ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 185309-Ad-Strip-SandCastles.indd 16/8/17 3:27 PM 100-year-old meets her 99-year-old best friend after 13 years JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two best friends who both cel- ebrate their 100th birthdays this year and who first met at church in Cayman in 1951, were reunited last week after 13 years. “God sent me a blessing today, it’s a privilege just to hold my friend’s hand … it must be my birthday,” said 99-year-old Marguerite Ran- kine, who turns 100 in October. “I love you,” said Elna Mae Hast- ings, who turned 100 in May, as she hugged her friend after making a surprise visit to Cayman from the United States. The two “church sisters,” along with Ms. Hastings’s family, met Thursday at Ms. Rankine’s home in Jennifer Drive, Snug Harbour, and spent hours chatting, hug- ging and catching up. The pair last spent time together when Ms. Ran- kine visited her friend in Florida in 2004, the year when Hurricane Ivan hit the Cayman Islands. “I can’t believe that I am seeing my friend again,” said Ms. Rankine. “Marguerite, I have loved you all these years and I have trea- sured every letter from you,” said Ms. Hastings, as she held her friend’s hand. “You read all my letters, Elna?” Ms. Rankine asked. “I always wrote … letters and you liked to read them. I didn’t like when I got a letter and they told me you was sick or you had gone to some other place … but you was OK,” said Ms. Rankine. Ms. Hastings and her husband Raymond, both missionaries, came CAYMAN ON TARGET FOR 400,000 AIR ARRIVALS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Tourist air arrivals are continuing to in- crease, with the Cayman Islands on course to attract a record number of more than 400,000 visitors this year. In the first six months of the year, 218,235 stay-over tourists arrived in Cayman, a 3.6 percent increase over the same period last year. A total of 385,451 stay-over tourists landed in Cayman in 2016, the highest re- corded to date. The opening of a new direct route be- tween Fort Lauderdale and Grand Cayman and the impact of renewed marketing efforts in Latin America were credited with driving a particularly strong tourism performance in June. Nearly 40,000 visitors touched down at Owen Roberts International Airport in June – almost 13 percent better than the same pe- riod last year. The surge in air arrivals offsets a slight de- crease in the cruise sector, where passenger numbers for the first six months of 2017 are down 9 percent. Though the volume of cruise passengers is typically higher, air arrivals account for around 80 percent of tourist spending on is- land and is considered the key metric for the health of the industry. Director of Tourism Rosa Harris said her department is now placing a new emphasis on Latin America. Arrivals from that region grew by 45 percent in June, and Ms. Harris sees room for further gains. She said expansion into Brazil and Ar- gentina has been a long-term goal for some time and is now moving toward the top of the agenda. “Travelers from Brazil and Argentina rely heavily on travel agencies and tour operators, and the department is working with a local agency to help drive demand through these channels,” said Ms. Harris. “Cities such as Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires have a high proportion of travelers who align with our desired demographic and are keen to visit our shores.” She added, “Having successfully raised brand awareness of the Cayman Islands as a vacation destination, our focus is shifting to- wards accelerating growth in high value visi- tors from these regions. “Capturing even a small percentage of the market would be very lucrative for our Friends, family, officials recall Capt. ‘Chuckie’ Ebanks TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Capt. Charles “Chuckie” Ebanks, 30-year proprietor of fishing enterprise Black Prin- cess Charters, local personality, craftsman and environmentalist, passed away Sunday morning at the age of 65, after a determined battle with cancer. Many of those who shared reminis- cences about Mr. Ebanks on Monday de- scribed him as an “ambassador.” Mr. Ebanks’s brother, Robert, 77, said the family grew up in North West Point, West Bay, adjacent to West Bay Public Beach, where the two used to sail the model boats that “Chuckie” carved at home. “He used to make these little models and we’d set sail in the water there.” Robert Ebanks’s son, Don Patrick, said “Uncle Chuck” earned a faultless reputation among visitors to Cayman: “People came time and time again just to see him. “I knew him all my life, of course. He used to work around all the hotels, and I used to be at La Fontaine [predecessor to Royal Palms]. He used to take me fishing in the tournaments and we’d win for the big- gest wahoo and the biggest tuna. “I spent a lot of time with Uncle Chuck,” Mr. Patrick said. Not only did he build flaw- lessly crafted model boats, but “he was the PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Capt. Charles ‘Chuckie’ Ebanks poses with a couple of the model boats he was renowned for building. He died Sunday at the age of 65. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE2 REGIONAL NEWS TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - TUESDAY - ATOMIC BLONDE (R) 1:00 VIP I 3:30 I 7:10 VIP I 10:00 DUNKIRK (PG13) 12:45 I 3:25 I 6:35 I 10:05 VIP SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 3D (PG13) 12:45 2D I 3:50 I 7:00 2D I 9:25 GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:20 I 4:10 I 7:00 I 9:20 WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES 3D (PG13) 12:20 I 3:40 2D VIP I 6:15 2D I 9:10 DESPICABLE ME 3 3D (PG) 12:20 I 2:35 2D I 4:55 I 7:10 2D I 10:00 Tropical Storm Emily: Power outages, torrential rain, fishermen rescued ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Tropical Storm Emily marched eastward across the Florida peninsula on Monday, scattering drenching rains, causing power outages and leaving two fishermen to be rescued from Tampa Bay. The National Hurricane Center said the ill-defined storm made landfall Monday morning on Florida’s Gulf Coast, south of Tampa Bay, and was moving east at 10 mph toward the Atlantic coast. The storm was ex- pected to weaken to a tropical storm in the coming hours before heading out into the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday. Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at an afternoon news briefing in the state capital of Tallahassee that about 18,000 homes and busi- nesses lost power, mostly in hard-hit Manatee County. Scott, who was on vaca- tion in Maine and returned to the state when the advi- sory changed, said the storm was a reminder that se- vere weather can strike the state at any time. State emergency manage- ment officials also said that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, which was closed for a few hours be- cause of high winds, had since reopened Monday. The storm had maximum sus- tained winds of 45 mph as it crawled ashore. No injuries have been reported along the Gulf Coast, although two fish- ermen were rescued from Tampa Bay while clinging to a channel marker light after their boat sank. Coast Guard officials said they were called Monday morning about the two brothers, who had been out fishing when their boat en- gine died. While the brothers worked on the inoperable pump, the boat drifted and struck the range light, ac- cording to a Coast Guard statement. The brothers tied their boat off to the light and were forced to cling to the navigation aid and call for help when the vessel sank. A boat from Coast Guard station St. Petersburg rescued the men. At 2 p.m. EDT Monday, Emily was moving inland over west-central Florida about 30 miles southeast of Tampa. Forecasters said Emily was expected to dump between 2 and 4 inches of rain through Monday night between the Tampa bay area and Naples, with isolated amounts up to 8 inches in spots. Lesser amounts were predicted elsewhere. On Treasure Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico west of St. Pe- tersburg, a normally packed beach parking lot was al- most empty of tourists Monday. Only a handful of people were on the white sand beach and a few body- surfed small waves in an area that does not nor- mally get waves. Some took selfies amid a mix of clouds and patches of blue sky on the northern fringe of the storm system. A