ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 High of 85 Low of 74 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 6 to 8 feet. A small craft warning is in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CAYMAN CHRISTMAS: TIME TO GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT SPORTS | PAGE 23 MCENROE, COURIER, SELES AND HANTUCHOVA TO HEADLINE LEGENDS Battle over beach access paths JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com From a busy stretch of West Bay Road, the distinctive beach access sign directs tourists and residents down an overgrown but service- able path, in the direction of the ocean. It curves through several condominium developments for some 500 feet before tra- versing a quiet residential street. Then it hits a dead end in the form of a locked iron gate. Committed beachgoers can walk 50 yards farther up the road to find a second path to the beach, which locals say has been used for years. This too is barred by a gate. A sign in- dicates that the access is for “keyholders only.” In the other direction, a third beach path is similarly gated. Still farther down the road, another public access sign indicates a fourth lane through two properties leading to the beach. It is ac- cessible, though confusingly someone has en- graved “private access” in the concrete. Within this short stretch of Boggy Sand Road are four examples of the conflict and confusion surrounding the issue of public rights to the beach and the obligations of land owners to facilitate access through their properties. Similar conflicts have arisen across the island. Several legislators have highlighted multiple access paths in thier districts that are blocked or where signs have been removed. New laws envisioned Now government is planning new legisla- tion, which could come to the Legislative As- sembly next year, to make the various laws surrounding beach access paths more efficient 55 FIND WORK THROUGH JOBS PROGRAM Ready2Work under budget as employers, not government, pay new hires JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A planned $1.7 million back-to work pro- gram for the unemployed has cost less than 5 percent of the amount budgeted after the ma- jority of employers turned down government’s offer to pay salaries for risky new hires. Tasha Ebanks Garcia, deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Employment and Education, said the actual spending equated to $700 per person, roughly $80,000 in total. “For $700, we have 55 people now em- ployed and another 56 in training and re- cruitment programs on their way to employ- ment,” she said. The surplus money will go to extending the program into 2017 and to help fund any ex- pansion of the services provided based on an evaluation of this year’s pilot program. The Ready2Work scheme, introduced in January, initially involved an offer from gov- ernment to pay up to six months’ salary as an incentive for companies to take on job- less Caymanians. Officials said Tuesday that most employers had not taken the stipend and had been willing to hire and pay workers gleaned from the National Workforce Development Agency’s database. The hiring was on a trial basis as part of the new program, which offers assess- ment and support in the first six months in an effort to reduce the risk and cost to companies in taking on new staff who have issues or bar- riers to employment. So far, 23 people have found long-term National Choir to present ‘Ave Maria’ program The Cayman National Choir and Cayman National Orchestra, as their last concert of 2016, will perform an evening of sacred music on Thursday. The concert will take place at the Marriott resort ballroom from 7:30-9 p.m. Sue Horrocks, musical di- rector of the choir since 1998, will direct a selection of “Ave Maria” pieces by a variety of composers. The program will fea- ture solos by soprano Georgina Gatto and tenor Arek Nicholson. Ms. Gatto, who has been singing since she was a child, performs a repertoire of pop and classical music. She lives in Cayman with her husband, Dr. Howard Deosaran, founder and medical director of TrinCay Medical Centre and Urgent Care, and their children. Mr. Nicholson, a resident of West Bay and a longtime member of the choir, teaches music at John Gray High School. Ms. Horrocks is the head of the Junior School at Cayman Prep and High School. She has been involved in more than 30 productions with the Cayman Drama Society as a musician, actor and director. The 50-member Cayman National Choir is a mixed-voice choir of Caymanians and expa- triates. The ensemble has been performing for almost 40 years with the goal of preserving Cay- manian musical heritage. Tickets are US$30 for adults and $10 for students, and are available at the door or online at www.caymanartsfestival.com. Call 922-5550 or email enquiries@caymanartsfestival.com. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » North Side police station reopens Eight burglaries and one attempted burglary in North Side within a month have led Royal Cayman Islands Police Service commanders to reopen the district police station in response to residents’ fears about crime. Community police officers and traffic unit officers hit the streets over the weekend in a show of force. See the full story on page 9. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLER2 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 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. FANTASTIC BEASTS (PG13) AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 3D 12:15 | 1:10 2D | 3:20 | 4:40 2D 6:30 | 8:00 2D | 9:40 ALMOST CHRISTMAS (PG13) 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 9:50 ARRIVAL (PG13) 1:20 | 4:10 | 7:10 | 9:50 DOCTOR STRANGE 3D (PG13) 1:30 | 4:30 2D | 7:15 2D | 10:05 2D TROLLS 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:00 2D | 5:15 | 7:30 2D | 10:00 - WEDNESDAY - Copper Falls Steakhouse Invites You to Enjoy a Traditional American anksgiving with us ursday November 24, 2016 from 5:30 to 10:30pm For CI$29.95 Turkey with Herb Stu ng and Gravy Cranberry Sauce Mixed Vegetables Garlic Mashed Potatoes Pumpkin Pie And Included: Beer, Martini or Highball Garlic Mashed Potatoes Pumpkin Pie And Included: Beer, Martini or Highball Reservations recommended, please call 945-4755 A Rare Steakhouse, Very Well Done We Have Gi Certi cates Available For Your Christmas Present Needs Government considers taking over running of children’s homes CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A