ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 183410_PRINT-Butterfield-6colx1*Page 1 1/13/17 1:10:47 PM An array of more than 20,000 solar panels is now operating in Bodden Town. Solar farm testing: ‘Here comes the sun’ TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com The long-awaited opening of Cay- man’s first utility-scale solar elec- tricity operation and non-Caribbean Utilities Company power source will take place June 20. CUC cautioned that “testing and commissioning” of the 5-megawatt east Bodden Town farm’s more than 20,000 solar panels, which is cur- rently under way, may disrupt power supplies locally. “While we do not expect any inter- ruptions in service during the com- missioning process, it is possible that we may need to take local sections of the grid offline and unfortunately disrupt service for some customers during short periods of time,” said Sacha Tibbetts, vice president for Customer Services and Technology. He said CUC would “take all pos- sible steps to ensure that power is not interrupted.” The June 20 opening caps four years of on-again, off-again effort of government calls for companies to build renewable energy facilities, the sale of the contract to North Caro- lina-based Entropy Management by the original Pittsburgh-based tender winner, subsequent construction and financing delays and a year- long building process, reportedly costing $4 million. “CUC has been pursuing utility- scale renewable energy projects for many years now and we are pleased that after so many challenges and delays we are at the stage where en- ergy flowing from this solar project is imminent,” Mr. Tibbetts said. CUC spokeswoman Pat Bynoe- Clarke said power would begin to flow to local consumers immediately after testing is completed. Builders completed the project in late April. As of May 25, Ms. Bynoe- Clarke said CUC and Entropy had not agreed on an opening, but were working on a date. On May 31, Louis Boucher, former deputy managing director at the Electricity Regulatory Board, the overseer of CUC, and now acting ex- ecutive director for energy and util- ities at the Utility Regulation and Competition Office, said “the plant is entering final stages of testing and will be operational any day now if all systems are a go. The 5 MW farm will supply only a fraction of Cayman’s ap- proximately 100 MW demand. CUC will pay Entropy 17 cents per for each kilowatt, adding its own 10 cent “base rate” costs, pegging con- sumer prices at levels similar to diesel-fired power. According to CUC, the array is capable of powering the equivalent of 800 homes. The solar panels, in 52 rows, at the Bodden Town farm, generate raw direct current which is converted by 173 inverters to consumer al- ternating current, and interconnect with the national power grid. Boutique hotel planned for George Town JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 60-unit boutique hotel is planned on the site of the old Treehouse restaurant op- posite Kirk supermarket in George Town. NCB Investments bought the land in December and this week submitted plans to build a five- story hotel, restaurant and café with a pool and swim-up bar. Matthew Wight, managing director of NCB Group, said the hotel would be in the four- star range and aimed at a mix of business and leisure tour- ists. He said the site, close to the capital, Camana Bay and Seven Mile Beach, is ideal for a boutique hotel. “As far as I know, this is the first new hotel in George Town for a very long time and we hope it will be part of a wider revital- ization,” he said. The developer is in talks with possible brands but is also con- sidering operating the hotel itself with a management company. An architect’s image of the new hotel. 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Campaign billboards could become chicken coops JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A community activist is seeking to transform ply- wood election campaign ban- ners into chicken coops as part of a planned project to domesticate feral chickens in George Town. Lorna Bush has appealed for the candidates in the May election to put their re- dundant billboards to good use and let her convert them to coops for a community garden in Rock Hole. Ms. Bush said the idea is still in the development stage, but she hopes to use a rundown piece of property close to George Town Primary School for the project. “It would be a self-help program where we build the coop and have some of the un- employed people in the neigh- borhood tend the chickens and sell the eggs,” she said. “If we can get some of the elec- tion billboards, we can easily mobilize a crew in that area. “So far, we have talked about raising the chickens for the eggs, but if it develops, we could raise them for meat as well.” She said the Department of Agriculture has a truck with pens that could be used to collect feral chickens around George Town. Ms. Bush asks politicians who want to donate billboards or anyone who can assist with developing the project to call her on 326-1808. Florida Sheriff: Disgruntled ex-worker killed five, then himself A gunman fatally shot five employees at an Or- lando, Florida, business Monday and then killed him- self, authorities said during a morning news conference. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said the shooter, identified by po- lice as a 45-year-old former “disgruntled employee” who was terminated in April, opened fire on former co- workers at Fiamma Inc., which manufacturers acces- sories for recreational ve- hicles in an industrial area more than seven miles from downtown Orlando. The shooter, who was carrying a gun and a knife, committed suicide, Demings said. The sheriff said that there were seven survivors of the attack. “We have no indication that this subject is a partic- ipant in any type of terror organization,” Demings said during the news conference. “What this is at this point is likely a workplace vio- lence incident.” Demings said sheriff’s deputies received a 911 call about 8 a.m. about an ac- tive shooter situation and, when they arrived on the scene, they found four de- ceased victims – three men and a woman. A fifth victim was rushed to a nearby hos- pital, where he also died, the sheriff said. The sheriff said that the gunman had died “by his own means.” Demings said that several years ago, the shooter, whose name has not been released, was accused of battering an- other employee at Fiamma. He has a criminal history that includes DUI and mari- juana possession, the sheriff said. After the early morning shooting, Shelley Adams told reporters her sister, who works at Fiamma was in the restroom when she heard a bang. When she came out, she saw someone on the floor. Adams said her sister told her, “My boss is dead. My boss is dead.” Authorities said earlier on Twitter that the situation was “contained,” and depu- ties were “investigating tragic incident & will soon have ac- curate information.” Orange County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jane Watrel said in an email that deputies were on the scene and that there was “no threat to the community.” The FBI dispatched mem- bers of the bureau’s Orlando office to the scene, where they are assisting in the in- vestigation and working to determine the motivation, officials said. Authorities did not imme- diately comment on a pos- sible motive for the shooting, which occurred just a week before the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub mas- sacre in downtown Orlando. That mass shooting killed 49 people and injured dozens of others. The attacker at Pulse, who was killed by police after an hours-long standoff inside the club, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. “Because of the active na- ture of the investigation, we can’t comment on any mo- tives at this time, but if a nexus to terrorism is dis- covered, we’ll update with that information as appro- priate,” the FBI said in a statement Monday. “We’ll be working with Orange County to determine the reason for the shooting.” Hospitals in the area did not immediately respond to requests for comment about whether they had taken in any of the victims from the shooting. After the shooting, Florida Gov. Rick Scott asked residents across the state to pray for the families af- fected “by this senseless act of violence.” “Over the past year, the Orlando community has been challenged like never before,” Scott said in a state- ment. “I have been briefed by our law enforcement offi- cials on this tragic incident and Ann and I are praying for the families who lost loved ones today.” Orange County Mayor Te- resa Jacobs said, “Unfortu- nately, we’ve seen this sce- nario play itself out in our community and in other communities across the na- tion, and it is incumbent upon all of us not to become complacent or become cal- lous to these horrific situ- ations, but for each of our citizens to be vigilant … if they see something that seems abnormal, they need to say something.” © 2017, The Washington Post Teen critical after being stabbed No arrests made A 15-year-old boy was in critical condition in hospital Monday after he was stabbed in an inci- dent on West Bay Road Saturday night. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the teen encoun- tered a group of youths he knew while visiting the Burger King at the southern end of the Seven Mile Beach corridor. “Just after leaving the restaurant, he was attacked and received a stab wound to the chest,” police said. The attack was reported around 9 p.m. The teen was listed in critical condition at the Cayman Islands Hospital on Monday, but police said it appeared his condition had stabilized. No arrests were imme- diately reported EX-GOVERNOR OF MEXICAN COASTAL STATE ARRESTED Fugitive detained at Panama airport MEXICO CITY (AP) – A fu- gitive ex-governor wanted for alleged corruption in connection with the sale of state properties worth hundreds of millions of dollars was arrested in Panama, Mexican authori- ties said early Monday. A statement from the federal Attorney General’s Office said Roberto Borge, who was governor of Quintana Roo from 2011 to 2016, was detained at the Panama City airport just as he was to board a flight to Paris. The Caribbean coastal state is home to Cancun and other resort cities. In February, Mexican prosecutors seized 25 par- cels of state-owned land worth more than $250 million that were alleg- edly sold to private par- ties at a fraction of their market value. The sales took place during Borge’s time in of- fice, and Mexican media reports have linked the buyers to him. Borge is the third ex- governor from President Enrique Pena Nieto’s gov- erning Institutional Rev- olutionary Party, or PRI, detained this year on cor- ruption allegations. Tamaulipas ex-Gov. Tomas Yarrington and Veracruz ex-Gov. Javier Duarte were arrested in April in Italy and Guate- mala, respectively. In December 2016 the PRI suspended Borge’s party rights due to the investigation. A community project plans to convert campaign billboards into chicken coops. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER The shooter – who had been fired in April and had been previously accused of assaulting a co-worker – was not believed to be connected to any sort of terror organization.3 LOCAL&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Trial began Monday for Errington Webster, who has pleaded not guilty to three counts of indecently as- saulting a teenage girl and one count of gross inde- cency in the presence of the same girl. Crown counsel Darlene Oko summarized the case for the prosecution after a jury of five women and two men was selected. She explained that the girl’s evidence “in chief” would be by way of videotape recordings of her interviews with police last year about the incidents. The girl is then to appear via video link so that she can be questioned by defense at- torney Steve McField and re- examined by Ms. Oko. Justice Charles Quin advised jurors that this procedure is quite commonplace when young witnesses are involved. In this case, the girl was 13 at the time of the incidents. Ms. Oko cautioned that what she said was not ev- idence, but a summary of what she expected jurors would hear from witnesses. She said the defendant began paying attention to the girl in December 2015 and began talking to her alone. They had conversations over the phone and via WhatsApp. At one point, Webster, 55, suggested that they “make a deal” and he wanted her to “be his girl,” the jurors heard. In exchange, he promised to give her things, but she could not be with anyone but him and could not have a boy- friend, Ms. Oko said. He said he wanted to have inter- course with the girl and she told him she did not want to. The court heard that Webster, over a period of time, had given her money and an iPhone 6. The prosecutor described details of alleged sexual in- cidents that occurred inside Webster’s car. During one such incident, in June 2016, the girl recorded video on her phone of Webster’s actions. The teen subsequently told police that at that time, Webster did not exhibit any difficulties with walking, driving or speaking. He ap- peared the same as on every other occasion she had been with him. The girl told police she de- cided to videotape what Web- ster was doing because she wanted these things to stop happening. She told Webster that her mother had called and she needed to go home. He took her home. The jury was shown the video, which lasted about 25 seconds, and includes voices. Ms. Oko said the girl told a sibling and friend what had happened, but did not tell her mother be- cause she was afraid her mother would be mad. The girl kept the video on her phone and it was acciden- tally seen by someone else who told a friend. That person asked the girl for a copy and she sent it. The copy was then shown to an adult who contacted the girl’s mother. That brought the matter to the attention of police. Webster was interviewed by police, the court heard. He admitted knowing the girl and knowing she was 12 or 13 or 14. He denied buying her a cellphone but confirmed he had bought her clothes. Confronted about the video, he told police he had no recollection of the act de- picted. He explained that while driving home, he had felt a pain in the back of his head and thought the girl had “jugged” him. After he got home, he found himself on the floor of the carport with the carport door between his legs and he didn’t know what happened. He concluded that he was “out of his mind” as the result of drinking grape- fruit juice combined with medication he had taken that morning. He denied all inci- dents alleged. THE SPECIALIST SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES Shapwick School THE SAME ROAD BY DIFFERENT STEPS Shapwick School is situated in rural Somerset, England. It is a specialist day and boarding school for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia from 8 to 19 years of age. You are invited to a reception to learn more about our school and how we can help your child to grow into a confident, skilled and happy adult ready to move to the next stage in their life Refreshments will be provided RSVP to Shapwick School office@shapwickschool.com or Dorm & Day admin@dormandday.ky A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS www.shapwickschool.com George Town Yacht Club, Grand Cayman Wednesday, June 7th from 6.00pm to 8.00pm t: 936 3676 Report: “Outstanding for quality of care and support” Webster indecent assault trial begins The girl told police she decided to videotape what Webster was doing because she wanted these things to stop happening. 27 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 12 FOR DRUG OFFENSES, ARRESTED OVER WEEKEND Police arrested 27 people – 12 of them for drug-related offenses – between Friday morning and Sunday, according to a press release from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. In a drug raid early Friday, police searched a home on SafeHaven Drive and found quanti- ties of heroin, cocaine and ganja. Three teenagers were arrested, including an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old who leaped over a balcony. All three suspects were released on police bail. Later that eve- ning, during a patrol on Walkers Road, George Town police searched a man in the vicinity of a local church who had “several packets” of ganja. He was also released on police bail. A third arrest for sus- pected ganja use on the same night occurred on West Bay Road near the Trafalgar Place complex. A 21-year-old woman was arrested after po- lice questioned two women inside a vehicle parked in the area. Two teenagers were arrested on the Gal- leria Plaza property Sat- urday after a police patrol spotted them acting suspi- ciously near Aqua restau- rant. Police said a small amount of ganja and a machete were found on a 14-year-old boy. A 16-year- old boy was also arrested. SPACE STATION WELCOMES 1ST RETURNING VEHICLE SINCE SHUTTLE CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – The International Space Station welcomed its first returning vehicle in years Monday – a SpaceX Dragon capsule making its second delivery. Space shuttle Atlantis was the last repeat visitor six years ago. It’s now a mu- seum relic at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA astronaut Jack Fischer noted “the special significance” of SpaceX’s re- cycling effort as soon as he caught the Dragon supply ship with the station’s big robot arm. “That’s right, it’s flying its second mission,” Fischer said. “We have a new generation of vehicles now led by commer- cial partners like SpaceX.” SpaceX is working to reuse as many parts of its rockets and spacecraft as possible to slash launch costs. The California-based company launched its first recycled booster with a satel- lite in March; another will fly in a few weeks. The Dragon pulled up two days after launching from Florida. This same capsule dropped off a ship- ment in 2014. SpaceX re- furbished it for an un- precedented second trip, keeping the hull, thrusters and most other parts but replacing the heat shield and parachutes. Until their retirement in 2011, NASA’s shuttles made multiple flights to the space station.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. TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Time to place the Conservation Law on the endangered list A pair of planned resort properties are setting the spotlight on the southernmost tip of the Seven Mile Beach area … and on the Cayman Islands’ powerful National Conservation Council. On the front page of today’s newspaper, we report on a 5-story, 60-unit boutique hotel the NCB Group intends to build on the site of the old Treehouse restaurant across from Kirk supermarket. The news follows on the announcement in late March that the Howard Hospitality Group plans to construct a 10-story, 450-suite resort on the former site of Cayman’s first tourist hotel, the Pageant Beach Hotel. (The same developer, HHG, is behind the revamped Margaritaville Beach Resort and the already built but yet- to-open 42-room boutique hotel at the three-way inter- section at West Bay Road and Lawrence Boulevard.) Our initial reaction is “applause, applause.” The two planned resorts – as well as the two others from HHG — aren’t just “new projects”; they are all revitalizations of old projects that were either vacant, abandoned, rundown or burned down. It is particularly pleasing that the projects are planned for relatively underdeveloped (or overlooked) tracts on the Seven Mile Beach corridor, verging south into George Town proper. As NCB Group Managing Director Matthew Wight said about his company’s Treehouse project, “As far as I know, this is the first new hotel in George Town for a very long time and we hope it will be part of a wider revitalization.” We do, too. And we can think of only two things standing in the way of the realization of the developers’ visions: market forces and the National Conservation Council. Hopes are that NCP will break ground on the Tree- house project this year, and HHG will start construction on Pageant Beach next year. However, readers should approach proposed time lines for any major project with salt shaker in hand because the Conservation Council (created by the National Conserva- tion Law, 2013) has the power to mandate that devel- opers undertake lengthy and costly environmental impact assessments before planning permissions can be granted. Case in point: In March, the Conservation Council voted to require an environmental impact assessment for a planned five-star resort by Dart Real Estate on the northern end of Seven Mile Beach, near the company’s Kimpton resort. The sticking point in that situation is Dart’s request to remove beach rock from the waters off its property, a plan endorsed by Dart’s consultant engineers (which studied the issue for more than a year), but categorically opposed by the Department of Environment (which aired its views before the completion of Dart’s study). Hanging in the balance is the possible fate of Dart’s planned 225-room, 80-residence development … and the associated employment and economic activity (estimated at more than US$600 million). Versus some rocks. Dart is Cayman’s largest and most environmentally conscious developer, whose dazzling projects never fail to check “ecological boxes” and incorporate lush local and regional vegetation. (The Dart family is responsible for planting more trees in the history of Cayman than any other human beings.) The proposed site is in the heart of Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman’s most-developed stretch. (What’s left to conserve?) If the unelected Conservation Council, led by Director of Environment Gina Ebanks-Petrie, can stymie or maybe scuttle such a project from Dart … they can do it to anyone. Worse, perhaps, is if they don’t. All laws, even ill-con- ceived ones, should be applied equally to everyone. With the new Progressives-led coalition government in power (and the conservationists’ champion, former Envi- ronment Minister Wayne Panton, out of office), the temp- tation might be to deal with the Conservation Law like the previous government did with permanent residence legislation … simply fail to enforce it. That would be the worst course of all. In a recent letter to the editor, new House Speaker McKeeva Bush said the coalition government was com- mitted to addressing a number of issues, including “Reviewing the Conservation Law and identifying and implementing necessary changes ….” That’s the only honest strategy to deal with the problems created by the Conservation Council. We add our voice to that proposal: There is no better time than now for a serious review of the Conservation Law, with the goal being to unshackle small and large developers from unnecessarily burdensome – at times even foolish – rules and regulation. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Latin America needs constitutions that stick MAC MARGOLIS There are many ways Bra- zilians could be rid of their much-reviled president, Mi- chel Temer, who was recently caught on audio tape alleg- edly consorting with a bent business man in the base- ment of the palace residence. Congress could impeach him, or send him to trial in the Su- preme Court. Or, more likely, Brazil’s electoral court could convict him for taking illegal campaign money in the 2014 election. And yet because such solutions would man- date the scandal-tainted con- gress, not the voters, to pick a successor, Brazilians aren’t pleased. And so the familiar refrain quickening pulses on the Brazilian street: Direct elections, now! As catchy as that slogan may be, government is not an Etch A Sketch, and trying to sort a political crisis by re- touching the national con- stitution is no more effective than changing roadmaps to avoid a cliff. Latin America has been here all too often before. Whenever strong- headed national leaders felt cramped or willful, the de- fault mode has been to re- vamp the legal foundations. Haiti has drafted 24 consti- tutions and Ecuador, 20. Ven- ezuela is on its 26th consti- tution since independence, and that version may get scrapped too, if President Nicolas Maduro gets his way. The Dominican Republic, which has sanctioned 32 re- writes since 1844, beats out its neighbors. Such legal logorrhea puts Latin America in a category all its own, according to Daniel Lansberg-Rodriguez, a con- stitutional scholar at North- western University’s Kellogg School of Management. “Latin America doesn’t have elec- tions, only revolutions,” Lans- berg-Rodriguez told me. With some honorable exceptions – Argentina and