flood watch is in effect for much of the Tampa area, raising the threat of some scattered street flooding in low-lying areas. Law enforce- ment agencies urged motor- ists to drive with caution. A few Tampa area com- munities, such as Pinellas Park and Tarpon Springs, of- fered residents sandbags to stave off any flooding. A flood watch was in effect for much of the Tampa area, raising the threat of some scattered street flooding in low-lying areas. Tampa Bay, due for major hurricane, is not prepared TAMPA BAY, Fla. – Mark Lu- ther’s dream home has a window that looks out to a world of water. He can slip out the back door and watch dolphins swim by his private dock. Shore birds squawk from nearby nests in giant mangroves. He said it’s hard to imagine ever leaving this slice of paradise on St. Pe- tersburg’s Bayou Grande, even though the water he adores is starting to get a little creepy. Over the 24 years since he moved into the house, the bayou has inched up a pro- tective sea wall and crept toward his front door. As sea level rises, a result of global warming, it contrib- utes to flooding in his Vene- tian Isle neighborhood and Shore Acres, a neighboring community of homes worth up to $2.5 million, about 70 times per year. “Why stay?” asked Lu- ther, an oceanographer who knows perfectly well a hurri- cane could one day shove 15 feet of water into his living room. “It’s just so nice.” Tampa Bay is mesmer- izing, with 700 miles of shoreline and some of the finest white sand beaches in the nation. But analysts say the metropolitan area is the most vulnerable in the United States to flooding and damage if a major hurricane ever scores a direct hit. A Boston firm that ana- lyzes potential catastrophic damage reported that the re- gion would lose $175 billion in a storm the size of Hurri- cane Katrina. A World Bank study called Tampa Bay one of the 10 most at-risk areas on the globe. Yet the bay area – greater Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater – has barely begun to assess the rate of sea-level rise and address its effects. Its slow response to a major threat is a case study in how American cities reluc- tantly prepare for the worst, even though signs of im- pacts from climate change abound all around. State leaders could be part of the reason. Repub- lican Gov. Rick Scott’s ad- ministration has discour- aged employees from using the words “climate change” in official communications. Last month, the Republican-con- trolled state legislature ap- proved bills allowing any cit- izen to challenge textbooks and instructional materials, including those that teach the science of evolution and global warming. The sea in Tampa Bay has risen naturally throughout time, about an inch per de- cade. But in the early 1990s, scientists say, it acceler- ated to several inches above normal, so much that re- cent projections have the bay rising between six inches and more than two feet by the middle of the century and up to nearly seven feet when it ends. On top of that, natural settling is causing land to slowly sink. Sea-level rise worsens the severity of even small storms, adding to the water that can be pushed ashore. Hard rains now regularly flood neigh- borhoods in St. Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater. Stroke of luck so far By a stroke of gambler’s luck, Tampa Bay has not suffered a direct hit from a hurricane as powerful as a category 3 or higher in nearly a century. Tampa has doubled down on a bet that another will not strike any- time soon, investing billions of dollars in high-rise con- dominiums along the wa- terfront and shipping port upgrades and expanding a hospital on an island in the middle of the bay to make it one of the largest in the state. Once-sleepy St. Petersburg has gradually followed suit, adorning its downtown coast with high-rise condomin- iums, new shops and hotels. The city is in the final stages of a plan to build a $45 mil- lion pier as a major attrac- tion that would extend out into the bay. Worried that area leaders were not adequately focused on the downside of living in a tropic, the Tampa Bay Re- gional Planning Council re- minded them of the risks by simulating a worst-case sce- nario hurricane, a category 5 with winds exceeding 156 miles per hour, to demon- strate what would happen if it entered the Gulf of Mexico and turned their way. The fictitious Phoenix hur- ricane scenario projects that wind damage would destroy nearly half a million homes and businesses. About 2 mil- lion residents would require medical treatment, and the estimated death toll, more than 2,000, would top the number of people who per- ished from Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. ‘Get out of Dodge’ Florida’s most densely populated county, Pinellas, could be sliced in half by a wave of water. The low-lying county of about a million is growing so fast that there’s no land left to develop, and main roads and an inter- state connecting it to Tampa get clogged with traffic even on a clear day. “If a hurricane 4 or 5 hit us,” St. Petersburg City Council Chairman Darden Rice said, referring to the two highest category storms, “there’s no doubt about it. The plan is you’d better get out of Dodge.” Tampa Mayor Bob Buck- horn’s warning was even starker. Standing outside City Hall last year, he described what would happen if a hur- ricane as small as a category 3 with 110 to 130 mile per hour winds hit downtown. “Where you’re standing now would be 15 feet under water,” he said. IMAGE: NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 Coach denies any indecent touching CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former track coach Ato Stephens told a court Monday he was embarrassed and very sorry for “inappropriate” WhatsApp messages between him and a girl on the track team he had coached. He was reminded of al- legations that he had in- decently touched the girl and asked her to touch him. “Did that happen?” defense counsel Paul Keleher asked. “No, sir,” Stephens replied. The girl, who was 14 at the time of the alleged incidents, told the court last week that two indecent assaults and an episode of gross indecency oc- curred in Stephens’s vehicle after he had dropped off other athletes after practice. Mr. Keleher asked Ste- phens if there was ever a time when he dropped off all the other athletes, leaving just the girl in the car with him. “No, sir. No time at all,” the defendant said. The attorney asked why he had begun sending inappro- priate messages to the girl. Stephens, now 38, said it started after a meet in which the girl had a bad perfor- mance. “She was moping and upset.” He said he did not recall the context of how it happened. He said he con- soled her the same as he would have consoled any of the other athletes. He said the girl began be- having very flirtatiously with him and he thought she had a crush on him. Later, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Rich- ards wondered what led him to start asking the girl to send him pictures of herself, he replied, “I don’t recall.” He agreed he thought the girl was attractive and had a sexy body. Asked if the fact that the girl had a crush on him would make her more willing to comply with his request, he replied, “I don’t know.” Ms. Richards asked who introduced the sending of pic- tures into the relationship, he answered, “I don’t remember.” She asked how he got the girl to do what he wanted. “I don’t remember,” he said. Ms. Richards asked if he knew it was wrong to ask her for photos of herself without clothes. He said yes, and he was sorry. Justice Michael Wood, who is hearing the matter without a jury, asked Ste- phens, “Why didn’t you stop?” Stephens replied, “I don’t know.” He agreed that the girl was reluctant to send him nude photos, so they came to an agreement that she could send photos of her in her underwear. He was still being cross- examined by Ms. Richards by press time. Two serious assaults in month at bar BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police is investi- gating two major assault cases at a George Town bar that occurred within the past three weeks. The latest incident was re- ported Saturday just before 2 a.m. at Vic’s Bar at the inter- section of North Sound Road and Seymour Drive. According to police, a man was stabbed in the head, back and hands by another man during a fight inside the liquor licensed premises. The victim was taken to hospital in stable condition, according to police. About an hour after the attack, another man showed up at the George Town Po- lice Station, alleging that he had been attacked at Vic’s Bar and “defended himself.” He was also taken to hos- pital and then arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm. He was charged with wounding and was due to appear in court Monday. The second, unrelated at- tack occurred in mid-July when police said a woman at the bar was assaulted after refusing a male pa- tron’s advances. Police said the man pulled on the woman and touched her “inappropri- ately,” possibly attempting to dance with her. When the woman refused, po- lice said the man punched her in the face. The victim said the at- tacker was unknown to her. The RCIPS checked re- cords of reports at, or in the vicinity of Vic’s Bar, since the beginning of the year. Officers found no other serious inci- dents similar to the two re- ported in July. However, police had re- ceived calls from the bar seven times since Jan- uary to report various inci- dents, ranging from public nuisances to concerns about fights breaking out, officers said. Vic’s Bar at the corner of Seymour Drive and North Sound Road in George TownThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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 AUGUST 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS “If your mind becomes calm, you can think in front of the tiger. If you can think in front of the tiger, you will surely succeed.” – Mencius The Cayman Islands are at the top of many lists: lists of the world’s most beautiful beaches; lists touting enviable household income; lists showing off our standard of living, to name a few. But in spite of every “best of” listing we earn, there’s a “worst of” list that unfairly, and too often unthinkingly, lumps Cayman in with bad actors or casts our country in a negative light. Those lists, pri- marily, are generated from organizations or institu- tions that find fault with tax-competitive or tax-neu- tral offshore jurisdictions, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union, or the Tax Justice Network. They vary in shade and hue, from pure black to the proverbial “50 shades of gray,” but all are harmful and extremely difficult to remediate. And so it was welcome news to hear that after months of lobbying from Cayman Islands public health officials, the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has crossed us off its Zika advisory list – a list we should not have been on in the first place. We “made the list” last year after local transmis- sion of the virus was reported in Grand Cayman. No local transmissions have been reported this year, leading the CDC to clear our name. The fear, of course, was that the Zika virus would infect pregnant women who would then give birth to children with microcephaly, a condition where the baby’s brain does not develop properly and the infant’s head is much smaller than normal. There was never a single case of Zika-related microcephaly in the Cayman Islands, and yet our tourism director got ahead of the story when she made the following public statement: “We are con- cerned for the future and the impact of Zika and how that might affect certain groups that travel to the Cayman Islands. We know that we are very attractive to the couples market, and for those that are in the phase of their lives that are having families, this directly impacts that group.” This from our tourism director? And then, of course, the CDC piled on, and our tourism numbers began to fall …. The hyperbolic reaction to Zika was only the latest in a series of “sky-is-falling” crises propagated and amplified by media outlets in search of com- pelling content. Ebola! Swine Flu! Bird Flu! Crime- ageddon! Carmageddon! Snowpocalypse! Porkoca- lypse! (These last three refer to traffic gridlock that failed to materialize in the Los Angeles area during road construction in 2011, an East Coast snowstorm in 2009 that turned out to be far from catastrophic, and a short-lived hysteria over an anticipated global shortage of bacon in 2013.) Now it seems the Zika panic has run its course as well, not just in Cayman and Florida but just about everywhere. To be clear, we are not suggesting that the threat of epidemics or even pandemics should not be taken seriously. Of course they should, but it is precisely because they are so potentially serious that extra calm and caution are called for to ensure that the message does not get ahead of the science. – EDITORIAL – The Zika virus and other ‘listless’ threats Promises won’t kill combustion engines LEONID BERSHIDSKY European governments are making big promises to ban the sale of cars with combustion engines: Ger- many by 2030, France and Britain by 2040. It’ll take a lot more than promises, though, to bring about the all-electric future. The initiatives could be- come the biggest govern- ment-driven revolution in a major market since anti-to- bacco legislation – and a be- nevolent one, given that car makers get fair warning. But it’s easy to tout the end of an era with non-binding prom- ises, and much harder to get enough people to like a gen- uine zero-emission car (that is, one whose only contribu- tion to emissions is made by the energy industry as it pro- duces electric power). Granted, electric vehi- cles already have a lot of fans. People like the idea of reducing their carbon foot- print, as well as electric cars’ fast acceleration and noise- lessness. Tesla has a big order backlog, and predicted resale values are good: In the most recent German rank- ings, two of the three electric leaders – Hyundai Ioniq and BMW i3 – were expected to retain more than 60 percent of their original price after four years. In the U.S., 30 percent of buyers consider an electric car, compared with close to zero as recently as four years ago. The reality of electric cars, though, remains at odds with their promise. Consumers tend to balk when they get a sense of the range limita- tions (producers’ estimates are valid only under specific conditions) and consider the strategic aspect of planning their driving around charging opportunities. No more than 10 percent of those who con- sider an electric vehicle actu- ally buy one, and older elec- tric cars with short ranges are worth a lower percentage of the original price than even much-maligned diesels. And then there are the longer- term questions of whether the charging infrastructure will keep up with the number of vehicles, and whether elec- trical grids will be able to handle all the added demand. Probably the biggest shifts in the European auto market are happening in diesel, which major cities plan to ban sooner than combustion engines. In the U.K., demand for diesel cars dropped 10 percent in the second quarter of this year. Still, the declines haven’t yet been severe enough to af- fect residual values much. In Germany, where diesels are sitting on dealers’ lots an average of about 12 days longer than gasoline-pow- ered cars, the resale value of an average three-year-old diesel car is still similar to a gas-powered one. The campaign to convince consumers that the combus- tion era is ending and elec- tric is taking over is working about as well as anti- smoking campaigns did be- fore cigarettes were banned in most public spaces and became prohibitively expen- sive for many smokers. Some people believe what they’re told and grow enthusiastic about the new era and the next big thing. Most, how- ever, see no reason to change their habits. Financial incen- tives can help by bringing electric-car prices close to those of traditional vehicles – but they’re not enough for a breakthrough. Only countries such as Norway, where the incentives make electric ve- hicles appreciably cheaper to buy and own, have seen sig- nificant uptake. Governments are rightly hesitant to force something on consumers that doesn’t really work for them –which is why countries that plan to ban combustion engines in new cars haven’t actually legislated on it yet. Driving a combustion engine car hasn’t acquired the stigma of smoking, and it may never do so. Unless the current gas station infrastructure disap- pears – unlikely, given that used combustion engine cars won’t be outlawed – gas- burning and hybrid car sales might even boom in the few years before bans go into ef- fect. And that’s if the bans ac- tually happen. That’s a big “if.” Regula- tors won’t take the plunge unless electric cars already make up a majority of pur- chases – without subsidies and other crutches, since no country can afford to subsi- dize most car buyers. That will happen only if the elec- tric car can match the real- life range of its combustion counterpart, and if charging takes only marginally longer than fueling. Automakers are racing to get there. Toyota is reportedly in the production engineering stage of building a solid- state battery, which employs a solid electrolyte to improve on the weight and range of a lithium-ion battery – and possibly even on the charging time. Such advances could not only boost demand for electric vehicles but also de- cide the winners and losers in the industry, which is why it’s worth watching com- panies’ research and devel- opment budgets. Toyota’s leading invest- ment could make it the first automaker to produce an electric car that most con- sumers will actually want. Other major manufacturers’ budgets also exceed a billion dollars per quarter, some of which is going into battery tech (Daimler and BMW, for example, are also working on solid-state batteries). Tesla, the current market icon, isn’t big enough to match that level of spending, and so risks being left behind in the final push to make the elec- tric vehicle for the masses. But there’s also a chance that the research efforts will get nowhere, or produce tech- nology that people can’t af- ford. In that possible fu- ture, governments won’t be bound by their electric prom- ises, and the combustion en- gine – albeit an emission- minimizing version of it – will remain the car mar- ket’s mainstay. Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru. © 2017, Bloomberg View. 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”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 DRIVE THRU OPEN LATE FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS Now serving you from 2 locations: Savannah and Seven Mile Beach Two more permanent residency challenges filed in July BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A teacher and a commodi- ties trader are the latest per- manent residence-seekers to challenge government’s years-long delays in hearing their applications to remain in the territory for the rest of their lives. Applications for judi- cial review were filed last month on behalf of Samantha Shields, a Canadian/Barba- dian professor, and Justin Colgan, a funds trader who is originally from Ireland, asking the Grand Court to force government to hear those applications and to award monetary damages to both applicants. Both arrived here in 2006. Mr. Colgan applied for resi- dence on Feb. 26, 2015, Ms. Shields applied for resi- dence on Sept. 23, 2014, ac- cording to the judicial review applications. Similar requests for judi- cial review were previously filed in the Grand Court over the residency application de- lays that have been ongoing since October 2013. The court records allege the Cayma- nian Status and Permanent Residency Board, as well as the chief immigration officer, have acted “unlawfully” by not considering those appli- cations in a “reasonable pe- riod of time.” Damages sought include interest on the amounts al- ready paid to the Immigra- tion Department for residence applications and ongoing permit-related fees. The judi- cial review applications also seek unspecified damages for “unwanted stress” caused by the years-long delays in pro- cessing the applications. Ms. Shields and Mr. Colgan are the seventh and eighth ap- plicants to file for judicial review over the delays. At least three of the eight applicants with mat- ters pending before the court have already been granted permanent residence, but are continuing with their legal actions seeking damages. Five other applicants that have sought judicial review this year are still awaiting word on their cases. The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board began hearing PR ap- plications in mid-June, after an approximately two-and- a-half year delay that began around January 2015. To date, the number of applications approved and those denied has been about equal. However, with well more than 1,000 applications backlogged during the delay period, its estimated govern- ment boards will take more than three years to work through the current requests. It’s expected new residence applications will continue to be filed while the backlogged cases are heard. Between June 2016 and May 2017, an average of 35 applications were filed each month, according to im- migration records. More than 40 were received each month in January, February, April and May. Premier Alden McLaughlin has said there will be no “mass grants” of status in attempts to alleviate the backlog of applications. How- ever, he said last week that additional steps are being taken to try to speed up the current rate at which those applications are being heard, including the hiring of six new administrative staffers. “We expect to see an in- crease in productivity, but we are aware such drastic change will not happen over- night,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “This is a top priority for gov- ernment and it will continue to be so until this matter is resolved.” Acting Chief Immigration Officer Bruce Smith has also noted that application delays often work to the residence- seeker’s benefit. “The … board doesn’t want to refuse an applica- tion just because the infor- mation needed to process it is no longer valid,” Mr. Smith said last week. “They are de- ferring in the interests of the applicant by allowing them to provide up-to-date infor- mation before a final deci- sion is made.” Eight people have filed separate legal challenges against the Immigration Department and the immigration boards in relation to delays in permanent residence applications. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT The court records allege the Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board, as well as the chief immigration officer, have acted “unlawfully” … Police: 26 accidents over weekend BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service reported 26 accidents occurring on Cayman Islands roads over the three-day period between Friday and Sunday. The average of between eight and nine accidents per day over the three days is nearly three times the rate vehicle crashes normally occur in Cayman, when com- pared to police traffic statis- tics from 2015 and 2016. Cayman normally sees between two and four ac- cidents each day, police re- cords over the past two years indicate. Six of the crashes be- tween Friday and Sunday in- volved injuries. “Despite the fact that fewer people are on island at this time of year, we are still seeing a number of serious accidents,” said Sgt. Lenford Butler of the RCIPS Traffic Management Unit, “While none of these have resulted in life-threatening injuries, there is still an alarming trend of drivers continuing to allow either alcohol or im- patience to impair their judg- ment behind the wheel. “All of us have a duty to keep our roads safe, in- cluding passengers, who can often influence what is happening in a vehicle, and also regularly suffer serious injuries when ac- cidents occur.” Police provided details of some of the vehicle acci- dents that occurred between Friday and Sunday: ■■ 8 p.m. Friday – A white truck strikes a grey Kia on Town Hall Drive in West Bay and leaves the scene. The Kia’s driver pursues the truck to the South Sound cem- etery, losing sight of the truck at that point ■■ 9 p.m. Friday – A crash on Crewe Road be- tween a Toyota and an Isuzu truck ended with the truck rolling over, ending up on its side. A man and a woman in the truck were taken to hos- pital with minor injuries ■■ 5 a.m. Saturday – A Honda Civic runs off the road into the bushes on Homestead Crescent in Bodden Town. The driver was found out- side the car, bleeding. He was hospitalized in stable condition ■■ 2 a.m. Sunday – A speeding Honda Ac- cord crashes on Sparkys Drive in George Town. Police said another car was in the area when the crash occurred, im- plying the two vehicles were racing. Two men believed to have been in the Honda when it wrecked showed up at the Cayman Islands Hos- pital later in the morning ■■ 4:30 p.m. Sunday – On North Side Road, a Kia overtaking another ve- hicle heading in the di- rection of Rum Point lost control and ran into a coconut tree. The Kia driver suf- fered minor injuries. ■■ 9 p.m. Sunday – A Su- zuki Vitara overtaking a truck that had stopped on Shamrock Road in Bodden Town collided with a Honda coming in the opposite direc- tion. Both the driver and the passenger in the Honda were taken to hospital. The Suzu- ki’s driver was arrested for various traffic of- fenses, including driving with an expired license. “Despite the fact that fewer people are on island at this time of year, we are still seeing a number of serious accidents.” LENFORD BUTLER, RCIPS Sgt.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 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 AUGUST 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, AUGUST 1 STUFF THE BUS: The drive has started to gather school supplies for families with children needing assistance. Until Aug. 19, anyone who wishes can purchase them and drop them off at boxes located inside Cost-U- Less or Caribbean Alliance Insurance Office at 203 Alissta Towers. Supplies needed include pencil pouches, pencil erasers, #2 pencils, blue or black pens, 24-packs of crayons, wide-rule single subject notebooks and 150-page packs of wide-rule loose leaf paper. MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: “Sing,” (2016, PG) will show at Camana Bay’s Gardenia Court. Free. 7 p.m. SME WORKSHOP: Developing Brand Awareness. Part 1 tonight, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Part 2 tomorrow, Wednesday, same time. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 HOME AND GARDEN TOUR: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A new tour created by The National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Money raised will go toward the restoration of Cayman’s historic properties. Cost is $75 for adults, $35 for children under 12. Call 749-1121. BOOK SALE: The Red Cross Thrift Shop will have books for sale outside Foster’s Strand 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hardcover books, $2. Softcover books, $1. Children’s books, 50 cents. TUESDAY, AUGUST 8 DARKNESS TO LIGHT: Free training program, 6:30-9 p.m., for parents, teachers and others who work with or provide services to young people. Cost is free. Gain knowledge and skills to prevent child sexual abuse, recognize signs of abuse and learn how to react responsibly. Pre-registration is required. Contact vrm@redcross.org.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Immigration and Permanent Residency. 9–11 a.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for Chamber members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 NCVO SALE: Sale of household items, clothing including lightly used school uniforms, baby supplies, furniture. 6 to 10 a.m. in parking lot outside National Council of Social Services, 90A Anthony Drive, off Smith Road (behind The Pines). FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 LIQUOR LICENCES: Today is the deadline to submit applications for liquor license renewals, including music and dancing licenses. Application forms can be downloaded from the Department of Commerce and Investment’s website www.dci.gov.ky. For more information, contact Shelise Jeffery on 244-2202. For Sister Islands operations, contact Lolita Bodden at 948-2400 or Dave Tatum at 244-4401. TUESDAY, AUGUST 29 BRAC WORKSHOP: The Family Resource Centre holds a three-day domestic violence intervention workshop at the Brac Reef hotel. The free training will take place Aug. 29-31, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The workshop is for front-line professionals who interface with domestic violence victims and their families. Contact FRC at 949-0006 or email frc@gov.ky for further information or to register. SUMMER CAMPS, VBS VBS: The Church of God Chapel West Bay will be having Vacation Bible School Aug. 7 through Aug. 11, 6 to 9 p.m. nightly. For more information call 949-1794. ART OF NATURE: The last two weeks of the Art Nest Creative Studio Art of Nature Summer Camp supporting National Trust. For ages 6 to 12. 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $325 for Trust members. $350 for non- members. Includes snacks, lunch, daily field trips and art materials. Contact artnestcayman@gmail.com or 949-0107. VBS: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church invites all to VBS until Friday, Aug. 4, 9 a.m. till noon. The theme is “Created by God, built for a purpose.” The Bible School is for children 4 to 12 years. SUMMER OF ART: The National Gallery offers this series every Tuesday and Thursday from 2-4 p.m. in the Susan A. Olde Art Studio until Aug. 17. Space is limited to 20 students per session on a first-come, first-served basis (no pre-registration necessary). Sessions are free and all materials are provided. Summer camps and large groups can book art sessions and tours separately. For more information, visit www.nationalgallery.org. ky or email education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. KIDS ABILITY: Preschool and Kindergarten readiness for ages 2.5 to 4.5. 8:30-11:30 a.m., until Aug. 11. $275 per week. Social skills camps for ages 5 to 7, 7 to 11. Weekly themed camps, till Aug. 11. Also baby play times. Contact info@kidsability.ky. GENERAL INTEREST LAW SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Applications are being accepted to enroll in one of the new postgraduate programs offered by the Truman Bodden Law School – the LL.M Master of Laws in International Finance, Law and Regulation and the postgraduate diploma in International Finance, Law and Regulation. Full details on the admissions procedure are available at www.lawschool.gov.ky. NATIONAL GALLERY: All are invited to view the new temporary exhibition Mediating Self, a display of works from the Cayman Islands National Collection that illustrates the ways in which our bodies are used to create and navigate our personal and collective identities. Open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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. CONTRACTORS REGISTRATION: The deadline for residential and building contractors was 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. 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, Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. 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. For more information, email 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. For details, 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. For more information, send an email to 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. 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. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. A young supporter helps ‘Stuff the Bus’ for the annual drive to ensure students return to school with all the supplies they need. The campaign continues until Aug. 19.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 to the Cayman Islands in 1951 to teach at Triple C School and were heavily in- volved with the church. The couple lived in Cayman until 1954. Mr. Hastings passed away two years ago. Ms. Hastings and Ms. Rankine met at the Church of God Chapel in George Town in 1951 as 34-year-olds. That Sunday morning in church, Ms. Rankine said, she knew there was a special bond. “She was preaching that Sunday morning at church and when she finished, all the people went up to hug her but I didn’t just hug her, I told her she belonged to us and she was coming back to us. She laughed, but I meant it and she did come back,” Ms. Rankine said. “I wouldn’t call it preaching, I would just call it speaking,” Ms. Hastings in- terrupted with a laugh, “I am not a preacher.” “She would sing and teach and preach,” con- tinued Ms. Rankine, ig- noring her friend’s comment with a smile. “She would visit the sick people and sometimes I would go with her to show her the houses. She would sing and pray and talk. We did most things together … she liked everything I liked … we liked going to the beach, swimming and going fishing … my son showed me how to bait the line and throw it out. I showed her,” Ms. Rankine said with a laugh. Ms. Hastings said she walked the beach looking for shells to display on shelves. “I am feeling very con- tented to be with Marguerite again … I love the Cayman Islands, and every chance we get, we come to the is- lands,” said Ms. Hastings. She noted that the island has changed a lot but the charm she fell in love with many years ago remains. “Church is what we loved; there was nowhere else to go in Cayman those days,” said Ms. Rankine. Years ago, Ms. Rankine and her son Antonio Hawkins lived with the Hastings family, helping to take care of their three children, Colleen, Walt and Warren. “She was like another mother to me,” said Ms. Hast- ings’s daughter Colleen. “For years, Marguerite would travel to Florida to spend summers and attend conven- tions with the family, when she was in better health. I remember during Hurricane Ivan her being very concerned about what was happening in Cayman. We were thankful she was there with us.” Secret to longevity Ms. Rankine said, “I feel good. The Lord has helped me to live long enough to meet with the Hastings again, and here I am now with some of them. Some of them have gone, but some are still here. I am happy.” Ms. Rankine was born in East End but grew up in George Town. She tells people she is still an East Ender and her love of that district has never waned. Her mother did the cooking for people in the community and she followed suit. “I baked my own birthday cake,” she said. Ms. Rankine claims “work, work and more work,” is her secret to long life. Ms. Hastings said her longevity secret is her relationship with the Lord. “I lived a clean life. Never smoked or drank, and the Lord has guided my life so I didn’t go into wild ways. I became a Christian from the age of 12 in the Church of God in Bald Knob, Ar- kansas,” said Ms. Hastings. At the end of their visit, the longtime friends promised to visit each other as often as times permits, and then they shared a goodbye hug. economy since the trav- elers tend to gravitate to- wards the higher end of our tourism product and par- ticularly enjoy diving, shop- ping and fine dining.” The United States re- mains Cayman’s key source market for tourists, with visitors from that country accounting for 82 percent of tourists flying into Cayman so far this year. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said signifi- cant increases are being seen from Houston and Dallas, Texas. He blamed economic fac- tors for a dip in arrivals from the U.K. and Canada and said the Depart- ment of Tourism would be using promotions and air- line partnerships to turn that around in the second half of the year. He said he is optimistic that the 400,000 target will be achieved in 2017. “Maintaining an up- ward trajectory is good for our economy, good for business and good for the people of the Cayman Is- lands,” he said. 100-year-old meets her 99-year-old best friend after 13 years CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Marguerite Rankine, front left, who turns 100 in October, meets her longtime friend Elna Mae Hastings, who turned 100 in May, with family members. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY first on the island to build fishing rods. “For a long time he was the only one who did it. It must have been close to 30 years,” something he pur- sued “right up until the end.” ‘I’ll bet there is a lot [of raw material] still sit- ting right there in his work- shop” in Newlands, Mr. Patrick said. He recalled their last con- versation: “He said a couple of days before [his passing] that it was very sad, but that he wanted his casket to be either black or dark blue. “All his boats were black, and he wanted red- and-white stripes with his business name ‘Black Princess Charters’ – with ‘Final Voyage.’ “I have wonderful memo- ries and I want to thank him for that and some of the tal- ents he left to the family,” Mr. Patrick said, contem- plating assuming his uncle’s boat-carving craft. Another nephew, former premier and Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush, re- called that his uncle “came up with my grandfather and my mother and father” as they worked at La Fontaine. “Uncle Chuckie also worked with my brother-in- law, who was a great chef. Chuckie taught me a lot of things. He was a good friend and a great father and mother” to a disabled son. Mr. Bush recalled Mr. Ebanks’s pride when the legislator became minster of tourism in 2000, saying, “He cared for the marine environment and came to me asking for seasonal limits on lobster and conch and for protection for the Nassau grouper. He was an early supporter, among the leaders, of getting these things done.” Captain Ebanks’s elder sister Marylee Eckstein said only that she was “holding up,” because “I be- lieve the Lord has taken him into heaven.” In a formal statement on Monday, Minister of Tourism Moses Kirkconnell called Mr. Ebanks “a dynamic in- dividual, able to impart his vast knowledge of the water sports history of the Cayman Islands in a charismatic way to anyone he was speaking with, whether on island or representing the country at events abroad. “Throughout the commu- nity, Capt. Chuckie was rec- ognized for his work as an entrepreneur in the tourism field, but also as a commu- nity-minded man and de- voted father. We will forever be grateful for the legacy he has created in the Cayman Islands and the impact of his work in tourism and be- yond,” Mr. Kirkconnell said. Director of Tourism Rosa Harris said Mr. Ebanks reflected the values of “Cayman Kind … delivering experiences for all those who interacted with him, in any capacity. “We at the Depart- ment of Tourism are hon- ored to have had the priv- ilege of working closely with the late Capt. Chuckie. [He] had deep knowledge about our country and pi- oneering tourism start-up which made him the per- fect ambassador in traveling with DOT to promote the Cayman Islands. “He was a positive person, who took the time to get to know everyone and was very passionate about his home; the Cayman Islands.” “Beyond his commitment to continuing the develop- ment and recognition of our local water sports industry, Capt. Chuckie played inte- gral roles through the years in tourism and was dubbed a ‘go to person’ by Department of Tourism to get to [the] bottom of historical tourism facts,” Ms. Harris said. The viewing is scheduled between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Bodden Funeral Home. Services will be held on Aug. 12 at the West Bay Wesleyan Holyness Church. CAYMAN ON TARGET FOR 400,000 AIR ARRIVALS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Friends, family, officials recall Capt. ‘Chuckie’ Ebanks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “I have wonderful memories and I want to thank him for that and some of the talents he left to the family.” DON PATRICK, nephew Captain ‘Chuckie’ Ebanks, right, pictured with then-MLA Cline Glidden, was inducted into the International Scuba Hall of Fame in 2010.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Spain’s tourism up record 12 percent Spain continues to break tourism records, with the number of tourists visiting the country up 12 percent in the first six months of the year. Spain has broken its own tourist number records each year for the past four years as economic and security concerns elsewhere continue to lure visitors. Venezuela government claims mandate to recast system CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela’s socialist govern- ment says a national election has given it a popular man- date to dramatically recast the country’s political system even as condemnations of the process have poured in from nations abroad and the oppo- nents at home. Electoral authorities said more than 8 million people voted Sunday to create a constitutional assembly en- dowing President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling party with virtually unlimited powers, though independent analysts estimated the real turnout was less than half that figure. Opposition leader Hen- rique Capriles, the governor of the central state of Mi- randa, urged Venezuelans to protest Monday against an assembly that critics fear will effectively create a single-party state. Maduro has said the new assembly will begin to govern within a week. He said he would use the assembly’s powers to bar opposition candidates from running in gubernatorial elections in De- cember unless they sit with his party to negotiate an end to hostilities that have gener- ated four months of protests that have killed at least 125 and wounded nearly 2,000. Venezuela’s chief pros- ecutor’s office reported 10 deaths in new rounds of clashes Sunday between pro- testers and police. Seven po- lice officers were wounded