strategic assessment for the Children and Youth Services Foundation says that the organization that runs children’s homes in Cayman could be integrated into government. The assessment, re- leased Friday, looks at sev- eral strategies to save money and provide better support for and oversight of the organization which cares for children who have been abused or neglected by their parents. The Executive Council, now Cabinet, created the CAYS Foundation as a gov- ernment-owned company in 2002. The foundation runs the Frances Bodden Children’s Home, the Bo- naventure Boys Home and Phoenix House to rehabili- tate and care for children and teenagers in Cayman. The Ministry of Commu- nity Affairs, Youth and Sport commissioned the report based on recommendations in the Ernst & Young Project Future report. Ministry officials did not respond to questions by deadline, but in a press re- lease Chief Officer Dorine Whittaker said, “Through the Strategic Assessment of the CAYS Foundation, we have taken a critical look at our services. We have also identi- fied potential options to help us strengthen this service in order to provide the best pos- sible care for the children and young people.” Ms. Whittaker said, “I am now looking forward to the findings of the outline busi- ness case and to overseeing implementation of the recom- mended solution.” The assessment looked at eight possible options for how to improve the govern- ment-run company in charge of Cayman’s most at-risk youth. The options ran from doing nothing to breaking up the foundation’s operations across several ministries. The assessment ended with three possibilities to be re- viewed in an outline business case: do nothing; integrate CAYS into the Department of Counseling Services; or “Im- prove current processes, re- duce duplications and ra- tionalise service provision” at the foundation. The report notes that CAYS staff support integra- tion with the Department of Counseling Services, stating, “CAYS report that the current structure of the Government- owned Company is not ideal, as the Board of Directors has limited expertise in treatment services. Further, the Direc- tors, despite being appointed by Cabinet, are volunteers and, therefore, maintaining a quorum for Board meetings is challenging.” The assessment con- tinues: “Integrating CAYS with DCS provides the oppor- tunity to have clinical over- sight, thereby enhancing the continuum of care in treat- ment services for at-risk chil- dren and their families.” The assessment explains that the merger could create a better system for chil- dren to be referred to CAYS and “could minimise chil- dren being removed from their families without other interventions having been tried first.” In the press release, Min- ister Osbourne Bodden said, “The focus of this project on the CAYS Foundation is about making sure that we do our very best to help some of our most vulner- able children. This Strategic Assessment is an impor- tant first step by my Min- istry towards having a plan for improvement that is stra- tegic and robust.” The assessment looked at eight possible options for how to improve the government-run company in charge of Cayman’s most at-risk youth. CIS hosts Cayman Islands Model United Nations conference Forty-seven students from Cayman International, St. Ig- natius and Triple C schools participated in CIS’s second Cayman Islands Model United Nations Conference to discuss topics on interna- tional relations. Model UN is an educa- tional simulation or aca- demic competition where students can learn about di- plomacy, international rela- tions and the United Nations. The Cayman conference, organized by Cayman CIS Model UN team and sponsor Sarah Dyer, saw students eager to share their experi- ences from previous interna- tional MUN conferences they had attended. The Cayman conference will help prepare students for the Chicago In- ternational Model United Na- tions conference in December. Growth of the event has prompted the CIS team to expand to include two com- mittees, the General As- sembly and the World Health Organization, as well as a press delegation. The committees dis- cussed ways in which they plan to implement policies and regulations in order to achieve goals in the topics of educational access, legal and de facto equality, zero hunger and neglected trop- ical diseases. This will be the fifth time the students are attending the conference in Chicago. The Cayman International School team of students in grades 9 and 12 will rep- resent Nigeria as their pri- mary country at the confer- ence. The team secured a seat on the Security Council and also the International Court of Justice. They also have seats in the Russian and Ser- bian Cabinets. The Cayman International School team encourages other schools to become fa- miliar with Model United Na- tions so that they will have the opportunity to expand their skills in researching, public speaking, debating and writing, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership. All local schools are in- vited to send students to the next local MUN conference in 2017, “CAYMUN III.” Students from Cayman International School, St. Ignatius and Triple C attend the Cayman Model United Nations conference. Dorine WhittakerThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 17 FEBRUARY 2017 VISITOR CENTRE IN CAMANA BAY Legends is a world-class annual tennis showcase which will be taking place in Grand Cayman for one night only on Friday 17 February 2017. LEGENDSCAYMAN.COM VISITOR CENTRE IN CAMANA BAY Legends is a world-class annual tennis showcase which will be taking place in Grand Cayman for one night only on Friday 17 February 2017. LEGENDSCAYMAN.COM JIM COURIER JOHN McENROE MONICA SELES VIP TICKETS BLEACHERS ULTRA PARTY CORPORATE PACKAGES $250 PER STANDING VIP $100 PER TICKET $100 PER TICKET Set against the stunning backdrop of Camana Bay, the event will feature tennis stars from Hall of Fame legends to Grand Slam champions and former World #1s with this year’s line-up including John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Daniela Hantuchová. Watch as the stars battle it out in a combination of mixed doubles and men’s singles before heading over to the Camana Bay helipad for the legendary Ultra Party. Standing VIP tickets are sold individually for $250 each and are inclusive of food and beverages and include access to the VIP standing area. Our general admission bleacher tickets include designated seating and access to bars