ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 High of 82 Low of 68 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE GOVERNMENT VS. THE PEOPLE: TIME FOR A ‘STAND’ SPORTS | PAGE 15 PFL: CAYMAN PREP FACES CIS FOR LEAGUE TITLES Personal Insurance Happy New Year! Have an even happier New Year paying less for more cover with home and car insurance! Fast claims service. Lowest deductibles, low premiums for comprehensive cover and save up to $400 on home and motor cover! Ask BritCay for a quote! BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp ELECTRONIC LICENSE PLATES Government refuses to reveal costs Signs five-year contract with Panama-based company BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands government has signed a five-year contract with a multina- tional company to provide new electronic li- cense plates and vehicle registration coupons for more than 45,000 drivers on the islands. However, Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing Director David Dixon said Tuesday that the cost of the winning bid for the system, the contract for which was signed in January 2016, would not be made public because it is considered commercially sen- sitive information. The Cayman Compass is filing an open records request for the cost of the contract. The contract is with Sistemat, S.A. Ton- njes C.A.R.D. International, which is based in Panama, according to the company’s web- site. The Sistemat firm is linked to the German Tönnjes company. According to the Tönnjes website: “As one of the leading suppliers worldwide of secu- rity license plates as well as vehicle registra- tion and identification systems, the Tönnjes Group through its export companies focuses on the customer-specific development of in- ternational vehicle registration systems for protecting the vehicle registration as well as subsequent identification of the national ve- hicle fleet against attempts at manipulation, counterfeiting and theft.” Mr. Dixon on Tuesday sought to ad- dress a number of concerns regarding how the electronic licensing system will be used by the DVDL and the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. First, he said, the electronic plates the government is buying cannot be used to Tourism holds steady in 2016 Stay-over tourism arrivals hit record levels again in 2016, eclipsing the previous year’s total by just 73 visitors. Arrivals have been on an upward trajectory for several years and despite the slender margin of growth, less than a plane-load of passengers, tourism officials said they are happy with the performance. In total, 385,451 passen- gers arrived in the Cayman Islands by air in 2016, a 0.02 percent increase over last year. Cruise arrival figures ended marginally down on last year, against expectations, after a slow December. A total of just over 1.7 million cruise pas- sengers arrived in Grand Cayman in 2016. “The steady increase in ar- rivals to the Cayman Islands in 2016, despite global issues impacting visitation to the entire region, is testament to the concerted trade and mar- keting efforts of the Depart- ment of Tourism, focused on strengthening brand awareness and desirability,” Deputy Pre- mier and Minister of Tourism Moses Kirkconnell said in a press statement. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » POLICE SEIZE NINE MOTORBIKES IN MONTH BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Several non-street-legal motorcycles have been seized on Grand Cayman since late De- cember in Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice operations, including in one crack- down on Sunday. The bikes were all either unregistered or unlicensed, or were being operated in a reckless or unsafe manner on public roads, police said. Four dirt bikes and two motorcycles were taken in police roadblocks or operations in late December, according to the RCIPS. On Sunday, three motorcycles were seized and five people were arrested on suspicion of various offenses, including reckless driving, disorderly conduct and traffic offenses. The police operations are having some ef- fect, according to Police Traffic Management Unit Inspector Ian Yearwood, but smaller groups of illegal motorcycle riders are still being spotted on local roads. “We’re still going to have complaints, re- gardless of the size [of the bikers group],” he said. “The police do not want to stop people from riding motorbikes, but we have to try and protect our residents and keep the roads safe.” Mr. Yearwood said Wednesday that police traffic officers have changed their focus some- what following public outcry over the late No- vember “ride of the century” on Grand Cayman. In that incident, dozens of illegal motorbikes took to the streets in an all-day ride, dis- obeying traffic laws and driving dangerously. Some of the same behaviors were captured on video by the RCIPS helicopter during Sun- day’s operations, Mr. Yearwood said. Tourists line up at Spotts cruise terminal Wednesday after spending the day in Cayman. More than 2 million tourists visited Cayman in 2016. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - THURSDAY - LA LA LAND (PG13) 9:40 UNDERWORLD: (R) BLOOD WARS 3D 1:30 | 4:15 2D | 7:30 | 10:10 2D SING (PG) 12:45 | 3:45 | 7:15 | 9:50 NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (R) 12:40 | 3:55 | 6:50 | 9:30 SLEEPLESS (R) 1:20 | 4:30 | 7:10 | 9:45 MONSTER TRUCKS 3D (PG) 1:10 2D | 4:00 | 9:45 Senior banker sentenced for fraud Charges include money laundering CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dale Antonio Allen was sen- tenced on Tuesday to 20 months’ im- prisonment after pleading guilty to charges of false accounting, money laundering and obtaining property by deception. Allen, 44, was assistant manager within the credit risk department of Cayman National Bank at the time the offenses occurred – between Jan. 1, 2012 and Oct. 22, 2014. He obtained $19,871 for his own purposes through a variety of irreg- ular transactions. Magistrate Valdis Foldats said Allen was a senior officer with a rel- atively high degree of trust; he had been able to manipulate the bank records with no link to himself. The magistrate found that Allen’s actions were well planned and so- phisticated enough to avoid detec- tion for three years. Summarizing the case presented by Crown counsel Toyin Salako, he noted that matters began when a vigilant bank official discovered an unusual transaction in October 2014 in relation to a client’s mortgage ap- plication file. There was a $2,000 cash withdrawal on funds that should have been “on hold.” The client was contacted and denied making the withdrawal. He said he had been advised by Allen that a $2,000 payment was required for legal fees. Allen, in turn, told his superiors that he had given the money in cash to the client in the bank parking lot. A conference call was arranged and the client again denied receiving the cash. Allen then admitted he had been in financial difficulties and had borrowed $2,000 from the client. Bank officials contacted the client again. He said he did not withdraw the money, he did not lend money to Allen, he did not col- lude with Allen in any way. Officials began investigating Allen’s work going back three years; they discov- ered other activities and he was ar- rested in March 2015. Allen first appeared in Summary Court in February 2016 and pleaded guilty a month later to a single charge. He eventually pleaded guilty to one charge of false accounting, 12 charges of money laundering and 12 charges of obtaining property by deception. The magistrate said he was sentencing on the basis of culpa- bility (how much the defendant was to blame) and harm (damage to the victim). He said it was hoped that Cayman will soon have detailed local sentencing guidelines for of- fenses of obtaining property by de- ception. Such guidelines will be up- to-date, expressed in CI currency and take account of local dynamics and economic statistics. Meanwhile, U.K. guidelines are being used, but they have to be adjusted for infla- tion, currency conversion and the difference in maximum sentences in each jurisdiction. The sentencing range for the ap- proximate amount of money in- volved is between 26 weeks and three years, the magistrate noted, with 18 months as the starting point. He explained the various fac- tors that could raise or lower that starting point. The harm to the bank could be classified as “serious, considerable or some” and Ms. Salako said it was serious. She said that Cayman is a small jurisdiction and once the case was publicized people would think the bank did not have significant checks and balances in place. The magistrate determined that the level of harm was considerable. He pointed to indirect loss as well as direct. Numerous hours and weekends were spent analyzing cus- tomer accounts and planning how to avoid a reoccurrence of the var- ious deceptions Allen had used. The cost of time of senior management plus counsel was estimated to be at least $40,000. Allen had been a long time em- ployee, considered by all as part of the bank’s “family.” His offending was not a one-off “moment of madness,” the magis- trate commented; he had made dis- crete and deliberate decisions on each occasion. These aggravating features raised the sentence starting point from 18 months to 33 months. Defense attorney Prathna Bodden raised other points in mit- igation. Allen had said he suffered serious financial difficulties as the result of a divorce settlement. Ms. Bodden emphasized that he did not have a lavish lifestyle or spend the money on luxury goods. She presented character ref- erences, described by the magis- trate as eloquent, in which Allen was said to be a family man and someone who had worked his way up the ladder. Financial pressure is an issue that many individuals must deal with, the magistrate pointed out. Disgrace and difficulty get- ting a job in the future are simply the natural consequences of the crimes Allen committed, the magis- trate continued. He accepted the defendant’s re- morse and said Allen’s cooperation with police was a true indication of his character. The mitigating factors resulted in a decrease of three months, bringing the sentence to 30 months before the final consideration – full credit for the guilty pleas. With the one-third discount applied, the re- sult was 20 months. There were no exceptional cir- cumstances and therefore no basis for suspending the sentence. Imme- diate imprisonment was necessary as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to offend in similar ways, the magistrate continued. Lastly, he considered the ques- tion of compensation. He said Allen had no assets to repay the bank, so no order was made. The bank has the option of proceeding in a civil court, he said. The mitigating factors resulted in a decrease of three months, bringing the sentence to 30 months before the final consideration – full credit for the guilty pleas. With the one-third discount applied, the result was 20 months. The courthouse in downtown George Town. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands (AP) – At least 12 Haitian migrants drowned in the Turks and Caicos Is- lands after their small and crowded boat capsized near the British Caribbean terri- tory, officials said Wednesday. The majority of victims were female and were found near the northwest point of Providenciales island, police spokesman Keith Clarke told The Associated Press. The boat was carrying 69 people, and officials said the U.S. Coast Guard is helping with an ongoing search for possible survivors. “This is a tragic inci- dent with significant loss of life,” said Police Commis- sioner James Smith, who ex- tended condolences to the victim’s families. Police said in a statement that they arrested a 23-year- old Haitian man who told them the single-engine boat left Haiti’s north coast on Sunday and was carrying 50 men and 19 women. He said he swam to land after the boat struck a rock near the Turks and Caicos Islands early Tuesday and began to sink, police said. Authorities said an un- known number of migrants made it to land. The Turks and Caicos Is- lands have long been a des- tination and smuggling route for Haitian migrants. Newly elected Turks and Ca- icos Premier Sharlene Cart- wright Robinson pledged to crack down on this practice. “Whilst we are saddened at this great loss of human life, measures must be put in place to protect persons from themselves, potential victims from human traffickers and our borders from breaches by illegal entrants,” she said. 12 HAITIANS DROWN NEAR TURKS AND CAICOS BAVARO, Dominican Republic (AP) – A summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders began Tuesday in the Dominican Republic with a call to establish mechanisms against the protectionist measures ex- pected from U.S. President Donald Trump. The relationship be- tween the region and the new U.S. administration was not on the original agenda of the gathering of leaders from the Com- munity of Latin American and Caribbean States but Trump’s pledges to rene- gotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and to crack down on migration dominated the discourse. Host President Danilo Medina of the Domin- ican Republic expressed concern about the ap- pearance of the “ghost of protectionism and the resulting trade wars.” “We are worried by the growing discourse of protectionism and the closing of borders that is not limited to the eco- nomic sphere but which could also seriously af- fect our migrant popula- tions,” Medina said at the opening of the summit of the 33-nation grouping, which took place days after Trump took office. Other leaders expressed concerns about Latin American migrants to the United States. In addition to trade pro- tectionism, “we have to pro- tect ourselves from other things: the persecution of migrants,” said Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa. Bolivia’s leftist Pres- ident Evo Morales said Trump’s policies are motive for a debate and we “came to share our experiences.” TRADE ON AGENDA FOR LATIN AMERICA, CARIBBEAN SUMMIT3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 Medi-Spa Specials Purchase Any Skincare, Hair, Makeup and Lifestyle Products and get the other one at 5 0% off. 3rd Floor Tomlinson Building, Corner of Walkers & Hospital Road, George Town, Grand Cayman Cell: 345-94-LASER (945-2737) | 345-916-SKIN (916-7546) info@beyondbasics.ky | www.beyondbasics.ky *Good until Valentine’s Day Core Intima Exercise Special Sign up for a 30 minutes of Core Intima exercises for only $50.00 Only for 3 Treatments (Reg. $750 / Treatment) Restores Tone, Flexibility and Shape - Get Intimate Again ALSO MOST POPULAR KNOWN AS “Pretty Kitty Procedure” Massage Your Way to Weight Loss And Enjoy What’s Good for FREE- 20 Minutes of the full spectrum infra red sauna Relaxation Massage Deep Tissue Massage Chinese Cupping Massage special price Healthy, Sexy Brazilian Waxing Experience Experience our exquisite Brazilian Wax Protocol with our NEW Beyond Basics Signature Brazilian Facial for only $10more. Excercise your right to be beautiful with SUBLATIVE Sublative procedure performed in the US costs One of the most popular medical skin treatments offered at Beyond Basics. Sublative procedure performed at Beyond Basics costs $2000 $600 It’s a Wrap! Shrinking