81 42 440 3440 | Email : top@beforward.jp www.beforward.jp Shipped to George Town Cayman Islands DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE DREAM CAR AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE Mr. Bush, speaking in front of assembled digni- taries including the gov- ernor, the premier and members of the Cabinet as well as senior Dart group executives, said Dart’s planned project at the prop- erty next to the Kimpton or at its site near Royal Palms would be ideal locations for that type of development. “If anybody has done a project right, it has been Dart. He ain’t going any- where,” he added. Realtor Kim Lund said Mr. Bush’s comments re- flect the reality of the sit- uation, particularly on Seven Mile Beach. He said he has yet to personally encounter a de- veloper seeking to go be- yond 10 stories, but he added that cost of land along the beach has in- creased due to lack of supply, and developers are seeking to build upward to maximize the return on investment. “Going forward, any new development or rede- velopment along Seven Mile Beach will almost certainly be the equivalent of 10 sto- ries in height,” he said. Mr. Bush, in his speech, suggested higher buildings make sense for an island with limited land area. He said it would allow “economy of footprint,” greater setbacks from the beach and encourage re- sponsible coastal man- agement, adding that it would also “protect the waterfront as a public amenity while respecting the economic value” of development. As premier, in 2010 Mr. Bush approved changes to the Development and Planning Law and regu- lations which raised the building height restriction from seven to 10 stories. He said he did not intend to criticize the framework ar- rangement, which he believes has been positive for Cay- man’s finances. Cayman has recorded budget surpluses of more than $100 million each year since 2013 and reduced central government debt from about $575 million to $500 in the past three years. However, the framework agreement has caused some delays, particularly, Mr. Ar- cher said, with the Progres- sives-led government’s ef- forts to get the George Town landfill remediation project off the ground. “We’ve taken a beating from a number of sources on the dump,” the minister said. Various environmental and implementation studies required by the legally binding framework agree- ment have delayed the land- fill and the port development projects’ start dates for years longer than the government expected, Mr. Archer said. “All of those things com- bined for the landfill and the George Town cruise berthing facility and cargo dock have taken us several years and millions of dollars,” he said. “But we’ve had to comply with every step … of the Framework for Fiscal Re- sponsibility. We just want to be able to streamline the process.” Following the cash sur- pluses generated in recent government budgets, Mr. Ar- cher said it appears Cayman has some more money – per- haps between $8 million and $12 million – to pay off additional debts before they actually come due. These are mainly “histor- ical debts” amassed by sep- arately operating statutory authorities and government- owned companies that ac- crue interest every year at a far greater rate than gov- ernment’s cash accounts earn interest. “We’re earning about 1 percent interest on our money, but the interest on the debt is accruing at 4 to 5 percent each year,” Mr. Archer said. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that’s not helping the country.” The government’s Public Management and Finance Law would penalize the ad- ministration for paying more than 10 percent of its core revenues in any given year toward debt. If that oc- curs under the current ar- rangement, the U.K. could be placed back in direct con- trol of Cayman’s government finances. Cayman just re- gained control of its annual budget, which it has had to present to the U.K. foreign office each year since 2010. “We are awaiting the [for- eign office’s] decision, but they agreed that what we were saying was not un- usual,” Mr. Archer said. Cayman has US$312 mil- lion in debt looming via a November 2019 bullet loan the previous government took out to help pay recur- ring costs. Mr. Archer said it seems doubtful at this stage that the debt could be paid “in one go” and has indicated some refinancing of that bond could be needed. Schwarzenegger keynote speaker at investment summit Legendary Hollywood ac- tion film star and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named keynote speaker for next year’s Cayman Alterna- tive Investment Summit. The annual conference for decision makers in the global alternative investment in- dustry has been set for Feb. 15-17 at the new Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa on Seven Mile Beach. For the fourth consecu- tive year, the summit is being held in Grand Cayman. Mr. Schwarzenegger was sched- uled as the keynote speaker for the 2015 event but was not able to attend. Previous high-profile speakers at the event have in- cluded former U.S. President George W. Bush, comedian Jay Leno and Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino. The theme of the 2017 summit is “Defying Gravity: The Future of Alterna- tive Investments in Excep- tional Times.” The event features in- dustry speakers, panel dis- cussions and “fireside chats” to review the relevance of al- ternative investments in the modern landscape. The summit is ex- pected to bring more than 500 attendees from pen- sion plans, endowments, family offices, hedge funds and other alternative invest- ment vehicles. Mr. Schwarzenegger, who is soon to return to American television as a new host of “Celebrity Apprentice,” is also known as an environmental advocate and philanthropist. “We are thrilled to be able to welcome Governor Schwar- zenegger as our keynote speaker for Cayman’s Alterna- tive Investment Summit 2017,” said Chris Duggan, vice presi- dent of Dart Enterprises Ltd. “His achievements span ath- letics, film and politics, so I’m sure he will have some fasci- nating insights to share about his life and storied career.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gov’t in talks with UK on borrowing rules Bush calls for SMB buildings up to 30 stories CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush, with Dart Real Estate president Jackie Doak, at the opening of the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa Tuesday. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER “I am saying it is time for us to move to different heights, to 20, 30 stories. We will save land, we will save property and it will be better for these islands.” MCKEEVA BUSH, opposition leader “All of those things combined for the landfill and the George Town cruise berthing facility and cargo dock have taken us several years and millions of dollars.” MARCO ARCHER, finance minister Finance Minister Marco Archer Arnold SchwarzeneggerNext >