SECTION | PAGE ## TITLE FOR THE SPORT/ BUSINESS SKYBOX FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman culinary team excels Resident chefs come up trumps at regional competition B2 Memories of Cayman Danny Hughes started his love affair with the islands many years ago B4 Technology Film Lifestyle ■ ART & CULTURE Talent Xposition The best and brightest will shine on Harquail Theatre stage. B7 App for juniors Flow Kids app now available throughout the Caribbean B3 Spotlight on Erika Ervin The towering model and actress signs on for CayFilm Festival B5 STOLI FLAVOURS2 for $ 56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July STOLI FLAVOURS 2 for $56 Until 31 July Registered Merchant of CaymanGiftCertificates.co m EVAN WILLIAMS BLACK 1L WENTE VINYARDS Wine from California 20% OFF 750ml Bottle Offer valid until 30 June CAYMAN WEEKENDER Talent Xposition EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ‘RUNWAY FASHION’: KEEPING UP APPEARANCES AT CAYMAN AIRWAYS High of 88 Low of 76 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 75 CENTS – FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 MOZZARELLA STICKS SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY Residency hearings to start next week BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A government-appointed board will begin considering a backlog of between 900 and 1,000 permanent residence applications some- time next week, according to the Ministry of Immigration. Applicants may be contacted by the Im- migration Department as early as next week if further details are needed to process their cases, ministry officials said. “I am pleased the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board and immigration leaders have stepped up to the challenge and together have developed a plan for resolution that looks to guarantee a high level of speed and efficiency in dealing with applications going forward,” Premier Alden McLaughlin said in a statement Thursday. The requests from non-Caymanian res- idents to remain here for the rest of their life have not been heard since at least Jan- uary 2015 due to legal uncertainties sur- rounding certain criteria government had set for applicants. The previous Progressives-led administra- tion approved changes to the British territo- ry’s Immigration Law that took effect Oct. 26, 2013. The changes included a revamped per- manent residence scheme that made it harder for individuals to qualify. A few applications were processed under the 2013 version of the law, but none was ap- proved, and eventually concerns expressed by the Caymanian Status and Permanent Resi- dency Board members, and later by Chief Jus- tice Anthony Smellie, halted the processing of applications entirely. Board Chairman Waide DaCosta said Thursday that his members would begin hearing residence applications in the order received. “The intention is to process them as quickly as practical, while ensuring that each application is given proper consideration,” ac- cording to a government statement. POLICE HIT STREETS AFTER 4 ROBBERIES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Stepped-up police activity in the wake of four armed robberies on Grand Cayman this week led to the arrest of one man who officers said was responsible for two of the crimes. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service of- ficers chased down the 25-year-old Bodden Town resident in a stolen, gold-color SUV Wednesday afternoon following a 3 p.m. rob- bery at the Lookout Grocery Store. The man was later linked to Tuesday morn- ing’s robbery at Mr. Arthur’s store on North Church Street, police said. Police officers fanned out across the is- land Wednesday night and Thursday morning searching for the suspects in two gas station DOE: NO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES FOR 2 NEW HOTELS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two new hotel projects planned for Grand Cayman will not be required to go through Environmental Impact Assessments before being granted planning approval. Director of the Department of Environ- ment Gina Ebanks-Petrie said Wednesday that the department would offer its opinion to the Central Planning Authority on the projects but would not require either devel- oper to go through the extra step of an inde- pendent study. Islandwide GM mosquito release approved Release could begin in February next year JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The National Conservation Council on Wednesday unanimously approved the is- landwide rollout of the genetically modified mosquito program without the need for a new independent risk assessment. Bill Petrie, head of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, said a national program using the technique to fight the disease- spreading Aedes aegypti mosquito could begin in February next year. He said contractual negotiations are on- going between British biotech firm Oxitec and the Cayman Islands government, but Wednesday’s decision of the conservation council provides the regulatory approval for the project to proceed. The permission is subject to some con- ditions, including the approval of the Medical Officer of Health, currently Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, who oversees the Public Health Department. In a “screening opinion” to the council, Department of Environment officials ad- vised that international risk assessments conducted in trials in