High of 86 Low of 75 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TITLE OF EDITORIAL SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX 32 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE ELECTION 2017 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 CAYMAN WEEKENDER Fantastic Feasts and Where to Find Them EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 A ‘CRASH COURSE’ IN DVDL LOGIC MADE WITH 100% BEEF SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY (COMING SOON) FRIDAY DECEMBE R 16, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Moonlight & Mo vies Grinch closes the series on the big screen B2 Meet me under the mistletoe Annual Abacus White Party brings the snow B7 Events Art & Culture Events ■ FOOD & DRINK Fantastic Feasts Brunches and dinners around the island. B8 Glo Ho Ho Boat party lights up the night sky B5 Dancing under the tree Toe tapping Christmas recital returns to Camana Bay B10 STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Until 31 December REG. $34.75 NOW $27.75 FLAVORS SAVE $ 7 and Where to Find Them BANK BORROWING RATES TO INCREASE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com At least one local bank will increase prime rates for residential mortgages starting Friday in response to the U.S. Federal Reserve an- nouncement Wednesday that it would increase a key interest rate. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. central bank announced that it would raise its benchmark rate from 0.5 percent to 0.75 per- cent. The Federal Reserve last raised rates in December 2015. The rate affects interest paid on credit cards, home equity loans and adjustable rate mortgages. It does not affect fixed-term mort- gages, student loans or auto loans. Butterfield Bank announced late Wednesday that its U.S. and Cayman dollar prime rates for residential mortgages, con- sumer loans and commercial loans would in- crease from 3.5 percent to 3.75 percent in re- sponse to the Fed’s move. The rate increase takes effect Dec. 16. Even though the prime rate is increasing, Butterfield’s Rory Mann said the dollar 14 YEARS FOR WIFE’S ATTEMPTED MURDER JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 44-year-old man who hacked his es- tranged wife with a machete and then tried to poison her with weed killer was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment on Thursday. George Washington Vaughan attacked his wife, Lois Hall Vaughan, at their home in Bodden Town, chopping her with a machete in front of horrified onlookers, the court heard. He fled into the bushes after the attack and swallowed some of the poisonous weed killer himself in an apparent suicide attempt. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder in con- nection with the incident on Aug. 12, 2014. In passing sentence on Thursday, Acting Grand Court Judge Dame Linda Dobbs said Vaughan had committed a “horrific and brutal” attack on a defenseless woman. “Mrs. Hall Vaughan is lucky to be alive. She will be physically and mentally scarred for life,” the judge said. Summarizing the evidence in the case, she described how the couple’s marriage DVDL inspector back to work, facing prosecution BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com “Human error” has been blamed for a July 11 accident in which a Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing inspector, while driving a sports car he was examining, vaulted it over a median, into a light pole and onto the opposite lanes of a busy Grand Cayman road in lunchtime traffic. According to a statement released late Wednesday by DVDL Director David Dixon, the vehicle examiner – identified as Arek Ebanks – was the subject of an internal review by the department, which found his actions had not breached the civil service code of conduct. Mr. Ebanks was informed Wednesday that he would be prosecuted for careless driving, a traffic offense, and that he would be sum- moned to court in the coming days. Careless or inconsiderate driving is not a criminal offense, but it is punishable upon summary conviction by up to six months in prison, a $1,000 fine, or both. A key witness to the July 11 accident, Cayman Islands government chief of protocol Meloney Syms, told the Cayman Compass at the time that she saw a 1996 Toyota Supra “racing,” “zigzagging” and “speeding” through midday traffic in the eastbound lanes of Crewe Road. The vehicle ended up vaulting the median and facing the wrong way in the westbound lanes of Crewe Road. The car knocked over a power pole into the west- bound lanes. No one was seriously hurt in the crash. A DVDL statement issued Wednesday re- garding the crash noted that the depart- ment’s internal review involved taking state- ments from Mr. Ebanks and other vehicle Seasonal workers tackle landfill cleanup Councilor for the Ministry of Health Roy McTaggart, fifth from left, and National Community Enhancement (NiCE) Project Manager Mark Rowlands, second from right, visit the George Town Landfill on Wednesday to see the work of the NiCE participants. Some 50 workers from the government’s seasonal work program are landscaping and cleaning up areas of the landfill, as well as processing recyclables. Officials say five of the workers will be taken on full time. For more, see page 7. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS (AP) – Plunging tempera- tures and gusty winds are making their way to the Northeast, the next victim in the path of dangerously cold temperatures that have gripped the Upper Midwest. The National Weather Ser- vice said Thursday a strong arctic cold front was moving across the region with tem- peratures falling throughout the day. The frigid weather and wind will cause danger- ously cold wind chills into Friday morning, followed by a storm that could bring a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain across much of the country. Jon Asmund and his crew were working on a bridge not far from Hampton Beach along the seacoast, dealing with 50 mph wind. “It’s still painful, but we make it through the day.” Some 90 miles north, Will Irvine was hoping to finish up inspection work on a cov- ered bridge in Conway and avoid the low temperatures and strong wind coming Friday. Some of his crew members were suspended underneath the structure for several hours. “You manipulate your work schedule for whatever Mother Nature’s going to give you, because you’re not going to change her,” he said. Wind chill advisories en- veloped much of the Midwest and Northeast on Thursday. The winter weather conditions claimed at least two lives. A 34-year-old woman died of hypothermia in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was found Monday, when temperatures dropped to 3 below zero and wind chills were minus 19. A snow and ice-covered road was a factor in a crash Wednesday night that killed a passenger in a car that lost control and spun into a snow- plow in Springport, New York. Open daily 10am -10pm West Shore Center, SMB WHY COOK? Est. in 1992 TOMORROW Saturday, Dec 17th Barefoot Man and Sea N’B Starting live at 7:30pm Come for dinner Stay for Dancing Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man New Years EveNew Years Eve BAREFOOT MAN & Sea N’ B “BOOGIE NIGHTS” Music By DJ FLEX Starting at 9:30pm Old School Dance Party 70’s disco & 80’s classics Friday, December 16th TONIGHT Come And See The Fire Works Playing No Cover Charge Come And See The Fire WorksCome And See The Fire WorksCome And See The Fire WorksCome And See The Fire WorksCome And See The Fire WorksCome And See The Fire Works with DJ Flex Free lessons with Kirk starting 9.30pm Every Tuesday Or come to our beautiful Oceanside Bar and listen to the Sweet Sounds of Barefoot Man Call 949-2231 or email: info@wharf.ky Police arrested seven people and issued more than two dozen traffic tickets in the first week of the holiday season crackdown. From Dec. 7-13 Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice officers arrested five people for suspected driving while drunk and two mo- torists for driving while disqualified. Twenty-six traffic cita- tions were issued for of- fenses including expired vehicle registration, ex- pired insurance and illegally tinted windows. About a dozen roadblocks were set up around the is- lands during the week. “We have varied our lo- cations and tactics in order to improve the efficiency of these operations,” said police service Inspector Ian Year- wood, head of the Traffic Management Unit. “While we are getting a result, the point is to have a deter- rent effect on drunk and un- safe driving.” Police also arrested three people on Dec. 9 in a vehicle that was carrying ganja. A rider on a dirt bike was also arrested on Dec. 9 for driving without insurance and driving while disquali- fied. The rider, a 24-year-old man from George Town, was spotted by police on Walkers Road around 9:30 p.m. A passenger in a ve- hicle stopped at a roadblock on Dec. 9 was also arrested and charged with assault following an incident in which Inspector Yearwood was attacked. About a dozen roadblocks were set up around the islands during the week. Holiday crackdown nets dozens of traffic tickets Police launched their Christmas traffic campaign on Dec. 7. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY MEXICO CITY (AP) – So few of Mexico’s vaquita por- poises remain that the in- ternational committee to protect the endangered species is preparing to catch and enclose as many as it can in a last-ditch ef- fort to save it. According to rough es- timates, only about three dozen of the world’s smallest porpoise remain in the upper Gulf of Cal- ifornia, the only place it lives. With numbers falling by 40 percent annually, there could be as few as eight breeding females left. The species has never been held successfully in captivity. Catch-and-enclose is risky; the few remaining females could die during capture, and some experts oppose the plan. Fisherman lured by Chi- nese demand for a fish that swims in the same wa- ters have apparently de- feated Mexico’s efforts to protect the vaquita in its natural habitat. MEXICO PLANS TO PROTECT VAQUITA PORPOISES Dangerous wind chills on their way to Northeast PRAGUE (AP) – The Czech Finance Ministry says Cuba has offered an un- usual way of repaying its Cold War-era debt – its trademark rum. Finance Ministry spokesman Michal Zur- ovec said Thursday that Cuban authorities have proposed to pay back $276 million to the Czech Re- public from the time both countries were part of the communist bloc. If that proposal becomes reality, the Czech would have enough Cuban rum for well over a cen- tury. According to the Czech Statistics Office, the Czechs imported rum from Cuba worth over $2 mil- lion last year. Zurovec says that the Czechs would still prefer the debt was at least partly paid in cash. In the past, North Korea wanted to repay its $10 million debt with products made with ginseng. CUBA PROPOSES TO USE RUM TO PAY DEBTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 17 FEBRUARY 2017 Legends is a world-class annual tennis showcase which will be taking place in Grand Cayman for one night only on Friday 17 February 2017. LEGENDSCAYMAN.COM Legends is a world-class annual tennis showcase which will be taking place in Grand Cayman for one night only on Friday 17 February 2017. LEGENDSCAYMAN.COM JIM COURIER JOHN McENROE MONICA SELES VIP TICKETS BLEACHERS ULTRA PARTY CORPORATE PACKAGES $250 PER STANDING VIP $100 PER TICKET $100 PER TICKET Set against the stunning backdrop of Camana Bay, the event will feature tennis stars from Hall of Fame legends to Grand Slam champions and former World #1s with this year’s line-up including John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Daniela Hantuchová. Watch as the stars battle it out in a combination of mixed doubles and men’s singles before heading over to the Camana Bay helipad for the legendary Ultra Party. Standing VIP tickets are sold individually for $250 each and are inclusive of food and beverages and include access to the VIP standing area. Our general admission bleacher tickets include designated seating and access to bars and food in the general admission section. The Legends Ultra Party will take place on the Camana Bay helipad from 10pm – 2am and will feature player appearances, music, dancing and inclusive food and beverages. A limited number of tickets are available for $100 each. Premium VIP tickets are inclusive of food and beverages and have a seat in our exclusive VIP stand. These tickets are sold in sets of six and cost $2,100 total. Each set of tickets also contains one complimentary ticket to the Legends Ultra Party. DANIELA HANTUCHOVÁ $250 PER STANDING VIP Set against the stunning backdrop of Camana Bay, the event will feature tennis stars from Hall of Fame legends to Grand Slam champions and former World #1s with this year’s line-up including John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Daniela Hantuchová. Watch as the stars battle it out in a combination of mixed doubles and Standing VIP tickets are sold individually for $250 each and are inclusive of food and beverages Our general admission bleacher tickets include designated seating and access to bars and food in the The Legends Ultra Party will take place on the Camana Bay helipad from 10pm – 2am and will feature player appearances, music, dancing and inclusive food and beverages. A limited HANTUCHOVÁHANTUCHOVÁHANTUCHOV SERVING UP GREAT GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS VISITOR CENTRE IN CAMANA BAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS “On the road again; just can’t wait to get on the road again …” – Willie Nelson A government vehicle inspector totaled a sports car he was testing, leading to a charge of “careless driving,” which could result in a fine, jail time or disqualification of driving for up to a year. For instructors of English literature seeking to differ- entiate between irony and comedy, there could not be a clearer example than the case of the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) inspector. For observers of the Cayman Islands government, the situation also illustrates the limitations of the local justice system and the mantle of protectionism that shields the country’s civil servants from accountability. Consider the following: The crash occurred more than five months ago, during which time the inspector con- tinued working at a desk job. Meanwhile, the DVDL com- missioned an “independent” internal investigation that predictably, cleared the inspector of serious culpability, and the agency allowed him to resume his duties as a test driver. It would be humorous, if it were not so serious. To be clear, we do not believe in adjudicating cases in the pages of the newspaper, and we are certainly mindful of “sub judice” rules as they relate to ongoing court cases. However, it is the DVDL – not the Compass – which has sought to “pre-judge” the behavior of the inspector. By hiring an outside crash analysis expert (presumably using public funds), then publishing the resulting exonera- tion of their own employee (before he has even appeared in court), the department and its director, David Dixon, have demonstrated, not necessarily “contempt of court” in the narrow legal sense, but certainly a contempt for Cayman’s law enforcement and justice system. If we were not staring at the DVDL’s press release right now, it would be difficult to believe a government agency could be so contemptuous of the intelligence of the public – the very constituency it is in place to serve. Blaming the crash on “the driver not being familiar with the performance capabilities of the vehicle” (isn’t that a defining characteristic of a vehicle inspector’s job?), Mr. Dixon took it upon himself to rule out “bad faith” on the part of the inspector and concluded that the inspec- tor’s actions did not breach the Public Service Code of Conduct. (Must be one heck of a Code of Conduct.) Accordingly, Mr. Dixon felt comfortable putting the inspector back behind the wheel of other people’s vehicles – this at a time when our police have just announced an aggressive campaign to keep unsafe drivers off our streets. For context, the crash occurred on July 11 (a Monday) in broad daylight on a busy road in front of multiple wit- nesses, one of whom used the following terms in her description of what happened, “reckless … racing … zig- zagging … speeding.” The modified Toyota Supra driven by the inspector vaulted the center median of Crewe Road, knocked over a power pole and ended up facing the wrong way on the opposite side of the road. Pretty much everyone in Cayman is already familiar with the details. We know this because our story on the crash, featuring a photo of the totaled Toyota, was the single most read story on the Compass website in the past year. It attracted tens of thousands of views. We will leave it to the judge to determine if the inspec- tor’s behavior constitutes the legal definition of “careless driving,” but it certainly appears to have been dangerous, senseless and condemnable. We do not need to wait for a judge, however, to observe that in some ways, the DVDL’s actions after the