High of 84 Low of 74 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 YOUTH CENTER ON HOLD: SAVING FACE AFTER THE ‘ABOUT-FACE’ SPORT | PAGE 14 STUDENTS TAKE UP PADDLES FOR TABLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017 RoadUser Save up to $400 with home and car insurance Buy BritCay’s buildings insurance and receive a $250 gift certificate. If you have home insurance, you also receive a 10% discount on car cover. With the lowest deductibles at $200, you also save when you claim. Ask 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 FREE $10 Million ASSET PROTECTION! with motor cover* *private car insurance cgigrp Journalist, youth worker become CARICOM ambassadors JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Radio Cayman journalist An- drel Harris and youth worker Ca- mille Angel have been chosen to represent their country as part of the CARICOM Youth Ambas- sadors Program. The program, involving 20 countries in the Caribbean re- gion, aims to put youth is- sues on the agenda of regional policymakers and help young people become more involved in regional politics. The duo will attend a re- gional conference in Guyana next month to meet the region’s other youth ambassadors and learn about their roles. Minister of Youth Services Os- bourne Bodden said the appoint- ments, which followed an exten- sive interview process, were well earned and represented a chance for Ms. Angel and Ms. Harris to become “change agents” in the community. As well as representing Cayman in regional forums, they will be tasked with organizing programs and events locally and advocating for the needs of young people. Ms. Angel, 26, a youth empowerment officer in government’s Youth Services Unit, said she was grateful for FAMILY OF MISSING LANDFILL WORKER SUES GOVERNMENT BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The sister of a George Town landfill worker who disappeared on Jan. 27, 2011 has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the missing woman’s es- tate and her five children. The writ, filed on Jan. 26, six years since 37-year-old Anna Evans was last seen alive at the landfill, is brought by Noreen Dixon against the government Department of Envi- ronmental Health. The department was Ms. Evans’s employer when she disappeared in January 2011 during her work shift at the landfill that day. She was never seen again. In the writ, Ms. Dixon claims damages for injury resulting from the “loss/death of Anna Evans caused by a wrongful act, neglect or de- fault of the defendant pursuant to the Torts Reform Law (1996 Revision).” In addition, the suit seeks damages for in- jury and loss “arising out of the defendant’s breach of statutory duty and/or breach of con- tract and/or the defendant’s negligence and/or breach of duty …. ” The lawsuit also claims interest and costs for legal fees in addition to compensatory damages. No monetary amount is stated. The lawsuit does not specify in what ways the Department of Environmental Health may have been “negligent” or in “default” in relation to the missing persons case. The Cayman Compass sought responses to the writ from the Department of Envi- ronmental Health, its supervising ministry and the attorney general’s office, but none Dart applies to remove beach rock Project will not negatively impact Seven Mile Beach, says developer of planned hotel JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Dart group has formally applied to remove more than 1,000 feet of beach rock from the shallow coastal waters off Seven Mile Beach. Following a trial excavation last year, the developer has now submitted a full application to remove submerged rock fronting a property where it hopes to build a new five-star hotel. In a letter supporting the Coastal Works Application, Dart Real Estate president Jackie Doak outlines plans for a 225-room hotel featuring 80 residences and 10 villas, next to the Kimpton Seafire Resort. She suggests the hotel project will inject at least $600 million into the Cayman Is- lands economy over a five-year design and construction period. The letter indicates that removing the ex- posed beach rock is required to facilitate the development. Dart says the excavation will raise the “recreational quality of the shore- line” to the same standard as the rest of Seven Mile Beach. The developer proposes to replace the rock with sand to make a more pleasant experience for swimmers. The application, which had been an- ticipated since last year’s trial excavation, caused concern among environment officials, who opposed both the trial and the wider project. The Department of Environment, in an analysis of the original application, cau- tioned that removing the rocks would likely Acting head of the Youth Services Unit, James Myles, with Cayman’s 2017/19 CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Camille Angel and Andrel Harris and Minister of Community Affairs, Osbourne Bodden, at a press conference Wednesday to announce the new ambassadors. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » Dart workers carry out a trial excavation of beach rock on Seven Mile Beach in December last year. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 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 - XXX: RETURN OF THE (PG13) XANDER CAGE 3D 12:45 | 4:00 2D | 6:45 | 9:55 2D A DOG’S PURPOSE (PG) 12:50 | 3:40 | 7:00 | 9:50 SPLIT (PG13) 1:00 | 3:50 | 6:50 | 9:45 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) 12:30 | 3:45 | 6:40 | 9:40 RESIDENT EVIL 3D (R) 3:45 | 10:00 MONSTER TRUCKS 3D (PG) 12:40 | 7:15 Colombia begins formal peace talks with No. 2 rebel group QUITO, Ecuador (AP) – Colom- bia’s government and the na- tion’s second-largest rebel group formally started peace talks Tuesday in neighboring Ecuador, seeking to follow up on the peace accord al- ready reached with the big- gest rebel movement. The National Liberation Army, known as the ELN, and government had held exploratory talks for more than three years before get- ting the formal negotiations started in Quito. The start of talks origi- nally was announced last March as the government’s accord with the much-larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to end a half century of hostilities was nearing completion. But ne- gotiations with the ELN stalled as the rebels re- fused to meet President Juan Manuel Santos’ demand that it free a prominent politician from captivity. The release last week of former congressman Odin Sanchez removed that final obstacle to the start of ne- gotiations, which are not expected to produce im- mediate results. The govern- ment’s talks with the FARC stretched from November 2012 to September 2016. “The time of politics with weapons must end in Co- lombia,” the government’s chief negotiator, Juan Ca- milo Restrepo, said at the inauguration ceremony for the talks with the ELN. “Every unnecessary delay in the search for peace means the sacrifice of lives and it is time lost to lay the founda- tions of reconciliation.” The rebel group’s chief negotiator, Pablo Beltran, said “we all have to change.” “We are willing to take responsibility for the events that occurred during the conflict, and we expect the other side to do the same,” Beltran said in a tough speech that referred to Colombia’s government as a “regime.” The ELN has about 1,500 active fighters, according to official figures. More than five decades of conflict in Colombia involving the two rebel movements, the army and right-wing paramili- tary groups have resulted in more than 260,000 deaths, the disappearance of tens of thousands and the displace- ment of 6 million people. Premier meets with students, ex-governors A “friends of Cayman” re- ception was held Tuesday in London at the Cayman Is- lands London Office. Premier Alden McLaughlin hosted the reception, which included former Cayman Is- lands governors John Owen and Bruce Dinwiddy, as well as several Caymanian stu- dents who are studying in the U.K. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton also attended the event. “I enjoy connecting with business leaders here, as well as our students who are studying in London,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “It is important to me that we keep in touch.” The premier lauded the reformation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group under London Office Director Eric Bush, which is a group of U.K. legislators who advocate on behalf of the Cayman Is- lands in British Parliament. TRUCK AND BUS CRASH IN HONDURAS, KILLING 16 TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – An out-of-control cargo truck crashed into a bus on a highway outside Hon- duras’ capital Sunday, killing 16 people and in- juring 34, authorities said. The injured were taken to University Teaching Hos- pital in Tegucigalpa, where hospital spokesman Miguel Osorio said two were in se- rious condition from severe blows to the head. Police said the truck driver fled after the crash on a highway that links the capital with southern Honduras. National Transportation Director Leonel Sauceda said investigators were trying to determine if the truck driver was speeding in his vehicle, which was loaded with fruit. Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Guillaume Long, center, welcomes National Liberation Army representative Pablo Beltran, right, and Colombia’s government representative Juan Camilo Restrepo, left, during a ceremony Tuesday marking the start of formal peace talks in Quito, Ecuador. – PHOTO: AP/DOLORES OCHOA Premier Alden McLaughlin hosts Cayman Islands students, along with visiting local dignitaries, at the London office Tuesday night. From left, Minister Wayne Panton, former Governor John Owen, Premier Alden McLaughlin and former Governor Bruce Dinwiddy attend the London office reception Tuesday night. EL SALVADOR ALLEGES 22 FISHERMEN HELPED MEXICAN DRUG CARTEL SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) – Authorities in El Sal- vador say they have ar- rested 22 fishermen who provided logistical support for a Mexican drug cartel. Justice and Public Safety Minister Mauricio Ramirez Landaverde said Monday that the fishermen were re- sponsible for providing fuel, food and lodging to smug- glers carrying drug ship- ments from South America through El Salvador’s wa- ters to Guatemala for the Sinaloa cartel. Once the drugs arrived in Guatemala they continued north by land through Mexico to the United States. National Civil Police di- rector Howard Cotto said in an interview with local tele- vision that the fishermen also alerted smugglers to the movements of Salva- doran authorities. Emergency personnel rescue an injured passenger from a bus involved in an accident Sunday on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. – PHOTO: AP/FERNANDO ANTONIO3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017 GIFT SETS INSPIRED BY LOVE* A hand-finished Open Hearts Bracelet Gift Set in sterling silver with cerise crystal. $ 195 ($ 230 retail value) *While supplies last. Valid only at participating retailers. No substitutions. THE PANDORA STORE AT ISLAND PLAZA George Town Under Margaritaville Town Centre Camana Bay Beside the Cinema UCCI dean quizzed on credit card policy JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The former dean of the University College of the Cayman Islands Brian Cha- pell testified that the college had no written policy for the use of staff credit cards. Mr. Chapell, giving evi- dence in the ongoing trial of the college’s former president Hassan Syed, acknowledged that he had been one of ap- proximately 10 members of staff given credit cards in late 2007. He said he had never used his card for per- sonal expenses. Asked by Mr. Syed’s at- torney Tom Price, QC, if it had been envisaged that the cards could be used for per- sonal expenses, he initially said he did not believe so. After being shown a doc- ument by Mr. Price, appar- ently signed by the UCCI staff members when they were given the cards, he ac- knowledged that the doc- ument did contain pro- cedures for refunding personal expenditure. Reading from the docu- ment, Mr. Price said it in- dicated that any staff member who used the card for non-college expendi- ture should immediately re- imburse the institution or have the relevant amount de- ducted from their salary. One of the 12 charges against Syed relates to some US$200,000 of expenditure on college funded cards. Giving evidence by video link, Mr. Chapell was also asked for background infor- mation, relating to some of the other charges. He gave details about a collaboration between UCCI and car dealership Tony’s Toys to set up an auto me- chanics program. He said he believed the collabora- tion had been Syed’s idea and gave details of some of the expenditure connected to the initiative. Syed is alleged to have spent US$20,000 of the col- lege’s money to buy a car from Tony’s Toys for a close female friend. Mr. Chapell, under ques- tioning from prosecutor Pat- rick Moran, also testified that there had been no reno- vations to the UCCI campus bathrooms in early 2008. Syed is accused, in one of the charges on the indictment, of using CI$5,000 of college funds to buy bathroom fur- nishings from Pooley Cabinet Industries for a female friend. Syed has denied 12 charges, including theft, obtaining money trans- fers by deception and ob- taining a pecuniary advan- tage by deception relating to the misuse of college funds during his time as president, between 2006 and 2008. The trial continues. Book raises $5,700 for anti-bullying campaign In the two years since its release, the locally penned children’s book “Rudolf dis- covers the Cayman Islands” has raised $5,700 for the Family Resource Centre’s anti-bullying efforts. The book, which first went on sale during the 2015 Christmas holiday season, earned $2,200 in profit fol- lowing that release. During the recent holiday season it raised a further $3,500. The resource center pro- gram seeks to educate the public on the harmful ef- fects of bullying and how to stop it. More than 750 copies of the book were sold throughout the months of December 2016 and January 2017. All profits are being donated to the Family Re- source Centre. “Our goal for this year was to surpass last year’s donation of $2,200,” the book’s author Paul Schreiner said. “To be able to say that we achieved that and have a chance to give $3,500 to such a worthy and important cause is amazing.” Charmaine Miller, pro- gram coordinator at the Family Resource Centre, said the agency is very grateful for Mr. Schreiner’s continued support of their anti-bul- lying campaign. Local accountant and author Paul Schreiner gives a check to Charmaine Miller, programme coordinator at the Family Resource Centre. Hassan SyedThe 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 FEBRUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS BLOOMBERG VIEW EDITORIAL BOARD Economists have come to rival even journalists and poli- ticians in lack of public esteem. That might be partly because so many economists seem as in- terested in journalism and pol- itics as in advancing their sci- ence. But there’s also a deeper problem: Far from advancing, the science of economics has been going backwards. Economists tend to be ei- ther practitioners or theorists. Practitioners on Wall Street, in central banks, and in gov- ernment aim to say where the economy is headed and offer advice on how to improve its trajectory. Academics in uni- versities and business schools spin the theories that guide the practitioners. The trouble is, too many theorists – especially in the mainstream of the discipline – have drifted far from the real world. Their ambition has been to build mathematically ele- gant and internally consistent models of the economy, even if that requires wholly unreal- istic assumptions. Granted, just as maps have to simplify com- plex terrain, theoretical models must ignore aspects of reality to be any use. But there’s a line between simplification and gross distortion, and modern macroeconomics has crossed it. Before the 2008 financial crisis, for example, the stan- dard models more or less ig- nored finance. No banks, no indebtedness, no leverage. As a result, they couldn’t make sense of the worst global re- cession since the 1930s. They also typically asserted that fiscal stimulus had little or no effect on consumer spending, which follows from the mod- el’s mathematically convenient assumptions. If President Barack Obama and Congress had applied such thinking in 2009, the recession would have been much worse. Given such spectacular fail- ures, you’d think the profes- sion would have gone back to the drawing board. It hasn’t. True, some tweaks have been attempted, and some scholars have done valuable work on the history of crises, the role of household debt, the drivers of inequality, and much else. But the error at the core of modern macroeconomics – that math- ematical consistency matters more than empirical relevance – prevails. Just glance through the leading academic journals. Or maybe take our word for it. Reviving economics as a science will require economists to act more like scientists. If models are refuted by the ob- servable world, toss them out. Rely on experiments, data and replication to test theories and understand how people and companies really behave. Editors of the most presti- gious (career-advancing) jour- nals should open their pages to research that challenges the standard theories, even if it doesn’t yet point to encom- passing new alternatives. Practitioners can help by being more discerning. When- ever an economist says “in our model,” beware. Demand to know what assumptions the model makes, and question those assumptions as severely as the theorists test for valid inference – because valid infer- ence from bogus assumptions is useless. Where possible, and in the same spirit, pay closest attention to empirical and his- torical research. In just about every branch of science, theoretical research has been crucial to achieving breakthroughs. In macroeco- nomics, it has held progress back. To stop the discipline fading into irrelevance, this will have to change. Who knows? If it does, economists might fi- nally start getting some respect. © 2017, Bloomberg View We prefer our lawmakers to be serious and stalwart individuals — determination in their demeanors, steel in their eyes and spines. Squishiness is better left to inverte- brates (polyps, anemones or jellyfish), which drift this way and that with the currents, tides and trends. Far too often, Cayman Islands officials issue edicts or make pronouncements of impending significant action, only to flip-flop at the first hint of controversy or opposition. Consider, for example, the Progressives’ hasty retreat from the Ernst and Young report they commissioned on streamlining the civil service, or their walk-back from fun- damental education reform including charter/academy- style schools, or — of course — their various revisions and re-revisions to the design of the George Town cruise berthing facility that will stall the project past Election Day and perhaps forever. No editorial on this topic would be complete without bringing up the more than 900 people in Cayman (plus their family members) who are waiting for the govern- ment to consider their applications for permanent resi- dence, which have been languishing since the Progres- sives passed their new Immigration Law in fall 2013 … and then, almost immediately, refused to implement what they themselves had legislated. The latest example of a “180 retreat” by the Progres- sives is their declaration, followed by an abrupt un-declara- tion, of plans to build a $2.5 million youth detention center on the site of the Bonaventure Boy’s Home in West Bay. Residents in the neighboring Coral Gables subdivi- sion had raised concerns about the proximity of the new center to their homes. According to a story that appeared in Wednesday’s Compass, “After meeting with the resi- dents Saturday, government committed to revisiting other options, including alternative locations for the site.” (The Compass has little insight whatsoever into whether the Bonaventure site was the best — or the worst — for the detention center. Our point is different: Governments should not announce these grandiose plans unless it is committed, really committed, to carrying them out.) For the record, when government announced the new detention center destined for the Bonaventure site in mid- January, Minister for Community Affairs Osbourne Bodden said, “In order for us to offer the proper continuum of care, this is another important cog in the wheel. This is something we all need as a society and have been crying out for.” Within the span of a month, government’s message evolved from, “This project is critical,” into “(back to the drawing board).” Sometimes other factors than the whiff of public disap- proval, it appears, have caused Progressives’ initiatives to stall. One way or another, Cayman has yet to glimpse the fruits of a great number of projects promised by govern- ment, or given the Progressives’ imprimatur of approval. Let’s see: There’s the George Town Landfill solution, the demolition of the Glass House and creation of a new public park, the new components of John Gray High School, and the $200 million Gran Palazzo condo development on North Sound, not to mention the $30 million, 6,300-seat hockey arena and exhibition center with a turtle shell– shaped roof. When the government endorsed the “Cayman Ice Palace” in front of Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce members nearly two years ago, it was touted as a central plank in the Progressives’ planned redevelopment of downtown George Town. Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts said, “While we know that nothing is real until it becomes real, the government has every confidence that this will become a reality.” The government’s public endorsement of a project means — or should mean — something. It should never be granted cavalierly, without due diligence and, importantly, without adequate thought and deliberation. Youth center on hold: Saving face after the ‘about-face’ Like Garland, Gorsuch deserves a Senate hearing President Donald Trump has made some lamentable appointments in his brief tenure. Judge Neil Gorsuch is not one of them. Gorsuch, who serves on the federal appeals court in Denver, Colorado, is a grad- uate of Harvard Law School and a former Supreme Court clerk. Only 49 years old, he is genuinely well-qualified and well within the main- stream of conservative intel- lectual thought. This presents a dilemma for Senate Democrats. Their Republican colleagues shamefully trashed an im- portant democratic norm when they refused even to hold hearings on President Barack Obama’s superbly qualified nominee to the Su- preme Court, Merrick Gar- land. Along the way, Repub- licans helped to destroy the last vestiges of bipartisan comity in an institution where basic functions have been degraded by partisan rancor over many years. Now Trump and the Re- publicans are urging Dem- ocrats not to mimic their own reckless behavior. It’s a tall order. Should Dem- ocrats comply? After a thorough review of Gorsuch both on paper and before the Senate Ju- diciary Committee, and presuming no disqual- ifying information is discovered, they should. Democratic partisans will want Democratic sen- ators to do unto Republi- cans as Republicans did unto them. Many Demo- cratic senators no doubt be- lieve that such turnabout is fair play. But the American system of government depends on respect not just for the law but for democratic norms, including bipartisan coop- eration and deference to the powers of the presidency. Yes, Republicans have eroded those norms. That is not a reason for Democrats to degrade them further. It is also very likely to be for naught. With Republican Senate leader Mitch McCon- nell under pressure to end the filibuster that requires 60 votes to approve a Supreme Court nominee, a filibuster against Gorsuch could well be the Senate’s last. Given the erratic and confronta- tional behavior of the man in the Oval Office, Democrats may want to preserve the fil- ibuster for a real emergency. In his remarks after Trump introduced him, Gorsuch was gracious and dignified. If he proves as decent as he is accom- plished, Democrats should not stand in his way. Let the vetting begin. © 2017, Bloomberg View Economists should act like scientists5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017 Celebrate Opening hours: Mon – Sat 8:00am – 4:30pm Check website for Sunday hours 786 Northwest Point Road, West Bay, Grand Cayman | info@turtle.ky | www.turtle.ky | +1 (345) 949-3894 special admission Visit the Cayman Islands’ #1 land based attraction. Meet the turtles, enjoy the wildlife, snorkel in our lagoon and splash down our water slide. It’s a day full of fun and adventure. Energy report seeks 70 percent renewables in 20 years TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com A proposed national en- ergy policy, released by government this week, seeks to have 70 percent of all Cayman’s energy generated by renewable sources in 20 years, and moving toward 100 percent sooner if possible. Released for public com- mentary on Feb. 7, the “Na- tional Energy Policy 2017- 2037,” details years-long deliberations, a series of strategies in seven “sec- tors” – from transport, Cay- man’s second-largest energy consumer, to land use and buildings, water, climate change and the environment – and recommendations to achieve necessary changes. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of the Cayman Islands on the world at large,” writes Premier Alden McLaughlin in the document’s foreword. “[W]e have drawn on the expertise of a cross sec- tion of stakeholders, both here at home and from the global community who have advised us … on social policy consid- erations to the efficacy of emerging technologies,” the premier states. A national energy policy is necessary, the report says, to reduce reliance on high- cost, imported fossil fuels, which pose “a risk to the competitiveness of the Cay- manian economy and the standard of living of resi- dents and therefore an in- hibitor to socioeconomic development.” The report details “high- level targets: 70% of total electricity generation to come from renewable sources by 2037; and total peak [green- house gas] emissions for the Cayman Islands by 2020, while not exceeding 2014 per capita emissions levels (approx. 12.3 tCO2e) and achieving further reductions in per capita GHG emissions from peak 2014 levels of 10% by 2025 (approx. 11.1 tCO2e), a further 20% by 2037 (ap- prox. 8.9 tCO2e).” “tCO2e” is “tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent,” a measure comparing green- house gas emissions relative to a single unit of CO2. The formula multiplies the emis- sions by its 100-year global- warming potential. Global warming potential is a measure of how much heat is trapped in the at- mosphere by various green- house gasses, according to the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency. “More than 99 percent of energy demand in the Cayman Islands is met by oil products,” the report says, “largely diesel and gasoline.” Caribbean Utilities Com- pany uses approximately 31 million gallons of sulfurous diesel fuel each year to gen- erate electricity, which is “split between commercial and residential use.” “The clear imperative of any energy policy for the Cayman Islands [is] to con- centrate on the reduction of the contribution of diesel fuel to utility-scale generation. “Given the overarching target of reducing GHG, it is critical to accelerate the us[e] of renewable energy from the current 0.9% to 70% of total electricity generation by 2037,” the document says. Strategies include a broad range of public-education programs through schools, legislation and government- funded renewable-energy projects, including techno- logical innovation. Under the proposed policy, government would require local utilities to purchase renewable energy from third-party providers; regulators would help de- velop financing mecha- nisms to create “green fi- nancial incentives” for household-owned gener- ating systems; new “tariff structures” would encourage energy efficiency; wind en- ergy would be boosted by reviewing airport exclusion zones and restrictions cre- ated by East End’s Doppler Radar system; and regular reviews would weigh use of both liquefied and com- pressed natural gas. The document calls for increased use of electric and hybrid vehicles, and com- mits government to reducing its own 1,100-vehicle fleet by between 7 and 10 per- cent in the first five years of the policy. It also commits to better and expanded public trans- port, using electric and hy- brid vehicles, while de- veloping a comprehensive network of bicycle lanes. Building codes will set standards for ready incor- poration – and retrofitting – of renewable energy sys- tems into buildings, and demanding minimal stan- dards for lighting, insula- tion, and cooling and venti- lation equipment. Miguel Jacques, senior policy analyst for utilities and technology at the Min- istry of Planning, Lands, Ag- riculture, Housing and Infra- structure, said a broad range of groups had contributed to the National Energy Policy, including the local Cayman Renewable Energy Associ- ation and regional and in- ternational energy experts ECLAC, based in Trinidad and Tobago, and consultants from Washington D.C. He said the policy docu- ment “is intended to be dy- namic, which correlates to the nature of the RE in- dustry. This means govern- ment will frequently mon- itor the policy, consult on the significance [and] relevance, and revise accordingly.” Cayman Renewable En- ergy Association chairman and founder of Greentech solar installers James Whit- taker said the National En- ergy Policy document, if not ideal, represented a tremen- dous boost for Cayman, mul- tiplying solar and renewable use by 10-fold every year – “and we will review this every five years with a target of 100 percent renewables.” “It’s a quantum leap for- ward from where we are now,” Mr. Whittaker said, “and having 70 percent by 2037 will, actually, put us on a par with others [globally].” “It’s a quantum leap forward from where we are now.” JAMES WHITTAKER, Cayman Renewable Energy AssociationDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Bodden Town THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Fosters return from Jamaica nuptials In the Feb. 8, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, Bodden Town correspondent Floris McCoy wrote: “Home on vacation is Mr. Churchill Wood. He is an employee of National Bulk Carriers. Visiting the island with him is a Japanese friend. “Relatives and friends met Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Foster at the airport on Sat- urday. Mrs. Foster is the former Eleanor Terry. They were united in marriage in Jamaica on Jan. 23. The wedding took place at 9 Or- chid Path, Mona Heights. The ceremony was per- formed by Mr. F.H. Foster. “Matron-of-honour was Mrs. Goldstein Bodden and the best man was Mr. Lloyd Sampson. The bride’s dress was of brocaded nylon of cocktail length and she wore a shoulder-length veil. She carried a white Bible with orchids. “After the wedding, the reception took place at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey Thompson, with Mr. Sampson the M.C. for the evening. Mrs. Ramsey Thompson gave a toast to the bride and Mr. Sampson to the groom. Special guests at the wedding were Miss Francine Terry, sister of the bride, and Mr. Roy Bodden, cousin of the groom. “On Saturday, Jan. 28, Mr. and Mrs. Hal- dane Bodden and their little son came in from Ja- maica where they have been residing. “The Girls’ Brigade are presenting a program of coloured slides at the Town Hall Bodden Town on Wednesday next, Feb. 15. Carol Ann and Betty Ebanks will show the slides they took when in Canada last summer and also slides of Grand Cayman which include some of Bodden Town and its Girls’ Brigade members.” Dama Trio will perform at the Cayman Islands Bap- tist Church on Pedro Castle Road in Savannah on Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. The newly- formed Italian trio, the mem- bers of which are all rising musical talents in their own right, features violinist Maristella Patuzzi, pianist Davide Muccioli and cellist Davide Pettigiani. At the start of the concert, students from the Cayman Arts Festival’s after-school music programs will also be performing, no doubt in- spired by a master class the young musicians from Clifton Hunter and John Gray High Schools, and George Town and Red Bay Pri- mary Schools, attended on Wednesday at Clifton Hunter with the group. “The class went so well, the trio performed for the kids, and were also tutoring them on things like tech- nique, and afterward, the kids were all over them with questions, it was great,” said Cayman Arts Festival Execu- tive Director Marius Gaina. “The children we have playing at the concert are all skilled and talented musi- cians themselves, this was a real treat for them.” Mr. Gaina said the trio’s visit to Cayman was made possible by Cayman Arts Fes- tival patron Gaye Randolph. The musicians from the Italian trio will performing the chamber music classics, Johannes Brahms’s “Piano Trio No. 2 in C major, Op. 87,” and Pyotr Ilyich Tchai- kovsky’s “Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50.” Tickets for the event are US$40 for adults and US$10 for students. According to the Hy- perion Records website, Brahms began work on the piano trio in 1880 and only completed all four move- ments two years later; it was published in December 1882 as his Op 87. “The opening Allegro of this C major Trio contains an unusual wealth of thematic material: an imperious first subject given out in octaves by the violin and cello alone; … a further smooth idea played by the strings in octaves; and a gracious closing theme in dotted rhythm,” the site states. “The slow movement is a set of variations on a mel- ancholy theme in A minor which again finds the violin and cello playing in octaves. The theme itself, with its characteristic ‘Scotch snap’ rhythm, shows Brahms’s continued fascination with the Hungarian gypsy style, though the penultimate vari- ation, in the major, trans- forms it into a smooth, ex- pansive melody of great beauty. The Scherzo is in the minor, too: a mysterious, fleeting piece whose pre- dominant dynamic marking is pianissimo. As for the fi- nale … it is one of those good-humoured rondos (with more than a hint of variation form thrown in for good measure) at which Brahms was so adept.” According to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Per- forming Arts website, Tchai- kovsky composed his “Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50” in memory of his friend and mentor from the St. Peters- burg Conservatory, Nikolai Rubinstein, who died in 1881, and which features a promi- nent piano part in honor of Rubinstein’s instrument. The site states Tchai- kovsky’s friends and col- leagues pianist-composer Sergei Taneyev, violinist Ivan Hrímaly´ and cellist Wil- helm Fitzenhagen first per- formed the trio to a private audience in 1882 on the an- niversary of Rubinstein’s death, and after the com- poser made some adjust- ments performed it publicly at the Moscow branch of the Russian Musical Society on Oct. 30, 1882. “Tchaikovsky disposed the Piano Trio, his only chamber work for piano and strings, in two large movements: a huge sonata-allegro and an extended set of varia- tions, a formal concept rem- iniscent of Beethoven’s late sonatas,” the site states. The opening movement’s mournful main theme is moving testimony to Tchai- kovsky’s grief over the loss of his mentor, while, ac- cording to the site, the second movement’s theme is said to have been in- spired by a picnic Tchai- kovsky and his Conserva- tory colleagues enjoyed in the woods near Moscow. A group of peasants who were passing by were invited to join in and performed songs and dances for their hosts, the peasants’ music pro- viding the theme for the second movement. Savannah hosting Cayman Arts Festival performance The Dama Trio leads a master class at Clifton Hunter High School on Wednesday. - PHOTO: MARIUS GAINADISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Bodden Town CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017 100-year-old woman gets birthday wish JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A birthday wish by a 100-year- old bedridden woman came true this week when she headed out- doors in a new wheelchair. Out in the fresh air, Rena Al- exander sat taking it all in – the roar of passing cars, the chatter of voices around her, the gentle breeze that rustled the treetops, even a dog barking gave her pleasure. “I had to get out of the house today,” she said to her niece and caregiver Sheila Minzett- Henry. “Where we going? I’m ready,” she added. Ms. Alexander celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The eldest of seven children born in Sandy Bay, Nicaragua, to parents Alvert and Amanda Solomon, Ms. Alexander grew up on Manse Road in Bodden Town. The long-retired seamstress and housekeeper now lives at the top of Northward Road in Bodden Town with her daughter Hazeldeen, 79. “I look good because I am in the sun,” Ms. Alexander declared with that witty and pleasant per- sonality that makes her so well- liked by everyone. On Wednesday, “Aunt Rena,” as she is fondly known by members of the Bodden Town community, was surprised with the wheelchair from Cayman Medical Supplies’ Donald McLean, and with a drive out to Sa- vannah Foster’s Food Fair to see her friend Winston Miller, the store’s as- sistant manager. Ms. Minzett-Henry, who took Ms. Alexander on her outing, said she was able to fulfill her aunt’s wish after placing her name on a clinic list when her aunt’s wheelchair broke, and following a Cayman Compass article about her aunt Rena and her birthday wish for a wheelchair. “She’s got a fantastic sense of humour,” said Winston Moore, the representative from Cayman Medical Supplies who delivered the wheelchair. “We are excited to be able to do this for the elderly, especially for Ms. Rena so that she will be able to get out of the house and do what she likes most, being outdoors and seeing people,” he said. “Mama, tell the nice gentleman you love him and many thanks for the wheelchair,” said Ms. Alexan- der’s daughter Hazeldeen Solomon. “I love you and thank you very much,” Ms. Alexander told Mr. Moore. “Now lets go,” she added. “We took her as far as the Dr. Tomlinson/Poindexter roundabout, and then to Foster’s Food Fair Sa- vannah to see Mr. Miller,” said Ms. Minzett-Henry after the trip. “We parked in the handicap space, and the other caregiver Tracy Johnson went in to look for Mr. Miller, but the supervisor came out and said she was so sorry, but Mr. Miller was not working today, so we took her back home.” On the day of her birthday, Ms. Alexander said she just wanted to go “a-straight town and a-straight back,” but returning home on Wednesday, her only question was: “Unna carrying me home already?” “We are excited to be able to do this for the elderly, especially for Ms. Rena so that she will be able to get out of the house and do what she likes most, being outdoors and seeing people.” WINSTON MOORE, Cayman Medical Supplies Niece Sheila Minzett-Henry, daughter Hazeldeen Solomon and Winston Moore of Cayman Medical Supplies take 100-year-old Rena Alexander outdoors in her new wheelchair. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY School principal appointed as UN ambassador JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Vickie Frederick, a local primary school principal and church min- ister, has been selected to be a non- governmental organization ambas- sador to the United Nations. Mrs. Frederick was nominated for the post by Word of Life Chris- tian Fellowship on Dec. 31. “Word of Life Christian Fellow- ship nominated and appointed me as one of their Distinguished Am- bassadors to the United Nations Headquarters in New York to con- sult with the U.N. and government delegates on their behalf,” explained Mrs. Frederick. “In addition, they have further appointed me as their Special Envoy to the Government and People of the Cayman Islands. This nomination is an honor and I am pleased to know that I will be taking up office as a proud Caymanian. This achievement is one that Cayman will be able to duly celebrate.” Since her appointment, Mrs. Frederick has traveled to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City to receive her United Nations ground pass and identification card. She also visited the United Nations library to get a deeper understanding of the structure and core functions of the United Nations. As a U.N. ambassador, Mrs. Frederick is required to attend at least one U.N. conference and be active in humanitarian services throughout the period of her ap- pointment. One of her responsibili- ties will include submitting an an- nual report detailing the social and humanitarian activities in which she is involved. “This appointment of ambas- sador to the United Nations is the first prestigious calling of its kind received by a native of the Cayman Islands. I will most certainly use the platforms afforded me as ambas- sador to the United Nations to also be an ambassador of my beautiful country,” she said. Word of Life Christian Fellow- ship is a non-governmental organi- zation which has had consultative status with the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council since 1996. According to Mrs. Frederick, since starting her professional ca- reer as an educator in the 1990s, she has led significant academic and spiritual developmental efforts both locally and abroad and her actions over the years have directly contrib- uted to the successful development of many Caymanians and foreigners. Currently the principal of Red Bay Primary School, Mrs. Fred- erick has also served as classroom teacher, reading specialist, spe- cial needs coordinator and occa- sional inspector. In addition, she has served on several national ed- ucational strategic teams and local boards. In 1993, she was the recipient of the distinguished Teacher of the Year Award from the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, and has since co-written social studies text- books that are used in public and private schools. Mrs. Frederick received a Bach- elor of Science degree in educa- tion from Dillard University and a Master of Education degree with honors in educational leadership from Xavier University of New Or- leans. She obtained her doctorate degree in theology and an honorary doctorate degree in divinity from the Canadian International Chaplaincy Academy University and Seminary. She also served as pastor of the Helping Hands for Christ Ministry Church in the Cayman Islands for more than seven years and is a trav- eling missionary. She and her husband Rodulfo have seven children and five grandchildren. Vickie Frederick at the UN.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 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 FEBRUARY 9, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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 CAF FRINGE EVENT: Cayman Arts Festival Fringe Event and Late Night at the National Gallery. 6 to 8 p.m. Join the gallery for an evening of art and music with curators and young musicians David Brown and Isabella Rooney. Music begins at 6 p.m. in the Sculpture Gardens and a guided tour of the National Gallery’s latest exhibitions, Upon the Seas and Saltwater in Their Veins, will run at 6:15 p.m. Admission is free; all are welcome. CAF FRINGE EVENT: Students from Cayman Arts Festival After-School Program and Cayman Youth Choir perform 6-7 p.m. at Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. Free admission. VAS ANNUAL ART SHOW: Members of the Visual Arts Society display original works plus art cards, crafts and jewelry for sale. Viewing is 5–9 p.m. Gardenia Court, Camana Bay. 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 from any member of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. SATURDAY, FEB. 11 EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION: The Cayman Islands Early Childhood Association holds its second members’ meeting for 2017 at the St. Ignatius School at 9 a.m. New members are welcome. CURIOUS CATBOATS FAMILY DAY: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the National Gallery. Enjoy art stations and pop-up art classes at 10 and 12 in the Art Studio. Explore two new art exhibitions with activity sheets and self-guided tour packs for families. Admission is free and open to all ages. The art classes are free, but pre-registration is necessary. Beverages and healthy snacks available for purchase in the Art Café. For additional details email education@nationalgallery. org.ky or call 945-8111. BRAC HIGH SCHOOL: 50th anniversary celebrations. Alumni versus staff and students volleyball game. Visit www.facebook.com/ lshs50thann for more information. FAMILY FUN WALK/RUN: 5K/10K from SafeHaven in the back by Holiday Inn. Event begins 6:30 a.m. for walkers and 6:45 a.m. for runners. All participants will be entered into a drawing for prizes. Omelet station after the walk. Register on day at 6 a.m. or pre-register at Cayman Active at www. caymanactive.com/guiding. Adults, $10. Children under 10, $5. No dogs, please. Proceeds benefit Girlguiding Cayman Islands. KIDS GAELIC FOOTBALL: The Cayman Islands Kids Gaelic Football Club hosts a “Start of Season Blitz,” 9:30- 11:30 a.m. at the Camana Bay CIS football pitch. All children between the ages of 5 and 18 are welcome. This event is free of charge. Pre- registration is necessary – go to www.caymangaa.com/ kidsgaelicclub and register on the online link. Fill out the registration form in full before 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. No registrations accepted on the day. Children should come with trainers or football boots (no flip-flops), water, hat, sunscreen, and must be accompanied by an adult. SUNDAY, FEB. 12 VALENTINE’S MILE: Start and finish at Bayshore Mall. Registration from 2:30- 3:45 p.m. Race starts 4 p.m. Children’s race (for under 10s), 5 p.m. Presentations and raffle, 5:30 p.m. Adults, $20. Juniors (under 18), $5. Children’s race, free. Participants receive a T-shirt, but supplies are limited. Trophies for first three males and females in each race. Medals for first 100 children who finish. All proceeds benefit Cayman HospiceCare. MONDAY, FEB. 13 BRAC CRUISE SHIP: The S/V Star Flyer is scheduled to visit Cayman Brac. 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 QUIZ NIGHT: Pub Quiz Night at Fidel Murphy’s benefits the Humane Society. To reserve a table call 949-5189 or email sarah. dyer.81@gmail.com. $10 per person, with a maximum of six people per team. All proceeds go toward transferring dogs to their new homes in the U.S. 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. MONDAY, FEB. 20 ART FOR SENIORS: The National Gallery opens its doors at 1 p.m. and talks start at 3 p.m. Art Talks are open to the public and facilitate thought-provoking discussions and time for seniors to socialize. Free coffee, tea and snacks are provided for seniors (over 65 years). This program is free and group bookings can be made by emailing education@nationalgallery. org.ky or by calling 945-8111. THURSDAY, FEB. 23 BABY SHOW: Today is the deadline to register children for the Baby Show at the 50th Annual Agricultural Show on Ash Wednesday, March 1. Boys and Girls Ages 0 – 48 Months. For information, please call 929-9932 FRIDAY, FEB. 24 DRESS FOR CULTURE: Dress for Culture Day is a celebration of Cayman’s diverse community comprised of more than 135 nationalities. This annual fundraiser invites individuals, students and corporate entities to take part by wearing traditional cultural wear, sportswear, country colors or anything that represents their culture. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Proceeds support CI Folk Singers and Summer Arts Camp. Contact Cayman National Cultural Foundation, 949-5477 or www.artscayman.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The S/V Star Flyer cruise ship is scheduled to visit Cayman Brac on Feb. 13. – PHOTO: CHRIS COURTThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2017 cause erosion and beach loss in certain areas along Seven Mile Beach. It also warned that allowing a developer to remove a natural feature for aesthetic reasons would set a “dangerous precedent” for the Cayman Islands. Ms. Doak, in her letter supporting the full coastal works application, suggests that Dart has “addressed the technical concerns” raised by the department. “Our coastal engineering consultants have evalu- ated the proposal using ad- vanced computer modelling and found that beachrock re- moval would have minimal impact on the beach … “Our proposal for beachrock removal is designed to retain the pre- vailing coastal conditions for neighboring properties and have no impact on land not owned by Dart Real Estate.” Dart has submitted a re- port from coastal engineering consultants Calvin Giordano & Associates and Applied Technology & Management Inc. along with the applica- tion and indicated it would support the Department of Environment appointing a “mutually acceptable” firm to review the findings. The consultant’s report indicates that there would be “increased shoreline re- cession” in front of the site outlined for Dart’s new hotel during storms but suggests this will be minor and lim- ited to the Dart properties. It goes on to suggest that the partial removal of the beach rock will actually make the shoreline in front of Tiki Beach and the Kimpton Seafire resort, which Dart also owns, more stable. The developer also sub- mitted an economic impact study, produced by Oxford Economics, which indicates the resort and residences will contribute a total eco- nomic impact of more than US$600 million during its five-year development and construction. “The total development cost, including land ac- quisition, predevelopment costs, and construction costs will exceed US$465 mil- lion. Conservatively esti- mated, the five-star project would sustain 800 jobs at its construction peak and support 1,254 direct and indirect positions in the tourism industry once oper- ations stabilise. “Over 20 years, contribu- tions to the Cayman Islands GDP would exceed US$1.7 bil- lion or 2% of GDP, 4% of jobs and 3% of direct revenues to the Cayman Islands Govern- ment,” according to a Dart Real Estate press release. Dart says its trial excava- tion of a small piece of beach rock last year demonstrated the feasibility of the project, which it says could be com- pleted in a week. It hopes to excavate 1,225 feet of coastline, re- moving 8,400 cubic yards of rock and peat. were received by press time Wednesday. Ms. Dixon has been taking care of Ms. Evans’s five children, Christopher, Celina, Chelsea, Cody and Cruz, since their moth- er’s disappearance. The el- dest children are adults now, but Ms. Dixon said the youngest – Cruz, now 13 – still asks almost daily what she thinks happened to his mother. “He needs closure,” Ms. Dixon told the Cayman Compass in December. “Our hearts are already broken into a million pieces. We need closure.” The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service’s Crim- inal Investigation Depart- ment said Wednesday that Ms. Evans’s disappearance is still an “open missing persons case.” Typically, the police do not declare someone legally dead until they have been missing for seven years. The U.K. also sets a seven-year time frame for a person to be declared le- gally dead, but also allows a family to apply to court for an earlier declaration. The RCIPS investigated Ms. Evans’s disappearance in early 2011 and are aware that her husband was as- saulted just a few hours after her family members learned she did not show up at the end of her shift at the landfill on Jan. 27, 2011. The assault, RCIPS Chief Inspector Richard Barrow said at the time, happened because the in- dividuals involved believed the man had something to do with Ms. Evans’s dis- appearance. He was never arrested or charged in connection with the inves- tigation. No other suspects were arrested in connection with the disappearance. the opportunity. “We both feel very pas- sionately about serving the youth in this commu- nity and being able to lift up their voices. It is not so important, what we have to say, if we can’t lift up what they have to say,” she said. Mr. Harris and Ms. Angel were presented with gifts by outgoing ambas- sadors James Geary and Takiyah Smith and re- ceived the official pin of the office from Minister Bodden and his chief of- ficer Dorine Whittaker at a ceremony at the Gov- ernment Administration Building Wednesday. Mr. Harris, 25, said, “I am deeply honored and humbled by the selec- tion and I hope that Am- bassador Angel and I can build on the successes that have come before and make the islands and the youth of Cayman proud.” Mr. Geary, a musi- cian and a behavior sup- port worker for schoolchil- dren, said the experience of being an ambassador to CARICOM for the past two years had been enlightening. He said he had learned a lot about the organiza- tion and how it works, as well as some of the issues affecting the region. One of the local ini- tiatives that came out of his involvement with the program was a re- sume writing workshop he has organized for young people in Cayman. He is also a member of the board of Youth ACT, a nonprofit which aims to address the un- derlying issues leading to youth crime. Ms. Smith, who was involved with the Youth Flex radio show before be- coming a CARICOM youth ambassador, said she learned a lot about the is- sues affecting youth across the Caribbean, including gun crime, teen pregnancy and employment concerns. She said she also be- came more involved in gender issues and was now looking to set up a pro- gram in Cayman for em- powering young girls. -4.5 FEET WATER DEPTH CONTOUR TRIAL BEACHROCK REMOVAL AREA -4.5 FEET WATER DEPTH CONTOUR -4.5 FEET WATER DEPTH CONTOUR REMOVAL AREA BEACHROCK REMAINS BEACHROCK REMAINS 1,225 FEET EXPOSED BEACHROCK REMOVAL AREA (IN WATER LESS THAN 4.5 FEET DEEP AT LOW TIDE) 1,600 FEET LONG BEACHROCK FORMATION 2,500 FEET STUDY AREA ALONG SEVEN MILE BEACH BEACHROCK REMAINS BEACHROCK REMAINS REMOVAL AREA BEACHROCK REMAINSBEACHROCK REMAINS BEACHROCK REMAINSBEACHROCK REMAINS REMOVAL AREA REMOVAL AREA Dart Real Estate’s illustration of its plans. Dart applies to remove beach rock CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Family of missing landfill worker sues government CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Journalist, youth worker become CARICOM ambassadors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Court bars Russian opposition leader from presidential race MOSCOW (AP) – Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was convicted Wednesday in a retrial of a 2013 fraud case and given a suspended sentence, a ruling that bars him from running for president next year and appears to reflect the Krem- lin’s reluctance to let Presi- dent Vladimir Putin’s most charismatic foe into the field. Navalny vowed to keep campaigning while he appeals. “What we have just seen is a telegram of sorts from the Kremlin, saying that they consider me, my team and people whose views I repre- sent too dangerous to be al- lowed into the election cam- paign,” he said. “We do not recognize this verdict, it will be overturned, and … I have the right to run in the election.” Navalny was the driving force behind massive pro- tests of Putin’s rule in 2011- 2012 in Moscow, electri- fying crowds with chants of “We are the power!” and saying at one point that the protesters were numerous enough to take the Kremlin. Even after the protests fiz- zled amid the Kremlin crack- down, Navalny came in a strong second in Moscow’s mayoral election in 2013, with 27 percent of the vote. Shortly before that vote, Navalny was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison, but was freed the next morning and allowed to run pending appeal. The abrupt about-face was widely seen as the result of lobbying by those in the government who believed that Navalny’s partic- ipation would help legitimize the incumbent’s victory. The 2013 guilty verdict in the fraud case was over- turned by the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that Russia violated Navalny’s right to a fair trial, prompting the Russian Supreme Court to order of a retrial. It sparked speculation that the Kremlin was considering the same tactic in the 2018 presiden- tial race, letting Navalny com- pete to help revive public in- terest in the vote and boost turnout without any real threat to Putin. The president has not said yet whether he will seek an- other six-year term, but he’s widely expected to run. The 70-year old ultrana- tionalist leader Vladimir Zhiri- novsky and the 64-year old liberal Yabloko party leader Grigory Yavlinsky, who ran unsuccessfully in the past elections, both have voiced their intention to run, but their involvement would hardly encourage interest in the campaign. If Navalny is allowed to run, he would be unlikely to unseat Putin, who has re- mained widely popular with approval ratings topping 80 percent. The Kremlin, how- ever, might have thought that letting Navalny enter the race would be too risky, given his charisma and the plum- meting economy. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny speaks with supporters at the opening of his campaign office in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Feb. 4. - PHOTO: AP/ELENA IGNATYEVA Anna EvansNext >