High of 85 Low of 74 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 BALLISTICS HUB PUTS CAYMAN AT CENTER OF REGIONAL GUN FIGHT SPORTS | PAGE 16 CAYMAN SWIMMERS TRIUMPHANT AFTER CARIFTA CHAMPIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 Pensions Law changes could spur exodus of up to 2,500 workers Businesses brace for mass resignations by end of year JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands could face an exodus of up to 2,500 foreign workers before the end of 2017 as a result of changes to the Pensions Law that prevent expats from cashing out their retirement savings when they leave the country, business leaders have warned. The law is particularly affecting workers from developing countries, many of whom had counted on receiving the cash windfall when they leave the island. The Chamber of Commerce estimates the change will lead to mass resignations and has warned that government must be ready to process an unprecedented number of new work permit requests later this year. Wil Pineau, CEO of the Chamber, said it was a “credible estimate,” based on dis- cussions with Chamber members, that somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 foreign workers could leave the islands before the pensions deadline. The hotel, restaurant, security and service industries are likely to be most affected. Under the previous law, for savings ac- counts of $5,000 or more, employees were en- titled to access their money once they had been out of Cayman for at least six months and had not been contributing to the pension plan for at least two years. BUSH: GIVE PRINCIPALS CONTROL OVER SCHOOLS West Bay candidates debate education, crime JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Principals should be given control over school budgets and the hiring and firing of teachers, Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush said Friday. Quizzed on what his party would do to re- form education in the Cayman Islands during a Chamber of Commerce candidate’s forum in West Bay, Mr. Bush proposed what he de- scribed as a “game changing approach.” He said he supported the concept of public-private partnerships for education as well as more autonomy for principals to run their schools. “I believe we can have a partnership with the private sector. There are scores of good ex- amples of this and we have people locally that can make it happen.” He said any such plan should not be an “elitist group” but an institution that main- tains equal access to education for all. Mr. Bush squared off against his rivals in the West Bay West constituency, Indepen- dent Paul Rivers and the Progressives’ Daphne Orrett during Friday’s debate at Sir John A. Cumber Primary School. All three candidates said they support some form of private sector involvement in Cayman’s schools. Mr. Rivers said public schools had been overburdened by an increase in population. “We need to treat education like a business Beach gives birth to a new NCAA sport SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Beach volleyball took on a starring role in Cayman over the weekend with the NORCECA tournament at Seven Mile Beach, spotlighting a sport that has enjoyed a me- teoric rise to prominence in the United States over the past decade. In its ninth straight year of hosting the tournament, the Cayman Islands is repre- sented in the men’s and women’s brackets. The pool of competitors includes teams from the United States, Puerto Rico and Cuba, among others, and the tournament fi- nals were scheduled for Sunday afternoon. It’s the second stop on the NORCECA circuit this season. Cuba won the men’s and women’s brackets at the first tourna- ment on the schedule, in La Paz, Mexico, ear- lier this month. Beach game comes into its own Just eight years ago, the beach game was an offshoot of indoor volleyball, which had been an NCAA championship sport for PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Cayman’s Taylor Burrowes and Illean Powery go up against Team USA in Saturday’s game. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY “We are going to lose some of the brightest and best in the industry. Some of our properties are talking about the prospect of 75 or more people leaving at the same time .” - KEN HYDES, president, Cayman Islands Tourism Association2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 UNFORGETTABLE (R) 1:00 I 3:30 I 7:30 I 10:00 THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS 3D (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 3:40 VIP I 6:50 VIP 9:40 I 9:50 VIP SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE 3D (PG) 12:35 2D I 3:45 I 7:00 2D I 9:55 SUN: 4:00 2D I 10:05 GIFTED (PG13) 1:15 I 4:00 I 7:15 GOING IN STYLE (PG13) 12:40 I 3:55 I 7:20 I 9:45 BOSS BABY 3D (PG) 12:45 2D I 3:50 I 6:50 2D I 9:45 - MONDAY - 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) Not guilty plea entered for 2017 murder William Rivers denies charges from Jan. 28 incident in West Bay CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com William Ian Rivers, 38, appeared in Grand Court on Friday, when he pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Mark Travis Sey- mour, 39, on Saturday, Jan. 28, in West Bay. Rivers, of West Bay, also pleaded not guilty to posses- sion of an unlicensed firearm, a .357 Sturm Ruger revolver, and unlawful use of a firearm by threatening to discharge a firearm at a named female. At the Summary Court hearing on Jan. 31, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards had advised that the murder charge could be dealt with only in the Grand Court. She asked that the other two charges also be transmitted to the higher court because they arose from the same in- cident, a daylight shooting in the area of Watercourse Road and Boatswains Bay Road. Last week, defense attorney John Furniss told Justice Charles Quin that a trial date had been set for July 31 and the matter was expected to take two weeks. He said it had not yet been decided whether the trial would be by jury or by judge alone. The judge continued Riv- ers’s remand in custody until July 31. JURY NOTICE All Grand Court jurors who are in the April 5–July 4 ses- sion are now advised that they are to report for jury duty on Monday, May 1, at 9:45 a.m. Please call the jury information line at 244-3899 or email jury@judicial.ky for the most up-to-date information. Burglary suspect pleads not guilty CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Mario Miguel Man- derson, 43, appeared in Summary Court on Friday morning, when he pleaded not guilty to a charge of burglary from last October. It was Manderson’s first appearance on the charge. A police press release issued on Friday indicated that the charge arose from an inci- dent at a residence on Tem- pleton Street in George Town on Oct. 22, 2016. During that incident, the occupant inter- rupted a burglar inside the residence and a scuffle with the intruder ensued before the man escaped. Manderson is charged with entering the prem- ises as a trespasser and stealing a black leather bag containing cash, a brown leather bag, and a wallet containing cash and per- sonal papers. The money and goods taken had a total value of $1,030. The presiding magis- trate set trial for May 1 and a case management hearing for April 26. Mean- while, Manderson was re- manded in custody. Record turnout for Earth Day Clean-up JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A record number of vol- unteers turned out to mark Earth Day on Saturday, clearing mountains of trash from beaches, parks and public areas around the Cayman Islands. An estimated 2,000 people scoured the beaches to fill bags full of dis- carded trash. From whole car engines and air conditioning units to broken surfboards and thou- sands of beer bottles, the va- riety of discarded junk sur- prised volunteers. Wil Pineau, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, said he was encouraged that so many people had shown up, but disheartened at the amount of trash carelessly discarded every year by Cayman Islands residents. “There has been a record number of volunteers this year. We estimate there were more than 2,000 people. I think this just demonstrates to me that a lot of people re- ally do care about their en- vironment, they understand how fragile our ecosystem is and that some of the trash we see is not just unsightly, it is also dangerous.” He said the amount of trash collected each year is only increasing and warned more enforcement might be necessary to have an impact on the problem. “Just dumping stuff like this is harming our envi- ronment and our tourism product. Perhaps we need to see some big fines to change people’s approach.” Saturday’s event at- tracted more than 30 cor- porate sponsors and saw community groups, church groups, schools and polit- ical groups join together to clean up their chosen spots around the island. Cat Shields and her son Callum, 14, spent the morning collecting trash around Spotts dock. “We found a lot of beer bottles, a lot of plastic and fishing line,” she said. “The weirdest thing we found was snails that had made a nest inside a plastic bottle.” Shanna Myles was out with a group from the Es- tera Trust around Spotts Public beach. She said, “There was a lot of trash for a public beach. We filled about 28 bags be- tween us. It was very sur- prising to see so much trash, particularly in the public areas around the ca- banas where the bins are right there.” Aaliyah McCoy was out with a group from John Gray Memorial Church in Garvin Park, West Bay. She said she was happy to see so many volunteers out cleaning up their island. “It was amazing. I’m proud of Cayman and glad to be a part of it.” Staff from the Cayman Islands Yellow Pages get to work clearing the beach at Barkers. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY A crew from Faith Christian Church in George Town collects trash along West Bay Road. NICARAGUA ONCE AGAIN BLOCKS CANAL PROTEST MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) – The Nicaraguan govern- ment has once again blocked a planned protest by oppo- nents of a Chinese company’s project to build an interoce- anic canal across Nicaragua. The country’s National Police force said in a state- ment Saturday that the pro- testers were disturbing the peace. A lawyer for the farm groups organizing the weekend protest in the cen- tral town of Juigalpa said at least one person was wounded. Monica Lopez Bal- todano said about a dozen organizers had been de- tained by police. Skeptics have doubted whether the canal conces- sion, granted in 2014 to a Chinese company, will ever be built. It has barely broken ground.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 184012-PRINT-IH_FP_CC_ChrtyDrv-2Page 1 3/22/17 12:24:40 PMThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS In the battle against gun crime, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has fired back. It isn’t through the addition of any new armed police officers, but through the unveiling of a new ballistics hub that greatly improves Cayman’s investigative capabilities, and puts our country at the center of regional law enforcement efforts. The new system enables our police service to analyze bullets and cartridges, and conclusively match a bullet to the gun that fired it. As we wrote in Friday’s front-page story, “Previ- ously, when local police had a gun crime, they had to send the bullet overseas for analysis, a process that could take a couple of weeks. But now, thanks to new equipment and a new database, the RCIPS can analyze a pristine bullet in half an hour and a severely damaged projectile in the span of an hour.” Of course, the new technology won’t directly prevent the occurrence of crimes, such as the April 8 armored truck robbery and shooting outside Foster’s Food Fair at the Airport Centre, but it will make police investigations into those incidents easier and more efficient. Unfortunately, the best-case scenario is that gun crime is here to stay in Cayman. (Let’s not at this time contemplate too long about the worst-case scenario …) Gun-toting criminals continue to demonstrate their brazenness, and their willingness to target any district. Consider, for example, Thursday night’s armed robbery of a gas station in East End. Accordingly, we welcome any advancement in the capability of Cayman’s police to bring these types of criminals to justice, particularly when there is no apparent trade-off in citizens’ privacy or civil liberties. The same cannot be said about Grand Cayman’s island- wide closed-circuit television system, the purported but as-yet-unmaterialized electronic license tags for auto- mobiles, or the adjustment of legal standards for police searches when a firearm may be involved. Another positive aspect of the new ballistics lab is that it makes Cayman a hub for the exchange of law enforcement information among British Overseas Ter- ritories in the region. According to Friday’s story, “The ballistic matches of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos will all be analyzed on Grand Cayman, and they can be shared and cross-referenced with the Interpol Ballistic Infor- mation System.” Generally speaking, just like the model devel- oped by our financial services industry, whenever Cayman can leverage technology and expertise to be a “service provider” for other countries, that’s the position in which we want to be and the course that we want to pursue. As far as we can tell, credit for the ballistics hub cannot be given to just one person. The RCIPS had been attempting to obtain this technology for at least five years. The proverbial “cherry on the top” is that funding from the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Conflict Security and Stabilization Fund will pay for the purchase of the equipment and four years’ worth of training, meaning Cayman won’t be bearing any expenses of the program until the year 2021. All in all, the unveiling of the ballistics hub is a “good news” story for police and law-abiding members of society, and “bad news” for the “bad guys” – the small number of people in Cayman (and the region) who use firearms to commit crimes. Ballistics hub puts Cayman at center of regional gun fight FROM CAYMANCOMPASS.COM How to cut electricity costs “CUC set to announce new billing program by end of April,” April 21 It is true that most util- ities in the U.S. utilize “de- mand” charges for billing. James Whittaker said, “Re- liance on renewable energy and privately operated CORE systems – with storage bat- teries – is the chief method of managing energy consump- tion”. That is a somewhat mis- leading statement by someone who makes their living from renewable energy products. A few methods used in the U.S. by companies to minimize the effect of demand charges, that customers should con- sider, are the following. If your major load consumption is air conditioning you might consider a thermal storage system such as ice or chilled water. With either system, you generate the ice or chilled water during “off-peak” hours and use a simple pump motor to move the cooling fluid through your air handlers during the “peak” hours. If you are in a manufac- turing or process industry, an alternative is shifting hours of operation to off-peak hours or installing variable speed or frequency drive systems to im- prove the efficiency of motor operations. Load shifting is the most cost-effective thing you can do if you are on “peak de- mand billing,” and it costs vir- tually nothing. If you have large mo- tors, determine your “power factor.” This is generally done by a professional elec- trician or by CUC. A poor power factor can cause over- heating of electrical panels and cause inefficiencies of the motors that are run- ning. While CUC does not charge for “power factor,” it can be an important factor in the sizing of their electrical system components. Solar power can be most cost effective when installed by CUC. Yes, larger commer- cial systems (solar farms) are not only more efficient but less costly to install. Compa- nies such as NextEra Energy (Florida Power and Light’s parent company) and other major renewable energy com- panies can install large scale solar at less than half the cost of distributed small rooftop solar installations, and they provide cost benefits to all cus- tomers. With large utility-scale solar operations, all customers of the utility benefit from the savings, not just the elite few that can afford (with subsi- dies from the government or CUC which all customers pay for) to install rooftop solar. Think about Cayman and the fact that it requires about 700- 800 acres of land to install a 40-megawatt highly efficient solar farm. How many roof- tops does Cayman have? Battery backup systems, when combined with large utility-scale solar projects, can provide the ride-through during the night, late evening or early morning hours when the solar photovoltaic system is not producing (no sun- light). When these are com- bined with a solar rooftop unit, the cost of the entire system is exceedingly higher and generally not cost effec- tive unless the government and CUC subsidize a large portion of the cost. To further reduce your total commercial and residen- tial energy costs, consider the following: Install energy effi- cient LED lighting. Fixture re- placement works best, if you can afford it. Use LED bulb replacement if you cannot af- ford the whole fixture, but some older fixtures are not compatible with LEDs. Ceiling fans can be beneficial if you are physically in the room. Ceiling fans cause moisture to evaporate from your skin more rapidly and thus help to cool you more effectively. Window exhaust fans can pull the air through a home at a faster rate. Turn these off when you are not in the room or returning to the room quickly. Use exterior shading such as bushes, trees, land- scaping, awnings and other means of protecting your windows and walls that face east and west. Insulate your attic space if you have one, but make sure to keep proper airflow through your attic to prevent causing heat, mold and mildew to accumulate in the attic area and damage the roof. Turn off any unnec- essary electrical equipment when it is not in use (count the number of small LEDs on all of your appliances, phone chargers, computers, printers, etc.. It all adds up to energy consumption). Replace air- conditioning systems with high and super-high efficiency units as your old one fails. All of the above, which are just a few ways to manage en- ergy costs, can impact CUC and their operations. It could be potentially problematic for CUC financial forecasting, and future electricity costs, if a comprehensive approach to the “RATE” design scheme is not undertaken. Instituting peak demand charges without understanding the impact of customer reaction toward more efficient operations and reduced energy use can pos- sibly create higher costs for CUC. Adding distributed gen- eration haphazardly around the island will impact the dis- tribution, transmission and generating operations of CUC and may potentially drive up costs for all customers. It may also cause reliability issues for neighbors of those having the rooftop solar and battery backup systems. Another issue to consider is “cost to serve.” Are costs to serve certain customers and certain customer loads being levied or levied appropriately? It generally costs less to serve a single large customer that has a steady load throughout the day than it does to serve a customer that spikes en- ergy use at certain times of the day, or a home or busi- ness located in a remote area requiring additional power lines, etc., to serve them. Lastly, keep in mind the embedded costs of infrastruc- ture that CUC has built into the system over the years. Any massive effort to shift from diesel power to solar impacts those embedded costs of infrastructure. When it becomes cost effective to remove a diesel generator from service, Cayman wins. To replace a 40-megawatt diesel generator, you must have an equivalent, reliable amount of sustainable gener- ation from solar, wind, water, battery or some other source that together produces that 40 megawatts of power con- tinuously for many, many years. That is when costs for electricity will come down. Rick Chalker5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 Personal Insurance BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. insurance, health, pensions, life Save up to $400 with home and car insurance Car insurance deductibles from $200 and extra free benefits. With your first BritCay buildings insurance policy you will receive a $250 gift certificate. Home insurance also entitles you to a 10% car insurance discount. With the lowest standard deductibles at $200, you also save when you claim. Ask BritCay for a quote! CALL 949-8699 or visit www.britcay.ky SAVE $250* when you insure your home! 10% discount on car insurance if you have home insurance Free $500,000 public liability (home insurance) Free $10 million liability protection (car insurance) Interest free monthly payment option cgigrp coverwithoutaddedcosts! $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *$250 BritCay gift certificate applies to new buildings insurance policies only Savannah candidates debate crime, education TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two of the three election candidates for the Savannah constituency tackled ques- tions about crime, education and immigration at a forum last week hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. Independent Kent McTag- gart and Progressives can- didate and former Bodden Town MLA Heather Bodden fielded questions Thursday evening from the Chamber of Commerce organizers. A third candidate, former Progres- sives MLA, now independent, Anthony Eden did not appear. In addressing the topic of crime on island, Mr. Mc- Taggart called for the use of drones. He told a nearly empty hall that putting money into crime prevention was “unfor- tunate” because it drew funds away from more constructive programs like education. “We must use drones be- cause they deal with it [crime] in a rapid manner, and if sta- tioned in each constituency, they can track multiple sus- pects, he said. “Then they can notify police to close in” and ar- rest suspects in a single ac- tion, he said. Ms. Bodden pointed out that armed robbery is “a cause of concern.” “We need to take a tough stance,” she said. “We need to take guns and gangs head on and we need to increase the number of officers.” Local police, she said, serve a fast-expanding Bodden Town, North Side and East End, although recent additions to the force have made patrols more effective. She decried the use of heli- copters, however, saying they made the district “look like we have a lot of crime.” She called for creation of neigh- borhood watch organizations. Other questions touched on education, employment and responses to questions regarding work permits. “We have a lot of laws, but little enforcement,” Mr. McTaggart said, asking that those responsible for enforce- ment be held accountable.” Ms. Bodden said over- seas advertising for local positions should name the companies soliciting em- ployees, and echoed the call for better enforcement. Solutions for management of traffic congestion include the extension of the East- West Arterial to Frank Sound, Ms. Bodden said. Asked about domestic vi- olence, she pointed out that when she was previously an MLA, she had established a safe house for battered women and children. Reiterating calls for a sex- offender registry, Mr. McTag- gart said domestic violence can’t be resolved in a short period of time, averring “the old ‘toss ‘em in jail and let ‘em rot” is “not realistic,” but still recommending “extremely harsh prison sentences.” He called on schools to closely observe at-risk chil- dren because “that’s where the problems” are most readily identified, and “we can force action to get assistance and counseling to parents.” Both candidates agreed the family unit is “under attack.” Mr. McTaggart recommended maternity leave for both par- ents and “mechanisms to in- crease the quality of life,” al- though he recognized “there is not a single fix.” Ms. Bodden criticized children for “running out of hand,” refusing parental dis- cipline – and parents for lax attention. “It’s not like when I was young and we were looked after by the com- munity, by grandparents, teachers and churches.” Answering a series of au- dience questions submitted ahead of time, Mr. McTag- gart, a 25-year veteran of the construction industry, said he hoped to gain appoint- ment as Minister of Planning, Lands and Works. Calling for change, he said planning officials are “a stymie to de- velopment,” often “taking 12 months or 18 months” to grant building permits. “It’s very frustrating to devel- opers and they often end up leaving.” He also called for term limits for MLAs. Mortgage rates are also an obstacle to development, he said. “You can’t have 35- year and 40-year mortgages on starter homes,” because they discourage aspira- tional buyers. Ms. Bodden said it “hadn’t crossed my mind” to seek a ministerial appointment, saying her 24 years of com- munity service were her strength: “It’s what I’m good at, going into people’s homes, being accessible, listening to them air their issues, giving them a voice, being their ears and eyes. “I just want to continue, and if I’m in the LA, I’ll just take [that] to a higher level,” she said. Kent McTaggartHeather Bodden ATTORNEY OPENS NEW OFFICE Attorney Lloyd Samson has opened a new legal office in downtown George Town. He and partner Prathna Bodden will operate under the banner of Samson Law Asso- ciates from their waterfront office in the Harbour Centre on the corner of Mary Street and North Church Street. “We are really excited about this new venture,” Mr. Samson said. “We have as- sembled a great team and we look forward to providing the same high quality legal rep- resentation that the public has come to expect from each of our experienced attorneys.” Mr. Samson, who studied at University of the West In- dies and graduated from the Norman Manley Law School, was called to the Bar of the Cayman Islands in 1990. He served as Crown prose- cutor in the Legal Department under the Attorney General be- fore going into private practice. Ms. Bodden was called to the Bar in Cayman in June, 2011. She studied at Hull University in England and received her legal training at the College of Law in London. Called to the bar there in 2007, she worked as a crim- inal defense lawyer in London before coming to Cayman. She said she welcomed this new opportunity. “It is a pleasure working in a fresh environment with an enthusiastic team who share the same vision. We are committed to providing an excellent, dedicated and professional service to all our clients.” Attorney Jonathon Hughes is also joining the firm. He was called to the Cayman Bar last year after practising as a barrister in the U.K. Having worked with Mr. Samson and Ms. Bodden and observing them in the courtroom, he said, “I admire them both and have seen at firsthand the lengths they go to for their clients. I’m looking forward to working with them and the rest of the Samson law team into the future.” Veteran attorney Lloyd Samson, left, is joined by partner Prathna Bodden and associate Jonathon Hughes.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cadet Corps HQ opens in George Town The new Cayman Is- land Cadet Corps headquar- ters was officially opened at Middle Road in George Town earlier this month. The new HQ, near the Chrissie Tomlinson Doc- tors Hospital, will serve as a base for volunteers and be used by adult training and volunteer organizations. The site is the first permanent headquar- ters that the Corps has had since Hurricane Ivan 12 years ago. The Cadet Corps had been using Bodden Town Civic Centre since 2013. A ribbon-cutting cere- mony and dedication was held at the new headquar- ters on April 6, during which government officials and staff, parents and cadets toured the facility. The Ministry for Com- munity Affairs, Youth and Sports funded the project, which involved extensive renovation work that was project managed by the Public Works Department. According to a gov- ernment press release, the building contains meeting rooms, storage areas for Corps equipment, and a kitchen. Minister for Community Affairs, Youth and Sport Os- bourne Bodden welcomed the Cadet Corps to its new location. He described the Cadet Corps as one of the stron- gest youth organizations in creating positive, commu- nity-minded citizens. Minister Bodden added that he looked forward to the time when the Cadet Corps could have its own parade grounds. Commandant Lt. Col. Bo- beth O’Garro said that since moving to the new prem- ises, the Corps has had more visits from officers, par- ents and cadets than it had in the past four years while in Bodden Town. The facility will also be used for conducting leadership training, as well as online learning for classes such as First Aid and diving, Lt. Col. O’Garro added. “Among the next stra- tegic goals that the Corps is looking to achieve are a training facility with a pa- rade square, training rooms, dorms and a new bus,” the press release stated. 50 YEARS AGO: Visitors come and go In the April 26, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, news from George Town included: “Miss Norma Jackson of Seagas Travel Services of Kingston who arrived on the island on the 15th was the weekend guest of Mr. and Mrs. Ainsley Bodden. She looks as charming as ever and was happy to see all her friends again. “Mr. Henry Bodden of Port Arthur, Texas, spent a fort- night in the island and was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Will Bodden of Crewe Road. He is the eldest brother of Messrs. Will and Dalkeith Bodden. It was good having him in Cayman once again, having been away for 12 years. He has enjoyed touring the island and visiting rela- tives and his many friends. Mr. Bodden has a wife and three sons, the eldest is mar- ried and has a baby son. Mr. Bodden is pleased with the development of the island and it is hoped that he will return again in the near fu- ture and bring his family with him on his next visit. “Mrs. Oliver Brinell (Carrie) returned home to Texas on the 18th after spending several weeks with her parents Mr. and Mrs. Sam Gressman and sister Mary. Mrs. Brinell is a very fine person and an active member in the PTA and other church activities where she lives. Be- fore her marriage, she was Cub-master of the George Town Wolf Cub Pack where she was beloved. “Among the arrivals from Kingston on the 19th were Mr. John Elliott, Mr. Calvin Hunter of British & American Insurance Co., of Kingston, and with him was Mr. Lennie Hugh, who has come to join their staff in Cayman. “Mrs. Bennie Ross is back home again after spending some time with her daughter Ruby and family in Miami. “The departures north- bound on the 19th were Mrs. Rayal Bodden who is vis- iting her relatives in Miami. Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Watler to Port Arthur, Texas, after spending several weeks at Crewe Road with Shirley’s sister Miss Effie Watler. Mr. Watler is now retired from sea and was home on a busi- ness trip. It is hoped that they will return again soon. Mr. Ellery Merren who is on a visit to her sister Mrs. Leslie Thompson of Port Ar- thur, Texas. Mrs. Gerry Payne, General and Mrs. H. Letson after an enjoyable stay in their lovely home at South Sound. Mr. A.E. Dowsey, Mrs. James Bodden and daughter Kathie who were on a few days visit with relatives in Miami, Mrs. Jolyne to reside in Brooklyn, N.Y., having ob- tained a U.S. visa.” CAYMAN MALE VOICE CHOIR CELEBRATES GOOD FRIDAY WITH SONG The Cayman Male Voice Choir held a Good Friday concert at the El- mslie Memorial Church in George Town. During the performance, the singers covered a wide array of music, including a rendition of “The Old Rugged Cross” by McDorn Frederick, with his son Mc- Cleary Frederick on har- monica. Another duet was carried out by Kenneth Mel- ville and Colson Daniels, who sang “Balm in Gilead.” Soloist Wardley Conolly, accompanied by the choir, sang “I believe in a hill called Mount Calvary,” while Rudy Myles delivered a ren- dition of “Open the Gates.” Among the more unusual performances of the eve- ning was one by Kenneth Melville, who delivered a musical selection on a saw, organizers said. Aidan Conolly sang an impressive solo rendition of “Your Great Name,” while Colson Daniels delivered a warming solo of “His Blood sets me Free.” Crosby Wal- ton’s solo “In the Garden” brought tears to the eyes of some in the audience. Also on the concert’s program was a duet performed on the organ and piano. The congregation joined in the hymns “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Beneath the Cross of Jesus.” The choir was directed by Nick Godfrey. Radio Cayman broadcast the concert live. Officials attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Cayman Islands Cadet Corps: From left, Deputy Chief Officer in the Ministry of Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Perry Powell; Assistant Chief Officer Joel Francis; Chief Officer Dorine Whittaker; Minister for Community Affairs, Youth and Sports Osbourne Bodden, Commandant Lt. Col. Bobeth O’Garro, Ministerial Councilor Roy McTaggart and Policy Adviser Debbie Ann Whittaker. Ministry and Cadet Corps officials gather for the opening of the new headquarters on April 6. The Cayman Male Voice Choir, with soloist Wardley Conolly, sings ‘I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary.’ Kenneth Melville and Colson Daniels sing a duet rendition of ‘Balm in Gilead.’7 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 Minimum murder sentence reduced due to defendant’s age Chakane Scott to serve 28 years before applying for release CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Chakane Jameile “CJ” Scott will serve at least 28 years after being found guilty of murdering Asher McGaw in East End on the night of Sept. 22, 2011. Scott received his sen- tence on Friday from Justice Alexander Henderson. The judge explained that Scott had been convicted on June 12, 2012. At the time, the only sentence for murder was life imprisonment. Since then, the Conditional Release Law has been passed; it sets a minimum term of 30 years before a person convicted of murder can apply for release from prison. The 30-year term can be adjusted upward or downwards if there are ag- gravating or extenuating cir- cumstances that are excep- tional in nature. Justice Henderson em- phasized that the minimum term only sets the earliest date at which an offender could apply for release, but the law “says nothing about whether he should be re- leased on that date, at a later date, or not at all.” He accepted the argument of defense counsel Sasha Wass that Scott’s age was an exceptional circumstance – he was 18 years three months and two weeks old when the fatal shooting occurred. At a sentencing hearing on April 7, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Rich- ards noted that under the Conditional Release Law, a child is someone under the age of 18 years. The regu- lations set out extenuating circumstances that may be relevant to the offense of murder. Eight such factors are listed, including “the age of the offender.” Justice Henderson com- mented at the time that if the murder had occurred before Scott turned 18, he would have been dealt with as a child and held “at the court’s pleasure.” Ms. Richards also pro- vided a list of 22 men con- victed of murder in Cayman and the age at which each committed his offense. Jus- tice Henderson said the in- formation had been helpful – it showed the median age to be 25; the average age, 27. In addition to Scott, one other offender had committed murder at age 18. The next youngest was 20. “These facts satisfy me that Mr. Scott’s young age is relatively unusual or un- common, and therefore ex- ceptional in nature. As a consequence, I am able to view his age as an extenu- ating circumstance,” Justice Henderson said. He pointed out that age was not strictly relevant to sentencing, but it provided an indication of a person’s maturity, insight and under- standing. He referred to a U.K. case in which the court had said “young offenders are more likely to be impulsive, unthinking, and respond to situations with excessive and gratuitous force.” Scott, who had chosen to be tried by judge alone, did not give evidence at his trial. As a result, Justice Hen- derson said, there was “vir- tually nothing on the record (other than his age) from which I might draw an in- ference about his level of maturity, insight and un- derstanding at the time of the offense. There is nothing from which I can infer a mo- tive to kill. Nevertheless … it is reasonable to conclude from his age alone that his level of maturity, insight and understanding was likely less than that of a fully devel- oped, mature adult. That is the extenuating circumstance that merits some recognition. I consider that a reduction of two years from the norm is appropriate.” The judge found no other extenuating or aggravating circumstances. Scott and his victim, who was 21 at the time, had been friends. They had been out socializing the night of the shooting, accompanied by another friend, 17. The teen gave an eyewitness account of the incident and other in- dependent evidence sup- ported and confirmed what he said. Scott’s conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2013. The 244 days he spent in custody before his conviction are to be taken into account in calculating the 28 years. TWO TOP DRUG TRAFFICKERS KILLED NEAR US BORDER MEXICO CITY (AP) – Two top drug traffickers have been killed in pre-dawn shoot- outs Saturday with federal forces in the northern Mexico border state of Tamaulipas, authorities reported. The Tamaulipas secu- rity spokesman’s office said the men were killed in sep- arate confrontations, which left highways littered with burned-out vehicles. Julian Loisa Salinas, better known as “Coman- dante Toro” and also known as Juan Manuel Loisa Sa- linas, was killed in a clash with marines in Reynosa, a city across the border from McAllen, Texas. Loisa Salinas reportedly was the Gulf cartel’s local leader in Reynosa. Authori- ties had tried to capture him a number of times, leading to gun battles with his gang. In early April, two U.S. citizens were reported wounded in one such gunfight. On Saturday, photos showed burned-out cars, trucks and buses littering streets in Reynosa. State authorities said his sup- porters had set fires and tried to block roads in an unsuccessful effort to help him escape. Luis Alberto Rodriguez, the state security spokesman, said there were a total of 32 highway and street block- ades, 11 of which were erected using burning vehi- cles. Such vehicles are usu- ally hijacked from their owners by armed men and then set on fire. Nine businesses were burned and 18 vacant lots were set on fire.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS women since 1981. But a fu- rious press for recognition led beach volleyball to be named an “emerging sport” in 2008 and a full-fledged NCAA championship sport in 2016. Beach volleyball was just the fifth women’s sport to go from emerging – which indi- cates that at least 40 member institutions have begun playing it – to a champion- ship. But more than that it was the speed with which it became so widespread that marked it as a spe- cial phenomenon. “I’ve worked at the NCAA almost 19 years, and this was the first opportunity I’ve had to be on that side of a sport that’s emerging and becoming a championship,” said Kristin Fasbender, the NCAA’s director of champi- onships and alliances. “There was a lot of passion behind those that fought for student- athletes that wanted to play beach volleyball and con- tinuing to grow that sport. “I think it was exciting to see and people were very ex- cited about the opportunity being given to them.” That very sentiment is evident in markets as di- verse as California and Grand Cayman. Jeff Smith, who helms the 692 Beach Volleyball Club in San Diego, said he saw incred- ible growth at home and hopes to see the same thing happen on Cayman. Mr. Smith coaches Ma- rissa Harrison, a 15-year-old member of the Cayman na- tional team, in California, and he hosted an instructional clinic at Public Beach last week ahead of the NORCECA tournament. With just a little time and effort, he said, the Cayman Islands could be the next place to catch vol- leyball fever. “Nine years ago, we were on the ground floor in Cal- ifornia and in the States,” said Mr. Smith. “We didn’t have beach clubs in Cali- fornia then, and now we have 200-plus beach clubs in Cal- ifornia. The programming is there, but it took nine years. I can see the same thing happening here, where once we start the programming, it will just build and these kids will eventually be on the national team.” Cayman teen makes her move Marissa, who has ver- bally committed to play at Florida State University, is an example of the diligence and discipline it takes to thrive on the beach. When she moved to California, she said recently, she was more of a football fan and hoped to play that game for the rest of her competitive life. But then she picked up volleyball at the urging of a friend and soon discov- ered that she loved it. Ma- rissa discovered the game at age 11 and is now a budding star at age 15. “I think the last two years I’ve probably grown the fastest,” she said of her athletic journey. “When I started to realize that there were college schol- arships available, it moti- vated me more to work hard and push myself and play in more tournaments. I’d say my biggest growth has hap- pened recently.” That growth has hap- pened naturally and organ- ically, but it has not been easy. Marissa has a six-hour school day five days a week, going straight from school to volleyball practice for more than two hours. Despite that grueling schedule – which Marissa says is “really just about time management,” she’s thriving in the classroom as well as on the beach. And that’s no coincidence, according to Mr. Smith, because it takes an exacting eye for detail and an all-consuming passion to improve at this game. “That’s the key to why kids get to the next level. If you don’t have passion, you’ll never get there,” he said. “When you’re tired and it’s 8 o’clock after practice and you have three hours of homework, you have to do your work because you can’t have low grades and go to college. That passion is what drives Marissa. It’s the pas- sion that keeps her competi- tive and playing on the week- ends and in tournaments. She’s eating correctly, fu- eling her body with the right nutrition. There’s times where it’s a balance and you have external factors that can distract you. But you have to reset and get re-fo- cused every day.” Top NCAA schools Sixty colleges and univer- sities are recognized in the top three divisions of NCAA beach volleyball, and all of them are eligible for the year- end championship, which will take place in early May. Eight teams qualify for the tournament at this point, and Ms. Fasbender said there is no urgent need to grow the field. In some ways, the beach game coincides with the in- door game. More than 300 universities compete in in- door volleyball, and 64 teams qualify for the year-end tournament. In the begin- ning, many athletes played both disciplines, but that is starting to change. “What you saw early and what you see with pro- grams coming on to the beach is that a lot of times there are some crossover student-athletes that are par- ticipating in both,” said Ms. Fasbender. “But the other thing that you see is within the first couple of years, most of those players be- come solely beach volley- ball players …. I don’t think you’re necessarily hurting either sport. I think you’re just continuing to give lots of people an opportunity to play in whichever discipline they feel is best for them.” The beach game prob- ably makes the most sense for residents of Cayman due to the presence of abun- dant natural resources and the smaller number of com- petitors per side. Kennedy McGowan, president of the Cayman Islands Volleyball Federation, said he hopes to see the sport take off on is- land and that the word is starting to trickle around that the game can be a means to an education. “Our very own Marissa Harrison is a testament to that” he said. “She’s been playing volleyball in Cali- fornia for the last four years, and now she’s verbally com- mitted to play at Florida State University. She’s a testament that it can be done. We plan to encourage more of our kids to follow in her footsteps and succeed athlet- ically and academically, and they can use beach volleyball as a table to get there.” Beach volleyball, the 90th championship sport adopted by the NCAA and the first for women since bowling was added in 2004, still has plenty of room to grow. The craze was probably kicked off by its inclusion as a medal sport in the Summer Olympics in 1996, and there’s no telling where it will stop, observers say. “I don’t think it’s reached its destination at all, and I don’t even know where to begin on where I think it could be in two to four years,” said Ms. Fasbender. “I think it really depends on institu- tions looking at what sports they offer for their student- athletes. If they’re able to offer beach volleyball and if it’s the right sport, it’s re- ally an institutional decision, but I do think that over the next two to four years, we’ll see a continued increase in institutions that are offering beach volleyball.” Beach gives birth to a new NCAA sport CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Bush: Give principals control over schools to make a success of it. In- vest in children in the foun- dation years rather than in rehabilitation when they go astray and end up in an insti- tution like Northward. I en- dorse, promote and support public-private partnerships in education.” Ms. Orrett said govern- ment had made improve- ments in public schools over the last four years, but said private partnerships are something that needs to be looked at. She said better pay and more respect for teachers could also raise standards in education. The candidates also tackled concerns around crime and gangs in West Bay, during the debate. Mr. Rivers said govern- ment needs to start tack- ling the causes of crime rather than just dealing with the symptoms. “Gangs are derivative of social conditions. When you put able-bodied people on welfare and they have no sense of self worth, no hope, no desire, then gangs is de- rivative of that.” He said rehabilitation and mentoring for gangsters to turn them from crime to gainful employment is nec- essary in West Bay. “We spend millions of dollars trying to eradi- cate crime and we fail be- cause we haven’t got to the root cause of it. We need to give them [young people] a sense of worth and a direc- tion to follow.” Mr. Bush balked at sug- gestions that West Bay has the highest crime rate in the country, but said more after-school pro- grams and community de- velopment initiatives were needed to put youngsters on the right track. “I’m not sure West Bay has highest crime rate. Where did that statistic come from? When it is good news, it is always Seven Mile Beach; when it’s bad, its West Bay Road.” He said the governor needs to do more to get tough on crime and prevent Cayman from being subject to directives from the U.K. that weakened sentencing. “The police station has been robbed three times, how many drugs went missing? Our borders need protecting, but the rescue boat is a North Sound boat. The rescue boat needs rescuing.” He said he believes the new commissioner of po- lice is on the “right track” but said government has to work with the governor and the police to develop a national defense service to protect the islands’ bor- ders and stem the import of drugs and illegal weapons. Ms. Orrett said the Pro- gressives government would create a “national coast guard” with assistance, expertise and funding from the U.K. “We will convert the RCIPS marine unit into a na- tional coast guard with the ability to interdict boats ar- riving with drugs and guns.” She said the Progres- sives “got things done, not just promised to get things done,” and vowed she would be a hands-on represen- tative, always available to people in West Bay. “I see my role as being involved on a day-to-day basis in monitoring what is taking place in West Bay. I can’t do that flying all over the world and staying in five-star hotels.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Marissa Harrison in action on Saturday. – PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY Cayman’s David Wood and Casey Santamaria played against Guatemala on Saturday.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 william.forsythe@caymancaptive.ky Applications should be submitted by pdf only, no later than 19th of May 2017 to: The above Foundation is currently offering a scholarship for a maximum of four years to a Caymanian High School graduate. Preference will be given to those candidates who intend to pursue a career in the nancial services industry upon graduation from university. However applications from all disciplines will be accepted. Candidates should be prepared to begin their university degree programme in the 2017 school year. The choice of university must be approved by the Foundation. Applicants should possess a minimum of ve good passes at CXC or ICGSE or equivalent. Evidence of educational achievements and, if possible university acceptance should accompany the application. In addition, a brief biography and a narrative as to the reason for the choice of University/Course should be included. Additional details and an application form can be obtained at www.caymancaptive.ky “A scholarship from IMAC has been a tremendous opportunity of which I will always be grateful for. It has enabled me to pursue a degree at a top university to compete against some of the most intelligent students in the UK. Similarly, becoming a doctor means so much to me and this journey would have been a nancial burden without the generosity of the IMAC scholarship. Through IMAC I have embarked on a path where I can offer so much more to the people of the Cayman Islands than I would if I had not had this opportunity. Name: Whitney General Degree: Medicine (MB ChB) and BSc in Health Sciences at the University of Bristol S C H O L A R S H I P CURRENT RECIPIENT Whitney GENERAL INSURANCE MANAGERS ASSOCIATION OF CAYMAN EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION CURRENT RECIPIENTCURRENT RECIPIENT CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 Effective Dec. 31, 2019, payouts will be available only at retirement age, meaning anyone who wants early ac- cess to their retirement sav- ings will have to quit at least two years before that date – by the end of this year. Mr. Pineau said Chamber members were expecting to see large scale resignations. He said many lower income workers were relying on being able to cash out their pen- sion when they left the island to invest in property or busi- nesses in their home coun- tries, as part of their long- term savings plan. He said businesses would be looking to hire Cayma- nian first, but warned govern- ment would have to be pre- pared for an influx of permit applications. He said the Chamber had flagged the issue in the hope that the new administration would consider the implica- tions of the changes. Ken Hydes, president of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association, said the in- dustry could lose some of its most talented and experi- enced staff, who would have amassed larger savings over years of employment. “We are going to lose some of the brightest and best in the industry. Some of our prop- erties are talking about the prospect of 75 or more people leaving at the same time.” Combined with the usual seasonal turnover in the tourism industry, he said, businesses would face serious staffing challenges. He added that more thought needed to be given to the unique requirements of the tourism industry. “There is a lack of un- derstanding in the commu- nity and in the legislative branch as laws are drafted, of the uniqueness of our in- dustry,” he said. “This is a globally competitive industry and we are trying to maintain an enviable position within the Caribbean.” Marc Langevin, manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, said the hotel had already seen workers resign as a result of the change. He anticipates The Ritz-Carlton could lose up to 10 percent of its staff when the season winds down in September. “If everybody else is in the same position, around that margin of 5-10 percent, that is going to mean thou- sands of people leaving at the same time. “Everyone is going to leave in September and those work permits are going to have to be processed in time for the high season or it is going to have a major impact on the economy. “How ready is the admin- istration to handle that?” Mr. Langevin said the industry had been con- cerned about the likely im- pact of the pensions change for some time. He said he was grateful that government had delayed implementation to allow busi- nesses time to adjust. “We have communicated with staff and it will be a per- sonal decision for them.” He said some workers had attempted to maximize their savings by contributing more than the minimum amount re- quired to their pension funds to create a “nest egg” that they could use to invest when they returned home. “Some of our employees don’t really trust the banking system in their home coun- tries. They were relying on that money to build a house or start a business, so for them, this is a game changer.” The change is not just ef- fecting the tourism industry. Keith Jernigan, country manager for The Security Centre, one of the largest em- ployers in the Cayman Is- lands, said “We heard that the issue is being discussed infor- mally, which we are keeping a pulse on. Pension amounts of $5,000 or so is a lot of money to a large number of our em- ployees, including our guards.” The potential for the changes to the Pensions Law to affect vast numbers of em- ployees was flagged by Valerie Hoppe, human resources di- rector for the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, at a meeting of CITA members late last year. “One of the problems that [the amended pensions law] will cause is skyrocketing turnover,” she told members. “So get prepared, em- ployees will be resigning to take those funds with them,” Ms. Hoppe said. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell told the Cayman Compass this week that gov- ernment is closely moni- toring the issue. He said the potential im- pact on staffing in the tourism industry had been flagged by CITA during the consultation period for the new Pensions Law. As a result of those dis- cussions the deadline for im- plementation of that aspect of the law was delayed to allow businesses and their staff time to prepare. He said his ministry would continue to facilitate an open dialogue between tourism industry leaders and the Department of Labour and Pensions to ensure the tourism industry was not ad- versely affected. The changes to the Na- tional Pensions Law do not prevent retirement savings funds from being transferred from the Cayman Islands to an analogous retirement plan outside the country after De- cember 2017. The new law restricts workers’ from get- ting a cash refund of their pension before retirement, unless their account holds less than $5,000. “We routinely deal with overseas transfers,” said Pensions Superintendent Amy Wolliston at the same meeting with CITA members. “The U.S., Canada, the U.K … they all have established plans that we have trans- ferred to in the past.” She said if workers were concerned about the banking system in their own coun- tries they could leave their savings in the Cayman ac- count and arrangements could be made upon retire- ment to withdraw funds di- rectly from here. Pensions Law changes could spur exodus of up to 2,500 workers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 TRUMP AWARDS PURPLE HEART AT MILITARY HOSPITAL BETHESDA, Md. (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump on Sat- urday awarded a Purple Heart to an Army sergeant re- cently wounded in Afghani- stan, the first of many Trump likely will award during his service as commander in chief of the U.S. military. “When I heard about this … I wanted to do it myself,” Trump said during a brief ceremony at Walter Reed Na- tional Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, out- side Washington. The medal went to Sgt. 1st Class Alvaro Barrientos, who was wounded in action on March 17 in Af- ghanistan during what is now America’s longest war. The White House did not release Barrientos’s hometown. “Congratulations on be- half of Melania and my- self and the entire nation. Tremendous,” said Trump, mentioning his wife. It was Trump’s first visit as presi- dent to the military hospital. Barrientos, whose right leg below the knee had been amputated, was brought into a hospital atrium in a wheelchair, accompanied by his wife, Tammy. Trump kissed Barrientos’s wife before pinning the medal on the sergeant’s left shirt collar, grasping Barrientos by the shoulders and then shaking his hand. Next >