and food in the general admission section. The Legends Ultra Party will take place on the Camana Bay helipad from 10pm – 2am and will feature player appearances, music, dancing and inclusive food and beverages. A limited number of tickets are available for $100 each. Premium VIP tickets are inclusive of food and beverages and have a seat in our exclusive VIP stand. These tickets are sold in sets of six and cost $2,100 total. Each set of tickets also contains one complimentary ticket to the Legends Ultra Party. DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ VISITOR CENTRE IN CAMANA BAYVISITOR CENTRE IN CAMANA BAY $250 PER STANDING VIP Set against the stunning backdrop of Camana Bay, the event will feature tennis stars from Hall of Fame legends to Grand Slam champions and former World #1s with this year’s line-up including John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Daniela Hantuchová. Watch as the stars battle it out in a combination of mixed doubles and Standing VIP tickets are sold individually for $250 each and are inclusive of food and beverages Our general admission bleacher tickets include designated seating and access to bars and food in the The Legends Ultra Party will take place on the Camana Bay helipad from 10pm – 2am and will feature player appearances, music, dancing and inclusive food and beverages. A limited HANTUCHOVÁHANTUCHOVÁHANTUCHOV TICKETS ON SALE 25 NOVEMBERAnti-money laundering rules have unintended consequences If you are in business and the government will not allow you to open a bank account, what do you do? Thirty years ago, almost anyone could walk into a bank and open a bank account with no ques- tions asked. But now it is in- creasingly difficult for honest people and businesses to open bank accounts because of all the new regulations on banks, which are intended to make life more difficult for terror- ists, drug dealers, child por- nographers, money launderers and other assorted criminal types. Banks and other finan- cial institutions are subject to “know your customer” reg- ulations and are supposed to monitor the funds they re- ceive to make sure they do not come from criminal sources. Twenty-nine states have laws legalizing marijuana to some extent, such as for medical purposes. Eight states — Colorado, Wash- ington, Alaska, Oregon, Cali- fornia, Nevada, Massachu- setts and Maine, plus the District of Columbia — now have legalized marijuana for recreational use, even though marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Federal law trumps state law — the Civil War decided that issue — but the Obama administration stated it would not try to en- force the federal anti-mari- juana law in states where it had been made legal. But banks and other finan- cial institutions are subject to federal law, and thus cannot legally accept deposits from criminals — and those who are in the marijuana business are considered criminals by the feds but not by the states in which it is legal. The big banks fear massive fines if they have customers or cus- tomers of their customers who are engaged in an illegal activity. The feds have ulti- mate control over every finan- cial institution, even ones that are purely local, because every financial institution needs a bank account with another fi- nancial institution in order to transmit and receive funds from customers outside of their own bank. Small local banks and credit unions nor- mally have bank accounts with a bigger bank, which, in turn, has an account with one of the biggest banks that has an account with the Federal Reserve. If the folks in Wash- ington, D.C. don’t like some of the customers of some small bank in Denver, or in Switzerland, or even China, they have the ability to label it a “bad bank,” which is a warning to all the banks in the world that have direct or indirect corresponding bank accounts with the “bad bank” that “you are going to have trouble with us unless you drop them as customers.” Shutting down corresponding banking relationships is a major tool that the United States uses to put financial sanctions on a country like North Korea or Iran. Many of those who are in- volved in the Colorado mari- juana business — growers, processors and retailers — have found it impossible to get bank accounts, so they have been forced to deal in cash. As a result, armored cars go around to the var- ious pot businesses, pick up the cash and put it in a hope- fully secure warehouse. The business is growing rapidly, so literally billions of dollars of cash are being transported and hidden in Colorado alone. Once the marijuana businesses get up and run- ning in all the states that have made it legal, there may well be more than $100 bil- lion in physical cash sloshing around — for this one type of business alone — making it ripe for theft, armed robbery and, of course, tax evasion. The need to do everything in cash creates new indus- tries, both legal and illegal. It is ironic that the anti-money laundering laws, which were in part used to discourage the use of cash because it is so hard to monitor, have been the biggest accelerant for the use of cash and attendant il- legal activity. This is not only true with the domestic mari- juana industry, but also with the international require- ments to know your customer. Americans living abroad have been finding that they cannot open local bank accounts be- cause foreign banks are sub- ject to the U.S. financial re- porting requirements, which often makes it too expensive for them to open bank ac- counts for Americans (and others). Foreign workers in the United States and other countries are finding it in- creasingly difficult to send remittances back home to their families (which is the best and least expensive form of foreign aid). All sorts of clever people have been trying to figure out how to fill the need for finan- cial services by finding ways around the government reg- ulations, including the use of new digital monies like bitcoin and Tokken. Eventu- ally, the clever people will develop practical U.S. dollar substitutes that are almost impossible to regulate. The whole anti-money laundering effort is fatally flawed because it failed to an- ticipate how people would re- spond to the higher costs im- posed and privacy destroyed. Yes, criminals use money, just as they use automobiles, phones and paper when com- mitting crimes. But trying to prevent criminals from using dollars for illegal purposes — particularly when what is defined as criminal activity varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction — imposes such huge costs on everyone else as to make the whole ef- fort destructive to the safety, privacy and economic well- being of the citizens. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2016, The Washington Times WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 In the United States, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, but here in the Cayman Islands, the Christmas Season has already begun. You can tell by the weather – our famous “soft, fresh breezes” have arrived, driving off the heat and humidity of another glorious (but sweltering) summer. As we reported in Tuesday’s Compass, recent dry weather may hold a few weeks longer, signaling the end of mosquito season and hopefully leading to a de-escalation of the threat posed by the Zika virus. Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, the novel techniques being employed by Oxitec and its genetically modified mosquitoes, and a good dose of fortu- itousness, Cayman may emerge from the Zika hysteria with no residents or tourists suffering from microcephaly or the other neurological disor- ders that have been linked to the virus. (The rapid deflation of the Zika panic bubble may by itself warrant a clink of the glass and a prayer of thanks over Thursday’s holiday dinners.) You can tell by the lights – Cayman’s round- abouts are being bedecked in their glittering winter regalia, transforming the ordinary traffic circles into individual Christmas pageants in miniature. Likewise, local families are electrifying the exterior of their homes, with the standard for Christmas spirit being set, as usual, by the Crightons on Shamrock Road and the Boddens on South Church Street. Last Saturday, thousands of people con- verged to take part in Camana Bay’s 10th annual Tree Lighting ceremony, featuring a visit from Santa Claus himself. Although we encourage everyone to partake freely in the holiday spirit, we will take a moment to remind everyone to exercise moderation while drinking holiday spirits (such as eggnog and sorrel), particularly those who plan on driving. Also, even if you are sober, it’s important to take care and watch out for others on the road, meaning if you want to take a picture of a spectacular display of decora- tions, take time to pull over and snap your photo from a safe place. (One of our journalists has already observed someone coming very close to having their Christmas cut drastically short by oncoming traffic near the Cayman National roundabout.) But most of all, you can tell by the Christmas cheer – festive songs will soon be broadcast on the radio, playing in stores and sung by choirs. Preachers and pastors are preparing their special sermons. Students are rehearsing their Christmas performances. Hotels, restaurants and stores are gearing up for their busiest and most lucrative time of the year. Charities and volunteers are making last- minute preparations for fundraising events to support their good works in 2017. There’s an extra degree of warmth in people’s greetings, a bit more brightness in smiles and some additional spring in footsteps. Yes, it’s definitely that time again. Yes, it’s winter in Cayman. Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, to all! – EDITORIAL – Cayman Christmas: Time to get into the holiday spirit 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. Another fine regulatory mess RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN 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” It is ironic that the anti-money laundering laws, which were in part used to discourage the use of cash because it is so hard to monitor, have been the biggest accelerant for the use of cash and attendant illegal activity.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 In appreciation of your continuing support, the staff at Kirk Freeport at The Strand would like to invite you to attend our annual customer appreciation event. Join us at Cayman’s one-stop luxury shopping location and get a head start on your Christmas purchases. We will be offering refreshments and prize-draws all day long as we kick off the holiday season in style. (345) 815-7473 : kirkfreeport.com THE STRAND CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT NOVEMBER 26TH 2016 Man fishing from shore found dead in sea Police uncertain how accident happened BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man who went shore fishing Monday night was found dead in the water early Tuesday just off the coast of West Bay district near the Cayman Turtle Centre. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service was still investigating the death as of press time Tuesday, but detectives said it ap- peared there were no suspi- cious circumstances related to the incident. The man’s fishing tackle was found on shore near the parking lot of the Cayman Turtle Centre. His roommate told police that the man would sometimes go fishing in that area. The man’s vehicle was found in the parking lot. It was not known how the victim came to be in the water, but the seas along the North West Point Road area of West Bay were de- scribed as very rough overnight Monday. The victim’s name was not immediately released, but he was identified as a work permit holder in the Cayman Islands who was originally from China. He was thought to be around age 40, ac- cording to police. The body was spotted in the water around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday. The RCIPS Marine Unit retrieved the body. Police and ambulance crews attend the scene of Tuesday morning’s water fatality in West Bay. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLER Listeria scare over Sabra hummus Stores in Cayman have pulled Sabra hummus from their shelves following a Listeria scare. Manufacturer Sabra Dipping Co. voluntarily re- called some hummus prod- ucts made before Nov. 8, 2016 due to concerns over Listeria monocytogenes, which were identified at its U.S. manufacturing fa- cility but not in tested fin- ished product. Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. It can also cause high fever, severe head- aches, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diar- rhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among preg- nant women. The com- pany said it was issuing the recall “out of an abun- dance of caution.” Customers who bought affected Sabra hummus with “Best Before” dates through to Jan. 23, 2017 are advised to discard the products or return them to the stores where they were bought. Foster’s Food Fair-IGA encouraged customers who bought any affected prod- ucts from its stores to check both the “Best By” dates and lot codes, and to return affected product for a full refund. For a full list of products, check the Food and Drug Administration website at www.fda.gov/Safety/ Recalls/ucm529967.htm. Sabra is recalling its hummus products over concerns about Listeria.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 YEARS AGO: WALTON-HINES WEDDING, EDUCATION VISIT RECAP In the Nov. 23, 1966 edition of the Cayma- nian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Cayman Brac correspon- dent Lilian Ritch wrote: “In a quiet wedding on Friday the 18th, attended by family, George Rayal Walton and Havilah Eliz- abeth Hines (nee Jackson) became man and wife. The bride wore a peach rose dress with white ac- cessories and carried an orchid posy. She was given in marriage by Mr. Beresford Jackson, her cousin and brother-in- law. Groomsman was Er- nest Foster and Anna Dil- bert, pretty in blue, was bridesmaid. Mr. Taylor Foster J.P., an old friend of both parties, performed the ceremony and gave a lovely blessing. The bride is the daughter of the late Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Gertrude Jackson of the Creek. “Visit of the acting Di- rector of Education: Using the similes of ‘icing to a cake’ and ‘mother in the home’ to describe the in- fluence in friendship that a P.T.A. can be to its school, Mrs. Connolly urged the study and dis- cussion of new methods and terms in education and, in particular, of the Secondary Modern School system. She explained age groups in the schools and transition from primary to the secondary stages (11 plus) in the Secondary Grammar and/or Compre- hensive School. “Correction: One little error in our report of Mrs. Connolly’s visit has been pointed out and that is that our Volunteer Teachers are not supplied as a service from the Uni- versity. We all know, of course, that they come to us from Britain and Canada as aid to devel- oping countries. Many are, of course, University graduates and this is no doubt the source of the confusion in our corre- spondent’s report. “At the airport on Thursday, Mr. Ledley Scott of the West End collapsed as he left the terminal, suitcase in hand, to take a car. No one of his family were there to meet him, they not knowing that he was coming on that flight. Mr. Leonardi Carter and friends took him in to the clinic at Stake Bay where Dr. Collins at- tended him and sent him home. He is reported im- proving. Mr. Scott … re- ported that the ship Insco Gem had called at Grand Cayman to land him as he had pleurisy.” Men’s and youth football this weekend The Sister Islands Sports Department will hold two football matches on Saturday at the Bluff Play Field. At 10 a.m., the Cayman Brac Football Club U-11s take on Grand Cayman’s Prospect Primary School team, and at 8 p.m., the Cayman Brac Football Club men’s team will play the George Town Football Club. Food and beverages will be on sale at the venue. Brac gears up for Heritage Day This year’s Pirates Week Cayman Brac heritage day prom- ises lots of fun for all ages, fea- turing a range of activities and displays plus a float parade. The Cayman Brac Heritage Day committee has a jam-packed agenda, with crafts, cotton candy, local food, a bouncy castle for the kids, a photo booth, and live music all slated for the event which is being held at Heritage House. Running from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors then have the chance to get home and get ready for the float parade, which kicks off at 4 p.m. across from the Alexander Hotel. Anyone interested in craft, food and business stalls for Heritage Day should contact Saskia Edwards at 948-0563 or cbheritagehouse@candw.ky. A team from the Cayman Brac Football Club at a tournament earlier this year. Crafts on display at the 2015 Heritage Day. Visitors have fun trying their hand at rope making at an earlier Brac Heritage Day. 50 YEARS AGO:DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Sister Islands CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 Brac emergency exercise prepares community for major incidents Members of the Brac com- munity recently took part in a training exercise that will help the island deal with a poten- tial mass casualty incident. According to a press re- lease, 20 people in Cayman Brac received training in mass casualty management at a course sponsored by the Pan American Health Orga- nization and Hazard Man- agement Cayman Islands. The course ran between Nov. 7 and Nov. 11. “… This is now the third time the Cayman Islands has rolled out the mass casualty management training with a team of local instructors,” said Hazard Management awareness and communica- tions officer Simon Boxall, the course coordinator. A mass casualty inci- dent is any event resulting in a number of victims large enough to disrupt the normal course of emergency health- care services, according to the press release. For example, it could be a major fire, an acci- dent on a dive boat or a situa- tion involving aircraft. Ian Yearwood of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, Shane Brown of the Cayman Islands Emergency Medical Services Cayman Brac and Andrew McLaughlin of the Cayman Islands Air- ports Authority conducted the course, with assistance from Charmaine Coore, a registered nurse from Cayman Brac. The Pan American Health Orga- nization also sent instructor trainer Peter Burgess to oversee the program. Some of the areas cov- ered in the training included emergency medicine, the or- ganization of advanced med- ical posts, psychosocial care, management of fatalities, di- vision of roles and respon- sibilities, and tasks of the first responders. Participants included representatives from the Department of Environmental Health, Port Authority, first responders such as police, firefighters and healthcare workers, and volunteers from the Red Cross. “We need to maintain a state of maximum read- iness for a major inci- dent, and this training im- proves our preparedness and response capacity in the Brac,” said Mr. Boxall. “It is important that we have pre-established pro- cedures in place for rescue mobilization, incident site management and hospital reception in the event that we face a big emergency sit- uation, especially those in- volving multiple victims and a multi-agency response. “It is especially important for Cayman Brac which, due to its size and relatively small population, faces some unique challenges. With only one doctor and two nurses typi- cally on duty, a collision be- tween two motor vehicles car- rying passengers could even be regarded as a mass casu- alty event,” he said. “A multi- car accident would put a sig- nificant strain on the island’s ability to respond, and if we don’t practice before we face a major incident it could easily overwhelm us. “This course prepares us to provide prompt and appro- priate assistance to victims. It will help to minimize inju- ries and prioritize the victims so the most critical receive the most immediate med- ical attention.” Old Brac homes maintain their charm Built on stilts of local ironwood, out of imported pine shiplap and featuring hip or gable zinc roofs, many of Cayman Brac’s historic homes survive to this day, ex- uding charm appreciated by residents and visitors alike. “The older houses on the Brac are notably not made of wattle and daub, with one exception being the Carter house, which is built of wattle and daub on the first storey and wood on the second. That’s because most of those much older homes were ei- ther destroyed or damaged in the great storm of 1932,” said volunteer Simone Scott. The house designs that emerged after the great storm developed an eclectic aesthetic, aside from the common building materials that were used. Ms. Scott ex- plained when the Brac men went to sea to work on ships, they brought home with them ideas for house de- signs that translated into the local landscape. According to the National Trust’s historic homes data- base, Taylor Foster’s single story house in Northeast Bay was built in 1933 by his brother Medley Foster. The material is believed to have come from Florida, and the interior features high ceilings and a kitchen in the back, separated from the main house. The old caboose (out- door kitchen) is located out- side, behind the kitchen, in another little house. Algie Ryan’s single story bungalow-style house in Stake Bay was built circa 1938 by Isaac Ryan and Jimmy Ryan, constructed from shiplap timber and with a zinc roof. Constructed a few de- cades later, Hendenburgh Dixon’s house was built circa 1957, and features a charming three-gabled facade that hear- kens back to the buildings of the Brac’s earlier days. EMT Damion Ferron, registered nurse Champawat Chhotoo-Singh and EMT Jennifer Caraballo-Broomfield tend to Red Cross volunteer Marva King-Crew. The Algie Ryan house The Taylor Foster houseHendenburgh Dixon at his house. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS all Christmas Decorations. 15 OFF % 343 Eastern Ave 949.7601 unclebills.ky Black Friday Sale Trump wants Nigel Farage to represent UK in US; May says no LONDON (AP) – Donald Trump has a plan for making the vaunted relationship be- tween Britain and the U.S. even more special: Make the impish acting leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, British ambassador in Washington. Prime Minister The- resa May has another idea – leave British appointments to the government, thank you very much. Her representatives Tuesday quickly shot down Trump’s ex- traordinarily undiplomatic ini- tiative, which was expressed in a tweet the night before by the U.S. president-elect. “Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage repre- sent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States. He would do a great job!” Trump said. But the Farage farrago suggests that Trump and the British prime minister aren’t off to a warm start, and that in the Trump era, Farage will be a force to be reckoned with. Trump’s unusual effort to pressure the British govern- ment into naming Farage to what is widely viewed as its most prestigious diplomatic post focused new atten- tion on the unorthodox UKIP figure who played a key role in convincing British voters to leave the European Union in the June referendum. Foreign Minister Boris Johnson and others said there was no way Farage would be chosen – and some in Parliament had a few laughs at the prospect – prompting a wounded Farage to accuse May and her Cab- inet of living in the past and slowing down the Brexit process. He said their per- sonal dislike for him was hurting Britain. “The world has changed and it’s time that Downing Street did too,” Farage said on the pro-Trump Bre- itbart website. Farage’s words had a hard edge. He said “a new order” is taking over in Washington, while in Britain the top players remain the same. He complained that politicians who had favored keeping Britain inside the EU bloc – a position favored by May be- fore the referendum – remain in charge of U.K. policies. Taking an apparent swipe at the tousle-haired Johnson, who in the past called Trump “out of his mind,” Farage said politicians who once denounced Trump “now pre- tend” to be his friend. Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and Nigel Farage meet at a campaign rally in Jackson, Mississippi, in August. - PHOTO: AP and easier to enforce. The issue has been a source of conflict for decades. It came to a head again, in part because of the access is- sues along Boggy Sand Road. Samuel Jackson, a plan- ning lawyer, said he was asked to investigate the legal issues around the beach ac- cesses at Boggy Sand after it was brought to his atten- tion by Morne Botes, a de- veloper who is building condos in the area. Mr. Jackson has personal experience with the problem. Close to his home in the Barkers area of West Bay, he says, someone has built a property across a beach access path. While various statutes cover elements of beach ac- cess rights, Mr. Jackson be- lieves one fundamental as- pect of the law is already very clear: Once a right of way has been used consis- tently by the public, that right cannot be removed, no matter who owns the land. “It is incumbent on gov- ernment to recognize, respect and protect these public pre- scriptive easements to ac- cess and use the beach and/ or the sea. Anything less than that would be an ab- rogation of their sworn duty to the people of these is- lands, in my view.” There are several types of beach access road, including semi-private – established through agreements between landowners – and dedicated public rights of way – estab- lished by operation of the De- velopment and Planning Law regulations – and usually ac- companied by the distinctive brown beach signs. Mr. Jackson questions the legal basis for these public rights of way, but suggests that the vast majority of them should be covered anyway by the Prescriptions Law, which dictates that land acquires public ownership through constant use. The law, adopted in the Cayman Islands in 1964, is adapted from much older U.K. legislation and pre- dates Cayman’s Regis- tered Land Law. Essentially it says that any path used without obstruction for more than 20 years acquires the status of a “public prescrip- tive easement.” In some instances, he says, it is legitimate for land- owners to restrict access where a path is registered as a private easement, es- sentially a restricted access agreement between a land- owner and his neighbors. However, if a path has been used publicly for years, as residents claim is the case on Boggy Sand Road, it cannot subsequently be designated as private access, according to Mr. Jackson. East End MLA Arden McLean brought the issue to the Legislative Assembly last month, calling on govern- ment to do more to protect the rights of Cayman Islands residents to the beach. As development increases and more overseas inves- tors buy up prime beachside real estate, he said, conflicts are increasing. His private members’ mo- tion was backed by several legislators, including North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, who claimed landowners in his district are pulling up public access signs and fencing off rights of way. Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts said government is working on a solution, though it believes new legis- lation is required. He said government needs to amend the Prescrip- tion Law to allow it to bring lawsuits on behalf of the people when access ways are blocked. It also plans to in- troduce a new Public Land Use Bill to regulate how beach access paths are man- aged and who is responsible for their upkeep. Mr. Tibbetts said the cur- rent law is restrictive be- cause it requires aggrieved citizens to personally bring a private lawsuit to the Grand Court when their access is blocked. He suggested the legislation could come to the House in January. At Boggy Sand Road, de- veloper Mr. Botes said he was happy to see movement on the issue, which is an on- going source of conflict be- tween residents and beach- side land owners. He became aware of the problem because of a 500-feet public access that runs through his own land, where the Boggy Sands de- velopment is going up. Neigh- bors complained that the ac- cess hits a dead end when his land runs out at Boggy Sand Road. He said he had joined with other landowners in the area to ask for the ac- cesses to be opened up and was happy to see progress. Mr. Botes, who was also involved with the battle to save Smith Cove from an en- croaching development, said, “By becoming involved with the Save the Cove cause I have been approached by many more Caymanians and ex- pats that have been working on beach access issues for many years. It is clear that it is becoming an islandwide problem that needs to be rec- tified. The beaches of our beautiful islands should be accessible to all.” Members of the Cayman Citizens Alliance, which fought the closure of part of West Bay Road to make way for the Kimpton Seafire re- sort, were credited during the Legislative Assembly debate with research on the beach access issue. Alliance mem- bers declined to comment for this article. Battle over beach access paths CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The open public beach access from West Bay Road runs into a dead end when it hits Boggy Sand Road. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2016 The Family Of The Late John A. Fleming regret to announce his passing on Thursday, 17 November 2016. Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A Memorial Service will be held 3:00 PM Wednesday, 30 November 2016 at William Pouchie Memorial United Church. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Elkin Haraldo Webster who passed away on Thursday, November 17, 2016. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Thursday, November 24, 2016 at 3:00p.m. at the Webster Memorial United Church, Bodden Town Rd. Viewing will be from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment will follow at the new Pease Bay Cemetery, Bodden Town work since the launch of Ready2Work, while 32 people are in short-term employment with the hope of moving to long-term work. Another 55 are in de- velopment programs, in- cluding job skills training or specific work addressing barriers to employment. A total of 137 job- seekers entered the pro- gram in 15 intakes since February, with 111 still ac- tively involved. Ready2Work was open to everyone on the NW- DA’s “job-seeker extended” program, which typically fluctuates between around 250 and 300 people seeking additional help in finding work. Ms. Ebanks Garcia said only a third of employers had taken up the offer of a “stipend” to support the payment of salaries. “Many of the em- ployers are quite happy just receiving the sup- port that the program pro- vides,” she said. The Ready2 Work pro- gram essentially pro- vides a structured sup- port system for businesses and employers to convince them to take on workers that they may not other- wise take a chance on. Program coordinator Tania Ebanks said job- seekers went through an assessment to identify skills, interests and bar- riers to employment be- fore going through 10 days of training on soft skills and job search techniques. Once they start working, they receive three assess- ments from their boss in their first six months of employment and work with the program’s staff on any issues identified. She said Polar Bear air conditioning, Office Supply, Cost-U-Less and CIBC were among the first private sector partners to get involved by taking on staff from the program. Employment Min- ister Tara Rivers said the program is proving value for money. “Government did set aside a sizable potential budget; we have not had to spend what was allocated because, maybe companies did not actually take up the stipend opportunity, they decided ‘we just want the support, we will pay.’” She said unemployment among Caymanians has been reduced by half in the last four years. Ms. Rivers noted that there has been a decrease in the number of people looking for tem- porary work through gov- ernment’s Christmas cleanup program. Ms. Ebanks Garcia said there is a waiting list for the Ready2Work program for next year. She said the program has not been without issues and there would be some analysis before the re- launch in February. She said different gov- ernment ministries may need to become involved to help those who were still struggling to cope in the workplace despite the support provided. “If we don’t address the mental health needs and the special educa- tion needs among this adult population, they are not going to be able to ac- cess the training and de- velopment opportunities and they are going to have great difficulty in accessing and maintaining employ- ment,” she said. North Side ‘snowbirds’ return to burgled homes Police reopen station in crime fight BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seven burglaries and one attempted burglary have been reported to police in the Rum Point area of North Side district within a month, leading police commanders to reopen the district police station in response to com- munity fears about crime. An eighth burglary was reported in the North Side area – on Old Robin Road – between Oct. 6 and Nov. 3, ac- cording to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Five of the break-ins were reported by property man- agers or homeowners who had just arrived at their winter vacation properties ahead of the tourism high season. They had not been at the residences for some time and could not tell po- lice exactly when the bur- glaries happened. Generally, items such as flat-screen televisions, iPads and video game con- soles were taken. Several other burglaries occurred while residents who occupied the properties full-time were away at work during the day, police said. Jewelry and relatively small amounts of cash, as well as some electronic items, were taken in those incidents. In response to the rash of recent burglary reports, police reopened the North Side Police station on Hut- land Road over the weekend, and neighborhood po- lice and traffic officers pa- trolled the district on Sat- urday and Sunday. The police high com- mand has decided to reopen the station full-time, starting Monday, Nov. 28. Police clarified that one of- ficer will staff the station be- tween 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, performing a largely community po- licing-oriented role. How- ever, the officer will respond to calls from the public just like any other RCIPS officer while on duty. North Side operations Covert operations in the area also targeted burglary suspects, but no arrests were immediately reported as a result of those efforts over the weekend. During the po- lice operations, 17 tickets were issued for traffic-re- lated offenses. Police Superintendent Robert Graham said he was glad to hear reports from his officers that North Side resi- dents responded positively to the increased patrols. “We want to assure them … that we are doing all we can to stop these break-ins and restore the sense of se- curity that North Side is used to,” Mr. Graham said. Inside the police sta- tion Saturday, Sgt. Davis Scott went through lists of addresses that had re- ported burglaries over the past month. Sgt. Scott said residents in the area had expressed a number of concerns about the recent break-ins and want full-time police service in the district. Police announced two years ago that a neighbor- hood policing officer was to be stationed and to reside at the substation, which is out- fitted as a residence on one side and a police station on the other. However, that plan never came to fruition and it fell to a group of district res- idents to maintain the prop- erty this year when weeds started to overgrow the station fence. Neighborhood policing of- ficers Lazarus Moraes and Jaclyn Ebanks were pulled off their normal assign- ments in Bodden Town and George Town for bike patrols Saturday in the Rum Point Drive area in response to the break-ins. “Riding through slowly on a bicycle, we might notice a bit more [than on a police car patrol],” Officer Moraes said. “If we see a broken window, or something suspicious where the residents are away, we’ll report it.” Earlier crimes According to various reports received by the Cayman Compass, more than a half-dozen crimes were al- leged to have occurred in North Side district since late 2015 and into the early part of this year. In one incident, a U.S. tourist claimed her family was targeted after being spotted at a local restaurant by a suspect or suspects who identified their rental vehicle. In another case, from Feb- ruary, it is alleged that two tourists woke up to find a burglar in their room and chased the man out and around the parking lot of the complex where they were staying. Those incidents, in addi- tion to a burglary/home in- vasion in February on Rum Point Drive and a January in- cident in which an elderly vis- itor was punched in the face during a robbery, have left district residents and some longtime tourists worried. Forgery alleged in work permit case Charges to be mentioned again on Dec. 13 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An alleged change of date resulted in three charges against George Roberto Ebanks, who appeared in Summary Court on Tuesday. All three charges relate to a work permit submitted in June this year. The defendant, trading as George Ebanks Consultancy and Bookkeeping, is accused of forging an official docu- ment, using an endorsement on a document that has been forged or altered, and making a false representation. The document was the trade and business license of an employer applying for a work permit for an employee. Details of the forgery charge are that the defendant forged an official document, a document purporting to be a trade and business license, by altering the year it expires. The trade and business license was submitted with a work permit, leading to the second charge. Details of the false rep- resentation charge are that the defendant made, caused or allowed to be made a false representation on a work permit application for a named person, purporting that the expiry date of the trade and business li- cense was June 17, 2017, and at the time of doing so “knew, or did not believe that to be true.” Defense attorney Lloyd Samson received the doc- uments in the case from Crown counsel Claire Wetton. Magistrate Valdis Foldats set the matter for mention again on Dec. 13. The defen- dant was bound over to re- turn on that date. 55 find work through jobs program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Neighborhood policing officers Jaclyn Ebanks and Lazarus Moraes on bike patrol in North Side on Saturday. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLERNext >