SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘Looking Back and Thinking Ahead’ Local artist Simon Tatum reveals his talent in new exhibition. B3 Spring Regatta sets sail The Cayman Islands Sailing Club launches a weekend on the water B8 Events Events Events ■ THEATER Everybody cut ‘Footloose’! The toe-tapping musical opens on the Cayman stage in June. B5 Celebrating mothers Matriarchs are treasured throughout the world this Mother’s Day B4 CayMAS Carnival Just when you thought the parades were done, CayMAS hits the road B7 STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates. com SAVE ALMOST $5. Regular $13.99 each. Fine Wine and Spirits TORTUGA 15 stores island-wide and Mary Lou’s in Cayman Brac. For more information, please call 949-7701. For the Month of May (750 ml only) • Woodbridge California Moscato • Cook’s California Sparkling Wine Moscato • Banrock Station Australia Moscato and Pink Moscato May, Moscato & Mom May 14 is Mother’s Day. We are celebrating Mom ALL MONTH LONG! May, Moscato & Mom May, Moscato & Mom 20% OFF PHOTO: MATTHEW PELLOW CAYMAN WEEKENDER Everybody cut ‘Footloose’! EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 E-GOVERNMENT GETS ‘POLICE CLEARANCE’ High of 88 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 Also Available RED BAY SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA ONLINE POLICE CLEARANCES NOW AVAILABLE BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The days of making two trips to the po- lice records office on Walkers Road to ob- tain police clearances are over, at least for internet users. On Monday, the Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice Service started online processing of police clearance certificates, which are required for applicants seeking a work permit or a permit renewal. They are also required every six months for permanent residence applicants awaiting decisions on their status. The certificates are also required for share- holders/directors of companies seeking a trade and business license in Cayman. It is estimated that more than 3,000 people apply for a police clearance in the Cayman Islands each month, either for immigration, employment or business licensing purposes. The $25 fee per clearance that applicants pay brings in approximately $900,000 per year. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » A palm tree, an iPhone and a ring of fire A sun halo frames a towering palm tree in Crystal Harbour. The optical phenomenon, caused by sunlight refracted by ice crystals in clouds, was captured (and only slightly retouched) by photographer Albert Cabudoy on his iPhone last Friday. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » COUSTEAU URGES FURTHER RESEARCH UNDER THE SEA SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Fabien Cousteau has made exploration and conservation of the world’s oceans his life’s work, and he arrived in the Cayman Islands this week with a message for environmental- ists everywhere. Mr. Cousteau, grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, was the keynote speaker at the Caribbean Transitional Energy Conference on Thursday. He warned the audi- ence that they face a “monumental time in his- tory” and “the most important set of decisions” that confront the planet. The explorer referred to Earth as “this little oasis in space that we consider our home,” and said the time for debate about climate change has long passed. Now is the time for action, he said, and the citizens of island nations are on the front lines of a battle that could ultimately wreak havoc on their shores.2 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman’s Most Affordable Cimboco - A Caribbean Café 94-PASTA (947-2782) Located in the Marquee Plaza Brunch & Breakfast till 3pm Saturday, Sunday & Holiday Monday! Tel: +1 (345) 747 2000 caymanservice@generali-health.com Tel: +1 (345) 747 2000 caymanservice@generali-health.com www.generali-worldwide.com Employee Benefits Under Our Wings OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 12-2 SAN SEBASTIAN#42 Furnished 1 Bedroom $269,900 CI Enormous Pools, Gym, Tennis Court 548-0000 Lintibbetts@yahoo.com No charges in fatal police shooting BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands prosecu- tors reviewing a deadly Jan- uary shooting by police have ruled that no charges will be filed against any of the offi- cers involved. The decision by the Di- rector of Public Prosecu- tions follows a months-long review into the arrest of Ja- maican ex-convict Norval Barrett by Bermudian police officers who con- ducted an independent re- view of the incident. Po- lice Commissioner Derek Byrne requested the review by the Bermuda police to avoid any perception of bias within the RCIPS. The officers involved in the shooting have returned to active duty, Commis- sioner Byrne said. The matter will be turned over to the Coroner’s Court for an inquest. Barrett, 34, was shot and killed during an incident in- volving RCIPS armed units in the Windsor Park area of George Town. The Jan. 6 shooting is believed to be the first fatal shooting of a crim- inal suspect by an RCIPS of- ficer since at least the 1980s, though department officials could not be certain whether it was the first such incident in the department’s 100-plus year history. Barrett was an illegal immigrant in the Cayman Islands and had been con- victed of robbery here in early 2011. Mr. Byrne said the Ja- maican national was being sought on an arrest warrant the morning he was killed. According to previous po- lice accounts of the incident, Barrett left a residence on Theresa Drive with a firearm in his possession. Mr. Byrne said armed officers fired “a number of shots” and injured