High of 75 Low of 65 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 6 to 9 feet with higher swells likely. A marine warning is in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TITLE OF EDITORIAL SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX 8 DAYS LEFT TO REGISTER TO VOTE ELECTION 2017 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 THE WASHINGTON POST The dirty secret about your clothes EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CAYMAN’S FIRST FATAL POLICE SHOOTING SINCE … Come meet Peanuts. We are open! 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. Pac Man vows ‘I’ll be back’ Senator and boxing hero draws large crowd JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao may not have thrown any punches, but he was the star attraction for more than 3,000 specta- tors at Saturday’s Island Rumble. Amid the snapping of cellphone cam- eras and the cheering and stomping of the large crowd, the eight-division world cham- pion entered the ring at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex to wave to fans and pay tribute to the “beautiful Cayman Islands.” The Philippines senator and philanthro- pist thanked the island and its large Fili- pino community for the warm welcome and vowed to return for a family vacation. On this occasion it was all business for Pacquiao, who made a string of public ap- pearances in a 48-hour visit that tested his legendary endurance. After a 34-hour flight, which he described as the longest of his life, the senator was whisked straight to the Government Ad- ministration Building for a welcome recep- tion. He made appearances at a VIP night at the Marriott resort, at the ground-breaking for a new boxing gym in Bodden Town, at Health City Cayman Islands in East End and at Saturday’s boxing night. A trip to Cayman Brac on Sunday morning was canceled as the schedule fi- nally caught up with him. During his visit to Bodden Town on JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Southwest Airlines will open up a new route between Fort Lauderdale and Grand Cayman this summer. The airline announced plans this week to add the island to its growing route schedule. Subject to regulatory approval the flight will be a daily service. Tourism Minister Moses Kirk- connell said the addition of a major new airline, flying from a new hub, would provide another economic boost for the islands’ tourism industry. He said the decision by Southwest followed a two-year “engagement pro- cess” involving the Department of Tourism and the Cayman Is- lands Airports Authority. “Welcoming this award winning airline into our destina- tion will help to bring even more visitors to experience Cayman- kind and compelling product of- ferings that differentiate us from our competitors and will sup- port the continued growth of our EX-CONVICT SHOT, KILLED BY POLICE First fatal officer-suspect shooting in decades, police say BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An illegal immigrant convicted of robbery in the Cayman Islands in early 2011 was shot dead by police officers Friday morning after he had returned to the islands and was being sought on an arrest warrant. The fatal shooting is believed to be the first shooting of a criminal suspect by Royal Cayman Islands Police officers since at least the 1980s, according to Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis, who has served in the depart- ment since then. “None of us here at RCIPS are aware of an incident like this [previously],” Police Com- missioner David Byrne said during a Friday press conference. The dead man was identified to the Cayman Compass as Norval Barrett, 34, of Ja- maica. Commissioner Byrne said the suspect was the subject of a search warrant being served in the Windsor Park area of George Town around 5:30 a.m. Friday. Mr. Byrne de- clined to independently confirm Barrett’s identity, citing the ongoing investigation. According to police accounts of the in- cident, the suspect left a residence on The- resa Drive with a firearm. Mr. Byrne said two armed officers fired “a number of shots” and injured the suspect. He was transported to hospital and pronounced dead at 6:16 a.m. Friday, police said. Mr. Byrne said he could not confirm whether the suspect fired any shots at police, although he said that was being looked at. The firearm recovered by police at the scene was loaded, Mr. Byrne said. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Southwest Airlines announces new Cayman route PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » JET SERVICES TO BRAC CANCELED Cayman Airways was forced to cancel jet services to Cayman Brac over the weekend because of reduced fire and rescue capability after an accident on the runway last week. The Charles Kirkconnell Inter- national Airport reopened only to small aircraft on Friday after a fire truck flipped over on Thursday. For the full story, see page 5. Manny Pacquiao receives a rousing reception as he addresses more than 3,000 fans at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex on Saturday night. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 525-8850 Alvin Sluchinski All the best for CAYMAN ISLANDS 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 - UNDERWORLD: (R) BLOOD WARS 3D 1:30 | 4:15 2D | 7:30 | 10:10 2D PASSENGERS 3D (PG13) 1:00 | 3:50 2D | 7:00 | 9:40 2D ROGUE ONE 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D | 3:05 | 6:50 2D | 9:35 SING 3D (PG) 12:30 | 3:45 2D | 7:00 | 9:50 2D FENCES (PG13) 3:30 | 9:40 ASSASSIN’S CREED (PG13) 1:20 | 4:00 | 7:15 | 10:00 MOANA (PG) 12:45 | 6:45 Champ helps break ground on boxing gym JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com World-famous fighter Manny Pacquiao helped break ground on a proposed new boxing fa- cility in Bodden Town on Sat- urday morning. The Philippines senator and boxing legend said he hoped the gym would help nurture a future champion from the Cayman Islands. “I myself come from humble beginnings, and it was because of sports facilities like this I was able to meet the people who saw my potential, took me under their wing and provided the best facili- ties for me to train and to be in- spired and motivated to pursue my dream of being a world champion,” he told a large crowd who turned out for the ceremony. Mr. Pacquiao joined officials including Sports Minister Os- bourne Bodden and Premier Alden McLaughlin as they wielded golden shovels to mark the occasion. Mr. Bodden said the project would bring a state-of-the-art boxing gym to the area, pro- viding an upgraded alternative to the George Town boxing gym for people in the eastern districts. SDKA International, the mul- tinational company that helped bring Pacquiao to the Cayman Is- lands, will provide equipment, in- cluding a boxing ring for the fa- cility, Mr. Bodden said. Upgrades to the basketball and netball courts and new stands for the football field are also planned for the Haig Bodden complex. He said the project is currently going through the planning pro- cess, and he hopes the gym will be open by the end of the year. “We felt it was good value for money to put a gym here in Bodden Town and make it more feasible and practical for young people on this side of the island to have ac- cess to such a facility.” He said the project was made possible through a partnership with the Cayman Islands Boxing Association and key sponsors like SDKA and Elite Marble and Granite. Mr. Pacquiao said it was an honor to be involved in the ceremony. “Even with my status as boxing champion, I feel it is still my duty to inspire and encourage all the aspiring fighters to aim high and pursue their dreams,” he said. Matthew Leslie, who organized the fighter’s visit, said he believes the gym could help Cayman find its own Manny Pacquiao. The plans are for the gym to be a two-storey facility that will include the ring, brought into the island by SDKA International for Saturday night’s Island Rumble bout. It will also include exer- cise equipment and be open to the public. Mr. Bodden said it had been his dream for a long time to have a first class boxing facility to service the eastern districts. “Even with my status as boxing champion, I feel it is still my duty to inspire and encourage all the aspiring fighters to aim high and pursue their dreams.” MANNY PACQUIAO Mexican agents catch man who shot US consular official MEXICO CITY (AP) – Pros- ecutors in Mexico say they caught a gunman who opened fire on an official of the U.S. consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. The Attorney General’s Office of the western state of Jalisco said Sunday in the agency’s Twitter ac- count that the suspect had been turned over to fed- eral prosecutors. Attacks on diplomats are federal crimes in Mexico. The U.S. embassy has not identified the official, who was shot in his car Friday in Guadalajara. He was in stable condition Saturday after the attack. The FBI had offered a $20,000 reward for infor- mation on the attacker, and surveillance cameras photos of him had been widely circulated. Jalisco state is domi- nated by the hyper-vio- lent Jalisco New Gener- ation cartel. There was no immediate evidence of any cartel link to the attack. The FBI had offered a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker. An architect’s image of the proposed new boxing gym. Manny Pacquiao joins in the ground-breaking ceremony for the gym. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY MEXICO CITY (AP) – A protest against Mexico’s 20-percent gasoline price hike turned violent Saturday after a lone protester drove his truck into a line of police guarding a fuel distribution terminal in Baja California. Federal police said seven officers were injured in the incident in Rosarito, near the border city of Tijuana. Video showed the small pickup driving straight into the line of riot police, then backing up and speeding off. Largely peaceful protests against the fuel price in- creases continued elsewhere in Mexico on Saturday, and looting seen earlier in the week largely subsided. But nervousness remained. Officials in Veracruz, one of the states hardest-hit by the looting on Wednesday and Thursday, said some neighborhood groups had begun to form patrols of res- idents armed with staves or machetes to ward off looters. Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes Linares said 532 people had been de- tained in his state alone and that social rumors of fur- ther looting – apparently un- founded – had caused “an ar- tificial psychosis.” He said that in the northern part of the state, given this psychosis, “the neighbors decided to arm themselves with staves, ma- chetes, creating the impres- sion that there were armed groups of criminals.” Yunes Linares said the government was trying to convince residents to stop such patrolling. The Interior Department reported that more than 1,500 people have been de- tained for looting or distur- bances nationwide since pro- tests began early last week. It is unclear how many have been charged. Hundreds of stores were looted, mainly on Wednesday and Thursday. Police protection of stores has been stepped up since. The federal police re- ported some highway block- ages, on Saturday. Mexicans march against gas price hike3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 ES SO and the ES SO L ogo ar e tr ademark s o f Ex xon Mobil Corpor ation and ar e used under license. WIN WIN WEEKLY BIG Grand Prize Draw: January 20th, 2017 *To redeem your prize, participation in a fun Esso Challenge is mandatory. With every $25 purchase or more in Esso fuels at any Esso station, you’ll qualify for a chance to win in the grand prize draw for a 2017 Vitara! Your friend can also win a 2017 Suzuki Baleno. Also have a chance in the bi-weekly draws for FREE Fuel & FREE Groceries! Win a Suzuki 2017 Vitara & 2017 Baleno Everytime you win a friend wins too! Win with a friend! ES SO and the ES SO L ogo ar e tr ademark s o f Ex xon Mobil Corpor ation and ar e used under license. This Week’s Esso Winners Can win up to $250 in Free Esso Fuel! Join us at Mike’s Walkers Road Station for the Esso Challenge THIS WEDNESDAY at 12pm! Miss Cayman off to Miss Universe pageant JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Miss Cayman Monyque Brooks was scheduled to leave for the Philippines on Monday, Jan. 9 for the Miss Universe pageant, where she promises to give “the entire universe” a taste of Caymankind. The pageant will be held on Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Mall of Asia in Pasay, Philippines. Ms. Brooks, who was crowned Miss Cayman Is- lands at the Lions Centre last January, is traveling to the