Brazil, Malaysia and the U.S. provided sufficient confidence to ap- prove the application without the need for further inquiries. Oxitec also submitted its own risk assessment, which was reviewed by the council. According to the screening evaluation, “The department is of the opinion that given PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 14 » Renaud Lacroix of Oxitec examines a tray of mosquito larvae at the Mosquito Research and Control Unit lab on Thursday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Father’s Day Brunch & Breakfast till 3pm Saturday, Sunday & Holiday Monday! Caybrew Special “ENDLESS BEER” Mobile: 345-323-8573 Office: 345-943-8573 / Fax: 345-949-9753 heather.richards@remax.ky / www.remax.ky Heather Richards DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN! Cayman Islands Member of CIREBA 4 bed, 3.5 bath. Well appointed 3000 sq. ft. solidly built home. Spacious, bright rooms. Modern eat-in kitchen with gas range. Great location with easy commute to GT. MLS 405438. Call today, won’t last long! CI $445,000 Savannah Meadows HOPE SPRINGS 3bed/3bath Great Location, near to schools and amenities. With upgrades and lots of storage. Perfect Starter Home. Call today, won’t last long! CI$240,000 One Week Camp Options Available Upon Request Doctor says Webster was ‘in a delirium’ Defense closes its case CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dr. Marc Lockhart, psychi- atrist at the Cayman Islands Hospital, told the court on Thursday he felt that when Errington Webster committed an indecent act in the pres- ence of a child, Webster was operating in a delirium. He said the symptoms in- dicated “a confusional state.” The act referred to is the subject of a charge of gross indecency that is alleged to have occurred in June 2016 and to which Webster has pleaded not guilty. A jury of five women and two men have seen and heard a video of the act, which a young teenaged girl took on her cellphone while in a ve- hicle with Webster. The girl is also the com- plainant in three charges of indecent assault, to which the defendant has also pleaded not guilty. Crown counsel Dar- lene Oko asked Dr. Lock- hart if psychiatrist Dr. Wade Myers, who gave evidence earlier this week, disagreed with him. “Correct,” Dr. Lockhart replied. Dr. Lockhart said he based his diagnosis on the history provided to him by Webster, by Webster’s wife, and by his own assessment of Webster’s medications and their interactions with other substances. Ms. Oko asked what would happen if Webster had not told him the truth. Dr. Lockhart said if he did not have an accurate history it could change his opinion. He agreed that he had never watched the video in which Webster was said to have been in a state of delirium. On Wednesday, forensic toxicologist Dr. William Lee Hearn gave evidence as to the interaction of Webster’s prescription medication with other substances, including grapefruit juice. The jury has heard that on the day the video was taken, Webster had consumed about four pints of a mixture called “belly fat flush” that con- tained grapefruit juice, cin- namon and other substances. Dr. Hearn said he did not consider grapefruit juice would have any signifi- cant effect on Amlodipine, the blood pressure medicine Webster was taking. Ms. Oko asked, if there were some interaction, would one of the effects be doing something out of character? Dr. Hearn replied, “Not by any pharmacological principle I’m aware of.” Questioned by defense attorney Steve McField, he agreed that the several drug research studies to which he referred involved test volunteers who were in good health. Mr. McField asked about test subjects who had pre-ex- isting conditions, who were on a fast, who had taken a double dose of their pre- scribed medicine and then had drunk Guinness Stout and belly fat flush. Dr. Hearn indicated that test subjects were probably not in that specific pattern. The last defense witness was Bishop Richard Hylton of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Bodden Town. He said he had known Webster for 12 years and found him to be honest, hard working, very loving, kind and giving, an upright man in the commu- nity. He said he would rec- ommend Webster to anyone with no reservation. Mr. McField closed the case for the defense on Thursday morning after concluding the evidence of the defendant, which had been interrupted because of the schedules of the ex- pert witnesses. Justice Charles Quin told the jurors they could expect to hear closing speeches from Ms. Oko and Mr. McField on Friday. With Monday a hol- iday, he planned to sum up the case and instruct them about the law on Tuesday. Guatemala court, ex-VP accept her extradition to US GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – A Guatemalan court approved a request to extradite former Vice President Roxana Bal- detti to face drug trafficking charges in the United States after she declined Thursday to oppose the move. However, Baldetti will first be subjected to Gua- temalan justice on four charges of corruption brought by prosecutors in the Central American nation. The United States for- mally requested Baldetti’s extradition last week after she was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in February. The indictment al- leges Baldetti and others conspired to traffic co- caine to the U.S. between 2010 and 2015. Reading from the extra- dition request during Thurs- day’s court hearing, pros- ecutor