High of 85 Low of 74 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet. Small craft warning is in effect. SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX ‘25 Days’ toy drive begins this week Resident teenager Elisabeth Bise continues family tradition B5 Light up a Life Cayman HospiceCare hosts annual event of remembrance B7 Events Events Events ■ ART & CULTURE Tradewinds blow in Dave Martins and his iconic band will open Gimistory festival. B8 Celebrity live at Cabana Actor Malik Yoba to perform musical set at ‘Incarceration Nations’ night B6 Freerunning master comes to Cayman Sébastien Foucan of ‘Casino Royale’ fame giving seminar B11 STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.c om 20% OFF For the month of November (750 ml or larger bottles only) 20% 20% For the month of November For the month of November (750 ml or larger bottles only) (750 ml or larger bottles only) Resident teenager Elisabeth Bise continues family family ftradition B5 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Tradewinds blow in EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ICCI PRESIDENT’S PURSUIT OF HIGHER EDUCATION STANDARDS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 MADE WITH 100% BEEF SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY (COMING SOON) ICCI president concerned over low standards for students JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Only one in five students coming into the International College of the Cayman Islands from public schools and the University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands are able to pass basic math and English tests, according to ICCI’s president. David Marshall, in a letter to the Educa- tion Council lamenting standards across the education system, said 16 percent of students transferring from the government school system and UCCI could pass a simple math test, while 22 percent could pass English. Even students gaining good grades at UCCI are flunking the tests, according to Mr. Mar- shall’s letter, which was obtained from an- other source by the Cayman Compass. “When we parcel out the UCCI students wishing to transfer into ICCI, only 2 out of every 10 can pass these very simple tests even though their UCCI transcripts are showing these students earning grades of ‘A,’ ‘B’ or ‘C’ in English and Math courses,” he wrote. He described the ACCUPLACER tests as simple arithmetic, sentence skills and reading comprehension and invited the council members to come and sit the exams to see for themselves. The context of Mr. Marshall’s letter is a complaint that scholarship students at ICCI are being discriminated against because, he says, the school has a stricter marking system than UCCI. Students on government scholarships risk having their funding pulled if they fall below a 3.0 Grade Point Average. However, Mr. Marshall points out that a 3.0 at ICCI requires a better percentage score than a 3.0 at UCCI, because of different marking scales at the two institutions. “A student at ICCI who has earned a 2.75, who is being suspended or put on warning regarding their scholarship at ICCI, can take that same GPA to UCCI and just about be on the honor roll,” he wrote. 2017 LAST YEAR FOR ‘FREE’ HEALTHCARE, SAYS MINISTER Civil service copays in next budget BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Discussions on how much Cayman Islands civil servants must pay in monthly healthcare premiums will be completed by the end of the current government’s 18-month budget period in December 2017, Finance Minister Marco Ar- cher said Thursday. Civil service employee payments for health- care will then begin in the next budget cycle. The next budget period begins Jan. 1, 2018, Mr. Archer said. “That will occur regardless of which [polit- ical] administration is there,” Mr. Archer said, responding to questions about the issue from the Cayman Compass Thursday morning at the Marriott Beach Resort. The minister told hundreds of attendees in the crowd for the government Professional Development Week event held at the Marriott that the timing – “by the year 2018” – was an important distinction. He said both the elected government and the civil service management want to have the healthcare copayment agree- ments in place during the 2018/19 budget to help reduce a massive, $1.18 billion future li- ability in the government healthcare system. That amount, measured over a 20-year Fundraiser Haines completes Havana Marathon CLAIRE SHEFCHIK cshefchik@pinnaclemedialtd.com Marathon runner Derek Haines continued his journey to help raise $1 million for charity Have a Heart Cayman on Sunday, Nov. 20, in Havana, finishing the Havana Marathon at 4 hours and 3 minutes and placing third in his age group. “It is a fun race and inter- esting, although the spectators were nowhere near as involved as in Cayman; surprisingly quiet, in fact,” said Mr. Haines, who is taking part in the “Moun- tains & Marathons Challenge,” in a press release. He said the course was a challenge because of its three steep hills, each of which he had to scale twice, since the marathon goes around the course two times. The frustration was com- pounded by a train blocking the race route at the 11-mile mark, forcing the runners to a stop as they waited for the lo- comotive to pass. At another PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » New van for Special Olympians Cayman Islands’ Special Olympic athletes were celebrating this week after being handed the keys to a new van. The van, a gift from Aon Insurance Managers (Cayman) with the support of the Cayman Islands government and Vampt Motors, will transport athletes to and from training and competitions. Eight-year-old Jake Fagan, who last month donated his birthday money to Special Olympics Cayman Islands, was invited to hand over the keys at a brief ceremony on Wednesday. ‘Everyone deserves to play sports,’ he said. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Casual indoor & outdoor dining with a local flair. Family friendly & affordable. 94-PASTA [ 947.2782 ] • Marquee Plaza Enjoy Dinner Tonight at Try One of Our Signature Dishes Banana Wrap Snapper TOMORROW Saturday, Nov 26th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 8:00pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man New Years EveNew Years Eve BAREFOOT MAN & Sea N’ B “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Friday, November 25th TONIGHT Come And See The Fire Works Playing No Cover Charge Call 949-2231 or email: info@wharf.ky JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Is- lands Health Services Au- thority dedicated a memo- rial garden Wednesday in honor of Chelsea Doxey, a former worker who died of cancer last year. Ms. Doxey joined the hospital team in 2011 and worked as a paramedic in the Emergency Medical Techni- cian Department before she succumbed to her illness. Chelsea’s Garden – a quiet patio with seating, an awning, potted plants and a rock wall with a plaque dedicated to Ms. Doxey’s memory is located behind the Cayman Islands Hospital’s Chemotherapy Unit building on Pines Drive. Health Services Authority CEO Lizzette Yearwood thanked sponsors, donors and volunteers who made Chelsea’s Garden a reality. “Ms. Doxey was a spe- cial member of staff. It was a very devastating time for us at HSA to lose such a valued member of staff,” she said. Ms. Yearwood said the garden came about after she was approached by Debra Gaffigan, the HSA’s health and safety officer to do some- thing to honor Ms. Doxey, something her former col- leagues would have as a me- morial to remember her by in times to come. HSA staff met with Cancer Society Director Betty Ann Duty and her team to talk over proposals. Before long, they were in talks with poten- tial sponsors and volunteers. “The support was overwhelming,” said Ms. Yearwood. Chelsea’s sister, Cilicia Doxey, thanked those who do- nated their time and funding to the project. “It’s truly beautiful and I am sure she is looking down from Heaven admiring it,” Ms. Doxey said. “It is good because it’s … a memorial to Chelsea. It is also something we felt that other cancer patients will be able to benefit from, be- cause it’s right next to the Chemotherapy Unit,” Ms. Yearwood said. Ms. Gaffigan, Chelsea’s friend and colleague, said the garden was truly a labor of love. She said that before Ms. Doxey died, she asked Ms. Gaffigan not to forget her. “One of the things I wanted to do was to make something that we could all remember her by … I think the garden provides a nice place for chemotherapy pa- tients to use when they are spending many hours on their treatment … it also allows us to keep Chelsea’s memory alive,’ Ms. Gaffigan said. The Cancer Society’s Ms. Duty said the joint project be- tween the Cancer Society and the Health Services Authority is a most welcome addition to the hospital and will pro- vide a relaxing place for pa- tients as they undergo their cancer treatment. “It is a fitting tribute,” she said. “It is good because its … a memorial to Chelsea. It is also something we felt that other cancer patients will be able to benefit from, because it’s right next to the Chemotherapy Unit.” LIZZETTE YEARWOOD, Health Services Authority CEO Hurricane Otto aims for Central America MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) – Hurricane Otto strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane as it churned toward the sparsely populated Caribbean coast border of Nicaragua and Costa Rica Thursday as an unusu- ally strong late-season storm. Otto’s winds built to 110 mph as it neared land- fall near Nicaragua’s border with Costa Rica. Heavy rains from the storm have already been blamed for three deaths in Panama. In Bluefields, Nicaragua – the nearest town of any size on the Nicaraguan coast – res- idents prepared to ride out the hurricane. “In our house, we have packed up some things in plastic bags and we went out to buy some provisions, just in case,” said Bluefields res- ident Jean Hodgson. “But if we had to leave our house, we don’t know where we could take refuge.” The area is low- lying and easily flooded. Further south – and closer to where Otto is expected to hit – residents in the coastal town of Punta Gorda said they were planning to ride out the hurricane. Standing in Chelsea’s Garden are paramedic Joseph Chollette, left, with Chelsea’s mother Celia Doxey, garden designer Owen Merodon, friend Debra Gaffigan and paramedic Donald Smith. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Hospital honors paramedic with ‘Chelsea Garden’ memorialThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 v@CaymanSummit IMS THE FUTURE OF ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS IN EXCEPTIONAL TIMES DATE: FEBRUARY 15-17, 2017 LOCATION: GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS VENUE: KIMPTON SEAFIRE RESORT+SPA WWW: CAYMANSUMMIT.COM PANTONE 130 PANTONE 179 PANTONE 425 Others SPONSORS Executive Platinum GoldBronze caymansummit.com KEYNOTE SPEAKER SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERSPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ACTOR, BUSINESSMAN, AND THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA GEORGE WHITESIDES CEO, VIRGIN GALACTIC AND THE SPACESHIP COMPANY CAPTAINS MARK & SCOTT KELLY HIGHLY DECORATED NASA ASTRONAUTS & RETIRED U.S. NAVY CAPTAINSThe 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” FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS LEONID BERSHIDSKY The U.S. may have gone too far in pushing the European banking industry to play by American rules. Justified or not, these efforts are causing a protectionist pushback that probably won’t do global fi- nance any good. European banks have been losing market share to U.S. ones, especially in investment banking, for years. Today, U.S. financial institutions are re- sponsible for more than half of global investment banking revenue, leaving European Union-based ones with less than a third; in 2006, their shares were 49 percent and 42 percent, respectively. Much of the realignment has occurred in the European market, where U.S. banks have almost caught up with the locals. In part, this was the nat- ural consequence of regula- tion that aimed to restore the balance between the size of banks and the national econo- mies that they serve. The U.S. is far bigger than any European nation, so it can sustain bigger banks. The EU is not a country; despite recent efforts to unify the regulation of big banks, national banking systems are still, to a large extent, separate. In recent years, however, the U.S. has also been deliber- ately tough on foreign banks. In 2014, it introduced new rules for foreign lenders, re- quiring them to capitalize their U.S. subsidiaries separately so that American regulators could essentially oversee them as separate entities. The over- sight by various U.S. regula- tors has been a heavy burden: According to Corlytics, which maintains a database of regu- latory fines, EU-based banks were fined a total of US$32 bil- lion between 2009 and 2015, about 20 percent of all fines imposed on banks. The EU has not demanded that U.S. banks ring-fence their European operations, and the U.K., Europe’s biggest finan- cial market, has only fined U.S. lenders US$1 billion between 2009 and 2015. But more re- cently European patience seems to have worn thin. The U.S. Justice Department’s in- tention to fine Deutsche Bank US$14 billion and a recent push for tougher capital re- quirements under the Basel framework of international banking rules – spearheaded by U.S. regulators such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Cor- poration’s Thomas Hoenig – appear to have pushed the Eu- ropeans over the limit. At the end of this month, the Basel Committee is ex- pected to discuss new rules that would restrict banks’ use of internal risk models – a de- vice that has allowed European banks to pretend their assets are low-risk and maintain a lower capitalization level than their U.S. competitors. Taken at face value, this is an indefen- sible practice. European banks hold far more non-performing loans in their portfolios than U.S. ones – on average, slightly less than 6 percent compared with less than 2 percent. Yet if a level playing field with the U.S. competition forces the Eu- ropean banks to raise more capital, they don’t want a level playing field. Deutsche Bank is at the forefront of the counterat- tack. At a banking confer- ence in Frankfurt last week, its chief executive officer John Cryan said the new rules only benefited U.S. banks. “I think it’s about time that Europe started introducing rules that benefited Europe and didn’t play to some policy of global harmonization that sounds good on paper but is not rel- evant to anything,” he added. EU bureaucrats agree. On Monday, Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for finance, told the European Parliament that the Basel Com- mittee would do well to “find a solution which would not un- duly weigh on the financing of the broader economy in Eu- rope” and “put our banks at a disadvantage compared to our global competitors.” The conti- nent’s finance industry, he said, had certain “specificities” that needed to be respected in order not to stymie growth. Among these is the fact that European banks hold more mortgages than U.S. banks, which can sell theirs to government agen- cies, helping them reduce their portfolio risks. Behind the polite wording is the possibility that the EU simply would simply re- fuse to enact the new rules. On Monday, the rating agency Fitch warned that insistence on tougher rules might lead to di- vergence in banking standards in the U.S. and the EU – unless a compromise is achieved. In parallel to this dispute, the EU has reportedly included a requirement for U.S. banks to capitalize their European oper- ations separately – a direct re- sponse to the 2014 U.S. measure – in a financial reform package that Dombrovskis is sched- uled to present on Wednesday. The European threat is some- what asymmetrical to the U.S. requirement because of Brexit: U.S. banks potentially face two different supervisors in Eu- rope, one in the U.K. and the other in the E.U., which might force them to maintain sepa- rate, fully capitalized entities in both jurisdictions. European regulators know this would be a hostile move, but the escalation is still avoidable. Donald Trump’s election and the expected weakening of bank regula- tion, while it might be a step backward from the achieve- ments of the post-crisis years, could help the U.S. avoid a direct confrontation with the EU. “U.S. regulators’ bar- gaining power in global dis- cussions over tougher capital requirements could be under- mined should President-elect Trump follow through with plans to halt further finan- cial regulation,” Bloomberg In- telligence analysts Jonathan Tyce and Arjun Bowry wrote. “Under such a scenario, Euro- pean banks are likely to be the major beneficiaries.” Forcing banks to maintain high capital levels and keeping them to the highest integrity standards are noble missions. As U.S. regulators pursue them, however, they need to keep the international politics in mind. To Europeans, giving up their market to U.S. banks – the way they’ve allowed U.S. tech companies to take over – is not an attractive option. Continuing to push them is hardly the most productive approach from Washington. Bershidsky, a Bloomberg View contributor, is a Berlin-based writer. © 2016, Bloomberg View “Veritas” (“Truth”) — Harvard University motto David Marshall, president of International College of the Cayman Islands, is battling for accountability and standards in local higher education. He should not be the lone combatant in this worthy struggle. In order to succeed, Dr. Marshall needs the support of this country. He surely has ours. For those not accustomed to straight talk and truth-telling, Dr. Marshall’s frank letter to the Education Council may be somewhat revelatory. In his message to Council Chair and Education Minister Tara Rivers, Dr. Marshall states several concerns. Here, we will review two of them: • The more stringent grading standards at ICCI, compared to University College of the Cayman Islands, means that “Caymanian students at ICCI are more likely to be suspended and/or put on warning regarding their government scholarships than their counterparts at UCCI.” In other words, the fact that it is more difficult to maintain a 3.0 grade average at ICCI puts students at risk of losing their tuition assistance and puts the college at risk of losing funding • “We also have an additional concern about the preparedness of students who are coming to ICCI from both Government Public Schools and UCCI.” Only 16 percent of entering students can pass simple arithmetic tests, and only 22 percent can pass simple English tests. Of UCCI students wishing to transfer into ICCI, only 2 in 10 can pass those tests, despite their UCCI transcripts showing them earning As, Bs or Cs in those subjects. Although the concerns are not identical, they are aspects common to Dr. Marshall’s crusade to raise the quality of education at his institution. For the gov- ernment bureaucrats in the Ministry of Education to whom Dr. Marshall has been addressing his state- ments, the subject is all theory. For Dr. Marshall, who works with students on a daily basis, there is nothing theoretical about it. It is reality. Dr. Marshall’s points are very clear. First, ICCI students (and ICCI itself) should not be put at a financial disadvantage for choosing a more difficult academic path. Second, students who are not ready to go to college should not be in college. Here is a third point, of which Cayman’s business community should take special note: “We believe that an employer should have a real and accurate record of a student’s true academic performance.” At this juncture, let us note that we are not sup- porting Person A over Person B, ICCI President David Marshall over UCCI President Roy Bodden, or ICCI over UCCI. What we do support is education, higher educa- tion and higher standards. If the words and actions of Dr. Marshall, Dr. Bodden or anyone else align with that vision, then we support them in their mission as well. Based on what we have seen from ICCI since Dr. Marshall arrived in February 2014, the private sector should be stepping up to deliver greater financial support to the institution so it’s not forced to rely on government’s nickels and dimes. ICCI shouldn’t have to go door to door seeking assistance from businesses. The private sector should be knocking on ICCI’s door, checkbook in hand. ICCI president’s pursuit of higher education standards Europe isn’t ready for new US bank rulesThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 BLACK FRIDAY WEEKEND SALE UP TO 50 % OFF UP TO 50 % OFF WATCHES* UP TO 50% OFF JEWELRY* 30% - 50% OFF CHINA & CRYSTAL* 30 - 50% OFF ASSORTED FRAGRANCES* $29.00 SWATCH BOUTIQUE* 25% OFF Up to 50% off Christian Dior, Ebel, Baume and Mercier, Glashutte, Gucci, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Techno Marine, Luminox, Michele Friday 25 NovemberSaturday 26 November Hearts On Fire, John Hardy, Marco Bicego, Roberto Coin, Gucci, Michael Kors Additional 10% off non-branded sale items **20% off Alex & Ani purchase **50% off Swarovski sale items Selected items of china and crystal for brands like Galway, Villeroy & Boch and Wedgwood **50% off Swarovski sale items BayShore Mall : Cardinall Avenue : The Strand (345) 949.7477 : kirkfreeport.com *On select products | ** Swarovski and Alex & Ani sale from Thursday to Monday 25% off Swatch watches$29 for selected fragrances6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Make a purchase of $100 or more using your Butterfield BlackTM or Platinum MasterCard for a chance to win a VIP experience for two at the 59th GRAMMY® Awards. 182702-Ad-Compass-JrPg-Grammy.indd 110/24/16 4:24 PM Rules for political parties, election spending changed BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The final word on how the Cayman Islands’ 2017 general election will be held, including rules for regis- tering political parties and how much candidates can spend in an election, has come down about a month after a flurry of legisla- tive changes were debated in parliament. Groups of like-minded candidates will not be forced to register as political parties under the newly revised Elec- tions Law, but more stringent rules for the revocation of a political party’s registration have been put in place. Also, for the first time since the advent of party pol- itics in Cayman, spending limits during the last six weeks of an election cam- paign will be the same for both political party and non- party affiliated independent candidates. Previously, inde- pendent candidates were al- lowed to spend more [$36,000 limit] during the period than political party candi- dates [$30,000 limit]. The new spending limit is $40,000 per candidate. Spending by the polit- ical parties themselves is currently unregulated in Cayman. Also, individual can- didates may spend anything they like before nomination day, when they officially de- clare their candidacies for of- fice, without reporting those expenditures. The Elections Law, 2016 re- vision, cements the ‘one man, one vote’ concept and formal- izes 19 single-member voting districts or constituencies. Seventeen of those voting districts are on Grand Cayman and two of them are located on the Sister Is- lands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. All voters par- ticipating in the May elec- tion are allowed only one vote for a candidate running in the district in which the voter resides. Due to the much smaller, single-member districts drawn up under the 2015 Electoral Boundaries Com- mission maps, a voter’s resi- dence has become crucial in the next election cycle. Ac- cording to the new Elections Law, a voter can only have one “ordinary residence.” The law gives the Elections Su- pervisor broad powers to re- quest information from a voter in writing in deter- mining where they live. Most of the single- member constituencies will have fewer than 1,100 voters casting ballots with no run-off elections. That means a hotly contested election among four or five candidates in one district could be decided by fewer than 300 votes. Political parties A previously lengthy sec- tion of the Elections Bill that discussed when and how groups of candidates who “acted like” a political party must register with the Elec- tions Office has been com- pletely removed from the law. One sentence in the amended law now states that “a group of persons who come together to contest an election shall be eligible to register as a political party.” The law also gives the elections supervisor the power to revoke the registra- tion of a political party, or re- fuse such an application. In any case, the spending limits for political party can- didates and independent can- didates will not be different during the run up to the May 2017 election, so the key legal difference separating those two kinds of candidates has been removed. The law also sets out an expedited process for deter- mining whether or not a can- didate is eligible to contest an election. The process allows the elections supervisor to apply to the Grand Court for a ruling on that candidate’s eli- gibility, a ruling which – once made – cannot be appealed to any other judicial body. One such challenge dating back from the 2013 election was still pending before the local courts as of last month. The candidate in question – West Bay MLA Tara Rivers – had her eligibility confirmed by the process, but ensuing bankruptcy claims against the legal challengers have per- sisted for years after the fact. Polling stations Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell has stated publicly that his office will designate 19 separate voting stations for each single- member district ahead of the next election. However, the Elections Law makes provision for voting in one district to be carried out in another area, if there are no suitable facili- ties within the boundaries of the district. Political candidates do not have to reside within the dis- trict in which they stand for office, but those candidates must be nominated by two individuals who do live in the district. Elections Office staff load ballot boxes for transportation to counting centers after the polls close at the 2009 general election. New rules for political parties will be in effect by polling day in the 2017 general election.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 JOIN US FOR OUR 5 DAY EVENT November 28th – December 2 • 9am – 5pm To schedule your preferred appointment please contact Muse hearing aids lead the industry in supreme sound quality and premium features. 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Cayman ENT Associates Cayman ENT AssociatesThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS rolling period, represents the largest single finan- cial liability the Cayman Islands government main- tains, well above what it has estimated in pen- sion costs ($200 million unfunded liability) and also more than the entire public sector debt ($593 million as at June 30). The next govern- ment budget is a two- year spending plan which starts in January 2018. Mr. Archer said the public sector will be burdened with a staggering debt for retirees’ healthcare in the coming years if it cannot or will not get a handle on annual health- care costs now. Exactly how much civil servants could be charged in monthly pre- miums was not discussed during Thursday’s confer- ence, and Mr. Archer said he did not want to get into the specifics of on- going discussions at the moment. Civil servants, dependent spouses and children currently have their healthcare costs covered 100 percent by government, including monthly premiums. The first-term min- ister, facing a re-election battle in George Town this May, said he realizes the decision will not be the most popular, politically speaking. But he believes the civil service manage- ment and the elected gov- ernment is doing the best thing for the country’s fi- nancial future. He said he doubts future govern- ments will have much choice in the matter, no matter who is elected. “I know some politi- cians may say ‘oh no, we’re not going to do that to you,’” Mr. Archer said. Ongoing discussions with the civil service em- ployees association have also indicated that gov- ernment workers may no longer be forced to use the government Health Ser- vices Authority for health- related services, as they are now if they want to receive free healthcare. Mr. Archer said choice of healthcare providers will be introduced as an option for civil servants when co- payments begin. Government revenues Collection of bills owed to the Cayman Islands government is another area in which the public sector desperately needs to improve, the minister said. Mr. Archer said he’s concerned that govern- ment financial statements for its entire public sector will continue to receive substandard audits and largely remain unaccount- able to the public until government can properly report what it is collecting. “For every trans- action, a private busi- ness would be able to say ‘here’s a receipt, here’s a check …. That’s not the case with government, but it should be,” Mr. Archer told the Compass. The most spectacular example of government revenue collection prob- lems in recent years has been with the Health Ser- vices Authority, which manages the public hos- pital system. The authority estimated it had amassed $90 million in bad debts – bills owing for more than a year – at the start of the current year’s budget on July 1. A large portion of those debts are more than six years past due. However, Mr. Archer said issues with “rev- enue completeness” go far beyond that and have been noted at various de- partments within every ministry or portfolio in government. Finance Ministry Deputy Chief Officer Michael Nixon put it succinctly: “We have taken a lot for granted on the revenue side.” A lack of accurate re- cords for government fee collections is another issue delaying proper audits of government entities, Mr. Archer said. point, police allowed a bus to block the route. Chris and Kym Bailey, who are also taking part in the Mountains & Marathons Challenge, completed the half-marathon race in Ha- vana. Mr. Bailey finished the race at 2:13, and Mrs. Bailey finished joint third in her age group at 1:41. The next race for Mr. Haines as part of this year’s Marathons & Moun- tains Challenge will be next month’s Cayman Is- lands Marathon. Other challenges com- pleted this year by the local fundraising team were the 50K “Off the Beaten Track” run in Cayman, the ascent of three Bolivian mountain peaks by Mr. Haines and fellow Rotarians Vico Testori and Barry Yetton, and Iron Man races by Shane Delaney and Mr. Bailey. In 2014, Mr. Haines, former president of Rotary Club Grand Cayman, raised $1 million for Cayman Hos- piceCare by running six mar- athons at various locations around the world. This year, his goal is to raise $1 million for Have a Heart Cayman Islands. The charity has provided for 130 children from around the Ca- ribbean and the world to re- ceive life-saving heart sur- gery at Health City. ‘Inspiring Performance’ session On Monday, the day after running the Havana mara- thon, Mr. Haines and fellow runner Cynthia Hew ap- peared at the Westin to share their wisdom as part of the Intertrust Marathon’s “In- spiring Performance” series. Having run 44 mara- thons, Mr. Haines urged would-be runners to go at their own pace and “run their own race” rather than try to catch other runners. He also cited his work for charity as a big factor in keeping him motivated. “Yet again, the Cayman community has proved how generous they are in as- sisting with a worthy cause and I am most grateful for that” said Mr. Haines. All travel expenses and fees are paid by the partici- pants, and 100 percent of the money raised goes to Have a Heart Cayman Islands. For more information, visit MM4HH.com. Fundraiser Haines completes Havana Marathon Derek Haines, left, with Brian Hurley, visiting two Bolivian children who made a full recoveries following heart surgery at Health City. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier: Political ‘sea of uncertainty’ ahead; Cayman poised to reap benefits BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Major uncertainties, both internationally and at home, are facing the Cayman Is- lands just ahead of the May 2017 general election, Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin told a conference of hun- dreds of government and private sector professionals Thursday afternoon. Although Premier McLaughlin had previ- ously issued only a terse, 50- word response to the elec- tion of Donald Trump as the 45th U.S. president, it was evident Thursday that Mr. McLaughlin had significant concerns about America’s new leadership. The U.S. President-elect had “praised” Russian Pres- ident Vladimir Putin, Mr. McLaughlin said, broached the issue of whether the U.S. still needed to belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Orga- nization and had declared that traditional U.S. allies in- cluding Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia should no longer get “free protection” from the U.S. “[There has been] a change in the global economy in the a post-recession world and what appears to be the rise of populism and extreme nationalism in some coun- tries,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “The future of the world is most uncertain. “Nor do we know what the outcome of the elec- tion of Donald Trump means to the new world order … but we do know that it means change.” Mr. Trump’s election, the premier said, had been fore- shadowed by the June 23 ref- erendum in the U.K. in which voters narrowly approved the country’s separation from the European Union. The previous year the rise of a “nationalistic, anti-EU” movement in Greece was noted, along with the rise of anti-immigrant leaders and political groups in Germany, France and Britain. “The U.K. is now trying to come to grips with dis- entangling itself while get- ting the best deal from the EU … a seemingly impossible scenario,” the premier said, adding that he had no “inside information” about how the so-called ‘Brexit’ from the EU would impact Cayman. “But in any divorce, it is the children who usually do worst,” Mr. McLaughlin said. A special meeting of the overseas territories leader- ship in London to discuss “Brexit” matters was sched- uled for February, just a few months before Caymanian voters go to the polls. The May 2017 general election, which includes a switch to the “one man, one vote” concept with candi- dates competing in 19 sep- arate single-member voting districts for the first time, was clearly already on the minds of conference at- tendees this week – even those who are decidedly non-political. Gloria McField-Nixon, the chief officer for the govern- ment Portfolio of the Civil Service, said Wednesday that government workers were preparing for an election re- sult that could be quite dif- ferent from the two-party governance that has pre- vailed in Cayman for more than a decade. “Since 2005, the party system has dominated the process,” she said. “We, as civil servants, must now contemplate, not a two-sided coin, but a 19-sided coin.” Mr. McLaughlin said Cayman, with a strong economy, judicial and legal system and a low unemploy- ment rate, was well placed to take advantage of opportu- nities that may arise during a period of global economic and political change. “We must leverage the opportunities created and being created by these un- certainties that characterize this new world order, for the benefit of those who live and work here, but also to those who wish to join us,” he said. “We can only hope that the wise voter in Cayman will do as they did in 2013, elect a government that is forward- thinking … where people who are willing and able to work can find jobs.” 2017 last year for ‘free’ healthcare, says minister “That will occur regardless of which [political] administration is there.” MARCO ARCHER, finance minister CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier Alden McLaughlinThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2016 DEATH LEAVES A HEARTACHE NO-ONE CAN HEAL LOVE LEAVES MEMORIES NO-ONE CAN STEAL Never the same without you Philo and will always miss the laughter Julie Pritchard, family in UK and your many friends far and wide We celebrate a much loved and very deeply missed brother PHIL PRITCHARD who left us two years ago, 26th November 2014 The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Funeral Services will be held at Church of God, Captain Reginald Parsons Dr. West Bay. on Sunday, 27 November 2016 at 3:00 p.m. Viewing will be held prior to the service from 2:00 p.m. Sarah Lera Powery regret to announce her passing on Sunday 13 November 2016. Interment will follow in Boatswain Bay Cemetery. The Family Of The Late 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. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Alzheimer's and Dementia Association of the Cayman Islands or Cayman Hospice Care. John A. Fleming regret to announce his passing on Thursday, 17 November 2016. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. A Funeral Service will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, 3 December 2016 at The Veteran & Seaman Centre, Cayman Brac. Veining will be from 1:00 PM one hour prior to the service. Interment will follow in Spot Bay Cemetery Ralph B. Scott regret to announce his passing on Sunday, 20 November 2016. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Ralph Richard Wright of George Town who passed away on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, November 27, 2016 at 12:00noon at George Town Seventh Day Adventist Church, Smith Road. Viewing will be from 11:00-11:45 a.m. Interment to follow at the Prospect Cemetery. Different higher education institutions use different con- version scales to convert test score percentages to a GPA. A ‘C’ grade at ICCI starts at 70 percent, while a ‘C’ at UCCI, starts at 60 percent, Mr. Marshall states in his letter. A 3.0 GPA at UCCI is equiva- lent to 75 to 79 percent, while a 3.0 GPA at ICCI is 80 per- cent or above, according to transcripts submitted by Mr. Marshall to the council. He claims the scale his college uses is more in line with U.S. institutions and accrediting bodies, citing transcripts from the Univer- sity of Florida and the Uni- versity of South Florida to support this. “ICCI uses the higher cal- culated scores to maintain our U.S. accreditation and to ease the transfer ability of our graduates wishing to move on to schools in the U.S. or Canada,” he wrote. UCCI President Roy Bodden defended standards at the institution. He said he was unaware of Mr. Mar- shall’s letter before it was brought to his attention by the Compass and had not seen any data to substantiate the claims about literacy and numeracy test scores. “As to the allegation of a comparatively soft grading system which produces grad- uates with issues in Eng- lish and Math, I must admit that I am completely un- aware of this being an issue among UCCI graduates,” he said in an email. Mr. Bodden said dif- ferent colleges used different grading scales and insisted UCCI’s system was interna- tionally benchmarked and was accepted by colleges all over the world. “UCCI students transfer to universities all over the U.S. and Canada and now increasing numbers are opting to study in the U.K. There are currently no re- corded difficult[ies] with GPA conversion as per our re- cords,” he added. He said UCCI would not be able to negotiate deals like its partnership with Pennsyl- vania’s West Chester Univer- sity, which allows students at each institution to take courses at either college, if its grading system were not in- ternationally respected. He said UCCI students who fell below the Educa- tion Council’s standards were required to bring their grades up to standard before their scholarships continued. He said any issues around how scholarship funds for ICCI students were handled were between the college and the council. He added, “Let me record that when UCCI encounters setbacks and challenges, the institution rises to the occa- sion of putting our house in order, not on blaming others for our woes.” Mr. Marshall declined to comment further on the is- sues raised in his letter. He said his aim was to raise concerns with the Education Council in an ef- fort to lift standards gener- ally, not to publicly criticize another school. A spokesperson for the Education Council said the letter, dated Oct. 25, was scheduled to be discussed at the November meeting of the council, which was being held Thursday. She said the council would reply to ICCI once it had dis- cussed the letter. ICCI president concerned over low standards for students GPA CONVERSION The 4.0 Grade Point Average scale is used by U.S. schools and colleges to provide a single figure snapshot of a student’s academic performance across all courses. There is some variability among institutions on how percentage or letter grades in each course are converted to the GPA scale. According to the U.S. College Board guidelines, an ‘A’ equates to 93-100 percent and a 4.0 average. A ‘C’ is 73-76 percent or a 2.0 average. At ICCI, a 4.0 or an ‘A’ grade is 90 to 100, while a ‘C’ or a 2.0 is 70 to 79. At UCCI, a 4.0 or ‘A’ is also 90 to 100 while a ‘C’ or 2.0 is 60 to 64 percent. The reliability of such conversions also depend on each college’s marking standards. International College of the Cayman Islands President David Marshall at the college’s campus - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Worst year in decade for water deaths BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A total of 17 people have died, or are presumed to have died, in water-related incidents in the Cayman Is- lands during 2016. The deaths, which oc- curred between Jan. 20 and Nov. 22, include five indi- viduals who went missing and are now presumed dead after having last been seen March 6 on a boat near 12 Mile Bank, west of Grand Cayman. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service officially considers those five, Ed- sell Haylock, Gary Mullings, Nicholas Watler, 11-year-old Kamron Brown and 9-year- old Kanyi Brown as “missing persons.” However, none of the five have been heard from in the seven months since their disappearance. The death toll of 17 eclipses last year’s total of 14 water-related fatalities and is thought to be the highest number of deaths seen in Cayman Islands waters for a decade. In a departure from pre- vious years, a significant number of Caymanians or longtime local residents are among the victims. In addition to the five local boaters, a young Caymanian man, Mi- chael Gourzong, 24, died in June after getting into trouble during a swim near Spotts Beach. Just this week, a long- time work permit holder and resident of the is- lands, Tian Lun “Aoki” Ma was found dead off the coast of West Bay district, where he had apparently gone fishing. At least nine of the re- maining 10 victims were tourists, including frequent Cayman visitor and former PepsiCo chief executive Roger Enrico, 71, who died here on June 1. During the five years be- tween 2007 and 2012, water sports-related fatalities in Cayman averaged between nine and ten cases per year. That includes swimming, snorkeling, diving and boating incidents. Local dive industry workers will often point out that an incident classed as a “diving accident” or “swimming accident” may often be classed as a water sports fatality, when it may have more to do with the individual’s phys- ical condition. Age also plays a signifi- cant role. According to re- cords examined by the Cayman Compass, 22 of 26 water-related fatalities to occur here between 2003 and 2011 involved victims who were over age 50. The youngest victim in that group was 39.Next >