the suspect. He was trans- ported to hospital and pro- nounced dead at 6:16 a.m. on Jan. 6, police said. Mr. Byrne said at the time that he could not con- firm whether the suspect fired any shots at police. The firearm recovered by po- lice at the scene was loaded, Mr. Byrne said. Just before Christmas, the RCIPS put out a public warning regarding Barrett, who was sentenced in 2012 to 12 years in prison for a robbery at the Shedden Road Esso station on Aug. 18, 2010. His sentence was later re- duced to nine years by the Court of Appeal. It is not clear when he completed his sentence, but Barrett was apparently de- ported from Cayman after he was released from prison. The RCIPS reported during the holiday period that he was believed to be back on island illegally. Yogis pay homage to India under the moonlight KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A full moon illuminated Bliss Living Yoga’s rooftop terrace in George Town on Wednesday evening as yogis centered their minds on chilled-out beats and sup- porting a charitable cause. The evening’s practice, led by teacher Manuela Izaacs, paid homage to India, where fundraisers hope to establish a 100-person shelter for sur- vivors of human and sex traf- ficking near New Delhi’s red light district. The Yoga Medicine Seva Foundation has partnered with anti-trafficking groups Her Future Coalition and Rescue Foundation to launch the shelter this year. Ms. Izaacs aims to raise US$5,000 toward the orga- nization’s US$100,000 goal. Proceeds will provide health checkups, vocational training, food, clothing and rehabilita- tion services to women and children at the facility. “India is really where this practice originated from and I owe so much to this prac- tice. I feel it is really fitting to give back to this nation that has given so many of us in the West so much,” Ms. Izaacs said before Wednesday’s class. She encouraged the 27-student group to extend its focus beyond the evening’s practice and look to a larger world of possibilities. “I always say to my stu- dents, the hardest part about being a mindful person or a yogi isn’t actually when you’re on your yoga mat and doing these shapes and poses. The hardest work starts when you leave your yoga mat and you get faced with things that are chal- lenging,” she said. “As a yogi, it’s important for me to take what I preach and I what I cultivate on the mat and take it with me into my life and hopefully inspire others to do the same.” Ms. Izaacs shared trou- bling human trafficking sta- tistics from the Yoga Medi- cine Seva Foundation with the class. She said India has the highest number of en- slaved people in the world, an estimated 18 million. The foundation estimates 400 women and children go missing every day in India, many of whom end up in human trafficking. Once the class began, Cay- man’s Collin Bodden, known as DJ Royal, offset the grave statistics with a backdrop of smooth beats, fit for an eve- ning of meditation. “Tonight I will be spin- ning some music to get ev- eryone in an eclectic mood. Music changes moods, so that’s what I’m here for, to make sure I captain how ev- eryone is feeling emotion- ally,” he said. “Yoga is about letting go and also becoming one with yourself, so [I chose] a lot of low tones, music that has a bass drive but not too many words. It’s more feeling and instrumentals that are grooved for that kind of evening.”While DJ Royal had never spun for a yoga class before, he is already planning to return to Bliss for another night of fundraising. Ms. Izaacs still has more than US$4,000 left to raise, and hopes to team up with the DJ again. Wednesday’s class brought in US$600. “We’re just going to move and groove and celebrate what we have and the fact that we live in this beautiful place where we are able to help others,” Ms. Izaacs said. Those interested in donating can visit the Yoga Medicine page on www.crowdrise.com. Bliss hosts a full moon yoga session every month. Wednesday’s class under the full moon focused on a charity to help women in India. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 Our tax practice is growing © 2017 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. PwC is pleased to announce the addition of two senior hires; T. C. Leshikar and Elizabeth Smeltzer have joined our tax practice as a partner and a director, respectively, based in the Cayman Islands. Our tax practice now includes a total of 19 tax specialists in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. T.C. and Elizabeth specialise in assisting our financial services clients with their U.S. tax compliance and advisory needs. These senior hires reflect PwC’s strategic focus on expanding its tax services team. With these new additions, our senior leadership team has over 80 years of combined expertise providing various tax compliance and consulting services in the financial services industry. PwC is the leading provider of tax services in terms of the size, scope and reputation of our global tax practices combined. Clients engage us because we combine a strong understanding of their business and economic environments with specialist tax knowledge in hundreds of national and local jurisdictions across the world. Our local tax practice specialises in providing U.S. tax compliance and advisory services in the following areas: Talk to us... Graeme Sunley Territory Leader T: +1 345 914 8642 E: graeme.sunley @ky.pwc.com T. C. Leshikar Tax Partner T: +1 345 914 8616 E: tc.leshikar @ky.pwc.com Elizabeth Smeltzer Tax Director T: +1 345 914 8796 E: elizabeth.smeltzer @ky.pwc.com Adam Cook Tax Senior Manager T: +1 345 914 8617 E: adam.c.x.cook @ky.pwc.com • Alternative investment funds • Passive Foreign Investment Companies (“PFICs”) • Commercial re/insurance • Insurance linked securities • Captive insurance (group captives, healthcare captives, 953(d) and 831(b) electing captives) • Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) and Common Reporting Standard (“CRS”)The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. 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” FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Today’s front page contains a welcome development from government – Cayman Islands residents can now apply online for police clearance certificates, potentially cutting in half the number of in-person visits needed to obtain these documents required by immigration offi- cials, as well as some employers and businesses. As all of the roughly 24,000 work permit holders in Cayman are well aware, the conventional process for obtaining a certificate (which is, basically, a person’s local “criminal record,” including arrests and con- victions) involves making a trip down to the RCIPS Criminal Records Office on Walkers Road, waiting in line, producing the relevant identification document, paying $25 – then returning to the office at a later date, waiting in line again, producing the ID again, before finally picking up the certificate. Cayman’s 24,000 work permit holders must make this two-stage journey every time their permits are up for renewal. Meanwhile, the nearly 1,000 people waiting for their permanent residence applications to be consid- ered must reiterate this process every six months. In this context, it is unsurprising that RCIPS issues around 36,000 certificates every year, which, at $25 a pop, works out to an annual revenue stream of $900,000 for the government. Under the new system, people can use the govern- ment’s “e-services” portal to apply for the police clear- ance certificate, and then only visit the RCIPS records office once, in order to pick up the document. If everyone takes advantage of the new initiative, it could reduce the number of in-person visits to the RCIPS records office from 72,000 to 36,000. It’s a small but significant victory for Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, who has been a major champion for “e-gov- ernment” for years, dating back to his tenure as chief officer of the Portfolio for Internal and External Affairs. The development is good news for work permit holders and for police administrative staff. The bad news, however, is that obtaining a police clearance certificate is just one of the many bureau- cratic hoops that work permit holders and PR appli- cants must jump through on a regular basis just to keep their immigration paperwork up to date. Here we’ll focus on the nearly 1,000 people stuck in PR limbo. Our past writings on this population have focused primarily on the general injustice of their situ- ation, as the Progressives government’s deliberate inaction – and unwillingness to follow the law they themselves crafted and passed – has left the applicants and their families stranded, without security of tenure or even a certainty of when they might have to leave. Amid the big picture, what we haven’t discussed as much are the comparatively minor details – the costly and annoying inconveniences they must suffer for the sake of bureaucracy. In addition to police certificates, people in the PR queue must obtain medical certificates every six months, an irritating and time-consuming exercise that includes blood tests for HIV/AIDS and chest X-rays to screen for tuberculosis. We’re not sure what’s worse: Being treated like a number, a guinea pig, a pincushion or a microwave TV dinner. What we are sure of, is that if these work permit and PR applicants were voters, our politicians would never allow them to be treated this way. e-Government gets ‘police clearance’ Free speech can get awkward NOAH FELDMAN Pity the poor residents of Belle Plaine, Minnesota. They’re about to get a vet- erans memorial with satanic symbols in their public park – and it’s their own fault. They allowed a Christian memo- rial earlier this year, opening the park to all memorials in order to avoid violating the constitutional prohibition against establishment of reli- gion. Now they have to allow the satanic memorial as a matter of free speech. Whip- sawed between two different clauses of the First Amend- ment, they probably don’t know what hit them. To understand what’s happening in Belle Plaine – and why it makes legal sense, if no other kind – you need to start with the complex, judge-made rules about what happens when religion and free speech interact. Sometime last year, the Belle Plaine Veterans Club paid for and installed a new monument for Veterans Me- morial Park in the town 45 miles southwest of Minne- apolis. Close to a granite me- morial inscribed with the names of the town’s war dead, the new memorial de- picted in silhouette a soldier kneeling with a rifle in front of a cross that is roughly the size of tombstone in a mili- tary cemetery. The Freedom From Reli- gion Foundation objected, ar- guing that the new memorial was an endorsement of Christianity in violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. In my view, it wasn’t at all certain that the memorial was unconstitutional. Yes, it includes a religious symbol, and it’s certainly possible that a court would’ve found that in context, it amounted to a preference for religion over nonreligion. But it also would have been possible for a court to interpret the memorial as de- picting a soldier kneeling be- fore a grave that was marked by a cross, not before the cross in a religious sense. Anyone who’s been to mili- tary cemeteries like those in France or Italy knows how moving the fields of crosses