Mexico, both with enduring constitutions - Latin American leaders are al- ways “refounding” the nation. “New leaders want to imprint their image on their nations, throw out the ancien regime and recreate things in their own image,” said Lansberg- Rodriguez. Hence, the pro- clivity to treat constitutions like Wikipedia pages, where every political supremo gets a shot at the copydesk. Little wonder the average Latin American constitution lasts around 29 years. Overhauling the highest law of the land is hardly trivial. The “Wiki-constitu- tionalism” that Lansberg-Ro- driguez describes can upend public policy, roil labor re- lations, and send mixed sig- nals to investors. What’s worse, ginning up amend- ments whenever emergencies loom cheapens the constitu- tion itself, converting what ought to be the foundation of the social contract into a phi- losopher’s stone for all social afflictions. And if even the national constitution can be whatever the prevailing crisis demands, there’s no compel- ling reason for competing in- terests to follow its script. Consider strife-torn Ven- ezuela, where calls to stray from the constitution have come from both government and opposing camps: The op- position demands early pres- idential elections, even as the embattled Maduro govern- ment calls for a constituent assembly to rewrite the na- tional charter. In a country already on the brink of social conflagration, such constitu- tional improvisation is polit- ical kerosene. Brazil is not the Bolivarian Republic. It has drafted a rel- atively modest eight constitu- tions since independence in 1822. However, the political elite is no less enamored of the constitutional cure-all. The last constitution, unveiled 29 years ago, was a monster, and now runs to more than 250 ar- ticles, some so crammed with specifics that they ought to have been published with an expiration date. Hence the 95 amendments Brazilian law- makers have puttied onto the original since 1988. Prolific at amendments, politicians are far less adept at refereeing the conflicts they manufacture, a failing that too often sends them scrambling to the highest court – which now handles a staggering 70,000 cases a year. “Brazil’s culture of po- litical standoffs has turned the Supreme Court into na- tional mediator, for even the most ordinary of issues,” Mi- chael Mohallem, a constitu- tional scholar at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro, told me. In a way, the current clamor to tweak the constitu- tion again sounds eminently reasonable. After all, the sit- ting legislature, five dozen of whose members are under Supreme Court investiga- tion in the rolling Carwash corruption probe, hardly seems fit to choose the next national leader. Hence, the two separate amendments coursing through the leg- islature to scrap the elec- toral calendar and jump-start the 2018 ballot. And yet Brazil’s historic effort to root out corrup- tion has come not at the ex- pense of the constitution but because of it. More than 100 executives, money men and political bosses have al- ready been jailed in the Car- wash probe, brought to jus- tice on the principle that Brazil is – or ought to be – a land of laws not king- pins or caudillos. The same spirit has taken hold across the region, as Brazil helps its neighbors root out their own crooked elites who partook in the same corruption scheme. Who knew that the rule of law could be Latin America’s new soft power? Hewing to the rules makes good political sense, as well. Form-fitting the constitution to bypass the elected con- gress in the name of “direct democracy” is a sure recipe for prolonging Brazil’s polit- ical agony. Enacting a consti- tutional amendment requires the approval of both houses of congress by three-fifths majority, in two separate bal- lots each, and can drag on for months – a leisure the turmoil-stricken Brazilian economy doesn’t have. With elections just 17 months away, and tradi- tional political leaders in disgrace, the truncated cam- paign would be a gift for ad- venturers and exotic out- siders whose only merits are a silver tongue and no rap sheet. That’s a familiar problem for which there’s no easy constitutional fix. Margolis writes about Latin America for Bloomberg View. © 2017, Bloomberg View5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS Making a difference Thank you, Dart for helping us build a stronger community! The YMCA of the Cayman Islands Corporate Founders campaign is raising funds to firmly root the Y locally and establish a solid foundation for lasting impact. We are dedicated to building strong communities by focusing on character development and the core values of honesty, caring, respect, responsibility, and faith. To learn more, contact Vanessa Hansen at vhansen@ymcacayman.ky ymcacayman.ky (345) 926.9622 IT’S MY Y’ FOR GIVING BACK! “We are delighted to come on board as a Platinum Founder of the YMCA of the Cayman Islands. Their commitment to positively impacting the lives of young people in Cayman is commendable and the support they have received from the community since their recent launch is a testament to the valuable work that the organization has carried out over the years. We look forward to working with the Y to continue making a significant, positive impact on the lives of many youth and families throughout Cayman.” PLATINUM LEVEL FOUNDER $650,000 budgeted for lawmakers’ constituency allowance, no audit BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands gov- ernment provides just more than $650,000 annually for what are known as the “con- stituency allowances” of its Legislative Assembly elected members, but maintains no audited record of how the money is spent. The allowance is a long- established budget line-item that helps lawmakers de- fray costs of constituency offices in their district, in- cluding hiring employees at those offices and other as- sociated costs. The amount paid to each political office-holder varies based on how many repre- sentatives are involved in op- erating a constituent office. The annual amount paid to each MLA can range from $24,000 to $48,000 per year above their normal salary. For Cayman Brac and Little Cayman MLAs, the amounts provided are be- tween $86,000 and $96,000 per year, largely because of the travel costs and associ- ated expenses of going back and forth between the Sister Islands and Grand Cayman to attend assembly and/or Cabinet meetings. Documents requested via a private citizen’s recent Freedom of Information re- quest indicated that more than $2.6 million was spent on these allowances be- tween 2013 and 2017. Before 2013, budget records show that constituency costs were slightly less because there were fewer elected represen- tatives in the Legislative As- sembly (15 instead of 18), but the overall amount provided to each MLA had not changed within the past five years. In 2009, government re- cords show $342,000 was re- quested by 14 lawmakers for constituency allowances. The total requested by the MLAs need not all be spent or even requested. For in- stance, in 2009, then-opposi- tion MLA Alden McLaughlin decided to forgo receiving the allowance. However, if the amounts are requested and spent, Au- ditor General Sue Winspear confirms that her office has no way of tracking that. “The MLAs’ constituency allowances are overseen by the Cabinet Office,” Ms. Win- spear said. “The guidelines explain that the allowance is not intended to meet the ac- tual cost of providing a con- stituency office but provide an allowance for these costs. “Therefore, as the actual cost of each element varies relative to the provision, the MLA will bear the difference or benefit, accordingly. MLAs are asked to provide a copy of a lease and an employ- ment contract [of any constit- uency workers] in order for the Cabinet Office to process a claim for the monthly con- stituency allowance. “As the guidelines do not require elected members to maintain records of their ac- tual expenditure, we cannot look at the detail of this ex- penditure when undertaking our annual financial audit, but only look to ensure that MLA allowances paid out agree with the approved MLA allowances.” In other words, all the auditors can check on is whether a constituency