ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 High of 83 Low of 72 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft should exercise caution over open water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE LABYRINTHINE (AND CROWDED) PATH TO ELECTORAL VICTORY SPORTS | PAGE 21 CAYMAN EQUESTRIANS COMPETE IN COMBINED TRAINING SHOW LAWYERS BILL COMPROMISE FLOPS; DEBATE CONTINUES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Islands government minister signaled Tuesday that some changes to a con- troversial proposal seeking to further regulate the practice of law in the islands would have to be made before the bill is approved. Efforts to bring about wholesale legisla- tive compromise on the much-debated Legal Practitioners Bill failed Monday, when op- position party members declined to attend a private legislative meeting set by Premier Alden McLaughlin. The Progressives-led government mem- bers did not comment on what occurred at Monday’s meeting and simply resumed de- bate Tuesday, with Finance Minister Marco Ar- cher giving some insight on where the ruling government might be going with changes to the legislation. If a second reading of the bill is ap- proved by lawmakers, they will then adjourn to committee to review nearly 200 proposed amendments – about 130 of them filed by CANNABIS OIL IMPORT PERMIT APPROVED JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Islands pharmacy says it has se- cured an import permit to bring cannabis oil to the territory for medicinal purposes. It is believed to be the first such permis- sion to be granted since cannabis oil extracts and tinctures were legalized late last year. However, the export from Jamaica will still require approval from the Cannabis Licensing Authority in that country. Despite approving amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act to allow the drug to be prescribed for therapeutic purposes, sev- eral politicians, including Premier Alden McLaughlin, had highlighted practical con- cerns around importation. Though cannabis is produced and used for medical purposes in multiple countries, its import and export are tightly regulated. Michael Anderson, pharmacy manager at Foster’s Food Fair IGA, said he had sourced Crowded field facing off in Bodden Town BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An unsuspecting tourist may have been forgiven for thinking the entire district of Bodden Town was throwing one big party Saturday night. Cars jammed the sides of the main road from the public li- brary to Cox Lumber as passing motorists honked their horns and shouted encouragement (or detraction) in the direction of two separate, competing events – announcing the political can- didacies of May election hope- fuls Dwayne Seymour and Robert Bodden. Mr. Seymour, a former gov- ernment minister, and Mr. Bodden, in his first campaign for public office, are among five known candidates competing for an estimated 1,400 votes (before any challenges being heard) in the district of Bodden Town East. The two men know, along with current Minster Osbourne Bodden and perennial candi- dates Vincent Frederick and Ar- nold Berry, they could poten- tially need only 300-350 votes from constituents to win elec- tion to the Legislative Assembly. “All of the candidates that are running … every one of us grew up within a mile of each other,” Mr. Seymour said. “The people that I have talked to want change,” Mr. Robert Bodden said. “It’s not as though there’s been a shortage of minis- ters [representing Bodden Town]. Cayman has grown, but people haven’t necessarily benefited.” Bodden Town East is not the ‘Darth Vader’ takes Cayman vacation A visitor from a galaxy far, far away JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com If anyone felt a disturbance in the force this week, it may have coincided with the arrival of Spencer Wilding in the Cayman Islands. The 6-foot, 7-inch-tall actor, the man behind the mask in the latest Star Wars movie, is more familiar to audiences around the world as Darth Vader. To Max Phillips, 4, and his sister Ava, 10, he is simply Uncle Spencer. The former kickboxer turned actor paid a visit to his sister Samantha Phil- lips and her family at their home in South Sound this week. During a brief trip to the island, Mr. Wilding, who played the super villain in “Rouge One,” which came out last year, even dropped in on the children’s schools, de- lighting their classmates with his stories from the set of the famous movie. Even without the suit, the 44-year- old, originally from Wales, has a formi- dable presence. Speaking to the Cayman Compass on Monday, he said it was a “dream come true” to play cinema’s most feared villain. Spencer Wilding, who plays Darth Vader in ‘Rogue One,’ the latest of the ‘Star Wars’ film series, is visiting his sister and her family in Cayman. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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. SATURDAY, MARCH 18TH, 8PM Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) - WEDNESDAY - KONG: SKULL ISLAND 3D (PG13) 12:30 | 3:30 2D I 6:45 | 9:35 2D THE GREAT WALL 3D (PG13) 1:00 | 4:30 | 7:00 | 9:55 THE SHACK (PG13) 4:10 | 9:45 LOGAN (R) 12:30 | 3:35 | 6:40 | 9:40 JOHN WICK CHAPTER 2 (R) 12:55 | 3:50 | 7:05 | 9:50 BEFORE I FALL (PG13) 1:00 | 7:10 Drugs, phone seized at Northward Prison A woman was arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle a pound of ganja into Northward Prison on Sunday, according to the Prison Service. On the same day, a prison officer also confiscated a cell- phone from an inmate fol- lowing a search. Last month, a man was arrested after prison officers saw him throwing marijuana over the prison’s fence. “We have zero tolerance when it comes to preventing drugs or any kind of pro- hibited materials from en- tering the prison,” Prisons Director Neil Lavis said. “We have taken the necessary pre- cautions and increased our surveillance throughout. We have also increased our suc- cess rate in the discovery of illicit items by detecting the ways it’s transported into the prison and how it’s being concealed once inside.” In a press release, the Prison Service pointed out that it is a criminal offense to knowingly introduce con- traband, including drugs, weapons and other forbidden items, to the prison. “When members of the public traffic such items into the prison, they are en- couraging continued drug abuse, which puts inmates and staff members’ lives at risk,” Mr. Lavis said in the statement. He added that the Prison Service will continue to crack down on “complicit visitors and anyone else who breaks the law.” “We have strategies in place to combat this issue and if anyone is caught trying to do such a crime, it will be reported to police, and they could find themselves behind bars,” he said. Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service released this image of ganja allegedly smuggled into Northward Prison by a visitor. Butterfield Bank has in- troduced a new postgrad- uate scholarship for stu- dents studying in academic fields associated with the protection and improvement of island environments. The US$25,000 annual Butterfield Post-Graduate Scholarship will be awarded to an eligible student who is a resident of the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, The Ba- hamas, Guernsey, the United Kingdom, Switzerland or Canada, according to a press release. The awardee must have an undergraduate de- gree and is commencing or already pursuing an ad- vanced degree at an accred- ited university in an appro- priate field of study related to the improvement or pro- tection of island/maritime environments. “The Butterfield Post- Graduate Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of the applicant’s academic achieve- ment, environmental focus and extracurricular achieve- ments,” the release states. The scholarship will be valued at US$25,000 per year for up to four years. Only one scholarship will be awarded each year, the bank stated. Elizabeth Bauman, group head of human resources at the bank, said, “As an in- ternational bank and trust company, we are pleased to extend the availability of a post-graduate scholar- ship to students in all of our jurisdictions. “Although we are reaching out to a much larger pool of eligible stu- dents, we are also narrowing the focus of our scholarship to align with the bank’s ob- jective of helping preserve and improve island and maritime environments.” The bank already offers an undergraduate scholar- ship, the application pro- cess for which is also cur- rently under way. The deadline for applica- tions for both scholarships is Friday, April 28. Interested applicants can download an application from www.butterfieldgroup.com/scholarships or email hr@ky.butterfieldgroup.com for more information. Bank offers postgraduate environmental scholarship Guatemala arrests 3 officials in deadly youth shelter fire GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – Gua- temalan authorities arrested three former child welfare of- ficials Monday who were re- sponsible for overseeing a youth shelter where 40 girls died from a fire. Prosecutor’s spokeswoman Julia Barrera confirmed the detentions of Social Wel- fare Secretary Carlos Rodas, Deputy Secretary Anahi Keller and shelter director Santos Torres on suspicion of homi- cide, mistreatment of minors and failure to fulfill duty. Rodas lawyer Juan Alberto Guevara said they were evalu- ating his legal situation. “As the constitution says, he is innocent until proven otherwise,” Guevara said. “I have known him for a long time and he is a real professional.” Earlier in the day Presi- dent Jimmy Morales said he had fired the chain of com- mand at the country’s child welfare agency, but did not specify how many employees were dismissed. Rodas resigned Saturday, Torres was dismissed the day of the fire and Keller was let go Monday. Morales also said his government has asked the FBI to help in the investiga- tion of Wednesday’s disaster. Guatemala’s human rights prosecutor said the dismissals should have come the same day as the fire. Jorge de Leon said his agency had asked a judge to review conditions at the shelter before the fire, but the request was denied. Authorities have said the fire that swept through parts of the institution began when mattresses were set ablaze during a protest by residents protesting conditions at the overcrowded youth shelter. Some of the victims had es- caped earlier, fleeing poor food and mistreatment, but were caught and confined at the facility. De Leon said last week that younger children fled the shelter because they were being abused by older residents. CAR LANDS ON IRONSHORE IN EE A car ended up on the ironshore in East End on Tuesday after colliding with another vehicle on Sea View Road near Lover’s Wall. According to police, a Nissan Skyline traveling eastbound around 1:15 p.m. collided with a Ford Edge headed in the opposite direction, and the Nissan veered onto the ironshore. Two people were taken to the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threat- ening, police said in a state- ment. The westbound lane at the scene of the accident was closed off temporarily following the collision. TWO ARRESTED FOR SUSPECTED CONCH POACHING Two West Bay men were arrested on suspicion of marine offenses following a police search in the Barkers area Monday. According to officers, the Joint Marine Unit was asked to help the Depart- ment of Environment in tracking two suspected conch poachers who were spotted in a canoe in the North Side. Police said police and DOE vessels found the canoe in the Barkers area where it had been run aground in some man- groves. After an hours- long search Monday morning, the men had not been located. Police said they were initially concerned for the welfare of the two men, Ian Martin Ebanks and Derrick Bush, who had trekked off through the heavy bush. They were later located safe and well. During Monday’s search, a marine unit officer was injured and had to be hospitalized. A Nissan Skyline sits on the ironshore in East End after colliding with another car.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 Students take part in debate tournament Nearly 50 high school and middle school students participated recently in the Conyers Inter-Schools De- bate Tournament at St. Ig- natius School. All public and private schools in the Cayman Is- lands debated the topic “tor- ture is justifiable to combat terrorism,” for which teams had to prepare an argu- ment for both sides. There were also two impromptu rounds, on education and technology. More than 30 mem- bers of the community, in- cluding lawyers, accountants and parents volunteered as judges. Retired Grand Court Justice Alex Henderson de- termined the overall winner. “I was impressed with the ability and enthusiasm of these young debaters. Oral advocacy skills are important in law, politics, diplomacy and business. The experi- ence of engaging in a struc- tured debate before a large audience is invaluable,” Mr. Henderson said. For the third time in four tournaments, St. Ignatius was the overall winner. De- bating in the competitive di- vision, the team of Elijah Samson and Sarah Jackson won first place. Rafael McK- enzie and Chadene Brooks of John Gray High School took second place. Conyers also intro- duced a novice division for younger students from Years 9 and 10. While the focus of the novice division was less competitive and more in- structional, it was still in an inter-school, competi- tive setting. Sarah Goring of Conyers’ human resources team said, “Conyers is committed to supporting students of all ages …. By offering this new division, we are en- gaging with students at a younger age and presenting a platform for them to prac- tice their spoken word. “The power of speech and persuasion is something which our lawyers use in their careers daily. This is a skill that we are proud to be able to support.” Cayman International School won the novice di- vision, with Tahiti Sey- mour taking first place. The school also took the top four speaker positions. Rock your socks for Down syndrome awareness Cayman Islands busi- nesses and schools will rock their socks off March 21 for Down syndrome awareness. The Special Needs Foun- dation of the Cayman Islands is organizing the second an- nual “Rock Your Socks” fund- raiser for World Down Syn- drome Day with the goal of raising $25,000. The money will go toward therapy pro- grams, community sup- port and education on Down syndrome. Office workers and stu- dents are encouraged to wear colorful and mismatched socks that day and to post a selfie to the Cayman Islands World Down Syndrome Day Facebook page. Leslie Bromfield, chair- woman of the Down Syn- drome Committee, said the socks create an easy way to spark conversation about Down syndrome. The committee will also be organizing school programs and distributing classroom materials to promote student awareness and empathy. ‘Basket of Hope’ To boost support for par- ents, Ms. Bromfield said the committee will also donate a “Basket of Hope” to the Cayman Islands Hospital ma- ternity ward. The basket will be pre- sented to new parents of a baby with Down syndrome. Ms. Bromfield said the basket holds educational ma- terials and gifts for the baby and mother to let families know they have support in the Cayman Islands. In an additional show of support, Camana Bay will light up in blue and yellow, in honor of the syndrome’s awareness colors. Elijah Samson and Sarah Jackson of St. Ignatius took first place in the Conyers Inter-Schools Debate Tournament. The money will go toward therapy programs, community support and education on Down syndrome.