can be. Such a memorial might not register as an endorse- ment of religion, and would be constitutionally permitted. But Belle Plaine, which had a population of just 6,661 in the last census, didn’t want to go through costly litigation. So it removed the memorial. That led to public objec- tion, which persuaded the town to allow the memorial. That in turn led to a creative but high-risk legal solution. According to U.S. Supreme Court doctrine, the estab- lishment clause applies only when the government it- self is acting. But if private speakers, not the government, are talking, then there’s no problem with government endorsement of religion, because (in theory) no reasonable observer would think the government was expressing a view. So Belle Plaine declared that it was creating a zone in the park in which any pri- vate actor could place a me- morial. That’s known in free- speech law as a “limited public forum.” In such a forum, the gov- ernment opens its prop- erty to public speech. It can limit the subject matter, but it can’t limit the speakers’ viewpoints. Thus, Belle Plaine could legally say that the desig- nated area was being opened to veterans memorials. But it couldn’t say that only Chris- tian or religious or secular memorials could be placed there. Under a landmark 1994 Supreme Court deci- sion, Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, religion counts as a viewpoint in a limited public forum. The town’s purpose in creating the forum was, of course, to allow the silhou- ette memorial. But that per- mission came at a cost: The town would have to allow any veterans memorial, re- gardless of its viewpoint, in the same area. On cue, the Satanic Temple of Salem, Massachusetts, re- sponded. Its proposed memo- rial is a square block of stone with satanic symbols like the pentagram carved on the sides and an upside-down military helmet perched on top. The temple claims that “this will be the first Satanic monument erected by Sa- tanists on public property.” The town can’t do any- thing to stop it – not any- more. Satanism is a reli- gious viewpoint. It would violate Satanists’ free-speech rights to deny them ac- cess to the limited public forum. Most likely, the town couldn’t even require memo- rial sponsors to be town res- idents, because the forum is open for veterans-memorial speech generally. Whether you think the result is absurd is a good test of whether you like this compromise carved out by the courts. One old-fashioned secu- larist view would be that no one should be able to erect a religious monument, whether Christian or secularist, in the park. According to this logic, the fiction of making the park into a limited forum for public speech should be treated as absurd. This is government space. An alternative old-fash- ioned critique, this one from the other side, would say that there’s nothing wrong with the town choosing a memo- rial that reflects its residents’ religious values. Endorse- ment of religion wasn’t the constitutional framers’ in- tent when they adopted the establishment clause. As long as no one is being coerced to worship, the framers would have objected only if gov- ernment money was used to erect a religious statue. A pri- vately funded memorial on public land wouldn’t have been considered a violation. The current compromise tells government that it has to choose between control of monuments, in which case it can’t endorse religion, or giving up control and al- lowing anyone to speak. Faced with these options, most towns choose control. Pleasant Grove, Utah, made that choice in a case that went to the Supreme Court. In 2009, the justices ruled that the town could exclude a proposed religious monu- ment from a park because the choice of statues was a matter of government speech. Belle Plaine probably now wishes it had gone that route. Or maybe Satan and the cross can coexist, a strange combination of bedfellows arranged courtesy of the jus- tices in Washington. Feldman is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard University. © 2017, Bloomberg ViewThe islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days East End North Side FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Seniors enjoy day of culture JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A silver thatch necktie with conch shell tie clip, old-time stories, plantain trash beds and an old Singer sewing machine offered a step back in time for many elders attending a cultural day at the East End Civic Centre this week. Hosted by the East End Seniors Fellowship group, the event on Tuesday, May 9, fea- tured stalls depicting the cul- ture of the Cayman people, highlighting the food, cus- toms and traditions of se- niors from various districts. “It’s good for seniors to get out and mingle with other seniors from other dis- tricts, and at the same time promote their cultural heri- tage,” said Delmira Kirchman Bodden, who works in partnership with the fel- lowship group. She said the group envi- sioned the culture day as a fun get-together, and each district was asked to prepare three items related to their district’s culture by revis- iting old-time recipes, craft skills, artifacts and activities to win prizes. Showcasing a traditional Caymanian house with thatch roof, work donkey, plantain trash bed and lots of fruits and produce, a group of East End women took first place with their display. North Side won second prize, and George Town came in third. Arden McLean, MLA for East End, said the culture in the district is alive and well. “It’s you all who carry it on for the young ones like me to be able to enjoy,” he told the seniors. Welcoming the seniors from other districts, Mr. McLean observed that de- spite being from other parts of the island, they were all culturally connected. “We could determine who was from West Bay … had the best turtle … George Towners would say which part you from, all that is cultural and we shouldn’t be ashamed of it,” Mr. McLean said. East End Pastor Marcus McLaughlin said Cayman churches played an impor- tant part in the local culture. No matter what, he said, everyone went to church – often fighting away the mos- quitoes with shamrock leaves and smoke pans. “The mosquitoes were so thick you could do this,” said Pastor McLaughlin, pretending to catch a handful of them. “People still went to church.” He said the smoke pan was kept outside the door and after service people took it up and walked home with it. Those days, he said, people had a mind to go church, it was a tradition that was kept up, while nowadays that was slacking up. In the old days, he said, pastors were paid with fish, bottler (in the banana family) and cassava. Bottler was a staple in the diet and used in many dishes, such as porridge and dumplings, or boiled, fried or made into cake, and much more. Winding up the occasion, Ms. Kirchman Bodden said she was often told by seniors on her rounds of East End that it was humor that took them through the hard days. Celebrating the local dishes provided, the se- niors put a new twist on the refreshments. Instead of heaping plates of Cayman- style beef accompanied by rice and beans, the gathering enjoyed beef or minced fish piled on homemade buns, conch soups, fried plantain, breadfruit, and heaps of homemade cookies, candies and heavy cakes. 50 years ago: Death of a family man In the May 10, 1967 edition of the Cayma- nian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, North Side correspondent Nettie McCoy wrote: “The relatives and many friends of Mr. Christopher Rivers were shocked and grieved on Friday morning 5th when they learned that he had met death under tragic circumstances. “Mr. Rivers was born in Honduras on April 13, 1898. He came to Grand Cayman and was united in mar- riage to Della Ebanks on Jan. 9, 1921. To this union nine children were born – Carsley, Merice, Hartley, Maric, Graham, Zeta at home, Calvin and Owen at sea. One son, Buel, pre- ceded him in death sev- eral years ago. “He was a hard working man, a faithful and loving husband and father to his family and a friend to all who knew him. He leaves to mourn his loss, besides his wife and children many grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends. “The funeral was con- ducted in the Pilgrim Holi- ness Church by Rev. Ruth Bowman, assisted by Rev. John Croft and Sr. Nettie Rivers and the mortal re- mains laid to rest in the family cemetery. “Mrs. Alice Ryder left on Wednesday for her home in the USA. “Mr. Judson McCoy left on the 8th to join the S.S. Ore Venus. “Mr. John Edward Ebanks arrived from Genoa, Italy, on the 5th. He went to Italy a few weeks ago on the Imperial St. Lawrence, where he met and mar- ried his wife. “Mr. and Mrs. Ransford Terry returned from Ja- maica on the 4th where they were united in marriage. They are now residing in George Town. We wish for the newlyweds God’s riches and blessings. “Mrs. Windsor An- derson returned from Ja- maica on Wednesday after a short visit. “The residents of this district are pleased to note that the marl on the road gradually keeps extending through the district, and it is hoped that in the near future a better road will be made available not only for motorists, but for pe- destrians. The long spell of drought and the increase of traffic daily has caused the present condition of the road to be deplorable. “A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Rans- ford McLean at the hos- pital in George Town on Friday the 5th. “Miss Janis Chisholm left on the 8th for New Or- leans. She has gone to be with her father for a while and also to attend school.” A North Side cultural display is among those featured at the event. Karen Gourzong, Janice Welcome and Carmen Conolly get ready to serve fried breadfruit. Dorline Welcome and Georganne Rankine showcase George Town heritage.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days East End North Side CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 Career volunteers inspire students Police, emergency services, pottery maker help out on Careers Day JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Guest speakers from Cay- man’s workforce shared first- hand knowledge and per- sonal experiences pertaining to their careers with stu- dents at East End Primary School this month. The speakers were at the school on John McLean Drive for Careers Day on May 5, which seemed to spark a lot of interest, as during and after the presentations stu- dents asked many questions. Around 15 exhibitors fea- tured activities and interac- tive sessions with the stu- dents, discussing various careers, including emergency responder, police work and pottery making. Police Constable Richard Connolly said students wanted to find out about guns and dogs. Officers from the K-9 Unit shared some of their experiences about how they work with the dogs to combat criminals. “It’s good to allow the children to see all the dif- ferent careers that are out there, and how they relate to what they are doing in the classroom,” said the school’s principal, Allison Greaves. In one classroom, agricul- ture representatives Samantha Dorman and Shariffa Chanti- lope-Zelaya told the students how science and mathematics go together in their careers. “They made sure to tell the students agriculture doesn’t only mean [being] out in the sun with a hoe, shovel and pickax, but there were lots of other jobs in the agriculture