SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 High of 85 Low of 77 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. Politics Trump’s global empire raises red flags 4 Nation Female firefighters face many struggles 8 World Israeli settlement faces eviction 10 THE CROSSING These migrants died in anonymity, trying to cross the border. A Texas doctor works to get them home. PAGE 12 ABCDE NATIONAL WEEKLY 5 Myths The Puritan chapter of American history 23 THE WEEK OF SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2016. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST The crossing EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 FIDEL CASTRO: CUBA’S REBEL. CUBA’S TYRANT Going nuts in December 2016! Going fresh, local, delicious, quick, convenient, crisp, hot, cool, tangy, healthy, juicy, crunchy, spiced, sweet, salty, wholesome, appetising, delectable, flavourful, fruity, heavenly, mouthwatering, scrumptious, savoury, fizzy, organic, full-bodied, gourmet, hearty, satisfying, homemade, indulgent, lean, lip-smacking and yummy grab and go things. Cayman’s leaders react to Castro’s death STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Cayman’s political leaders reacted this weekend to the death of Fidel Castro, who led his Cuban rebels to victorious revolution in 1959, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half-century of rule in Cuba. To Premier Alden McLaughlin, Castro was the man “who brought the Cold War to the Western Hemisphere in 1959 and irked many American presidents for many years.” Premier McLaughlin said, “We in the Cayman Islands have a strong – and some of us familial – relationship with the people of Cuba. We keep in our thoughts and prayers his family and others who are grieving his passing. May his soul rest in peace.” Cayman’s relationship with Cuba over the years has been a complicated one. Many Cay- manian families can trace their origins at least partly back to Cuba and particularly to the Isle of Pines (now known as Isla de la Ju- ventud) during the early half of the 20th cen- tury. However, in more recent years, boatloads of Cuba’s downtrodden economic migrants have flooded the Cayman Islands, costing hun- dreds of thousands, even millions of dollars annually in some budgets. Negotiations with the Cuban government regarding the migrants have not resolved the problem of slow repatriation for those who are stranded here when their makeshift boats fail. Recalling his years as premier, now-Oppo- sition Leader McKeeva Bush said, “I opened formal relations with Cuba by making it a new gateway with Cayman Airways and I was criticized by the then opposition. Nevertheless, it made complete sense for Cayman to have formal, official, friendly relations as Cuba would allow with such an important player in the regional tourism and general com- merce industry. I offer condolences to all of Dr. TROUBLE BREWING OVER ALCOHOL SALES IN SERVICE STATIONS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands has nearly 30 petrol stations and just three of them were ever al- lowed to obtain liquor licenses. That may be about to change. An application for package liquor li- cense has been made for the new Rubis/ Burger King complex under construction on Shamrock Road. Complex owner Gary Rutty said Friday that the new facility, including a convenience store where he wants to sell beer and wine, should be open within the next two or three weeks, if all goes according to plan. “I would like to have a convenience store where you can just ‘grab and go,’ basically,” Mr. Rutty said. The application for the package license is due to come before the Liquor Licensing Board of Grand Cayman on Dec. 5. Objections to the application by three li- quor store owners were filed with the board this week. “It has been government’s policy since 2002 not to grant liquor licenses to gas sta- tions,” read the objection letter signed by Robert Hamaty, Prentice Panton and David Khouri. “There are 26 gas stations and three in [Cayman] Brac. Only three of these have licenses.” Those licenses were granted to two sta- tions in Bodden Town and the George Town station formerly known as Delworth’s Esso”, which at one time was considered “out in the country” before Grand Cayman’s significant development boom in the 1980s and 1990s. Cargo ship slams coral reef in GT harbor DoE investigating damage BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Significant damage was done to a coral reef in George Town harbor early Friday after a 328-foot cargo vessel struck the shallow area with its hull, Department of Environment officials said. Department Deputy Director Scott Slay- baugh said the accident happened around 6 a.m. when the cargo ship Saga was leaving the George Town dock after depositing its goods. Mr. Slaybaugh said the ship’s hull appears to have made direct contact with the reef, an unusual occurrence in the harbor where most coral damage is the re- sult of ships’ anchorage. “As they were maneuvering away from the dock, they got it into the shallow reef,” Mr. Slaybaugh said. “There is significant coral reef damage.” Port Authority officials were not avail- able for comment over the weekend. Department of Environment crews made a quick check of the area Friday and were due to go out again Monday for a more in- depth survey. The cargo ship was kept in The Saga cargo ship remained moored off George Town Sunday afternoon, above. A still image from a video shot by diver Chris Bodden, right, shows some of the area damaged when the ship’s hull struck the reef off downtown George Town on Friday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 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. - MONDAY - BILLY LYNN’S (R) LONG HALFTIME WALK 1:30 | 4:15 | 7:20 | 10:00 FANTASTIC BEASTS (PG13) AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 3D 12:15 | 3:20 2D | 6:30 | 9:40 2D ALMOST CHRISTMAS (PG13) 4:00 | 9:50 ARRIVAL (PG13) 1:20 | 7:10 LION (PG13) 1:00 | 3:40 | 7:15 | 10:00 MOANA 3D (PG) 12:45 | 3:30 2D | 6:45 | 9:20 2D ALLIED (R) 12:50 | 3:50 | 6:50 | 9:55 Our new home is 18 Forum Lane, Camana Bay We look forward to seeing you there soon in our new facility! Please call 945-4447 for an appointment. CAYMAN DENTAL HAS RELOCATED Turkey Trot 5K raises money for Meals on Wheels CODY STAFFORD Though Thanksgiving has come and gone, the spirit of the day was on display at the Meals on Wheels Turkey Trot 5K run/ walk on Saturday. Meals on Wheels Chairman Rob Imparato donned a turkey suit for the event, though most run- ners opted for more tra- ditional running gear to set off on the run, which began and ended at the Hol- iday Inn Resort. This is the first year Meals on Wheels has held the run, which the charity hopes will become an annual event. First to cross the line in the men’s division was local Carifta medalist Dominic Dyer, finishing in 17 minutes and 5 seconds. Second and third place winners were Will Edwards and Victor Magalhaes, respectively. In the women’s divi- sion, Kiara McLaughlin easily outpaced her com- petitors to claim a comfort- able victory in 22 minutes, 16 seconds. Gill Comins and Lisa Kehoe took second and third place. Beulah McField, execu- tive director of Meals on Wheels, said