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. The labyrinthine (and crowded) path to electoral victory The carnival-like atmosphere in Bodden Town on Saturday night, as described in today’s front page story, is participatory democracy at its finest (and loudest). Cars jammed both sides of the road as drivers amplified their vocal chords with honking horns to express their approval (or otherwise) of one candidate or another. Two candidates held competing campaign launches, and each attracted hundreds of people with speeches, spectacle and free food. The quadrennial campaign season has always been a most interesting, and entertaining, time in Cayman. This year’s version is even more rambunctious, thanks to the steroid-like effects infused by the transition to the “one man, one vote” system of single-member constituencies. With two weeks remaining until Nomination Day, the Compass is tracking about 70 confirmed or poten- tial candidates, a number that we expect to grow, and which already far surpasses the 57 candidates who ran in 2013 (as well as the 43 who ran in 2009 and the 45 who ran in 2005). Incumbents, up-and-comers, former lawmakers, perennial hopefuls and dark-horse candidates are emerging to make runs at the 19 separate electoral districts. And why not? After all, as related in today’s news story, all it would take to win Cayman’s largest district of Bodden Town East (with five candidates competing for 1,531 votes) is to secure 307 ballots. In one of Cayman’s smaller districts, North Side, four candidates are competing for 717 votes – meaning the winner could emerge victorious with a paltry 180 votes and … with the support of less than 1 percent of Cayman’s 21,465 registered voters (and a total of 65,000 residents), any winner could potentially become the next premier of the entire country. The historical district of Bodden Town (which has been broken up into the four “mini-districts” of Savannah, Newlands, Bodden Town West and Bodden Town East) is perhaps the least predictable area amid a general election that is (or at least right now appears to be) utterly unpredictable. By our count, there are between 15 and 20 people contending for seats in the Bodden Town area (again, with final candidate slates not set for another two weeks). Unlike other areas of Cayman, where districts have been staked out by the two dominant parties (i.e. the Cayman Democratic Party in West Bay, or the Progressives in George Town), the candidates in Bodden Town are a motley assortment of incumbents, independents, recent party defectors, or potential members of (loosely) affiliated but like-minded coali- tions, groups or teams that may or may not eventually be identified as official parties. In a word … “Whew!” Unlike pundits and pollsters in last year’s U.S. presi- dential campaign, we at the Compass think it unwise to attempt to make any predictions or prognostica- tions about the results of Cayman’s May 24 elections. Instead, our mission remains to clarify current events and to disseminate information in the public interest so that when May 24 arrives, Cayman’s elec- torate is equipped with the best available knowledge to make intelligent, reasoned choices. We repeat our invitation to all candidates to visit us at the Compass Centre between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, to have “official” photographs taken and to participate in 5-minute video interviews with our journalists. The interviews and information are being posted on our online Elec- tions homepage at www.CaymanCompass.com/Elec- tions-2017 and will be a resource for our reporting in our print newspaper and other upcoming special pub- lications. Under “one man, one vote,” each voter has one important decision to make — which individual candi- date will they support to represent their single district. As far as the “other” 18 districts go (and for the tens of thousands of adults in Cayman who are not legally able to vote), the general election is valuable as an informative, entertaining but “non-participatory” event. For the entire Elections 2017 show, the Compass provides “the best seat (your seat, your armchair) in town.” WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Make the American novel great again GARRISON KEILLOR Special To The Washington Post The $54 billion bonus heading for the Pentagon is a beautiful thing and so far I haven’t heard a dogbark against it, even though we don’t appear to have $54 bil- lion worth of new enemies and we’ve now come to ad- mire former enemy Vlad- imir Putin and the idea of throwing billions at the Is- lamic State is like going after bedbugs with bazookas, so there it sits, a big lake of cash waiting for water skiers. Base pay for a PFC these days is around $22K and, granted, it is not rocket sci- ence – aerospace engineers earn a hundred grand or more – but a Radio City Rock- ette earns about $1,500/week. Should we be paying more for precision tap-dancing than for the defense of our country? Meanwhile, apple pickers are hauling down $23K while orange pickers get $20K. I’d say our soldiers are due for a big raise. Those caissons don’t roll them- selves, you know. The shores of Tripoli are an ever-present threat to our security. And the halls of Montezuma are out for revenge. I just hope that my good friends in the Pentagon will stop and think about the value of the arts and lit- erature to our national de- fense. Some of that money, perhaps $3 billion or $4 bil- lion, would be well spent en- couraging writers and art- ists to cast a warmer light on our uniformed services than what we’ve seen the past century or so when, aside from George M. Cohan’s “Over There” (1917) and Frank Loesser’s “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” (1942), the arts have been de- cidedly anti-war. When was the last time a great poet wrote an ode to the importance of fol- lowing orders? Eighteen fifty-four, that’s when. Ten- nyson wrote, “Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die,” immortalizing Lord Cardigan’s botched mission in the Battle of Bala- clava – “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” Tennyson was England’s poet lau- reate at the time and felt obliged to turn a military disaster into something he- roic. No American poet lau- reate ever wrote anything similar and maybe that’s be- cause they’re paid $35K per year. Make that $350K and give the laureate the rank of major general and a cap with a plume and see if the tune doesn’t change. Our Nobel laureate Mr. Dylan could have written (but did not): Well it ain’t no use to sit around the barracks And ask why you must drill. Or ask why we have to carry rifles: They are to injure, maim and kill. Get out of bed at the break of dawn, Put your helmet and your uniform on, You’re not a bishop, son, you’re just a pawn. Don’t think twice, it’s all right. It’s no wonder that wealthy New York real es- tate heirs shopped around for physicians to diagnose heel spurs to exempt them from the draft. For a century, nobody has written a great work of literature celebrating America’s military – “Slaugh- terhouse-Five”? “Catch-22”? “The Naked and the Dead”? “The Things They Carried”? I don’t think so. Nobody read “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and went down to the recruiting office to sign up. It was not always thus. Look at what Homer did for the Greeks with his Iliad. It’s an action epic, one hero after another, Agamemnon, Odys- seus, Achilles, Ajax – no intro- spective nonconformist in the ranks, wondering, “Why are we brutalizing each other? Why can’t we sit down and talk through our differences?” Because we are us and they are them and it’s one for all and all for one, so grab your spear and go puncture those Trojans, son. What we need to make America great again is Amer- ican literature about great- ness. Look at Tolstoy. He could’ve just written Peace but he wrote War too, both of them, glorifying General Ku- tuzov, who engineered the de- feat of Napoleon. Spending some of that $54 billion on the arts would be an ex- cellent investment. If they need someone to write an epic poem, here I am, my pen is poised. Media to the right of him, Media to the left of him, Democrats embittered. Loud was his battle cry, The man with long red tie, Onward he twittered. Rising in early dawn, Turning his smartphone on, Texting he bravely fought, Tweet after tweet he shot With his red hat on, Looking like George C. Scott Playing George Patton. It’s the story of a man who overcame his heel spur handicap by playing golf reg- ularly and eventually took command in his bomber jacket and led the country to greatness. It’s going to be fantastic. I promise you. Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality. © Garrison Keillor, distributed by The Washington Post News Service with Bloomberg News. 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 find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 John Gray team wins robotics challenge JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A team of 11-year-old stu- dents from John Gray High School won a national inter- school science and tech- nology challenge to build and operate mini submersible ve- hicles on Saturday. The 2017 SeaPerch Chal- lenge involved more than 60 high school students in 11 teams from schools across the island. Students had to build a re- motely operated vehicle from a kit and adapt it to perform a series of challenges. It is the second consecu- tive year a team from John Gray has won the competi- tion, which seeks to teach science, technology, math- ematics and engineering concepts through a prac- tical challenge. The winning team of Dia- mond White, Davonte Howell, Alvan Boxwell and Caleb Feare, called the Aqua Lasers, will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, where they will represent the Cayman Islands at the Inter- national SeaPerch Challenge on May 19-20. Their teacher Desmond White said their hard work and enthusiasm had paid off. “They worked hard and their win is down primarily to the dedication and preparation that they put in,” he said. He explained that the youngsters had tested their submersible vehicles in a portable tank and then spent time on evenings and weekends working on the project and practicing op- erating the vehicle in pools around the island. Cayman’s participation in the international competition was sponsored by Dart and Minds Inspired, along with Maples and the Women’s In- ternational Shipping and Trading Association. Teams from John Gray, Clifton Hunter, St. Ignatius and Layman E. Scott high schools, Cayman Prep and High School, Cayman Inter- national School and the Uni- versity College of the Cayman Islands took part. They were judged on their ability to operate their vehi- cles in various underwater challenges at the Camana Bay Aquatics Centre, as well as their engineering jour- nals documenting their work in the weeks running up to the challenge. Jon Clark, principal of John Gray High School, said he was proud of the efforts of the students. “It’s a fantastic achieve- ment for our students to win this two years in a row. It shows they can really com- pete with the best on island. Their creativity and energy was just incredible,” he said. The 2017 SeaPerch Challenge involved more than 60 high school students in 11 teams from schools across the island. The John Gray ‘Aqua Lasers’ accept their prize. - PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON The winning team of Alvan Boxwell, Davonte Howell, Diamond White and Caleb Feare will travel to Georgia for the international competition. - PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSONDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Climbing enthusiasts ‘Climb On’ in Brac Rock Iguana, the Brac’s newest climbing company, held its official launch event, “Climb On” over the weekend, featuring a number of activ- ities for climbers of various skill levels. The event introduced par- ticipants to a variety of the island’s climbing routes and provided an opportunity for enthusiasts from across all three islands to get together. “We had around 30 attendees, about a dozen of which flew over from Grand Cayman for the event and the remainder being resi- dents of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman,” said David Verhoeven, a structural en- gineer who founded the company along with his brother William, a software developer, and mixologist Angel Robledo. “People of all ages and experience levels attended and had lots of fun. Some notable people that at- tended were former Miss Cayman and Z99 host, Tonie Chisholm, photographer James Gates of Bluedot Stu- dios, Joe Kellogg of Cayman Brac Beach Resort and Liesel Van Der Touw of Brac Scuba Shack.” Mr. Verhoeven said a key purpose of the event was to create a general ex- citement for rock climbing and adventure tourism in Cayman Brac. “Our main focus at this point is making sure ev- eryone in Cayman can expe- rience how amazing the rock climbing in the Brac really is, and to get excited about adding it to the cache of the Cayman tourism product,” said Mr. Verhoeven. “Diving and climbing in the Brac [make for] the per- fect adventurous holiday.” Participants at the Climb On event take a break. - PHOTO: MIHA POPOVIC Rock Iguana instructor Miha Popovic enjoys the view from the top of the Bluff. - PHOTO: JAMES GATES Rock Iguana instructor Miha Popovic and Dave Schudel at Climb On. 50 years ago: Brac Cable & Wireless exchange opens In the March 15, 1967 edition of the Cayma- nian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Com- pass, Brac correspondent Lilian Ritch wrote: “The local system of Cable & Wireless (W.I.) Ltd. Telephone Communications was officially opened on the afternoon of Friday 10th. “Mr. Burnard Tibbetts, technician 1/c, addressed the audience first: “‘I am happy to see this become a reality after waiting so long. My one regret is that everybody cannot be supplied. It is great to have a part and lot in this scheme which will really make a difference to the future of our islands.’ “Mr. Wentworth Bodden, Postmaster General for the Cayman Islands, officially opened the system. First ad- dressing the gathering, he brought an apology for the absence of His Honour the Administrator who had to be busy with officials ar- riving in Grand Cayman and had asked him to come over. “‘In developing countries, communications and tele- communications are a big part that we may not be cut off from the outside world. Although only a portion of the system is operational, it must mean a great deal to the island and we hope that in the not too distant future, the three islands will be connected and we will have our own interna- tional links …. The system is temporary until the Tro- pospheric Scatter System is in operation.’ “He thanked the audi- ence for coming on such short notice, adding that there will be a more formal function to mark the opening as a whole, when the organisation of the system is completed. “‘I have very much plea- sure in declaring the system internally in Cayman Brac open, and would like to make a call to the District Com- missioner in office – #222.’ “Over the wires he said: ‘Hello Dennis, Wentworth here. I have just opened the internal system in the ex- change and am making the first call to you …. The Mar- coni engineers are in Ja- maica now … are coming here …. In another six to eight weeks the system will be in full swing …. It has been a pleasure to be here …. Wish you luck over these phones.’ “Mr. R.W. Tidde, manager of C&W, accompanied Mr. Bodden to see the system officially opened and to dis- cuss the telephone develop- ments in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman with the Dis- trict Commissioner and Mr. Tibbetts, technician. “There are 24 connected subscribers at this time, a total of 46 will be con- nected within the next four weeks. Little Cayman is a subscriber. On the Brac there are to be four public telephones.”DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Sister Islands CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 Branson, Harvey take in grouper spawning British businessman, phi- lanthropist and conserva- tionist Sir Richard Branson was in Little Cayman last month, teaming up with noted artist, scientist and environmental activist Dr. Guy Harvey to bring at- tention to protecting the Nassau grouper. On Feb. 13, the two donned their scuba gear to witness the Nassau groupers’ massive annual spawning ag- gregation off the west end of Little Cayman, which takes place each year after the Feb- ruary full moon. “[It was] like being in the maternity ward of the ocean, with thousands of fish mating together,” said Mr. Branson of his experience, which he doc- umented on his blog. The spawning activity has made Nassau groupers an easy target for fishermen and consequently, their popula- tions have become overfished and devastated throughout the Caribbean. Mr. Branson and Mr. Harvey have teamed up sev- eral times in the name of ma- rine conservation, speaking together last year at the Cayman Alternative Invest- ment Summit on ocean con- servation projects, and col- laborating on projects like the Caribbean Challenge Ini- tiative and the Guy Harvey Great Shark Race. According to a press re- lease, joining Mr. Branson and Mr. Harvey on the dive off the coast of Little Cayman were representatives from the Cayman Islands Depart- ment of Environment and Reef Environmental Educa- tion Foundation, known as REEF, which have worked for 15 years to monitor and protect the species and ag- gregation site. “Because of the ongoing research program, education, and implemented legislation including a five-month closed season and catch limits, sci- entists consider there is a positive trend in the re- covery of the species,” the release notes. Mr. Branson visited Little Cayman to see if the scien- tific work and conservation effort could be exported to other islands. The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which con- ducts a wide range of scien- tific research and hosts edu- cational programs aimed at conserving the marine en- vironment, has spent seven years supporting and pro- moting this spawning ag- gregation to local and in- ternational communities, emphasizing its importance to the reef ecosystem. “The Nassau grouper is such an iconic Carib- bean species. Divers love to interact with this friendly fish. As a [medium] reef pred- ator, the grouper also needs to be protected for the health of our reefs,” said Mr. Harvey. “We appreciate Sir Rich- ard’s interest in this. Aware- ness is the first step in taking action.” During the expedition, Mr. Harvey’s production team also shot a sequel to the crit- ically acclaimed “Mystery of the Grouper Moon,” which first documented the work six years ago. For more information on the Grouper Moon Project, visit REEF at www.reef.org or the DOE at www.doe.ky. Mr. Branson visited Little Cayman to see if the scientific work and conservation effort could be exported to other islands. Richard Branson and Guy Harvey in Little Cayman to witness the grouper spawning.Groupers aggregate at the spawning event. Airports Authority thanks student volunteers Staging a mock aviation emer- gency is no easy task, and for an exercise held on the Brac last year, dozens of high school stu- dents donned makeup and put their acting talents to work to play victims for the numerous re- sponders taking part. To comply with international standards, every two years the Cayman Islands Airports Authority stages a full-scale emergency exer- cise at Owen Roberts International airport in Grand Cayman and at Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac. The exer- cises test the ability of airport staff and emergency response agencies to work together to form an organized response to save lives. To thank the Layman E. Scott Senior High School students who took part in the Nov. 30 Brac ex- ercise, the Airports Authority pre- sented them with certificates of ap- preciation on March 6, according to a press release. “Living on a small island with limited resources, it is important for the people in our community to be involved and assist emergency services in preparing a realistic re- sponse to an aircraft emergency,” said Airports Authority Chief Safety Management Officer An- drew McLaughlin. “While we practiced for months and made sure all the technical de- tails and safeguards were in place for a successful exercise, the stu- dents and other volunteers added realism to the scenario by simu- lating injured passengers, and I would like to commend them as well as all of our volunteers both in Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman for their spirit of volunteerism and community service,” he continued. “Without their assistance, the emergency responders would miss an opportunity to practice their life- saving skills in the most realistic scenario possible. While we pray we will never use these skills, it is good to know we are ready when called.” Several Layman E. Scott High School students took part in the emergency exercise last November. International Airport Manager Miguel Martin, students from Layman E. Scott High School and CIAA’s Chief Safety Management Officer Andrew McLaughlinThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS “I absolutely loved playing Darth Vader. The moment I put on the suit, his presence just took over.” He remembers auditioning for the role at London’s Pine- wood studios and seeing the looks of fear and respect from the casting directors when he donned the suit. “You can’t just put a tall guy in the suit and make him walk around. It is about a presence and a feeling. I be- lieve the presence came to me. I felt like I was Darth Vader. The character took over me.” Mr. Wilding has played some of the most recogniz- able characters on screen. Yet, if you saw him on the beach, you might not know his face. “I have done a lot of dif- ferent characters behind a mask,” he says. He specializes in crea- ture characters and played a White Walker in “Game of Thrones,” Prometheus in “Victor Frankenstein,” and a Shadow Warrior in “Batman Begins.” He has also featured in “Dr. Who” and “Guard- ians of the Galaxy,” and was Benicio del Toro’s Wolfman body double in the movie of the same name. Mr. Wilding says his ini- tial forays into acting were hampered by his severe dys- lexia. He was invited to au- dition for British crime thriller “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” but strug- gled to read the script. It was only after achieving fame as a kickboxing cham- pion that he found a new route into acting, eventually overcoming dyslexia through reading more and more scripts. After landing the biggest role of his career in “Rogue One,” he was bound to secrecy for more than a year until the film came out. His sister, Sam Phillips, says she and the family, in- cluding husband Mark, a QC working on the long-running Saudi legal case currently under way in Cayman, were “beyond excited” when they watched the movie premiere in Grand Cayman. But she admits she may be one of the few people on the planet who is not a fan of the franchise. “I have never been into Star Wars. I didn’t see the original ones. I prefer a good period drama.” Despite that, she says is a convert to the series thanks to her “little brother.” “He’s using it to help out a lot of charities back home and to help dyslexic children. I am so proud of him,” she said. only local district where a number of candidates, the majority of them indepen- dents, are already vying for the next election or consid- ering doing so. In neighboring Bodden Town West, former gov- ernment Minister Gilbert McLean and former United Democratic Party Bodden Town Chairman Chris Saunders are running, both as independents. The Pro- gressives and Cayman Democratic Party have not officially named their can- didates for this district, but prospective candidates have been discussed by both parties. In Newlands, indepen- dents Alva Suckoo, an in- cumbent, and Raul Gon- zalez have officially joined the race, while local busi- nessman Mario Rankin, also an independent, is con- sidered a likely candidate. The Progressives were ex- pected to run Minister Wayne Panton in the seat, but have not formally an- nounced the party’s plans. Independent Kent Mc- Taggart is the only an- nounced candidate in Sa- vannah district, but other potential candidates in- clude former MLA Heather Bodden and Bodden Town’s longtime political patriarch Anthony Eden. Although the political parties’ full candidate list for Bodden Town may not be complete at the moment, the number of indepen- dent candidates currently outnumber the known party candidates by more than two-to-one. Generally, political par- ties will not run more than one candidate per district in order to avoid splitting sup- porters’ ballots. However, in some Bodden Town dis- tricts, at least one party, the Cayman Democratic Party (formerly the UDP) has said it will back independents. CDP leader McKeeva Bush has said his group would back Mr. Eden if he seeks re-election, as well as Mr. Suckoo. Mr. Robert Bodden is a CDP party candidate. Both major political par- ties’ fortunes in Bodden Town have been hit by ab- sences or defections of can- didates over the past 18 months. The Progressives lost founding member Mr. Eden and new member Mr. Suckoo toward the end of 2015 in a well-pub- licized dispute over same- sex unions. Meanwhile, Mr. Seymour and Mr. Saun- ders both left the CDP/ UDP, while former UDP candidates Mark Scot- land and Theresa Pitcairn decided not to contest this election. “The parties just can’t find quality candidates,” Mr. Saunders said. “They’re trying to find them, but they haven’t been successful.” Mr. Saunders believes the Progressives are “pulling back” from Bodden Town district to focus their ef- forts in the historical party stronghold of George Town. Mr. Seymour agreed that independent candi- dates now have a golden opportunity in Cayman’s first capital. “Normally, the parties would have probably de- clared by now, started having public campaign meetings … none of that has happened,” Mr. Seymour said. “I think if there’s a chance for indepen- dents, it’s now.” cannabis oil from a com- pany in Jamaica. He said he has secured an import permit from Cayman Is- lands health officials and has started the process of importing the product on behalf of one patient. A spokeswoman for Ja- maica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority said Tuesday it had yet to authorize any company to sell cannabis and could not give a time- line for when companies would be licensed to export cannabis oil. Mr. Anderson said the pharmacy researched and located the required product and strength for the patient’s condition. He said he was not aware of the regulatory require- ments in Jamaica, which would be the responsibility of the supplier. However, he stressed, “At this point, we don’t have a prescrip- tion for any patient at all. Any patient requiring this will need a prescription from a doctor.” He said the research helped establish a process for how patients can get cannabis oil products once a doctor prescribes them. “There have been nu- merous inquiries, but what we have directed pa- tients to do is to go and speak to their doctors,” Mr. Anderson said. He said patients would need different strengths and types of cannabis oil-derived products de- pending on their condi- tions, and more educa- tion is needed generally for health professionals. “There may have to be some collaboration be- tween doctors and pharma- cists to get the right prod- ucts once a patient’s needs are identified,” he added. The cannabis oil product approved for import from Jamaica was tested by the University of West Indies toxicology lab, Mr. Anderson said. Dr. Delroy Jefferson, chief medical officer for the Health Services Authority, led a seminar for pharma- cists this month on med- ical cannabis, highlighting issues such as how the di- versity of types and vari- ability of cultivation of cannabis impacts dosage requirements. Mr. Anderson said in most cases pharmacies would wait to get prescrip- tions before bringing in cannabis oil products. Dennie Warren, who campaigned for the law on cannabis oil to be changed, said he is happy that Fos- ter’s has secured an import permit. He said his wife, who has stage four cancer, is now seeking a prescrip- tion from a doctor for can- nabis oil, which he believes could help cure her. “People have to under- stand that they are going to have to go to a doctor and get a prescription,” he said. “The pharmacy is not just going to import the oil and hope people show up. That is not going to happen till they become more familiar with what people are using.” He added that he supports further changes to the law. “I feel we need to be growing it in Cayman. This process is way too cum- bersome. Doctors are very reluctant to prescribe it. It is frustrating still be- cause people’s lives are on the line.” Mr. Warren will share his story Wednesday night at a CayCann med- ical cannabis seminar at the Lions Centre, which features American guest speakers Dr. Dustin Sulak and Dr. Ethan Russo. It starts at 7 p.m. opposition MLAs. Opposition Leader McK- eeva Bush called the looming effort to rewrite the con- troversial bill in legislative committee “madness.” Members of the indepen- dent opposition said they were releasing a statement concerning the Monday legis- lative meeting, but it had not been received by press time. Minister Archer disagreed with Mr. Bush during his Legislative Assembly debate Tuesday, stating that a com- promise version of the bill is necessary. “First, to pro- tect our financial services industry, but also to protect our Caymanian attorneys,” Mr. Archer said. “These are not mutually exclusive out- comes and we should not let anyone tell us that it is. “Finding a happy bal- ance is possible. It may not be easy to do, but find it we must.” Mr. Archer said one cru- cial issue concerns who con- trols the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Associa- tion. Under the current pro- posal, that new body created by the bill would be led by an eight-person council of which five members must be Caymanian. The minister said the council, which would ef- fectively regulate most law firm operations in Cayman, should be made up of eight Caymanians. “Some of those Cayma- nians are Caymanian by status,” Mr. Archer said. “It should be adequate to en- sure that the views of the council … are not one-sided.” Another key issue that government must resolve is the matter of how many for- eign attorneys are practicing Cayman Islands law in over- seas offices, Mr. Archer said. The current bill seeks to balance the number of lawyers overseas with the number of attorneys and ar- ticled clerks working at the Cayman Islands law office in what effectively amounts to a one-to-one ratio. Mr. Archer said he tends to side with those who said the practice of lawyers using Cayman law overseas had been going on so long that it could not be stopped, espe- cially since Cayman’s com- petitors in the financial ser- vices industry have since followed suit with their own legal regimes. “The results would be adverse to the health and strength of the financial services industry and our economy generally if we stop now,” the minister said. However, Mr. Archer said the bill must ensure that no “abuses” occur with the system. For instance, if local law firms hire a number of articled law clerks just to “make up the numbers” in order to justify a larger number of overseas at- torneys, and never intend to promote those clerks within their firms. Some 200 attorneys are believed to be practicing Cayman Islands law over- seas. Mr. Archer suggested that there should be some method by which they sit an exam in order to continue the practice. He suggested that the exam should be ad- ministered at the Cayman Is- lands law school. “There’s nothing un- reasonable about that” he said. “That is precisely how it works elsewhere and Cayman should be no dif- ferent … if we have any hope of preserving the reputation of these islands.” Mr. Archer said he would support the bill when it fi- nally comes to the House for a vote. Also, government backbencher Joey Hew indi- cated he would do the same, noting that historical dif- ficulties with Caymanians being promoted and re- spected within the legal field did not stem from the cur- rent draft of the Legal Prac- titioners Bill. “This bill didn’t create the issue, but again [the gov- ernment has] fallen victim to taking on the difficult is- sues,” Mr. Hew said. Lawyers bill compromise flops; debate continues CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ‘Darth Vader’ takes Cayman vacation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Crowded field facing off in Bodden Town CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Uncle Darth: Spencer Wilding, who plays Darth Vader, with his sister Sam Phillips, niece Ava, 10, and nephew Max, 4, in Cayman this week. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERS Cannabis oil import permit approved CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 DUBLIN (AP) – Britain’s plans to leave the European Union threaten to cause Ire- land all kinds of economic and security headaches. But a silver lining is expanding daily along the crane-filled banks of the River Liffey, a likely post-Brexit refuge for British banking operations. Dublin’s financial dis- trict barely existed three de- cades ago but today stretches for nearly a mile on both banks of the river. More than 60 construction cranes are erecting future high-rise of- fices, hotels and apartments along the riverfront. Britain’s definitive exit from the EU may be at least two years away, but Dublin is doubling down on its com- mercial building revival, con- fident that thousands of fi- nancial services jobs are poised to migrate 290 miles northwest in search of a new EU home that was not too le- gally, linguistically or cultur- ally different from London. Enough office space a concern While similar sales pitches are being proffered from Luxembourg, France, Germany and other EU coun- tries, Ireland considers it- self best positioned. In Dublin, the dominant con- cern is whether there will be enough offices, homes and school space. “Every one of these con- struction sites already has tenants booked through 2019. We’ll need to build faster and higher if there’s a hard Brexit as we now ex- pect,” said Shane Dempsey, spokesman for the Construc- tion Industry Federation of Ireland, while observing the riverside panorama from Dublin’s glass-fronted con- vention center. Under a “hard” Brexit, Britain would leave the EU without retaining privileged access to the bloc’s single market. Financial houses based in London that cur- rently manage assets and in- vestments throughout the union would need to transfer some operations, and poten- tially a sizable chunk of their work force, to retain business. Dempsey says authorities planning Ireland’s infrastruc- ture needs through 2040 es- timate that the country, even without a single Brexit-re- lated job, already requires more than 110,000 construc- tion workers on top of the 140,000 employed today building projects valued at 19 billion euros (US$20 billion). Those targets will have to be raised if London-based jobs come to Dublin. Among the companies already sig- naling their interest are Britain’s second-largest bank, Barclays, and U.S. asset man- ager Legg Mason. The Central Bank says it’s been fielding dozens of such overseas in- quiries monthly, particularly from insurance companies. Gesturing to swathes of decades-idle industrial waste ground north of the conven- tion center, Dempsey says the challenge will be create living and working space in time. London’s financial sector not worried Officials representing London’s financial dis- trict, by many measures the world’s biggest surpassing Wall Street, stress that their world is so vast and pow- erful that it can shrug off any job defections. “London is a unique fi- nancial and regulatory pro- fessional services ecosystem. There is nothing like it any- where else in Europe,” said Miles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, a lobbying group that represents Britain’s fi- nancial services industry. Celic expressed confidence that the vast majority of 2.2 million British financial jobs, a third of which are in London, would adapt to whatever U.K.