al- lowance was requested and if that amount was provided to the elected lawmaker. “They do not provide re- cords of what they’ve spent their allowance on,” Ms. Win- spear said. In its response to the recent Freedom of In- formation request, the Leg- islative Department of the Cayman Islands government indicated that each recipient of the constituency allow- ance “may wish to maintain records of their actual ex- penditure” but that “those re- cords will not form the basis of these payments.” Dividing up Typically, MLAs who share a constituency office are given less individually each month than an MLA who is on his or her own. For instance, at the start of the last government’s term, the Progressives’ four George Town representatives were each given $2,000 per month for their constituency allow- ance – a total of $8,000 per month for the four members. Then-independent Roy McTaggart and Winston Connolly were given $5,750 per month to run their two- member office. Independent West Bay lawmaker Tara Rivers re- ceived $4,000 per month since she operated a constit- uent office on her own, while the other three West Bay rep- resentatives of the Cayman Democratic Party – McKeeva Bush, Bernie Bush and Capt. Eugene Ebanks each got $2,400 per month, for a total of $7,200 a month. In Bodden Town, at the start of the 2013-2017 term, all four representatives were together under the Progres- sives party banner, so each received $2,000 per month. For the smaller dis- tricts, records showed East End MLA Arden McLean re- quested a $4,000 per month allowance, while North Side MLA Ezzard Miller asked for $2,375 per month. In Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, Deputy Pre- mier Moses Kirkconnell re- ceived $8,000 per month, due to the additional travel re- quirements, including atten- dance at Cabinet meetings. Then-House Speaker Juliana O’Connor-Connolly received $7,200 per month for her con- stituency allowance. “The guidelines do not require elected members to maintain records of their actual expenditure.” SUE WINSPEAR, auditor general Auditor General Sue Winspear6 HEALTH NEWS TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman’s first mental health nurse retires After 31 years of service to the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, Cayman’s first mental health nurse, Diana Parchment, has retired. More than 50 of her col- leagues gathered in the Hi- biscus Conference Room at the Cayman Islands Hos- pital on May 31 to say fare- well and to celebrate her long service to the Authority and contributions to the mental health field. Many shared memo- ries of moments they spent with Nurse Parchment and instances where she dem- onstrated devotion to her patients and mentored her co-workers. “Nurse Parchment has es- tablished such a high stan- dard of care during her tenure at the HSA that she leaves behind some big shoes to fill,” said Dr. Arline McGill, head of Psychiatry and Behavioural Services at the hospital. Ms. Parchment worked for seven years as a registered general nurse at the Cayman Islands Hospital, and after completing her training as a registered mental health nurse, became the coun- try’s first community mental health nurse in 1994. Working in a small team consisting of herself, a psy- chiatrist and a counselor, she was initially responsible for the mental health nursing care of all mental health patients throughout the Cayman Islands, according to a Health Services Authority press release. In those earlier years, without the aid of an inpatient facility, she made visits to patients’ homes and also made visits to those in police custody and to in- mates at Northward and Fairbanks prisons. When necessary, Ms. Parchment escorted patients to and from hospitals in the United States, Bahamas and Jamaica, and “was al- ways willing and able when- ever called upon,” the press release states. She also participated in the implementation of new initiatives such as the 2013 Mental Health Law. “As our mental health services grew, she taught, guided and befriended the new staff. Those who remain and those who have left will always think of her as kind, compassionate and above all, professional in her du- ties,” said Phil Slater, mental health nurse manager at the Cayman Islands Hospital. “Nurse Parchment has been an integral part of the development of mental health support on these is- lands. She has been a dedi- cated employee and will al- ways be remembered. We wish her a happy and ful- filling retirement,” said HSA Chief Executive Officer Liz- zette Yearwood. “Nurse Parchment has been an integral part of the development of mental health support on these islands.” LIZZETTE YEARWOOD, CEO, Health Services Authority Public hospital offering hip, knee replacements The Cayman Islands Hospital is now offering total hip and knee replace- ment surgical procedures for people suffering from severe arthritis and other joint disorders. The surgeries, which are the most common forms of joint replacement surgeries, involve removing diseased cartilage and bone from the affected joint and replacing it with a prosthetic joint. Consultant orthopedic and trauma surgeons Dr. Pekko Kuusela and Dr. Toni- Karri Pakarinen said in a Health Services Department press release that total hip replacement and total knee replacement improve pa- tients’ quality of life by re- ducing pain, increasing mo- bility and allowing them to return to their normal daily activities. “Previously patients with destructive joint conditions were referred to other pro- viders, as these surgical pro- cedures were not done at the Cayman Islands Hospital,” the press release states. Drs. Kuusela and Pakar- inen both have more than 10 years’ experience performing joint replacement surgeries, among other orthopedic and trauma procedures and interventions. “We are offering both pri- mary and revision arthro- plasty procedures. The pri- mary procedure means it is the first time a patient is undergoing the joint re- placement surgery. The re- vision procedure occurs when we reoperate on pa- tients whose primary joints have failed for some reason, whether from loosening, in- fection, wear, dislocation or instability. It involves the re- moval and replacement of the existing hardware which makes this procedure often- times more demanding than the primary procedure,” said Dr. Kuusela. “However, we at the HSA use advanced techniques and implants which are made out of materials that make them much more durable than their predecessors.” While there is no age limit for total hip and knee re- placement surgeries, Dr. Pak- arinen said these procedures are only recommended for patients with very painful and destructive joint condi- tions. “For joint conditions with mild to moderate pain, we would opt for non-oper- ative treatment methods in- stead,” he said. The average duration of the procedure is 1.5-2 hours; the patient is under general anesthesia. After the operation, the usual hospital stay is be- tween two and five days, and mobilization begins the same day of the surgery or a day after, Dr. Kuusela said. Dr. Kuusela has per- formed five knee replace- ment surgeries and two hip replacement surgeries at the Cayman Islands Hospital since it began offering the service in September 2016. Dr. Kuusela, a Finnish na- tional, underwent his un- dergraduate and specialist training at the University of Tampere in 1993 to 2005. He completed a fellowship in primary and revision total knee and hip replace- ment surgery and worked as a joint replacement surgeon in Finland until 2010 when he relocated to Australia to work in a regional hospital in Mackay, Queensland, for four years. In 2015, he moved to Dubai for one year before coming to the Cayman Is- lands Health Services Au- thority in September 2016. Dr. Pakarinen, also a Finnish national, worked as a consultant orthopedic and trauma surgeon at the Tam- pere University Hospital (Level I Trauma Center) from 2006 to 2017. Dr. Pakarinen was also part of a multidis- clpinary orthopedic oncology group and pelvic reconstruc- tion unit at Coxa Joint Re- placement Hospital in Fin- land from 2008 to 2017. Dr. Pakarinen began his tenure at the Health Services Au- thority in Cayman on May 1. From left, Cayman Islands Hospital Critical Care Unit Nurse Manager Karen Pinnock and HSA Chief Executive Lizzette Yearwood present Diana Parchment with a gift, an award and a certificate at her retirement celebration. Dr. Pekko Kuusela, left, and Dr. Toni-Karri Pakarinen are the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority’s hip and knee replacement specialists at the Cayman Islands Hospital. STUDY: REPORTING CANCER COMPLICATIONS MAY BOOST SURVIVAL CHICAGO (AP) – If you are being treated for cancer, speak up about any side ef- fects. A study that had pa- tients use home computers to report symptoms like nausea and fatigue sur- prisingly improved sur- vival – by almost half a year, longer than many new cancer drugs do. The online tool was in- tended as a quick and easy way for people to regularly report complications rather than trying to call their doctors or waiting until the next appointment. Re- searchers had hoped to im- prove quality of life but got a bonus in longer survival. “I was floored by the re- sults,” said the study leader, Dr. Ethan Basch. “We are proactively catching things early” with online reporting. Patients were able to stick with treatment longer because their side effects were quickly ad- dressed, he said. People should not as- sume that symptoms are an unavoidable part of cancer care, said Dr. Richard Schilsky, chief medical of- ficer of the American So- ciety of Clinical Oncology. “You want to be able to reach your provider as early and easily as pos- sible,” because a sign like shortness of breath may mean treatment isn’t working and needs to be changed, he said. The study was featured at the cancer group’s an- nual meeting in Chicago on Sunday and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Earlier studies suggest that doctors miss about half of patients’ symptoms. “Much of this happens between visits when pa- tients are out of sight and out of mind,” said Basch, a researcher at the Uni- versity of North Carolina- Chapel Hill and Memo- rial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Sometimes patients just put up with a problem until their next exam. “The spouse will say, ‘My husband was laid up in bed, exhausted or in pain,’ and I’ll say ‘Why didn’t you call me?’” Basch said. The study tested whether the online tool could catch problems sooner. It involved 766 people being treated for various types of advanced cancers at Sloan Kettering. Some were given usual care and the rest, the online symptom tool.7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 5K WALK/RUN to benefi t the Cayman Islands Red Cross JUNE 11, 2017 Holiday Inn - Safe Haven 6:30am Walkers | 6:45am Runners For more information: windofhope5k@gmail.com 328-2850 REGISTRATION $15 Children under 12 free Dogs welcome Register today on caymanactive.com PRIZES • TROPHIES • GIVEAWAYS Whistleblower protection slow to arrive Bill passed in 2015, to take effect in 2018 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Legislation passed nearly two years ago to protect pri- vate and public sector em- ployees who report wrong- doing will not come into effect until February 2018. Commencement orders for the Whistleblower Pro- tection Law, 2015, were is- sued late last month, which will put it into effect about two-and-a-half years since it was approved by the Legisla- tive Assembly. The long-contemplated whistleblower protections follow several attempts by the Cayman Islands govern- ment to create safeguards against various forms of re- taliation for those who report either criminal or adminis- trative wrongdoing in the workplace. Several Cayman laws, including the Freedom of Information Law and the yet-to-be-implemented Stan- dards in Public Life Law, sought to create various pro- tections for whistleblowers but were rarely, if ever, used. The government’s whis- tleblower proposal was prompted in part by a 2014 report from the complaints commissioner’s office that focused on allegations of wrongdoing within the civil service. Part of the reason for the delay in implementing the provisions of the law were because its enforce- ment mechanism was un- clear. In November 2015, the Office of the Complaints Commissioner, a government watchdog office that has had no permanent leadership for years and whose future has been uncertain due to the creation of a new government ombudsman’s post, was given responsibility for monitoring whistleblower cases. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson had announced before the November 2015 passage of the whistle- blowers law that Governor Helen Kilpatrick had given responsibility for receiving and monitoring “whistle- blower” cases to the five- person Office of the Com- plaints Commissioner. The complaints commis- sioner’s permanent posi- tion has not been filled since former Commissioner Nicola Williams departed in Jan- uary 2015, and the acting commissioner’s post is cur- rently being filled by a de- partment staffer. The agency is to be merged with the In- formation Commissioner’s Office under the ombuds- man’s office later this year. Senior civil servant Peter Gough, an assistant to Mr. Manderson, said last week that the whistleblower plan had changed slightly with the pending creation of the new Office of the Om- budsman, which the com- plaints commissioner will now fall under. “The Ombudsman Law will commence on Oct. 1; this will coincide with the new ombudsman taking up post,” Mr. Gough said. “The Whistle- blower Law and data protec- tion will come under the Of- fice of the Ombudsman.” Ms. Williams, just be- fore leaving Cayman, de- nounced proposals for the office merger. “It will serve to weaken and diminish [the complaints commissioner’s office],” Ms. Williams said in January 2015. “Splicing together dis- parate bodies with com- pletely different functions whose only common thread is oversight is not, in my opinion, good governance.” How it works Anyone working in the Cayman Islands, whether in government or the private sector, can make a report or disclosure of suspected wrongdoing to the ombuds- man’s office or to a practicing attorney. The legislation re- quires all such complaints be kept in strictest confidence. The ombudsman’s office will essentially be given the powers of a court in investi- gating reports of wrongdoing and monitoring compliance with the law. If evidence of wrongdoing is found, the ombudsman can either refer the matter to the person responsible for in- ternal discipline (in admin- istrative cases), refer to the commissioner of police (if criminal wrongdoing has oc- curred) or to the governor (if the wrongdoing was com- mitted by a high-ranking gov- ernment official). The bill seeks to prevent public and private sector employees from making friv- olous complaints or reports that are designed to embar- rass their employers. Re- ports of wrongdoing will not qualify for protection against retaliation unless they are made “in the public interest,” according to the legislation. In addition, if it would normally be an of- fense to disclose informa- tion or if the information disclosed is considered le- gally privileged, the person disclosing it would not be protected. Whistleblowers who dis- close information deemed to be in the public interest get specific protections in the bill against what is termed “det- rimental action” – retaliation – by their employers. Detri- mental action can include actions causing loss, injury, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, disadvantage or any adverse treatment. The bill makes it a crim- inal offense to take detri- mental action against an employee who discloses wrongdoing. Prison terms of between two and five years upon conviction are contem- plated in the proposal. Damages can be paid to an employee who has been victimized, and employers can be held vicariously li- able for retaliatory actions taken by their agents or other employees against a whistleblower. As an alternative, em- ployees may report suspected wrongdoing to the govern- ment director of labor and pensions, who would refer the matter to the Labour Ap- peals Tribunal for review. Government workers The legislation also gives the government service the added option of transferring a worker who has reported suspected wrongdoing to an- other department in the ser- vice, if the person requests it. In such a case, the govern- ment chief officer must be- lieve that the worker has or will be retaliated against if they were to remain in the department where they re- ported wrongdoing. The ability to transfer an employee is provided only to a public entity. Commencement orders … will put it into effect about two-and-a-half years since it was approved by the Legislative Assembly. Nicola Williams, former complaints commissionerThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, JUNE 6 ISLAND HERITAGE CHARITY DRIVE: Help charities earn $35,000 during Island Heritage CharityDrive by driving by the Island Heritage roundabout and showing your support on social media. Island Heritage will donate a dollar on June 6 in support of CARE, June 7 in support of Cayman Islands Little League, and June 8 in support of the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre. Visit www.charitydrive.ky for all the details. THURSDAY, JUNE 8 ART EXHIBITION: “New Works by Simon Tatum” at the National Gallery. Reception 5-7 p.m. Everyone welcome. Free admission. Exhibition runs until June 16. CHAMBER COURSE: Employment – Termination of Employment, Notice, Unfair Dismissal, Redundancy and Retirement. 9–11 a.m., Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. FRIDAY, JUNE 9 OLYMPIC LUNCHEON: Join Olympians from the Canadian and American swim teams in a set lunch to raise money for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society as part of the annual Flowers Sea Swim. Noon to 2 p.m. at KARoo restaurant in Camana Bay. For tickets, visit www.flowersseaswim.com. SATURDAY, JUNE 10 RED CROSS BOOK SALE: The Red Cross Thrift Shop holds a book sale at Foster’s Strand from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children’s books, 50 cents. Paperbacks, $1. Hard cover, $2. NCVO PARKING LOT SALE: The NCVO parking lot sale takes place 6:30-10:30 a.m. Clothing, books, household items, toys and more. Customers can pay $5 for a bag and fill it to the brim with any item displayed. Larger items will be priced separately. Teachers will be given special prices on all books and educational items available. Volunteers are welcome to attend and assist. Contact Mona on ncvocoordinator@ncvo.org.ky or call 949-2124 to sign up. CONCERT: Musicians and singers from around the island will perform at Mary Miller Hall from 7 p.m. to raise money for North Side Wesleyan Holiness Church’s building fund. The Seaside Sisters & Friends include Elroy Stewartson, Karen Edie Turner, Rico Rolando, Nina Orrett, Jonelle and Justine Ebanks, Nicole Barnett, Darwin Ebanks, Ed Gibson, Jayden Hanna, Jonathan Ebanks and Roger Wilson. Tickets available from any of the Seaside Sisters, Christian Enlightenment Centre, Funky Tang’s, Edie’s Decor or any of the Wesleyan Holiness Churches. $10 prepaid or $15 at the gate. Refreshments will be on sale. TUESDAY, JUNE 13 CHAMBER COURSE: Basic Accounting Made Easier. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14 THE BOOKENDS CLUB: Meets 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books & Books. Join members who meet to review their latest pick, “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov. Share insights and impressions in open discussion. The Bookends Club gathers on the second Wednesday of every month and new members are always welcome. THURSDAY, JUNE 15 CHAMBER COURSE: Intellectual Property Basics: Copyright, Trademarks & Patents. 9–11 a.m., Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, JUNE 17 DADURDAY: Celebrate Father’s Day with Dadurday from 1-6 p.m. at The Crescent at Camana Bay. Games (including beanbag toss, ladder ball, foosball, jumbo Jenga and more) with prizes, crafts including kite-making. MONDAY, JUNE 19 BRAC CELEBRATION: The Brac District of the National Trust invites everyone to the 5th annual Queen’s Birthday Celebration 4-6:30 p.m. at the Heritage House, Northeast Bay, Cayman Brac. Afternoon tea, raffles, plant sale, art show, and split the pot. Tickets are $7 at the door. All funds benefit the National Trust Cayman Brac Land Fund. TUESDAY, JUNE 20 CHAMBER COURSE: Situational Self Leadership; Today and tomorrow, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square; $350 for members, $425 for future members; register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. THURSDAY, JUNE 22 CHAMBER COURSE: Essentials of Supervision – Developing Your Team. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square; $150 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, JUNE 24 MANGOES AT THE MUSEUM: Local food and mango products, mango-peeling competition, arts and crafts, bungee jumping, rock climbing. Cayman Islands National Museum on the Waterfront. From 3-7 p.m. Free admission. DEALS ON WHEELS: The Red Cross Mobile Thrift Shop will be in West Bay. 6-10 a.m. at the Lord’s Church Compound, junction with the West Bay Town Hall. Items available include clothing and shoes for children and adults, ladies’ accessories and bags, linens, household items and more. GENERAL INTEREST HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The shop has moved to Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The thrift shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed on Sunday and Monday. Phone 945-5596. DVDL REPLACES TEMP PLATES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing is replacing all Temporary Registration Plates. Customers who have been contacted by the department are asked to collect their new registration plates. They are reminded to bring the temporary registration plates, windshield coupon (if not expired) and log book. HIGH SCHOOL PTA: The John Gray High School PTA seeks sponsors, vendors and volunteers for its June 24 summer fair and raffle. Money raised will assist students going overseas to represent the school and country in track/ field, swimming, fine arts, academics and more. The PTA invites applications from visual and performing artists, food vendors and volunteers. Email ptajghs@gmail.com for registration form. If you have a product you would like to sell at the fair, sign up. Booths are $50 and $75. CONTRACTORS REGISTRATION: The deadline for residential and building contractors is June 30; trade contractors’ deadline is Aug. 31. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for track/field, football and bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. OPEN STUDIO: Every Thursday 10 a.m. till noon and every Monday 1-4 p.m. at Watler House Studio on grounds of Pedro Castle. Offered by Visual Arts Society to adults/youth who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Contact info@visualartcayman.com. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay every Wednesday, noon till 8 p.m. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale. Email info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee, easels provided. Contact info@ongart.com or jar.was@gmail.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Cayman has three chapters of Toastmasters International, geared toward development of public speaking and leadership skills. Grand Cayman club meets at George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7:15 p.m. every Thursday. Eloquent Speaker club meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday 6:30–7:45 p.m. at Savannah United Church Hall. Eminent Orators club meets 2nd and 4th Monday 6–7:30 p.m. at Cayman Academy Canteen. Contact George R. Ebanks at 916-0687/322-9369 or georger.ebanks@gmail.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. During the Island Heritage CharityDrive on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, volunteers will be at the Island Heritage roundabout to help raise money for three charities.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 6, 2017 My heart still aches in sadness, My secret tears still flow, For what it meant to lose you No one will ever know. Although you can’t be here with me, We’re truly not apart Until the final breath I take, You’ll be living in my heart. Dearest Dad to hear your voice and see your smile, and just sit and talk to you, Would be my dearest with today on this your birthday. Dad Thinking of you today and always I will love you forever. From your Daughters; Temar, Noreen & Kimberly; Brothers and Sisters, Grandchildren, And the rest of the Family. Loving Memories of my very Special Dad On your Birthday Mr. Wight said it would likely have a “wellness” ele- ment, featuring a gym, spa and juice bar. “We recognize there is a gap in the market for that type of approach and it is an angle we are working on,” he said. The hotel will also fea- ture conference rooms and other facilities for busi- ness visitors. The property, between the Dixie Cemetery and the Coral Sands condos, features a mix of rugged ironshore coastline and a small sandy cove. The plans were sub- mitted to the Central Plan- ning Authority this week. NCB hopes to break ground on the project before the end of the year and is aiming to be open in 2019. The 60 units will be sold individually. Owners will get two weeks’ stay each year and a share of the proceeds from renting the units to tourists. Hotel development is a new direction for NCB, which has typically worked on condos and apartments aimed at residents. NCB is currently in mid- construction on Tides, a luxury residential develop- ment on South Sound. Boutique hotel planned for George Town CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 An architect’s rendering shows the new hotel, which will include 60 units. Customs officer among five arrested in drug raid BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Islands cus- toms officer was arrested in a Friday night drug raid in George Town along with three foreign nationals from Venezuela and a West Bay resident, police and customs officers announced Monday. The raid was conducted by the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Drugs and Se- rious Crime Task Force and Customs enforcement unit at a George Town apartment, netting cocaine and cash, officers said. A 31-year-old Bodden Town man arrested in the operation was a cus- toms officer. Customs Col- lector Charles Clifford said Monday that the man has been suspended from duty. No charges had been filed by press time Monday against any of the five people arrested. “While the presumption of innocence must apply in all cases, I also wish to cat- egorically state that there is absolutely no place in the Customs Department for any officer who is engaged in criminal activity,” Mr. Clif- ford said. “I will not allow the integrity of our hard- working and dedicated cus- toms officers to be brought into question because of the conduct of any cor- rupt officer.” The three foreign na- tionals are aged 51, 32 and 22. They are all in po- lice custody, along with the customs officer. The West Bay resident, a 39-year-old woman, was re- leased on police bail. RCIPS Commissioner Derek Byrne said Friday’s raid is one of several suc- cessful operations in which police and customs officers have worked together in recent weeks. Mr. Byrne’s comments refer to two drug raids con- ducted in George Town on May 22 in which four people were arrested for drugs and immigration-re- lated offenses. The first operation hap- pened just before dawn in the Savannah area, leading to the arrest of two woman and a man on suspicion of ganja possession. A noon raid later that same day on Marina Drive in George Town led to the arrest of a 45-year-old Ja- maican man on suspi- cion of drugs and immigra- tion offenses. A second suspect at the Marina Drive location “vio- lently resisted arrest,” as- saulting a customs officer and a police detective, man- aging to escape. The four suspects ar- rested in the two raids have all appeared in court on drugs charges. “It is gratifying to con- tinue to see the benefits of the collaboration between the Drugs and Serious Crime Task Force and Customs en- forcement,” Mr. Byrne said. RCIPS Commissioner Derek Byrne said Friday’s raid is one of several successful operations in which police and customs officers have worked together in recent weeks. Germany, Turkey fail to break deadlock over air base visit ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Turkey on Monday refused to budge on its refusal to let German lawmakers visit troops sta- tioned at a Turkish air base, a stance that left NATO ally Germany on the verge of a likely decision to move those troops to Jordan. Speaking after a meeting with his German counterpart that was widely viewed as the last chance to resolve an im- passe over the visits, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca- vusoglu called for “positive steps” on Turkey’s requests for Germany to crack down on Kurdish rebels and al- leged coup plotters. Cavusoglu said Turkey would allow German legisla- tors to visit a NATO base in the central province of Konya, but not Incirlik Air Base, where about 270 German troops are stationed with Tornado reconnaissance jets and a refueling plane. The German troops at In- cirlik are part of the inter- national coalition against the Islamic State group. German deployments abroad require parliamentary ap- proval, and German leaders say it’s essential that law- makers be able to visit troops as they want. Germany’s defense min- ister said her country’s Cab- inet will decide Wednesday “where we relocate (the troops) and whether we relo- cate.” She said “we are well- prepared for a relocation.” “At the moment, a visit to Konya is possible but not to Incirlik,” Cavusoglu said at a news conference with German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel. “In the future, if the conditions are there and there is normalization (a visit to) Incirlik may be possible.” “If Germany takes positive steps, we will always take two (positive) steps. But we cannot ignore the current sit- uation,” he said. Turkey blocked the latest Incirlik visit request in anger over German authorities’ de- cision to grant asylum to soldiers and other individ- uals that Turkey accuses of participating in last year’s failed coup. Turkey also ac- cuses Germany of har- boring Kurdish militant groups, which it considers to be terrorists. Relocating the troops from Incirlik appears politi- cally inevitable after Mon- day’s rebuff, though the timing is not yet clear. There is no appetite in Germany, which faces elec- tions in September, for making concessions to the Turkish government. German officials have said that com- pleting the transfer of the Tornados could take up to two months, though the re- fueling plane could be moved in two weeks. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen recently visited a possible alternative base at Azraq in Jordan. She said Monday that the relo- cation would entail moving at least 200 containers and 10,000 tons of material. Flights by German planes would have to be inter- rupted, “but we will do ev- erything in our power to keep this interruption as short as possible,” she told re- porters in Germany. In Ankara, Gabriel stressed that visits by par- liamentarians are a require- ment of the German consti- tution and parliamentary system, and it will not be possible for Berlin to retain troops in Incirlik under the circumstances. Gabriel added that Berlin welcomed Turkey’s decision to allow visits to Konya and that Germany did not want to escalate the tensions. “Turkey and Germany are going through a troubled pe- riod,” Gabriel said. Ties have also been soured by the jailing in Turkey of two German journalists and by German local authorities banning planned campaign rallies by Turkish ministers earlier this year. Cavusoglu reiterated Tur- key’s position that Die Welt journalist Deniz Yucel, who holds Turkish and German citizenship, was not detained for any journalistic activity, insisting that he was being prosecuted for allegedly aiding terror groups. He also claimed that for- eign intelligence agencies are using journalists for their activities. “They have started a trend in Europe, the intelligence agencies are using journal- ists. Why? So that if they are caught, they can start a cam- paign and press for their re- lease by claiming ‘a jour- nalist has been arrested, journalists are being jailed,’” Cavusoglu said. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for “positive steps” on Turkey’s requests for Germany to crack down on Kurdish rebels and alleged coup plotters.Next >