the money raised from the event would be used to help set up a new kitchen in West Bay. The charity delivers meals to elderly and home- bound people throughout the districts. Other upcoming fun- draising events for Meals on Wheels include its coin- drive initiative in February, when volunteers will be stationed at grocery and hardware stores across the island collecting public do- nations, and its annual gala in April 2017. Rob Imparato and Beulah McField award Kiara McLaughlin her first-place trophy. - PHOTO: CODY STAFFORD Court quashes woman’s PR scam convictions Co-defendant’s sentence upheld CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman serving a four- and-a-half-year prison term for her role in a permanent residence scam was released earlier this month after the Court of Appeal quashed her convictions. Marcia Angella Hamilton, 46, had been found guilty of six out of eight counts of ob- taining property by decep- tion. Victims said they had been told that permanent res- idence was being made avail- able to longtime residents for a fee of $2,500. The charges related to the period from September to November 2009. Hamilton pleaded not guilty, saying she had been deceived and innocently dragged into the scam – that if she had known, she would never have applied for permanent residence for her own child. She chose to be tried by judge alone. Justice Charles Quin announced his ver- dicts last December. A co-ac- cused, Judith Douglas, ear- lier pleaded guilty to nine charges. Their appeals were heard on Nov. 3. The Court of Appeal made an order re- straining publication of the outcomes and the court’s judgment in the matter until after the trial of Paul Anthony Hume Ebanks, who faced the same kind of charges. Ebanks was found guilty on Nov. 8 and sentenced to 14 years. The judgment in the case of Hamilton and Douglas was released last week. Defense attorney Margeta Facey-Clarke argued “that the judge’s reasoning did not support the conclusion that he reached that [Ham- ilton] was guilty and that there was no basis for saying that she had been dishonest throughout the period of the events which formed the basis of the indictment.” The trial judge found that Hamilton and her child’s fa- ther paid $1,800 to Judith Douglas on the basis that the applicant was a student and so the fee was less. This pay- ment was made in July or August of 2009 and Douglas told them the permanent res- idence would come through within a month. It was the child’s father who had found out about the scheme, and he told Ham- ilton. He gave this evidence during her trial and it was clear the judge believed him. The Court of Appeal iden- tified this point as crucial. If Hamilton had been dis- honest throughout, then ei- ther the Crown had to estab- lish that it was not true that Hamilton had paid money to obtain permanent resi- dency for her child, or the Crown had to “explain why it was that someone dishonest throughout should have bothered to pay over money to Judith Douglas for the purpose, which she knew to be hopeless, of obtaining per- manent residency.” Trial judge Justice Quin found that Hamilton had asked for her money back in late September/early October 2009. He concluded that she was dishonest because she continued to collect money from members of the public after she had asked for her own money back. “It is clear that the judge, therefore, was rejecting the Crown’s contention that she had been dishonest throughout but was con- victing this appellant because he was sure that after she herself had asked for money back, and therefore did not believe in the scheme, was nevertheless representing it as an effective scheme to other members of the public,” the appeal judges stated. But four of the charges against her pre-dated when Hamilton asked for her money back. The appeal judges said the trial judge could not be sure when Hamilton asked for her money back, saying late September/early Oc- tober. The appeal court said there was “no precise or safe basis on which he could be sure that she was collecting money after she has tried to get her money back.” There was some evidence that Hamilton collected money from two victims to- ward the end of October or even early November. The court determined that the two convictions in these cases were not safe because the evidence as to dates was too vague, adding that this was hardly surprising as the trial took place nearly six years after the events alleged. Further, in the court’s judg- ment, the trial judge’s conclu- sion on the first four counts had tainted his conclusion on the next two. Since the judge’s finding contradicted the basis of the prosecution and could not be justified on the facts that he found, the ap- peal was allowed. Judith Douglas, 50, ap- plied to appeal against her sentence of two-and-a-half years, with attorney Guy Dil- liway-Parry arguing that it was manifestly excessive. She had pleaded guilty to nine counts on a 39-count indict- ment for obtaining property by deception. The appeal court agreed with Justice Quin’s assertion that Cayman is a small juris- diction and the offenses at- tacked the integrity of the immigration laws and proce- dures. The court had to im- pose a punishment that re- flected the gravity of the offense and acted as a se- rious deterrent to others who might contemplate such dis- honest conduct. The court therefore refused permis- sion to appeal. Since the judge’s finding contradicted the basis of the prosecution and could not be justified on the facts that he found, the appeal was allowed.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 *For a definition of an unauthorized transaction & for full details regarding the protections and limitations of the RBC Security Guarantee for Online and Mobile Banking, please see your Electronic Banking Agreement with the applicable entity.® Registered trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. Download the RBC Caribbean App FREE for your Android and iOS devices at RBC Security Guarantee 100% Reimbursement for unauthorized transactions* in RBC Online & Mobile Banking Bank securely anywhere, anytime with the RBC Mobile Banking App for smartphones and tablets. It’s simple, secure and convenient. It’s here! RBC’s Mobile App gives you an easier way to bank! For more information or to enrol now visit caribbeandigital.rbc.comThe 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. MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS WASHINGTON – With the end of Fidel Castro’s nasty life Friday night, we can hope, if not reasonably expect, to have seen the last of char- ismatic totalitarians wor- shiped by political pilgrims from open societies. Experi- ence suggests there will al- ways be tyranny tourists in flight from what they con- sider the boring banality of bourgeois society and eager for the excitement of so- journs in “progressive” despo- tisms that they are free to ad- mire and then leave. During the 1930s, there were many apologists for Josef Stalin’s brutalities, which he committed in the name of building a workers’ paradise fit for an improved humanity. The apologists complacently said, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.” To which George Orwell acidly re- plied: “Where’s the omelet?” With Castro, the problem was lemonade. Soon after Castro seized power in 1959, Jean-Paul Sartre, the French intellec- tual whose Stalinist politics were as grotesque as his phi- losophy was opaque, left Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris to visit Cuba. During a drive, he and Castro stopped at a road- side stand. They were served warm lemonade, which Castro heatedly said “reveals a lack of revolutionary con- sciousness.” The waitress shrugged, saying the refrig- erator was broken. Castro “growled” (Sartre’s approving description): “Tell your people in charge that if they don’t take care of their problems, they will have problems with me.” Sartre swooned: “This was the first time I understood – still quite vaguely – what I called ‘di- rect democracy.’ Between the waitress and Castro, an im- mediate secret understanding was established. She let it be seen by her tone, her smiles, by a shrug of the shoulders, that she was without illu- sion. And the prime minister ... in expressing himself be- fore her without circumlo- cution, calmly invited her to join the rebellion.” Another political inno- vator, Benito Mussolini, called his regime “enno- bled democracy,” and as the American columnist Murray Kempton mordantly noted in 1982, photographs of Castro “cutting sugar cane evoke the bare-chested Musso- lini plunged into the battle for wheat.” Castro’s direct democracy was parsimo- nious regarding elections but permissive of shrugs. It did, however, forbid “acts of public destruction,” meaning criticism of communism. This charge condemned Armando Valladares, then 23, to 22 years in Castro’s prisons. Stalin’s terror was too high a price to pay for a great novel, but at least the world got from it Ar- thur Koestler’s “Darkness at Noon.” And although Castro’s regime, saturated with sa- dism, should never have ex- isted, because of it the world got Valladares’s testament to human endurance, his prison memoir “Against All Hope.” Prison food was watery soup laced with glass, or dead rats, or cows’ intestines filled with feces, and Castro’s agents had special uses for the ditch filled with the sewage from 8,000 people. On April 15, 1959, 15 weeks after capturing Ha- vana, Castro, then 32, landed in Washington at what is now Reagan National Airport. He had been in America in 1948, when he studied English and bought a Lincoln. This time, on April 16, in a concession to bourgeois expectations, he dispatched an aide to buy a comb and toothbrush. His connections to commu- nism? “None,” he said. He en- dorsed a free press as “the first enemy of dictatorship,” and said free elections were coming soon. Then he was off to a Princeton seminar and a lecture in the chapel at Law- renceville prep school, well received at both places. By July red stars were being painted on Cuban mil- itary vehicles. Three years later, Soviet ballistic mis- siles were arriving. A year after that, a Castro admirer murdered the U.S. president whose administration had been interested in, indeed almost obsessed with, re- moving Castro. U.S. flings at “regime change” in distant lands have had, to say no more, uneven results, but the most spec- tacular futility has been 90 miles from Florida. Castro was the object of various and sometimes unhinged U.S. at- tempts to remove him. After the Bay of Pigs debacle, the Kennedy administration doubled down with Opera- tion Mongoose, which in- cluded harebrained assas- sination plots and a plan skeptics called “elimination by illumination” – having a U.S. submarine surface in Havana harbor and fire star shells into the night sky to convince Catholic Cubans that the Second Coming had come, causing them to rebel against Castro the anti- Christ. Nevertheless, Castro ruled Cuba during 11 U.S. presidencies and longer than the Soviet Union ruled Eastern Europe. Socialism is bountiful only of slogans, and a Castro favorite was “socialism or death.” The latter came to him decades after the former had made Cuba into a gray museum for a dead utopianism. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com “I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” – Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare A giant of the 20th century has fallen. Fidel Castro is dead. Age, 90. Friends and followers, many millions. Enemies and victims, perhaps many more. Legacy, undeniable. Former Cuban President Castro was a revolutionary fueled by philosophy – and an autocratic despot who would not tolerate the dissenting ideas of others. He liberated his homeland from the iron fist of dictator Fulgencio Batista nearly 58 years ago – then domi- nated the nation for five decades through steel and brute, physical violence. He rode into power flying the banner of nationalism and promising to lift the people from poverty – he died Friday, Nov. 25, as the world’s “last Communist” in an oppressive country where everyone is poor, except the party elite and a well-con- nected few. To say that Mr. Castro was one of the most polar- izing figures in recent history is an understatement. That he was one of the most loved – and hated – might be closer to the truth. Nothing is more accu- rately illustrative of the equal measures of loyalty and loathing that Mr. Castro inspired than the dichotomous scenes that ensued after the announcement of his death: In Havana, a respectful (and imposed) silence, introducing nine days of official mourning. In Miami’s Little Havana, honking horns, brilliant fireworks and raucous revelry among the regime’s exiles and their descendants. Mr. Castro’s impact, of course, is most evident in Cuba, which he reshaped by force after his own image and which now stands, crumbling, as a fortress, as a monument and as a mausoleum to the ideals and real- ities of rule under Marxism-Leninism. His reign also influenced the course of history in his arch-nemesis, the United States of America, politically – through the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald (an admirer and devotee of Mr. Castro); and demographically – through the mass emigration of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Cubans from Mr. Castro’s country to the U.S. (Here in the Cayman Islands, we continue to be a landing site for desperate migrants who have chosen to risk their lives on the merciless sea rather than at the hands of the ruthless Cuban government.) Not only has the Cuban-American community never forgiven Mr. Castro for his government’s mass confiscation of private property, executions of tens of thousands of foes, and imprisonments of untold numbers of opponents, their hate of Mr. Castro – and vice versa – has only seemed to grow over the past 50-plus years. (In the words of the Miami Herald’s editorial board, “The totalitarian dictator is dead. May his police state and inhumanity be buried along with him.”) Locally, the Cayman Islands is intertwined with Cuba through bonds of history, economics and blood. Despite the familial intimacy between our islands’ populations, and the mandates of diplomatic delicacy, we must observe that statements issued by Premier Alden McLaughlin and Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush appear to be wholly imbalanced, reading like snippets of eulogies of a dear departed friend, and lacking acknowledgements that Mr. Castro was a dicta- torial tyrant who presided over death, destruction and the extinguishment of free speech, personal liberty and economic progress. Although the decade Mr. Castro’s brother Raul (age 85) has been in power has been marked by a thawing relationship with the U.S., a Cuban free market is still a myth. The potential for free elections is even more ethereal. As it has been since Mr. Castro rode a tank into Havana on Jan. 8, 1959, the future of Cuba remains a mystery and a question mark. Although Mr. Castro was the living embodiment of a strain of philosophy, mentality and morality to which we could not be more opposed, it is beyond argument that in terms of sheer power and personality, he was a Colossus. Whether he inspired love, hate or ambivalence, the arc of his life cannot be ignored. Mr. Castro used to punctuate his speeches with the following cry of defiance: “¡Socialismo o muerte!” (Socialism or death!) Both, finally, have come to Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro: Cuba’s rebel. Cuba’s tyrant Fidel Castro and dead utopianism GEORGE F. WILL 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 find their own way” In this April 20, 1959 file photo, Cuba’s leader Fidel Castro addresses a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D.C. - PHOTO: AP/JOHN ROUS5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 Special thanks to our sponsors: Mr. Sydney Shaw Mrs. Berna Cummings GOV’T STILL RUSHING IN ‘POOR QUALITY’ FINANCIALS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Eight years after former Auditor General Dan Duguay sounded the alarm over $1.5 billion in unaudited govern- ment finances, a number of government agencies failed to submit “quality” finan- cial statements, according to Cayman’s current au- ditor general. Sue Winspear, who took over the post earlier this year, lauded the civil service’s major improvements since Mr. Duguay’s time but noted that some government entities are still submitting financial statements simply to meet legal timelines. There are a total of 42 gov- ernment entities, including ministries, portfolios, statutory authorities and government- owned companies, that are au- dited by the attorney general’s office or on behalf of that of- fice by local accounting firms. Of those, 28 submitted audits this year that received either a clean bill of financial health or noted only a few areas – some- times just one – where there were financial concerns. The auditor general’s office is still going through the re- maining 14 entities at the mo- ment, Ms. Winspear said. “The trend of improvement in recent years continues, but there are still areas where documentation is weak and where it takes significant time provide appropriate and suf- ficient evidence,” she said. The time taken receiving that in- formation delays the com- pletion of the audit and, ulti- mately, its report to members of the Legislative Assembly and the public, she said. Ms. Winspear singled out the Ministry of Planning and the Cayman Turtle Centre for turning around their finan- cial statements – barely de- cipherable a few years ago – to the most recent audits for the 2015/16 budget, which she said raised few issues, if any. Another area where gov- ernment entities had not been reporting any information until recently concerned an- nual reports by those agen- cies, she said. Cayman’s Public Manage- ment and Finance Law re- quires that all public agen- cies submit a written report of their activities for the year to accompany the fi- nancial statements. Up until the 2015/16 budget year, which ended June 30, “only a handful” of those written re- ports had been produced. This year, all government ministries and portfolios and more than half of the stat- utory agencies submitted those reports, which will be made public in the Legisla- tive Assembly. Steps to improve annual financial reporting “will aid transparency and decision- making” Ms. Winspear said. “It is expected that all en- tities should prepare timely annual financial statements, accompanied by an annual report on the business and that they receive an unquali- fied audit opinion providing assure that the information presented is credible and re- liable,” she said. “It genu- inely feels that this reality is not within grasp for the public sector entities in the Cayman Islands.” Nearly 600 get Christmas cleanup work BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com About 22 percent fewer people have been registered for the Cayman Islands gov- ernment’s Christmas cleanup program this holiday season compared to the 2015 cleanup effort. Government statistics re- leased Friday state that 547 residents on Grand Cayman and 41 Cayman Brac resi- dents successfully registered for short-term employment, which runs for a maximum of three weeks between Nov. 28 and Dec. 16. That is 164 fewer people in total than the 752 who signed up for last year’s holiday program. Jobs provided via the 2016 cleanup effort include various roadside beautifica- tion and beach cleanups, as well as cleanup efforts for 30 beach access ways and some duties at the George Town Landfill. There is some chance that landfill workers with the cleanup program could be taken on as full-time em- ployees next year based on their performance, govern- ment officials said. Employment Minister Tara Rivers said the signifi- cant drop in the number of Christmas-time job-seekers is proof that “unemployment figures are certainly moving in the right direction.” The latest unemployment figures released by govern- ment appear to back up Minister Rivers’s statement. Overall unemployment down The government reported an overall unemployment rate of 3.9 percent during spring 2016. That rate fell from 5.6 percent overall un- employment in spring 2015 and a 4.2 percent unemploy- ment rate in fall 2015. A total of just more than 1,600 people, both Cay- manian and non-Cayma- nian, were out of work as of spring 2016. For Caymanians, the re- ported unemployment rate during spring 2016 was lower than the 6.2 per- cent unemployment rate re- corded during fall 2015 and significantly lower than the 8.3 percent Caymanian unemployment reported in spring 2015. Statistics office figures showed an estimated total of 1,111 Caymanians un- employed this spring, com- pared to 1,200 who were jobless in fall 2015 and 1,562 listed as unemployed in fall 2014. “The 3.9 percent total unemployment rate is the lowest since 2007,” Finance Minister Marco Archer said. “This is a significant achievement, considering that in 2012 the unemploy- ment rate for Caymanians was 10.5 percent.” In terms of the Christmas cleanup program workers, about 45 percent are between 41 and 65 years old and the majority [58 per- cent] are male. However, a significant number of younger people signed up for the Christmas work. Applicants between 28 and 40 years old made up nearly 30 percent of those given the temporary jobs. All workers involved in the temporary jobs program will be paid a week be- fore Christmas. Costs for the 2016 pro- gram were not released, but last year just under $445,000 was spend on the cleanup. Employment Minister Tara Rivers at the Lions Community Centre on Wednesday, Nov. 16, speaks with hundreds of people looking for work via the government’s National Community Enhancement Project. Nearly 600 have now been hired for the temporary clean up effort. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Frances Bodden moves house In the Nov. 30, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, George Town news included some updates on the district correspondent: “Our friend Miss Frances [Bodden]’s column is cur- tailed a little this week due to her removal to her new home on Columbus Way off Melmac Ave. “Her many friends will miss visiting at her ever open door at the centre of town. “We are happy that her new residence is now com- plete and wish for her, and those who dwell with her, many years to enjoy it. “Mr. Peter Bodden, el- dest son of Mr. and Mrs. T.D. Bodden, arrived from London via Jamaica on the 24th and is the guest of Mr. Ainslie L. Bodden (his uncle) and his good wife. Peter works on the main- tenance staff of British Overseas Airways Corpora- tion in London. “We extend a warm wel- come to him and trust that his stay in the island will be a most pleasant one. His father ‘J.D.’ was a most popular and outstanding young man, having served in Cayman during the war with Sir Wolsey Cardinal, the then Commissioner of the Cayman Islands, as a right-hand man. “Mrs. Minard Foster left for Jamaica on Thursday to visit her daughter. “Capt. Lem Bodden and his son, Lem Jr. spent a most enjoyable visit with his sister Mrs. Pat Henderson. They returned home to New Orleans on the 24th. Whilst here they did a lot of fishing and toured the island. “The Volunteer State which has Cardinal DaCosta amongst its crew, passed close to Cayman on the 24th. Burns Rutty was able to pick up the ship on the radio and talk to Cardinal but his voice was very in- distinct which made con- versation a little difficult. Mrs. DaCosta did not know that her husband would be passing so close and was disappointed at not getting to talk with him. “We are happy to have Miss Cook a sister of Mr. Stewart Cook consultant en- gineer at the airport visiting Cayman for the first time. It is hoped that her stay will be most happy. “Mr. Tom Jackson of Newlands passed away in the hospital on Nov. 17. The funeral took place the following day at his home and thence for burial at Pedro. He was 84 1/2 years of age and a hard worker in his day. One of his outstanding works was the Spotts road which was built after the 1932 storm during the term of Col. E.A. Weston the then commissioner of the island. This was the first road of its kind that was ever built in the island, and has have very little repairs since that time. Mr. Tom is survived by his second wife – Mrs. Pearl Dean Jackson … “Happy Birthday to Master Frankie Roulstone the third. He was three years of age on the 2nd. He is the only son and third child of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Roulstone, Jr. “Mrs. Fay Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Winston Sinclair, returned home from Ja- maica on Sunday. She has been working in Kingston for some time. “Mr. J. Armstrong, Ca- nadian entomologist, ar- rived on Sunday to join the team here. “He is particularly inter- ested in the use of insecti- cides and will work in the new laboratory erected re- cently for this purpose. “The Motor Vessel Chem- ical Trader made one of her regular calls this week, ar- riving Monday evening at Spotts. The Cayman mem- bers of the crew were able to come ashore and visit their relatives for a few hours. “The Inagua Spray called in here on Saturday to pick up a crewman from North Side. The Captain on this vessel is now Ned Miller, also of North Side.” Young Triple C students busy with STEM projects An elementary program at Triple C School is using hands-on learning to intro- duce young students to sci- ence, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM. According to a press re- lease, when the students in Gwendolyn Douglas’s second grade class have finished their regular class work, or their morning station rota- tion is STEM, they can take one STEM bin at a time, ei- ther to their seat or to a more quiet area, and have time to work on engineering projects. The STEM bins are plastic school boxes filled with engi- neering objects of the teach- er’s choice, such as Legos, pattern blocks, base 10 blocks, Unifix cubes, tooth- picks and Play-Doh, or Pop- sicle sticks with Velcro on the ends. The boxes also con- tain small sets of task cards on metal rings that pic- ture a variety of basic engi- neering structures. The students use the materials to build as many structures on the cards as they can. “Instead of being just ‘busy,’ students are en- gaged in creative, com- plex tasks and are encour- aged to think like inventors,” notes the release. “The kinesthetic learners, spatial learners, and logical learners love exploring the different possibilities for the building materials as they try to construct more challenging structures,” said Ms. Douglas. “I challenge the students to draw pictures of their dif- ferent structures along with their written component. Most of my second graders can ‘build, draw, and write’ with descriptive sentences or imaginative stories about their structures. The students’ written work is displayed in our STEM station so students can see examples of excellent written responses.” SMITH COVE A PERFECT SETTING FOR PIRATE VOWS New Yorkers Christiano and Marian Buono took the Cayman Islands’ pirate her- itage to heart at their five- year vow renewal at Smith Cove during Pirates Week. The couple, along with their infant son Piero and with their party of friends and family in attendance, took part in the ceremony on Nov. 17 in full pirate re- galia. Officiant Joy Basdeo and her assistant also suited up for the occasion. “It was a very interna- tional group that took part in the ceremony, all were having a great time, and we took them to My Bar at Sunset House afterward to keep the festivities going,” said Ms. Basdeo. “The Buonos said they’d definitely be back again, the trip was so worth it.” Student Daniel Suico works on his project. Christiano and Marian Buono renew their vows at Smith Cove. - PHOTOS: LIN FRONDA CAYMAN PHOTOGRAPHERSDistrict Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 UCCI awards Joy Merren honorary doctorate Joy Merren was among those recently awarded hon- orary doctorates by the Uni- versity College of the Cayman Islands. The honorary de- grees were awarded to those who have contributed to the development of Cay- man’s society. Recipients must have made an indisputably posi- tive, signal and lasting contri- bution to the improvement of Caymanian society, according to a press release. Areas of recognition include scholar- ship, culture, public service, humanitarianism, science, art or any other areas the Uni- versity College authorities deem appropriate. Ms. Merren was awarded Doctor of Science, honoris causa, for her contribu- tions to the fields of sci- ence and nursing. The award was presented at the 2016 Commencement ceremony at the Sir Vassel Johnson Hall on Nov. 3. After completing her studies at the Cayman Islands High School, Ms. Merren (nee Bodden) earned her associate degree in Nursing (Honors) from St. Petersburg Junior College in Florida in 1971. According to UCCI, after her initial training in nursing, Ms. Merren qualified as a registered nurse in the state of Florida. She worked from 1971 to 1974 as a staff nurse in the medical and intensive care units at St. Petersburg General Hospital before re- turning to Grand Cayman to work as a staff nurse at the Cayman Islands Hospital from 1975 to 1977. She and her husband then moved to Washington, D.C., where she began working as a staff nurse in orthopedics at George Washington Univer- sity Hospital. She left work in 1979 to pursue training as a nurse practitioner, becoming the first Caymanian to do so, the press release states. In 1980, she earned a bachelor’s degree in health- care sciences (nurse practi- tioner) at the George Wash- ington University School of Medicine and Health Sci- ences. She was certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as an adult nurse practitioner, a credential she still maintains. In 1982, she earned a mas- ter’s in special studies, spe- cializing in gerontology at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, George Washington University, with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Ms. Merren worked as a geriatrics nurse practi- tioner at the Manor Care Nursing Center in Arlington, Virginia, and as a geriat- rics nurse practitioner at the Columbia Senior Center in Washington, D.C., where she served as a multidisciplinary team member with the Community Outreach Pro- gram for the Elderly, known as COPE, at George Wash- ington University. As a part of her participa- tion with COPE, Ms. Merren wrote an article on “Common Diseases in the Elderly – Drugs and Drug Interactions” and co- authored an article on “Coop- eration as a Guiding Principle in Assessment/Case Manage- ment: A Case Example.” In 1983, these articles were pub- lished by the Office on Aging of the government of the District of Columbia in a collection of related articles entitled “Se- lected Readings in Assessment and Case Management.” In 1985, Ms. Merren and her husband, along with their infant son, returned to Grand Cayman. In 1987, she returned to work as a nurse practitioner at the Professional Medical Centre, and in 1990 she was a clinic nurse at Cayman Med- ical and Surgical Centre. In 1994, she joined the Health Services Au- thority as a genetics coun- selor/coordinator, a position she still holds. “During her tenure at HSA, Ms. Merren has made an invaluable contribution, working tirelessly with sci- entists in mapping and un- derstanding the genetic dis- order known as Cayman Ataxia that is only found in the Cayman Islands. This con- dition has been gradually dis- appearing among the Cayma- nian population,” the press release states. Along with other practitio- ners working in a multidisci- plinary team, Ms. Merren has published a series of technical papers related to Cayman Ataxia, Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A and other genetic dis- orders in the Cayman Islands. These were published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, the Journal of Human Molec- ular Genetics and as a paper presented at the University of the West Indies School of Continuing Studies Country Conference on the Cayman Is- lands in May 2004. “Ms. Merren believes pas- sionately that being disabled should not mean being dis- qualified from having access to every aspect of life,” the press release states. “This in- forms and guides her life- long devotion to the care and empowerment of differently abled persons in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere. “Ms. Merren is recog- nized for her skills and exper- tise, as well as the humanity, care, warmth and compas- sion that her patients – many of whom are differently abled in multiple ways – have come to enjoy.” Christmas concert will benefit St. Ignatius Young performers from St. Ignatius will take the stage at Loyola Hall for the school’s main annual fund- raiser on Dec. 14. The St. Ignatius Christmas concert starts at 7 p.m. and will feature the school bands and choirs performing Christmas songs and carols, a press release states. Tickets also include raffle entry, and the program will conclude with the grand prize drawing of $25,000, second prize of $2,500, and third prize of US$2,500. The next five prizes are Cayman Air- ways US$300 travel vouchers, which can be used toward any Cayman Airways destination. Additional prizes include gift certificates from Luca and Ragazzi restaurants, as well as gas vouchers from Walkers Road Rubis. Ticket holders do not need to be present to win; all winners will be notified by phone on Dec. 14 and 15. Net proceeds from the event will benefit both the church and the school. Ac- cording to the press release, the church will invest money in facilities improvements in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Some of the proceeds will also support local charity work by the church. The school will use the proceeds toward the new fa- cilities development fund. A portion of the proceeds will go to the scholarship fund, which provides tuition assis- tance for families who are un- able to afford full school fees. Tickets are $25 and are available at the school or church offices and from a number of parents, students, teachers and church members. Tickets are also on sale at Island Cleaners, Treats Restaurant in the Marquee Plaza, Sameena’s Beauty Centre, and Walkers Road Rubis. Tickets will also be on sale outside several supermarkets during the first half of December, and at A. L. Thompson’s in George Town on Dec. 12. For more information, call the church office on 949-6797 or the school office on 949-9250.St. Ignatius students are encouraging the public to support the school’s annual Christmas concert fundraiser. Joy Merren receives an honorary doctorate from UCCI President Roy Bodden. – PHOTO: JEWEL LEVYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS +1.954.659.5080 l flgps@ccf.org clevelandclinic.org/flgps The top-ranked hospital in South Florida. Recognized in seven types of care by U.S. News & World Report 2016-17. “These three stations were granted licenses many years ago due to the fact that the area was not adequately served and they are now ‘grandfathered’ in,” the objec- tion letter read. “If this new license is granted, how will the Liquor Licensing Board justify refusing applications from the 22 other stations on [Grand Cayman]?” As far as the Cayman Compass is aware, no other petrol stations with con- venience stores have made such an application to the liquor board. Mr. Rutty said he was cautious about engaging in debate over a matter due to come before the liquor board in just a week. He noted, however, that his attorneys had reviewed the law and stated, “There’s nothing in it that says we can’t have it.” The objectors are relying on a Cabinet order in 2002, under the previous United Democratic Party govern- ment, which states: “The Li- quor Licensing Board shall not grant a license for dis- posal of intoxicating liquor or spirits by a gas station.” Other than the few “grandfathered” stations, nei- ther convenience stores nor grocery stores have ever been allowed to sell alcohol, al- though Mr. Rutty points out that is not the norm in many parts of the Western Hemi- sphere, including the U.S., Canada and Jamaica, al- though in some Canadian provinces, like Ontario, the change was made only re- cently for grocery stores. Mr. Hamaty said the Ba- hamas is one country in the Caribbean region that does restrict liquor sales at gas stations. “We could turn this place into Jamaica, where li- quor is available everywhere 24-7 and see what happens then,” said Mr. Hamaty, the founder of the Tortuga group of companies. Mr. Rutty said he believes Cayman needs to “change with the times.” He noted that the liquor board, only a few years ago, approved the extension of opening times for package stores from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. In that situa- tion, there were just a few li- quor stores in the outer dis- tricts that were allowed to stay open until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. to serve the populations in the more remote areas. “The purpose of the Li- quor Licensing Law is to con- trol the dispensation of al- cohol, a controlled drug, and that … it should be reserved for bars, restaurants, party boats, hotels and designated liquor stores and not for gas stations, supermarkets or fast food outlets,” the objec- tion letter stated. George Town port for the time being, Mr. Slaybaugh said. Chris Bodden, man- ager at Paradise Snorkel and Diving, went out to in- spect the damage Friday and again Saturday, and took un- derwater videos. “It’s pretty bad,” Mr. Bodden said. “There’s two or three chunks of coral broken off that are the size of a Volk- swagen. It looks like some- body took a jackhammer to the top of the reef.” Department of Environ- ment officials said the damage occurred in the northern area of a coral reef formation just off the coast where the Para- dise restaurant and the Eden Rock dive center are located along the waterfront. The reef is in fairly shallow water and is frequently visited by snorkelers. Mr. Slaybaugh said part of that area is a marine park protected zone. The cargo vessel had to be pulled off the reef by a tugboat on Friday, he said. The Ministry of Environ- ment said late Friday that it was aware of the coral reef damage incident and would seek restitution from the re- sponsible party. “The environment is Cay- man’s most precious com- modity and a viable public asset that affects our way of life,” the ministry statement read. “Any purported damage to our natural resources is a matter of grave concern. Once the true environmental im- pact of this incident is iden- tified, the ministry will be taking legal advice on the next course of action.” Cayman’s National Con- servation Law makes de- struction of coral reefs, whether accidental or other- wise, illegal. The change to the law took effect in 2015. Environment Minister Wayne Panton told the Leg- islative Assembly earlier this year that there had been five “major” incidents of reef damage here since May 2013, when his Progres- sives-led government took of- fice. In most of those cases, Mr. Panton said, the reef damage was caused by the ship’s anchor. 2016 shaping up to be driest year on record So far this year, the Cayman Islands has had nearly 20 inches less rainfall than in an average year, according to the National Weather Service. As of the end of October, the weather service had re- corded 27.53 inches of rainfall. “Average rainfall over the last 30 years suggests that the Cayman Islands might have expected some 47.36 inches during this period, reflecting a deficit for the year thus far of 19.83 inches,” a press release stated. Since the Cayman Islands started keeping records in the 1950s, the driest year was 1997, when the weather ser- vice measured total rainfall of 35.61 inches, forecasters said. “The total through October is still some 8.08 inches below that record low total,” the of- fice reported. According to the weather forecasters, November usually produces about 6.05 inches, but so far this month, only 0.09 of an inch of rain has been recorded. “This means that the Cayman Islands is on track to produce the lowest annual rainfall total on record by the end of this year,” the statement read. National Weather Ser- vice Director John Tibbetts said while a weak El Nino or neutral pattern has per- sisted this year, leading to lower-than-normal rainfall, it is possible that a weak La Niña may form in the re- maining weeks of 2016. He said this would tend to suppress chances of a drought toward the end of the year and during the upcoming dry season. However, he said, such a change may also “tilt the odds” toward increased flash floods and long-term flooding potential in countries which are prone to such occurrences. Trouble brewing over alcohol sales in service stations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cargo ship slams coral reef in GT harbor CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2016 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. Castro’s family.” Recently, Cayman’s tourism officials have cast a wary eye to the north after Cuba reopened diplomatic relations with the United States in 2014 and began al- lowing U.S. cruise ships to its shores. Cayman’s Tourism Minister and Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said Sat- urday that he did not believe Castro’s death would have much impact either way on the tourism economy, but that Cayman would continue to monitor the situation in Cuba. Announcement of Castro’s death With a shaking voice, Pres- ident Raul Castro said on state television that his older brother, age 90, died at 10:29 p.m. Friday. He ended the an- nouncement by shouting the revolutionary slogan: “Toward victory, always!” Castro’s reign over the is- land nation 90 miles from Florida was marked by the U.S.-backed Bay of Pigs inva- sion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis a year later that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Castro, who outlasted a crippling U.S. trade embargo as well as dozens, possibly hundreds, of assas- sination plots, died 10 years after a life-threatening illness led him to turn over power to his brother. Castro overcame impris- onment at the hands of dic- tator Fulgencio Batista, exile in Mexico and a disastrous start to his rebellion before triumphantly riding into Ha- vana in January 1959 to be- come, at age 32, the youngest leader in Latin America. For decades he was a source of in- spiration and support to revo- lutionaries from Latin America to Africa, even as Cubans who fled to exile loathed him with equal measure. Leadership and reaction in Cuba Raul Castro has an- nounced plans to retire as president when his current term ends on Feb. 24, 2018. Vice President Miguel Diaz- Canel, a relatively younger leader, is seen as a pos- sible successor, although Raul Castro has said he would stay on as head of the Communist Party. In the Cuban capital, flags flew at half-staff at public buildings and some for- eign embassies across the city Saturday. Havana’s 23rd Street com- mercial center bustled with shoppers toting plastic bags and youngsters checking the internet on their smartphones like a normal weekend after- noon. But there was a notable lack of amplified music in this usually sonorous capital. Official newspapers were published with only black ink instead of the usual bright red or blue mastheads. Carlos Rodriguez, 15, was sitting in Havana’s Mi- ramar neighborhood when he heard that Fidel Castro had died. “Fidel? Fidel?” he said, slapping his head in shock. “That’s not what I was ex- pecting. One always thought that he would last forever. It doesn’t seem true.” “It’s a tragedy,” said 22-year-old nurse Dayan Mon- talvo. “We all grew up with him. I feel really hurt by the news that we just heard.” Cuban community in Miami cheers But the news cheered the community of Cuban exiles in Florida who had fled Cas- tro’s government. Thousands gathered in the streets in Mi- ami’s Little Havana to whoop, wave Cuban flags, and bang on pots with spoons. Cars honked horns, and police blocked off streets. Alex Ferran, 21, headed to- ward the gathering in front of exile hangout Cafe Ver- sailles with three friends early Saturday morning after his mother and grandmother called him with the news. He was beside himself with ex- citement. “We’re here to cel- ebrate. This is history in the making,” Ferran said. “This is insane, dude. Someone died and there’s a parade. This could only happen here.” Presidents react U.S. President Barack Obama said that the United States extended “a hand of friendship to the Cuban people” and that “history will record and judge the enor- mous impact of this sin- gular figure on the people and world around him.” Obama said that in the coming days, Cubans “will re- call the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner” in America. President-elect Donald Trump called Castro “a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six de- cades.” He said he hoped the death would clear the way “to- ward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people fi- nally live in the freedom they so richly deserve.” He said his administration will do all it can to help Cu- bans “begin their journey to- ward prosperity and liberty.” Castro’s life Fidel Castro Ruz was born Aug. 13, 1926, in eastern Cu- ba’s sugar country, where his Spanish immigrant father first worked recruiting labor for U.S. sugar companies and later built up a prosperous planta- tion of his own. Castro attended Jesuit schools and then the Univer- sity of Havana, where he re- ceived law and social science degrees. His life as a rebel began in 1953 with a reckless attack on the Moncada mili- tary barracks in the eastern city of Santiago. Most of his comrades were killed, and Fidel and his brother Raul went to prison. Fidel turned his trial de- fense into a manifesto that he smuggled out of jail, fa- mously declaring, “History will absolve me.” Freed under a pardon, Castro fled to Mexico and or- ganized a rebel band that re- turned in 1956, sailing across the Gulf of Mexico to Cuba on a yacht named Granma. After losing most of his group in a bungled landing, he rallied support in Cuba’s eastern Si- erra Maestra mountains. Three years later, tens of thousands spilled into the streets of Havana to celebrate Batista’s downfall and catch a glimpse of Castro as his rebel caravan arrived in the capital on Jan. 8, 1959. The U.S. was among the first to formally recognize his government, cautiously trusting Castro’s early as- surances he merely wanted to restore democracy, not in- stall socialism. Within months, Castro was imposing radical eco- nomic reforms. Members of the old government went be- fore summary courts, and at least 582 were shot by firing squads over two years. In- dependent newspapers were closed and in the early years, homosexuals were herded into camps for “re-education.” In 1964, Castro acknowl- edged holding 15,000 polit- ical prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans fled, in- cluding Castro’s daughter Alina Fernandez Revuelta and his younger sister Juana. Still, the revolution thrilled millions in Cuba and across Latin America who saw it as an example of how the seem- ingly arrogant Yankees could be defied. And many on the is- land were happy to see the sei- zure of property of the landed class, the expulsion of Amer- ican gangsters and the closure of their casinos. Castro’s speeches, lasting up to six hours, became the soundtrack of Cuban life and his 269-minute speech to the U.N. General Assembly in 1960 set the world body’s record for length that still stood more than five decades later. As Castro moved into the Soviet bloc, Washington began working to oust him, cutting U.S. purchases of sugar, the island’s economic mainstay. Castro, in turn, confiscated $1 billion in U.S. assets. Trade embargo The American government imposed a trade embargo, banning virtually all U.S. ex- ports to the island except for food and medicine, and it severed diplomatic ties on Jan. 3, 1961. On April 16 of that year, Castro declared his revolution to be socialist, and the next day, about 1,400 Cuban exiles stormed the beach at the Bay of Pigs on Cuba’s south coast. But the CIA-backed in- vasion failed. The debacle forced the U.S. to give up on the idea of in- vading Cuba, but that did not stop Washington and Castro’s exiled enemies from trying to do him in. By Cuban count, he was the target of more than 630 assassination plots by militant Cuban exiles or the U.S. government. The biggest crisis of the Cold War between Wash- ington and Moscow exploded on Oct. 22, 1962, when Pres- ident John F. Kennedy an- nounced there were Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba and imposed a naval blockade of the island. Humankind held its breath, and after a tense week of diplomacy, Soviet leader Ni- kita Krushchev removed them. Never had the world felt so close to nuclear war. Castro cobbled revolutionary groups together into the new Cuban Communist Party, with him as first secretary. Labor unions lost the right to strike. The Catholic Church and other religious institutions were ha- rassed. Neighborhood “revo- lutionary defense committees” kept an eye on everyone. Castro exported revolution to Latin American countries in the 1960s, and dispatched Cuban troops to Africa to fight Western-backed regimes in the 1970s. Over the de- cades, he sent Cuban doctors abroad to tend to the poor, and gave sanctuary to fugi- tive Black Panther leaders from the U.S. But the collapse of the So- viet bloc ended billions in preferential trade and sub- sidies for Cuba, sending its economy into a tailspin. Castro briefly experimented with an opening to foreign capitalists and limited pri- vate enterprise. Cayman’s leaders react to Castro’s death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In in this Feb. 6, 1959 file photo, Fidel Castro speaks to a crowd during his triumphant march to Havana after the fall of the Batista regime. - PHOTO: AP Members of the Cuban community on Saturday react to news of the death of Fidel Castro, in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. - PHOTO: AP/ALAN DIAZ A woman hands out a special edition of the Miami Herald with the headline ‘Castro Dead,’ in front of the Versailles restaurant in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami as members of the Cuban community react to the news. - PHOTO: AP/WILFREDO LEENext >