field,” said Ms. Greaves. She thanked the volun- teers and speakers for making Careers Day an enlightening and successful event. Year 5 students at East End Primary School’s dress up for Careers Day. Emergency responder Nicholas Elliott speak with students about saving a person’s life. The children learn about agricultural prodcts from the Agriculture Department’s Samantha Dorman and Shariffa Chantilope-Zelaya.Danswell Stephens works on a pottery wheel for interested students. Kymani Parsons dressed as FBI agent, Nicholas Elliott as a SWAT officer, and ‘Nurse’ Alexandra Rankin speak with emergency responder Kendal Connor at the school.8 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Lindsley A.M. McLaughlin, of Lower Valley who passed away on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on, Saturday May 13, 2017 at the East End Civic Centre at 3:00p.m. with viewing from 2:00-2:45p.m. Interment follows at Gun Bay Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Ms. Hilda Agatha McLean of Windsor Park and Lower Valley who passed away on Saturday, May 6, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, May 14, 2017 at 2:00p.m. at the Savannah Seventh-day Adventist Church 1631 Shamrock Road, Savannah. Viewing will be from 1:30–2:00p.m. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. In lieu of owers, donations can be made to the Church Building Fund. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Laten Moreland Bush affectionately known as “Brother Laten” of West Bay who passed away on Friday, May 5, 2017. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 3:00p.m. at the Wesleyan Holiness Church, 150 Northwest Point Road, West Bay. Viewing will be from 2:00–2:45p.m. Interment follows at Boatswain Bay Cemetery. Rita Rankine 1/5/1926 - 14/7/2014 IF RO SES GROW IN HEAVEN: If roses grow in heaven Lord, please pick a bunch for me, place them in my mother arms, tell her there from us, tell her we love her and miss her, and when she turns to smile, place a kiss upon her cheek, and hold here for a while Miss you always. From: Children; Gail, John, Alice and Albert. Daughter in law- Chastine Rankine. Son in law –Ricardo Lindo. Grand children and Great Grand children The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Victoria B. Ewen Nee Tomlinson regret to announce her passing on Friday, 5 May 2017. A funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, 20 May 2017 at Crossroads Baptist Church, Cayman Brac. Interment will follow in West End Cemetery. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Peter C. Widmer regret to announce his passing on Tuesday, 25 April 2017. A funeral service will be held at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, 16 May 2017 at Elmslie Memorial United Church. Interment will follow in Prospect Cemetery. The family encourages attendees to wear colorful attire to the funeral service. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Mervin Buiza regret to announce his passing on Sunday, 30 April 2017. Mr. Buiza will be repatriated to the Philippines. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Barbara Morley regret to announce her passing on Tuesday, 2 May 2017. Mrs. Morley will be repatriated to the United States of America. Romanians feel impact of visa change Credit card scams lead to travel visa amendments JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s small Roma- nian community is begin- ning to feel the impact of new visa requirements ap- parently introduced in re- sponse to a handful of credit card crimes committed by tourists from the eastern Eu- ropean country. Both Romania and Bul- garia have been removed from the list of 51 countries that do not require travel visas for citizens to enter the Cayman Islands as tourists. The change was made in March through an amend- ment to the Immigra- tion Regulations. Many of the islands’ Romanian community were unaware of the new re- quirement until friends coming to visit were stopped at the airport. Travel visas required In the past month, at least five visitors from Romania have been stopped at the air- port, without travel visas, ac- cording to Valeriu Danulescu, an engineer who has worked on island for eight years and is currently employed by var- ious companies in the Ca- ribbean as a consultant, working from Romania. Mr. Danulescu said he learned of the change after Romanian citizens visiting friends on island, as well as a former resident returning to visit friends and sell some of her property, contacted him for assistance when they were stopped at Owen Rob- erts International Airport. In all those cases, he said, the travelers were eventu- ally allowed to enter the country and apply for a visa after-the-fact. He said he was shocked that the Cayman Islands would change its entire policy toward Romania on the basis of two or three incidents. Mr. Danulescu, who served as a translator in court proceedings in Cayman, including those involving Ro- manians accused of credit card fraud, said he was stunned by the new policy. “It is a pity to see a whole country blacklisted on the basis of the actions of three or four guys. I lived and worked in Cayman for eight years and gave my services as a translator to the court, and if I come back to visit I need a special visa. “It is a pity because if you look at the majority of crime in Cayman, it is not committed by Romanians and Bulgarians.” In the most recent case involving three Romanians convicted of ATM scams using fake credit cards, the evidence in court was that they were part of a gang of five, including a Briton and an American. Mr. Danulescu said, “In that case, the Roma- nians actually played a sec- ondary role. Are they going to make this requirement for British and American people as well? “There was another case recently involving Canadians convicted of the same thing. Why are only Romania and Bulgaria being banned?” According to figures from the Immigration Department, there were 70 Romanians and 19 Bulgarians living in the Cayman Islands on work permits in 2016. The vast majority of visi- tors to the islands from those countries are likely friends and family of those people, says Mr. Danulescu. He said it was unfair to punish them because a handful of eastern Europeans were among a number of criminals, from all over the world, convicted of committing credit card fraud after traveling to the Cayman Islands. “I don’t see why they chose to approach the situation like this instead of working with the Romanian cybercrime po- lice to target those who are really responsible and stop the situation,” he said. The Cayman Compass has no record of a debate in the Legislative Assembly over the changes to the Immigration Regulations. Premier Alden McLaughlin did not respond to requests for more informa- tion this week. Legislative debate The issue was discussed during a separate debate in April over changes to the Penal Code to create the new crime of “possession of arti- cles for use to defraud.” That law allows customs officers to detain people at the border if they are found with cloned credit cards or credit card skim- ming technology. During that debate, At- torney General Samuel Bulgin said the crime had be- come a major problem in re- cent years, with a “number of foreign nationals convicted.” He cited Romanians and Bulgarians among them, and indicated government had put additional visa restric- tions in place against some of those countries. During the debate, East End legislator Arden McLean called for much tougher ac- tion, saying Romanians should be banned from the country as a result of credit card fraud by some of its citizens. “If we see the Roma- nians are the ones doing it, put them on the prohibited country list. Let them stay over there,” he said. There is no official record of the number of criminals from different nationalities convicted of various crimes in the Cayman Islands. However, Cayman Com- pass records indicate two re- cent cases involving people from Romania. In March 2016, five in- dividuals, three from Ro- mania, one from the U.S., and one from the U.K., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to de- fraud by using cloned credit cards in ATM machines in the Cayman Islands. In March 2015, three Ro- manian nationals admitted similar offenses. Compass records show only one case involving a Bulgarian national, who was jailed for 20 months for a similar scam. Other cases have involved people from Canada and Malaysia. Both Romania and Bulgaria have been removed from the list of 51 countries that do not require travel visas for citizens to enter the Cayman Islands as tourists. Robbers hit GT food store An armed man held up the Reflections Food-4-Less store on MacLendon Drive in George Town during the pre- dawn hours Thursday. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice, a man with his faced covered brandished a handgun inside the store and demanded cash. Police said he took some money from the store reg- ister and ran off across Shedden Road toward the Mango Tree Bar. No one was hurt and no shots were fired, police said. Police described the sus- pect as about 5 feet, 5 inches tall, with a light brown com- plexion, wearing a black shirt and baseball cap over his head. Anyone with information is asked to call George Town Police Station at 949-4222, the RCIPS anonymous tip line at 949-7777 or Cayman Crime Stoppers at 800-8477.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY MAY 12, 2017 Marvin Buiza, 37. One is never prepared for the loss of a loved one… Although it is di cult today to see beyond the sorrow.. we take comfort in our fond memories of you. Mr. Mervin Buiza, was born in the Philippines on 10/07/1979, died 04/30/2017. Mervin is survived by his father Mario Buiza, two sons, sisters and a host of friends and relatives in the Philippines. In Grand Cayman, he leaves behind two cousins, Gilbert Buiza, Vien Buiza, an aunt, Corazon Joscon, and cousin Ferdinand Buiza who returns from the Philippines this week……..all of whom worked together with him at Roper’s. He was predeceased by his mother. Mr. Buiza was employed by Roper’s Janitorial Services from 2002 , until his passing. Marvin will be fondly remembered by his work family as a friend to all, quiet, hard working and always willing to share his knowledge. Mr. Buiza’s remains will be repatriated to Cainta Rizal, Philippines, for his nal resting place. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY IN HEAVEN Dear Mother in Heaven We just want you to know How much we miss you every day And how much we love you so. We cannot send you a card But we can send you our love Upon the wings of angels To heaven up above. We wish you a Happy Mother’s Day For you were the best To have you for our mother We know we were blessed. Rest in peace our angel One day we will be together The next time we see you We know it will be forever. Your loving children: Mexi, Denniston, Garth, Kurt, and families. SELMA TIBBETTS “How do you fill a bucket? One drop at a time,” he said. “And the more synergies, the more activity, the more posi- tive momentum, the more in- novation that’s implemented in the island nations – who are at the forefront of this problem – the better off the rest of the world will be. And hopefully the big guys up north will start paying atten- tion. Because at the end of the day, we’re all connected.” Mr. Cousteau, a self-de- scribed oddball at the con- ference because of his lack of business expertise, lauded local governments and com- panies for moving toward re- newable energy. Beyond wind and solar, he said, there’s even more potential that could be unlocked in ocean thermal energy. OTEC, ocean thermal energy conversion, could someday provide more than nine times the current global electrical needs without sig- nificantly impacting the en- vironment. But first, said Mr. Cousteau, a lot more re- search and innovation must take place in order to unlock its potential. “I always have this one comment for educators out there,” he said. “I’m a big pro- ponent of STEM education, and I say, ‘You know, the one thing I learned in school is that the ocean represents 72 or 73 percent of the Earth’s surface.’ But that’s a two- dimensional system you’re talking about. We live in a three-dimensional world. … If you take into account the third dimension, that’s 99 percent of the world’s living space within which almost 95 percent of the world’s living biodiversity thrives.” Just 5 percent of the world’s oceans have been explored, according to Mr. Cousteau, and nearly 100 times more has been spent on space exploration than on ex- ploring the seas. With a little time and energy underwater, he said, many of the Earth’s mysteries can be unlocked. “As time went on, explora- tion and storytelling became exploration with a message,” he said. “We’ve gone to places [where] no other human being has set foot, thousands of miles away from civili- zation, and we’ve seen very definite signs of human im- pact. How can people protect what they don’t understand? I remember my grandfather saying to me when I was growing up … ‘People protect what they love.’” Jacques Cousteau fa- mously spent 30 days in an undersea laboratory named Conshelf II, and his grandson followed with a project dubbed Mission 31. That endeavor, performed aboard undersea lab Aquarius in the Florida Keys, sent Mr. Cous- teau underwater for 31 days. Aquarius is about the same size as the Interna- tional Space Station, said Mr. Cousteau, and staying under- water for 31 days enabled the inhabitants to scuba dive for up to nine hours without un- dergoing depressurization. And in that environment, they discovered vital information. “That habitat has been around 26 years. Back when we did this, it was 24 years,” he said. “During those 24 years, nobody had been down long enough to see that the cold water upwelling from the trench nearby had been disrupted because of cli- mate change-related issues. It’s been shutting down the metabolism of the coral reef because of that cold water [coming] more and more fre- quently and more rapidly.” When he emerged from the water after 31 days, Mr. Cousteau said, it was the saddest moment of his ca- reer. But there’s still so much he wants to know about the undersea environment. There’s a chance 3-D printers can be used to re- build eroding coral reefs, said Mr. Cousteau, and vital research is needed to un- derstand how much climate change is acidifying the un- derwater environment. The keynote speaker’s ex- hortations were echoed by the day’s earlier addresses. Minster of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and In- frastructure Kurt Tibbetts said the government’s new energy policy can be trans- formational to the environ- ment and the economy. The Cayman Islands cur- rently gets 99 percent of its locally produced en- ergy from oil, and Mr. Tib- betts said the government hopes to get 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2037. Sun, sea and wind will all play into the effort to make Cayman energy independent and en- vironmentally friendly. “Achieving this objective will require all stakeholders along the energy continuum, from the politicians to the utility providers and the en- ergy regulators,” said Mr. Tib- betts. “Local entrepreneurs and small business owners are already making signifi- cant headway bringing ex- pertise, innovation and initia- tive to the table. I therefore believe the 70 [percent] target is realistic and attainable, and I’m optimistic that the combined efforts of all con- cerned will not only achieve the target but surpass it.” Chris Duggan, vice pres- ident of Dart Enterprises, spoke to the audience about responsibly building develop- ments on Cayman. Dart op- erates under a policy called “Future Proofing,” which combines long-term vi- sion, sustainability, focus on quality, technology, and site planning. Mr. Duggan spoke in de- tail about all the technolog- ical enhancements of the con- ference’s venue, the Kimpton Seafire Resort, and about the solar energy capacity of Ca- mana Bay. Economic bene- fits and environmental bene- fits equal social benefits, said Mr. Duggan of a simple oper- ating philosophy. Business titan Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, was not able to attend the conference but appeared via Skype to send a brief message of encouragement. “I’d like to applaud the Cayman government for sup- porting this event … and for launching a new national en- ergy policy,” he said. “As you know, I love islands. I love this region, and our islands in the Caribbean and across the world are constantly at risk from the effects of climate change. “The urgency to protect our islands for future gen- erations has never been higher. This is about more than preserving and pro- tecting our environment. It’s about ensuring that places like Cayman will con- tinue to be able to use their natural resources whilst growing sustainably.” Cousteau urges further research under the sea CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Fabien Cousteau speaks passionately about the need for more undersea exploration. - PHOTO: SPENCER FORDINNext >