Alejandro Guzman said Baldetti allegedly ac- cepted money and gifts in return for using her political influence to allow drug traf- fickers to “operate with im- punity in Guatemala.” Baldetti has de- nied the charges. Accompanied by her lawyer Thursday, she called extradition a bid for “re- venge” for the good things she did during her political career and said she hopes justice will prevail in the United States. Baldetti resigned as vice president in 2015 and was charged with corruption in Guatemala the following year for allegedly partici- pating in a customs graft scheme and receiving mil- lions of dollars in kickbacks. She has remained in custody. Errington Webster Dr. Lockhart said he based his diagnosis on the history provided to him by Webster, by Webster’s wife, and by his own assessment of Webster’s medications and their interactions with other substances. The United States formally requested Baldetti’s extradition last week after she was indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in February.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 Police arrest suspect in crash outside political event BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police arrested a George Town man Wednesday in connection with a hit- and-run accident out- side a political candidate’s meeting last month. The suspect, who had not been charged as of press time, was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident the night of May 9. He remained in po- lice custody at press time Thursday. According to multiple wit- nesses the Cayman Com- pass spoke to last month, the man was revving a mo- torcycle and shouting curses outside Progressives party candidate Marco Archer’s meeting that night. Following the obscene dis- play, the motorbike driver sped off along Crewe Road away from the Progres- sives party headquarters and collided with a Cadillac near the intersection with Ella Ray Gardens. The motorbike collision caused the Cadillac driver to strike a parked car on nearby Ella Ray Gardens Drive. The Cadillac’s driver suffered minor injuries. No one was in the Toyota. Police did not locate the suspect until more than a month after the crash. The incident occurred during last month’s heated political campaign and in what was perhaps the most hotly contested district of George Town Central. At the time of the disturbance, Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin was speaking to the crowd gath- ered to support Mr. Archer. Premier McLaughlin’s se- nior political adviser, Roy Tatum, said he was sitting outside the meeting in his car right behind the motor- cycle driver when the inci- dent occurred. “I didn’t hear what he shouted, but he certainly was trying to disrupt the meeting, no doubt about it,” Mr. Tatum said. The political adviser, who has been around a number of campaigns in the Cayman Islands, said he was disappointed to see such behavior at a public political meeting, adding his view that such occurrences are not the norm in Cayman. “We don’t want politics to slip to that kind of level,” Mr. Tatum said. IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL’S TRIAL DATE DELAYED Jeannie Lewis, an assis- tant chief immigration of- ficer in the Cayman Islands charged with two crimes, appeared in court Thursday, when her trial date was moved to a later date. Lewis, charged with knowingly assisting a person to land in the Cayman Islands and with permitting premises to be used for consumption of a controlled drug, appeared in front of Acting Magistrate Phillipa McFarlane. The Crown and the de- fense attorney made a joint application to move the trial date, and Lewis will next appear in court on June 29. Her next trial date will be set at that point and will likely be in October. Lewis was arrested last August in a dawn police op- eration in Savannah that netted four other arrests. An- tonio Bullard of the Bahamas, was charged with illegally landing in Cayman and was sentenced to 30 days’ impris- onment before he was de- ported. Two other men were arrested at that time on sus- picion of attempted murder, and a woman was arrested at the premises on suspicion of drugs possession. The man was revving a motorcycle and shouting curses outside Progressives party candidate Marco Archer’s meeting that night. Lewis was arrested last August in a dawn police operation in Savannah that netted four other arrests. Stolen boat found capsized Cayman Islands Joint Marine Unit patrols on Wednesday located a stolen boat overturned off Frank Sound. The 25-foot Cobia was re- ported stolen May 29. No one was on or near the boat when it was recovered, officers said. The boat, named Lady Fisher, was reported about 1.5 miles off the coast late Wednesday morning. Police marine and air searches found nothing in the immediate area, but ma- rine unit officers said they were concerned that anyone on board the craft may have gotten into difficulty at sea. Gary Wong’s trial resumes Charges arose from incident in December 2013 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Trial continued in Sum- mary Court on Thursday for senior immigration of- ficer Garfield “Gary” Wong, who has pleaded not guilty to careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and driving under the influ- ence of alcohol. The charges were laid after his truck col- lided with a car on Sham- rock Road in the vicinity of Hibiscus Gardens in December 2013. On Thursday morning, defense attorney Dennis Brady questioned Police Inspector Adrian Barnett about the Intoxilyzer device used to measure the pres- ence of alcohol in a per- son’s system. Mr. Barnett agreed he was the officer in charge of the Intoxilyzer at the time of the incident. He was asked about how the device was maintained and what re- cords were kept. Wong’s reading after the incident was 0.184. The legal limit in Cayman is 0.100. When trial began in Jan- uary, Mr. Brady referred to an accident reconstruction- ist’s report indicating that Wong was not at fault for the collision. In addition to the recon- structionist, both Mr. Brady and Crown counsel Scott Wainwright have expert wit- nesses to assist them in ex- amining evidence about the Intoxilyzer. Magistrate Grace Don- alds is hearing the matter, which is expected to con- tinue on Friday. The trial was initially ad- journed from January until March, and then further ad- journed to this weke due to the unavailability of one of the expert witnesses. The aftermath of the crash scene outside the May 9 political meeting in George Town. The charges were laid after Wong’s truck collided with a car on Shamrock Road in the vicinity of Hibiscus Gardens in December 2013. The recovered boat, the Lady Fisher, is pictured here at a dock before it was stolen on May 29.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. FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS ‘Runway fashion’: Keeping up appearances at Cayman Airways It is often said that to understand someone, you should “put yourself in their shoes.” But if that person is a Cayman Airways flight atten- dant, you’d better make sure those shoes are clean and polished, plain black leather or leather-like, with no buckles or designs, and having heels – if you’re a woman – no less than two and no more than three inches in height, and – if you’re a man – no more than one inch in height. Whew. We already feel exhausted, and that’s before taking one step down the narrow aisle. Shoes are only a small aspect of the national air- line’s recently updated 14-page list of “appearance and grooming” standards, which regulate everything from crew members’ weight to the type of lapel pins they can wear while on duty. Many of the requirements are reasonable, but others read more like Hammurabi’s code than a dress code, as if a room full of Maples’s finest attorneys brain- stormed every potential misstep in hygiene or attire a crew member might make, and wrote guidelines pre-empting such horrors. We understand, for example, requirements that crew members’ weight be proportionate to their height. Airplane cabins are, after all, small spaces in which to maneuver and it’s important the crew can do so easily and safely. Similarly, we are grateful that crew members “remain free of any dis- agreeable body odors” and “maintain a high standard of oral hygiene and care.” (See “small spaces,” above.) Crew members are highly visible representatives of Cayman Airways and the Cayman Islands – as such, they are ambassadors for our country and the country’s airline. Thus, we see the value in maintaining a high quality of appearance, conduct and presentation. We grant that a professional appearance can convey an authority that would encourage passengers to behave with decorum and – in the event of an emergency – trust and follow crew members’ urgent instructions. But we are bemused by regulations, such as those of women’s hairstyles, which are more detailed than the cabin safety procedures passengers are subjected to at the beginning of every flight. (If you don’t know how to fasten a seatbelt by now, perhaps flying (or driving) is not really your gig.) It’s true that crew members handling in-flight meals shouldn’t be doing so with hair flying in every direction (par- ticularly into the meals – even if it is just a meager “cheese plate” – and we’re talking “business class”!), but surely they can be trusted to choose their own hair accessories. And while we generally agree that “special atten- tion must be given to hands and fingernails as they are in constant view of the customer,” we wonder what, exactly, is the “Platonically ideal” length for a female crew member’s manicure? Is it one-quarter inch past the finger, as is required of Cayman crew members? An eighth of an inch, as Hawaiian Airlines requires, or the luxuriant half- inch length allowed crew members on United? Perhaps a special committee (or more likely, subcommittee) should be empaneled to resolve these pressing inconsistencies. Why should Cayman Airways crew be limited to a maximum of two gold or silver rings of moderate size when the crew over at United are allowed up to four – even if Cayman crew can consider as one ring a wedding band and engagement ring, provided they are worn on the same finger? (If we were running either Kirk Freeport or Magnum Jewelers, we’d be howling. The more rings, the better!) Should we be comforted or disturbed by the fact that American Airlines requires crew members to remove any noticeable hair in their nostrils and ears, while Cayman Airways regulations are completely silent about the issue? We can’t decide. What we do know is that hairy noses are hardly de rigueur – at any altitude. With all the rules they must adhere to, it’s a miracle that Cayman crew members are able to maintain excellent com- plexions through “proper care, rest and diet,” as is required. We joke, but reading the guidelines has given us a renewed admiration and respect for the consistently high standard of service provided by the friendly cabin crew members of Cayman Airways. We like them, and we appre- ciate what they do. Not everyone would be able to do the same “in their shoes” … and far fewer, with a smile. 