- EU relationship emerges. Independent experts say London might be grossly un- derestimating losses. A Brussels-based think tank, Bruegel, estimates that 35 percent of London’s whole- sale banking involves clients in other EU nations involving 1.8 trillion euros (US$1.9 tril- lion) in euro-denominated as- sets – some 17 percent of the U.K. total under management – that might be obliged on reg- ulatory grounds to exit Britain whenever an EU exit becomes reality. Traveling with them, Bruegel has calculated, could be 10 percent to 15 percent of British-based account man- agers and traders. Financial services propo- nents in France and Germany, the nations at the core of EU power, are gearing up their own capacity to shelter City of London migrants. At the La Defense finan- cial center in Paris, construc- tion is under way for seven more skyscrapers by 2021. Its boosters have placed subway ads in London suggesting that Paris might offer a nicer personal environment. “Tired of the fog? Try the frogs,” reads one of them. HSBC moving 1,000 jobs France has claimed an early scalp with news that HSBC, Britain’s biggest bank, plans to relocate around 1,000 jobs from London to Paris by 2019. Arnaud de Bresson, managing director of Paris Europlace, the group pro- moting France’s financial center, says he expects more firms to follow because Paris is “a city of big companies, both French and global, with a lot of activity on the markets.” Frankfurt, the German headquarters for the Euro- pean Central Bank that over- sees the euro, is planning its own expansion as it fields dozens of research visits monthly from U.S. and British banks. Officials for Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan have been spotted scouting out poten- tial office space in Frankfurt. Whereas Ireland’s infra- structural deficit is plain to see with traffic-clogged roads and scattershot public trans- port, France and Germany stress that they’re better places to live than London. “It’s both a good place to work and a good place to raise a family in a safe environ- ment,” said Eric Menges, man- ager of the Frankfurt region’s investment agency. “There are vineyards, golf courses and lush forests within 30 min- utes of downtown Frankfurt.” But the large numbers of U.S. banks with fully licensed subsidiaries already rooted in Ireland gives the Irish an edge, sharpened by the coun- try’s EU-low 12.5 percent rate of tax on corporate profits. France and Germany, by con- trast, levy rates of 30 percent to 33 percent. Bank of America’s director of corporate banking in Ger- many, Nikolaus Naerger, told a Frankfurt confer- ence Tuesday that the bank’s Dublin base represented its “emergency default op- tion” for Europe in event of a hard Brexit. He said Bank of America arms in the Neth- erlands, Luxembourg, Spain and Germany also could gain assets and jobs. Soirees aim to win hearts and minds Ireland, which until 1922 was part of the U.K., is seeking to win British hearts and minds one soiree at a time. Representatives from dozens of British-based banks, investment man- agers and financial tech- nology firms packed into the Irish Embassy in London last week to sample canapés, shots of whiskey and pints of stout, with a sales pitch on the side. Its message: We’re staying in the EU and we’re a lot like you. “Ireland is in the same time zone. It has a very sim- ilar business culture, the same similar legal system, a very good, highly educated, flexible work force – many of the qualities that London has,” said Ireland’s ambas- sador to Britain, Dan Mulhall. CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2017 With heavy hearts, Cindy and Dakota announce the passing of James (Jay) Koopman, a wonderful husband and loving father. He fought an intense and courageous battle over the past year, but his life was cut short by cancer on Saturday, 4th March 2017. Jay, a former IT employee of the Cayman Islands Government also IT and IT Audit employee of Butterfield Bank was knowledgeable, hardworking, and loyal. Those who knew and worked with him could appreciate his dedication in his final days as he still continued working. A lover of music and a musician, Jay enjoyed listening and playing with numerous musicians on island. He so enjoyed being on stage; jamming and hanging with fellow musicians. To all musicians who knew him; Rock on and Rock ‘LOUD’ for him to hear! 250 skulls found in clandestine graves The top prosecutor in Veracruz, Mexico, says more than 250 skulls have been found in what appears to be a drug cartel mass burial ground on the outskirts of the city. State Prosecutor Jorge Winckler says the clandestine burial pits appear to contain the victims of drug cartels killed years ago. Scottish leader to UK premier: Don’t block independence vote LONDON (AP) – The British and Scottish leaders traded barbs Tuesday over Scot- land’s desire to hold a vote on independence just as the U.K. is negotiating its exit from the European Union. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she in- tends to ask voters in late 2018 or early 2019 whether they want to leave the United Kingdom. Britain decided in a 2016 referendum to quit the European Union after four decades of mem- bership, but Scots voted strongly to remain. Stur- geon says Scotland must not be “taken down a path that we do not want to go down without a choice.” The British government must agree before Scotland can hold a legally binding referendum, and May con- demned Sturgeon’s push for an independence vote, ac- cusing the Scottish leader of sowing uncertainty and division. “This is not a moment to play politics or create uncer- tainty,” May told lawmakers in the House of Commons. “It is a moment to bring our country together, to honor the will of the British people and to shape for them a better, brighter future and a better Britain.” Sturgeon warned May against trying to block a ref- erendum. The first minister said “the referendum must be for Scotland’s national legis- lature to shape.” “It should be up to the Scottish Parliament to de- termine the referendum’s timing, franchise and the question,” Sturgeon said. In a dig at May, Sturgeon tweeted that she had been elected “on a clear manifesto commitment” by her Scottish National Party to hold a ref- erendum. She added: “The PM is not yet elected by anyone.” Dublin sees future as hub for financial firms fleeing Brexit The harp-shaped Beckett Bridge provides an architectural focal point for Dublin’s rapidly expanding financial services district. Britain’s definitive exit from the EU may be at least two years away, but Dublin is confident that thousands of financial services jobs are poised to migrate there. - PHOTO: AP/SHAWN POGATCHNIKNext >