High of 89 Low of 82 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 FIRE SERVICE REVIEW: SHOULDN’T CHIEF HAILS BE THE ‘FIRST RESPONDER’? WORLD & REGIONAL | PAGE 8 BARCELONA FUGITIVE WEARING BOMB BELT SHOT DEAD ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 4.70% OFFER EXTENDED!* 185315-Ad-Strip-SandCastles-30Sept.indd 17/21/17 5:00 PM Lawmakers skeptical of CarePay ‘fixes’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Efforts to prevent a reoccurrence of bu- reaucratic bungles that led Cayman Islands taxpayers to spend US$1.8 million for nothing during the CarePay contract debacle drew skepticism from lawmakers who noted there had been little accountability in the wake of the disastrous deal’s end. Revelations of government paying large sums of money without a contract in hand, board members or senior government staff not reading multimillion-dollar contracts be- fore signing them, and public fiduciaries being conned by the CarePay contract’s proponents came thick and fast last year during the crim- inal trial of former Health Services Authority Board Chairman Canover Watson. Watson was imprisoned for seven years after being convicted in February 2016 on fraud and corruption charges. However, law- makers on the government’s Public Accounts Committee noted last week that little else seems to have happened since then. “I am really disappointed that one person is sitting in Northward and everyone else who signed the [CarePay] contract is able to keep their job,” said committee member. Bodden Town MLA Chris Saunders. According to a civil service internal audit completed last year, the Cayman Islands gov- ernment spent US$1.8 million (CI$1.5 million) on a fraudulent plan to “rollout” a healthcare patient swipe-card system to private sector doctors and insurers. Not only was there no existing contract for the expenditure, the entire basis for the payment – made in two tranches between late 2011 and mid-2012 – was a “letter from the former Health Services Authority Board chairman [Canover Watson] to the Min- ister of Health.” MLAS QUESTION NEED FOR GOV’T LAND SALES BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Legislative Assembly’s Public Ac- counts Committee last week questioned gov- ernment’s reasons for selling off Crown- owned properties determined to be “surplus” in a five-year-old review by the Lands and Survey Department. The sale of those lands – valued at an es- timated $65 million in a 2014 consultant’s re- port – was proposed as a way to prop up the public purse, which faced repeated deficits early in the decade. However, at the time, Premier Alden McLaughlin set a much lower goal for earn- ings from excess Crown land sales, some- where in the region of $8 million to $10 mil- lion. Also, government has posted annual budget surpluses of more than $100 million since the 2013/14 spending plan. Opposition MLAs on the Public Accounts Committee last week wondered why govern- ment would sell any of these properties while in a surplus cash position and with land values increasing and availability becoming more scare on Grand Cayman. “I cannot get my mind around [the] fact that government wishes to liquidate assets that are not costing them any money to main- tain, but in fact are gaining in value daily,” accounts committee chairman Ezzard Miller said. “Once it’s sold, it’s sold.” Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders said he was more concerned about the pro- cess government was using to determine which lands were sold, and to whom. Cloud cover obscures solar eclipse in Cayman KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dozens gathered at the University Col- lege of the Cayman Islands observatory Monday afternoon to celebrate an hon- ored guest who never appeared. The day’s highly anticipated solar eclipse hid behind the clouds, as remnants of tropical wave Harvey dampened Cayman’s viewing plans. “It’s just like, the best laid plans of mice and men,” said Bill Hrudey, who runs the UCCI observatory named after him. “The original intent was to have two telescopes set up at the observatory and then we would send those images down to the classroom screen so that people could see them.” While the Cayman Islands was not on the total eclipse path, the islands would have observed the moon blocking out 55 percent of the sun, with maximum cover oc- curring at 2:07 p.m. Had there been sunny conditions, observatory staff expected hun- dreds of revelers for the rare event. Instead, around 30 guests settled for the back-up plan and viewed live- streaming video of the eclipse from inside a UCCI auditorium. Richard McCloud of the Astronomical Society said the event still served an edu- cational purpose. It was a focal point for 25 students who attended a three-day sci- ence and math summer camp. “A lot of their observances this afternoon PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » The moon passes in front of the sun for a total solar eclipse visible from Farmington, Missouri, on Monday. – PHOTOS: AP2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS I 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 - ANNABELLE CREATION (R) 1:30 VIP I 5:10 I 7:00 VIP I 9:35 VIP I 10:10 EMOJI MOVIE 3D (PG) 12:25 2D I 2:45 2D I 5:05 I 7:25 2D DUNKIRK (PG13) 3:50 I 9:30 DARK TOWER (PG13) 2:45 I 4:30 VIP I 7:50 I 10:15 THE NUT JOB 2 3D (PG) 12:30 2D I 12:45 I 3:00 2D I 5:15 7:30 2D I 9:45 GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:05 I 3:55 I 6:45 I 9:50 SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (PG13) 12:45 I 6:30 The rise in street beg- gars and decaying infra- structure are perhaps the most obvious symptoms of Brazil’s economic and po- litical meltdown. But it’s the less visible fallout – like the cancellation of school lunches and the cuts to life- saving medical research – that may leave its most dev- astating legacy. Years of belt-tight- ening following the end of the commodities boom have squeezed govern- ment funding of education, health, research and po- licing. Fewer cops on the beat have led to more crime and more deforestation of the Amazon – long-standing Brazilian problems that are back with a vengeance. The fallout from aus- terity is exacerbating near- universal contempt for the country’s political elite after three years of scandal and, in a phenomenon that mirrors a growing trend across the world, risks propelling outsiders into power in next year’s na- tional elections. “Recovering lost de- velopment will consume at least the entire term of the next president, in the best of cases,” said Carlos Langoni, a former central bank governor who’s di- rector of the Center for World Economy at the Get- ulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. “Our big frustration as economists and Brazilians is that the country could already be on another level of develop- ment and social well-being, and we’re losing time.” Once the emerging- market darling of Wall Street, Brazil’s economy went from growth of 7.5 percent in 2010 to shrink by virtually the same amount in the last two years. Un- employment has risen to a near-record high, GDP per capita fell to 2009 levels and the budget deficit is hovering around 10 percent of GDP. There is no sign the Latin American giant will recover its investment- grade status any time soon. Recent setbacks have dispelled much of the hope that Brazilians nurtured for their country throughout the 2000s, when soaring prices for soybeans, coffee and sugar tripled exports and swelled government coffers. Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had been showered with in- ternational praise for be- ginning to remove some of the symbols of Bra- zil’s backwardness, from malnutrition to the de- struction of vast swathes of the Amazon. Millions of Brazilians rose out of poverty on Lula’s watch and began to enjoy the fruits of a middle class lifestyle. Today, the ladder up Brazil’s notoriously rigid socioeconomic structure is inaccessible to most people. Studying on an empty stomach, experts agree, will undermine scholastic aptitude and potentially di- minish performance in the labor market. In the north- eastern state of Bahia, local officials blame the lack of school lunches on budget cuts by the fed- eral government. “This year the situa- tion worsened,” said Rui Oliveira, head of the Bahian chapter of the association of teachers on leave. “In the hinterlands of the state, where the situation is more intense, it’s the only source of food for the children.” Saullo Rosa, the 26-year- old son of functionally il- literate parents in a crime- ridden city near Rio de Janeiro, was going to be the first member of his family to graduate from college – until the state ran out of money to pay teachers and the school suspended operations. In the nation’s cap- ital, David Moyses was hoping to go to UCLA to complete his engineering studies with the help of a federal government schol- arship. After doing the necessary exams, the pro- gram was scrapped, along with his dreams. “I see others who went abroad getting jobs in the best companies, while I get the leftovers,” said Moyses, a trainee at the state-owned real estate developer Ter- racap, where he earns less than $300 per month. For Brazilians aged 14 to 24, the job market is partic- ularly bleak, with more than one in four unemployed, ac- cording to the government- run think tank Ipea. To be sure, without budget cuts, Brazil’s public accounts would be in an even worse state and would delay restoration of invest- ment-grade status. But aus- terity is beginning to hit some of the most prom- ising Brazilian indus- tries, such as the develop- ment of vaccines. At the Fiocruz labora- tory, management has told researchers that there is not enough federal money to keep up the 20-member team studying hepatitis, a disease that affects up to 2 million people in Brazil, ac- cording to the Brazilian So- ciety of Infectious Diseases. “A two- or three-month delay in payment to the teams and for the research can set back the study by a year,” said Manoel Barral Netto, vice president of edu- cation at Fiocruz. Elsewhere, there have been similar cuts. The fed- eral budget for scientific re- search is a quarter of what it was in 2010, and part of what remains has been frozen, according to Ildeu de Castro Moreira, head of the Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science. “Other countries continue to invest in times of crisis,” he said. “Here we’re retreating.” The national council pro- moting science and tech- nology, or CNPq, is struggling to adapt to the new budget reality. José Ricardo de San- tana, head of institutional cooperation, said the council is no longer “launching large, new programs.” © 2017, Bloomberg The invisible costs of an epic recession in Brazil GOV’T AMENDS DATE FOR NATIONAL HEROES DAY The 2018 National Heroes Day will be held on Monday, Jan. 22, the Cayman Islands government has advised in a press release. A previous press release set the date as Jan. 29. Next year’s celebration will honor those who have made significant contributions to sports in the territory. A committee of government officials and representa- tives from local sports groups will accept nominations from Sept. 1-30. Job seekers view a list of employment openings outside the Ministry of Labor and Employment in Rio de Janeiro. – PHOTO: BLOOMBERG Man says he sold ganja because he was hungry CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man charged with selling ganja pleaded guilty on Monday, telling the court that he did it be- cause he was hungry. Devon Elmore Scott, 41, admitted selling the illegal vegetable matter to a cruise ship passenger on Jan. 18. Defense attorney John Furniss said Scott sold a little bit of what he had because he was hungry and needed five dol- lars to buy food. Details of the of- fense were expected to be heard when Scott re- turns for sentence, set by Magistrate Adam Rob- erts for Oct. 9. When Scott first ap- peared in court for this matter in March, the charge was selling 2.89 grams. He was also charged with possessing 5.31 grams on the January date and consuming ganja. The magistrate con- tinued Scott’s bail until the sentencing date, with the same conditions that were in place originally. They included the provi- sion that he not go within 100 yards of the cruise ship terminal or port. The buyer of the ganja appeared in court two days after the transaction. He pleaded guilty and was fined $300. The magistrate said the usual sentence would have been $500, but he was giving credit for the guilty plea. He also noted that the buyer had the ex- pense of staying in Cayman for two days after his ship left and then he had to buy an air- line ticket home. The buyer of the ganja appeared in court two days after the transaction. Two arrested, 26 ticketed in eastern districts operation Joint enforcement activi- ties throughout the eastern districts on Sunday by uni- form officers conducting traffic checks and foot pa- trols, as well as the police he- licopter, K-9 and marine offi- cers on patrol offshore in the Rum Point area, resulted in two people being arrested on alleged drug-related offenses and 26 tickets issued. The objectives of the joint operations were to curb drunk driving, drug use and other anti-social activities, speeding, and the illegal riding of off-road motorbikes on public roads, police said in a press release. Officers conducted traffic checks on Frank Sound Road and Bodden Town Road throughout the afternoon, is- suing 26 tickets for expired coupons and licenses, and one warning for prosecution for driving without insur- ance. The bulk of tickets were issued for expired coupons, a traffic violation which carries a fine of $100. Officers also conducted foot and mobile patrols in the vicinity of Rum Point, where illegally parked cars were ticketed. Marine officers observed two people acting suspi- ciously onshore, and with the assistance of the police helicopter, officers on land were directed to their lo- cation. The RCIPS used its Wave Runners to approach from the sea as well, police said in the press release. Two people were arrested for possession of ganja and drug-related offenses. Checks continued throughout North Sound, in- cluding Starfish Point, Kaibo, Rum Point and Harbour House canal. During these patrols, police reported, of- ficers assisted two people in distress, one male who had collapsed in the water but was responsive, and an- other juvenile male who had drifted far from shore on board a raft. “Our operation yesterday is a good example of a coor- dination of resources across the Service to address anti- social behavior, especially il- legal motorbike and illegal drug activity on the week- ends, but also to render emergency assistance where needed,” Inspector Rudolph Gordon at the Bodden Town Police Station said in the press release. 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 Stepfather charged with rape of 15-year-old Bail denied, charges sent to Grand Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man charged with the rape of his stepdaughter was remanded in custody on Friday afternoon after Magis- trate Angelyn Hernandez re- jected an application for bail made on his behalf. Crown counsel Neil Kumar said he was objecting to bail and advised that there were two other charges of in- decent assault alleged by the same complainant. The girl was 15, he told the court. The defendant, 35, is a for- eign national and Mr. Kumar expressed concern that he might fail to surrender. He also noted that there were other members of the house- hold who had not yet been interviewed and he was con- cerned that the defendant might interfere. Defense attorney Dennis Brady said his client was anxious for the matter to be resolved because he wanted his reputation back. He said his client understood the se- riousness of the charges, but he was confident that the truth would come out and he would be vindicated. The defendant is mar- ried to a Caymanian, he ex- plained, and the girl is his wife’s child from a previous relationship. The couple had children together and the de- fendant regarded all of the children in the household as his responsibility. He suggested another ad- dress where the man could reside, with conditions that would include reporting to police three times a week and no contact with the children. The magistrate said the offenses were of the most serious kind. She also noted that police needed to com- plete their investigation. She pointed out that a further ap- plication could be made to the Grand Court. She transmitted all charges to the Grand Court, where the defendant is to ap- pear on Aug. 25. Turtle poaching prevented in West Bay A female sea turtle was rescued from poachers Wednesday night after a conservation officer dis- covered her tied up in the sand in West Bay. Officer Chadd Bush re- ported coming across the scene, where three men had the turtle tied, flipped on her back and ready to load into a gold pickup truck. When Mr. Bush ap- proached, the men fled the scene. Officers and interns then freed the turtle from her bindings, tagged her and re- leased her to the water. Another DoE officer la- mented on Facebook, “When will people learn that these lovely creatures need to be left alone and admired, not eaten into extinction? We really appreciate the public’s help on what we do.” Anyone who is aware of turtle meat being bought or sold illegally can call in an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers on 800-TIPS. Crimes in progress should be called in to 911. Driver flees police, crashes into traffic JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A suspected drunk driver collided with two vehicles, sped through a police road- block and tried to flee offi- cers on foot before being cap- tured on Sunday. Police began pursuing the Jeep Wrangler around 5:30 p.m. following reports it had left the scene of a minor col- lision on Sea View Road. The driver did not pull over for the flashing blue lights and then failed to stop at a separate police roadblock before veering into oncoming traffic and colliding with a white pickup truck on Bodden Town Road, near Frank Sound. The vehicle then crashed into the bushes on the side of the road and the driver, who suffered minor injuries, attempted to run away before being caught by officers. The truck was damaged extensively and the driver was taken to Cayman Is- lands Hospital. His inju- ries were not serious, ac- cording to police. The driver of the Jeep, a 28-year-old man, was ar- rested on suspicion of driving under the influ- ence of alcohol and dan- gerous driving. A female turtle was found tied up and ready for poachers in West Bay. The defendant, 35, is a foreign national and Mr. Kumar expressed concern that he might fail to surrender.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. ESTHER J. CEPEDA CHICAGO – The tide is turning on the “college-for- all” movement. Policymakers are finally starting to under- stand that while in a perfect world every student would emerge from 12 years of public education excited and prepared for the rigors of col- lege, this just isn’t realistic. It’s no wonder, really. Though the career earnings of college graduates vastly outweigh the prospects of those with only a high school diploma, the reality of the student loan crisis, the fear of indebtedness and the cul- tural barriers to a college education are increasingly making college a nonstarter. Parents are also re-evaluating the return on investment of a college education. According to a newly re- leased survey from the edu- cation journal EdNext, this may not be attributable to the often-blamed issue of parents being confused or uninformed about the costs of college. In the survey, par- ents were asked whether they would prefer their child to at- tend a university to earn a four-year degree, a commu- nity college to earn a two- year degree, or neither. The survey respondents were di- vided into four randomly se- lected groups with one get- ting no information about costs or benefits of a college degree. A second received in- formation about the earnings differential between adults with associate’s and bache- lor’s degrees and a third was instead told the average costs of obtaining the two de- grees. The fourth group was given both cost and earn- ings information. What the researchers found was that though the majority of respondents said they wanted their child to pursue a four-year univer- sity degree, the percentage of respondents who preferred their child pursue a four-year degree dropped by 7 points when only cost information is provided, and increased by 8 points when respon- dents received only earn- ings information. However, when both these pieces of information were supplied, the percentages of those who said they wanted their children to attend col- lege were essentially the same as when no information about either costs or bene- fits was given. Based on these results, one could conclude that col- lege is an intuitive choice that parents make based on their beliefs about whether it could lead to a better life, with financial considerations not a main barrier to col- lege aspiration. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, which tracks college enrollments, the number of students in colleges and universities has now dropped for five straight years, and this year 81,000 fewer high school graduates nationwide are heading to higher-education institutions. If fear or cost uncertainty is not the main driver making parents more wary of college, we must grapple with what, exactly, is causing the cooling attitudes toward higher ed- ucation and resultant lower matriculation rates. Is it the roiling social un- rest on campuses? Or the fact that even students at elite institutions are grad- uating with no better crit- ical thinking skills than they came in with? Most likely is that the college-for-all push has led to a dearth of viable alternatives for those who simply do not want to start their adult lives with more, expensive schooling – even if it’s likely to increase life- time earnings. While college is a rite of passage for many, policy- makers must pay more at- tention to the segment of the population that is looking for different pathways into the middle class. As Microsoft President Brad Smith said recently during an announcement of a skills-based learning pro- gram, “We need new ap- proaches, or we’re going to leave more and more people behind in our economy.” Yes. And transitioning away from believing that col- lege is the only way to at- tain the American dream must begin with acknowl- edging that non-white-collar work is an important part of our economy deserving of both respect and more atten- tive cultivation. Esther Cepeda’s email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com. © 2017, Washington Post Writers Group TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Ministry of Home Affairs is hiring a local accounting firm to conduct another review of the Cayman Islands Fire Service, this time to examine the department’s “standard of operations” and “overall organizational structure.” Logically, such an analysis would be led by someone with decades of experience in firefighting; with expertise in fire service training and operations; one who could bring an international perspective to our local department …. In other words, someone like Cayman’s Chief Fire Officer David Hails. It was Chief Hails, after all, who was chosen for the top post after a scorching 2014 review by Eng- land’s Chief Fire and Rescue Advisor Peter Holland described a “top heavy” fire service with too many senior officers, no training and development plan for those officers, and no evidence that station officers had ever been properly trained. Presumably, Chief Hails’s primary task would be to address those significant concerns about staffing, competencies, training and operations. Now, some three years later, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked PricewaterhouseCoopers to weigh in. We mean no disrespect to PwC, but Chief Hails has more knowledge about fire service operations in his left pinky than can be found in any of Cayman’s accounting firms. When Chief Hails was hired, he already had 37 years of firefighting experience, including the last eight at the Serco International Fire Training Centre, where he trained many firefighters from Cayman. Certainly, Chief Hails’s tenure in Cayman has not been flawless. (Who could forget the disastrous, expensive, and embarrassing fire truck rollover on Cayman Brac? But, after all, who could blame Chief Hails for that fiasco? If memory serves, he wasn’t the wheelman ….) From our perspective, Chief Hails has performed well under sometimes difficult circumstances. On the scene of major emergencies, he is typically found on-site, leading from the front lines and available and willing to provide timely information to the media. There are suggestions that some “disgruntled” fire service employees don’t like the direction the fire service is taking. The first non-Caymanian leader of Cayman’s fire service, Chief Hails has been chal- lenged by some internal disputes, including commu- nications claiming that a number of firefighters have chosen to leave the service. If there really is unrest among the ranks, the cause very well might be higher standards and greater accountability. If that is the case, certain employees might be “self-selecting” themselves out of the fire service. We wish them well finding work in a less-demanding field. It should go without saying in our emergency services, public safety trumps hurt feelings or sour grapes. Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers has said, “Our fire officers often work under dangerous con- ditions and risk their own lives to ensure the safety of others. This review gives those brave men and women a voice. We want to know what can be done to help all staff members perform at their best and how we can provide the agency with the support needed going forward in order to achieve this.” Bringing on consultants may be wise when an issue demands specialized knowledge or expertise that one does not have on staff. That some staff may be “disgruntled” does not qualify as a reason. If the Ministry of Home Affairs has concerns about the fire service, the first call should be to Chief Hails. Ask what resources he needs to do his job, and then provide them. Fire service review: Shouldn’t Chief Hails be the ‘first responder’? LETTER TO THE EDITOR Gift appreciated by visitors On a recent visit to Cayman with my daughter, her husband and their three children, we were walking on the street after shopping. My daughter stopped at the market to check out if they had any lobster and, if so, how much? The gen- tleman said yes, he would give her some! We were not sure what he meant and asked, “how much?” He said, “nothing,” and that he would give her some for the family. He said it was the Cayman way and, truly, that said a lot. We have been coming to Cayman for many years and every time we have been fortunate to run into many, many wonderful people! I just wanted to write and give him a big “thank you” and acknowl- edge that his generosity did not go unnoticed. Thanks. Roxanne Steubing 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” College isn’t only path to success “We need new approaches, or we’re going to leave more and more people behind in our economy.” MICROSOFT PRESIDENT BRAD SMITH5 REGIONAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 OCTOBER 7, 2017 The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky Featuring Special Guest Speakers PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR THANK YOU TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speakers Rancic Bill & Giulianna Millions watch historic eclipse turn day into night across US (AP) – Millions of Amer- icans gazed in wonder through telescopes, cameras and disposable protective glasses Monday as the moon blotted out the sun in the first full-blown solar eclipse to sweep the U.S. from coast to coast in nearly a century. “It’s really, really, re- ally, really awesome,” said 9-year-old Cami Smith as she watched the fully eclipsed sun from a gravel lane near her grandfather’s home at Beverly Beach, Oregon. The temperature dropped, birds quieted down, crickets chirped and the stars came out in the middle of the day as the line of darkness raced 2,600 miles across the con- tinent in about 90 minutes, bringing forth oohs, aahs, shouts and screams. In Boise, Idaho, where the sun was more than 99 per- cent blocked, people clapped and whooped, and the street lights came on briefly, while in Nashville, Tennessee, people craned their necks at the sky and knocked back longneck beers at Nudie’s Honky Tonk bar. It was the most-observed and most-photographed eclipse in history, with many Americans staking out prime viewing spots and settling onto blankets and lawn chairs to watch, especially along the path of totality – the line of deep shadow cre- ated when the sun is com- pletely obscured except for the delicate ring of light known as the corona. The shadow – a corridor just 60 to 70 miles wide – came ashore in Oregon and then traveled diagonally across the heartland to South Carolina, with darkness from the totality lasting only about two to three wondrous min- utes in any one spot. The rest of North America was treated to a par- tial eclipse, as were Cen- tral American and the top of South America. “We’re all part of some- thing celestial – so much bigger than us, so myste- rious,” said Ed Sullivan, who traveled from Richmond, Virginia, to Glendo Reser- voir in Wyoming. With 200 million people within a day’s drive from the path of totality, towns and parks saw big crowds. Skies were clear along most of the route, to the relief of those who feared cloud cover would spoil this once-in-a- lifetime moment. “The show has just begun, people! What a gorgeous day! Isn’t this great, people?” Jim Todd, a director at the Or- egon Museum of Science and Industry, told a crowd of thousands at an amphithe- ater in Salem, Oregon, as the moon took an ever-bigger bite out of the sun. NASA reported 4.4 mil- lion people were watching its TV coverage midway through the eclipse, the biggest livestream event in the space agency’s history. “It’s like nothing else you will ever see or ever do,” said veteran eclipse-watcher Mike O’Leary of San Diego, who set up his camera along with among hundreds of other amateur astronomers gath- ered in Casper, Wyoming. “It can be religious. It makes you feel insignificant, like you’re just a speck in the whole scheme of things.” Astronomers were giddy with excitement. A solar eclipse is considered one of the grandest of cosmic spectacles. NASA solar physicist Alex Young said the last time earthlings had a connec- tion like this to the heavens was during man’s first flight to the moon, on Apollo 8 in 1968. The first, famous Earth- rise photo came from that mission and, like this eclipse, showed us “we are part of something bigger.” Hoping to learn more about the sun’s composition and activity, NASA and other scientists watched and ana- lyzed from telescopes on the ground and in orbit, the In- ternational Space Station, air- planes and scores of high- altitude balloons beaming back live video. The Earth, moon and sun line up perfectly every one to three years, briefly turning day into night for a sliver of the planet. But these sights normally are in no man’s land, like the vast Pacific or Earth’s poles. This is the first eclipse of the social media era to pass through such a heavily populated area. The moon has not thrown this much shade at the U.S. since 1918, during the coun- try’s last coast-to-coast total eclipse. In fact, the U.S. main- land hasn’t seen a total solar eclipse since 1979 – and even then, only five states in the Northwest experienced total darkness. The path of totality passed through 14 states. Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois saw the longest stretch of darkness: 2 minutes and 44 seconds. The next total solar eclipse in the U.S. will be in 2024. The next coast-to-coast one will not be until 2045. The moon is seen passing in front of the sun at Ross Lake, Northern Cascades National Park, Washington State on Monday. Two children from Dallas, Texas, have their customized eclipse glasses on at Nashville’s viewing party at First Tennessee Park. - PHOTOS: APThe 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 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, AUGUST 22 BE A MENTOR: Training provided. Starting at the end of September for one year, mentor a Year 11 student at John Gray High School to help him or her achieve their potential in life and in school. It just takes one hour a week, Tuesday or Thursday lunchtime meetings from noon-1 p.m. in term time at the school. Contact Laura on 328-0300 or Karen on 325-0318. USED BOOKS: The Red Cross Thrift Shop holds a book sale until Aug. 31. Customers can get all the books they can fit in a bag for $5. MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: “Trolls” (2016, PG) on The Crescent at Camana Bay. Free. 7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23 NON-PROFIT LAW: An information session on the new Non-Profit Organisations Law will be held 10-11 a.m. in Room 1038, Government Administration Building. Presented by the Ministry of Financial Services. For more information contact wilbur.welcome@gov.ky. THURSDAY, AUG. 24 NATIONAL TRUST GT DISTRICT: Annual General Meeting of the George Town District Committee of The National Trust for the Cayman Islands will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Grand Old House inside dining room and lounge, South Church Street. Elections and proposed projects on the agenda. PUBLIC ASTRONOMY VIEWING: Pedro Castle, 7:30 p.m. weather permitting. Park outside and walk in. Call Richard at 925-4917 for more details or to check cancellation if more than 50 percent cloud cover. BRAC COURT: Aston Rutty Centre, today and tomorrow, from 10 a.m. FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 PASTA DINNER FUNDRAISER: Harvest Fellowship Church offers pasta dinner for $5 from 4-7 p.m. Pick-up/ take-out at 223-224 Cannon Place (formerly Mirco Centre). Proceeds in aid of upcoming events and church expansion projects. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26 DEALS ON WHEELS: Red Cross mobile thrift shop will be in East End 6-10 a.m. close to the Pirates Cove Bar. Items available include clothing and shoes for children and adults, household items, linens, ladies’ accessories and more. FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: 8 p.m. at Seven Mile Public Beach Park. Organized by Family Empowerment Group. Call 916-6182. TUESDAY, AUGUST 29 PERTINACITY, PAGEANTS & POLITICS: Former Miss Cayman and attorney Theresa Lewis Pitcairn discusses “A purposeful life beyond the crown.” 6 p.m. Part of the speaker series at the National Museum on Harbour Drive. $10 general admission, $6 members, includes entry to exhibits. Wine and refreshments follow. Reserve a seat by contacting shenicemcfield@museum.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Dealing with “Problem People.” 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $150 for members, $225 for future members. www.caymanchamber.ky. NON-PROFIT LAW: An information session on the new Non-Profit Organisations Law will be held 2-3 p.m. in Room 1038, Government Administration Building. Presented by the Ministry of Financial Services. For more information, contact wilbur.welcome@gov.ky. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP: Negotiation Techniques. 5:30–7:30 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. Free. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. CHAMBER COURSE: Business Master class – Strata Management. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Chamber of Commerce, Governors Square. $175 for members, $225 for future members. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. BRAC WORKSHOP: The Family Resource Centre holds a three-day domestic violence intervention workshop at the Brac Reef hotel. The free training is Aug. 29-31, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The workshop is for front-line professionals who interact with domestic violence victims and their families. Contact FRC at 949-0006 or email frc@gov.ky. SUNDAY, SEPT. 3 PAWS ON WHEELS: Fundraising cycle ride, 7 a.m., starting from The Lighthouse restaurant in Breakers. Registration on the day of event, 6:15-6:45 a.m. at The Lighthouse. Adults, $25. Adults w/commemorative jersey, $50. Kids under 12, free. All participants will receive a free PAWS T-shirt (while supplies last) and a continental breakfast after the event. Choose from three routes (4 miles, 10 miles and 20 miles) to suit experience level. For more information, contact PAWS at 916-3957 or 916-1731. TUESDAY, SEPT. 5 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. 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. GENERAL INTEREST GAMEBIRD SEASON: The Department of Environment reminds hunters that the open season for blue- winged teal opens in September (three bird bag and possession limit). For white-winged doves, the season opens in October (12 bird bag and possession limit). ANNIVERSARY DINNER: Tickets for Wesleyan Christian Academy’s 40th anniversary dinner buffet are on sale. The dinner will be at Schooner’s restaurant at the Cayman Turtle Centre on Sept. 17. Tickets are available to all past/present attendees of WCA and their families, $20 adults, $15 children. Inquiries may be made to 949-3394 or 949-1121. LAW SCHOOL PROGRAMS: Applications are being accepted for one of the new postgraduate programs offered by the Truman Bodden Law School – the 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. 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. 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. 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. ARTISAN MARKET: Every Wednesday, noon – 8 p.m. at Camana Bay. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale with 3 tents on display by KARoo Restaurant/Bar. info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Every Wednesday Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant located in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee. Easels provided for artist of all levels to come out and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. info@visualartcayman.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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Poppy, left, voiced by Anna Kendrick, and Branch, voiced by Justin Timberlake, in a scene from ‘Trolls.’ The free movie will be shown at The Crescent, Camana Bay, on Tuesday, Aug. 22. - PHOTO: DREAMWORKS ANIMATION VIA APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 Four Winds Esso Will be CLOSED for our Annual Vacation From August 24th RE-OPENING on Tuesday, September 7th at 6:00am The audit review, com- pleted by government’s In- ternal Audit Unit at the re- quest of Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, attributed the payments for the nonex- istent “national rollout” of the CarePay system to a “lack of an expected standard of care and professional skepticism in the payment of invoices to- taling CI$1.5 million by the Health Services Authority.” “The Ministry of Health funded the Health Services Authority for an equity in- jection on the basis of a re- quest from the former board chairman [Watson],” the audit states. “However, the HSA fi- nance officers advised that they had no knowledge of this equity funding. The HSA officials, at the instruc- tions of the former board chairman, paid out the funds to Advanced Integrated Sys- tems Cayman without an ap- proved contract of service and despite the fact that the invoices were addressed to the Ministry of Health and not for the HSA.” “This was not our finest hour,” the deputy governor said after the completion of the audit review. One solution presented in the wake of the CarePay failures was a change in the makeup of board member- ship in all statutory author- ities and government-owned companies, Accountant Gen- eral Matthew Tibbetts said last week. Those require- ments include board mem- bers having expertise in their respective areas, as well as adding some civil service staff to public boards – in- cluding on the Health Ser- vices Authority Board. The civil servant posi- tion is an “advisory role” and does not get a vote, but Mr. Tibbetts said it would give government “a presence” in the debate. Public Accounts Com- mittee Chairman Ezzard Miller objected to this step. “This idea that govern- ment has adopted that put- ting civil servants as ex-of- ficio [non-voting] members of the board simply be- cause their presence will in- timidate people is wrong,” Mr. Miller said. “I’m con- cerned that the government seems to be extracting a lot of comfort by putting what seems to be a stool pigeon on the board. Why set up the board in the first place? Why not just make it a govern- ment department?” Mr. Saunders said simply putting a civil servant on a board would not prevent what happened during the CarePay contract. He indi- cated that people signed the contract who had not read it, while having the expertise of the government financial ser- vices ministry on hand to re- view those documents. “But [that expertise] was not used,” he said, “and the person who signed the con- tract is still sitting there earning a big salary.” Mr. Saunders suggested that government finance of- ficials be required to review separately all contracts above a certain amount, before their approval. Prospect MLA Austin Harris asked what “account- ability mechanisms” were in place – outside of the Cayman Islands Auditor General’s Office – for the public authorities. “We seem to be repeating auditor general’s reports time and time again, as opposed to addressing them compre- hensively and meaningfully,” Mr. Harris said. Mr. Saunders said, “[There are] stupid decisions and then the civil servants need to come up with policies and procedures to prevent these stupid decisions.” Mr. Tibbetts said he thought having the finance ministry sign off on big- money contracts before they are approved was “a great idea” that he would sug- gest to the ministry. He also noted that the recently ap- proved Public Authorities Law would give central gov- ernment more direct control over the statutory authori- ties and government compa- nies’ operations. The accountant general said government recently is- sued an anti-fraud policy complete with an anony- mous fraud reporting hotline to help head off situations where unethical or illegal be- havior may occur. “We need to go out and en- gage the people, not a group of people that are sitting down and trying to push their will through,” Mr. Saunders said. Lands and Survey Depart- ment Director Rupert Vasquez said, following recommenda- tions in the Ernst & Young consultants report in 2014, his department took land sale pro- posals to the Progressives-led government caucus which nar- rowed the initial list. This was objected to at the time by Mr. Miller, the North Side MLA, who said a political caucus was not a legally recognized body that had decision-making authority within government. After the caucus review, Mr. Vasquez said the National Conservation Council also re- quested that certain proper- ties be removed from the list. MLAs were then given a revised list of potential properties for sale in Jan- uary 2017. According to Mr. Vasquez, if any MLA objected to the sale of property within their representative district, it was removed from the list. There were also objections to certain property sales by the National Roads Authority and the Water Authority- Cayman for various reasons. After taking into account all those factors, a revised Crown property sale list went to Cabinet in May 2017. The newly elected government still has to make some deci- sions to clarify what proper- ties will be made available for sale, Mr. Vasquez said. “Crown land hold- ings will be reviewed regu- larly,” he said. Both Mr. Miller and Mr. Saunders generally objected to the process Mr. Vasquez described, saying it is not transparent. Mr. Miller said that while MLAs received a list of properties for sale in their own districts, they were unaware of any properties made available elsewhere. He also said members of the public had no idea what the government was discussing. Moreover, the MLAs noted, in the absence of a national development plan for the is- lands, it seemed difficult for government to state precisely what properties might be considered surplus. “While it might appear as useless property today, 10 or 15 years from now it might be the perfect place to put a small park in a commu- nity that has development,” Mr. Miller said. Mr. Miller said he was aware that the Public Ac- counts Committee could be seen to be “trespassing on government policy” with the land sales issue, but he noted there were significant con- cerns about value for money. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Lawmakers skeptical of CarePay ‘fixes’ Ezzard Miller, Public Accounts Committee chairmanChris Saunders CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MLAs question need for government land sales will be based on the eclipse. They are going to be making pinhole cameras to see how those work as well,” Mr. McCloud said. “From the point of view of people interested in sci- ence, this is the kind of thing that gets everyone inter- ested. Today so many people are interested. It would have been a great opportunity for us to get students going into the science area,” he said. Dr. Hrudey hoped the eclipse would contribute to scientific research, including a better understanding of the sun’s corona. “The eclipse is important from a scientific perspec- tive in many respects. Just to give an example, the co- rona, which is kind of the atmosphere on the outside of the sun, you only get to see it during a total eclipse,” Dr. Hrudey said. “It turns out the corona is very much hotter than the rest of the sun. Nobody knows why. So they are going to pay special attention this time around.” While solar viewing glasses were not necessary in Cayman, hundreds of eclipse shades were made available as free keepsakes. Cloud cover obscures solar eclipse in Cayman CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A large crowd gathers in front of the Hollywood sign at the Griffith Observatory to watch the solar eclipse in Los Angeles. – PHOTO: AP Bill Hrudey hoped to view a partial solar eclipse from Grand Cayman Wednesday, but cloud cover blocked the view. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Barcelona fugitive wearing bomb belt shot dead Former US soldier who defected to North Korea in 1962 has died SUBIRATS, Spain (AP) – A man thought to be the driver in the Barcelona van attack was shot dead by Spanish police Monday after authorities an- nounced he also was sus- pected of killing the owner of a hijacked getaway car. The fugitive was wearing a bomb belt, authorities said. Younes Abouyaaqoub was shot when officers confronted him in Subirats, a rural area known for its vineyards about 28 miles west of Barce- lona, police in Spain’s Catal- onia region said. A bomb dis- posal robot was dispatched to approach him, police said. Abouyaaqoub, 22, had been the target of an inter- national manhunt that had raised fears throughout the region since Thursday’s van attack in Barcelona. Authorities said Monday they now have evidence that Abouyaaqoub drove the van that plowed down the city’s famed Las Ramblas prom- enade, killing 13 pedes- trians and injuring more than 120 others. They said Abouyaaqoub, who was born in Morocco and has Spanish residency, also is suspected of carjacking a man and stabbing him to death as he made his getaway, raising the death toll between the Barcelona attack and a re- lated attack hours later to 15. Another vehicle attack early Friday by other mem- bers of what Catalonia re- gional police have described as a 12-member extremist cell killed one person and wounded several others in the coastal town of Cambrils. That ended in a shootout with police, who killed five attackers. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for both attacks. Roser Ventura, whose fa- ther owns a vineyard be- tween the towns of Sadurni d’Anoia and Subirats, said he alerted the regional Catalan police when they spotted a car crossing their property at high speed. “The police told us to leave the premises and go home. We heard a helicopter flying around and many po- lice cars coming toward the gas station that is some 600 meters from the property,” Ventura said. Earlier Monday, regional police chief Josep Lluis Tra- pero said investigators have “scientific evidence” showing Abouyaaqoub drove the speeding van in Las Ram- blas and killed the owner of a hijacked sedan on Thursday night. He said the suspect walked through Barcelona for about 90 minutes after the van attack – through the famed La Boqueria market and nearly to Barcelona Uni- versity – before hijacking the car. Abouyaaqoub is believed to have made his getaway in the stolen car with Per- ez’s body inside. Perez was parking his car, a Ford Focus, in a lot be- tween 6:10 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. Abouyaaqoub stabbed him before 6:32 p.m., put him in the car’s rear seats and drove away, Trapero said. Trapero said Perez was already dead when Abouy- aaqoub then rammed the car through a police checkpoint minutes later and police opened fire on his car. The suspect ran over a po- lice officer as the car evaded the checkpoint. About 7 p.m., police found the car and Per- ez’s body 3 kilometers (nearly 