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” Nurturing our capacity for regeneration OSSINING, N.Y. – Spar- kling in the sunlight that in- spired 19th-century romantic painters of the Hudson River School, Sing Sing prison’s razor wire, through which inmates can see the flowing river, is almost pretty. Almost. Rain or shine, however, a fog of regret permeates any max- imum-security prison. But 37 men – almost all minori- ties; mostly African Ameri- cans – recently received cel- ebratory attention. It was their commencement – at- tended by Harry Belafonte, 90, and the singer Usher – as freshly minted college grad- uates. Their lives after prison will not soon, if ever, com- mence, but when they do these men will have unusual momentum for success. Most of the 2.3 million people now incarcerated in America will return to their communities, and few will have been improved by their experiences inside. It is said that a convict’s successful re- entry into society begins the day he enters a correctional facility, as prison adminis- trators prefer to call their in- stitutions. But the criminal justice system is failing to accomplish lasting correc- tion: More than half of re- leased prisoners are arrested again in the first year, more than two-thirds within three years, more than three-quar- ters within five years. The odds are dramati- cally better for the 37 men here who received bachelor of behavioral science degrees or associates degrees con- ferred by Mercy College from nearby Dobbs Ferry. Gradu- ates from Sing Sing’s Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison program have a 1 per- cent recidivism rate. This is partly a func- tion of self-selection: There is a long waiting list for ad- mission to the program, and those admitted pay $10 tu- ition per semester, funded by their prison wages of 18 cents an hour. Some have not been in school for 20 years. All are motivated. Sixty-one percent of New York inmates have fewer than eight years of education. An often insuperable impedi- ment to post-prison success is the scarcity of jobs for for- merly incarcerated people whose years since their trun- cated schooling have been barren of the attention and instruction that could give them the manners and skills necessary for life after insti- tutionalization. However, 85 percent of Hudson Link grad- uates have jobs within three months of their release. One just received a graduate de- gree from Columbia Univer- sity; another just began post- graduate study there. Thirty miles downriver, a number of New York City so- cial workers are formerly in- carcerated people who know the temptations of, and the tolls taken by, bad choices. That phrase, “bad choices,” is spoken often by those in- mates who, by affirming their agency – their capacity to freely choose their behavior – are halfway home. Hudson Link’s execu- tive director, Sean Pica, is an ebullient 48-year-old who, convicted of manslaughter at 16, was incarcerated for half of his first 32 years. He was close to earning a de- gree while in prison when, in 1994, Congress, in a puni- tive act, banned Pell Grants for inmates. So Hudson Link, a nonprofit, was created with the support of donors like Doris Buffett, whose brother Warren has attended a com- mencement here. Hudson Link now operates in six New York prisons with eight col- lege partners. The Sing Sing Class of 2017’s valedictorian, deftly quoting Franz Kafka (“There are some things one can only achieve by a deliberate leap in the opposite direction”), William James and Frederick Douglass, said to his class- mates, “We are better than we were but not the best that we can be.” Most inmates in the Hudson Link program are acquainted with Langston Hughes’ 1951 poem “Harlem”: “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?” The poem concludes: “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load Or does it explode?” The load of 37 pasts that were strewn with explosions was lightened for this year’s graduates as they flipped tas- sels from the right to the left sides of their mortarboards. To the strains of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance,” they marched as college graduates in their academic gowns to join their families for lunch, as an inmate on the kitchen staff called out, “You’ve not had chicken until you’ve had chicken at Sing Sing.” It did not disappoint. Film festivals’ awards have been showered on “Zero Percent,” a movie about Hudson Link, in which a Sing Sing inmate, speaking to and for a prior year’s gradu- ating class, says that the pro- gram’s purpose is to make sure prison is “not a landfill but a recycling center.” Many such men have done terrible things, but it would be ter- rible to ignore the capacity some have for regeneration. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 Cayman International School, like Camana Bay, began with an inspired vision for the future. A decade later we see this vision come to life as the Class of 2017 graduates and begins the next phase of their lives. Dream big, graduates. CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2017 CELEBRATING A DECADE OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE CAMANABAY.COM6 LOCAL NEWS FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman Islands to celebrate Queen’s birthday on Saturday SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com It’s a celebration fit for a monarch. The Cayman Islands will mark the official 91st birthday of Queen Elizabeth II with a parade and ceremony Sat- urday morning. The ceremony, on the front steps of the Legislative As- sembly Building, begins at 9 a.m. This will be followed by a garden party from 10-11:30 a.m. on the front lawn of Gov- ernor Helen Kilpatrick’s resi- dence, Government House, on West Bay Road. Guests are requested to wear semiformal day attire and to be seated at the cere- mony by 8:30 a.m. A parade of uniformed ser- vices will precede the cere- mony, and Monday is an offi- cial public holiday in Cayman. Organizers advise that in the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place inside the Town Hall in George Town, starting at 10 a.m. Governor Kilpatrick and Deputy Governor Franz Man- derson will be at the cere- mony, in addition to Premier Alden McLaughlin and other senior government officials. Two Cayman residents, Charles Watler and Phillip Rankin, will be recognized at the ceremony. Mr. Watler will be recognized as a Member of the Order of the British Em- pire for his work with the Immigration Board, and Mr. Rankin, a former chairman of the board of Cayman Air- ways, will receive the Cayman Islands Certificate and Badge of Honor. Queen’s birthday around the world Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, but the U.K. celebrates her birthday in June as part of a tradition that has existed for more than a century. The virtual home of the Royal Family, www.royal. uk, explains that the sover- eign’s official birthday has long been celebrated in June due to the weather being more appropriate for the famous Trooping the Colour parade. Edward VII, born on Nov. 9, 1841, preferred to mark his birthday in May or June rather than during the winter. He became king in 1902. The Queen’s official birthday is marked on dif- ferent days throughout the world. Canada celebrates the monarch’s birthday on Vic- toria Day, the last Monday before May 25. New Zea- land celebrates it on the first Monday in June, and Australia celebrates it on the second Monday in June (except for the provinces of Western Australia and Queensland, which cel- ebrate in late September and early October, respectively.) The Queen’s birthday page on www.royal.uk states that the official birthday in the U.K. is usually on the second Saturday in June, but a rep- resentative for the Ministry of Defense said that is not al- ways the case. “It’s in the schedule years in advance,” he said by tele- phone. “I don’t think it’s set in stone that it’s always the third Saturday in June, but there’s nothing peculiar about it.” Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family will observe the Trooping the Colour in London on Saturday and then will mark the occasion with a public appearance on the bal- cony of Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth has attended the parade every year of her reign except 1955, when it was canceled due to a rail strike. Road closures in Cayman To accommodate the events, some roads in George Town will be closed from 6 p.m. Friday until 11 a.m. Sat- urday: the junction of North Church Street and Fort Street, the junction of Albert Panton Street and Fort Street and the junction of Edward Street and Fort Street. The ceremony, on the front steps of the Legislative Assembly Building, begins at 9 a.m. This will be followed by a garden party from 10-11:30 a.m. on the front lawn of Government House. Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her official birthday on Saturday. In Cayman, a parade and ceremony will be held in downtown George Town, followed by a garden party on the law of Government House. - PHOTO: ADRIAN DENNIS/PA WIRE VIA AP Charles WatlerPhilip RankinThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com Robert J. Murray, Jnr. Born October 17, 1942 Died May 29, 2017 He leaves behind his wife Thrilee Parsons, daughters Bobbie Parsons, Cynthia Hew and Rebecca Oberg, grandsons Josh and Jacob Hew. Robert’s Cremains have been lovingly laid to rest at Dixie Cemetery. In Loving Memory of My Husband, our Daddy and Papa Clement ‘Ransford’ Reid 30 March, 1934 – 16 June, 2016 He never looked for praises He was never one to boast He just went on quietly working For the Ones he loved the most. His dreams were seldom spoken His wants were very few And most of the time his worries Went unspoken too. Sadly missed by your loving wife Carstene, children and grandchildren He was there....A rm foundation Through all out storms of life A sturdy hand to hold on to In times of stress and strife. A true friend we could turn to When times were good or bad One of our greatest blessings The man that we called Husband, Daddy and Papa. The Family Of The Late Condolences can be registered at boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page. Daniel Stevenson Simmons better known as Mike regret to announce his passing on Monday, 12 June 2017. A funeral service will be held 10:00 AM on Saturday, 24 June 2017 at Lions Centre. Interment will follow in Dixie Cemetery . Ministry Chief Officer Wesley Howell said going through close to 1,000 perma- nent residence applications is not a quick or easy task. Many of the applications are hundreds of pages long with detailed information about each applicant’s job, educa- tion, training, salary, personal finances, community involve- ment activities and invest- ment in the country, among a host of other areas. Mr. Howell said certain measures would have to be taken to “overcome various human resources and other challenges,” associated with processing the documents. “The Department of Im- migration has reassigned staff members and has re- cruited Caymanian univer- sity graduates to advance the processing of applica- tions,” he said. These addi- tional workers will review the applications initially and prepare them for the board’s review, he said. Im- migration staff will also shadow board members for training purposes. Mr. Howell said the Cay- manian Status and Perma- nent Residency Board has only eight of 11 members currently serving and three more will need to be ap- pointed. Those positions will be filled “shortly,” he said. It will be up to the newly elected Progressives-led co- alition government to ap- point the immigration-related board membership. “I would … like to thank all of the applicants, their families and their employers for their patience during this time,” Mr. Howell said. “I want to reassure them that we are working hard to re- solve this matter.” Processing plan The Immigration Depart- ment has not set any spe- cific schedule to indicate how long it will take to hear the backlogged applications, but it previously indicated a general plan for dealing with the hundreds of re- quests pending. According to a depart- ment statement released in late March: “Applicants who have been waiting longest will have their application dealt with first.” Before any application is considered by the de- partment or the Caymanian Status and Permanent Resi- dency Board, the applicant will be given an opportunity to update any information in the initial application. The deadlines for submit- ting updated information will depend on when the appli- cation was submitted, after Oct. 26, 2013, when legisla- tive changes to the Immigra- tion Law creating the new permanent residence “points” system took effect. It is be- lieved that the vast majority, if not all of the residence ap- plications submitted before that date under the prior Im- migration Law, have been dealt with, although some may still be going through the appeals process. “After the deadline for the submission of informa- tion passes, the department will aim to have reached a decision on the application within 30 days,” the immigra- tion statement reads. Immigration officials hedged the 30-day dead- line by stating that the pro- cessing of more than 900 ap- plications requires time and resources if the applications are to be given the “appro- priate degree of scrutiny.” The points system used to judge each application has changed somewhat since it was first passed in Oc- tober 2013, although those changes were described by one local law firm as “largely cosmetic.” It also appears, based on the government’s announce- ment Thursday, that no fur- ther changes would be made to the points system which would affect current appli- cants who are waiting to have their cases heard. Pre- mier McLaughlin has hinted at future changes to the points system, but has said that issue would warrant fur- ther consideration. The biggest change from the prior regulations gov- erning the granting of perma- nent residence is that all ap- plicants, regardless of what job they now hold, will be given full points (15) for their current position. Previously, the system awarded between zero and 15 points based on an applicant’s job category. However, the new regula- tions, which were approved on Feb. 28 by Cabinet, make no mention of what govern- ment intends to do with its “priority occupations” list de- scribed in the law. Priority occupations are specifically designated jobs which are considered to be especially important or desired in the Cayman Islands economy. If an applicant for perma- nent residence holds one of those jobs, the regulations allow them to receive up to an additional 15 points for their occupation. At this stage, it is assumed that all applicants will re- ceive no points under the pri- ority occupation designation, since no jobs have been listed as priority occupations. Lawsuits pending Two people who applied for permanent residence under the current system, fi- nancial services professional Mark Edmunds (applied in June 2014) and accountant Derek Larner (applied in De- cember 2013), were awarded that status under threat of significant damages claims against the government over delays in hearing their applications. Those men and a third claimant, accountant Bradley Carpenter, who sought resi- dence under the pre-October 2013 residency application system, are still pursuing damages claims because of the lengthy delays in consid- ering their applications. There were other perma- nent residence applicants who filed for that status be- fore Mr. Larner and Mr. Ed- munds, but it appears the government took those two men “out of turn” as a result of the litigation they had filed. HSM Chambers partner Nicolas Joseph suggested in letter to immigration clients last week that a number of other permanent residence applicants might have to take the same path in order for their matters to be heard. “Although clear utter- ances have been made that applications are being pro- gressed, and even that re- quests for updates are being sent out, we have seen no ac- tual evidence of this,” he said. “For reasons that we do not know, it appears clear that no actual progress is being made in relation to anyone’s applications. “There seems to be an ‘invisible hand’ preventing progress,” the letter stated. “Whose it is, and where they sit, is yet to be understood or determined.” The letter outlined the steps HSM clients might take to engage in a class-action lawsuit against the govern- ment, first by having the firm write a letter to the relevant authorities on their behalf, then filing for judicial review before the Grand Court if the letter is not answered within a certain time. Residency hearings to start next week More than 900 applicants are waiting to hear if they will be granted permanent residence in the Cayman Islands. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT “[The] plan for resolution … looks to guarantee a high level of speed and efficiency in dealing with [residency] applications.” PREMIER ALDEN MCLAUGHLIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • FRIDAY JUNE 16, 2017 The Howard Hospi- tality Group, which already owns and operates the Mar- garitaville Resort, wants to build a five-star luxury re- sort on the southern tip of Seven Mile Beach. Developer NCB, mean- while, has submitted plans for a 60-unit boutique hotel on the site of the old Tree- house restaurant, opposite Kirk Market in George Town. In an update to the Na- tional Conservation Council on Wednesday, Ms. Ebanks- Petrie said the department had been consulted on both projects. She said it was fa- miliar with the types of is- sues that might arise and did not need to commission an environmental impact as- sessment in either case. “The magnitude and scope of the potential impacts re- ally don’t warrant an EIA,” she told the council. She added that the Howard group had met with the Department of Environ- ment before submitting its application and revised some of the more problematic as- pects of its plan. The plans for the 7.1-acre site, which have yet to come before the planning authority, include five outdoor beach- front and poolside restau- rants and bars, a spa and fitness facility, a landscaped boardwalk, a children’s center and 30,000 square feet of conference space. Ms. Ebanks-Petrie said the second hotel includes a boardwalk and cabana but did not have any component that impacted the adjacent marine park, and the build- ings met coastal set-back requirements. Addressing criticism that environmental impact as- sessment requirements were shackling developers, Ms. Petrie said the procedure is used sparingly and only in cases where the necessary in- formation or expertise is not already available. She said the council is “far from bogging the entire country down in a require- ment for EIAs” and had re- quested that only six proj- ects face such assessments since the law came into effect last August. That figure rep- resents less than 2 percent of the 346 applications re- viewed by the Department of Environment on behalf of the council, she said. the substantial body of risk assessments that have al- ready been conducted in- ternationally, sufficient in- formation is available to allow the council to issue a permit if so minded, with precautionary conditions, in- cluding a requirement for on- going monitoring.” The application is open- ended and would allow the Mosquito Research and Con- trol Unit to use genetically modified mosquitoes as part of its arsenal to fight the problem. The proposal states, “The current application is for pe- riodic imports of eggs fol- lowed by release of males limited only by a max- imum of 2kg of eggs im- ported each month. “This application is open ended both in time and geographically within the Cayman Islands, so should be considered as a permit re- quest for operational deploy- ment of this technology into the indefinite future.” The proposal contem- plates the construction of new mobile labs, converted from shipping containers, for hatching the larvae. It also suggests the genetically mod- ified mosquitoes could be de- ployed on Cayman Brac. West Bay program Dr. Petrie said the West Bay program proved suc- cessful in dramatically re- ducing the prevalence of Aedes aegypti mosqui- toes compared to control areas. He said that program will continue through the rainy season to provide fur- ther data and will eventu- ally be absorbed into the na- tional deployment. He said the islandwide rollout will be integrated with other techniques, including the use of insecticides and “boots on the ground.” He cautioned that GM mosquitoes are not a “silver bullet” for public health emergencies and would not prevent diseases like dengue and Zika from coming to Cayman. But in combina- tion with other methods, they will help contain the spread of such diseases, which have no known cure. The GM mosquitoes are modified so that their off- spring die before reaching adulthood. The technique involves releasing mil- lions of them into the wild so that through weight of numbers they will out-com- pete the resident males for mates and the population will collapse. DOE: No environmental studies for 2 new hotels CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 An artist’s rendering of the planned NCB hotel. Islandwide GM mosquito release approved CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mosquitoes are released through a tube at the back of a specially kitted-out Oxitec van. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYNext >