High of 86 Low of 75 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over the open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TITLE OF EDITORIAL SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX 36 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE ELECTION 2017 THE WASHINGTON POST Pizzagate: From rumor to hashtag to gunfire EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BEACH VENDORS CUT RED TAPE BY IGNORING IT ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 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. Turkish terror suspect arrested in Cayman BY JAMES WHITTAKER, MICHAEL KLEIN jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com, mklein@ pinnaclemedialtd.com A Turkish terror suspect who was ar- rested in Grand Cayman after arriving on a cruise ship is facing extradition in connec- tion with the killing of two people and the burning of two primary schools in 1988. However, the brother of Celal Kildag, 58, told the Cayman Compass it is “impossible” that he was involved in the alleged crimes because he was not in Turkey at the time. Far from being an international fugi- tive, Celal Kildag has lived openly in Ger- many with his wife and two grown children, according to Hüseyin Kildag, who spoke with the Compass by phone from Germany over the weekend. Hüseyin Kildag said his brother emigrated to Germany in 1980, where he was granted political asylum, and has never re- turned to Turkey. Concerning the allegations, he said, “It’s impossible; he was never there.” Celal Kildag arrived in Grand Cayman with his wife on Thursday on the MSC Opera. According to the ship’s schedule, it departed Genoa, Italy, bound for Cozumel, Mexico, BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A throng of unlicensed beach vendors has packed into Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach since the issue erupted into the spot- light early this year, while there has been no apparent enforce- ment of rules or any working agreement between government and the vendors. Late last week, rental chairs were stacked high along the beachfront, and the chairs in use were placed right at the water line next to Jet Skis beached on shore. One vendor had a large truck parked on the sand at the beachfront, and mul- tiple food and beverage vendors set up shop closer to the beach parking area. Two months ago, many of these vendors were fined $500 by the government Department of Commerce and Investment for operating unlicensed businesses on Crown land. However, their opera- tions have not been removed, No action on SMB vendors, court rejects $500 fine EY SYMPOSIUM INCREASED PRESSURE ON HEDGE FUNDS MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Changing investor demands are the top risk for the hedge fund industry, speakers at the EY Hedge Fund Symposium said Thursday, citing results from the firm’s latest global hedge fund and investor survey. As poor performance, high costs and cheaper passive investment alternatives have depressed the industry’s growth, more North American investors say, for the first time since the financial crisis they are reducing rather than increasing allocations to hedge funds. Those who do invest with hedge funds seek greater customization and increasingly prefer non-traditional alternatives, the survey found. About half of all investors expect they will shift their hedge fund investments to other alternative investments over the next three to five years. Investors show a broad appetite for real as- sets, private equity, long-only funds and best ideas funds, but so far only a small percentage of hedge funds is offering these products. Turtles released at Barkers Beach Teens from the ‘Youth Flex’ show on Radio Cayman release 36 yearling sea turtles into the wild Saturday morning in the first public turtle release on Grand Cayman since 2012. For the full story, see page 10. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » – 50 CENTS – MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 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 - OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY (R) 12:30 | 3:00 MOANA 3D (PG) 12:45 | 3:30 2D ALMOST CHRISTMAS (PG13) 1:15 | 4:20 THE BOUNCE BACK (PG13) 1:30 | 4:15 SULLY (PG13) 1:00 | 4:00 FANTASTIC BEASTS (PG13) AND WHERE TO FIND THEM 3D 12:15 | 3:20 2D A SINCERE THANK YOU TO ALL FOR YOUR GOODWILL contact@harmonyaesthetics.net • www.harmonyaesthetics.net RECEIVE 15% OFF ANY SERVICE WITH THIS COUPON 929-8812 HARMONY AESTHETICS LUXURY MOBILE SPA Crowding a key concern in tourism plan JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new five-year tourism plan will look at ways to spread visi- tors beyond three main attractions which risk being swamped with visitors as the industry grows. Stingray City, the Cayman Turtle Centre and Seven Mile Beach each attract more than a million visitors a year, while other venues marketed as tourism attractions by the in- dustry attract 20,000 a year. “We are loving some places to death on the western side of the is- land,” said Seleni Matus of George Washington University, one of the consultants hired to come up with a plan for the industry. Part of the plan will look at ways to distribute tourists more evenly across the island to ease the pressure on those attractions and spread the economic bene- fits of tourism. The consultants spent last week canvassing tourism leaders about the issues facing the industry. Chris Seek of Solimar Inter- national, which has been con- tracted to produce a five-year plan for tourism, highlighted some fa- miliar concerns emanating from the discussions. The pressures of develop- ment and increasing tourist num- bers on key attractions, lack of in- terest from Caymanians in careers in the industry and public ac- cess to the beach were among the concerns raised. Jim Phillips, principal of So- limar International, said offering new options for tourists that lead to cultural experiences and interac- tions with locals should be part of the approach. “Research shows that people are looking for destinations off the beaten path and for local encounters. The pressures of development and increasing tourist numbers on key attractions, lack of interest from Caymanians in careers in the industry and public access to the beach were among the concerns raised. HAVANA (AP) – Google and the Cuban government have struck a deal giving Cubans faster access to the internet giant’s content, two people familiar with the agree- ment said Friday. Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google’s parent company, will formally sign the deal Monday morning in Ha- vana, the two people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not yet been publicly announced. It allows Cubans ac- cess to a network called Google Global Cache that stores content from Google- run sites like Gmail, Google Drive and YouTube on servers that sit within rel- atively short distances of their end users around the world. Cuba suffers from some of the world’s slowest internet speeds due to a range of problems that in- clude the convoluted, and thus slower, paths that data must travel between Cuban users and servers that are often in the U.S. Cuban officials appear to be accelerating their ap- provals of deals with U.S. companies in an attempt to build momentum be- hind U.S.-Cuba normaliza- tion before President-elect Donald Trump takes of- fice next month. The Google pact will be announced less than a week after Cuba gave three U.S. cruise companies permission to begin sailing to the island next year. Of- ficials familiar with the ne- gotiations say other deals, including one with General Electric, are in the works. The U.S. and Cuba have struck a series of bilateral deals on issues ranging from environmental protec- tion to direct mail since the declaration of detente on Dec. 17, 2014, but business ties have failed to keep pace. The Cuban government has blamed the U.S. trade em- bargo on Cuba. Many U.S. businesses say Cuba has been moving on most pro- posals so slowly that some suspect the government has been deliberately lim- iting the development of economic ties. The Google program to be announced Monday could provide ammunition for U.S. advocates of closer ties with Cuba. Both pro-detente forces and those arguing for a hard line on President Raul Castro’s single-party gov- ernment have been pushing for Cubans to have better access to information. Google, Cuban government strike deal for faster access to content Cayman’s top tourist hot spots Stingray City, the Cayman Turtle Centre and Seven Mile Beach each attract more than a million visitors a year, while other venues marketed as tourism attractions by the industry attract 20,000 a year. Visitors (2015) Economic impact > 1 Million 100-500K High Medium Cayman Turtle Cantre “Cayman has a really high amount of repeat visitation, 50 per- cent among cruise visitors. People want different experiences on their second and third trip, and some will want to dive more deeply into Cayman culture if you create those opportunities.” He said the public beaches in East End and Bodden Town could potentially be better managed to at- tract more visitors and create op- portunities for locals to interact with tourists. Rosa Harris, director of tourism, said dispersing tourists more widely around the island may also involve incentivizing tour opera- tors to break old habits of directing people to the same attractions. The consultants say they are not seeking to estimate a “carrying ca- pacity” for the island, though they say individual attractions may have upper limits. “What we are hearing is that Stingray City has a carrying ca- pacity, we are seeing it at the air- port and a little bit at Seven Mile Beach. There is also the question of how residents feel about this and when it becomes too much.” They say the plan will look at in- creasing the value of tourism to the Cayman Islands rather than simply increasing the number of tourists. Mr. Seek said getting more Cay- manians involved in good careers in the industry is a key ambition for government officials and hote- liers and business owners whom the consultants had interviewed. “You can’t just look at numbers as a measure of success. We have to look at the economic impact, we also want to look at what the other goals are and what indica- tors will tell us how we are doing with this plan.” Another concern is how tourism officials influence areas outside of their remit, such as planning zoning. “The most successful ap- proaches we have seen in other countries where tourism is impor- tant to the economy have involved a whole government approach,” said Mr. Seek. National Gallery Pedro St. James Botanic Gardens Little Cayman Cayman Brac Seven Mile Beach Stingray City Source: Cayman Islands Department of Tourism3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 TO MAKE A RESERVATION Dozens of excited children turned out for the third Christmas in the Pony Park at the Equestrian Center on Saturday morning. The event included a hay ride with Santa, cookie and cupcake decorating and sing-alongs. “I don’t think there’s anything else like this on the island, where you get to sing with Barefoot Man and Santa on a hay ride,” said Jessica McTaggart Giuzio. Christmas in the Pony Park was orig- inally part of the Equestrian Center’s Christmas show, but the events got so big that they had to be separated, or- ganizers said. The Christmas Show takes place Dec. 17. CHRISTMAS IN PONY PARK Madison Ameline, 9, and Emma Maddock, 10, sing Christmas songs with Barefoot Man while Kashlynn Bodden, 6, and Abby Fawcitt, 6, sit with Santa. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Caymanians who want to participate in the next general election now have until mid- night Monday, Jan. 16, 2017 to register to vote. The Elections Office agreed late last week to extend the registration deadline from Dec. 31 in order to ensure everyone who wants to has an opportu- nity to sign up. The office has just com- pleted a door-to-door voter reg- istration check at every house- hold, except in the largest district of George Town – the first house-to-house check by the Elections Office since 1996. “We’ve done absolutely ev- erything we can in terms of taking the opportunity to vote to them,” Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell said. Governor Helen Kilpatrick signed the general elections program Friday, which con- firmed election day as May 24, 2017. It will be a public hol- iday in the Cayman Islands. Supervisor Howell said last week that officials had been considering extending the registration deadline, even though a record number of people had already registered to vote in the upcoming elec- tion as of October. On Oct. 20, there were 19,448 registered voters. Mr. Howell said he expects more than 20,000 people will reg- ister by the new deadline. It’s estimated that as many as 5,000 Caymanians are now eligible to vote but have not registered. Deputy Elections Supervisor Sheena Glasgow said last Monday that 675 new voters had registered for the upcoming election, referring to those who had not previously participated. A number of Legislative As- sembly members have com- plained over the years that the Dec. 31 registration dead- line, typically the date set for final registration ahead of a May election, is too far in ad- vance for voters who are often more focused at that time on celebrating the holiday season with their families. Also, younger voters who may be eligible to cast ballots by the time May 24 rolls around might not realize that they need to register now. “Those are all the argu- ments for why we should ex- tend it,” Mr. Howell said. The Elections Office on Wednesday will issue the formal “writs of election” – formal documents empow- ering the returning officer in each district to hold candidate nominations, count the bal- lots and hand back to the gov- ernor the name of the person who received the most votes in the election. “That’s the formal kick-off of our election season,” Mr. Howell said. How to register Registering to vote in the Cayman Islands cannot be done online for the May 2017 general election. Registration must be done in person at ei- ther the Elections Office in George Town or with the reg- istering officer in the district where the voter resides. The documents [original copies] that must be supplied to the Elections Office or reg- istering officer by the voter differ slightly depending on whether the registrant is a Caymanian status holder or a “born Caymanian.” In addition to completing the voter registration form [No. 4], a Caymanian status holder must submit: a birth certifi- cate, a Caymanian status letter and photo ID [passport or drivers license]. In addition to the form, a Caymanian born resident who has Caymanian parents or grandparents must submit: their birth certificate, the birth certificate of one of his or her parents or grand- parents who were born in Cayman and a photo ID. The names and contact numbers for the district reg- istering officers are: Bethany Powery-Ebanks [West Bay] 516-4402, Kathryn Myles [George Town] 516-2117, Kerry Nixon [Bodden Town] 516-4478, Leisa Welcome {East End] 516-4647, Patricia Ebanks [North Side] 516-4349 and Ellen Lazzari [Sister Is- lands] 516-5307. Who can vote? Any Caymanian can vote once they are properly reg- istered as long as they have attained Caymanian status and have reached age 18, or will reach that age by the date of the general election, May 24, 2017. Voters need only register once in their lives, but they must be resident in Cayman at the date of registration. Voters can lose their ability to vote in any given election if they have not been resident in Cayman for at least two years of the four years immediately preceding the “voter registra- tion date.” That refers not to the date the voter initially reg- istered, but the registration date that occurs every three months after which an up- dated voters list is published by the Elections Office. Voter registration extendedThe 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” MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The ancient Greeks may have had an easier time rousting their adversaries from the City of Troy than the Cayman Islands government has in banishing unli- censed vendors from Seven Mile Beach. Cayman’s struggle does not quite rise to the level of a Homeric epic, but our government’s apparent inability to take control of what should be a relatively straightforward issue does illustrate some basic truths about the public and private sectors. First, in the absence of clear, enforceable guide- lines from the government, private entrepreneurs tend to continue their “business as usual,” or even expand their activities, so long as there continues to be profit in it. Second, the more government agencies that get involved in solving a problem, the less likely the problem is to be solved (especially when there appears to be a lack of political will among the politicians in power, certainly not before a looming election). Judging from the proliferation of vendors – hawking everything from food, to chairs, to Jet Ski rentals – who have taken over the entire Public Beach area from the waterline to the parking lot, it seems there is market demand for their goods and services. Although their ranks are swelling, we are not sure at this point whose numbers are greater: the beach vendors, or the public officials who have gotten involved in the situation, each of whom seems to be sending a mixed message to the vendors in question. The Department of Commerce and Investment has attempted to take a hard line on the vendors, refusing them trade and business licenses and levying many of them with $500 fines for operating unlicensed busi- nesses on Crown land. Recently, though, a vendor challenged his fine in Summary Court, and a magistrate ruled in his favor, throwing out the fine. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism, if not planting itself in the vendors’ corner, at minimum has been acting the part of referee, providing vendors with “tourism training” and coming up with a list of Public Beach vendors who, in their opinion, had qualified to continue operating in the area. However, when those “qualified” vendors attempted to pay for and collect operating licenses, officials in the Lands and Survey Department (in the Planning Ministry) said they weren’t aware those licenses even exist. Additionally, when the government told vendors to jump through all these hoops on the way to legitimacy, officials promised the vendors they would build a market area with kiosks in the vicinity of Public Beach where the vendors could operate. Not only have the kiosks not yet been built, but one vendor said he had been told that they would not materialize for at least another 18 months to two years. (For wooden kiosks!) The fundamental issue of whether vendors are being required to abide by liability insurance, pensions and healthcare requirements under the law remains unresolved, and unaddressed, by officials. If the vendors are confused and frustrated by this exercise in bureaucracy, we do not blame them. We’ve heard of the “good cop, bad cop” strategy, but this is making government look both impotent – and foolish. (And speaking of cops, at what point does this unper- mitted occupation of public land become a matter for the real police?) “We ain’t getting anywhere,” said one vendor … and for the foreseeable future, the vendors don’t appear to be going anywhere, either. The beach vendor situation, we admit, does present us with some conflicts. We encourage entrepreneur- ship and recognize market forces. We also respect people’s wishes to enjoy public parks in peace and are especially concerned with preserving the quality of Cayman’s tourism product. But, above all, what we and the country must demand is this: law and order. Beach vendors cut red tape by ignoring it Tweets entertain, but Congress is the main event WASHINGTON – The most amusing part of the Trump transition has been watching its effortless confounding of the media, often in fewer than 140 characters. One morning, after a Fox News report on lefty nuttiness at some obscure New England college – a flag burning that led a more-contemptible- than-usual campus admin- istration to take down the school’s own American flag – Donald Trump tweets that flag burners should go to jail or lose their citizenship. An epidemic of consti- tutional chin tugging and civil libertarian hair pulling immediately breaks out. By the time the media have ex- hausted their outrage over the looming abolition of free speech, judicial supremacy and affordable kale, Trump has moved on. The tempest had a shorter half-life than the one provoked in August 2015 by a Trump foray into birthright citizenship. Trump so thoroughly owns the political stage today that the word Clinton seems positively quaint and Barack Obama, who happens to be president of the United States, is totally irrelevant. Obama gave a major national security address on Tuesday. Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s son got more attention. Trump has mesmerized the national media not just with his elaborate Cabinet- selection production, by now Broadway-ready. But with a cluster of equally theatrical personal inter- ventions that by traditional standards seem distinctly unpresidential. It’s a matter of size. They seem small for a president. Preventing the shutdown of a Carrier factory in In- diana. Announcing, in a con- textless 45-second surprise statement, a major Japa- nese investment in the U.S. Calling for cancellation of the new Air Force One to be built by Boeing. Pretty small stuff. It has the feel of a Cabinet under- secretary haggling with a contractor or a state gov- ernor drumming up busi- ness on a Central Asian trade mission. Or of candi- date Trump selling Trump steaks and Trump wine in that bizarre victory speech after the Michigan primary. Presidents do not nor- mally do such things. It shrinks them. But then again, Trump is not yet president. And the point here is less the substance than the symbolism. The Carrier coup was meant to demonstrate the kind of concern for the working man that gave Trump the Rust Belt vic- tories that carried him to the presidency. The Japa- nese SoftBank announce- ment was a down payment on his promise to be the “the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” (A slightly dubious claim: After all, how instrumental was Trump to that investment? Surely a fi- nancial commitment of that magnitude would have been planned long before Elec- tion Day.) And Boeing was an ostentatious declara- tion that he would be the zealous guardian of gov- ernment spending that you would expect from a cru- sading outsider. What appears as random Trumpian impulsiveness has a logic to it. It’s a con- tinuation of the campaign. Trump is acutely sensitive to his legitimacy problem, as he showed in his tweet claiming to have actually won the popular vote, de- spite trailing significantly in the official count. His best counter is approval rat- ings. In August, the Bloom- berg poll had him at 33 percent. He’s now up to 50 percent. Still nowhere near Obama’s stratospheric 79 percent at this point in 2008, but a substantial improve- ment nonetheless. The mini-interventions are working but there’s a risk for Trump in so per- sonalizing his coming pres- idency. It’s a technique bor- rowed from Third World strongmen who specialize in demonstrating their per- sonal connection to the or- dinary citizen. In a genuine democracy, however, the en- durance of any political sup- port depends on the larger success of the country. And that does not come from Carrier-size fixes. It comes from policy – policy that fundamentally changes the structures and alters the trajectory of the nation. “I alone can fix it,” Trump ringingly declared in his convention speech. Indeed, alone he can do Carrier and SoftBank and Boeing. But ul- timately he must deliver on tax reform, healthcare, eco- nomic growth and nation- wide job creation. That re- quires Congress. The 115th is Republican and ready to push through the legislation that gives life to the promises. On his part, Trump needs to avoid need- less conflict. The Republican leadership has already sig- naled strong opposition on some issues, such as tariffs for job exporters. Nonethe- less, there is enough common ground between Trump and his congressional majority to have an enormously produc- tive 2017. The challenge will be to stay within the bounds of the GOP consensus. Trump will continue to tweet and the media will continue to take the bait. Highly entertaining, but it is a sideshow. Congress is where the fate of the Trump presidency will be decided. Charles Krauthammer’s email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. © 2016, The Washington Post Writers Group Charles Krauthammer Congress is the main event Krauthammer President-elect Donald Trump5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Three Royal Cayman Is- lands Police officers have been suspended from duties following separate convic- tions for either common as- sault or assault causing ac- tual bodily harm stemming from incidents during the course of their jobs. The three officers were found guilty in relation to two different incidents. Court verdicts of guilty against them came within the past two weeks. The officers, Austin Etienne, Cardiff Robinson and Michael Peart, will be suspended with pay pending internal hearings on their cases that will determine any disciplinary action, according to police officials. Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said the of- ficers have been suspended from “any and all police du- ties,” meaning they won’t be working “desk duty” in the department while their mat- ters remain outstanding. “Police officers have im- portant duties to carry out while enforcing the law and ensuring public safety,” Mr. Byrne said. “They must have the right to use reason- able force while doing so, without threat of prosecu- tion. But this right never ex- tends to the excessive use of force, which violates basic rights, erodes public confi- dence, and undermines the good work that the over- whelming majority of RCIPS officers often put themselves in harm’s way to do.” Officers Etienne and Rob- inson were found guilty of common assault on Nov. 29 following a trial in which they said they had used their Tasers on a suspect because they feared for their safety and the safety of fellow officers. According to court testi- mony, Summary Court Mag- istrate Philippa McFarlane said the issue was whether the degree of force used was unreasonable. She had to de- cide whether the officers honestly believed that the suspect involved in the in- cident posed a significant risk of harm to them or their fellow officers. The magistrate noted that the incident the officers were responding to was a do- mestic assault, not a “Class A” criminal offense such as an armed robbery. She stated that she did not believe either officer “honestly believed” they were in fear for his life when they deployed the Taser stun weapons on the suspect after a lengthy chase. Police Constable Mi- chael Peart was found guilty Dec. 5 of assault causing ac- tual bodily harm to a man in police custody, as well as common assault against that man. The charges arose from a traffic stop in November 2014 when a driver, who ad- mitted he had resisted arrest, threw a driver’s license at Of- ficer Peart and “used rude language,” according to the court. The man was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car. According to Of- ficer Peart, he was “kicking and acting out” when Peart struck him with his elbow. The suspect claimed he had been struck with a baton, a claim Peart denied. Two doc- tors reviewed the man’s in- juries; one stated that they appeared to be the result of “blunt force trauma” and the other stated that the trauma was caused by “a circular object.” The officers, Austin Etienne, Cardiff Robinson and Michael Peart, will be suspended with pay pending internal hearings on their cases that will determine any disciplinary action, according to police officials. 3 RCIPS officers suspended with pay George Town Farmers Market vendors mingled with shoppers at their first Cayman Christmas Bazaar on Saturday. A celebration of all things local, from Cayman-style cooking to crafty Christmas gifts and music, the event highlighted the abundant fresh produce available from the farmers market. There was also a visit from Santa and a bouncy castle. The new market venue is aimed at helping farmers, artisans and patrons sell their wares. New Christmas Bazaar highlights local products Eileen McLaughlin of Eileen’s Native Crafts makes a silver thatch bag at the Cayman Christmas Bazaar on Saturday. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERSDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 YEARS AGO Administrator officially opens new school In the Dec. 7, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, news from George Town included: “The large audito- rium of the new Sec- ondary Grammar School on Walkers Road was filled to capacity on the 29th for the official opening by His Honour the Administrator. “The principal, Rev. J.R. Gray … commented on the change in the general atti- tude to secondary schooling which had taken place over the past 18 years. Mr. Gray felt that we still have a bit to go in our sec. school project but this new school building has been a great fillip to it and we must see that it is properly finished and continue working until we have a fully integrated secondary school project with junior and senior sec- ondary technical and com- mercial receiving their due emphasis and, by their ef- ficiency and attractiveness, commending themselves to parents, and satisfying the several abilities of the children.” In the Dec. 14 edition, George Town news included: “Congratulations to our new Light Co. for a rate reduction which means that the average house- holder whose bill is about 5 pounds per month will get a reduction of 7 shillings 6 pence. There is a new step in the rate which will benefit larger consumers, the 20% surcharge is re- duced to 8% and the meter rental is removed … “Our very first news re- port to come by telephone was received on Saturday about 7:30 p.m. from Mr. Craddock Ebanks. “At that time the home of Mr. Harold Ebanks, about 150 feet from the telephone kiosk, was burning furi- ously and was subsequently completely gutted. The cause of the fire is believed to be an explosion from a bottle of white gas used for ironing purposes which was ignited from the stove. Mrs. Ebanks and her four children were in the house and suffered from shock … “In his address to the MLAs’ introducing the 1967 Budget of the Cayman Is- lands Tourist Board, Mr. Eric Bergstrom gave some interesting information and comparative figures. “In 1966 the average tourist in the Cayman Is- lands spent $75 other than for his room, board and tips which averaged $187 i.e. $262 per tourist. By multiplying the average ex- penditure by the number of tourists, in 1966 it is es- timated that tourists will spend $1,414,800 here.” Triple C Christmas concert hits high notes The Triple C School commu- nity got into the Christmas spirit Thursday for the annual preschool through Grade 1 concert. The performance of “The Luke 2 Christmas Story” was based on scriptures from Isaiah 9:6 and Luke 2. The holiday theme was cel- ebrated through songs such as “Jingle Bells,” “Come On, Ring Those Bells,” “Wonderful Counselor,” “Away in the Manger,” “The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain” and for the grand finale, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” “The message of God’s greatest gift from a child’s perspec- tive is a heart-lifting experience,” said Elementary Vice Principal Jennifer Allen. The evening opened with teacher Antoinette Cowan’s Early Child- hood Dancers performing to “Every Praise,” followed by singing from the preschool and pre-kinder- garten classes. “Students learn to become great orators by practicing public speaking, memorization skills are honed, musical talents are revealed through songs, the message of God’s greatest gift, the birth of the Savior of the World is revealed to parents and students,” said Principal Mable Richardson. The concert was organized by Mr. Jorge, music and band di- rector, and Ms. Schmoyer, the music teacher. Triple C School students per- form twice a year, at Christmas and Easter, as a part of the curriculum. “It showcases the visual arts via scriptural and poetic memorization, singing, sacred dancing, and the playing of musical instruments,” said Ms. Richardson. Students in Grades 6-12 per- formed Dec. 1, lead by Mr. Jorge. On Dec. 15, Grades 2-5 will per- form “A Shepherd’s Story” with a mix of traditional and modern Christmas music starting at 6 p.m. The concert opened with teacher Antoinette Cowan’s Early Childhood Dancers performing to ‘Every Praise.’ - PHOTOS: MATT LAMERS Last week’s Christmas concert included students from preschool through Grade 1.Students perform twice a year, at Christmas and Easter, as part of the curriculum.District Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 Crazy Socks dress down day supports Trust JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A “Crazy Socks” dress down day has earned students at George Town Primary School membership in the Cayman Islands National Trust. All of the school’s 14 classes will get memberships for the spe- cial rate of $30 because of the money they raised. National Trust education pro- grams manager Catherine Childs, who received the money from stu- dents at the school on Dec. 9, will be making presentations to indi- vidual grade levels in the new year. “It is very important for us to instill a sense of civic and na- tional pride in our children from as early an age as possible, and what better way to raise their collective awareness than through the pro- grams of the National Trust of the Cayman Islands,” said Principal Marie Martin. She said the school has always collaborated with the Trust and are pleased to continue their sup- port in this way. Dorothy Wilson, deputy principal, presents the money students raised on Crazy Socks day to Catherine Childs, National Trust education programs manager. Teacher Chantel Nicholson and students supported the fundraiser, which earned the children memberships in the Trust at a reduced fee. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Throughout November, students at George Town Primary School were involved in various activities related to the theme, “Our Island, Our Heritage.” Activities included playing old- time instruments with the Kitchen Band, dressing in traditional cos- tumes, creating displays, listening to conch shell, a grandparents’ lun- cheon and visiting the Cayman Turtle Centre. Thanks to Cayman Traditional Arts’ Chris Christian and his team, Year 5 students learned about a variety of “things Caymanian,” in- cluding food, marine heritage, art, storytelling, games and thatch. George Town Primary celebrates Cayman heritage Reception students tour the Cayman Turtle Centre. Reception students learned to use traditional instruments. John Gray tops Cayman spelling bee High school students from across the Cayman Islands faced off on Dec. 7 in an exciting com- petition at Red Bay Holiness Church that put their spelling skills to the test. After correctly spelling the final word, “cyclamen,” Toni-Ann Daley of John Gray High School emerged the winner of the 33rd annual Lions Club of Grand Cayman Secondary Spelling Bee Competition. In addition to John Gray, participating schools included Layman E. Scott Sr. High School on Cayman Brac, Clifton Hunter High School, Triple C School and St. Ignatius Catholic School. Second place went to John Gray student Jelani Hanson, who was joint winner in last year’s primary competition when he was in his final year at George Town Primary School. The third-place winner was Deirdre Edwards of Clifton Hunter High School, who was third at last year’s pri- mary competition when she was a student at Bodden Town Primary School. According to a press release, the 19th annual RBC Royal Bank Primary Spelling Bee Competi- tion, staged by the Department of Education Services in conjunc- tion with the sponsors, is not just about learning to spell long and complicated words. The contes- tants also study etymology and learn roots, pronunciations and multiple definitions, leading to better reading comprehension, in- creased literacy and greater en- joyment of reading, literature and language. “Today’s secondary schools competition was adrenaline- pumping with students from across the islands vying for the top spot,” said Nicki Samuels, senior customer service officer with the Department of Educa- tion Services and organizer of the competition. “We have come to expect a high standard from our stu- dents and this year was no excep- tion,” she added. “Today’s secondary schools competition was adrenaline-pumping with students from across the islands vying for the top spot.” - NICKI SAMUELS, organizer of the competition School competitors at the Lions Club of Grand Cayman Secondary Spelling Bee Competition. Seated in front, from left, are Deirdre Edwards, who came in third, winner Toni-Ann Daley, and Jelani Hanson, who was second.8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘TALE OF TWO CHRISTMASES’ Tribute to traditions Performers from two uni- versities delivered “A Tale of Two Christmases” simultane- ously for audiences in Cayman and Pennsylvania on Saturday evening. Connected via live videostream, West Chester University‘s Jazz Ensemble teamed up with the University College of the Cayman Islands for the choir and orchestra concert, playing tribute to Ca- ribbean and North American holiday traditions. They were staged in Ca- mana Bay and West Ches- ter’s Pennsylvania campus. Hundreds of spectators enjoyed the Pandemix steel pans, the UCCI Choir and holiday jazz classics by the WCU Criterions. “‘A Tale of Two Christ- mases’ celebrates the differ- ences in culture between the North American Christmas as well as Christmas in the Ca- ribbean,” said UCCI music di- rector Glen Inanga. “Music is a universal art and an inter- national language. Through music, we’re able to promote the principles of good will as well as harmony and musical fellowship amongst so many different people.” ‘A Tale of Two Christmases’ was performed simultaneously for audiences in Cayman and West Chester, Pennsylvania. - PHOTOS: MATT LAMERS Nayil Arana plays for hundreds of spectators Saturday evening.Raiann Evans performs at ‘A Tale of Two Christmases.’The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 12, 2016 on Nov. 13 and had stopped in 11 countries before ar- riving in George Town. It is not clear where Celal Kildag boarded the ship. He was detained after po- lice in Cayman were alerted to an Interpol Red Notice – essentially an international arrest warrant. Still wearing casual va- cation clothes, white shorts patterned with palm trees, and a V-neck sweater, he ap- peared in court Friday to hear details of the extra- dition request. He is accused of being part of a Kurdish separatist movement that has waged a decades-long guerilla war with the Turkish state. Magistrate Grace Don- alds told him, “You are ac- cused of the commission of offenses in the extradition territory of Turkey, namely carrying out terrorist acts on behalf of an armed ter- rorist organization the PKK/ KCK and attempting to sepa- rate some parts of land under the state. These acts are said to have been carried out by you together with others on April 23, 1988, leading to the shooting and murder of two victims and the burning of two primary schools.” Speaking through an in- terpreter, Mr. Kildag denied knowledge of the offenses, saying he has lived in Ger- many for the past 34 years and has a German passport. He was remanded in custody, and a second hearing was scheduled for Wednesday. Crown prosecutor Cheryll Richards said there is a 45- day window to review a formal extradition applica- tion from Turkey and have it certified by the governor. Assuming Mr. Kildag does not voluntarily agree to be extradited to Turkey, a hearing will take place in Cayman to determine whether he should be sent there to face the charges. Mr. Kildag’s daughter and son have sent documents confirming his residency and political status through the German consulate in Kingston, Jamaica, to his lawyer in Cayman, according to his brother. His wife remained on- board the ship after her husband’s arrest and flew back to Germany on Sat- urday, he said. Hüseyin Kildag insisted his brother never returned to Turkey after emigrating in 1980 because, as a Kurd, he was politically persecuted. “Even when our father died, he could not go back,” he said. Who are the PKK? The PKK, the Kurdistan Workers Party, and the KCK, the Kurdistan Communi- ties Union, have been in- volved in the struggle against the Turkish state for equal rights and self-determina- tion for the Kurdish popula- tion in Turkey, estimated at around 10 million. According to a Human Rights Watch background re- port on the situation, Kurds have faced violent and at times indiscriminate oppres- sion by the Turkish state since a military coup in 1980. The PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU and the United States, started its armed campaign in 1984 and has been implicated in at- tacks on schools, including an incident in Tunceli, the Eastern Anatolia region listed in the extradition request against Mr. Kildag. “The PKK began targeting primary schools in November 1988, when they killed two teachers and set fire to three school buildings in villages in Mardin, Elazig and Tunceli. In the village of Yesilbelen in Elazig, the PKK group came in broad daylight, took the students and teacher out of the school building, sprin- kled it with kerosene and set it on fire. The PKK then warned the villagers not to stay in the village,” according to a 1990 report from Human Rights Watch. Another Human Rights Watch analysis highlights the Kurds as the principal vic- tims of the “excesses of the Turkish state” since 1980. It states, “The denial of cultural and political rights has generated a long- standing sense of griev- ance among some sectors of the Kurdish minority, and this has made them a fer- tile source of recruits for il- legal radical armed organi- zations – in particular the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), which began attacks on gen- darmerie posts and other state installations in 1984. These attacks in turn pro- voked fierce repression–mass arrests followed by interroga- tion under torture, and trials in martial law courts and State Security Courts which fell far short of international standards of justice.” An estimated 40,000 people have died since the conflict began, ac- cording to the BBC. Violence flared again re- cently after the collapse of a cease-fire in July 2015. “Now the PKK is being targeted in a bigger Turkish security crackdown, fol- lowing the botched July 2016 coup attempt against Presi- dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan by mutinous Turkish officers,” the BBC reported. and problems apparently arose with at least one of those citations. “It went to court, it got thrown out,” said beach vendor Raul Gonzales, who runs Blue Water Islands Ad- venture Tours, which rents Jet Ski rides and offers snor- keling tours to beach visitors. Attorney Phillip Ebanks, who has been representing some of the beach ven- dors involved in the contro- versy, confirmed last week that Mr. Gonzales’s fine was dropped in Summary Court. Mr. Gonzales said he was unaware as of Saturday that any other vendors had been called to court to contest their citations. Both Mr. Ebanks and Mr. Gonzales said they believe a meeting is being scheduled with Ministry of Tourism of- ficials to discuss the entire beach vending matter, but it has not happened yet. “They’re still giving us the run-around,” Mr. Gon- zales said. “The government told us they were going to take care of it and not to worry about it.” However, Mr. Gonzales said, that was not the mes- sage he received from se- nior Planning Ministry and Tourism Ministry offi- cials last week. Vendor kiosks that the government said would be set up toward the southeastern corner of Public Beach at Seven Mile Beach, behind the public bathroom facility, have not materialized. Mr. Gon- zales said he was told last week that the kiosks, a cen- tral tenet of the earlier agree- ment beach vendors had with government, would not be built for at least another 18 months to two years. Meanwhile, he said, the beach vendors had met all licensing requirements – in- cluding tourism training – and had attempted to pay for and collect operating li- censes, only to be told by the Lands and Survey Depart- ment of the Planning Min- istry in October that those li- censes did not exist, as far as officials were aware. “They told us we could set up behind the bathrooms, but that’s just not feasible right now,” Mr. Gonzales said. “They haven’t even marked out a spot [behind the rest room area]. We ain’t get- ting anywhere.” Tourism Ministry Deputy Chief Officer Dalton Watler said in late October that a list of Public Beach vendors who had qualified to keep operating in the area was released in September. As far as his ministry was con- cerned, Mr. Watler said, those vendors had met the requirements of tourism and customer service training standards. Other issues in- volving licensing and public land operations were not in the tourism ministry’s pur- view, he said. Planning ministry offi- cials have never responded to Cayman Compass questions on the issue. A half-dozen vendors who were fined $500 by the De- partment of Commerce and Investment said in November that they would attend court dates rather than pay the fine. A number of vendors told the Cayman Compass that they tried on various occasions to obtain a trade and business license but were foiled by the bureaucratic process. The beach vending issue arose during 2012-2013 and came to the fore again in March 2016 when condo owners, including those at Harbour Heights and the Avalon Condominiums near Public Beach, voiced con- cerns to government officials about illegal vendors “over- running” Seven Mile Beach. Celal Kildag CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Turkish terror suspect arrested in Cayman A truck delivers supplies midday Thursday on Seven Mile Beach while hundreds of visitors were on the beach. – PHOTOS: BRENT FULLER No action on SMB vendors, court rejects $500 fine CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Beach chairs were placed up to the waterline Thursday on Seven Mile Beach.Next >