2 miles) away from the check- point, near Sant Just Des- vern, a town west of Barce- lona, but Abouyaaqoub was nowhere to be found. The Spanish newspaper El Pais published images Monday of what it said was Abouy- aaqoub leaving the van attack site on foot. The three images show a slim man wearing sun- glasses walking through the La Boqueria market. Abouyaaqoub escaped and had not returned to his home in Ripoll, said Tra- pero. The manhunt for him reached well beyond Spain’s borders. Four other suspects have been arrested. Regional authorities said Monday that 48 people were still hospitalized from both attacks, eight of them in crit- ical condition. Abouyaaqoub was be- lieved to be the lone attacker on the run by Sunday. Au- thorities had not confirmed his identity because they were having difficulty identi- fying the remains of at least two extremists who died Wednesday in an explosion at a house in Alcanar where ex- plosives were being prepared. The explosion destroyed the house, but police found remnants of more than 100 butane gas tanks and ma- terials needed for the TATP explosive, which has been used previously by Islamic State militants. Those discoveries, and re- ports that Abouyaaqoub had rented three vans, suggested the militant cell was making plans for an even more mas- sive attack on the city. Earlier Monday, regional police chief Josep Lluis Trapero said investigators have “scientific evidence” showing Abouyaaqoub drove the speeding van in Las Ramblas and killed the owner of a hijacked sedan on Thursday night. Armed police officers stand guard near Subirats, Spain, where a man thought to be the driver in the Barcelona van attack was shot dead by police on Monday. - PHOTO: AP Five decades after a 21-year-old soldier from Richmond, Virginia, named James Joseph Dresnok sprinted through the demil- itarized zone and began his new life as a propaganda tool for North Korea, his Pyong- yang-born sons have an- nounced his death. Dresnok’s health had been failing for years, and his sons said he died of a stroke in November. He was 74 and had spent two-thirds of his life espousing the virtues of the country he ran to on that summer day in 1962. The death of the man thought to have outlived or outlasted the other U.S. defectors to North Korea had been rumored, but his sons recently confirmed it on the state-run Uriminzo- kkiri website, according to the Guardian. “I have never regretted coming to the People’s Re- public of North Korea,” Dresnok said in a 2006 BBC documentary. “I feel at home. I really feel at home. I was just a regular soldier. And when I gave it up and came over, I wouldn’t trade it for nothing.” But like most things the man known as “Comrade Joe” said publicly after defecting, it was impossible to suss out which statements were gen- uine and which were par- roted propaganda. As his health failed, Dres- nok’s Korean-speaking sons spoke on their father’s be- half. But their words, too, were heavily scripted and overwhelmingly sup- portive of North Korea and its policies. “I want to advise the U.S. to drop its hostile policy against North Korea. They’ve done enough wrong, and now it’s time for them to wake up from their delusions,” Ted Dresnok, the oldest son, said in a video published online in 2006 by the pro- Pyongyang news service Minjok Tongshin. Those words were spoken amid escalating tensions be- tween the United States and North Korea that have wors- ened under President Donald Trump, who has promised that the isolationist country would be “met with fire and fury” if it doesn’t stop threat- ening the United States. Dresnok and other Army defectors – including Pvt. Larry Abshier, Sgt. Robert Jen- kins and Spec. Jerry Parrish – were seen as propaganda vic- tories for North Korea. “Comrade Joe” even played an evil American in North Korean propaganda movies. And his disembodied voice was broadcast across the demilitarized zone to en- tice U.S. troops with promises of better food rations and beautiful women. It was a world away from what Dresnok described as a humble and tumultuous childhood in Virginia’s cap- ital. His parents were in con- stant conflict and, later, es- tranged. They died when he was a child. He was briefly raised by relatives and spent time in foster care. He joined the Army the day after his 17th birthday, according to the Guardian, but Army life – and regular life – quickly soured. On a trip home from de- ployment, he discovered that his wife had run away with another man. Despon- dent during the ensuing di- vorce, he put in for Army ser- vice in the most dangerous place he could think of: near the demilitarized zone. One night in South Korea, he left base without permission to be with a woman. Soon, he found himself facing a court-martial. “I was fed up with my childhood, my marriage, my military life, everything. I was finished,” he told the docu- mentary makers. “There’s only one place to go. On Aug. 15, at noon in broad daylight, when everybody was eating lunch, I hit the road. Yes, I was afraid. Am I gonna live or die? And when I stepped into the minefield and I seen it with my own eyes, I started sweating. I crossed over, looking for my new life.” He was interrogated in the North Korean capital but was ultimately embraced, along with other defectors. It was not an easy fit at first. Four years after de- fecting, he and other former U.S. soldiers went to the So- viet Embassy, trying to find a way back to the United States, the Guardian reported. The Soviets handed them back to the North Koreans. That’s when Dresnok said he vowed to try to fit in. Resigned to his new life in North Korea, he learned to speak Korean and taught English, according to The Washington Post’s Anna Fi- field. He married a Roma- nian woman, Doina Bumbea, who reportedly had been ab- ducted by North Korea and died of cancer in 1997. They had two children, Ted and James. Ted goes by the Ko- rean name Hong Sun Chol. His younger brother goes by the name Hong Chol. “Comrade Joe” lived a simple life in North Korea, drinking, fishing and smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. In 2008, in an interview with the Guardian, he dis- cussed how he viewed his de- cision to turn his back on the United States. “I don’t consider myself a traitor,” he said. “I love my country. I love my town.” But he said he con- sidered himself a citizen of Pyongyang. “I call it my country be- cause I have been here for 46 years. My life is here. Enough? The government will take care of me until my dying breath.” © 2017, The Washington Post Dresnok and other Army defectors – including Pvt. Larry Abshier, Sgt. Robert Jenkins and Spec. Jerry Parrish – were seen as propaganda victories for North Korea. Fire sweeps across Russian city Russian emergency officials say a massive blaze has swept through the southwestern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, leaving scores of people injured and burning dozens of houses. The fire erupted Monday at a wooden house in the center of Rostov-on-Don, a city of 1.1 million. James Dresnok9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY AUGUST 22, 2017 The rise and fall of Miami’s ‘CEO of Purple Drank’ Texas man tried planting bomb on Confederate statue HOUSTON (AP) – A Houston man has been arrested after he was allegedly caught trying to plant explosives on a Confederate statue at a Houston park, authori- ties said Monday. Prosecutors allege 25-year-old Andrew Schneck was caught on Saturday eve- ning near a statue of Richard Dowling, a lieutenant in the Confederate army. A Houston park ranger found Schneck holding two boxes with duct tape and wires as well as a bottle and a small tube con- taining compounds that tests later revealed were explo- sive materials, according to a criminal complaint. Schneck’s arrest comes after events in Charlot- tesville, Virginia, where a white supremacist rally over the removal of a Con- federate statue resulted in three deaths, and the re- movals of other statues na- tionwide, including at Duke University and late Sunday evening at the University of Texas at Austin. Schneck was charged with attempting to maliciously damage or destroy property receiving federal financial as- sistance. He made his initial court appearance on Monday and was to remain in fed- eral custody until a detention hearing on Thursday. Philip Hilder, Sch- neck’s attorney, declined to comment Monday. The statue in Houston, lo- cated in Hermann Park, is of Richard W. “Dick” Dowling, an Ireland-born Houston sa- loon owner. His Confederate unit defeated a Union inva- sion force at the Battle of Sa- bine Pass in 1863. Dowling was hailed as a war hero in Houston, and the end of the war saw him resume his suc- cessful business career until his death in 1867. “When asked by [the park ranger] if he wanted to harm the statue, Schneck re- sponded that he did, and that he [Schneck] did not ‘like that guy,’” according to the crim- inal complaint. Authorities allege that Schneck was caught with a plastic bottle with what is likely nitroglycerin, an active ingredient in the manufac- ture of explosives, and with a small aluminum tube that contained a white powder that tests showed was Hexa- methylene triperoxide di- amine, which is used as an initiating or primary explo- sive. When he was confronted by the park ranger, Schneck tried to drink the bottle that had the nitroglycerin but spit out the liquid and then poured it out on the ground. The Houston police bomb squad said a timer, wires connected to a homemade detonator, battery and the Hexamethylene triperoxide diamine found in Schneck’s possession “were capable to produce a viable explo- sive device,” according to the criminal complaint. Schneck told police he had other chemicals at his Houston home. On Monday, houses located near Sch- neck’s home had been evac- uated as authorities worked to dispose of materials found in his home, where he lives with this mother. According to court doc- uments, Schneck has a bachelor’s degree in chem- istry from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Schneck’s mother told au- thorities that her son uses one of their properties “to conduct his chemistry ex- periments,” according to the criminal complaint. Schneck had been ar- rested in 2014 on a charge of improperly storing explo- sive materials at his Houston home. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years of probation. In November, a federal judge approved a request by Schneck’s attorneys for early termination of his sen- tence. In his motion, Hilder had written that Schneck “is not a risk to public safety” and that “his focus is no longer concentrated on high- risk activities.” Harrison Garcia was a sucker for a good selfie. The Miami hip-hop scenester, known to his friends as “Cuban Harry,” boasted more than 36,000 followers on Instagram, and the account was an endless showcase of Garcia’s gold- plated good life. There were pictures of Garcia flashing diamond mouth grills. Spewing out a Vesuvius-amount of smoke. Showing off a riot of body tattoos. Aiming guns. Palling with superstars like Lil Wayne and Chris Brown. And often, mugging for the camera with his hands around a double stack of Sty- rofoam cups – the preferred receptacle for “purple drank,” the high-powered and home- brewed cough syrup cock- tail hoisted and celebrated in Southern rap circles. But Garcia was doing more than guzzling. Ac- cording to federal prosecu- tors, Garcia was respon- sible for pumping the South Florida music scene with the concoction, a mix of pro- methazine with codeine, soda, and Jolly Ranchers also known as “sizzurp” and “lean.” The government con- tends not only did Garcia supply major music stars, but he also quarterbacked a crew of robbers who broke into drugstores to obtain the ex- pensive ingredients. From the evidence and testimony put forward by the state at a trial in April, the government’s best source on Garcia’s activities was Garcia himself. The 27-year-old re- lentlessly boasted online, referring to himself as the “CEO of Purple Drank” and even sporting a pendant fea- turing a diamond-encrusted Styrofoam cup. A jury, however, did not buy the music producer’s claims in court that it was all empty talk to boost his social media standing and street cred. Last Friday, a federal judge handed Garcia a 30- year sentence after his con- viction on drug trafficking charges, closing the door on a strange story where hip-hop fact and fantasy blurred. “Mr. Garcia was definitely a very prominent mover,” Tony Salisbury, a deputy spe- cial agent in charge with the Department of Homeland Se- curity, told the Miami New Times last July. “He was one of the largest dealers that we’ve encountered.” According to court re- cords, DHS first opened an investigation into Garcia for trafficking both “purple drank” and marijuana in August 2015. “Over the course of the investigation, law enforce- ment monitored Garcia’s use of his Instagram page to traffic illegal controlled substances,” a law enforce- ment affidavit later stated. “Records provided by Insta- gram pursuant to the search warrant revealed direct mes- sages sent and received by Garcia in which Garcia ne- gotiated with customers for the sale of promethazine with codeine, marijuana, and other controlled substances, and agreed to provide the re- quested narcotics.” In August and September 2016, Homeland Security agents monitored Garcia selling promethazine with codeine and marijuana to a confidential informant twice, for $1,900 and $2,630, re- spectively. In October 2016, law enforcement conducted a raid on Garcia’s home in Miami; police found both a Glock and a FN semiauto- matic pistol, two pounds of marijuana, and a bottle of promethazine with codeine valued on the street at $1,000, court records show. After his arrest, Garcia di- rected police to a stash house in suburban Miami. There, law enforcement found a fully loaded AK-47 assault rifle, a loaded Uzi subma- chine gun, and 3,000 Xanax pills. A federal grand jury eventually indicted Garcia on five drug trafficking charges. According to the Miami Herald, at a pretrial hearing last January, Garcia admitted he was a “purple drank” user, but said his drug dealing so- cial media posts were all persona. “I had an image to portray, to boost up my fol- lowers,” he said. “I guess it’s just the music industry …. I was never a drug trafficker.” “Harrison Garcia is just a young, foolish man who got caught up in the rap world, drugs, the glamour,” Garcia’s defense lawyer, Ted Mastos, told the court in January, according to the Herald. “This all begins stupidly by him putting this stuff out on Instagram.” Prosecutors, however, ar- gued Garcia’s efforts were far more extensive. Police in South Florida linked Garcia to four individuals – Alonzo Hinson, Bryan Pitter, Darrish Martin, and Chantelle Ponce – charged in burglaries of Walgreens stores. (Ponce and Pitter both reportedly took plea deals and are working with the state) The Herald reported the group “is accused of don- ning masks and using crow- bars to enter the pharmacies to steal the cough syrup and other drugs.” Police believe the group could have been behind 50 burglaries. “Garcia has organized, facilitated, fi- nances and directed co-con- spirators to commit bur- glaries … in order to obtain stolen narcotics for re-sale,” a Broward County Sheriff’s Of- fice deputy wrote in a war- rant related to the case. At his federal trial, pros- ecutors accused Garcia of selling purple drank to big names in the music in- dustry. The evidence, coupled with the recorded drug buys and online boasting, was enough for a jury to return guilty verdicts for all five of the charges. Garcia also faces racketeering charges in state court related to the burglary ring. At his sentencing hearing last Friday before U.S. Judge Patricia Seitz, the street tough braggadocio that ini- tially got Garcia in trouble was gone. “I want to briefly apologize to my parents and your honor,” Garcia said ac- cording to the Herald. “Hope- fully, I learn from this.” © 2017, The Washington Post According to federal prosecutors, Garcia was responsible for pumping the South Florida music scene with the concoction, a mix of promethazine with codeine, soda, and Jolly Ranchers also known as “sizzurp” and “lean.” Federal prosecutors say Harrison Garcia sold drugs to hip-hop’s elite. - PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST A federal law enforcement officer works at the scene in Houston in connection with the case of a man charged with trying to plant explosives at the statue of Confederate officer Richard Dowling in the park. - PHOTO: APNext >