Violet Special $99 Upper Body $99 Lower Body *$150 Savings on any Choice of Treatment $75 $50 $99 $1200 Wrap Up 10% Savings on select Mattress at Tomlinson Furniture & Mattress Gallery *with purchase of any Shrinking Violet Special Wrap Up 10% Savings on select Mattress at Tomlinson Furniture & Mattress Gallery GEORGE TOWN LANDFILL Government sets target for dump bid Legal consultants signed to take plan forward JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Having acknowledged the cruise pier contract will not happen before the elec- tion, the Progressives gov- ernment remains confident it will have a deal in place for its other major infrastruc- ture priority – the George Town landfill. A contract was signed Tuesday for legal consultants to help progress proposals for an integrated solid waste management system for the Cayman Islands. The planned new system will include the remediation of the current landfill sites, with recycling, composting and a waste-to-energy plant. It is expected to radically reduce the amount of waste going into a much smaller landfill, which will remain at the George Town site. Premier Alden McLaughlin said the appointment of the legal team was an- other step forward for the project, which, like the cruise pier plan, has been moving through the various stages of planning and analysis for the past four years. ‘Preferred bidder’ by April In a press release Tuesday, government said it expected to announce a “preferred bidder” for the project by the end of April – just before the general election. A pre-qualification pro- cess took place last autumn to short-list companies that could construct and op- erate the new system over a 25-year-period. The short- listed companies have been asked to outline their pro- posals by early February. Premier Alden McLaughlin said, “We said from the outset of being elected to office that we would do ev- erything in our power to resolve the issue of the landfill and the need for a modern solid waste man- agement system. “We have taken time to ensure we identified the best possible solution and follow all the regulatory guide- lines. Therefore, I am very pleased that we have signed this contract with the legal firms today and are at the final stages of putting our plans into place. “The country needs a waste management system that will protect our envi- ronment, our health and our economy for generations to come, and I am confident that our plans will deliver all of these aspects.” Legal framework The newly appointed team of lawyers, from Ma- ples and Calder in Grand Cayman and Burges Salmon of the United Kingdom, will advise government on all legal aspects of delivering the project and ensure that a legal and regulatory frame- work is provided, the press release stated. Ministerial Councilor for Health Roy McTaggart said, “I am very pleased that we have reached these final stages in resolving the issue of waste management in the Cayman Islands. Now that we have our specialist legal team in place, we will be in a position to appoint the contract to a company qualified to provide our new solid waste manage- ment system. This will be of benefit to everybody in the Cayman Islands.” The newly appointed team of lawyers, from Maples and Calder in Grand Cayman and Burges Salmon of the United Kingdom, will advise government on all legal aspects of delivering the project. Sentencing set for march CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman described as “master cashier” ap- peared in Summary Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to theft. Narine Hunter, 55, ad- mitted stealing CI$13,397 from The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman on July 29, 2016, while serving as master ca- shier. The charge specifies that the CI amount is equal to US$16,742.30. No details of the of- fense were given. Magistrate Valdis Foldats ordered a social inquiry re- port and a victim impact re- port. He set sentencing for Monday, March 6. HOTEL EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT The planned new waste management system is expected to radically reduce the amount of waste going into the George Town Landfill. – PHOTO: CHRIS COURTThe 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” THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS “Had I known what I was going to be faced with, I would never have undertaken this. It’s a nightmare.” As a retired commercial airline pilot, Harrison Bothwell no doubt has an appreciation for “pre-flight checklists” that ensure safety and compliance before embarking upon a voyage – or a venture. Accordingly, when Mr. Bothwell decided to open a jerk stand in George Town, he attempted to cross all his t’s and dot his i’s, including fulfilling planning requirements and securing valid work permits for his two cooks. Everywhere he turned in the government adminis- tration, it seems, he received a similar set of answers, in the limited range of “No” to “It’s gonna cost you.” Finally, after immigration officials proposed that he pay $1,000 on top of the $3,000 he had already spent, in order to extend a pair of temporary work permits for three months for his cooks, Mr. Bothwell decided he had had enough – he hung up his apron, and shuttered his business just two weeks after its grand opening. A relevant aside: In the closing sentence to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech, “The Gettysburg Address” of 1863, he refers to the ideal of “government of the people, by the people, FOR the people” (emphasis ours). The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 reflects the same line of thought. In fact, the very first words of our Constitution are: “The people of the Cayman Islands …” Well, Mr. Bothwell is one of those “people.” Cayman’s government should be FOR people like Mr. Bothwell, not AGAINST them. In the U.S., in some of his first official actions in the White House, President Donald Trump signed a succes- sion of executive orders that seek to tilt the scales of power from bureaucratic proceduralism in favor of the individual person standing, request in hand, in front of a government official. In the United Kingdom, we see hopeful signs, particularly in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit position, that our Mother Country may be heading in the same direction. The current situation in Cayman is too often the exact opposite. Here, officials appear to look for ways to say, “No,” or at the very least to frustrate appli- cants (perhaps they see them as “supplicants”) in the process. What’s needed is a complete reversal in the mindset of too many (certainly not all) in the public service – starting perhaps with the required reading of the seminal text on negotiation, “Getting to YES,” by Harvard University’s Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton. Another outstanding book is “Cus- tomers for Life” by Carl Sewell and Paul B. Brown. (At Pinnacle Media, we buy this book in bulk and routinely hand out copies to new staff.) The job of government officials should be to find out how to say “Yes” to people like Mr. Bothwell. In contrast to the labyrinthine rules and codes govern- ment currently has in place, it’s a simple and straight- forward approach. Actually, it’s the first lesson in Customer Service 101. In government’s case, the customers are the tax- payers and the voters. Mr. Bothwell is their customer, and he’s paying for their salaries. While the plight of one entrepreneur may seem small in the grander scheme of things, we assure you there is not a single businessperson in the Cayman Islands who does not identify with Mr. Bothwell – the pilot, the jerk stand owner – and how the bureaucracy clipped his wings. The government vs. the people: Time for a ‘stand’ The real cost of protectionism WASHINGTON – When the president speaks of closed factories scattered like “tombstones” across America, has he noticed the shut- tered stores in shopping centers, and entire malls re- duced to rubble? He prom- ises “protection” to prevent foreigners from “destroying” manufacturing jobs by ex- porting to America things that Americans want to im- port. Does he know that one American company might be “destroying” more American jobs than China is? And that this supposed destruction is beneficial? The company is Am- azon (market capitalization: $388 billion), created by Jeff Bezos. He owns The Wash- ington Post, which syndi- cates this column, but it is for revolutionizing retailing that he ranks in the Pantheon of American business. He be- longs there with Richard Warren Sears, Alvah Curtis Roebuck, Aaron Montgomery Ward and Sam Walton, all of whom were constructively disruptive retailers, and were as important in the na- tion’s commercial history as were Henry Ford, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. In 2016, online buying during the holiday season surged 19 percent over the year before, which is one factor explaining this: Ma- cy’s, after announcing in August that it would close another 100 of its remaining 730 stores, now says it will shed 10,000 jobs. Sears, which is 13 decades old and still has 1,600 stores, has lost $9 billion in five years, has closed 500 stores and is closing another 150 (in- cluding some Kmarts). Sears stores in American downtowns, and the Sears catalogue that put downtown goods within reach of rural America (3 million catalogues were distributed in 1907, when the nation’s population was 87 million), caused diffi- culties for older retailers. In the second half of the 20th century, Wal-Marts at the edge of towns caused dif- ficulties for downtown re- tailers with pre-modern – meaning pre-Wal-Mart – global supply chains. Now Amazon is forcing Wal-Mart to master online retailing. Although e-commerce was just 8 percent of all 2016 re- tail sales, it came dispro- portionately at the expense of Sears, Macy’s and other “anchor tenants” that draw foot traffic from which other mall retailers benefit. When Amazon recently an- nounced that it is going to create 100,000 warehousing and other jobs in the next 18 months, The New York Times reported that online retailing “has destroyed many times that number of positions at malls and shopping centers across America.” The Times quoted spe- cialists’ calculations that traditional retailers have shed more than 200,000 em- ployees since 2012, and that there are 1.2 million fewer retail workers than there would be if there were no online retailers. But Henry Ford, too, “destroyed” lots of jobs – those of blacksmiths, buggy makers, etc. – the holders of which moved on, and usually up. Writing at MarketWatch, Rex Nutting argues that as Amazon revolutionizes consumer behavior, it “is going to destroy more Amer- ican jobs than China ever did.” If so, the “problem” is productivity. Nutting says “Amazon needs about half as many workers to sell $100 worth of merchandise as Ma- cy’s does.” The Times reports that “the typical online re- tailer generates $1,267,000 in sales per employee versus $279,000 at bricks-and- mortar stores. All of which raises a ques- tion: Why should manufac- turing jobs lost to foreign competition be privileged by protectionist policies in ways that jobs lost to domestic com- petition are not? When an Ap- plebee’s or Olive Garden, pow- ered by a national advertising budget, opens next to, and causes the closing of, Madge’s Diner, why does Madge not merit protection? Or the Trade Adjustment Assistance that is available for workers, firms, farmers, even communities that can plausibly claim to have been otherwise injured by foreign competition or out- sourcing of jobs? The reason is this: Do- mestic protection of Madge and millions of others unset- tled by the constant churning of a dynamic domestic economy would mean slow economic growth – and rapid growth of government as it regulates consumers’ choices and their consequences. But protection from imports also means this. Reactionary liberalism has long held, and today’s faux conservatism agrees, that existing jobs should be protected by policies that re- duce the economic dynamism that threatens those jobs. Such protection means a net decrease in jobs but an in- crease in the self-esteem of blinkered protectionists who see the jobs “saved” but not those which, as a result of lost dynamism, are lost or never created. Macy’s flagship Man- hattan store was one reason Gimbels’ nearby flagship closed, after 76 years, in 1986. This, even though in 1945 Gimbels had been America’s first merchant to offer “a fan- tastic, atomic era, miraculous pen.” It was a ballpoint. Will the winner of the once-famous Macy’s versus Gimbels rivalry always be with us? Probably not, which is probably good. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE Macy’s, after announcing in August that it would close another 100 of its stores, says it will shed 10,000 jobs. – PHOTO: AP/MARK LENNIHAN5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 Exclusions from school down sharply JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The number of children excluded from school for bad behavior has decreased dra- matically in the past year amid a new approach to classroom discipline. According to statistics from the Ministry of Educa- tion, 395 school days were lost to exclusions in the first term of the 2015/16 academic year at Cayman’s high schools. That number was down to 137 by the first term of 2016/17. Education officials said the numbers represented a real decrease in “behavior incidents” and not simply a change in the types of of- fenses that merit exclusion. Christen Suckoo, Chief Of- ficer in the Ministry of Edu- cation, cited the statistics as proof that the Positive Behav- ioral Interventions and Sup- ports program introduced in September was making a difference. “This is the result of a bespoke program and the hard work and effort of the principals and schools and their staff and their stu- dents in buying into it. It is literally a reduction in be- havior incidents.” The intervention program, used in about a quarter of American schools, is essen- tially a management frame- work for ensuring a con- sistent approach to school discipline. It involves positive reinforcement, modeling good behavior and targeted inter- ventions for students who consistently break the rules. George Sugai, one of the di- rectors of the program in the U.S., who was keynote speaker at the annual Educator’s Wel- come at the start of the school year in September, said it had proven more effective in dealing with behavior issues than detentions and suspen- sions which failed to deal with the underlying issues. Cetonya Cacho, deputy chief officer in the Ministry of Education, speaking to the media last week, said the practical effect of this method was that more work was being done to address the causes of bad behavior from students. She said the approach fo- cused on addressing chil- dren’s barriers to education, which ranged from violence at home to learning difficul- ties or mental health issues. “What you are seeing in these numbers is teachers and principals being better able to identify those bar- riers and target them through multifaceted approaches. It is not just about “you’re a bad child you need to come out.” She said this involved part- nering with the Department of Children and Family Ser- vices and linking with educa- tion psychologists and other support services in schools. John Gray High School accounted for a high per- centage of the behavior inci- dents in 2015/16. There were 324 school days lost to sus- pensions in the first term of that academic year. That fell to 124 in the first term this year. Jon Clark, the principal at the school, said the attitude to learning in general was improving across the school. “There are still too many incidents but we are making great progress, and to re- duce these numbers in such a quick period of time can only be positive.” He said reasons for ex- clusion varied. Incidents in- volving drugs or alcohol were low, but carried higher penal- ties, while persistent defiance of teachers was a relatively common reason for children to be excluded. Fights between students was another common reason for exclusion, with the school taking a tough stance on that issue, he said. “There are some things that are non-negotiable. If there is a violent incident or you sus- pect someone of having drugs; those things have to be dealt with severely. What we are trying to do is make sure that when they come back to school we put support in place to pre- vent them reoffending.” He said the school was working on creating a posi- tive attitude to learning. “Incidents in class now are very rare, most are out of lesson and are a result of is- sues on social media outside of school or issues and ten- sion within the community. Only 18 of our students have received an exclusion to home so far this academic year. The overwhelming majority of our students are engaged in learning and have a posi- tive attitude towards our core business which is learning.” Mr. Suckoo said it was dif- ficult to eradicate incidents entirely, given the prevalence of drugs and violence in the community. “There are issues in every single society on the planet that bleed into every area of that society, and schools are not insulated from those is- sues. Our job is to deal with them head on,” he said. Fundraising walks/runs this weekend Walks/runs are scheduled Sat- urday and Sunday to raise money for local charities. On Saturday, the Cayman Na- tional Bank Charity Walk/Run aims to raise money for Canine Friends and YMCA Cayman Islands. The run starts at 6:30 a.m. from the Cayman National Recreational Park at Elgin Avenue. Registration is $25. The Nationwide Stride Against Cancer takes place at four loca- tion across Cayman to raise money for the Cayman Islands Cancer So- ciety. Stride is the charity’s major an- nual fundraiser. Stride runs will take place on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman’s North Side, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. On Saturday, residents and visi- tors on Little Cayman can take part in a 6.5-mile Stride, starting at 7 a.m. from the Southern Cross Club. Local runner Scott Ruby said racing for an organization like the Cancer Society is a cause that tran- scends politics, race and nationality because cancer can impact anyone. He will be running with Nikki Chris- tian, 25, who has cerebral palsy. “Nikki and I are equal partners in every race we do. She is the heart and soul of the team and I’m the legs. Some people think I’m pushing Nikki, but she’s pulling me,” Mr. Ruby said. The team, which hopes to break its best half-marathon time, will also be representing the group Nikki’s Voice. “The whole perspective behind Nikki’s Voice and the reason we do it is to display the need for inclusion, especially for people with a special set of needs,” he said. On Sunday, participants have the option of taking part in a timed half- marathon, starting at 6 a.m. from Public Beach on West Bay Road. This is an out-and-back course along West Bay Road, through George Town and along South Church Street paralleling the coastline. Caribbean Paradise on South Sound Road is the turn-around point. At 7 a.m., the 6.5 mile quarter- marathon “short course” begins. This is also an out-and-back course, starting from Public Beach, along West Bay Road to the turn-around point at the Wharf restaurant. The Seven Mile Beach course and its aid stations will close at 9:30 a.m. Organizers said that after reg- istering online, striders can pick up their race packets, including the run’s yellow and purple T-shirts, after paying on Saturday at the Cancer Society office at 114 Maple Road in George Town, opposite the Cayman Islands Hospital. The North Side Stride begins at 7 a.m. from Kaibo. The route takes runners and walkers to Drift- wood and back. The Cayman Brac Stride begins at 7 a.m. at the Brac Reef Beach Resort. The out-and-back route will be to the Alexander Hotel. Registration is $30. Participants can register online for the Cayman National Run and Stride at caymanactive.com. Jon Clark, principal at John Gray High SchoolThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, JAN. 26 REVIVAL: Revival services continue at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay with speaker Rev. Ronald Benjamin. Services are 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. No service on Saturday. Sunday services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. For further information, call Pastor Wallick at 949-3394. FRIDAY, JAN. 27 GARAGE SALE: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church Women’s Group will hold a Garage Sale from 5 p.m. on the church grounds. STOP SMOKING: Registration deadline is today, but the Public Health Department reminds smokers who wish to quit the habit that there are still some spaces left in the smoking cessation classes that start on Feb. 8 from 5:15-6:45 p.m. every Wednesday for seven weeks in the Public Health waiting room. For more information or to sign up, contact the Public Health Department on 244-2889/244-2621, or email sarah.hetley@hsa.ky or nola.sanderson@hsa.ky. SATURDAY, JAN. 28 FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at Lola’s (formerly The Upper Crust) restaurant in Camana Bay. We will have open sharing. TUESDAY, JAN. 31 COCO FEST DEADLINE: The Tourism Attractions Board seeks vendors to apply for space at Coco Fest on Saturday, Feb. 18. The event will be at Pedro Castle. Coco Fest celebrates the Cayman Coconut, a traditional staple in the Caymanian diet. Spaces are available to local cooks, artists, school groups and cottage industry businesses to showcase their coconut-based dishes, products or craft items. Registration fees start at $25. The deadline to apply is today. Anyone interested in taking part should email Shayma on marketing@tab.ky or 949-6999; or Mona on coco@pedrostjames.ky or 949-5078 ext 2. CULTURE DEADLINE: The Ministry of Culture has extended until today the public consultation phase for the Draft National Culture and Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan for the Cayman Islands 2017- 2026. Get a copy of the draft policy, frequently asked questions form and a feedback form at the front desk of the Government Administration Building, online and at all district libraries. The feedback form can also be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/ culturepolicy. FLOWER ARRANGING: Those interested in the art of floral arrangements should register in advance for a three-session course that starts tonight. The floral supervisor at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman will lead a course at UCCI. Classes are 6-8 p.m. tonight, Feb. 7 and Feb. 21. Participants may show their skills in a competition at the Agriculture Show on March 1. Class size is limited to 16. For more details and to register, contact Gina Bodden or Marjane Ebanks- Fellows at the Department of Agriculture, 947-3090 or 916-1314. CHAMBER COURSE: Time Management & Productivity. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, FEB. 2 CHAMBER COURSE: Goal Setting. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $225 for members, $300 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, FEB. 4 MOVIE NIGHT: The Girls’ Brigade is showing the Disney movie “Zootopia” at John Gray Memorial Church Hall. Doors open at 6 p.m. Show time 6:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per person, which includes popcorn. Bring your blankets. Refreshments will be on sale. Tickets are available now from any Brigade officers. THURSDAY, FEB. 9 CHAMBER COURSE: Immigration, Work Permits (BVPs, TWPs and RERCs). 9-11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, FEB. 10 LIONS CONCERT: Carlene Davis, reggae and gospel artist, headlines a concert organized by the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. The program features numerous local performers. Proceeds from “A Show from the Heart” at the Lions Centre will fund the club’s community projects. Gates open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 pre-sold, $30 at the gate, $75 VIP. Available at Funky Tang’s George Town, Western Union at Foster’s Food Fair Airport Road, Reflections outlets and any member of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. TUESDAY, FEB. 14 CHAMBER COURSE: Employment, Pensions. 9-11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, FEB. 16 CHAMBER COURSE: Exceeding Customer Expectations. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. GENERAL INTEREST UNITED WORLD COLLEGES: UWC Cayman Islands, the local national committee of the global educational movement, is seeking applicants for its 2017 selection process, which begins with a written application due Feb. 7. Students interested in receiving a scholarship can contact the national committee at uwccaymanislands@gmail. com to request a copy of the application form or ask any questions about UWC and the selection process. MARITIME CULTURE: The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands offers a new exhibit that celebrates Cayman’s maritime identity – past, present and future. It seeks to engage visitors with the story of maritime heritage and national identity. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Admission is free. SINGLE-MEMBER CONSTITUENCIES: The Elections Office invites voters, potential candidates and their agents to learn more about recent changes to the Elections Law that have created 19 single- member electoral districts. Email office@elections.ky to ask questions or request short presentations for groups or organizations. Local media will carry information on upcoming meetings, which will aim to address questions. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay every Wednesday, noon till 8 p.m. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale. Email info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee, easels provided. Contact info@ongart.com or jar.was@gmail.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail. com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-Step Recovery Group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Cayman has three chapters of Toastmasters International, geared toward development of public speaking and leadership skills. Grand Cayman club meets at George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7:15 p.m. every Thursday. Eloquent Speaker club meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday 6:30–7:45 p.m. at Savannah United Church Hall. Eminent Orators club meets 2nd and 4th Monday 6–7:30 p.m. at Cayman Academy Canteen. Contact George R. Ebanks at 916-0687/322-9369 or georger.ebanks@gmail.com. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or check www.rotaractblue.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Carlene Davis, acclaimed Jamaican reggae and gospel artist, will be featured with her band at a concert at the Lions Centre on Feb. 10.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 50 YEARS AGO New babies and a visit from the United Church moderator In the Jan. 25, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Floris McCoy wrote: “A little baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Powell. “Mrs. Frank Berry re- turned from Jamaica, bringing with her a little baby girl. “Mrs. Norma Terry, after being in Canada where she was employed, returned home on the 17th. “Mr. Hartwell Wood, a graduate of Mico Training College, was at home for a few days. Mr. Wood expects to take up a teaching posi- tion in Cayman Brac. “Mr. Tom Hill, after spending a few weeks at home returned to work. He is an employee of National Bulk Carriers. “Miss Eleanor Terry, an immigration officer, left on the 21st. Miss Terry is ex- pecting to have an enjoy- able stay in Jamaica. “Mr. Samuel Foster was on the same plane, taking a trip to Jamaica. “We enjoy visitors who come to Bodden Town, es- pecially those who are able to help the community so- cially, spiritually or educa- tionally. We were thankful to have Rev. S.A. Webley at the United Presbyterian Church here this week. He was the guest of Rev. and Mrs. Lewin Williams and was well appreciated by those who were able to hear him speak.” On the subject of Mr. Webley’s visit, the fol- lowing report also ap- peared in the same issue: “The Rt. Rev. S.A. Webley, Moderator of the United Church, spent 7 days in the island, returning home on the 22nd. “The congregations were much encouraged by his vigorous preaching and, at congregational meet- ings, by his lucid expla- nations of the stage of in- tegration reached by the former Presbyterians and Congregationalists in the present Union. Mr. Webley’s knowledge of the world ec- umenical movements was of great help in informing the Church members in the Cayman Islands of their place in the World Church. “In addition to a full programme in the Churches, the Moderator was entertained by His Honour the Administrator and Mrs. J.A. Cumber at Government House on Wed. evening and by the Grand Cayman Council at a dinner held at Seaview Lodge on Saturday. “At this latter function the Rev. Lewin Williams presided and, in after- dinner speeches, the Elders of the various churches ex- pressed appreciation of the Moderator’s visit and thanked him for his dis- course and guidance. “In reply, Rev. Webley expressed his pleasure at the opportunity to re- visit the island and to have more intimate contact with the people in the various congregations. He felt that he had come very close to the people and indicated his joy at feeling able to return to the Synod in Ja- maica to let them know of the complete commitment of the Church in Grand Cayman to the Union, even though in some ways they were not fully involved in the actual integration as there were no former Congregational Churches working here. “Mr. Webley mentioned that plans are well ad- vanced for the union of the world bodies of the Presby- terian and Congregational Churches in 1970 and that there were no less than 42 different ‘Conversa- tions’ afoot in many coun- tries at the present time all working on the ques- tion of union of various denominations. “In conclusion, the Mod- erator addressed a few re- marks, particularly to the laity, impressing on them the necessity for total in- volvement of all Christian people in the mission and work of the Church if there was to be advancement.” Vendors sought for upcoming Coco Fest The Tourism Attractions Board has issued a call for vendors for its upcoming Coco Fest, which takes place on Sat- urday, Feb. 18, at the Pedro St. James grounds in Savannah. Coco Fest celebrates the Cayman coconut, a bountiful food source with legendary properties, and a traditional staple in the Caymanian diet, a press release states. The Compass previously reported that more than 900 visitors attended last year’s event held at Pedro Castle in February. Twenty-two ven- dors took part, all showcasing their coconut-themed prod- ucts. There were also var- ious delicious coconut dishes on offer, and more than 400 fresh coconuts were also sold by the Pedro team. Local music artists Little Magic, Al- tered Minds and members from the Cayman Music Col- lective were also performing throughout the day. Spaces for this year’s event are available to local cooks, artists, school groups and cot- tage industry businesses as an opportunity to showcase their coconut-based dishes, prod- ucts or novelty craft items. According to the release, the event will feature games, a children’s area, a cooking demonstration, and the screening of “Bright Spot,” a documentary film high- lighting the benefits of coco- nuts and coconut oil, in the Pedro St. James theatre. Admission for adults is $5 and kids under 12 are free. One dollar from each entry will go to the Cayman Islands Cancer Society in support of World Cancer day, which falls on Sat- urday, Feb. 4. Registration fees for vendors start at $25 and the deadline to apply is Tuesday, Jan. 31. For inquiries contact Shayma at marketing@tab.ky or 949-6999, or Mona at coco@pedrostjames.ky or 949-5078 ext. 2. Spaces are available to local cooks, artists, school groups and cottage industry businesses as an opportunity to showcase their coconut based dishes, products or novelty craft items. Visitors at the Visual Arts Society stall at last year’s Coco Fest.Visitors sample all-natural coconut beauty products last year.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Ha ppy Birthday Julia Almeria Hydes Who would have been 107 on the 25th January 2017 We all miss you! With Love from your children Francine, Edmund, Raybe, Lewie-ceto, Edroy, Grand,Great,and Great-Great Grandchildren. y HH “track” vehicles using a GPS-type system. The number plates and the windscreen coupons are fitted with Radio-Frequency Identification chips, com- puter chip/antenna devices that can store relatively small amounts of information. “They may simply be scanned by authorities, with only insurance and other vehicle particulars avail- able to system users,” Mr. Dixon said in a statement. The users of the system are DVDL employees, who manage it, and the police, who will have “read only” access to the vehicle regis- tration system. One practical law enforce- ment use for the new tech- nology could be in the area of traffic stops initiated by police officers. For instance, an officer using an electronic plate-reading device at a roadblock could immediately scan and receive information that tells him that an unreg- istered vehicle is being oper- ated. At present, that officer must first pull over the ve- hicle, check license and reg- istration and contact the 911 Emergency Centre by radio to obtain the data. Mr. Dixon said there would be no change in the present data exchange pro- cess between the RCIPS and the DVDL in terms of pros- ecuting someone for ex- pired tags or failure to reg- ister their vehicle. Under the Traffic Law, the police must make a request to extract the information and receive a certificate of validity from the DVDL, a process that takes up to three days. Ministry of Planning of- ficials said there are other options for using the tech- nology in the future, in- cluding putting electronic transmitters on stop lights or power poles to scan ve- hicle registrations. Those de- vices can tell system users where a vehicle was at a given time and date, but placing those scanners in enough places to physically track a vehicle as it traverses the island is considered cost-prohibitive. Unregistered vehicles The electronic plates purchase came as the re- sult of a government policy decision to improve cus- tomer service at the DVDL and provide some extra law enforcement/public safety tools, according to Mr. Dixon. A request for proposals on the system went out in June 2014 with a primary purpose, according to min- istry bid documents, of re- ducing lost revenue from ve- hicles not being registered. “[The revenue loss] is di- rectly related to the failure of motorists to legally reg- ister and license their ve- hicles,” the request for pro- posal document stated. “The purposeful avoidance to register vehicles is the most significant contributors [sic] to revenue losses within Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing.” A secondary goal of the system was identified: “Government aims to utilize the appropriate technology to enable law enforcement to electronically identify, validate vehicle roadwor- thiness or authenticate reg- istration plate transfer via security features … Law enforcement will not have to rely on manual or vi- sual inspections to vali- date vehicles’ identity or roadworthiness.” Replacing the current vehicle plates with the electronic tags and wind- screen stickers will also allow drivers to re-reg- ister their vehicles without having to visit the DVDL offices. Once the licenses and coupon are in place, it is possible to update a registration, following in- spection, by paying online. The window coupon will not have a date printed on it, so it can be updated electron- ically once the driver has passed the inspection and paid the fees. DVDL officials said they hope the new system will result in greater efficien- cies for drivers and in fewer visits by the public to the DVDL offices. Plate production The unmarked aluminum alloy electronic plates are shipped to Cayman as part of the contract and are being embossed with plate num- bers at the DVDL’s headquar- ters on Crewe Road. The new electronic plates and windscreen cou- pons are expected to be is- sued beginning next month, with an initial replacement of about 700 temporary li- censes the DVDL has issued since December. After those temporary plates are re- placed, drivers with the old license tags will have those replaced as they come to the department to register their vehicles each year. The entire replacement process is expected to take up to 36 months. The new electronic plates and coupons are “tamper- proof,” Mr. Dixon said. “The license plate holder is installed onto the vehicle and the plate is inserted into the holder and locked into place,” he said. “Sim- ilarly, once the coupon is stuck to the windshield, any attempt to remove the plate/ coupon renders the unit useless and new ones will be required.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Electronic license plates: Government refuses to reveal costs Watchdog group: Corruption worsens under populist leaders BERLIN (AP) – People who turn to populist politicians promising to upset the status quo and end corruption may only be feeding the problem, an anti-corruption watchdog group warned Wednesday. Transparency Interna- tional said in its annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2016 that in coun- tries with populist or au- tocratic leaders, “instead of tackling crony capitalism, those leaders usually install even worse forms of cor- rupt systems.” The group’s board chairman, Jose Ugaz, cited Hungary and Turkey as ex- amples. Their scores have worsened in recent years under leaders with authori- tarian leanings, while Argen- tina, which ousted a populist government, has improved in the rankings, he said. Based on expert opinions of public sector corruption, the annual report rated Den- mark and New Zealand as the least-corrupt countries, fol- lowed by Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway. So- malia was ranked most cor- rupt, followed by South Sudan, North Korea, and Syria. Rounding out the Top 10 least corrupt were Singapore, the Netherlands, Canada, and the tie-placing trio of Ger- many, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom in the No. 10 spot. The United States placed 18th, down from 16th in 2015. Transparency Interna- tional research director Finn Heinrich told The Associated Press that the organization was taking a wait-and-see approach to Donald Trump’s presidency, but that already it had “serious concerns.” “Donald Trump came on board as the people in Hungary and Turkey, on an anti-corruption ticket. He said, ‘We’re going to drain this swamp,’” Heinrich said. “But if you look at his action so far, there is nepotism …. The people in his Cabinet have many conflicts of interest. They are not people who stand for transparency.” Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs questioned the report. He said Transparency apparently had a higher opinion of Hungary before Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s return to power in 2010 when the previous So- cialist-led government “stole away the funds from the Eu- ropean Union” – a reference to corruption in the construction of a Budapest subway line partially financed by the EU. “It is at least strange to accuse Hungary now, under the Orban government, of a problem with corrup- tion,” Kovacs said. The index scores coun- tries on a range of factors, such as whether government officials are held to account or go unpunished for cor- ruption; the perceived preva- lence of bribery; and whether public institutions respond to citizens’ needs. In this May 2016 file photo, from left, Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Jose Ugaz of Transparency International, Daria Kaleniuk of Anticorruption Action Centre, and Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg take part in a panel discussion at the Anti-Corruption Summit in London. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY JANUARY 26, 2017 Psalms 107: 23-24 They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. Caymanian Land & Sea Cooperative Society Limited. CONDOLENCE MESSAGE On behalf of the Members of the We would like to extend our deep and heartfelt condolences to the family of the late James "Capt" Larribee Ebanks who passed away peacefully at the George Town Hospital on 16th January 2017. Captain Larribee was a faithful and committed member of our organization and one who contributed positively to our Tourism Industry. He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by all. Our thoughts and prayers will be with his family in the days to come. Funeral Service will be held at Wesleyan Holiness Church, West Bay, on Saturday 28th January 2017, at 1PM Apollo 1 hatch now on display CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A relic from America’s first space tragedy is finally going on display this week, 50 years after a fire on the launch pad killed three as- tronauts at the start of the Apollo moon program. The scorched Apollo 1 capsule remains locked away in storage. But NASA is of- fering visitors at Kennedy Space Center a look at the most symbolic part: the hatch that trapped Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee in their burning spacecraft on Jan. 27, 1967. A flash fire erupted inside the capsule during a count- down rehearsal, with the as- tronauts atop the rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 34. A cry came from inside: “Got a fire in the cockpit!” White struggled to open the hatch before quickly being overcome by smoke and fumes, along with his two crewmates. It was over for them in seconds. Investigators determined the most likely cause to be electrical arcing from de- fective wiring. With its moon program in jeopardy, NASA completely overhauled the Apollo space- craft. The redesigned capsule – with a quick-release hatch – carried 24 men to the moon; 12 of them landed and walked on its surface. For the astronauts’ fami- lies, Apollo 1 is finally getting its due. The tragedy has long been overshadowed by the 1986 Challenger and 2003 Co- lumbia accidents. Remnants of the lost shuttles have been on display at the visitor com- plex for one-and-a-half years. “I’m just so pleased that they finally decided to do something – visibly – to honor the three guys,” said Chaffee’s widow, Martha. “It’s time that they show the three who died in the fire appreciation for the work that they did.” On Friday – the 50th anni- versary – the crew’s families will help dedicate the new exhibit. For most of them, a private tour Wednesday marks the first time they’ve seen any of the capsule. “This is way, way, way long overdue. But we’re excited about it,” said Scott Grissom, Gus’s older son. NASA was embarrassed about the fire “and that’s why they pretty much kept it in the closet as long as they have.” Like the rest of America, NASA was in shock and simply did not want to talk about it, said Martha Chaffee. Exhibits at Kennedy and else- where would mention the fire but not highlight it. As the years and decades rolled by, Apollo 1 became a mere footnote in space his- tory. Chaffee’s daughter, Sheryl, who retired last month after working at Ken- nedy for 33 years, recalls having to buy a memorial wreath herself to display at the space center on the 20th anniversary. The Astronauts Memorial Foundation took over the an- nual observance that honors all astronauts killed in the line of duty – this year’s cer- emony is Thursday. But it was not until NASA unveiled its tribute to the 14 Chal- lenger and Columbia astro- nauts in June 2015 that the agency wondered why it had not done anything similar for Apollo 1. “This wasn’t our genera- tion … it wasn’t on our radar” like the shuttle accidents were, explained Kelvin Man- ning, associate director of Kennedy Space Center. Deter- mined to make things right, he and others at Kennedy began work on a display. In this Feb. 17, 1967 file photo, technicians and officials inspect the aluminum-covered Apollo 1 spacecraft after it was lowered from its booster at Cape Kennedy, Florida. Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee lost their lives when a flash fire erupted in the spacecraft on Jan. 27. - PHOTO: AP Now the focus is less on dirt bikes and more on mo- torcycles of any type that are not registered for legal use, Mr. Yearwood said, or on drivers who blow through stop lights, “pop wheelies” or veer into oppo- site lanes of traffic. Any vehicle that is un- registered or unlicensed may be seized by police, Mr. Yearwood said. If the ve- hicle owner can later prove the vehicle is registered and licensed, they can get it back, he said. During Sunday’s police operations, the inspector noted that officers spoke with some individuals who had hitched their motor- bikes to trailers and were taking them to the “marl pit” in George Town for some off- roading. Inspector Yearwood said police have no problems with that. As long as the ve- hicles are operated on pri- vate land, with the permis- sion of the land owner, they don’t have to be registered for use on the public roads. Police also spoke to par- ents of the motorbike riders on Sunday and discussed the possibility of opening some sort of public space off road where bike riders can use their unregistered vehicles. “That’s something I would personally get my- self involved in,” Mr. Year- wood said. “I drive a motor- bike myself. I do not want to stop motorbike riders. We just don’t want the reck- less and dangerous riding on the streets.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Police seize nine motorbikes in monthNext >