ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 High of 82 Low of 73 Seas: Moderate to rough with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. Small craft should continue to exercise caution over the water. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 POPULISM VS. GLOBALISM: WHERE DOES CAYMAN FIT? SPORTS | PAGE 14 HUNDREDS TURN OUT FOR ST. PADDY’S DAY JOG Come meet Peanuts. We are open! Going fresh, local, delicious, quick, convenient, crisp, hot, cool, tangy, healthy, juicy, crunchy, spiced, sweet, salty, wholesome, appetising, delectable, flavourful, fruity, heavenly, mouthwatering, scrumptious, savoury, fizzy, organic, full-bodied, gourmet, hearty, satisfying, homemade, indulgent, lean, lip-smacking and yummy grab and go things. Minister: Bill seeks to guarantee Caymanian control of local law firms Legal Practitioners Law approved, faces amendments BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A bill regulating the operation of Cayman Islands law firms and lawyers was approved unanimously Friday afternoon following an acrimonious week of debate. However, the current version of the Legal Practitioners Bill will face wholesale changes in the legislative committee that will review it before a third and final vote on the measure later this week. Financial Services Minister Wayne Panton said Friday that one of the proposed changes seeks to guarantee majority Caymanian own- ership of all local firms. “Over the next 15 years, we want to see the majority of Caymanians being engaged as owners, controllers of Cayman Islands law firms,” Mr. Panton said. “That is a very signifi- cant step and one that we don’t take lightly.” The specific wording of the amended bill is still being worked out and the legislative committee likely will not see the changes until the middle of next week. Mr. Panton said the Caymanian ownership requirement would likely be similar to the Local Companies (Con- trol) License regime, that requires 60 percent Caymanian ownership of any locally oper- ating company. The other “big picture” amendments Min- ister Panton reviewed Friday included a change in the membership of the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioners Association council, which will effectively oversee local firms. The eight- person council, according to the proposed amendments, will be 100 percent Caymanian and Cabinet will have some selection power over the otherwise self-regulating body. Membership fees paid to belong to that as- sociation would be increased, Mr. Panton said, to provide additional funds for the profes- sional development of Caymanian lawyers. Current requirements in the bill, that BUSH: STOP BLAMING PARTY SYSTEM BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush criticized repeated attacks on the territo- ry’s two-party political system Friday, warning that individuals or groups outside the Legis- lative Assembly could end up controlling the government following the May 24 general elec- tion, rather than the candidates voters choose. “There’s a serious attempt to discredit the party system in this country,” Mr. Bush said during a ‘personal explanation’ statement in the assembly Friday. “It is being done to try and throw out the party system and get the independents elected and control of the As- sembly … is exercised from somewhere else.” Mr. Bush raised similar concerns during the 2013 political campaign that saw the rise of the Coalition 4 Cayman political support group. The coalition backed certain candidates for of- fice without forming its own political party. A handful of other political groups – aside from the ruling Progressives party and Mr. Bush’s Cayman Democratic Party – appear to be forming, although specific candidates have not been keen to declare allegiance with those loose coalitions. The opposition leader did not reference any specific groups, but it is understood that former Chrissie Tomlinson Hospital co-owner Dr. Steve Tomlinson is heading one group that is backing several candidates, while sev- eral current independent members of the Legislative Assembly are attempting to form Governor: Legislature passed wrong bill A legislative mishap has im- periled the enactment of a law regulating nonprofit organiza- tions in the Cayman Islands, legislation considered neces- sary as the government pre- pares for an international review of its money laundering and terrorist financing protections later this year. In short, it appears law- makers approved an incorrect, outdated version of the Non- Profit Organisations Bill, 2016, during a Legislative Assembly meeting last fall. Governor Helen Kilpatrick has since written to the Speaker of the House, asking that the leg- islation be put back in for re- view during the assembly’s com- mittee stages, so the correct changes can be made and the correct law be enacted. East End MLA Arden McLean indicated he was concerned about the process lawmakers were attempting in order to pass the correct version of the bill: “I don’t know what’s wrong with the bill.” PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 11 » Tea time for National Gallery Nearly 200 guests arrived at the Coral Beach Cottage Garden for Ariane Dart’s 14th annual tea party Friday, many dressed in green in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day. The afternoon’s auction brought in nearly CI$25,000 for the National Gallery’s education programs. Seen here is National Gallery Director Natalie Urquhart with Ms. Dart. See page 12 for more photos and the full story. - PHOTO: MAGGIE JACKSON2 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MARCH 20, 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. Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) - MONDAY - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (PG) 12:30 I 1:00 2D I 3:30 I 4:00 2D I 6:25 7:00 2D I 9:15 I 9:50 2D KONG: SKULL ISLAND 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D I 4:15 I 7:10 2D I 9:55 LOGAN (R) 12:30 | 3:35 | 6:40 | 9:45 FIST FIGHT (R) 12:45 I 3:50 I 7:05 I 9:50 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Life Extension Gym and Sauna 949-3753 “Help yourself first, be a stronger you” Global Services Int'l Immigration Services Call us for all your Company Registration Annual Returns Trade & Business License Work Permits Application Caymanian Status Permanent Resident Call 946-1080 or visit us at 180 Shedden Road, Unit 2 JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A dive boat which sank in George Town harbor in stormy weather last week was salvaged Thursday. The boat, the Jazzy T, which belongs to Cayman Diving, was hauled from the ocean floor by divers using lift bags before being towed into port. The boat was lifted to the dock by crane. No one from Cayman Diving commented on the incident. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, 911 dispatched the Joint Marine Unit in response to a cap- sized vessel, where a person was seen in the water. The person, associated with the vessel, was diving in an at- tempt to salvage equipment, according to the RCIPS. The Port Authority confirmed a vessel sank during the night Wednesday and the owner had engaged a private company to refloat it the next morning. No persons were in distress during the incident, police said. Sunken dive boat salvaged A dive boat sank in George Town harbor in stormy weather last week and was salvaged Thursday. - PHOTOS: MARK MCBRYAN The Jazzy T, after being refloated during the salvage operation. Sentencing adjourned pending updated psychiatric reports CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The need for a trial was averted on Friday when a former teacher’s aide pleaded guilty to indecently as- saulting four girls who were students at a government pri- mary school in 2014. At the time of the as- saults, two of the girls were six years old, one was seven and one was 10. Magistrate Angelyn Her- nandez ordered that no de- tails be published that would lead to the identification of the girls. The defendant was first brought to court in July 2015 when he was 19 years old. He was found fit to plead in No- vember that year and shortly thereafter entered pleas of not guilty to 10 charges of indecently assaulting seven different girls. There were several hear- ings before a trial date could be set. At a case management hearing last Monday, when Friday’s trial date was set, the magistrate noted that special measures would need to be arranged so that the young witnesses could give their ev- idence, whether via CCTV or from behind a screen. On Friday, Crown counsel Darlene Oko advised the court that she and defense attorney Laura Larner had been working non-stop on the case until late Thursday night. As a result, “No trial will be necessary,” she said. She indicated that sev- eral charges had been com- bined, so that each new charge referred to one child with the dates of the of- fending expanded to cover a wider time frame. After the defendant re- sponded “guilty” to the four new charges, other charges re- lating to three other girls were left on file. This means they are not being proceeded with at this time, but they could be brought back before the court. The magistrate said she would need a detailed so- cial inquiry report on the defendant. Ms. Oko asked the court to order victim im- pact statements. Ms. Larner asked for up- dated reports from psychia- trists Dr. Arlene McGill and Dr. Marc Lockhart, both of whom saw the defendant at earlier stages of proceedings. Sentencing was set for June 16 to ensure that all re- ports would be completed. The defendant has been on bail throughout proceed- ings. A condition added to his bail last year was that he not contact any of the complain- ants or their families. When the matter came to light, the Ministry of Edu- cation said it first received a report of “possible sexual abuse” on Nov. 27, 2014. The school initially reported the matter to government social services and that department referred it to police. Mean- while, the defendant had re- signed on Dec. 1, 2014. After investigations, police ar- rested him on June 25, 2015. Ms. Oko asked the court to order victim impact statements. Teacher’s aide pleads guilty to indecent assault charges The Cayman Islands Elections Office has an- nounced new dates for hearings of claims and ob- jections to the voters list, ahead of the May 24 gen- eral election. The hearings, which were set to occur this week, have now been moved back to the week of April 3-7. The official register of elec- tors, which is the list of ev- eryone who is entitled to vote in the upcoming elec- tion, will be published on April 11 instead of the orig- inal date of April 1. Supervisor of Elec- tions Wesley Howell said the delay was “due to an administrative oversight” for which he took “full responsibility.” The voter hearings delay will not affect candi- date nomination day, which takes place on March 29. The elections office will begin issuing voter identi- fication cards on Cayman Brac on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 at the Cayman Brac Ag- ricultural Show. ID cards for any voters who are on the claims and objections list will be issued once the hearings are completed. The issuing of voter ID cards for Grand Cayman has not been scheduled yet. HEARINGS FOR VOTER CHALLENGES PUSHED BACK Former Cayman track coach Ato Modibo Ste- phens appeared in Grand Court on Friday afternoon, when he pleaded not guilty to three charges: two of in- decent assault on a female and one of gross indecency. The offenses are alleged to have occurred in 2015. The victim/complainant is a teenaged girl. Defense attorney Lloyd Samson told Justice Charles Quin on Friday that Stephens was ready to enter pleas regarding the first three charges against him. He asked that a fourth charge not be put at this time be- cause his client was “still considering his options.” The fourth charge is using an ICT network to abuse/annoy/harass. Stephens, 37, first ap- peared in court on the matter on Feb. 21 after being transported from Florida following an extra- dition request. Director of Public Prose- cutions Cheryll Richards ad- vised that the Crown elected the charges be dealt with in Grand Court. After Ste- phens entered his pleas, he was asked if he had decided whether to have trial by jury or by judge alone. “Judge alone,” Mr. Samson replied. Justice Quin set the tri- al’s starting date as June 5. Stephens’ remand in custody was continued until then. EX-COACH PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO INDECENCYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 Make Your Voice Count ELECTIONS2017 ELECTIONS 2017 Candidates t. +1 345 949 5111 e. sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com For more information All candidates receive these features FREE in our special election publications and online: • Professional photo taken at Compass studio • Video interview recorded at Compass studio (Featured on Compass website; shared with candidate) • Candidate profile included in election publications Be Included! Deadline: Thursday, March 23The 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” It is not an overstatement to suggest that while people generally support populism, their governments often support globalism. Being lighthearted (but only for a moment) the world saw the contrast vividly on stage at the White House Friday when Ms. Globalism (Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel) appeared with Mr. Populism (U.S. Presi- dent Donald J. Trump). Arguably it was the world’s most powerful woman in the presence of the world’s most powerful man. The only thing they had in common (apart from their mutual claims that each had been wiretapped by former president Barack Obama) was that they both needed new barbers. Ms. Merkel appears to cut her own hair, and Mr. Trump, well, it’s anybody’s guess … But this editorial is not about tonsorial malpractice. It’s about more serious matters. For Cayman, the tension between globalism and populism is not an academic argument. As a small ter- ritory, what we do in Cayman relative to our financial services industry has effects disproportionate to our diminutive geographical acreage. The pressure to please – if not appease – our foreign masters may well be eroding the very foundation upon which the Cayman Islands economy has been erected, namely legitimate privacy and confidentiality expecta- tions when it comes to managing the affairs of our inves- tors and depositors. Consider the recent example of the accelerated passage of legislation regarding “beneficial ownership” (just in time for Premier Alden McLaughlin to catch his plane for the U.K. where he would tout this so-called “accomplishment” to our foreign overseers). The legisla- tion clears the way for the creation of a central (we would contend, “hackable”) beneficial ownership registry (a ves- tigial remnant of former U.K. Prime Minister David Cam- eron’s bucket list). Notably, neither the U.K., nor the U.S., nor the whole of Europe has incorporated Mr. Cameron’s dream into their own legislation – but Cayman has, discarding our long-held position of demanding a “level playing field” before signing on to such initiatives. Then there is, under the Trump administration, a renewed opportunity to repeal the Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (better known as FATCA), a particularly onerous confection that requires “foreign financial institutions” to share U.S. account-holder information with the IRS. It appears FATCA was acceded to by the Cayman Tax Authority in 2013 without meaningful (or perhaps any) resistance. It is estimated that FATCA directly affects 6,000 Cayman residents and nearly 30,000 locally based financial institutions. It was a gift of Santa-like pro- portions to lawyers and accountants who reaped (and continue to reap) substantial fees to assist in bringing their clients into compliance. Cayman authorities should do everything in their power to work with the Trump administration in Wash- ington to repeal this law. FATCA, it is fair to say, has the capacity to engender more “fishing expeditions” in the Cayman Islands than Red Sail Sports could ever aspire to. On another matter (forget that the Legislative Assembly passed the wrong bill; see Page One), there was never a justification for Cayman’s passing a law regulating nonprofit organizations, requiring those with gross annual revenues in excess of $250,000 to have their accounts reviewed by accountants who will, in turn, report their findings to government. Since there were no examples of abuse by Cayman nonprofits, why would our lawmakers pass such legisla- tion? Apparently it was a pre-emptive move to satisfy Caribbean Financial Action Task Force watchdogs, who will be examining our money laundering and anti-terrorist efforts later this year. Increasingly the contours of our financial services industry are being influenced or shaped by those who would sacrifice legitimate financial privacy for a global standard of tax harmonization that ultimately is not in our – or the world’s – best interests. Chancellor Merkel and the globalists would be pleased. Hopefully President Trump and the populists would not. Populism vs. globalism: Where does Cayman fit? MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Gauging who would gain from Russian interference Are you shocked that the Russians might have had an interest in who won the U.S. presidential election? Na- tions have always had an in- terest in who rules the na- tions they deal with – both opponents and friends – and that they often try to influ- ence the outcomes should come as no surprise. The communists, and particularly the old Soviet Union, were very explicit in their stated mission for world domination. They pur- sued this by a combination of military conquests and interventions, and the cre- ation of communist parties in most countries, with the mission of overthrowing the existing government. It is not clear whether Vladimir Putin and his col- leagues in the Kremlin thought Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump would be easier to deal with to fur- ther their interests. The Dem- ocrats claim that Mr. Putin favored Mr. Trump or the Russians would have never allowed the WikiLeaks email dumps of John Podesta (Mrs. Clinton’s campaign chairman) and the others, assuming the Russians had control over the process. Mr. Putin had a clear-cut Russian national interest in discouraging oil and gas fracking in the United States and elsewhere. The Russian economy and budget are highly dependent on foreign oil and gas sales – and high oil prices. Increases in the world supply of oil and gas depress the prices of these commodities. So it is com- pletely rational for the Rus- sians to do whatever they can to discourage production by others, including the U.S. As has been disclosed in a number of articles (in- cluding several by yours truly) in major U.S. and for- eign newspapers and by or- ganizations that “follow the money” to nonprofit groups that have a lobbying arm – Russian money flowed into offshore, nonprofit entities, finally winding up in the cof- fers of such organizations as the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the League of Conserva- tion Voters. All three of these left-leaning environmentalist groups aggressively lobby against oil and gas devel- opment. The sums of money were not chicken feed, but totaled in the tens of mil- lions of dollars. During the presiden- tial campaign, Mrs. Clinton made it clear that she was on the side of those groups who were lobbying against further oil and gas devel- opment, including fracking. Mr. Trump took the opposite position, making it known that his goal was to en- courage a great expansion of the oil and gas industry in the United States so we would never again be depen- dent on foreign countries. The obvious question arises: Why would Mr. Putin favor Mr. Trump over Mrs. Clinton when clearly her policies were much more in line with what was in Russia’s best interest? And, in particular, where Russia had already spent considerable funds to support Mrs. Clinton’s allies. Furthermore, as The New York Times and others re- ported in 2015, apparently the Clintons could be bought. They helped facilitate a deal where the Russians ob- tained 20 percent of the U.S. uranium reserves, in ap- parent exchange for dona- tions over a period of time to the Clinton Foundation. There was also the case of the famous Hillary “reset” with the Russians and Pres- ident Obama’s pledge to the Russian prime minister to be more “flexible” once he was “re-elected.” Finally, there is the fact that Mr. Podesta and his brother received sub- stantial payments for repre- senting a government-con- trolled Russian bank. Perhaps Mr. Putin did think that Mr. Trump would be even more of a patsy than Mrs. Clinton – but given his demonstrated ability to take advantage of her and her al- lies – this seems a stretch. Mr. Trump had also made it clear during the campaign that he favored bigger increases in military spending than Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Putin surely recalls the Reagan military buildup, which went a long way to- ward bankrupting and ul- timately destroying the So- viet Union once the Soviets lost the economic heft to compete. Russia is at even a greater economic disadvan- tage today, so it is unlikely that Mr. Putin wants to re- peat that same mistake. When trying to unravel a mystery, there is the old adage “follow the money.” The congressional committees investigating the Russian involvement in our election need to spend time on who was trying to buy whom and for what purpose. They will find plenty of individuals from both camps who had meetings with Russian of- ficials, which is unlikely to reveal much. Part of the job of Russia officials is to talk with U.S. opinion leaders and knowledgeable sources – and vice versa. But actions and money flows are more impor- tant than words. Perhaps Mr. Trump or his campaign was the recipient of major Russian or other foreign government funds, intended to help his election. But so far, no hard evidence has been presented. The evidence is very strong, though, that the Rus- sian government directed money that did find its way to U.S. environmental groups that were supporters of Mrs. Clinton, her allies and her po- sitions. This may have been legal or illegal, depending on how it was handled and what reports were filed. But the American people deserve to know if the Rus- sians or other foreign gov- ernments were putting their hands-on the financial scales in trying to help one candi- date or another. Richard W. Rahn, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. © 2016, The Washington Times RICHARD W. RAHN RICHARD W. RAHN The evidence is very strong that the Russian government directed money that did find its way to U.S. environmental groups that were supporters of Mrs. Clinton. Hillary ClintonPresident Donald TrumpThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: Third annual regatta held off Beach Club Colony In the March 22, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, news from George Town included: “The third annual re- gatta, sponsored by the Cayman Islands Hotel Asso- ciation, was held Saturday, March 18, off the Beach Club Colony. A large crowd, both visitors and Cayma- nians, was present for the day-long series of races. “The Regatta began with a Sunfish race at 10 a.m. and continued until 4 p.m. when the Open Race finished. A delicious buffet lunch was served at the Beach Club during the midday recess in the racing. “His Honour the Admin- istrator presented the prizes to the winning skippers at the end of the day … the overall winners were as fol- lows: Sunfish Class – 1st Quatro Hatch, 2nd Bob Ben- nett, 3rd Peter Milburn; Cat- boats – 1st Dallas Ebanks, 2nd Gleason Ebanks, 3rd Crosby Ebanks; Open Race – 1st Crosby Ebanks, 2nd Gleason Ebanks, 3rd Henry Bush. The Sunfish race with the exciting Le Mans start was won by Bob Bennett. “Just about 4 a.m. on Monday the 20th, a break- in occurred in the centre of George Town when 23 watches and 2 cine-cam- eras valued at about 270 pounds were stolen from the Queen’s Pride Gift Shop owned by Mr. John Conolly. “Metal louvres were re- moved and the screen cut in a window at the rear of the new A. L. Thompson building for entry, and then the glass louvres which connect to Mr. Conolly’s shop, which is inside this building, were smashed. “The watches and cam- eras were in a showcase which is not locked. It is as- sumed that this is an ama- teur job as the most expen- sive watches were not stolen. “Police have recovered the metal louvres from an area in the vicinity of the rear of the new building owned by Webb’s Tailoring establishment, and a lot of dog barking reported by people in that area pinpoint the time of the robbery at about 4 a.m. “The Chief of Police in- formed the Caymanian that as in the case of watches stolen from the airport booth operated by Kirk Plaza some time ago, this robbery took place just before a ship sailed. Precautions have therefore been taken and the police have made arrangements to obtain search warrants for the two ships which were leaving harbour at the time of the incident. The result of these enquiries are not yet available but it is hoped that they may bring forth some useful information.” ‘YOU HAVE ACTUALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE’ Students’ donations help Syrian refugees ‘Drop earrings, not bombs’ JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com What’s it like to be in an actual war? What is it like to be a refugee? “Awful.” That was what Karyn Thomas, an Australian native who lives in Turkey working with displaced Syrian people, had to say to students at St. Ignatius Catholic School. Ms. Thomas was visiting the school to share her experi- ence escaping war-torn Syria, and the work her charity, Small Projects Istanbul, does to help refugees. Small Projects Istanbul provides language training, community projects and scholarships to assist Syrian refugees displaced by their country’s conflict to remain self-sustainable in the city. The presentation was brought to life with a video portraying the activities and projects taking place in the organization’s Olive Tree Community Center and Craft Collective, whose origins lie in a small cellar space in Is- tanbul, which schools around Cayman had helped to estab- lish with donations. Ms. Thomas was invited to the island by John Gray High School teacher Ed- ward Todd, who has volun- teered with Small Projects Is- tanbul. Students at the school raised over $4,000 for the organization. On her visit, Ms. Thomas also gave presentations at Clifton Hunter High School, John Gray High School, Cayman International School and Rotary, among others. She spoke about the Syrian crisis, which has resulted in the flight of millions of people into neighboring countries and beyond, highlighted the support from Cayman. Mr. Todd volunteered in Istanbul in 2014, linking up with Small Projects Istanbul. “It’s difficult to describe,” he said, “the fact that here in the Cayman Islands, the stu- dents gave the funds to Small Projects Istanbul to see and do all the wonderful things you will see on the video. Ev- erything on that video started from a small seed. St. Igna- tius, John Gray, everybody provided the support and the funds to help that seed grow, so you have actually made a difference to about 300 fam- ilies at the moment and you are still doing that.” Ms. Thomas, the mas- termind and director be- hind Small Projects Istanbul, was inspired by her experi- ences at Yarmouk Camp, an area of Damascus populated by Palestinian refugees in 2011 and 2012. Married to a Syrian, Ms. Thomas lived in Syria for four years – two years before the war and two years during the war that continues today. Youth in Syria missing out on schooling due to the conflict led Ms. Thomas to sponsor a 17-year-old Pales- tinian girl to finish her sec- ondary education. The grass- roots organization took off from there, with many indi- viduals getting involved. While in Syria, she started teaching a group of five ref- ugee children in a small bedroom. Within a couple of weeks, she had 55 children attending, teaching them art, English and storytelling. “It was to just bring them out of the house to something normal,” she said. But on Dec. 16, 2012, a large bomb was dropped in the vicinity and they no longer felt safe. Within two hours, she said, 60,000 people left, with just the things they could carry, to make their lives elsewhere, and that is how she ended up in Istanbul. “The war, its an awful place to be,” con- tinued Ms. Thomas. “Its not like a tsunami where a few years later you heal, people start to re- marry and move forward – with a war it is a cycle – it’s been six years and it hasn’t gotten any better; it’s gotten worse,” she said. She told the students there were many moments of joy in the organization they had contributed to. She said the organization sup- ports women’s work, supplies food vouchers and has sup- ported 300 children, getting them back to school and out of factory work. “Our volunteer work is never ending. Anyone that gives us an idea, we run with it if it works,” said Ms. Thomas. “It is working and there is much laughter and a bright sense of belonging.” Within several months of its inception, Small Proj- ects Istanbul grew to over 80 volunteers, and eventu- ally the old cellar was built into a functional day care centre and teaching facility. Offerings include a wom- en’s craft collective and an array of language classes, as well as other activities such as mucic, art and com- puter programming. In her presentation, Ms. Thomas thanked the chil- dren for their donations, and encouraged them to follow Small Projects Is- tanbul online. “Drop Earrings not Bombs,” for instance, is a jewelry-making project that raises funds for the organi- zation through sales of hand- woven earrings. “We are peace activists,” she said. “In that little un- derground cellar which you helped to create, we are making earrings and rings, and looking after children and helping women and chil- dren sustain their lives, as it’s very difficult [for them] to work in Turkey.” Students read stories of what it means to be a refugee in Istanbul.Karyn Thomas, director of Small Projects Istanbul. – PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY “St. Ignatius, John Gray, everybody provided the support and the funds to help that seed grow, so you have actually made a difference to about 300 families.” EDWARD TODD, John Gray High School teacherDistrict Days George Town DISTRICT DAYS 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 GT primary students enjoy day of culture JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Quadrille lessons, may- pole dancing and thatch work demonstrations were only some of the “old-time thing” displaying the sights and smells at George Town Primary School last week. On Friday, students and teachers of the school got a chance to learn about Cay- manian culture from visiting local heritage ambassadors. According to Marie Martin, the school’s principal, the activities and events were all part of the school’s culture day celebrations that kicked off on Commonwealth Day, March 13, with a national costume parade around the school grounds. “We decided to explore the culture and give our students an opportunity to explore and experience different ways of how Caymanians lived long ago,” said Ms. Martin. Last Friday’s culture day kicked off with Pastor Win- ston Rose and his wife Hya- cinth explaining the impor- tance of worship as part of Cayman’s Cultural heritage. Swanky band member Paula Scott and folk singer Nayil Arana, along with the children, got things moving along with some traditional Cayman music. Cultural mainstays such as wompers (old-time san- dals made of old tires and thatch rope), fish and fritters, a catboat, quadrille dancing, peppermint candy making, storytelling, thatch work demonstrations, hopscotch, marbles, skip rope, limbo and more were celebrated by stu- dents and teachers dressed in traditional Cayman dress and hats. In the storytelling room, senior Rennie Barnes told the children all about the mosquito “Smoke pan” that was once used to keep bugs away, conch shell blowing, and “ground provisions” such as cassava, pumpkin, yams, sugar cane, breadfruit and coconuts that Caymanians were able to cultivate to feed their families in days gone by. In another classroom, local expert Marge Quin- land taught students the one-two-three steps of quadrille – a traditional dance for people of the is- land back then. Grade one students en- thusiastically asked ques- tions about items made from Cayman silver thatch on display, including bas- kets, brooms and shoes, learning about how these were made and what they were used for by Cayma- nians long ago. The sweetest part of the day for the children was joining Rose Myles in making peppermint candy. They also got a chance to enjoy a fry fish and frit- ters from Cayman Tra- ditional Arts. “We decided to explore the culture and give our students an opportunity to explore and experience different ways of how Caymanians lived long ago.” MARIE MARTIN, principal Students dance around the maypole. Children learn about traditional music from Swanky band member Paula Scott and Nayil Aana. Silver Thatch plaiters Gizeal Wright, Fred Booth and Amber Bachet. Rennie Barnes teaches children about traditional Caymanian produce and products.8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Notice Changes in Prime Rates on KYD and USD Effective Tuesday, 21 March 2017, Fidelity Bank (Cayman) Limited will increase the KYD and USD prime rates by 0.25% to 4.00%. The increase in the Prime rates follows a decision by the US Federal Reserve Bank to raise its Fed Funds rate by 0.25% on Wednesday, 15 March 2017. Meals on Wheels receives huge donation of food JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Beulah McField, executive director of Meals on Wheels, was all smiles Friday when a truckload of goods turned up on the doorstep of the T.E. McField Youth and Community Centre on School Road in George Town. Cayman Islands Meals on Wheels was the beneficiary of more than a ton of food, courtesy of the Cayman Islands Motorcycle Riders Association, who raised the goods through their Wheels 4 Meals Ride and food drive. Ms. McField said the food is especially needed this time of year. “I am so happy and thankful because the food supplies are coming at a great time. We are getting into the Easter month when not so many people are willing to give,” she said. The food will be distributed through Meals on Wheels’s three kitchens in George Town, Bodden Town and East End, directly to those who need it. Meals on Wheels provides free, hot, nutritious meals five days a week to more than 215 senior, home-bound and disabled individuals throughout the Cayman Islands. Meals on Wheels director Beulah McField along with volunteer Wayne Dilbert collect food items donated by Motorcycle Riders Association William Powell and Corey Randolph. BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dozens of new specialist teachers and teaching as- sistants have been hired for Cayman Islands public schools and about 10 more are due to be hired, Educa- tion Minister Tara Rivers told the Legislative As- sembly Friday. Under parliamen- tary questioning, Minister Rivers said a total of 50 positions – including 27 assistant teachers and 23 specialist teachers – were approved in the Ministry of Education’s current budget. Ten specialist positions remain to be appointed, the minister said. The teaching assistants were sent to eight different primary schools on Grand Cayman, but Ms. Rivers said she did not have a complete list of where all the new hires had been placed. Gov’t schools hire 40 new teachers The Colombian Embassy in Ja- maica will be in the Cayman Islands this week to renew documents such as passports and national ID cards. Staff will be available at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue on March 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on March 23 from 9-11 a.m. The embassy requests individuals email them in advance at ckingston@ cancilleria.gov.co to indicate the ap- proximate time they will drop in. For details on document requirements, visit http://bit.ly/1fNF5GG. COLOMBIAN EMBASSY OFFERS PUBLIC HOURS THIS WEEK Recycling containers are in place throughout Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac for people to drop off their old phone books for recycling. Yello’s annual Yellow- 2Green recycling program started this week, culmi- nating the weekend before Earth Day, which falls on Sunday, April 23. All of the collected direc- tories will be shipped to the GreenFiber recycling plant in the United States, where they will be converted into a special material used for home insulation. “We share in the pas- sion for the preservation of our environment and are excited to partner with local retailers that will act as drop off centers for the used books,” said Melanie Shambaugh, marketing manager for Yello. So far Yellow2Green has saved more than 170,000 directories from the George Town landfill, according to a press release. The recycling locations on Grand Cayman are Fos- ter’s Food Fair at the air- port, the Strand, Republix and Countryside, Hurley’s supermarket, the Chamber of Commerce and the Yello office across from the air- port post office. On Cayman Brac, drop off locations are West End Primary School, Creek and Spot Bay Ju- nior School, Layman E. Scott High School and the UCCI campus. For information, contact Melanie Shambaugh at 814-1762, email mshambaugh@yellomg.com or visit www.FindYello.com. PHONE BOOK RECYCLING PROGRAM BEGINSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY MARCH 20, 2017 Youth found guilty of West Bay robberies Defense requests psychiatric report before sentencing A Grand Court jury found a young person guilty of two rob- beries of a neighborhood store after the trial concluded on Thursday. The defendant was 15 at the time of the incidents. By law young persons may not be identified. The robberies occurred at the same store, a mini-mart in West Bay, and the same clerk was on duty both times. After the jury’s unanimous ver- dicts were announced, Justice Charles Quin commented that the clerk must have been terrified to have a gun pointed at her. It was not clear whether the gun was a real firearm or an imi- tation, and the youth was charged only with two counts of robbery. That offense is theft from a person by means of force or putting the person in fear of being sub- jected to force. The first robbery occurred on Saturday, March 19, 2016. It in- volved the theft by force of CI$930 in cash and five cellphones valued at $175 each. The second robbery occurred on Thursday, April 21, 2016. It involved the theft by force of CI$434 in cash and five cigarette wrappers. In both instances, the robber carried what the clerk thought was a real gun, putting her in fear, causing her to hand over the money. The prosecution’s case, con- ducted by Crown counsel Greg Walcolm, included evidence of a detective who found a toy gun in the living room of the defen- dant’s residence. The jury also heard that the defendant’s mother handed over three phones that matched the serial numbers of the stolen phones. The store clerk de- scribed the robber as being the same person on both occasions, wearing the same clothes both times and concealing his face with a bandana. She said he used dif- ferent backpacks. An officer gave evidence about the electronic monitoring device the defendant wore. It showed that he had left his inclusion zone on March 19 at 7:56 p.m. and he was in the area of the mini-mart between 8:17:31 and 8:18:56 p.m. The defendant gave evidence and admitted that he had gone to the area, but said he did so to buy ganja. He also told the court that there were five toy guns in his house and the one in the living room had be- longed to his cousin. The jury deliberated for 30 min- utes before returning unanimous verdicts. The trial had included a site visit. Defense attorney Keva Reid re- quested a social inquiry report and psychiatric report before sentence. Justice Quin said he would also ask for a victim impact report. The matter was set for sentencing on Thursday, April 20 at 2 p.m. The robberies occurred at the same store, a mini-mart in West Bay, and the same clerk was on duty both times. Fourteen Customs officers complete training Fourteen Customs of- ficers have graduated after completing four months of training. The average grade was 83 percent, according to a press release. At the graduation cere- mony on March 10, the fol- lowing individuals received their certificates: Stephen Anderson, Vannasa Bailey, Prisilla Berry, Eddree Fisher, Leonard Hydes, George Jackson, Miguel McFarlane, Christopher McField, Col- bert Miller, Marcia Myles, Jessie Peynado, Everett Smith, Teresa Watler and Kis- hana Whittaker, the press release stated. Mr. Anderson, class vale- dictorian, was recognized as the Best Overall Stu- dent and for Best Academic Performance, the latter for achieving an individual av- erage of 97 percent in three assessments and four stage tests throughout the training course. Ms. Berry was awarded for Best Academic Paper for communicating with cred- ibility, confidence and clear analysis in her 3,000-word paper and 20-minute oral presentation. Ms. Myles received the Customer Service Award. Most Improved Student award went to Mr. Miller. Ms. Whittaker received the Class Captain award. On hand to present the awards and certificates were Acting Governor Franz Man- derson, Financial Secretary and Chief Officer Kenneth Jefferson, Assistant Finan- cial Secretary Anne Owens, Collector of Customs Charles Clifford, Deputy Collector Marlon Bodden and Assis- tant Collector Lisa Kelly, the release stated. Mr. Manderson advised the graduates to serve the government with passion, courtesy and consistently high-level customer service. Mr. Jefferson noted that in the line of duty, they would be tested by a gamut of behaviors from the ar- riving public. He asked them to master the principles be- hind the rules they will have to apply to the ever-changing situations they encounter daily on the job. Ms. Owens underscored that some 160 Customs of- ficers collect and protect 20 percent of the government’s revenue and help protect the country’s borders. The graduates were told that in 2016, the depart- ment collected $161 million in revenue, $10 million more than projected. Six of the graduates are former police officers. Deputy Collector Bodden told the graduates to remain focused for more training in the “school of experience” and on their choice of a noble and worthy profession. “Don’t be afraid to look back but try to look forward with the advantage of experi- ence,” he added. Mr. Anderson acknowl- edged that their “top-notch” trainers had focused on job training as well as per- sonal development and overall welfare. He noted, “From day one you taught us the motto, ‘No one left behind’ and showed us what was expected of a leader by assigning weekly a class captain.” “From day one you taught us the motto, ‘No one left behind’ and showed us what was expected of a leader by assigning weekly a class captain.” STEPHEN ANDERSON, class valedictorian The graduating class of 14 Customs Officers Attorney General Sam Bulgin ex- plained that while lawmakers had apparently voted through the correct version of the Non-Profit Organisa- tions Bill on second reading in Oc- tober, that version of the bill was inexplicably replaced by an older version of the legislation when law- makers reviewed it during the com- mittee stages. The older version of the law was approved in a third vote of the assembly later in the meeting. Mr. Bulgin said legislative drafters later noticed that several key changes, including a schedule attached to the bill, were not in- cluded in what was ultimately ap- proved by the assembly. He said the governor recom- mended that those changes be made in committee of the current legis- lative meeting. The Legislative Assembly has only seven more working days be- fore the House is dissolved ahead of the May general election. The proposal, which started as the Charities Bill in 2010, seeks to deal with the monitoring of non- profits through audits and the reg- ulation of those organizations via government registration. The legislation currently de- fines a nonprofit as any organiza- tion seeking public contributions as its primary purpose for philan- thropic activities. The bill does not apply to charitable or voluntary organizations that are already regu- lated by a government entity, trusts that are registered under the Banks and Trust Companies Law and any other entities that are exempt through an order of Cabinet. En- tities with gross annual revenues of at least $250,000 that remit at least 30 percent of those earnings overseas must have their financial statements reviewed by an accoun- tant and report the results to gov- ernment. Those that receive under $250,000 per year may still be re- viewed on a case-by-case basis. Successive government adminis- trations have been under pressure to pass a law regulating charitable contributions, which have been used in other countries as covers for en- tities that try to support money laundering or terrorism financing. Cayman is facing a mid-2017 review by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force that will evaluate its pre- ventive measures in those areas. Governor: Legislature passed wrong bill CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1Next >