accident have been far more troubling than the crash itself. A ‘crash course’ in DVDL logic Starbucks and our pursuit of snobbery WASHINGTON – Indiana’s Thomas R. Marshall, who was America’s vice president 100 years ago, voiced – he plucked it from a Hoosier hu- morist – one of the few long- remembered utterances to issue from that office: “What this country needs is a good 5-cent cigar,” which would be $1.11 in today’s currency. A century later, what the country needs is a $12 twelve- ounce cup of coffee. Or so Howard Schultz thinks. Betting against the man who built Starbucks to a market capitalization of $86 billion is imprudent. Today, you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a Starbucks store. There are 25,000 in 75 countries, with another 12,000 due by 2021, so Starbucks is not an elu- sive or exclusive experience. This poses a problem pe- culiar to affluent societies, and an opportunity. Seattle, where the original Starbucks was opened in 1971, now has a Starbucks Roastery where customers can turn a cup of “small-batch” coffee into an experience – Starbucks sells experiences as much as coffee – of both conspicuous con- sumption and conspicuous connoisseurship. Bloomberg reports that for a pittance, aka $10, skinflints will be able to buy a cold-brew coffee, which presumably is an ex- cellent thing, infused with ni- trogen gas, which sounds like an acquired taste. Many existing Starbucks are located to capture foot traffic in malls and shop- ping centers, which have been losing customers to on- line shopping. The original 30 Roasteries – Reuters says they will be “ultra-premium,” not mere tacky premium – will be destinations where people will go to linger. So, by 2021, when there will be more normal Starbucks than Mc- Donald’s, the few Starbucks Roasteries scattered from New York to Shanghai will be Starbucks’ entry into the posi- tional economy. Very pricey coffee is just a fresh-brewed variation on the familiar phenomenon of positional goods. They are necessarily, inherently enjoy- ments for the few. They exist because, particularly in the upper reaches of affluent so- cieties, it is not love that makes the world go ‘round, it is a compound of envy and pretentiousness. Four decades ago, the economist Fred Hirsch distin- guished between the material economy and the positional economy. Once a society has satisfied basic material needs (food, shelter, clothing), it turns yesterday’s luxuries (cars, air conditioning, col- lege educations) into necessi- ties. Because these are mass- market commodities, such material prosperity is a lev- eling, egalitarian force. Po- sitional competition is em- phatically not. In the competition for an “elite” education or an “exclu- sive” vacation spot, one per- son’s success is necessarily a loss for many other persons because positional goods cannot be expanded indefi- nitely. Of course, Starbucks Roasteries could be expanded by the thousands, but this would make the “experience” banal and drain the stores of their positional power. After elementary needs – food, shelter, clothing – are satisfied, consumption nev- ertheless continues, indeed it intensifies because desires are potentially infinite. People compare themselves to their neighbors, envy their neigh- bors’ advantages, and strive to vault ahead in the envy-os- tentation sweepstakes. The political equality of democratic societies leaves ample room for, and incites, social inequalities, which are coveted because they counter the leveling forces of mass af- fluence. Furthermore, as in- herited privilege has been re- placed by social rationality – Napoleon’s “careers open to talents,” a meritocracy based on skills and education – there is a residual human urge for irrational distinction. Such as savoring a $12 cup not just for the – let us stipu- late – divine flavor but for the sheer fun of showing that you can and that your palate is so refined that merely very good coffee would be excruciating. In any American city large enough to sustain a social ecosystem of snobbery, there is a magazine to guide fas- tidious consumers to “the five best craft breweries” or “the five best artisanal cheese shops.” Heaven forefend that anyone should have to settle for the sixth best. For dis- cerning tipplers, there are artisanal ice cubes. In San Francisco, The Mill, a cafe and bakery, offers artisanal toast for $4 a slice. It is to die for, say the cognoscenti. Where will the positional economy end? It won’t. Stan- ford professor Francis Fuku- yama notes that it is a pe- culiarity of human beings that they desire some things “not for themselves but be- cause they are desired by other human beings.” Ham- sters have more sense. This characteristic of our spe- cies – the quest for recogni- tion by distinguishing oneself from others – provides limit- less marketing possibilities because for many wealthy people, “the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the pa- rade of riches.” So wrote Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations,” published in the resonant year of 1776. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2016, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE The political equality of democratic societies leaves ample room for, and incites, social inequalities, which are coveted because they counter the leveling forces of mass affluence.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 FAMILY STREET FAIR WITH DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IN EACH KIRK FREEPORT CARDINALL AVENUE STORE! A SPECIAL EVENING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SATURDAY, DEC 17TH · 4PM - 7PM CHRISTMAS ON CARDINALL Bayshore Mall : Cardinall Avenue : The Strand (345) 949.7477 : kirkfreeport.com • Refreshments • Popcorn • Cotton Candy • Balloon Maker • Face Painting • Cookie Decorating • The Church of God Chapel’s Children’s Choir • St Ignatius Bands • Fireworks Bayshore Mall : Cardinall Avenue : The Strand6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Holiday iveaway CAMANABAY.COM Check off your Christmas list at Camana Bay and enter to win with lots of amazing prizes up for grabs, including a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card. Receive a raffle ticket for every purchase of CI$25 or more at participating locations. The raffle runs 22 November through 21 December. Visit our website for full details. Happy holidays from your friends at Camana Bay! Win a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card! CAMANABAY.COM Check off your Christmas list at Camana Bay and enter to win with lots of amazing prizes up for grabs, including a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card. every purchase of CI$25 or more at participating locations. The raffle runs 22 November through 21 December. Visit our website for full details. Happy holidays from your friends at Camana Bay! Win a $10,000 Camana Bay Gift Card! $10k CAMANA BAY’S Formal start to election season Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick issued writs of election Wednesday to the 19 returning officers partici- pating in the May 24, 2017 general election, normally viewed as the first formal step of the local elections process. The returning officers, and six deputies, were pre- sented the writs with Elec- tions Supervisor Wesley Howell looking on. The writs detail how each returning officer is to con- duct the election in their re- spective district. The duties of the returning officers include receiving can- didates’ nominations; estab- lishing and staffing polling stations; issuing postal bal- lots; training elections of- ficers, including presiding officers and poll clerks; over- seeing the polling and the vote counting; and declaring the result of each election. Following the election, the writs will be returned to the governor with the name of the candidate who has been elected to serve in that elec- toral district, Mr. Howell said in a press release. The writs also set the nomination date for election candidates as Wednesday, March 29, 2017 and for the general election on May 24. The Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly will be officially dissolved on March 28, 2017. The returning officer in each district is as follows: ■■ West Bay North – Burke Omar McLean ■■ West Bay West – Dale James Ramoon ■■ West Bay South – Antoinette Yvette Johnson ■■ West Bay Central – Delano Oliver Solomon ■■ George Town South – Philip Antonio Barnes ■■ George Town West – Melinda Natasha Montemayor ■■ George Town East – Shirley Lynne Whittaker ■■ George Town Central – Paul Henry Richard Smith ■■ George Town North – Michael Albert Nixon ■■ Red Bay – Ida Jane Ebanks ■■ Prospect – Judith Grace Witter ■■ Bodden Town East – Alice Ann Louise Kirchman ■■ Bodden Town West – Haroon Lloyd Pandohie ■■ Savannah – Kim Ann Bullings ■■ Newlands – Ronnie Dale Dunn ■■ East End – Philip Martin Jackson ■■ North Side – Annikki Raakel Brown ■■ Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman – Dave Talbert Tatum ■■ Cayman Brac East – Bentley Leroy (Mark) Tibbetts, Jr. Governor Helen Kilpatrick, front row, center, with, seated from left, Deputy Supervisors Ernie Scott and Sheena Glasgow, Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell and Elections Office official Rupert McCoy and the returning officers and deputies who received their writs of return Wednesday. The writs detail how each returning officer is to conduct the election in their respective district.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 We’re Our fine retailers and restaurants are open over the holidays so you can experience the magic of the season. Enjoy complimentary valet parking Monday through Saturday from 5:30pm to 11pm leading up to Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. For Christmas and New Year opening hours, visit CAMANABAY.COM Open Have the most wonderful time Seasonal workers spruce up landfill Five seasonal dump workers to be hired on contract A team of workers from the National Community En- hancement Project, known as NiCE, is helping to clean up the George Town landfill. Around 50 workers from the government’s seasonal work program are land- scaping and cleaning up areas of the landfill, as well as cleaning buildings on the site, painting, and processing recyclables. The efforts are readying the facility for major upgrades as part of the planned new Integrated Solid Waste Management System, according to a government press release. Five of the seasonal workers will be hired on con- tract on a permanent basis in the new year by the De- partment of Environmental Health, which operates the landfill, officials said. They will work on the expanded recycling program and as- sist with landfill operation over the next two years, DEH officials said. This is the second year participants in the govern- ment-funded pre-Christmas work program have worked at the landfill. Seven par- ticipants from last year’s seasonal work initiative are currently being em- ployed by the DEH in tem- porary positions. In the work program, which is running this year from Nov. 28 to Dec. 16, gov- ernment has engaged unem- ployed Caymanians and per- manent residents to carry out cleanup and mainte- nance work throughout the Cayman Islands. The workers are engaged in gardening and cleaning public parks, beaches and roadsides, as well as making repairs and doing maintenance on government properties. Last year, about 700 workers took part in the pro- gram, at a cost to govern- ment of $444,359. This year, almost 600 people registered for the program at the Lions Centre in November. “We are very pleased to have the [NiCE workers] on board again this year,” said Director of Environmental Health Roydell Carter in the press release. “They make a tremendous contribution to operations at the landfill.” “I am very impressed with the efforts of many of these outstanding workers,” said the department’s NiCE project manager, Mark Row- lands. “They have really helped DEH Solid Waste move forward and raise our standard, while im- proving the overall capacity to manage and operate Cayman Islands solid waste systems. I wish I could pro- vide jobs for all of these fine workers.” Ministerial Councilor for Health Roy McTaggart was among a number of officials and members of the media who attended a tour of the landfill where the seasonal staff demonstrated their ef- forts Wednesday. Mr. McTaggart said, “This is a very worthwhile pro- gram and I am happy to see the workers from the NiCE project contributing in such a positive way at the landfill and dispatch area. “They take great pride in the work they are doing and their efforts are a valu- able contribution towards our long-term goal of imple- menting a sustainable waste management system.” The new Integrated Solid Waste Management System, which includes ex- panded recycling and waste- to-energy components, is in the first stage of the pro- curement phase. NiCE workers process oil at the landfill. From left, NiCE Project Manager Mark Rowlands with some of the workers from the 2015 NiCE program who are employed as temporary workers by DEH, James Barnes, O’Neal Chambers, Kirk Smith, Karen Ebanks, Anicia Glasgow and Charlotte Bodden, and Ministerial Councillor for Health Roy McTaggart.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dwayne Damean Seymour, better known as “Deebo” of George Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Monday, November 28, 2016. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 1:00p.m. at Church of God (Universal), Walker’s Road. Viewing will be from 12:00-12:45p.m. Interment follows at Dixie Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Dwayne Damean Seymour, better known as “Deebo” of George Town, Grand Cayman, who passed away on Monday, November 28, 2016 A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 1:00p.m. at Church of God (Universal), Walker’s Road. Viewing will be from 12:00-12:45p.m. Interment follows at Dixie Cemetery. We have been asked to announce the passing of Monday, November 28, 2016. at Church of God (Universal), Walker’s Road. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com examiners. The department also hired an “independent expert” on crash analysis to review the evidence “in an ef- fort to seek an independent and unbiased opinion.” “There were several fac- tors that played a role in the accident,” Mr. Dixon’s statement read. “The expert opinion is that at the time of the collision, the vehicle was travelling between 30 and 40 miles per hour. “The [independent expert] report concluded that the ac- cident was a result of the driver not being familiar with the performance capabilities of the vehicle in question, and it was clearly human error that caused the accident. “On the basis of the re- port, DVDL Director David Dixon concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the driver’s actions or omissions were in bad faith.” Mr. Dixon indicated that Mr. Ebanks had been placed on “desk duties” during the internal review, but that he was now back at work as a vehicle examiner. The Toyota Supra be- longed to Cayman Islands Fire Department fleet man- ager Johnny Salas, who said in July that he had cautioned the vehicle inspector to “be careful” with the powerful sports car when taking it out. Mr. Salas told the Compass he had intended to sell the vehicle – before the crash. Mr. Salas said he was told by another vehicle in- spector at the accident scene that vehicles are typically not taken off the DVDL property during inspections. In a statement to the Compass after the wreck, Mr. Dixon said section 63 of the Cayman Islands Traffic Law allows vehicle inspec- tors to test vehicles “in any place and time.” “DVDL has and con- tinues to test vehicles on public road[s] since the 1960s,” he said. amount of customers’ monthly loan and mort- gage payments would not increase; rather, the bank would push back the cur- rent terms of a customer’s mortgage to account for the rate increase. “Butterfield is automati- cally extending the terms of loans and mortgages to as- sist customers with the rate adjustment,” Mr. Mann said. “Butterfield is not adjusting deposit rates at this time.” Bank loan customers who want to increase monthly payments to keep current payment schedules are asked to contact Butter- field’s personal lending of- fice at 949-7055. The Fed’s second in- terest rate hike in the past decade likely will not be the last. The reserve bank forecast three more in- terest rate hikes during 2017, according to the As- sociated Press. “We expect that the economy will continue to perform well, with the job market strengthening fur- ther, and inflation rising to 2 percent over the next couple of years,” Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen said after Wednesday’s policy meeting. The Cayman Compass contacted other commer- cial and home mortgage lenders in Cayman, in- cluding Cayman National Bank, Scotiabank and the Royal Bank of Canada, but received no response by press time Thursday. Some economists’ con- cerns about higher interest rates and inflation in the U.S. in the wake of Donald J. Trump’s November elec- tion may affect the Cayman Islands real estate market if adjustable mortgage rates do increase, in an environ- ment that has already seen record home foreclosures over the past few years. The Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers As- sociation reported 116 forced sales of fore- closed homes by the end of 2015. According to CI- REBA, 30 forced sales re- corded in 2011. The 2015 number fol- lows on from a then-record year in 2013 when there were 65 completed foreclo- sures of homes, businesses or properties. According to figures presented by the govern- ment in 2015, Cayman has recorded 192 competed foreclosures since 2008, the lowest number recorded in the Caribbean, Finance Minister Marco Archer said. Completed foreclo- sures are cases in which banks have sold the prop- erty following a default on a mortgage. Other proper- ties in foreclosure would not be recorded if they had not sold. In addition to the 192 completed foreclosures since 2008, there were an- other 180 “historical” fore- closures as of last year where properties had not been sold, according to the government. Telecom ‘Truth in Advertising’ rules require honesty CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com “Truth in Advertising” guidelines for telecom com- panies, published this week by the Information and Com- munications Technology Authority, require com- panies offering phone, in- ternet and other services to be honest when marketing to consumers. The guidelines first ap- peared as part of a deci- sion on a dispute between Digicel and Flow. ICTA Managing Di- rector Alee Fa’amoe said in a press release, “The key is to be as open and trans- parent as possible. “There should be no omit- ting or hiding of material in- formation that a consumer needs in order to make an informed decision in rela- tion to the purchase or con- tinued use of an ICT service. Consumers have a right to re- ceive clear, intelligible, unam- biguous, timely information.” Flow, for the most part, came out on top of the dis- pute that was first filed in 2014. ICTA said most of Digi- cel’s claims that Flow, then called LIME, was misleading customers were without merit. However, the regulator said that a 2014 map used by LIME did mislead customers. The regulator said in the Oct. 11 decision that it will perform its own coverage study to map each provider’s mobile phone coverage. ICTA and Cayman’s tele- coms came under fire in the Legislative Assembly a year ago for allegedly advertising internet speeds much faster than what consumers actu- ally received at home. A Flow spokeswoman said the “Truth in Adver- tising” rules came up during the dispute resolution with Digicel this year. “We re- spect and support the ‘Truth in Advertising’ guidelines,” Flow’s head of marketing Julie Hutton said. In an email she countered the accusations against Flow. “We are concerned that not all providers are fol- lowing the guidelines and some operators are making unsubstantiated claims re- sulting in misleading ad- vertising for consumers,” Ms. Hutton wrote. Releasing the rules, the regulator notes, “Of particular interest to consumers will be the issue of pricing messages. The new guidelines state that price statements about any ICT Service being mar- keted should include infor- mation about the manner in which the price will be calcu- lated as well as the definite prices; contain governmental surcharges, fees and miscel- laneous charges that are col- lected from consumers on behalf of government or ap- propriate authority; and state any costs the law allows the licensee to pass onto its con- sumer as a surcharge.” Mr. Fa’amoe said compa- nies have to clearly explain any factors in getting mobile phone service on the island, noting that call volume, lo- cation and the type of phone can impact service. DVDL inspector back to work, facing prosecution This Toyota Supra, driven by an inspector at the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, was traveling in the outbound lanes of Crewe Road when it struck a light pole and ended up in the inbound lanes on July 11. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Bank borrowing rates to increase CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kosovo gets its own country code PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) – Kosovo has received an important mark of rec- ognition eight years after declaring independence from Serbia: its own tele- phone country code. The government an- nounced that the United Nations agency for infor- mation and communica- tion technologies had as- signed Kosovo the code +383 for landline calls to the country and that it be- came on active Thursday. Landlines in Kosovo previously required the +381 code the Interna- tional Telecommunica- tion Union had granted to the former Yugoslavia and which was later used by Serbia. Kosovo got the country code of its own as a re- sult of an agreement with Serbia. European Union-bro- kered talks regulate re- lations between the two countries since Serbia does not recognize its former province. Hitler’s birth house to be home for charity VIENNA (AP) – Austrian gov- ernment officials have de- cided to transform the home where Adolf Hitler was born into a base for a charity, not tear down the property as some demanded. Thursday’s decision comes a day after lawmakers overwhelmingly approved an Interior Ministry bill to dis- possess the owner, who had refused to sell the empty building in Braunau am Inn, a town on Austria’s border with Germany. Provincial governor Josef Puehringer says destroying the structure would have fu- eled accusations of “tearing down a piece of burden- some history.” Instead, officials want to remodel the property’s fa- cade to eliminate its draw as a shrine for admirers of the Nazi dictator, who was born in the house in 1889. Puehringer says the house will be offered to an agency running a workshop for disabled people. Exterior view of the house where Adolf Hitler was born, in Braunau am Inn, Austria. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016 from all of us at Puritan Cleaners. HAPPY HOLIDAYS Professional Launderers and Dry Cleaners Savannah Countryside | Centennial West Bay | Elgin Avenue | Eastern Avenue Drive Thru 337 Eastern Avenue I P: 949-7104 I F: 949-6860 I puritangc@candw.ky We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patronage and hoping to continue to serve you in the New Year. Please remember to put your pick up tickets of $20 or more in the box at all our stores for your chance to WIN WIN in our Christmas drawing on DECEMBER 23RD. You have the chance to be a winner of our OVER $2000 in prizes. FIRST PRICE IS $1,000 ! New and older orders qualify. Dont forget older orders qualify too. 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When she showed up at the house with friends, in- cluding three young chil- dren, he ambushed her, emerging from a bedroom with a machete in hand. He chased her and chopped her repeatedly with the weapon, telling her, “You love to run, but you’re not going to run this time.” Mr. Vaughan then at- tempted to attack one of the onlookers with the ma- chete, failing to connect and burying the blade in a papaya tree. He slashed the tires of his wife’s ve- hicle and fled into the bushes, where he was later found wearing only socks and boxer shorts with the blood-stained machete and a bottle of green liquid, later determined to be the deadly weed killer paraquat. Mr. Vaughan had ingested some of the weed killer and re- quired hospital treatment, the court heard. Doctors had discov- ered signs that Mrs. Hall Vaughan had also been poi- soned with paraquat, the judge summarized. In police interviews Mr. Vaughan claimed to have been startled by the pres- ence of another person in the house and had lashed out with the machete be- fore realizing who it was. He claimed he did not know why he had continued the assault once he realized it was his wife, saying every- thing had gone black, like a “temporary madness.” Justice Dobbs said she did not accept this expla- nation. She said it was clear that he had targeted his wife, luring her to the house on false pretenses and moving his car so it ap- peared he was not home. He had tried to kill her with the machete and then poisoned her to en- sure the “job was done,” the judge said. Mrs. Hall Vaughan suf- fered a 3-inch laceration to the left side of her face, wounds to her ear and chest, the amputation of a finger and serious wounds to her legs. She was initially flown off island for treat- ment and still requires ex- tensive physiotherapy. She is also likely to require fur- ther surgery on her legs. The injuries were “life threatening, long lasting and visible,” and she would be reminded of them every time she looked in the mirror, the judge said. “She will suffer for the rest of her life.” In mitigation, the court heard that Mr. Vaughan was “under stress” because of his separation from his wife and the loss of his daughter, who had moved back to Ja- maica just before the inci- dent, as well as his uncer- tain immigration status. He is illiterate and had a hard upbringing and was beaten by his stepfather. The judge passed a sen- tence of 21 years in prison, reduced to 14 years because of his guilty plea. More paraquat dog poisonings reported JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A ban on importing deadly weed-killer paraquat does not appear to have prevented a spate of dog poisonings in the run-up to Christmas. Vets and animal welfare agencies have reported at least four incidents in the past month where dogs have died showing symptoms associated with paraquat poisoning. The latest incident was Tuesday when the Humane Society was called to reports of a seriously injured dog in Windsor Park, George Town. Jason Jairam, manager of the Humane Society shelter, said the dog had to be put down. Island Veterinary Services has also seen three cases of paraquat poisoning in the past two weeks, including two dogs that had to be put down at the surgery. All three of those inci- dents happened in West Bay. Imports of paraquat were banned amid an outcry from animal welfare groups about the frequency of dog poison- ings in the Cayman Islands. In many cases, food laced with the weed-killer was left by the sides of roads and ingested by the dogs. Incidents appear to spike around the holiday season and have been linked to neighborhood feuds over nui- sance behavior involving dogs. Paraquat poisoning causes serious damage to the respi- ratory system, causing a slow and painful death similar to drowning. It is normal for vets to euthanize dogs that have been poisoned. Jennie Boyers, a veterinary nurse at Island Veterinary Services, who was one of the leaders of the cam- paign to ban paraquat, said it was disturbing to see dogs were still being poisoned. Though imports on the weed-killer have been banned, she said many people may still have supplies. “We do know there is still some out there, so we may still see these cases for a while until it runs out. Then, hopefully, we will never see this again,” she added. Mr. Jairam said the con- tinuation of the trend was disturbing. He said there always seemed to be a spike in incidents around the holidays, often in the same neighborhoods. 14 years for wife’s attempted murder CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “Mrs. Hall Vaughan is lucky to be alive. She will be physically and mentally scarred for life.” DAME LINDA DOBBS, acting Grand Court judgeNext >