when a fiery explosion went off as they drove past piles of trash that had been used to blockade a street in an opposition stronghold in eastern Caracas. Maduro says a new con- stitution is the only way to end such conflicts. “The people have deliv- ered the constitutional as- sembly,” Maduro said on na- tional television. “More than 8 million in the middle of threats … it’s when imperi- alism challenges us that we prove ourselves worthy of the blood of the liberators that runs through the veins of men, women, children and young people.” National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena an- nounced just before midnight that turnout in Sunday’s vote was 41.53 percent, or 8,089,320 people. Members of the opposition said they be- lieved between 2 million and 3 million people voted and one well-respected indepen- dent analysis put the number at 3.6 million. The electoral council’s vote counts in the past have been seen as reliable and gener- ally accurate, but the widely mocked announcement ap- peared certain to escalate the polarization and political con- flict paralyzing the country. “If it wasn’t a tragedy … if it didn’t mean more crisis, the electoral council’s number would almost make you laugh,” opposition leader Freddy Guevara said on Twitter. Maduro has threat- ened that one of the consti- tutional assembly’s first acts would be jailing Guevara for inciting violence. An exit poll based on sur- veys from 110 voting centers by New York investment bank Torino Capital and a Ven- ezuela public opinion com- pany estimated 3.6 million people voted, or about 18.5 percent of registered voters. “The results thus suggest that the government main- tains an important loyal core of supporters that it can mo- bilize in both electoral and non-electoral scenarios,” the report concluded. The same pollsters noted that Venezuela has an es- timated 2.6 million gov- ernment employees, “sug- gesting that a large fraction of the votes could have not been voluntary.” Nations including Ar- gentina, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Spain, Britain and the United States said they would not recognize Sunday’s vote. The Trump administration again promised “strong and swift actions” against Ven- ezuelan officials, including the 545 participants in the constitutional assembly, many of them low-ranking party members. ‘No chaos,’ Trump insists as he swears in new chief of staff WASHINGTON (AP) – Hoping to turn the page on a tumul- tuous opening chapter to his presidency, President Donald Trump insisted on Monday there is “no chaos” in his White House as he swore in retired Marine Gen. John Kelly as his new chief of staff. In an Oval Office cer- emony, Trump predicted Kelly, who previously served as Homeland Secu- rity chief, would do a “spec- tacular job.” And the presi- dent chose to highlight the rising stock market and posi- tive jobs outlook rather than talk about how things might need to change in his White House under Kelly. Trump on Friday ousted Reince Priebus as chief of staff and turned to Kelly, who he hopes will bring mil- itary discipline to an admin- istration weighed down by a stalled legislative agenda, infighting among West Wing aides and a stack of investigations. While Trump is looking for a reset, he pushed back against criticism of his ad- ministration with this tweet: “Highest Stock Market EVER, best economic num- bers in years, unemployment lowest in 17 years, wages raising, border secure, S.C.: No WH chaos!” In fact, economic growth averaged 2 percent in the first half of this year, a pace Trump railed against as a candidate and promised to lift to 3 per- cent. The stock market first hit a record under President Barack Obama and has kept growing. The unemployment rate, too, started to decline on Obama’s watch. And wage gains have been weak. Trump on Monday con- vened his first Cabinet meeting with Kelly at his side, telling his team it is “doing incredibly well” and “starting from a really good base.” On how he would deal with rising tensions with North Korea, Trump said only: “It will be handled.” Seated across from Trump was Attorney Gen- eral Jeff Sessions, who has stayed on the job while Trump has publicly savaged him in interviews and on social media. Kelly’s success in a cha- otic White House will de- pend on how much authority he is granted and whether Trump’s dueling aides will put aside their rivalries to work together. Also unclear is whether a new chief of staff will have any influence over the president’s social media histrionics. Former Trump campaign manager Cory Lewandowski, who was ousted from the campaign in June 2016, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he expected Kelly would “restore order to the staff” but also stressed that Trump was unlikely to change his style. “I say you have to let Trump be Trump. That is what has made him suc- cessful over the last 30 years. That is what the American people voted for,” Lewan- dowski said. “And anybody who thinks they’re going to change Donald Trump doesn’t know Donald Trump.” Kelly’s start follows a wild week, marked by a profane ti- rade from Trump’s new com- munications director, the president’s continued criti- cism of his attorney general and the failed effort by Senate Republicans to overhaul the nation’s healthcare law. In addition to the strains in the West Wing and with Congress, Kelly starts his new job as tensions escalate with North Korea. The United States flew two supersonic bombers over the Korean Pen- insula on Sunday in a show of force against North Korea, following the country’s latest intercontinental ballistic mis- sile test. The U.S. also said it conducted a successful test of a missile defense system located in Alaska. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said on CBS’s “Face the Na- tion” that she hopes Kelly can “be effective,” and “begin some very serious negotia- tion with the North and stop this program.” Another diplomatic fis- sure opened Sunday when Russian President Vladimir Putin said the U.S. would have to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by several hundred under new sanctions from Moscow. In a television interview, Putin in- dicated the cutback was re- taliation for new sanctions in a bill passed by Congress and sent to Trump. Trump plans to sign the measure into law, the White House has said. After Putin’s remarks, the State Depart- ment deemed the cutbacks “a regrettable and uncalled for act” and said officials would assess the impact and how to respond to it. While Trump is trying to refresh his team, he sig- naled that he does not want to give up the fight on health- care. On Twitter Sunday, he said: “Don’t give up Repub- lican Senators, the World is watching: Repeal & Replace.” Journalists take cover from tear gas fired at them by the Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guard during clashes on Sunday. An anti-government demonstrator sits near a barricade in Caracas on Sunday, when Venezuelans appeared to be abstaining in massive numbers in silent protest against a vote to select a constitutional assembly giving the government virtually unlimited powers. - PHOTOS: AP President Donald Trump talks with new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly after he was privately sworn in during a ceremony in the Oval Office on Monday. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 1, 2017 Luggage screening intensified after Australia airplane plot Chinese president oversees military parade in show of might BEIJING (AP) – China’s mili- tary has the “confidence and capability” to bolster the country’s rise into a world power, President Xi Jinping said Sunday as he oversaw a large-scale military parade meant to show off the forces at his command to foreign and domestic audiences. Live state television broadcasts showed Xi, dressed in fatigues and speaking from an open-top jeep, telling his troops that China needed a strong mil- itary “more than ever” as it moved “closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Xi, who commands the People’s Liberation Army as chairman of the Central Mil- itary Commission, has fre- quently spoken of his “China Dream” to restore China to a leadership position in in- ternational affairs with a modern, far-reaching military force to match. The parade at the Zhurihe military training base in Chi- na’s Inner Mongolia region was also a sign domestically of how Xi has enhanced his control over the PLA, just as he has over every other po- litical power base within the sprawling Communist Party, ahead of a pivotal party con- gress this autumn. A Communist Party “princeling” fond of deploying revolutionary lore and na- tionalistic rhetoric, Xi de- clared the PLA ready to de- feat all “invading enemies” as he celebrated the 90th anni- versary of the PLA’s founding. It was the first time a pa- rade has been held to mark the occasion. “The PLA has the confi- dence and capability to de- feat all invading enemies and safeguard China’s national sovereignty, security and de- velopment interests,” Xi said as he inspected troops, ar- mored vehicles, missiles and aircraft, hailing each forma- tion by shouting “Comrades, you’ve worked hard!” “We need to build a strong people’s military more than any other time in history,” Xi said, who served briefly in the military as an aide to the defense minister and last year assumed the title of commander in chief of the military’s Joint Operations Command Center, whose in- signia he wore on the camou- flage battle dress. The forces addressed him as “Chairman Xi” as they rumbled past. The pa- rade was blanketed by state media coverage and streamed for foreign audiences on YouTube, which is blocked inside China. On display were advanced weaponry including a new Dongfeng-31AG variant of the nuclear-tipped inter- continental ballistic mis- sile and the Dongfeng-21D “carrier killer.” Several H-6K bombers, the long-range air- craft recently involved in ex- ercises near Japan and the South China Sea, were shown flying by overhead. Xi has emphasized combat readiness for the PLA – long criticized as a corrupt bu- reaucracy with scant combat experience – and pushed for an ambitious modernization program to make it a leaner force capable of projecting power overseas. Xi ordered 300,000 troops cut from the world’s largest standing army two years ago while overseeing in- vestments in aircraft car- riers, nuclear submarines and stealth fighters with the goal of surpassing the United States in regional and even global influence. Although China has framed its growing military as a force for stability and peace, its expanding footprint and assertive posture in con- tested regions like the South and the East China Seas have worried neighboring nations and U.S. allies in the Pacific. Xi has been similarly em- boldened on the domestic front as he took on powerful figures within the influen- tial military establishment. He ordered anti-corruption campaigns that took down top-ranking generals and creating new battle theaters that placed trusted officers in command and shunted aside others. To reinforce his polit- ical position, Xi has ex- tracted televised vows of loy- alty from top generals while holding frequent events to show his affinity and support for the military, including a troop inspection in Hong Kong in June and a ceremony to present citations to 10 offi- cers last week. Reinforcing the propa- ganda value of his appear- ance at the review, exten- sive footage of the event was broadcast at the top of every hour Monday by state broadcaster CCTV. On Sunday, Xi issued an- other call for loyalty as he in- structed his amassed 12,000 troops to “unswervingly stick to the fundamental prin- ciple and system of the par- ty’s absolute leadership over the army,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported. “Always listen to and follow the party’s orders,” Xi said. “And march to wherever the party points to.” CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – Se- curity remained heightened in airports around Australia with more intense screening of luggage after law enforce- ment officials thwarted what a police chief described on Monday as a “credible at- tempt to attack an aircraft.” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Border Protec- tion Minister Peter Dutton declined to comment on newspaper reports that Is- lamist extremists planned to kill the occupants of a plane with poison gas and that a homemade bomb was to be disguised as a kitchen mincer. “Police will allege they had the intent and were de- veloping the capability,” Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Turnbull announced on Sunday that “a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane” had been disrupted, but re- vealed few details. Four men arrested in raids in Sydney late Saturday – two Lebanese-Australian fathers and their sons – had yet to be charged. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said a court ruled Monday that the four could be de- tained without charge for seven days from their arrest under counterterrorism laws. “We believe we have dis- rupted a legitimate and cred- ible attempt to attack an air- craft,” Colvin told reporters without elaborating. Colvin has repeatedly de- scribed the threat as a “de- vice,” without mentioning whether it was explosive. “The plot that we are in- vestigating we believe was an attempt to put a device onto an aircraft, but beyond that the speculation is just that – speculation,” he said, adding that police had “many working theories.” Colvin and the govern- ment will not comment on media reports that the sus- pects were not previously known to Australian security officials and that their ar- rests followed a tip from a foreign intelligence agency. “Australians can be as- sured that we have very fine intelligence services and we moved extremely quickly on this one and, as you can see, with the right outcomes,” Turnbull said. The Australian news- paper cited multiple anony- mous sources saying that the plotters were constructing a “non-traditional” explo- sive device that could have emitted a toxic, sulfur-based gas to kill or immobilize ev- eryone on the aircraft. Sydney’s The Daily Tele- graph newspaper reported that the plotters planned to make a bomb from wood shavings and explosive ma- terial inside a piece of kitchen equipment such as a mincing machine. Police raided five homes Saturday and removed a do- mestic grinder and a mincer used to make sausage, the newspaper said. The plot involved smug- gling the device onto a flight from Sydney to the Middle East, possibly Dubai, as carry-on luggage, the newspaper said. Fairfax Media reported that the bomb was found in a home in the inner-city suburb of Surry Hills, a few doors from the local mosque. Turnbull declined to say whether the group was guided by someone overseas. “It’ll be alleged that this was an Islamist extremist, terrorist motivation,” the prime minister said. Dutton, the border pro- tection minister, urged trav- elers to arrive at Australian airports two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights to allow time for more screening. Luggage should be kept to a minimum and those accompanying travelers should not enter secured parts of terminals. He declined to detail the threat that the security staff were searching for. “There’ll be lots of specu- lation around what the intent was … but I don’t want to add to that,” Dutton told Nine Network television. “Our focus now really is making sure that people who are planning a terrorist attack are thwarted.” Security has been in- creased at Sydney Airport since Thursday because of the plot and has since been increased in all major Aus- tralian international and do- mestic terminals. Turnbull would not spec- ulate on how long airport se- curity would remain elevated. “They will be required for as long as the threat is assessed as requiring them,” he said. Australia’s terrorist threat level remained unchanged at “probable.” Australia is a staunch ally of the United States and partner in military cam- paigns in the Middle East. The Islamic State group has highlighted Australia as a Western target. The plot was the 13th dis- rupted by police since Aus- tralia’s terrorist threat level was elevated in 2014. Five plots have been executed. The prime minister and the border protection minister declined to comment on reports that Islamist extremists planned to kill the occupants of a plane with poison gas and that a homemade bomb was to be disguised as a kitchen mincer. Chinese President Xi Jinping stands on a military jeep as he inspects troops of the People’s Liberation Army during a military parade on Sunday. - PHOTO: AP People crowd a terminal Monday at Sydney’s domestic airport as passengers in Australia are subjected to increased security. - PHOTO: APNext >