Philippines with former Miss Cayman Islands Stacy- Ann Kelly via New York and Hong Kong, and is scheduled to arrive on Jan. 12. Ms. Brooks and Ms. Kelly will be staying at the Conrad Manila hotel. Ms. Brooks will participate in a series of tours which have not yet been disclosed, according to a press release. However, a governor’s ball, national gift auction, national cos- tume show, interviews and rehearsals will take place while she’s there. Ms. Brooks returned re- cently from the Miss World Pageant in Washington, D.C. “My experience at Miss World was everything I imagined and more,” she said. “I was able to receive great exposure. I made con- nections with persons of in- fluence and formed friend- ships with women that will last a lifetime.” She said it was an invig- orating experience to rep- resent the Cayman Islands at the pageant. “At Miss Universe, I want to build on those opportu- nities while continuing to make the Cayman Islands proud,” she added. She said the Miss World pageant focused on “Beauty with a Purpose” and how the winner can contribute to her cause, while the Miss Universe pageant focuses on how the winner can rep- resent the Miss Universe brand and how she can be a positive role model for the entire world. “Therefore, I am now in a different mind frame,” she said. “I am focused on being the brand and showcasing who I am. I’m ready to give the entire universe a taste of Caymankind.” Ms. Brooks will arrive in the Philippines with a fashionable wardrobe that includes her national cos- tume. The costume, which will replicate Cayman’s pristine waters, was de- signed by Cayman resi- dent Kenzie Rose. Ms. Brooks is scheduled to return to Cayman on Feb. 2. “I am focused on being the brand and showcasing who I am. I’m ready to give the entire universe a taste of Caymankind.” - MONYQUE BROOKS, Miss Cayman. Monyque Brooks, when she was crowned Miss Cayman 2016.– PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The Zak Quappe Flight Scholarship has re- ceived a $3,000 donation from Trees4Life. The Trees4Life enterprise was set up by husband and wife team Kelly and Jeff McGlashan, who donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of imported Christmas trees toward the flight scholarship, which supports young Caymanians seeking to earn a private pi- lot’s license. The scholarship, awarded annually for between US$12,000 and US$15,000, covers costs such as flight school, training flights and travel expenses to and from the United States. The scholarship was set up by the family of Zak Quappe, a local commercial pilot and flight instructor who died in 2013. For more information on the scholarship program, contact committee members barriequappe@ yahoo.com or sebanks@icloud.com. $3,000 DONATED TO FLIGHT SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP Barrie Quappe, left, with Kelly and Jeff McGlashan of Trees4Life. The husband and wife team is donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of imported Christmas trees to the Zak Quappe Flight Scholarship.The 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 JANUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Friday morning’s fatal shooting of a suspected criminal by police is, thankfully, a rare if not unprece- dented occurrence in the Cayman Islands. Quite frankly, it is difficult for us to say with absolute certainty whether it is the first fatal shooting in the 100-plus-year history of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, or the second … or the third or the 10th. We often encounter this conundrum when we are writing stories about an individual’s accomplishments or historical events, whether it’s about which family settled first in an area, who may have introduced an invention or idea to the country, or who was the first here to pursue a particular sort of profession. As a result, an aphorism uttered in the Compass newsroom (only half-seriously) is, “Never say anything was ‘first.’” The point is that Cayman’s “modern history” – which we define loosely as the time period since the existence of a relatively accurate, complete and acces- sible written record of the goings-on in these islands … basically since the inaugural issue of our predecessor The Caymanian (Weekly) was published on Oct. 6, 1965 – is rather short. Yes, the arc of human affairs in Cayman stretches back more than 500 years, but information about the first 450 years is largely based on oral, intermittent or potentially unreliable accounts. In regard to Friday’s shooting death of 34-year- old Norval Barrett, a Jamaican national who had returned to Cayman illegally after being convicted of robbery here six years ago, we know that it is the first fatal shooting of a suspect by RCIPS officers since at least the 1980s, according to Deputy Commissioner Anthony Ennis. We have heard stories of local police shooting and killing a person in the mid-1960s, and perhaps before in the early 20th century. We have not been able to locate written records of those occurrences. The specific historical significance of Friday’s shooting is not as important as the indisputable fact that such police shootings are exceedingly rare in Cayman, even amid the perceived rise in gun crimes in the community. Time and again, our officers have demonstrated incredible restraint from using their firearms, even in cases where they would be justified in declaring they felt their lives were in danger. For example, in April 2016, a man pointed what appeared to be a handgun (it later turned out to be an imitation firearm) at police officers, including one who was armed. Instead of firing at the suspect, police allowed him to flee. Later, the man was arrested and eventually sentenced to six years in prison. In June, a man (who had a flare gun painted black to look like a real firearm) resisted arrest by two armed officers. Instead of shooting the suspect, the officers deployed a Taser in order to subdue him and bring him into custody. In both of those incidents, the nearby presence of crowds of bystanders (and onlookers) no doubt played a role in the officers’ decision-making. Although we do not currently know all the details of Friday’s shooting, the RCIPS’s track record over the decades argues strongly for them to be allowed the benefit of any doubt. For the sake of propriety and professionalism, police officers from Bermuda have arrived in Cayman to conduct an independent investi- gation of the shooting death. Make no mistake: Police officers carry guns to protect themselves and the community when the use of “deadly force” is warranted. And deadly force is just that. Let us hope that fatal shootings by police continue to be generational events in Cayman, or rarer – and that if and when they do occur, that we can continue to trust our officers’ were justified. Cayman’s first fatal police shooting since … A smart choice for Education secretary MITT ROMNEY The nomination of Betsy DeVos for secretary of educa- tion has reignited the age-old battle over education policy. The heat is already intense not just because it involves the fu- ture of our children but also because a lot of money is at stake. Essentially, it’s a debate between those in the educa- tion establishment who sup- port the status quo because they have a financial stake in the system and those who seek to challenge the status quo be- cause it’s not serving kids well. Both sides will take their case to the public hoping to sway senators who will vote on confirmation. Here’s my take. First, it’s important to have someone who isn’t financially biased shaping education. As a highly successful business- woman, DeVos doesn’t need the job now, nor will she be looking for an education job later. Her key qualification is that she cares deeply about our children and will do ev- erything in her power to offer them a brighter future. She founded two of the nation’s leading education reform orga- nizations and helped open the door to charter schools in her home state of Michigan. I have known her for many years; she is smart, dynamic, no nonsense and committed. That’s why the education establishment is so animated to stop her. Second, it’s important to have someone who will chal- lenge the conventional wisdom and the status quo. In 1970, it cost US$56,903 to educate a child from K-12. By 2010, adjusting for inflation, we had raised that spending to US$164,426 – almost three times as much. Further, the number of people employed in our schools had nearly dou- bled. But despite the enormous investment, the performance of our kids has shown virtu- ally no improvement. The es- tablishment predictably calls for more spending and smaller classrooms – in other words, more teachers and more pay. But more of the same is de- monstrably not the answer. The interests opposing DeVos’s nomination charge that charter schools in Mich- igan – and particularly in De- troit – haven’t lived up to their promise. But recent studies show that choice and com- petition are having a posi- tive impact on kids’ learning in the state. A recent analysis by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies found that students in De- troit charters are performing better than their counterparts in traditional public schools in every subject tested by the state’s annual assessment. Meanwhile, recent studies by Stanford University found children in Detroit charters showing stronger academic improvement, gaining an extra two months’ learning in math and reading per year, as com- pared with the typical public school student in the city. DeVos’s detractors have also accused her of opposing oversight and accountability for her state’s charter sector, leading to poor results. This is another misleading charge. What she opposed was a new government bureaucracy in- tended to stifle choice and limit competition in Detroit educa- tion. In fact, the organization she chairs did endorse an A-to- F letter grading system to hold schools accountable state- wide. It has also been pointed out that while more than 100 Michigan charters have been shut down for various reasons over the past 20 years, not one traditional public school has been shuttered because of poor performance. When I became governor of my state, I wanted to im- prove our schools. The estab- lishment told me that to do so, I should reduce classroom size and increase funding. Frankly, that comported with my preconceptions. But then I looked at the data. We com- pared the average classroom size and spending in each of our 300-plus school dis- tricts with the academic per- formance of their students. To my surprise, there was no re- lationship whatsoever. Smaller- classroom-size districts and bigger-spending districts had no better student outcomes. In fact, the district with the smallest average classroom size and the most spending per student was in the bottom 10th of student achievement on our state tests. Massachusetts has con- sistently ranked No. 1 among all 50 states on the federal National Assessment of Ed- ucational Progress exams. I believe that there are many reasons for this success. Among them are a statewide curriculum developed by our own educators; a state exam in math, science and English required to grad- uate from high school; ex- tensive school choice among standard public schools, charter schools, public exam schools, private schools, Catholic schools and cyber schools; superb teachers; and involved parents. Mas- sachusetts has also bene- fited from creative political leadership on both sides of the aisle and from remark- able flexibility by our edu- cation unions. The answers for im- proving our nation’s schools will come from people who have no financial stake in the outcome and study the most successful education systems here and around the world. McKinsey & Co. has carried out just such an analysis. It concluded that spending and class- room size weren’t what de- termined the success of a school system. Instead, fac- tors such as the qualities and educational attainment of the teachers were most important. No surprise there: It’s the teachers that make the difference. I am truly excited that someone of Betsy DeVos’s ca- pability, dedication and ab- sence of financial bias is willing to take an honest and open look at our schools. The decades of applying the same old bromides must come to an end. The education estab- lishment and its defenders will understandably squeal, but the interests of our chil- dren must finally prevail. Romney, a Republican, was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. In 2012, he was the Republican nominee for president. © 2017, Special to The Washington Post5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 Personal Insurance BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International insurance, health, pensions, life Happy New Year! Make 2017 the year you pay less for more cover! Car insurance deductibles from $200 and extra free benefits. With your first BritCay buildings insurance policy you will receive a $250 gift certificate. Home insurance also entitles you to a 10% car insurance discount. With the lowest standard deductibles at $200, you also save when you claim. Ask BritCay for a quote! CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky SAVE $250* when you insure your home! 10% discount on car insurance if you have home insurance Free $500,000 public liability (home insurance) Free $10 million liability protection (car insurance) Interest free monthly payment option cgigrp coverwithoutaddedcosts! $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *$250 BritCay gift certificate applies to new buildings insurance policies only The normally sleepy Spotts cruise terminal was a hive of activity on Sunday as rough seas in George Town harbor forced the MSC Armonia to drop anchor in calmer waters off the southern coast. The ship is ferrying 2,163 passen- gers, according to the Port Authority of the Cayman Islands. It was the first time the Spotts secondary terminal was pressed into action due to bad weather since early 2016. Another ship, Carnival’s Holiday with 1,794 passengers, bypassed the island due to the rough seas. The Cayman Islands National Weather Ser- vice forecasted wave heights of 6 to 8 feet Sunday afternoon. “Heavy wave action will affect the north and west coast of the islands,” the service said in a press release. A small craft warning was in effect for Sunday and Monday. Rough seas send cruise ship to Spotts Sean Roberts and Gio Muller watch as tenders get ready to transfer passengers from the MSC Armonia to the dock at the Spotts cruise terminal Sunday morning. It was the first time the secondary terminal was pressed into action since early 2016. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Weekend flights canceled after fire truck flips JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Brac’s airport will remain closed to jet traffic until a new fire truck is shipped to the island to re- place the vehicle that flipped over on the runway Thursday. Cayman Airways, the only operator which flies jet air- craft into the Brac, was forced to cancel flights and reshuffle its schedule over the weekend. The smaller Twin-Otter and Saab prop planes which ser- vice the route between the Brac and Grand Cayman are still able to land and were deployed to minimize pas- senger disruption. Air safety guidelines re- quire at least two fire trucks to be on standby for a jet to be able to land, officials said. Fire and airport officials are “in the process of iden- tifying an interim strategy that will support the resump- tion of jet services at the ear- liest opportunity,” according to a government statement Friday evening. Cayman Airways CEO Fa- bian Whorms said the airline had canceled jet services be- tween the Brac and Miami, Havana, Cuba, and Grand Cayman over the weekend, re- booking passengers through Grand Cayman. There are no jet ser- vices operating through the Brac from Monday through Thursday. The next affected flight is currently sched- uled for Jan. 13. “Should the full fire ser- vice capabilities not be re- stored by then, Cayman Airways will make fur- ther adjustments to next weekend’s flight schedule,” Mr. Whorms said. The fire truck flipped over during what officials described as a “mandatory speed test” Thursday morning. The roof of the vehicle crum- pled and the side was sheared off by the impact. Two firefighters who sus- tained injuries in the acci- dent were flown to Grand Cayman by helicopter. One of the officers was treated at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital in George Town and discharged Friday. The second officer was still in hospital on Friday and his condition was de- scribed as stable. A police accident in- vestigator was flown from Grand Cayman to investi- gate the incident Thursday, while an “independent ana- lyst” will also investigate the crash, according to a govern- ment spokeswoman. The fire truck’s manufacturer is also sending an expert to assess the vehicle, she said. Speed tests are carried out monthly on fire trucks that provide emergency sup- port to the airport in accor- dance with Rescue and Fire Fighting Service regulations, according to a government statement. The tests are de- signed to ensure the fire ser- vice can meet required re- sponse times in case of an emergency. The statement noted, “The cause of the crash has yet to be determined pending the completion of the ongoing investigations.” There are no jet services operating through the Brac from Monday through Thursday. Brac airport still closed to jets Cayman Brac’s airport reopened Friday only to small aircraft after a fire truck flipped over on the runway during a speed test on Thursday morning. The airport remains closed to jets.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 YEARS AGO Dramatic sea rescue by three men in a skiff In the Jan. 11, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Birney James provided a report on a dramatic rescue at sea: “The chill wind of a waning north- wester was howling through the trees at White Hall last Thursday evening and the long white-crested rollers of a storm- swept sea pounded with monotonous fury against the coral shore. “The three men, silhouetted briefly against the headlamps of a parked car, shoved their tiny skiff through the surf and soon disappeared into the inky black- ness of a rainy, moonless night – their des- tination, the twinkling lights of a foreign ship lay to off George Town harbor. “There had been a call for help earlier – actually, a cablegram from Jamaica – in- forming Government here that a seaman aboard the motor-tanker Varvara was se- riously ill from accidentally swallowing a caustic chemical while siphoning a tank. “Jill Bodden and his friend Irvin Bodden, were visiting at Pat’s Texaco Ser- vice Station when they heard the report of a man in trouble aboard the ship. Chief of Police R.S. Besant was having diffi- culty in finding a boat to bring the sick man ashore. Two readily available boats had been smashed by the passing storm. Others had sought safe harbour at South Sound and Spotts. “‘I asked Irvin if he wanted to go out. He said, yes so we called my brother, Jack, at home and he decided to go too,’ said Mr. Jill Bodden. “The three volunteers bought some gas and oil for their seven and a half horse- power outboard motor and it wasn’t long before they launched their skiff – only 12 feet long – and took to sea. “‘We signalled the ship that we were coming,’ Mr. Jill Bodden said. What kind of signal? “‘Just a signal with a flashlight – they knew it was help on the way,’ he added with the assurance of a man long familiar with the sea. “Powering under the leeward side of the waiting vessel, the trio all wet to the skin from the rain and the sea, helped to bring the seaman into their rolling and pitching skiff. “Walter Teixeira Froto, a 20-year-old ordinary seaman from Brazil, was soon under emergency treatment at Government Hospital, thanks to these men, and was discharged yesterday morning. “The men thought little of their sea saga – to them it is the tradition of the sea – and of all Caymanians – that a vessel in distress or a man in need aboard a ship, be given whatever help is possible. These men have proven their devotion to their tradition on other occasions. “While the Boddens were bringing their man ashore, Chief Besant, not knowing that the seaman was already on his way to the hospital, made rendezvous with Captain Bobby Soto – after futilely at- tempting to contact the ship through Earl Lonn’s Seaview Radio – and they were soon on their way out of South Sound aboard Captain Soto’s 53-foot charterboat, Cayman Pilot. “They were halfway to the tanker when they noticed it heading seaward and re- alized the someone had already come to the aid of the sick man. There was a re- port of another small boat heading for the tanker at about the same time but it also turned back. “While the Bible quotation – which is also the motto of the Cayman Islands – ‘He hath founded it upon the seas’ probably does not apply to this story, it still recalls the tradition of the Cayman Islands, fa- mous throughout the world for its sailors and for the daring rescues from its shores. “Ordinary seaman Froto will probably never forget these islands or the Boddens.” Big Brothers Big Sisters tour gallery More than 30 participants from Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cayman Islands toured the National Gallery last month to learn about the temporary exhibition “Speak to Me – Understanding the Lan- guage of Art.” On the tour, led by National Gallery in- tern Jessica Ebanks, the visitors got a hands-on experience at the exhibition. Making the visit particularly mem- orable, they were the first group to solve the exhibition’s large installation puzzle by Aston Ebanks in one session, according to a press release. The exhibition, which runs until Jan. 12, features art as a language and the visual “di- alects” that range from paintings of the past to avant-garde and artificial intelligence. Works in the exhibition come from pri- vate and public collections, and artists who created new works for the exhibition in- clude Wray Banker, Randy Cholette, Nasaria Suckoo-Cholette, Pippa Ridley, Simon Tatum and William Verhoeven. Teamwork allowed a group to solve a floor puzzle in a single session.Children peruse an artist’s sketchbook that is part of an exhibit.District Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 Students give gift of reading to the George Town library Triple C School stu- dents did their part for lit- eracy during the holiday season with a donation of books to the George Town Public Library. On Dec. 12, the library received a gift box filled with books from Triple C school librarian Kathleen Westin and Vice Principal of Elementary Jennifer Allen. The books will be distrib- uted among the public li- braries in all of the districts. In October, Ms. Westin challenged parents and stu- dents of Triple C to not only make the school’s library merry and bright, but also to help another library. The students and par- ents stepped up to the chal- lenge, and by Dec. 9 the total book drive donation had reached more than 1,000 books, a release states. “I was very pleased with the response that students had to this year’s Christmas Book Drive initiative,” said Ms. Westin. “Students were enthusiastic and excited that they could do something useful for others. Elemen- tary and middle school stu- dents brought a continual stream of books up until after the deadline. I would like to give a big shout-out and thanks to all the Grade 2 students, who together do- nated 74 books.” Director of the Cayman Islands Public Library Ser- vice Ramona Melody was delighted with the donation. “The entire staff of the Cayman Islands Public Li- brary Service wishes to ex- press our gratitude to Triple C School and particularly to Miss Kathleen Westin for the recent donation of so many wonderful books,” said Ms. Melody. “Because of their generosity, we will be able to offer additional reading materials to our patrons in every district. “Most importantly, giving the gift of books encour- ages a love of reading among young and old alike. We are deeply appreciative and will ensure that these books are put to good use.” The students and parents stepped up to the challenge, and by Dec. 9 the total book drive donation had reached more than 1,000 books. Jennifer Allen, left, and Kathleen Westin present books to Ramona Melody. Triple C School librarian Kathleen Westin with some of the students who contributed to the book drive. Pet portraits raise money for charity Charming portraits of pets produced by artists and aspiring artists were the result of a unique fun- draiser last month to help support the charity One Dog at a Time. Aimee Randolph, Claire Rohleder and Deborah Kern, members of Three Girls and a Kiln, one of the spon- sors of the event, carefully sketched the outline of the painters’ dogs or cats from a photograph, transforming the snapshot into a ready- to paint-canvas, which was then enhanced with acrylic colors to produce the finished pieces, a press release states. According to the release, none of the participants claimed to have much ex- pertise with paint brushes and palettes, but the re- sults were well received, and the 13 participants were impressed with the ef- fort put forth at the event on Dec. 11 at the Montessori School of Cayman. The ticket price for the fundraiser also included a beverage and a cold buffet. In addition to Three Girls and a Kiln, the event was sponsored by the Montessori School of Cayman, Kirk Office and Jacques Scott. One Dog at a Time One Dog at a Time is a small welfare organization formed nearly four years ago to rescue dogs and puppies from being euthanized at the government pound in Lower Valley, as well as to rescue homeless animals. It is run by Paula Wythe, Paula Blane, Lucy Ann Brewer and Caro- line Johnston. Since last January, 66 dogs have been rescued and re-homed on Cayman or in New York and Toronto, a press release says. The group has also re-homed one cat, three abandoned rabbits, two guinea pigs and some baby chickens and hamsters. The group has emer- gency kennels, a foster home network and links with the United States and Canada, and works hard on matching the right dog to the appropriate family. All of the rescued dogs are checked by veterinarians, and they are vaccinated and spayed or neutered. The rescued dogs and puppies initially have a meet-and-greet with their potential new owners and, if that is successful, a home check is completed to ensure the house is safe for the an- imals. Then a sleep-over is arranged for up to a week so that the new owners can see whether they suit the dog and the dog suits them. “We try and ensure that our adoptions are the right fit,” said Ms. Wythe. “If a family doesn’t fit to a dog, then we try the family with another one. Sometimes people are desperate for a puppy, but then, on the sleep-overs, they realize that a puppy is a great deal of work. In those cases we see if we have a slightly older dog that would suit them. We want both the dog and the family to be happy. That way we ensure that every one of our dogs has a forever home, forever.” When a dog is adopted, a donation is made to the charity to help cover some of the costs of vaccinations and spaying or neutering. “We are so grateful for all the support we receive,” said the charity’s team members. “We are currently raising funds to buy a van to enable us to transport dogs quickly to the airport, as well as to collect large amounts of ga- rage sale items and bulky furniture donations.” Fundraiser The next fundraiser is set for 6 p.m. Jan. 26 at Locked Inn Cayman on Fort Street. The price of $300 for a team of six includes a buffet and two drinks. Tickets are avail- able in advance from the One Dog At A Time team. For more information, to help foster dogs, assist in fundraising or adopt a dog, contact One Dog At a Time via Facebook at onedogatatime13; via email at info@ odaat.ky; or visit www.odaat.ky. Annette BaubieLisa BeauchampThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS ONE WAY FROM LA CEIBA HONDURAS TO Grand Cayman with connection to SAN ANDRÉS, COLOMBIA INFORMATION & RESERVATION: . . . Contact Grisela Ebanks at Financial Integrated Services at 623.5616 or email: aeb@easyconnect.ky Must be paid in FULL by January th - 6th WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING CARGO January , CAYMAN CHARTERS TRAVEL SERVICES & The agency that puts you rst! LA CEIBA, HONDURAS CI or US INCLUDE AIRFARE & TAX HONDURASHONDURAS TRAVEL SERVICES & T HAPPY NEW YEAR! Checking time to San Andrés 5:30AM Departure 11:00AM Saturday, Pacquiao told fans, “I was talking to my wife and I told her it is a beautiful place, beau- tiful beaches and you can swim, snorkel, and she said ‘I want to go there and bring the kids.’ “I am hoping to come back here with my family and we can enjoy the beauty of the Cayman Islands and also the hospitality and generosity and friendship of the people here.” The stands at the Truman Bodden complex were filled Saturday night with a large contingent of the island’s Filipino com- munity who turned out to see their national hero. Pacquiao sat ring- side next to Premier Alden McLaughlin and posed for pictures and signed autographs throughout the night. The five amateur boxing bouts were interspersed with music and dance performances by Cayma- nian and Filipino enter- tainers. Egypt Criss, star of U.S. reality television show ‘Growing up Hip Hop,’ sang the American na- tional anthem. Egypt is the daughter of Sandra Denton, better known as Pepa from the ‘90s hip hop group Salt-N- Pepa, and rap icon Treach (real name Anthony Criss) from Naughty By Nature. She sat ringside with her stepfather, Gurps Singh Rai of SDKA International, the UAE-based multinational which recently opened a securities company in Grand Cayman and was the headline sponsor for the Island Rumble. Matthew Leslie, whose Cayman Mardi Gras pro- motions was the orga- nizer of Saturday’s event, said, “This has been an A- list crowd. I couldn’t have asked for a better night. “It has been fantastic, and I’m so happy to see Manny Pacquiao enjoying himself, people getting pic- tures with him and having a good time.” Pac Man vows ‘I’ll be back’ Mr. Pacquiao arrives at the Government Administration Building Friday afternoon with event organizer Matthew Leslie. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The champ takes his seat ringside between Premier Alden McLaughlin, right, and Sports Minister Osbourne Bodden. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Manny Pacquiao hails his fans at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex on Saturday. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Fans turn out to greet the boxing legend at the Government Administration Building on Friday.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2017 NEW YEAR SPECIAL 2-WEEK TRIAL PROGRAM INCLUDING UNIFORM FOR $49 CAYMAN KARATE ACADEMY 926 5425 CAYMANKARATEACADEMY@GMAIL.COM WWW.CAYMANKARATEACADEMY.COM FOCUS DISCIPLINE CONFIDENCE The warrant obtained by police called for a fire- arms search and the deten- tion of a man, age 34, of Ja- maica, according to a police press release. Just before Christmas, the RCIPS put out a public warning regarding Barrett, who was sentenced in 2012 to 12 years in prison for a robbery at the Shedden Road Esso station on Aug. 18, 2010. His sentence was later re- duced to nine years by the Court of Appeal. Barrett was deported from Cayman after he was released from prison, but the RCIPS reported during the holiday period that he was believed to be back on island illegally. “Anyone who sees Mr. Barrett should exercise caution as he could be po- tentially dangerous,” the De- cember press release noted. Mr. Byrne said the two of- ficers involved in the shooting were receiving counseling over the incident, which he said can be difficult for offi- cers to cope with. Officers from the Ber- muda Police Service arrived in Cayman over the weekend to conduct an independent review of Friday’s shooting, Mr. Byrne said, to ensure “transparency and indepen- dence.” It has been the prac- tice in recent years for police departments in the overseas territories to conduct such investigations of high-pro- file incidents. Rare occurrence The number of times police have been in- volved in shootings over the past decade can be counted on one hand. Although the depart- ment has not had an officer-involved fatal shooting of a suspect in modern times, there have been incidents of police using their weapons Last November, officers involved in a search at a Prospect-area home in re- sponse to gang activity shot and killed a bulldog that they said was released on them. “In order to ensure their safety and arrest the sus- pect, the threat was neutral- ized by one of the armed offi- cers who discharged a single shot that fatally wounded the animal,” an RCIPS statement noted at the time. In 2011, a police officer shot at the tire of a vehicle on the waterfront in a case that involved a police pursuit. No one was injured. In April 2013, officers were fired upon during a pur- suit through George Town. None of the officers was hurt. In November 2009, the RCIPS reported that a shot was fired through the window of a patrol vehicle driving along Shedden Road early one Saturday morning. A police constable in the ve- hicle suffered what were de- scribed as minor injuries re- lated to the shooting. No arrests have been made. sector,” he said. The service will begin in June. Mr. Kirkconnell said South- west’s Rapid Rewards pro- gram, regarded as one of the best airline rewards pro- grams in the U.S., would open up Cayman to a whole new customer base. “The opportunity for the Cayman Islands is the strength in Southwest’s brand loyalty program and the new clients that will now con- sider our destination.” Though tourism officials are looking to expand Cayman’s reach into central and South America, the U.S. remains the main source market for the island, contrib- uting 78 percent of the islands’ visitors in 2016. “Now our guests will have an option out of Fort Lauder- dale, Florida, via Southwest Airlines,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. “The U.S. market continues to demonstrate that incre- mental business development is possible by engaging in strategic alliances and busi- ness relationships.” Director of Tourism Rosa Harris added, “This new partnership is the culmi- nation of many meetings with the airline represen- tatives and government agencies to make it pos- sible. We are very excited to have gained this successful partnership with South- west Airlines that will fur- ther strengthen the ease of travel to our destination and encourage additional growth in visitation.” Southwest Airlines, head- quartered in Dallas, Texas, announced plans for the route, along with a new ser- vice for Cincinatti, Ohio, in a press statement Thursday. It stated, “The carrier today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to serve Owen Roberts International Air- port on Grand Cayman daily from Fort Lauderdale be- ginning June 4.” Southwest Airlines announces new Cayman route Southwest will begin service to Grand Cayman in June. - PHOTO: AP/LARRY MACDOUGAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Ex-convict shot, killed by police CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CAR FLIPS IN BODDEN TOWN A car flipped over in Bodden Town Sunday morning, leaving the driver needing hospital treatment. The white Kia Op- tima careered off the road and flipped on its side in grassy wasteland off Shamrock Road. The male driver was transported to Cayman Is- lands Hospital by ambu- lance and his injuries were said to be minor. SAN DIEGO (AP) – SeaWorld San Diego is ending its long-running killer whale show after years of outcry and falling attendance prompted it to renounce theatrical orca displays. The show that fea- tured killer whales ca- vorting with trainers and leaping high out of the Shamu Stadium pool was to have its final perfor- mances on Sunday. This summer, the park will unveil a new attraction in the revamped pool. Orca Encounter is being billed as an educational experi- ence that will show how killer whales eat, communi- cate and navigate. The animals will still receive cues from trainers, however. “You will still see a whale leaping out of the water,” Al Garver, a former orca trainer and vice pres- ident of zoological opera- tions, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “We want to be able to demonstrate behaviors people would see in the wild with the killer whales and their abili- ties as a top predator in the sea. The vast majority of behaviors people have seen in our shows will be very suitable for demon- strating that.” The park has 11 orcas, ranging in age from 2 to 52 years old. Under pressure from ac- tivists and faced with de- clining ticket sales, Sea- World Entertainment Inc. announced last year it was ending its the- atrical orca shows and breeding program. Parks in Orlando and San Antonio will end their shows by 2019. SeaWorld has seen at- tendance fall since the 2013 documentary “Black- fish” criticized conditions of captive orcas, implying that confinement made them more aggressive. “Blackfish” chronicled the life of Tilikum, an orca that killed a SeaWorld trainer during a perfor- mance in Orlando in 2010. Parks in Orlando and San Antonio will end their shows by 2019. SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO ENDS KILLER WHALE SHOW Early Friday morning, police officers cordoned off the entire property around an apartment complex on Theresa Drive just south of the Windsor Park playground. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLER Norval Barrett A driver was brought to hospital after his car flipped over in Bodden Town Sunday morning. - PHOTO: BRENT FULLERNext >